Hosting the big Thanksgiving Day meal can feel like a major juggling act — not only do you have to shop, prepare and cook, you also have to consider any allergies or dietary restrictions your guests might have. You might be at a loss as to what to cook for your vegetarian niece who doesn’t eat turkey or your gluten-intolerant friend who can’t partake in the pumpkin pie, but these delicious recipes will take the guesswork and stress out of preparing a feast everyone can enjoy!

Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes

Butternut Squash Risotto

Vegetarians don’t have to be content with a small plate of salad and mashed potatoes for a meal. This recipe for rich, cheesy risotto uses hearty butternut squash, fresh baby spinach, toasted pine nuts, sage leaves and grated nutmeg will satisfy vegetarians and carnivores alike.

Cheesy Pasta Casserole with Mushrooms

This grown-up version of mac and cheese will have the vegetarians in your group going up for seconds. The dish blends pasta, dried porcini mushrooms, shitake mushrooms, white button mushrooms, fontina cheese and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for pure melty goodness.

Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Recipes

Wild Rice & Brown Rice Stuffing

Guests with a gluten allergy can’t eat bread stuffing, but a rice-based stuffing is a filling and tasty alternative. This recipe combines wild rice, brown rice, toasted pecans, dried cranberries, apples and a hint of sage for an inventive side dish that might just upstage the main course.

Apple Crisp

Too often, gluten-free guests have to pass on dessert because flour is a main ingredient in many sweets. This gluten-free apple crisp will be the perfect grand finale (and another thing to be thankful for!) to your Thanksgiving meal. It tops fresh apples coated in maple syrup with brown rice flour, quinoa flakes, cinnamon and ginger for a sweet and tart crunchy flavor.

What vegetarian or gluten-free recipes have you tried for Thanksgiving?

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It’s the time of year where the days are shorter, the temperatures are icier and all you crave is hot, hearty comfort food, just like Mom used to make. While you may crave dishes like buttery mashed potatoes, rich beef stew and creamy cups of hot cocoa, you probably can’t indulge in these treats every day. Instead of adding more fat, sugar or salt to your cooking to boost flavor, opt for savory spices to create the perfect winter meal.

Turmeric

Turmeric, the bright yellow spice favored in many Indian dishes, has a deep, earthy flavor and is also a natural antioxidant, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory agent. It is used as a homeopathic remedy for upset stomachs, headaches, arthritis and other pain. Studies show it may even slow the growth of cancer cells and reduce the risk of certain types of cancer.

Use turmeric to turn an ordinary chicken supper into a spicy winter feast. Mix 2 cups of plain yogurt with turmeric, cumin, coriander, garam masala, salt, pepper, one minced garlic clove and the juice of one lemon. Set aside half of the mixture and refrigerate. Coat four boneless, skinless chicken breasts evenly with the remaining mixture, cover and refrigerate for one hour. Scrape off as much of the yogurt marinade as you can, then pan-fry or broil the chicken until cooked. Serve with the other half of the yogurt mixture, grilled vegetables and whole wheat couscous.

Garlic Pepper

Make a side dish the center of attention by sprinkling a generous helping of garlic pepper seasoning over your favorite vegetables. Saute or roast cauliflower, broccoli, carrots and sweet potatoes in a little olive oil, salt and garlic pepper. Serve immediately when the vegetables are fork-tender.

Cloves

Cloves add a strong, aromatic flavor to many dishes and drinks popular around the holiday season. Brew up a batch of hot apple cider,  and the wonderful smell will attract people from miles around! Stud one apple and one orange with whole cloves, then add them to a medium pot containing apple cider, brown sugar, allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon sticks. Slowly bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 10 to 20 minutes. Discard the apple and orange, then ladle the cider into mugs and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

What is your favorite spice to jazz up your comfort food?

It’s easy to eat fresh, homemade salads during the spring and summer when tomatoes, greens and other produce are widely available. But how do you feed your salad craving when the weather gets colder and fresh fruits and vegetables become more sparse? Try one of these hearty and healthy fall salads, and break out of the boring bowl.

Roasted Vegetables With Pine Nuts

Roughly chop your favorite in-season vegetables — onions, bell peppers, carrots, squash, eggplant brussel sprouts, etc. — and toss on a baking sheet with olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for around 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Pour the vegetables into a serving bowl and mix in a generous dose of pine nuts.

Greens With Candied Walnuts, Dried Cranberries and Gorgonzola

Wash greens — such as romaine lettuce, spinach or mustard greens — and spin dry. Toss in a bowl with chopped Belgian endive, candied walnuts, whole dried cranberries and crumbled gorgonzola cheese, and serve with a balsamic vinaigrette.

Crispy Kale With Salad Topper Mix

Arrange fresh, washed kale leaves on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil and salt and pepper. Bake at 250 degrees until kale is crispy, about 30 minutes. Mix the kale with fresh greens and other vegetables (such as carrots and beets), then add a white wine vinaigrette and a sprinkling of the salad topper mix, a delicious blend of sunflower seeds, soy beans, imitation bacon bits, sesame seeds, vegetables and spices.

What is your favorite fall salad?

More and more people are looking to buy organic products for personal health and environmental reasons. At Nuts.com, we try to make it as easy as possible for you to find a wide selection of organic foods for cooking, baking or snacking.

Our facility is organically certified by the California Organic Farmers (CCOF) agency, and we meet all of the criteria set by the USDA to handle, package and sell organic nuts, seeds and dried fruits. That means you can chow down on our products and know they were grown with care and without pesticides, synthetic fertilizers or genetically modified organisms.

3 Delicious Ways to Use Organic Nuts

These nuts are tasty straight out of the package, but you can also add them to your favorite recipes for an extra dose of health and flavor.

1. Organic Almonds

Transform a plain green salad into a Parisian bistro masterpiece. Toss mixed greens with organic almonds, organic cranberries and fresh goat cheese and sprinkle with olive oil and lemon juice.

2. Organic Pecans

Spiced nuts make a healthy autumn snack ideal for campfires or tailgate parties. Place shelled, organic pecans in a skillet over medium heat and toast for five minutes. Add a few tablespoons of butter and stir until it melts. Sprinkle a mixture of your favorite spices — such as cinnamon, cayenne, nutmeg, salt and pepper — over the nuts, adding a few tablespoons of brown sugar and water to taste. Mix until the nuts are coated with the spices and sugar, separate them on a piece of parchment paper and serve when cooled.

3. Organic Cashews

Experiment with different nuts in your baking recipes. Instead of the same banana-walnut bread you usually make, substitute organic cashews for a different flavor. Cashews are also a delicious addition to brownies, pies and cookies.

What are your favorite ways to use organic nuts? Share your suggestions in the comments!

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The real question is: What can’t you bake with almond flour?

Almond flour, also called almond meal, is a low-carb, gluten-free baking alternative to standard wheat flour. Nearly everything you can bake with wheat flour, you can bake with almond flour. It has a flavorfully nutty taste that works well in both sweet and savory items.

Because almond flour is made of finely ground almonds and nothing more, you’ll find the same health benefits in the flour as in the almonds. Almond flour is high in protein and low in carbohydrates and sugar, which makes it appealing for customers on low-carb diets. Almonds have been associated with lower cholesterol and reduced risk of heart disease because of their monounsaturated fat and high levels of vitamin E. In addition, almond flour contains high amounts of calcium, iron, and dietary fiber, nutrients that people with gluten-free diets sometimes lack, as well as many other minerals.

Here are five of our favorite recipes that use almond flour:

Healthy food doesn’t have to be bland in order to be good for you. On the contrary, adding dry spices to your cooking boosts flavor and tickles your taste buds without loading meals with extra salt, sugar or fat. Try these easy ways to perk up your palate!

Spice Rub or Marinade

Take advantage of the lingering warm days, and fire up the grill for ribs, steaks, chicken or pork. For a dry rub, mix 2 tbsp. dry rosemary, 1 tbsp. dry oregano, 1 tbsp. dry basil, 1 tbsp. dry sage and a dash of salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the spice blend evenly into the meat and let sit 30 to 60 minutes before grilling. For a marinade perfect for meat or veggies, blend ⅓ cup olive oil, 3 tbsp. lemon juice or red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp. dry rosemary and two garlic cloves, finely chopped. Place the meat or vegetables in a shallow glass dish, spread with the marinade, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour before cooking.

Butter-Sage Pasta Sauce

Make your pasta taste just like Nonna’s by whipping up a simple sauce full of flavor. Cook a package of pasta until very al dente, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water before you drain it. In a saucepan over medium heat, place 2 tbsp. butter and a generous handful of dry sage. Cook until the butter is a nutty brown, then pour the cooked pasta into the sage-butter sauce and add ½ to ¾ cup of water to form a soupy mixture. Cook for another minute until some of the water has been absorbed. Mix in ½ cup to 1 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese, making a creamy sauce, Add more water if necessary, plus salt and pepper to taste.

Salad Dressing

Dry spices turn a blah salad into a delicious side dish. Instead of using a store-bought salad dressing, make your own in a snap by whisking together 1 cup olive oil, ½ cup white wine vinegar, 2 tbsp. dry basil, 1 tbsp. honey and 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard. Toss the dressing with your favorite salad.

What are your favorite ways to use dry spices?

With fall just around the corner, we’re really feeling these final toasty days of summer. When we’re in need of a frosty treat, we love to whip up a batch of homemade dipped cones. These ice cream cones, dipped in a layer of chocolate and rolled in our favorite nuts and ice cream toppings, are an amazing dessert for the final days of summer.

To start, fill 10 sugar cones with your favorite ice cream. Make sure to include a perfectly rounded ball of ice cream on top of each cone. Fill 10 drinking glasses with rice and slide the cones, ice cream up, into the glasses. Place the glasses in the freezer and freeze the cones for at least 4 hours.

Melt 12 oz. of chocolate wafers in a double boiler on the stovetop. You can use any flavor of chocolate wafers for your dipped cones, but we really love dark chocolate wafers and milk chocolate wafers! Pour the melted chocolate into a small bowl. Choose a variety of ice cream toppings to roll your dipped cones in, and fill small bowls with each topping. Some of our favorites are chopped nuts, chopped candies and sprinkles.

Remove the first ice cream cone from the freezer and dip the ice cream-topped portion of the cone in the chocolate. Once the ice cream is evenly coated in chocolate, quickly roll the chocolate-dipped cone in your favorite ice cream toppings. Place the dipped cone back in the cup and move it back to the freezer to chill until it’s hard. Repeat the process with the other ice cream cones, working quickly to make sure the chocolate doesn’t harden. If it firms up a bit, you can re-melt the chocolate in the double boiler.

Once the dipped cones are frozen and firm, wrap each cone in a sheet of wax paper, then a sheet of aluminum foil. Store the dipped cones in the freezer for up to a week (though we can guarantee that they never last that long at our house!)

We know that our human customers love to gobble up baked goods made with our products, but what about your loyal pups? Dogs love peanut butter almost as much as we do! We discovered a recipe for peanut-buttery dog treats that’ll make your canine companion go wild!

To start, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Whisk together 2 eggs, 3/4 cup of plain pumpkin puree and 1/4 cup of creamy and unsalted organic peanut butter. It’s important to use a peanut butter with no or very little added sugar and salt when baking for dogs because plain peanut butter is more healthful for them. Also, try to steer clear of crunchy varieties, as pieces of peanuts can present a choking hazard in small dogs and puppies.

Add 1/2 tsp. of salt and 1/2 tsp. of ground cinnamon to the dough. Slowly knead in 2 to 2-1/2 cups of whole-wheat flour. You want the dough to be smooth, elastic and just slightly sticky.

Turn the peanut butter dog biscuit dough out onto a floured surface and roll the dough into a 1/4-inch-thick sheet. Cut the dough into shapes with cookie cutters and place them on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake the peanut butter dog treats for 30 to 40 minutes, or until they’re hard and crunchy. Allow them to cool completely and store them in an airtight container for several days, or in a baggie in the freezer for up to a month.

If rolling the dog treats out seems like too much work, just roll the dough into balls and space them about an inch apart on the baking sheet. Mash the balls flat with the bottom of a drinking glass, or by using a fork to make a criss-cross pattern in the top (similar to peanut butter cookies).

What are some of your pup’s favorite nutty treats? Are there any specific peanut butter-based recipes that he can’t get enough of? We’d love to hear all about them!

Did you know that today is National S’mores Day? We think this ooey, gooey treat is one of the best summer desserts, and we love to put our own twist on the classic! Our nutty recipe is loaded with the sweet goodness of nut butter and rich, delicious gourmet chocolate bars. It’s perfect for campouts, bonfires and barbecues!

To start, split a graham cracker in half to form two squares, and spread each square with a layer of nut butter. You can use any variety of nut butter that you like, but we love caramel peanut butter! Top each layer of peanut butter with a square of any one of our deliciously sweet chocolate bars. We know that milk chocolate is the traditional chocolate to use, but we especially love making nutty s’mores with Chocolove Dark Chocolate with Raspberries bar. It’s sweet, rich and tart, and the raspberries pair wonderfully with the nut butter!

Roast a large marshmallow over the fire until it’s toasty brown and melted. Place the marshmallow gently on top of one graham cracker half, and flip the second graham cracker half over on top of the marshmallow. Squish the sandwich together, and start munching your nutty s’more!

Do you have a favorite twist on the traditional s’mores recipe? We’d love to hear all about it!

Are your kitchens overflowing with ripe, delicious peaches? We think that peach crisp, with the delicious flavor of almonds, is the perfect summer dessert.

If you don’t have any ripe peaches on hand, this recipe bakes up wonderfully with our yummy dried peaches. Just soak the dried peaches in hot water for about 30 minutes before making the filling.

To start, peel and thinly slice four to six large, juicy peaches. (If you’re using dried peaches, drain the water and give them a quick chop.) Place the peach slices in a bowl and add 1/2 cup of dried cherries or raisins, 3 tbsp. of all-purpose flour (or coconut flour), the juice and zest of one lemon, 3 tbsp. of packed light brown sugar, 2 tbsp. of organic evaporated cane juice, 1/2 tsp. of ground cinnamon and 1 tsp. of pure vanilla extract. Pour the filling into a greased glass baking dish.

In a medium bowl, stir together 3/4 cup of almond flour, 3/4 cup of rolled oats, 1/3 cup of packed light brown sugar, 3 tbsp. of organic evaporated cane juice, 1/2 tsp. of salt and 5 tbsp. of sliced almonds.

Melt 6 tbsp. of unsalted butter and stir in 1/2 tsp. of pure vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp. of ground cinnamon. Pour the butter over the almond flour mixture and toss the topping lightly until it’s evenly coated. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the peach filling.

Bake the peach crisp at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes, or until the filling is thick and bubbly and the topping is golden brown. Serve the warm peach crisp with a big scoop of vanilla frozen yogurt for a tasty, cool dessert.

What are some of your favorite fresh fruit desserts to make during the summer?