I woke up to some cold weather today and was inspired to make soup. I am always trying to improve the texture of jackfruit, and I get a little closer each time. This time I smoked the jackfruit with hickory chips, which increased the flavor profile, and the texture is a little closer to meat. I hope you enjoy this hearty, healthy, soul warming soup.

For those that do not already know, I was born in the suburbs of Chicago, so I have a natural affinity for hot dogs and sausages. But now, I only get down with the vegan versions. This sausage seemed like the next progression in my mushroom meat creations. I made a few changes to my chipotle sausage recipe and it’s even better than before. I wanted to see how the sausage would cook with shiitake mushrooms instead of lion's mane, and I am very pleased with the results. I also changed the process to create a more consistent texture when you bite. These sausages came out fire! Check out some grilling hacks I used to make this recipe: Use a smoker box or smoker to infuse flavors like cherry, apple, or hickory wood. Use your marinade throughout all steps. You can use it to marinate the sausage and then again to baste the food while cooking. When you are done cooking, add the sausages back to the remainder of the marinade until you are ready to eat. Spritz water around the food while cooking to keep the sausages juicy until it's time to enjoy.

I have had so much fun creating new flavor combinations for my Lion's Mane Skrimpz! Once you make the skrimpz, you can toss them or dip them in so many different sauces. This one is a sweet & savory option that pairs perfectly with nutty black rice. Hope you enjoy!

One of my favorite quick dinner recipes is Rasta Pasta. This is a play on Rasta Pasta, made with red curry. It is such a great remix recipe and it reheats well, if you want to meal prep it for the week ahead.

I love chili crisp so much! It has become a staple in a lot of my recipes. It is also called chili crunch. I am sure this can be made at home, but you can purchase a version of this by brands such as Trader Joe's, Momofuku, and Fly By Jing. I have even found store brand versions of chili crisp at chain grocery stores like Ralphs and Vons. Paired with the crispy oyster mushrooms, you are in for a flavorful treat! This recipe calls for chili crisp to taste, so you'll have to gauge your preferred spice level. You could also leave the chili crisp out of the wet batter and use it as a sauce after frying the mushrooms.

Shiitake mushrooms are meaty and go perfectly with this Creamy Green Chile Cannellini Soup. After harvesting the shiitake mushrooms, I sliced them and let them soak in a flavorful steak marinade. If you are looking for a recipe to keep you warm during the cold winter nights, add this recipe to your rotation.