Betsy DiJulio: Blogger, The Blooming Platter

These unique savory biscuits will be a welcome addition to your bread basket anytime an easy, but extra-special bread is the order of the day or night! With a can of white beans in the pantry, but not in the mood […]

Yields:  Approximately 2.5 dozen cookies

This recipe was born out of necessity.  The need: a fitting “thank you” treat for our fabulous Computer Resource duo at the high school where I teach.  That would […]

Probably like a lot of vegetarians, dairy was the last frontier between me and an entirely vegan diet. So, a number of years ago when I made the switch, I found that, much to my surprise, cheese had been masking […]

Simply put, croustades are crusts.  So easy to make, my scrumptious version is infused with the irresistable flavor, nutrition, and the golden color of nutritional yeast powder, aka “nooch,” combined with cornmeal […]

Pimento cheese is right up there with egg salad on my comfort food meter.  Craving pimento cheese recently, but lamenting that even the vegan version is pretty calorie-laden, it occurred to me that shredded […]

Roasted grape recipes–if you can call them that since they are more like methods–vary greatly in terms of temperature and time: everything from a half-hour at a moderate temperature to a few minutes under […]

For this crowd-pleasing dish, perfect for Hanukkah or other winter holiday celebrations, I started with the Two Potato Latkes from my Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes (Vegan Heritage […]

Yield: 4 appetizer servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Sea salt to taste
2-8 inch Japanese eggplants, stem ends […]

Yield: 4-4 inch tarts or 1-8 inch tart

Recently, my friend David–the choral director at our school, known as my “building husband”–joined me for dinner here at home.  (My real husband, Joe, was out of town a […]

Yield: 4 servings

This golden and delicious dish personifies fall.  Whether you serve it for breakfast or brunch, as tapas, or as a side dish, it is sure to satisfy as a warm and comforting ode to […]

Yield: 4 spring rolls (recipe easily multiplies)

These uniquely flavored spring rolls (anise and sage–who knew?) are like little specially wrapped gifts!  And they derive their unique texture from being […]

Okay, I know I have some explaining to do…Ruth’s Chris Steak House?

Well, you see, after we went to the movies one night this past December, my husband Joe and I headed over to a wine bar we like, only to […]

Yield: 8 pancakes (4 servings)

After a little gardening, yoga, and errands, I didn’t get around to “lunch” until about 3 p.m. this afternoon.

I was craving one of the fresh Virginia grown apples I had […]

Yield: 4 servings

How exciting to share this recipe with you!  I thought of this special sauce recently as our 22nd (!) anniversary approached and we were expecting dinner guests.  It was the star component […]

Yield: 8 sandwich halves

Crack open a southern community cookbook–especially one from a small church–and you will likely find the non-vegan version of this ladies’ luncheon favorite made with, of course, a […]

This dip reinterprets one of my favorite entrees from Indian restaurants which, sadly, is often not vegan due to the addition of dairy. The bright green color and heady aroma of my version is a tribute to […]

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Somehow, my planning hadn’t been very good, as we were about to leave town for five days and I had two bunches of hardy Red Russian Kale and 1 of beautiful rainbow Swiss Chard in our […]

The heat of July in Eastern Virginia–and many places in the U.S. and beyond–calls for something cold and crunchy filled with lots of colorful and nutritious hydrating moisture.  So, recently, when I visited our […]

Yield: 6 servings

Many of my favorite ingredients from Thai cuisine combine in this stunning salad.  Only, because I’m a Southern gal–southern U.S. that is–I include a peach where someone else might include a […]