As Thanksgiving week continues, I’m so excited to be teaming up with one of the loveliest bloggers on the internet (which basically means in the whole world, and maybe parts of Mars because they have water there now so who knows what else?): Em, from The Pig and Quill. Today, we’re bringing you two awesome, healthy recipes for your Thanksgiving table for the price of one – read on for her insane looking Mini Sweet Potato Soufflés with Pecan Pie Streusel, then click on over to Em’s blog for my take on stuffing: that is, Sourdough Stuffing with Kale, Sliced Almonds and Grand Marnier-Soaked Apricots. It’s vegan, with a few other healthy tricks up a sleeve and just enough decadence and surprising flavor to wow your friends and family around the holiday table. Get all the deets over at The Pig and Quill – and now, over to Em!
Hi guys! I’m Em — big time fangirl of the Liz you all know and love and the lady behind the food and ramblings you’ll find over onThe Pig & Quill. Like Liz, I’m a lover of food that tastes real stupid good; unlike Liz, I’m not always a saint when it comes to avoiding guilty pleasures. True talk, I eat (and cook) mindfully about 90% of the time — real, whole foods that are nourishing to our bodies and respectful of our planet. But I’ve been known to sneak a little bacon in here and there or marry a cheesecake and a key lime pie with very little regret. I meaaaannnnnn, all things in moderation…right?
Aside from doing the food blogging thing, I’m also a wifey and new mama (to the sweetest little nug that ever was); a marketing nerd; a wannabe runner — even a (very occasional!) video personality, though watching my face make faces never gets easier, blegh. *facepalm monkey emoji times a jillion* I also like me a good young adult novel, (après) skiing when the snow allows and moonlighting as a profesh binge-watcher of all the mindless things. (Dude — Master of None? Suh-mitten.)
But enough about me — let’s talk ‘taters!
If you’re anything like moi, when it comes to dishing up your holiday plate, you leave about thiiiiiiiis >< much room for turkey (or equivalent protein entree) and then load up on ALL. THE. SIDES. And if you’re anything like me (Part 2), you know that the best parts of almost any Thanksgiving side — or, at least, any side served up in a casserole dish — are the edges. Like all things delicious, the edges are always just a little bit browner. A little bit crispier. And in traditional casserole preparations, a lotta bit short in supply.
Enter: the ramekin — aka, 360-degrees of edgy bliss all for me. Happy Little Piggy, party of one? OH HAI. 🙂
These mini soufflés have so much going for them, you guys. In addition to their mini-ness, they’ve captured everything there is to love about a classic sweet potato casserole in a tidy little gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free package. There’s the creamy, smooth — and dare we say fluffy? — soufflé filling, which gets a bit o’ body from coconut milk; a mild, caramel sweetness from coconut sugar; and let’s not forget a browned “butter” swirl that’s infused with earthy thyme, warm ginger and bright citrus zest. And then there’s the topping. OH, THE TOPPING. Cinnamon-spiced pecans with sticky maple syrup, more of that crunchy coconut shuggah and comfy, cozy oats.
Nutrition whiz that she is, Liz would probably tell you that sweet potatoes are chock fulla vitamins A, C and B6, manganese and copper; coconut sugar adds satisfying sweetness without spiking your blood sugar; and pecans are loaded with heart-healthy fats and antioxidants. She might even add that oats are bangarang at lowering cholesterol and quite the little superstars for lactating mamas like me. (Yeah, boobs!)
I’ll just tell ya that these little soufflés are, quite simply, really, reaaaallllly good eating. For Thanksgiving, of course. But also for, uh, you know. Whenever. 😉
Big thanks to Liz for swapping spots with me today — and big holiday hugs to all of you, new friends. <3
xoxo!
Em
Remember to head over to the Pig and Quill for the recipe for my (Liz’s) healthy Sourdough Stuffing with Kale, Toasted Almonds and Grand Marnier-soaked Apricots. And say hi to Em on Instagram (where she shares the cutest ever pictures of her teeny, ridiculously beautiful baby), Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. I’ll be back next Tuesday with another post (in case you need emergency cooking inspiration!) and then I’ll be taking Thursday off to spend some much needed QT with the family and kittens. Much love to you all!
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Mini Sweet Potato Soufflés with Pecan Pie Streuse
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 Servings 1x
Ingredients
Soufflé
- 2.5 lbs sweet potatoes
- 1–2 T olive or coconut oil
- 4 T vegan buttery spread, such as Earth Balance
- 1.5 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- zest of 1 orange
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup full fat coconut milk
- couple generous pinches sea salt, divided
Pecan Pie Streusel
- 1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 4 T maple syrup
- 4 T vegan buttery spread, such as Earth Balance, softened
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and toss with olive or coconut oil to coat, plus a hefty pinch of sea salt. Arrange, cut-side-down, on a rimmed baking sheet lined with silpat or parchment and bake 35 mins or until an inserted fork meets no resistance. Set aside to cool slightly. Lower oven temp to 350F.
- While potatoes are baking, heat 6 T Earth Balance in a small saucepan over medium flame. Add thyme, ginger, and orange zest and cook until frothy and light brown, about 5 mins. Set aside while you make streusel topping.
- In a spice grinder or small food processor, pulse oats into a course flour. Empty into a medium bowl and combine with remaining streusel ingredients. Mixture will be somewhat wet.
- When baked potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove skins (I like to throw them back into the oven and crisp them up into a snack, but maybe that’s just me?) and add potatoes to a large bowl. Mash potatoes until mostly smooth, then add thyme “butter,” coconut sugar, coconut milk and salt and mix thoroughly.
- Spoon mixture into lightly greased ramekins and evenly distribute streusel over the top. Transfer ramekins to a rimmed baking sheet to catch any bubble-ups and bake in 350F oven until topping is deeply browned, 35-40 mins. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Note: As written, this recipe will serve 6-8 folks, depending on the size of your ramekins — but it’s easily doubled for holiday gatherings. Not feeling “mini”? The soufflé bakes up just as beautifully in a 2-quart casserole. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 35