Healthy and Filling Breakfast Smoothies

Many people ask me my secret to staying thin. A great way to help maintain a healthy weight while staying full throughout the day is to enjoy a breakfast smoothie in the morning rather than eating processed foods such as fruit yogurt, cereal, or pastries. When you go grocery shopping, pick up some fresh fruits and veggies. Make sure to prepare or freeze them at night so they are ready to go in the morning, helping you to get out of the door quickly. Below are some of my favorite smoothie recipes to make.

 

A few of the recipes call for Medjool dates. I personally don't like the taste of Medjool dates, so I use Deglet Noor dates for a sweeter taste. If you forget to freeze your fruits and veggies, you can add ice instead.

 

The Chunky Monkey Smoothie is my favorite, and the easiest to make, so I have that every day.

The Glowing Green Smoothie was a bit chunky and time consuming to make. Trust me, it will taste like fruit, not vegetables, but it is very thick for sure.

The Melon Refresher had a bit of a bland taste. I felt like it needed sugar, which defeats the purpose of a healthy morning smoothie. Next time I'll try adding some dates as a natural sweetener. I also use greek yogurt.

The Pumpkin Pie Smoothie tasted like a watered down version of a pumpkin pie. I loved it, but my husband thought it was pretty weird.

The Spicy Tropical Green Smoothie was delicious, but time consuming. Also, please note that there is a difference between coconut milk and coconut water.

The Strawberry Peach Smoothie was nice and creamy, but there was nothing spectacularly special or unique about this recipe.

 

Once you get the hang of breakfast smoothies, have some fun and add other ingredients. Be creative and make your own unique recipes! Try adding cooked and then cooled oatmeal, ground almonds, chia seeds,  kale, and spinach. Different plant-based milks change the flavor of your smoothie as well. Try coconut milk for a sweet tropical flavor, sunflower seed milk or hemp milk for a earthy flavor, rice milk or soy milk for a milk flavor, and almond milk for a nutty flavor.

 

What are your favorite ingredients to add to a smoothie?

 

-Sarah

 

 



Chunky Monkey Smoothie

From “Forks Over Knives” by Del Sroufe

Ingredients:
1 cup unsweetened almond milk, plus more as needed, or water
2 medium frozen bananas, peeled and cut into chunks
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1/2 cup pitted and chopped Medjool dates, or to taste
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder.

Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth and creamy. Add more almond milk as needed to achieve a smooth consistency.

The Glowing Green Smoothie

From: http://www.fitsugar.com/Kimberly-Snyder-Green-Smoothie-Recipe-Weight-Loss-18356998

Ingredients:
1/2 cups water
1 head organic romaine lettuce, chopped
3-4 stalks organic celery
1/2 head of a large bunch or 3/4 of a small bunch of spinach
1 organic apple, cored and chopped
1 organic pear, cored and chopped
1 organic banana
Juice of 1/2 fresh organic lemon
1/3 bunch organic cilantro (stems OK) (optional)
1/3 bunch organic parsley (stems OK) (optional)

Add water and chopped head of romaine to blender. Blend at a low speed until smooth. Add spinach, celery, apple, and pear and blend at high speed. Add cilantro and parsley. Finish with banana and lemon.
 

 

Melon Refresher

From “Smoothies & Juices” by Christine Ambridge

Ingredients:
1 cup plain yogurt
3 1/2 oz  galia melon, cut into chunks
3 1/2 oz cantaloupe melon, cut into chunks
3 1/2 oz watermelon, cut into chunks
6 ice cubes

Pour the yogurt into a food processor. Add the galia melon chunks and process until smooth. Add the cantaloupe and watermelon chunks along with the ice cubes and process until smooth. Pour the mixture into glasses and decorate with wedges of melon. Serve at once.

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

From “Forks Over Knives” by Del Sroufe

Ingredients:
1 cup unsweetened almond milk, plus more as needed, or water
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup ice cubes
4 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth and creamy.

Spicy Tropical Green Smoothie

From “Forks Over Knives” by Del Sroufe

Ingredients:
2 cups tightly packed spinach leaves
1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
1 cup frozen mango chunks
1 small tangerine, peeled and pitted, or juice of 1 lime
1 cup coconut water
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth. Enjoy cold.

Strawberry Peach Smoothie

From “Forks Over Knives” by Del Sroufe

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped frozen strawberries
1/2 cup frozen peach slices
1 1/2 cups unsweetened plant-based milk, plus more as needed
1/2 cup pitted and chopped Medjool dates, or to taste

Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth and creamy. Add more plant-based milk as needed to achieve a smooth consistency.

Cabbage with Crispy Potatoes, Fried Egg, and Kohlrabi Parmesan Fritters

For a few years now, my husband and I have enjoyed the bounty of a local crop-share. (www.sungoldfarm.com). Multiple times throughout the summer, Michael called me in a frantic when he realized that he rode his motorcycle to work, and had to transport 20 pounds of fruits and vegetables home after work. Somehow, he managed to squeeze it all into his backpack and the vegetables made it to the Kingsbury kitchen safe and sound.

Comments on the cabbage with crispy potatoes and fried egg: One of my favorite breakfast recipes came from the crop-share this summer via Katherine Duemling of Cook With What You Have. She suggested amazing recipes throughout the entire summer that I thoroughly enjoyed. This recipe is very filling and extremely easy to make. The first time I made this recipe, I followed the recipe to a "T". After that, I realized that this is one of those recipes that you can just wing without measuring spoons.

Comments on the kohlrabi parmesan fritters: This recipe is also from Katherine. These are a little more difficult to make. They taste amazing, but I only made them once due to the length required. This recipe is time-consuming, but well worth the effort.

-Sarah

Cabbage with Crispy Potatoes and Fried Egg

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ a medium green cabbage, halved again, heart removed and cut into ½-inch ribbons

3 medium firm-fleshed potatoes (Yukon gold, fingerling, red—not russets), cut into ½-inch dice

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)

4 eggs (or whatever you want to use/# of people you’re serving)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet. Add the onions and caraway seeds and cook for about five minutes. Add the potatoes and a generous pinch or two of salt and sauté over medium-high heat, uncovered and stirring frequently until the potatoes are tender and crispy—about 15 minutes. You may need to add a little oil to prevent the potatoes from sticking and/or turn the heat down a bit. 

Meanwhile, in another large skillet, heat the other tablespoon of olive oil, add the cabbage and several pinches of salt and cook over medium-high heat stirring frequently until the cabbage is tender and starting to brown, about 10-15 minutes. You may need to add a splash of water to keep from sticking/burning. Adjust seasoning. 

When the cabbage is almost done, push the potatoes and onions over to one side of the pan, add a little oil to the “open area” of the pan and fry your eggs there. If you don’t have enough room just move the potatoes and onions over to one side of the pan with the cabbage. Saves washing another pan.  Serve the potatoes on a bed of cabbage with a grind of pepper and top with an egg and more pepper and a little good salt and olive oil if you’d like.

Kohlrabi Parmesan Fritters

Makes about 10 2.5-inch fritters

Ingredients:

12 ounces (2-3 kohlrabi, about 4 cups chopped), peeled and chopped into small-ish chunks

2 eggs

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (or other grating cheese—sharp cheddar is fine too)

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste

A pinch of red pepper flakes and several grinds of black pepper

Olive or vegetable oil for frying

Directions: 

Cook the kohlrabi in a pan with 1/2–inch or so of water for 8-10 minutes until tender. Drain and let cool slightly. 

Meanwhile lightly beat the egg in a mixing bowl. Add the flour, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. Then, add kohlrabi and, using a potato masher, mash it up a bit. You want to keep the bits recognizable, but small enough (1/4- to 1/2-inch chunks) that you can press a mound of the batter into a fritter in the pan. Once mashed a bit, stir or fold the ingredients together the rest of the way with a spoon. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Apple Crisp

The moment the leaves begin to change colors, I know that autumn is upon us, and more importantly, the apples are ripe and ready. Late summer and early autumn is my favorite time of the year specifically because I can eat a lot of apple crisp, and I mean a lot of it. The recipe below is from my mom, and is a recipe upon which I grew up eating almost daily in August and September. It is so good, I would eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and snacks in between those meals. I follow the recipe exactly as it is written, and it turns out perfect each time!

The first photo below is the apple crisp that I prepared, and is what it should look like before going into the oven. The second photo below is my mother's apple crisp straight out of the oven.
-Sarah

Apple Crisp
Ingredients:

4 cups sliced apples or enough to fill pyrex.
3/4 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Mix together flour, sugar. Cream in butter. Set aside.
Cut apples and put into pyrex deep dish.
Put flour/sugar/butter mix on top.
Sprinkle cinnamon on top.
Sprinkle water on top of crust.
Bake 375 for 30 minutes or until crisp.

Hummus

When I am feeling hungry, I absolutely love to much on hummus and pita bread. Typically I keep these items stocked in my fridge straight from the local grocery store. However, upon a recent shopping trip in which I was disappointed to find that they were sold out, I decided to try my hand at making hummus. I was pleasantly surprised. My husband said that next time I could use less garlic. I also added cayenne pepper, which was fantastic. Next time, I would add a bit less liquid so the hummus was a bit pastier and less runny.

-Sarah

Hummus
From: http://mideastfood.about.com/od/appetizerssnacks/r/hummusbitahini.htm

Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans
1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas
3-5 tablespoons lemon juice (depending on taste)
1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:
Drain chickpeas and set aside liquid from can. Combine remaining ingredients in blender or food processor. Add 1/4 cup of liquid from chickpeas. Blend for 3-5 minutes on low until thoroughly mixed and smooth. Serve immediately with fresh, warm or toasted pita bread, or cover and refrigerate.
Variations: For a spicier hummus, add a sliced red chile or a dash of cayenne pepper.

Chocolatini

I recently spent a long girls road trip with my mother, aunts, and cousins. During this vacation, we came up with a brilliant idea to visit the local alcohol warehouse to pick up supplies for the night. That evening, we soon realized that we didn't have measuring cups in the hotel, so we resorted to filling up entire red dixie cups with our drink mixes. I probably had about three full cups of chocolatinis that evening, which resulted in sleeping on the toilet seat in the hotel lobby bathroom. Since that trip, my family has found delight in making sure I am never low on the ingredients for chocolatinis.

-Sarah

Chocolatini
Ingredients:
1 1/2 shots Godiva chocolate liqueur
1 1/2 shots creme de cacao
1/2 shot Smirnoff vodka
2 1/2 shots half-and-half

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a shaker with ice, shake and pour into a chilled cocktail glass.

Smashed Chickpea & Avocado Salad Sandwich

I found this recipe on Pinterest. This is a great easy-to-make sandwich that is delicious and tastes fresh! I personally added more avocado because I enjoy the taste. I also only used spinach leaves, and served it on Dave's Killer Bread. The recipe made enough to last 4 sandwiches.

-Sarah

Smashed Chickpea & Avocado Salad Sandwich
From: http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/smashed-chickpea-avocado-salad-sandwich/
Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas or garbanzo beans
1 large ripe avocado
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
Juice from 1 lime
Salt and pepper, to taste
Bread of your choice
Fresh spinach leaves or other sandwich toppings: lettuce, tomato slices, sprouts, etc.

Directions
Rinse and drain the chickpeas. In a medium bowl, using a fork or potato masher smash the chickpeas and avocado together. Add in cilantro, green onion, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spread salad on bread and top with your favorite sandwich toppings.

Baked Spinach Tagliatelle

I absolutely love pasta, and cheese. If you mix the two together, I am in heaven! This recipe takes some patience, which I do not have. Make sure to keep stirring the Bechamel Sauce. At the beginning, I never believed that it would get thick, but I promise, it will. I also had a hard time finding fresh spinach tagliatelle, so I ended up getting boxed spinach fettuccine and boiling it as the box directed.

This recipe is totally worth the time spent at the oven stirring the sauce!

-Sarah

Baked spinach Tagliatelle
From “Vegetarian: Create Great-Tasting Dishes through the Seasons” by Ting Morris, Rachel Lane and Carla Bardi

Ingredients:

Bechamel Sauce:

1/4 cup butter, cut into pieces

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk

Pasta

1 pound store-bought fresh spinach tagliatelle

1/4 cup butter, cut into pieces

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Bechamel Sauce: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the flour and salt and stir until smooth. Remove from the heat and gradually add the milk, mixing well to prevent lumps from forming. Return the saucepan to the heat and simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened and cooked. Set aside.

Pasta: Preheat the oven to 350*F. Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente, 3-4 minutes. Drain well. Butter a large ovenproof baking dish and spread with a layer of Bechamel.Cover with pasta and top with pieces of butter. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Repeat this layering process until all the ingredients are in the dish, finishing with a layer of butter and cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown. Serve hot.

Couscous with Roasted Vegetables

Who isn't a fan of roasted vegetables? They are delicious any time of the year. This meal does take about 45 minutes in total, but you spend most of the time waiting for the vegetables to roast in the oven.

-Sarah

Couscous with Roasted Vegetables

From “Vegetarian: Create Great-Tasting Dishes through the Seasons” by Ting Morris, Rachel Lane and Carla Bardi

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 eggplant, cut into small squares

2 zucchini, cut into small cubes

1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut into small squares

1 large yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into small squares

3/4 cup pitted black olives

Salt

1 1/4 cups water

1 1/2 cups couscous

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh fennel leaves, to garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400*F. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and saute until softened, 3-4 minutes. Arrange the eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, and olives on a baking sheet. Add the shallot and drizzle with 3 tablespoons of oil. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and slightly charred. Season with salt. Bring the water to a boil and salt to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon). Stir in the couscous and mix well. Remove from the heat, cover, and let rest for 2 minutes. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and return to the heat. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly with a fork to separate the grains. Stir in the roasted vegetables, and garnish with the fennel, if using. Serve warm.

Baked Polenta With Tasty Tomato Topping

If you want an easy-to-make pasta dish, but don't have the time to stand in the kitchen preparing one, this is a good alternative. While it isn't pasta, I love it just the same. The recipe calls for fresh polenta, but like my last polenta recipe, I use the store-bought polenta to save preparation time. If you are really in a hurry and don't have time for the sauce, just use your favorite red-pasta sauce.

-Sarah

Baked Polenta With Tasty Tomato Topping

From “Vegetarian: Create Great-Tasting Dishes through the Seasons” by Ting Morris, Rachel Lane and Carla Bardi

Ingredients:
Polenta
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cans tomatoes, with juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400*F. Lightly oil a large baking dish. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until pale gold, 3-4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and simmer until reduced, 15-20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Cut the polenta into 1/2 inch-thick disks. Arrange in the baking dish, overlapping slightly. Cover with sauce and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese has melted.

Rice with Tomato Pesto and Mozzarella

As you can see from the massive amounts of recipes I'm posting tonight, I haven't spent much time sharing recipes with you! For the past few months I haven't branched out to try very many new recipes. I've spent a lot of time re-making the recipes already posted on the blog. Tonight, I decided to try a new recipe with ingredients that I've never even tasted before. I have never tasted capers (partially because I always thought they were fish eggs) and I've never tried arugula. While the strange combination of ingredients in this recipe seem  not quite right on paper, they sure taste great together!

The recipe does call for almonds, but I omitted them due to allergies.

-Sarah

Rice with Tomato Pesto and Mozzarella

From “Vegetarian: Create Great-Tasting Dishes through the Seasons” by Ting Morris, Rachel Lane and Carla Bardi

Ingredients:

12 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon salt-cured capers, rinsed and drained.

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 lemon

1 1/2 cups long-grain rice

2 cups arugula

6 ounces mini mozzarella balls

Combine the sun-dried tomatoes, cheese, capers, oil, lemon juice (and almonds, optional) in a food processor. Process until smooth. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the rice, and boil until tender. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the tomato pesto and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the arugula on four serving dishes and top with rice. Place the mozzarella balls on top. Serve immediately.

Cream Cheese Tarts

The lovely thing about Facebook is that it customizes my ads to: me! I was re-directed to an amazing website where I found a delicious quick-and-easy dessert. The first time I made these, I forgot the Nilla wafers, and so the cheesecake was difficult to eat without making a mess. The second time I made them, I followed the recipe to a T and it came out perfect. Enjoy!

-Sarah

Cream Cheese Tarts

From: www.JustAPinch.com

Ingredients:

2 8oz packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

12 vanilla wafers

1 21oz cherry pie filling

Preheat oven to 350*F. Place a paper cupcake liner in each cup of muffin pan (12 total). Beat cream cheese with electric mixer until fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Place a vanilla wafer FLAT side down, in each muffin cup. Spoon cream cheese mixture over wafers filling each to about 1/4 inch from top of paper. Bake for 20 minutes. Allow tarts to cool completely before filling. When you remove the tarts from the oven, they will be puffed up, but as they cool, the center will sink, creating the perfect well to fill with a couple of spoonfuls of your favorite filling. Chill thoroughly before serving.

Lunch Time Bliss

I have become jaded at lunch time, with the overplayed recipes cards of peanut butter sandwiches, tuna-fish sandwiches, and ham with cheese sandwiches. I decided to try some new sandwich combinations that I found to be AMAZING! Lunch time is boring no-longer!
-Sarah

Ingredients:

Dave's Killer Bread, Whipped Cream Cheese, Provolone Cheese, Alfalfa Sprouts, Cucumber, Carrot, Tomato, & Avocado

Ingredients:

Dave's Killer Bread, Butter, Olive-Oil Mayonnaise, Mozzarella Cheese, Tomato, Basil

(Grill like a grilled cheese sandwich)

Recipe Repeats Itself

Back in September I blogged about Roasted Rack of Lamb. Since my brother was in town on military leave, I decided to treat him to the most fancy meal I know how to make. Below is a photo of the meal. It was accompanied by mashed potatoes, as well as a delicious fruit dish that Michael cut up for me.

Baba Ghanoush

I have a resident at work that makes the most fabulous hummus and tabbouleh. I thought I'd give my hand a try at making something delicious like this. My attempt for tabbouleh was a fail. While the bowl of tabbouleh looked amazing, it was flavorless and bland. I also tried making falafel, and they fell apart in the frying pan. The only part of the meal that was worth eating was the baba ghanoush. It was absolutely amazing, and I think I like it even more than hummus!

-Sarah

Baba Ghanoush

From the Better Homes and Gardens "Garden Fresh Meals" cookbook

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons tahini

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley

Pita bread rounds, toasted

1. Preaheat oven to 400*F. Halve the eggplant lengthwise and place, cut sides down, on a baking sheet lined with foil. Prick skin all over with a fork. Bake about 25 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork.

2. Peel eggplant; cut eggplant into chunks. Transfer eggplant to a food processor or blender; add the lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, garlic, and salt. Cover and process or blend until smooth.

3. Transfer dip to a bowl; stir in the parsley. Serve with toasted pita bread.

Failed attempts:

Apple-Fennel Salad

I have never been much of a salad person. I always spend so much time focused on the main course that I forget that salads even exist. This salad caught my eye because of its textures and colors, and the fact that it has pomegranate seeds in it!

The next time I make this, I may want to use less fennel, and more apples and pomegranate seeds since the fennel is such an overpowering taste.

-Sarah

Apple-Fennel Salad

From the Better Homes and Gardens "Garden Fresh Meals" cookbook

Ingredients:

1 pomegranate

3 lemons

3-4 tart crisp green and/or red apples

2 medium fennel bulbs

6 tablespoons canola oil

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

3-4 tablespoons snipped fresh Italian parsley

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Remove seeds from pomegranate; set aside. Squeeze the juice from 1 of the lemons into a large salad bowl. Leave the skin on the apples; halve and core them. Thinly slice the apples and toss with the lemon juice in the bowl; set aside.

2. Cut off the fennel stalks. Discard stalks, reserving fronds. Remove any wilted outer layers on bulbs cut thin slices from the bases. Cut bulbs into quarters lengthwise. Core and thinly slice each quarter. Add the fennel slices to the apples. Toss to combine; set aside. Coarsely chop some of the reserved fennel fronds (about 1/4 cup); set aside.

3. For dressing, finely shred the yellow portion of peel from the 2 remaining lemons into a small bowl. Squeeze the juice from the 2 remaining lemons and add juice to peel. Whisk the oil into the juice and peel. Whisk in the mayonnaise and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

4. To serve, drain apples and fennel; return to bowl. Add dressing, pomegranate seeds, and reserved fennel fronds; toss to coat.

Baby, it's cold outside!

When I used to live and work in downtown Portland, one of my favorite things to do on a cold and rainy day was walk next door to the local deli and buy a hot cup of soup. My favorites were the thick creamy soups such as chowders, or butternut squash soup. When I got my new recipe book, I was so excited to make a great soup recipe, but was disheartened when I learned that you need a food processor to blend it nicely. Luckily, a department store accidentally advertised the wrong price for a brand new one, so I was able to afford a new member for my small kitchen appliance family.

The two soups below are bipolar opposite variations of a squash soup. The first is a sweet and caramelized soup that reminds me of a bite of pumpkin pie in autumn. The second is a fierce spicy soup that reminds me of the bright colors of the changing trees.

-Sarah

Sweet Butternut Squash Soup
From “Vegetarian: Create Great-Tasting Dishes through the Seasons” by Ting Morris, Rachel Lane and Carla Bardi
Ingredients for: Caramelized Squash Seeds
1/2 cup butternut squash seeds (from squash below)
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
Pinch of cayenne pepper

Ingredients for: Soup
1 butternut squash or pumpkin (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 small buttercup or red kuri squash
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 sprigs of marjoram
3/4 cup boiling water
Pinch of saffron
1 large leek, white part only, cut into thin rounds
1 teaspoon salt
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
4 cups vegetable broth, warmed
3/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

Caramelized Squash Seeds:
Preheat the oven to 375*F. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds, discarding the fibers. Rinse the seeds and dry on a clean cloth. Mix all the seed ingredients in a small bowl. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and brush with sunflower oil. Spread the seeds out on the baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden. Let cool.

Soup:
Using about 1 tablespoon of butter, dot the insides of the squash halves. Season with salt and pepper, and place a sprig of marjoram in each. Place in a roasting pan, skin side up, and add 1/2 cup of water. Roast for 35-40 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a sharp knife. Let cool slightly in the cooking juices. Put the saffron in a small bowl, add 2 tablespoons of water, and set aside. Heat the remaining butter in a large soup pot over medium-low heat until beginning to bubble then add the leek, salt, and remaining 2 tablespoons of water. Cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Mix in the sweet potatoes, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, ginger, and saffron mixture. Stir well. Pour in the broth, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, scoop the flesh out of the squash and add to the soup, along with the liquid from the roasting pan. Bring back to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes Puree the soup in a food processor. Return to the pan and add the milk, nutmeg, and a little more water if too thick. Taste, add salt if necessary, and gently reheat. Serve hot, sprinkled with cilantro, coarsely ground black pepper, and the caramelized seeds.

Spicy Pumpkin and Chile Soup

From “Vegetarian: Create Great-Tasting Dishes through the Seasons” by Ting Morris, Rachel Lane and Carla Bardi

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, sliced

2 pounds pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed

1 potato or sweet potato, diced

1 mild green chile, seeded and sliced

2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

5 cups vegetable broth

Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lime

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons plain yogurt, optional

Melt the butter in a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until softened, 3-4 minutes. Add the pumpkin, potato, and chiles. Cook until the pumpkin turns golden at the edges, 5-6 minutes. Toast the coriander and cumin in a small pan over low heat until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Grind with a pestle and mortar. Stir the toasted spices, red pepper flakes, and paprika into the pumpkin mixture and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Add the broth, cover and simmer until the pumpkin is tender, about 20 minutes. Puree the soup in a food processor. Return to the pan and stir in the lime juice. Season with salt and pepper, and additional pepper flakes for extra spice, if desired. Reheat the soup gently and stir in most of the cilantro. Sprinkle with the remaining cilantro, add a swirl of yogurt, and serve.

Baked Pasta with Eggplant

I did not grow up eating eggplant, and I don't know why, because it is so delicious! Michael doesn't like eggplant, so the only time I get it is when we go out to eat at a fancy Italian restaurant. Luckily, since I do all the grocery shopping and cooking, I was able to sneak some eggplant into the home for a fancy meal in! I enjoyed this meal with a nice glass of red wine.

I did not let the eggplant drain for an hour, and I also found that I left too much oil on the eggplant. The next time I make this, I will attempt to pat-dry the eggplants of the oil prior to placing them in the baking dish. Other than that, this meal was one of my favorites so far.

-Sarah

Baked Pasta with Eggplant

From “Vegetarian: Create Great-Tasting Dishes through the Seasons” by Ting Morris, Rachel Lane and Carla Bardi

Ingredients:

2 eggplants, each weighing about 1 pound, thinly sliced

Coarse sea salt

3/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs

1 cup olive oil, for frying

1 pound bucantini or spaghetti

Tomato sauce

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Leaves from 1 small bunch fresh basil, torn

1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup chilled butter, shaved

Put the eggplant in a colander and sprinkle with sea salt. Let drain for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 400*F. Butter a 13x9 inch baking dish and sprinkle with 1/4 cup of bread crumbs. Heat the oil in a large frying pan until very hot Fry the eggplant in small batches until golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Put the eggplant in a single layer on the bottom and sides of the baking dish.Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Mix in the tomato sauce, oregano, basil, and cheese. Season with pepper. Spoon the pasta into the baking dish, taking care not to displace the eggplant. Top with the remaining eggplant. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and dot with butter. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Baked Polenta in Cheese Sauce

I have always been attracted to cheesy meals. The moment I saw the photo in the recipe book, I knew that I had to make it. This meal was delicious and tasted like fondue! I served it with a bed of broccoli. Michael didn't care for the fondue as much as I did, but it could have been the fact that the recipe calls for home-made polenta, and I skipped that step and bought pre-made polenta. I highly recommend this recipe, and if you want to skip the polenta, you can make the cheese sauce and dip things in it like fondue.

-Sarah

Baked Polenta in Cheese Sauce
From “Vegetarian: Create Great-Tasting Dishes through the Seasons” by Ting Morris, Rachel Lane and Carla Bardi
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 pinch of nutmeg
6 oz (180 g) Gorgonzola cheese, chopped
6 oz (180 g) Emmental (or Gruyere, or similar) cheese, thinly sliced
1/2 cup (60 g) freshly grated parmesan cheese.


Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. When it stops bubbling, add the flour and cook over low heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Begin adding the milk, a little at a time, stirring until the sauce is smooth. Season with a little nutmeg. Turn up the heat and add all three cheeses, and handful at a time, stirring until smooth. Preheat the oven to 400*F. Oil a baking dish large enough to hold the polenta and sauce in a double layer. Cut the polenta into 1-inch cubes. Cover the bottom of the dish with half the polenta and pour half the sauce over the top. Put the remaining polenta on top and cover with the remaining sauce. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden brown. Serve hot.

A is for Apron

My birthday is dia de los muertos. Growing up, I was dragged to Church to pray for dead people. After church one year, I was serenaded by a group of missionaries to "las mañanitas." Most years, I woke up to pan de muerto for breakfast. Some may find these rituals a bit weird, but for me, it is all in celebration of my birthday. Recently, my mom made me an apron with dia de los muertos fabric. On the backside of the apron is cute paisley fabric for the rest of the year.

My mother is the Queen of sewing. I would bet all the money in the world that if you walked into her home at any given time this upcoming year, you'll find at least 3 or more sewing projects scattered around the house. There was not a time from my childhood that I can remember that my mother wasn't holding a needle and thread. Here is a link to my mom's quilt blog. When I got married and bought my own home, my mom gifted me with a sewing machine. Now, my mother and I both know that I don't use this machine. I can't even thread it. But she gave it to me none-the-less, probably hoping that one day I would plug it in and sew something. Perhaps she would even be happy if I just hemmed a hole in a shirt, or something. (I must add that for the past 5 years I've brought all clothes that needed mending to her house.)

To get into the Christmas spirit, today I decided to give sewing a try and make my own apron. Tonight, my mother met me at Jo-Ann fabrics and helped me pick out matching fabric. I guess she was pretty excited that I was finally going to sew something, because she brought me a cutting board, ruler, and a rotary cutter. The entire project took me over four hours, but don't let my mom know since it probably is supposed to be a 15 minute project. And I finally know how to thread my machine. In fact, I was so proud of myself for learning how, I used three colors of thread for my apron. The front of the apron is a fabric called "Candy Cane Dots." The back of the apron are cupcakes. While this story isn't followed with a recipe tonight, you can be assured that I will wear this apron as I cook new meals for your reading pleasure!

Cream Cheese Filled Cupcakes

Cream Cheese Filled Cupcakes

I love-love-love the cupcake craze. Everyone these days makes cupcakes, and I love looking at photos of the imaginative treats my friends have created. It is so fun to bake and eat cupcakes, so I decided to give it a try. The only thing I cannot figure out is a great frosting recipe, so if you have one, please share! If you are worried about making cupcakes, a word of advice: it doesn't matter if you're good or bad at making cupcakes, as long as you have a little bit of fun in the process!

As a side note, I would like to put a link to my cousin's blog: Lauren's Blog Check it out to see some beautiful, creative, and imaginative cupcakes!

I have heard that boxed cake mixes are just as good as home-made cake recipes, so I always use boxed cake mixes when making cupcakes. Once I pull them out of the oven, I cut out the middles and fill them with my Cream Cheese Filling. Once filled, I top them, and then frost them! See my photos below on how to fill a cupcake.
-Sarah

 Step 1:

Angle your knife and cut a cone from the top of the cupcake

Step 2:

Cut the point off the cone so the top is a flat disk

Step 3:

Fill each cupcake with your favorite filling

Step 4:

Place the disk back onto the top of the cupcake, then frost the top.

The end result: