Pumpkin Oatmeal Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

After making two pumpkin recipes last week, I had just 1 cup of pumpkin leftover.  I was saving it for these Pumpkin Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies from the ‘a hint of honey’ blog.  I know, I just made Pumpkin Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies a few weeks ago, but these have even more pumpkin, and chocolate.

It seems like it’s been a long time since I’ve creamed butter and sugar, and making these cookies was really fun.  I chopped a bar of good dark chocolate which was the perfect complement to the dried cranberries.  And the end result is rich, chewy, and delicious.  I better make these last, because I am all out of pumpkin at the moment!

 

 

Crockpot Lentil, Mushroom, and Wild Rice Soup

Although it seems like everyone in the Northeast is preparing for a hurricane, I am just trying to prepare myself for a hectic week.  I sincerely hope that everyone stays safe, and feel lucky to live pretty far inland.  I do have candles, matches, and a flashlight, and I guess if the power goes out I’ll be eating a lot of soup!

This soup was inspired by a Betty Crocker recipe I saw on Pinterest.  It’s thick, creamy, and packed with vegetables and plant based protein.  It reminds me of something you’d make with those condensed soups in the red and white cans, except this has all real ingredients and a lot less sodium.

The recipe requires just a little more work than my usual “throw everything in the crockpot and go to bed” routine.  You saute onion and celery prior to starting the crockpot, and add some additional ingredients towards the end.  But it’s still a lot easier to make this soup on Sunday than it is to stare into your fridge at 6am Monday morning, trying to figure out what you’re going to bring for lunch.  🙂

 

 

Crockpot Lentil, Mushroom, and Wild Rice Soup

1 T vegetable oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
4 stacks celery, chopped
1 c. lentils
1 (8 oz.) package of sliced mushrooms
1 c. long grain and wild rice
1 t thyme
1/4 t black pepper
6 c. vegetable broth
2 c. water
1 c. frozen peas and carrots
1 (12 oz.) can fat free evaporated milk
2 T flour

In a small frying pan, heat oil.  Add onions and celery, and saute for 15-20 minutes, until soft and lightly brown.   Place in crockpot, and add lentils, mushrooms, rice, spices, broth, and water.  Cook on Low for 6 hours.

Add peas and carrots.  If soup appears very thick, add 1-2 cups of water or broth.  Cook for additional hour.

Whisk milk and flour in a small bowl, and add to crockpot.  Cook for 30-60 minutes until soup is thickened and heated through.

-Inspired by Betty Crocker

Spicy Pumpkin Dip

As I mentioned yesterday, our supper club theme this month was ‘Pumpkin’.  By the time I RSVP’d, we already had a menu that included a soup, salad, two main dishes, and dessert.  So I decided to go for an appetizer, and found this recipe for Libyan Spicy Pumpkin Dip.  A little research revealed that the dip is called cershi or tershi and was made by the Jewish community in Tripoli.  If you’re interested in learning more about the culture, there’s a whole movie about The Last Jews of Libya.

There are several versions of the recipe floating around the Internet, but they all call for pumpkin, garlic, and spices.  My dip came out a little spicier than I intended, but I really liked it.  It was good for scooping up with pita, and paired very nicely with a glass of white wine.  If there’s dip leftover, it would also make a great spread for a veggie wrap.  There’s no shortage of pumpkin this year, so pick up a can and give this recipe a try!

 

 

Spicy Pumpkin Dip

1 T olive oil
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 T minced garlic
1 c. pumpkin puree
1 t cumin
1 t paprika
1/2 t ground ginger
1/2 t curry
1/8 t cayenne pepper
2 T tomato paste
2 T lemon juice

Heat olive oil in a frying pan.  Add onion and saute for 15-20 minutes, until soft and beginning to brown.  Add garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes.  Add pumpkin, spices, and tomato paste, and stir to combine.  Add lemon juice, and stir again.  Cook on low heat for 10 minutes, until dip is heated through.

 

Pumpkin Alfredo

My cooking club theme this month was pumpkin, and I decided to “warm up” for the event with this Pumpkin Alfredo recipe, inspired by Jamie from Live (and Eat) Abundantly.  Not only does this recipe use pumpkin in the sauce, but the base of the dish uses spaghetti squash for noodles.  If that’s not your thing, you can either replace the squash with pasta, or do a mixture of the two like Jamie did.

While I really liked the concept of this recipe, I think the sauce needed something.  I used plenty of salt and pepper, and it still came up a little short.  I think it could use a bit more cheese, and perhaps a freshly chopped herb, like sage.  Jamie mentioned that she used hot sauce, but I am not a big fan of the stuff.  That’s OK, there’s still lots of time left in pumpkin season to experiment with this one, and I look forward to trying again.

 

 

Pumpkin Alfredo

1 medium spaghetti squash
1 (10 oz.) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
3 T olive oil
2 T flour
2 t minced garlic
1 1/2 c. milk, or non-dairy milk substitute
1 c. pureed pumpkin
1 t mustard
Salt & Pepper
1/4 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

Cut spaghetti squash in half.  Place face down on a baking sheet, and roast at 350F for 45-50 minutes, or until flesh pierces easily with a fork.  Allow squash to cool so that it is easier to handle.  With a fork, remove the “strands” from the skin, and place in a large bowl.  Mix in spinach, and set bowl aside.

Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, heat olive oil.  Add flour and stir constantly for 5-8 minutes.  Be careful not to let the flour burn.  Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute.  Slowly whisk in milk, pumpkin, and mustard.  Continue to cook and allow mixture to thicken.  Add cheese and stir well to incorporate. Season generously with salt and pepper.  Taste and correct as needed.  Add squash/spinach mixture and stir to incorporate.  (If you have a large squash, you may end up reserving some of the squash/spinach mixture for a later use.)  Serve garnished with additional Parmesan cheese.

-Adapted from Live (and Eat) Abundantly

Crackly Banana Bread

Of course, I love to visit farmer’s markets and my local produce market.  I really do believe in enjoying fruit and vegetables seasonally, and supporting local agriculture as much as possible.  But I am not ashamed to admit that I also check out the discount produce bin at the grocery store.  You do what you need to do.  This week, I found an incredible deal: 10 very ripe bananas, packaged together and priced at just $1.  This meant, of course, that I had to make banana bread.

It seems a shame that I don’t have a single banana bread recipe on the blog.  My grandmother made banana bread all.the.time and it’s always been one of my favorites.  I decided to make this Crackly Banana Bread from Smitten Kitchen, which aims to make a bread that is more suitable for breakfast with fruit, whole grains, and less sugar.  The “crackle” comes from uncooked millet.  Now, I didn’t want to get a deal on bananas and then spend a lot on millet.  But it was pretty cheap to buy just 1/4 c. of millet from the bulk bins at Whole Foods.

I made a few changes to the original recipe, most notably using canola oil instead of coconut oil, and switching up the spices a bit.  Everything worked out well, and I loved the crackle!  This is a really moist banana bread, which supposedly keeps for a week.  You could enjoy this banana bread as a treat for breakfast, perhaps paired with some nonfat plain yogurt, but I know my grandmother would be eating it in the afternoon with a cup of coffee.

 

 

Crackly Banana Bread

4 small ripe bananas, mashed
1 egg
1/3 c. canola oil
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. maple syrup
1 t vanilla
1 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1 t pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/4 c. uncooked millet

In a large bowl, mix bananas, egg, oil, sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla.  Add baking soda, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice and mix well.  Add flour and stir just until combined.  Stir in millet.  Pour batter into a 9″x5″ loaf pan coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool on a wire rack before removing from pan.

-Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Grilled Apple and Cheddar

Grilled cheese just might be my favorite sandwich.  I can eat it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  It’s very important that the bread is crispy and the cheese is melty.  (Spellcheck doesn’t like the word “melty”, but you know what I mean!)

This fall, I’ve gotten into a kick of making grilled cheese sandwiches with Cabot 75% Reduced Fat Cheddar and fresh slices of apple on whole wheat bread.  Cheese and apples are always a great combination, and this makes for an awesome sandwich on a chilly day.

 

 

OK, so this isn’t a real recipe, but I do have some important tips.  First, cut the apples slices very thin so they’ll soften slightly as the sandwich cooks.  Second, make sure to place half of the cheese slices under the apples, and half of them on top.  This will ensure that the cheese melts onto both sides of the bread with the apple slices in between.  And finally, serve any remaining apple slices on the side of the sandwich.

I was not paid by Cabot to mention their cheese, and the cheese was not provided to me as a sample.  But I do love the fact that Cabot reduced fat cheeses have a great texture, and really melt when you make a sandwich!

Butternut Squash Chili

One of the things I love about Pinterest is finding new recipes.  It’s similar to reading a cooking magazine, except you click through the pin (the picture) for the recipe.  I keep track of the recipes I want to make on Pinterest here, in case you’re curious.  This Butternut Squash Chili came to me from Pinterest, courtesy of Gluten Free Goddess who posted the recipe, and the friend of mine who pinned it.

I’ve been wanting to make some kind of chili since the cold snap here in New England, and this one came out so well.  I modified the original recipe a bit, removing the peppers and chilies that I don’t like, and adding extra squash.  I used frozen butternut squash mostly for convenience; it would have been a lot more fun to hit up a farmer’s market for a locally grown squash, but that wasn’t in the cards this weekend.  The original recipe also indicates that this can be made in a crockpot, but I used the stove top directions because they fit my schedule.

The end result is a mild chili which is rich in flavor from all the vegetables.  Between the bright orange squash and the red tomatoes, the color is perfect for fall.  If you like your chili with more kick, add a jalapeno or some cayenne pepper.  The diced fresh avocado was a nice touch though, and I highly recommend it.  I have more than a few chili recipes on the blog, including White Bean Pumpkin Chili, Sweet Potato Chili, and Black Bean Chocolate Chili, but this one will now be in the rotation.

 

 

Butternut Squash Chili

1 T canola oil
2 t minced garlic
1 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1 t ginger
1 c. chopped onion
1 c. chopped celery
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes in juice
1 (20 oz.) bag frozen butternut squash
4 c. vegetable broth
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 T sugar
1 T balsamic vinegar

Heat oil in a large soup pot.  Add garlic, cumin, chili powder, and ginger and stir well for 1 minute.  Add onion and celery, and stir well to coat.  Saute for 10 minutes.  Add tomatoes, squash, broth, beans, sugar, and balsamic vinegar and bring to a boil. Simmer covered for 30 minutes.  Remove cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes more, until slightly thickened. Serve garnished with fresh avocado if desired.

-Adapted from Gluten Free Goddess

Spicy Pineapple Noodles

This recipe started out as Sesame Crusted Tofu with Spicy Pineapple Noodles, but the tofu portion of the recipe was a hassle and left  a burnt mess on the bottom of my pan.  The noodles, on the other hand, were quite easy and so delicious.  You could serve these noodles with some stir fried tofu or steamed edamame to keep the dish vegetarian.  If that’s not your thing, you could serve them with chicken, pork, or beef.  But make the noodles.

I was lucky and found the sugar snap peas on sale at my grocery store, but you could use another green vegetable like broccoli instead.  What makes this dish unique is the sauce.  The pineapple makes it sweet, and the ginger and cayenne make it spicy.  It’s the kind of sauce you want to slurp from the bowl at the end.  Don’t worry, I won’t tell if you do!

 

 

Spicy Pineapple Noodles

2 t canola oil
1 T minced fresh ginger
1 t minced garlic
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
8 oz. fresh sugar snap peas
1 (20 oz.) can pineapple chunks in juice
1 t cornstarch
2 T reduced sodium soy sauce
4 oz. whole wheat spaghetti, cooked and drained
1 t sesame oil

Heat oil in a large frying pan.  Add ginger , garlic, and cayenne and stir fry for 1-2 minutes.  Add sugar snap peas and stir fry for 5 minutes, until beginning to brown.  Add juice from can of pineapple, reserving the chunks.  Simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Whisk cornstarch into soy sauce in a small bowl, and add to pan.  Stir well and simmer  for 1 minute, until thickened.  Add reserved pineapple and noodles and toss to coat.  Remove from heat and stir in sesame oil.

-Adapted from Eating Well

Chicken with Mole Sauce

It’s a wonderful thing when you can put cocoa powder and peanut butter in a recipe and still call it dinner!  To be fair, there’s only a hint of each in this Chicken with Mole Sauce from Eating Well, and the sweetness is offset by chili powder, cumin, and garlic.  This mole comes together very quickly but creates a thick, dark sauce which is great for serving with chicken thighs.

We had this for a family dinner served with Crockpot Rice and Beans and steamed green beans.  Everyone really liked the dish, and scooped up the mole sauce with a bit of bread.  I’ll be sure to make this one again soon.

 

Baseball Cake

For my nephew’s 3rd birthday, the cake team decided to go with a sports theme.  Even though baseball season is winding down, we thought it would be fun to make a baseball cake.  The birthday boy actually got to help pick the flavor of the cake this year and he requested chocolate.  (Actually, he requested “grape cake” first, but I am pretty sure he was imagining a big platter of grapes and not a grape-flavored cake!)

My Mom baked the chocolate cake using the Hershey’s Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake recipe.  We considered baking the cake in a Pyrex bowl so it would be a half sphere shape, but some Googling revealed that it can be difficult to make sure the center of the cake is adequately cooked without burning the edges.  So we baked two 8″ round cakes, and then used a simple butter and confectioner’s sugar frosting to ’round’ things out a bit.  We used red cookie icing to decorate the cake with the stitching and a “3”.

This may have been our simplest cake project yet, but it was still a great cake and we had fun making it.  And yes, the cake was served with fruit salad which included grapes.