Pumpkin Granola Bars

An on the go breakfast option!

Ingredients
3 1/4 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup applesauce
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips
directions:


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8 by 8 baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk oats, spices, and salt together. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk brown sugar, pumpkin, applesauce, honey, and vanilla extract until smooth. Pour over oats and stir well, until all of the oats are moist. Stir in chocolate chips.

4. Evenly press oat mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. The pumpkin keeps the bars moist, so make sure they are golden and set-you don't want them to be under baked. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

5. Using a sharp knife, cut into bars. Remove from pan and let cool completely. Wrap individually in cling wrap and keep in fridge.

From Two Peas and their Pod

Lemony Spring Soup with Chicken

This was delicious on a grey and rainy day in March.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 leek, quartered, white part sliced
2 carrots, peeled and diced small (if you can find multi-colored carrots, those are beautiful)
2 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
Salt
Black pepper
1 teaspoon herbs de Provence
4 cups chicken stock, hot
1 cup fresh English peas (or frozen peas)
1 cup baby zucchini, small dice
2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded or cubed (you can use rotisserie chicken for convenience)
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cups cooked quinoa
¼ cup chopped, fresh basil leaves
4 lemon wedges, garnish

Place a medium-large soup pot over medium heat; add in the butter and olive oil, and once melted, add in the sliced leek and diced carrots, and sweat for about 3-5 minutes, or until slightly tender and the leeks are becoming translucent.

Add in the garlic, and once that becomes aromatic, add in a pinch or two of salt and pepper, and the herbs de Provence; stir to combine.

Next, add in the hot chicken stock, and bring to a gentle simmer; cover partially with a lid, and cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until carrots are tender.

Turn the heat off; add in the English peas (or frozen peas), the diced baby zucchini, the shredded or cubed chicken breast, and the lemon zest and juice; stir to combine, and allow the peas/zucchini to become crisp-tender and bright green in the hot stock, about 3-4 minutes; check to see if additional salt or pepper is needed.

To serve, add about ½ cup of the cooked quinoa to a bowl, and ladle some of the soup with the veggies and chicken over top; sprinkle over some of the fresh basil, and squeeze in some additional lemon juice from the lemon wedge garnish, if desired.

From The Cozy Apron

Ranch Dressing

2/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves (or dill, tarragon, or parsley)
1 tablespoon minced shallot
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Sugar to taste

Whisk ingredients together until smooth. Add sugar to taste.

Cucumber Salsa

Ingredients:
2 cups finely chopped seeded peeled cucumber
1/2 cup finely chopped seeded tomato
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 jalepeno pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)
4-1/2 tsp minced fresh cilantro
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
1/4 c reduced-fat sour cream or greek yogurt
1-1/2 tsp lemon juice
1-1/2 tsp lime juice
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp seasoned salt
Tortilla chips

In a small bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. In another bowl, combine the sour cream, lemon juice, lime juice, cumin and seasoned salt. Pour over cucumber mixture and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately with chips.

Stovetop Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
4 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
6 ounces evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
10 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente and drain. Return to the pot and melt in the butter. Toss to coat.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and mustard. Stir into the pasta and add the cheese. Over low heat continue to stir for 3 minutes or until creamy.

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

These are finished in the oven, which makes them just that much better if you have the extra 45min.

Ingredients:
3-4 lb. pork shoulder roast
15 oz. bottle salsa verde or green taco saue
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ sweet onion, sliced
1 tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 c. water (I used some leftover beef broth I had on hand)
½ c. milk (do not add to crockpot)
tortillas
Suggested condiments: finely shredded cabbage, guacamole or sliced avocado, and green salsa

Instructions:
Cut roast into 3-4 large pieces. Pierce meat all over with a knife.
Stir together salsa/taco sauce, garlic, onion, chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt, cayenne, and water. Add pork pieces, and spoon liquid over the meat to coat all sides.
Cover crockpot and cook on high 6-8 hours or low 8-10 hours, until meat shreds easily.

When meat is done, preheat oven to 275 degrees. Take pork out of the slow cooker and shred on a large-rimmed baking sheet lined with foil or a baking mat to make cleanup easier. Discard any large pieces of fat. (Leave most of the onion behind, but it’s OK if some is incorporated with the meat.)
Pour ½ cup of cooking liquid and ½ cup of milk over shredded pork. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes until brown and crispy. Remove meat for serving with tongs to leave excess fat behind.

Serve with tortillas, finely shredded cabbage, guacamole or avocado, and green salsa.

Adapted ever so slightly from The Weary Chef

Chicken Taquitos

This recipe made 15 decent sized taquitos. The best part is that you can freeze a portion of them before baking for another day.

Ingredients:
3 Cups roasted shredded chicken breast
8 oz. Cream Cheese
4 Tablespoons chopped Cilantro
2 Tablespoons Lime juice
1 (6 oz.) can Green Chilis (or ½ cup green salsa verde if you have that on hand)
¾ teaspoon Cumin
1 ½ teaspoon Chili Powder
1 teaspoon Onion Powder
¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 ½ Cups shredded Pepper-jack cheese
small flour tortillas
fine sea salt


Melt your cream cheese until it’s soft and melty. Add all spices, cilantro, lime juice, green chilis, chicken and cheese to a large bowl. Mix until well blended.
Add a little bit (2 generous tablespoons) of chicken mixture to each tortilla, roll and place seam side down on parchment or foil lined cookie sheet. Spray/brush with a little olive oil and sprinkle with a little bit of salt. 

Bake in 425 degree oven for 15 minutes.

To freeze: As you roll your chicken Taquitos, place them on a parchment lined cookie sheet without touching. Then place cookie sheet in freezer. When Taquitos are frozen remove them from the cookie sheet and add them all to a freezer safe gallon sized bag. Label and add back to freezer. When you are ready to eat just take a few or a lot of the taquitos, place on a foil or parchment lined cookie sheet. Spray lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt. Bake in 425 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until crispy.

Chinese Green Beans with Ground Turkey over Rice

I played pretty fast and loose with these measurements and basically eyeballed everything. It was definitely still quite mild. Very quick and easy.

Ingredients
1 c. medium grain rice, uncooked
1 tbsp. sesame oil
1 small bunch green onions, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1 lb. ground turkey
2 tbsp. chili garlic sauce (which I didn't have on hand so I used sweet chili sauce)
2 tbsp. hoisin sauce
1 tsp. crushed ginger
1 lb. washed and trimmed green beans
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar

Instructions:
Start rice cooking in lightly salted water.
When rice is about 15 minutes from done, heat large skillet over high heat. Add sesame oil, and sauté green onions and garlic for about 2 minutes. Stir in ground turkey and sauté 3-5 minutes, until meat is mostly cooked. Crumble meat as much as possible.
Stir in chili garlic sauce, hoisin sauce, and ginger. Add green beans and soy sauce, and stir to coat. Continue cooking over high heat for 7-9 minutes longer, stirring frequently, until beans are slightly tender.
Stir in rice vinegar, and cook one minute longer. Serve over cooked rice.

Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Our Christmas morning tradition

Ingredients
for cake batter:
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

for cream cheese filling
2 - 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened
1 egg yolk
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

for crumb topping:
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup butter


Set oven to 350F with oven rack set to second-lowest position.
Grease a 13 x 9-inch (or an 11 x 7-inch, baking time will need to be increased slightly).
Cream butter with sugar (about 3-4 minutes), add in eggs and sour cream; beat well (about another 3 minutes).  In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt.Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture; beat well until combined (batter will be thick). Spread more than half of the batter in the prepared baking pan. In another bowl, cream together all filling ingredients, then carefully spread over the cake batter. Spoon the remaining cake batter over the top of the cheese mixture. Mix all topping ingredients, pinching together with fingers until the consistency is like crumbs, and sprinkle over the top. Bake for about 50-55 minutes or until middle feels set.

Recipe from KitchenLab

Coconut Curry Red Lentil Bowl with Kale and Chickpeas

This is fast and easy. You can serve it over rice or naan bread.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup red lentils
1 (15 1/2) ounce can diced tomatoes
1 (15 1/2) can lite coconut milk
1 cup water or broth
1 heaping tablespoon curry powder
~1 1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

1 tsp garlic, minced
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1 (15 1/2 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 cups roughly chopped, deveined kale
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/3 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro


In a large high-sided skillet, combine the red lentils, tomatoes with their juices, coconut milk, water or broth, curry powder, ginger, turmeric, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 18 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas and kale and allow to cook another 3-5 minutes, until the kale is wilted and bright green. Stir in the lime and cilantro and serve. Enjoy!

Apple Pie

Made this for Thanksgiving and it was delish.

Ingredients:
4 pounds mixed apples (such as Granny Smith, Gala and McIntosh)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or apple pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 disks pie dough
1 large egg, beaten
Coarse sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

Peel and core the apples; slice 1/4 inch thick. Transfer to a bowl and toss with the granulated sugar and lemon juice. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the flour, cinnamon and salt and stir until the juices thicken, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. (The filling can be made up to 2 days ahead; cover and refrigerate.)

Roll out 1 disk of dough into a 12-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Ease into a 9-inch pie plate. Add the cooled filling and dot with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter.

Roll out the remaining disk of dough into a 12-inch round. Lay the dough over the filling and press the two crusts together around the edges. Fold the overhanging dough under itself and crimp with your fingers. Brush the top crust with the beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Cut a few slits in the top crust to let steam escape. Chill 1 hour.

Put a baking sheet on the bottom oven rack and preheat to 425 degrees F for at least 30 minutes. Put the pie directly on the hot baking sheet and reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F; bake until the pie is golden and the filling is bubbly, 1 hour to 1 hour, 10 minutes, rotating the pie as needed. (Cover the edges with foil if they are browning too quickly.) Transfer to a rack and let cool until the filling is set, about 3 hours

From Food Network

Chuck Roast with Balsamic and Dijon

Ingredients
2-3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
4 pounds Chuck Roast
1 medium to large yellow onion, chopped
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2-3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
5 sprigs fresh thyme
2 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
2 bunches small carrots, or baby carrots
1 pound very small baby potatoes, white or red
kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 300F.
Heat oil in a large dutch oven over high heat. Season chuck roast well with salt and pepper, add to pan and brown well on all sides (a few minutes a side). Remove roast and set aside.
Add chopped onion to drippings in pot and reduce heat to medium. Saute onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar, increase heat to medium-high and boil until reduced and slightly syrupy, about 4-5 more minutes. Stir in Dijon.
Set roast on top of onions in pot. Pour in 2 cups beef broth and add thyme sprigs. Cover and place in oven for 2 1/2 - 3 hours or until very tender.
Add carrots and potatoes to pot and return to oven. Continue cooking until carrots and potatoes are tender, 30-60 minutes more. Season well then serve and enjoy!

From The Wicked Noodle

White Chicken Chili with Quinoa

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon oil
1 onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin, toasted and ground
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup salsa verde
1 pound boneless and skinless chicken breasts
2 (15 ounce) cans white beans
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon lime juice (~1/2 lime)
2 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper to taste


Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat, add the onion and jalapeno pepper and cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
Add the garlic and cumin and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
Add the broth, salsa verde, chicken, beans, quinoa and oregano, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked and the quinoa is tender, about 10-15 minutes.
Remove the chicken, shred or dice, return to soup along with the lime juice and cilantro, season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.

From Closet Cooking

Zucchini Boats

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups marinara sauce
4 medium zucchini
1 teaspoon oil
1/2 teaspoon small onion diced
3 cloves garlic crushed
1/2 cup red bell pepper diced
14 ounces lean italian chicken sausage removed from casing
1/2 cups part skim shredded mozzarella
8 teaspoons grated parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of water to boil.

Preheat oven to 400°. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and using a spoon or melon baller, scoop out flesh, leaving 1/4" thick. Chop the scooped out flesh of the zucchini in small pieces and set aside.

Drop zucchini halves in boiling water and cook 1 minute. Remove from water.

Place 1/4 cup of sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 12" baking dish, and place zucchini halves cut side up.

In a large saute pan, brown sausage, breaking up as it cooks into smaller pieces until browned; set aside. Heat oil and add onion, garlic and bell pepper. Cook on a medium-low heat for about 2-3 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add chopped zucchini, season with salt and pepper and cook about 2-3 minutes. Combine with sausage and cook a few more minutes.

Using a spoon, fill each hollowed zucchini with 1/3 cup cooked sausage, pressing firmly. Top each with 2 tablespoons each of sauce, 1 tablespoon each of shredded mozzarella cheese and 1 teaspoon each of parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes until cheese is melted and zucchini is cooked through.

8 servings, 3WWP+ each

From SkinnyTaste

Slow cooker Chipotle-Maple Beef Tacos

3 chiles from a can of chipotle in adobo
1 cup pineapple juice
½ cup pure maple syrup
3 Tbls tomato paste
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 4-5 pound boneless chuck roast

Corn Tortillas
Shredded Cabbage
Diced Avocado
Diced Tomato
Other desired toppings

Instructions
In a blender or small food processor puree all of the ingredients for the roast.
Place chuck roast in the slow cooker. Pour sauce over the top, turning to coat. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Remove and shred using 2 forks. Place back in the liquid.
Heat corn tortillas. Fill tortillas with a little shredded beef, and top with desired toppings

Use leftovers to make beef noodle bowls with thai noodles, scallions, sesame oil and soy sauce.

Recipe from http://dinnersdishesanddesserts.com/slow-cooker-chipotle-beef-tacos/

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

For the cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp allspice
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pans with cupcake liners.
In large bowl combine dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice.
In bowl of stand mixer cream butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until creamy.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add dry ingredients and milk, alternating until well combined. Scrape down sides of bowl as necessary.
Mix in pumpkin puree.
Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter.
Bake for 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Let cupcakes cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove to wire racks to finish cooling.
Once cupcakes are completely cool frost with Cinnamon Cream Cheese icing.

For the icing:
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
4 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon

In bowl of stand mixer beat butter and cream cheese on medium speed until well combined.
Gradually add in confectioner’s sugar one cup at a time, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.
Add vanilla and cinnamon and mix until combined.

From the Cake Blog

Summer Puttanesca

With so many cherry tomatoes, I had to find more recipes to use them! This recipe is initially from Cooks Illustrated but when I tried it the liquid amount and cooking times were vastly different. Perhaps my tomatoes were very juicy?

Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon anchovy paste
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 pounds grape or cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped coarse
3 tablespoons capers, rinsed and minced
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

Combine oil, garlic, anchovy paste, pepper flakes, and oregano in bowl. Process tomatoes in blender until finely chopped but not pureed, 15 to 45 seconds. Transfer to fine-mesh strainer set in large bowl and let drain for 5 minutes, occasionally pressing gently on solids with rubber spatula to extract liquid (this should yield about 3/4 cup- but I got more than double that). Reserve tomato liquid in bowl and tomato pulp in strainer.

Cook garlic-anchovy mixture in 12-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until garlic is fragrant but not brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomato liquid and simmer until reduced to 1/3 cup, 2 to 3 minutes (so I easily simmered for 15 minutes to nice thickness, but it was far more than 1/3c). Add tomato pulp, olives, and capers; cook until just heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in parsley.

I froze mine without the parsley.

Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce

Made with homegrown cherry tomatoes served over a little linguine? Delish.

Ingredients:
1.5-2 pounds cherry tomatoes
3-4 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2c extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs fresh thyme
2 tsp light brown sugar
1 tsp coarse salt

Preaheat oven to 325*. Place tomatoes and garlic in a glass 13x9 baking dish.
Whisk oil, vinegar, thyme, sugar and salt and drizzle over tomatoes.
Bake until tomatoes are softened and caramalized 60-80 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature.
Can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.

From Martha Stewart

Kung Pao Chicken with Zucchini Noodles

I love my spiralizer. Use the thicker setting for hearty veggie noodles.

Ingredients
2 medium zucchini, about 8 oz each, ends trimmed
1 teaspoon grapeseed or canola oil
6 oz skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ground ginger
2 tbsp crushed dry roasted peanuts
2 tbsp thinly sliced scallions along diagonal

For the sauce:
1 1/2 tbsp reduced soy sauce (tamari for gluten free)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp hoisin sauce
2 1/2 tbsp water
1/2 tbsp Sambal Oelek Red Chili Paste (or more to taste)
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp cornstarch

Using a spiralizer fitted with a shredder blade (this makes a thicker noodle), cut the zucchini into long spaghetti-like strips. If using a spiralizer, use kitchen scissors to cut the strands into pieces that are about 8 inches long so they’re easier to eat.

In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, balsamic, hoisin, water, red chili paste, sugar and cornstarch; set aside.

Season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Heat oil in a large, deep nonstick pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside.

Reduce heat to medium, add sesame oil, garlic and ginger to the skillet and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the bell pepper, stir in soy sauce mixture and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until thickened and bubbling, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in zucchini noodles and cook, mixing for about two minutes until just tender and mixed with the sauce. If it seems dry, don't worry the zucchini will release moisture which helps create a sauce. Once cooked, mix in chicken and divide between 2 bowls (about 2 cups each) and top with peanuts and scallions.

2 servings

WWP+7

From http://www.skinnytaste.com/2014/08/kung-pao-chicken-zoodles-for-two.html 

Turkey Chili

Ingredients:

2 lbs 99% fat-free ground turkey 

1 yellow onion, chopped 

5 cloves garlic, minced 

1 Tbsp olive oil 

1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes

1 (15 oz) can petite diced tomatoes

3 Tbsp tomato paste 

1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed 

1 red bell pepper, chopped 

1 green bell pepper, chopped 

1 jalapeno, chopped 

1 1/2 tsp. sea salt 

Pinch of pepper  

3 Tbsp chili powder 

2 tsp. oregano 

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper 

Cook the ground turkey in a bit of oil. When cooked through, transfer to paper towels to drain. Add olive oil to pot and cook onion until softened. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. 

Add remaining ingredients simmer on medium heat for at least an hour.

Serves 8, 1cup portions.

WWP+ 6

Adapted from http://www.eat-yourself-skinny.com/2013/09/the-best-turkey-chili-youll-ever-taste.html