Thanksgiving is less than a week away! If you haven’t already, now is the time to start planning your menu. Below is the recipe to one of my all-time favorite side dishes: Roasted Carrots.

This recipe takes a simple vegetable to the next level using only a few ingredients. In fact, you probably have everything you need right in your pantry. Pair these roasted carrots with any main dish- they’re the ultimate crowd-pleaser.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Carrots
• EVOO
• Sea salt
• Cracked pepper
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• And any other seasoning you like!

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Wash and peel the carrots. Once the carrots have been washed, coat them in EVOO and arrange them on a pan. (Be careful not to overcrowd them so they cook evenly!)

Next, bring on the seasonings! Choose any of your favorites.

Roast until the underside is golden brown and flip. After flipping, season the other side and repeat in the oven until both sides are golden and carrots are tender.

Trust me, these carrots are a must for your Thanksgiving feast!

If you’re like me, cold weather means more time in the kitchen. Roasted chestnuts are a fall/winter classic and taste even better when they’re homemade!

Here’s what you’ll need for the best roasted chestnuts:

• 1-2 pounds fresh chestnuts
• Sea Salt
• Paring knife

Start by filling a medium-size pot with water and season with sea salt. Cover your water and turn on the heat to get it to a boil.

While your water is heating up, clean your chestnuts by rubbing them with a damp towel.

With a sharp paring knife, make a cut across the belly side of the chestnut. (I find it’s easiest to place the flat side of the chestnut on your surface and push down on the belly side to make your slit.)

Preheat your oven to 400°F. When your water is boiling, add your chestnuts and turn the heat down to a simmer. Let your chestnuts simmer for a full 10 minutes with the lid on.

Drain your chestnuts, then place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and roast them for 20 minutes in your oven, or until tender. (I also like to sprinkle a little bit of sea salt on the chestnuts before they go in the oven.)

Enjoy!

Amaretto Candied Walnuts are the perfect way to add a little holiday flair to any dish. The best part? They use only a few ingredients and are so easy to make!

Add these to any of your favorite dishes, or enjoy them on their own!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 12 oz. Walnuts
• 1/3 stick of Butter
• 3-4 oz. Amaretto
• 1/4 c. Brown sugar

Melt the butter in a medium size frying pan, when the butter is melted add in the brown sugar and stir.

Next, add in the Amaretto (you can ignite if you like). Then, add your walnuts and make sure to continuously stir them on medium heat until the sugar has melted and all of the walnuts are coated.

Once the sugar is melted and the walnuts are all evenly coated, place them flat on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper so they can cool down. (When the walnuts are completely cooled, you may have to break them up.)

That’s it! Easy and delicious. Enjoy!

Tis’ the season for holiday parties and recipes to impress your family and friends. Pumpkin Cranberry Pistachio Bread is one of my holiday favorites. It’s comforting, perfectly moist and highlights the most delicious fall flavors.

This recipe is great for Thanksgiving, or even just to satisfy your sweet tooth on a cool fall night!

Here’s everything you’ll need:

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoon sea salt
• 3teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 ground clove
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup canola oil & EVOO blend
• 2 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 cup light brown sugar packed
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup Cracked pistachios

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and butter two 9 x 5 loaf pans. Set aside.

In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and allspice. Then, in a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, oil, pumpkin, both sugars and greek yogurt until combined.

Add your wet ingredients to dry ingredients and fold everything together so you do not over mix. Then fold in chocolate chips, dried cranberries and cracked pistachios. Pour the batter equally into two prepared pans.

Bake for 45-60 minutes. Make sure to check the cakes with a toothpick every so often to see if it’s cooked. (I personally don’t wait till the toothpick is clean. I pull the cakes out when the toothpick still has a little bit of batter on it so that it’s super moist.)

Cold weather is upon us, which means it’s time to start planning your holiday get-togethers!

Salads are one of my go-tos for holiday menu planning. When it comes to salads, every cook is an artist and the combination of colors, vegetables and flavors is their masterpiece.

Introducing my acorn squash, beet and apple salad! This is the perfect cold-weather salad and has all of my favorite fall ingredients. It’s simple, full of flavor and a definite crowd-pleaser.

Let’s get started! Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 Acorn Squash cut and roasted
• 1 Medium Roasted Beet
• 8 oz. Baby Bell Mushrooms
• 1 Opal Apple thin sliced (honey crisp if you can’t find opal)
• Mixed Green
• Baby Arugula
• Pomegranate Seeds
• Amaretto candied walnuts
• Goat Cheese
• EVOO
• Balsamic
• Honey (I used Italian truffle honey)
• Sea Salt
• Cracked pepper
• Garlic Powder

Start by cutting your squash and tossing it in a bowl with EVOO, garlic powder, sea salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove (be careful not to overspice with this one), garlic powder and a drizzle of honey.

When I roast vegetables, I always roast on 400°F. For this recipe, I roast the squash for about 25 minutes. Make sure to turn the vegetables every few minutes to allow them to cook evenly.

While your squash is roasting, start on your beets. Beets don’t require much seasoning, just rub them with EVOO and sea salt! Add them to a pan (you may need to add water) and let them cook!

Treat your mushrooms the same as the beets. Keep in mind, mushrooms cook much faster than beets, so be sure to keep an eye on them!

When all of your veggies are finished cooking, start arranging your salad with a base of mixed greens and baby arugula. Season lightly.

Add the rest of the vegetables and nuts. Drizzle with EVOO, Balsamic, honey and then season with sea salt, cracked pepper & garlic powder.

Simple and delicious. Enjoy!