Green noodles

 I save a lot of recipes off of Instagram and probably make less than 20% of them, but I saw this one today a lazy Saturday afternoon and was so intrigued, I made it tonight. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYdirGlK0al/?igsh=MXF3ZGVwYnYzYWFhbg==

Green Spaghetti

2-3 poblano peppers

1/2 cup milk

1 jalapeno or serrano pepper

1 T Better than Boullion

1 bunch cilantro

1/3 cup sour cream

3-4 cloves garlic

Salt (I thought the Boullion added enough saltiness so I omitted)

1/2 brick cream cheese

1 pound cooked pasta of your choice

Sear peppers on gas range until blistered, put in a plastic bag and let cool for 15 min (like this: https://youtube.com/shorts/pxp9TDruqkU?si=LHTo8ro4doC5fB7v).

Put everything (except pasta) in the blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Then, simmer the sauce on the stovetop for 10 to 20 minutes until desired consistency.

My kids loved this...add some spicy chicken strips, sliced flavor bomb tomatoes, and/or squeeze of lime juice=delicious!

Easy Quick Cabbage Salad

Original recipe here by Coclarkincooks

This is quick, easy, but she doesn't give any exact measurements, so I'm guessing here, but massaging cabbage, like kale, makes it so much more palatable! You could add more ingredients. I did add one thinly sliced red bell pepper because I think I used too much boullion when I made this and needed to decrease the saltiness.

1/2 head of cabbage (red or green) thinly sliced
1/2 t vegetable boullion (I used "better than bullion)
pinch of salt
1 bunch thinly sliced green onions

Dressing
1 clove garlic microplaned
1 t roasted sesame oil
1 T rice wine vinegar
1/2 t fish sauce

Massage cabbage with boullion and salt for five minutes. Set aside.

Microplane garlic into a glass jar. Add sesame oil, rice wine vinegar and fish sauce. Shake. Let the dressing stand for approximately 10 minutes to take out the rawness of the garlic.

Add green onions to massaged cabbage. Dress salad and serve.

SkinnyTaste Wonton Soup

 Original recipe here: https://www.skinnytaste.com/wonton-soup/

I made this as a way to clean out my freezer. My substitutions are in italics and this recipe is very forgiving when it comes to substitutions.

Ingredients

▢6 cups chicken broth low sodium

▢1- inch piece fresh ginger, sliced thin I didn't love biting into a ginger slice, but I do like the convenience of slicing over microplaning...maybe I will try that next time.

▢1 clove minced garlic measure with your heart, I used 3 cloves

▢20 mini frozen wontons, I love the Chicken Cilantro one’s from Trader Joe’s I think my package of wontons had about 16...that was plenty

▢1 1/2 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms I had a bag of frozen assorted mushrooms from Trader Joe's that I had been trying to figure out how to use...it might have been more.

▢4 baby bok choy, halved lengthwise and halved I used a half bag of frozen spinach

▢1 tablespoon soy sauce

▢1 teaspoon sesame oil

▢scallions, sliced green parts only for garnish

I added edamame as well.

Instructions

Bring chicken broth to a boil in a large pot.

Smash the sliced ginger with the side of a knife to bring out the flavor and add to the pot with the garlic, cover and cook 5 minutes.

Add the bok choy and partially cook 5 minutes, then add the frozen wontons and mushroom, simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until the wontons are heated through and bok choy is tender and wilted.

Stir in soy sauce and sesame oil.

Divide soup in four bowls. Garnish with fresh scallions.

THE Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

 

It's been a long time since I have found a THE recipe, but after trying for years to find a good lemon poppyseed bread/muffin, the New York Times recipe is a winner! There's a glaze in that recipe, but honestly, the texture is so good with the perfect amount of sweetness that I didn't bother making the glaze.

NYT Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

2½ cups all-purpose flour 

1½ teaspoons baking powder 

½ teaspoon baking soda 

½ teaspoon kosher salt 

¾ cup granulated sugar 

½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted and cooled slightly 

½ cup whole milk (I used 2%)

½ cup sour cream (I used Greek yogurt)

2 large eggs 

2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest (from 2 large lemons) 

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 

4 teaspoons poppy seeds (I only had 1 T)

Step 1 Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners. 

Step 2 In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, butter, milk, sour cream, eggs, lemon zest and juice, and poppy seeds until well combined. 

Step 3 With a large rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. Do not overmix. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cups and bake until puffed and set, and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer the muffins, in the tin, to a rack to cool for 5 minutes. Then remove the muffins and let cool completely on the rack.

Pasta with Broccoli and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

 I love Mel's recipes from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. This one is a keeper! I made a couple adjustments to this recipe based on what I had.

https://www.melskitchencafe.com/skillet-chicken-with-broccoli-pasta-and-parmesan/

 

2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch squares (I used the Instapot to quickly cook 3 frozen chicken breasts and then, shredded the chicken in my KitchenAid mixer)

2 tablespoons olive oil 

1 medium onion, minced 

4 medium cloves garlic, minced 

½ teaspoon dried oregano 

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes 

12 ounces ziti or penne pasta 

3 cups water 

2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth 

4-5 cups broccoli florets (i thawed frozen broccoli so I didn't need to steam it beforehand)

½ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed, drained and chopped coarse (I used 1/2 cup of oven roasted tomatoes I froze from this summer)

¾ cup heavy cream (I used 1.5 c of whole milk)

1 teaspoon cornstarch (1 T cornstarch)

¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 lemon, juiced and zested

Prepared chicken as mentioned above.

Soften onion in canola oil, 2 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 

Add the pasta, water and broth. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is very thick and syrupy and almost completely absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes. I added the lid to my skillet. There should still be a little bit of liquid in the bottom of the skillet, but the pasta should be tender. I added water a couple times because I had pasta sticking to the cast iron skillet.

Add the broccoli and sun-dried tomatoes. Stir lightly to incorporate them into the pasta mixture. Cover the skillet, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the broccoli turns bright green and is almost tender, 2-3 minutes. While the broccoli is cooking, whisk the milk and cornstarch together. Uncover the skillet and stir in the milk, Parmesan, and reserved chicken with any accumulated juices and continue to simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and zest. Then, season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, topped with extra Parmesa

Aileen's Holiday rolls

 Aileen’s White Rolls

Aileen's White Rolls

Every year, I frantically text my BIL for this recipe. Why didn't I put it here yet?

Dissolve 2 Tablespoon dry yeast in

½ cup warm water

½ teaspoon sugar

Mix with KitchenAid mixer:

2 cups scalded milk (about 180 degrees)

Scant ½ cup oil

2 eggs

½ cup sugar

1 ½ teaspoon salt

Add about 6 cups flour. Knead. Let stand until double in bulk—about an hour at

75 degrees.

Roll out and dip in melted butter. Freeze immediately for later use of let rise

1 ½ hours or more.

Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

If frozen, remove from freezer 3 hours before baking.

Orange, Beet, and Goat Cheese Kale Salad

It may be so 2015, but I still love a good kale salad. The individual portions keep in the fridge for a couple days, which is good because the rest of my family is sick of them.

Even though I have made them forever, unlike lettuce salads, kale salads aren't something I just wing. Tonight, I didn't have all the components to make one of my usuals (Fig and Blue cheese; Apple, Feta, and Craisin; Butternut Squash, Pomegranate, and Hazelnuts; Lentils with Apricot Preserves), so I needed to figure out a new recipe with what I had. This is when I realized I should just list the core components of a good kale salad, so I can refer to it here whenever I have a hankering. Below are the basic components, which I then used to create the orange, beet, and goat cheese salad recipe below:

Dressing

1/4 c good quality olive oil (FAT)

1/4 c whatever fruit type preserve you would like (I have done apricot/fig preserves, blueberry jam, and orange marmalade) (FRUITY)

3 T  acid (I have done apple cider vinegar, rice wine vinegar, lime juice, lemon juice--I did orange juice once, but didn't love the results) (ACID)

1/2 t kosher salt

Whisk ingredients together.

Kale

1 bunch lacinato kale, washed, dried, and chopped (lacinato is less bitter, but curly works too)

The key is you want to massage the dressing you just made into the kale. It makes the kale tender, and I think it gets rid of some of the bitterness. Set aside

Other salad components

2 c 1 inch chunks of a sweet fruit or vegetable--how's that for vague? (I have done pear, apple, oranges, roasted beets, roasted butternut squash, roasted sweet potatoes)

2 c of another sweet fruit or veg (optional--favorite combos include apple + sweet potato/butternut squash, orange  + roasted beets)

1/2 thinly sliced red onion

I massage the kale first, chop these items, then, add them in with the kale and toss until everything is covered in that lovely sweet dressing.

Right before you serve the salad top individual portions with

1 c small morsels of fruit (pomegranate, blueberries dried or fresh, sliced fig, dried cranberries, currents)

1/2 c roasted nuts (pecans, walnuts, pistachios, almonds)

as much cheese as you like (feta, blue cheese, gruyere, goat cheese)

In the past, I have added a cup of cooked and cooled garbanzo beans, lentils, or quinoa, but lately, that feels like more trouble than it's worth.

Using this basic template, here's what I made tonight:

Orange, Beet, and Goat Cheese Kale Salad

Dressing

1/4 c good quality olive oil 

1/4 c orange marmalade

3 T  apple cider vinegar

1/2 t kosher salt

Whisk ingredients together.

Kale

1 bunch lacinato kale, washed, dried, and chopped (lacinato is less bitter, but curly works too)

The key is you want to massage the dressing you just made into the kale. It makes the kale tender, and I think it gets rid of some of the bitterness. Set aside

Other salad components

3 roasted beets, cooled and diced

4 oranges with segments cut out

1/2 thinly sliced red onion

1 shelled pomegranate

I massage the kale first, chop these items, then, add them in with the kale and toss until everything is covered in that lovely sweet dressing.

Top individual portions with

1 oz goat cheese crumbled

2 T toasted pistachios

Serve immediately.

Easy Squash Casserole

This takes a lot of time, but it's easy and uses a ton of zucchini/yellow squash. I wonder if I salted the squash and rung out the water and then, sauteed onions and zucchini if I could skip the initial bake. https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a36700256/squash-casserole-recipe/ 

Ingredients
3 lb. yellow squash, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices I mixed zucchini and yellow squash
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
2 large eggs
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 c. mayonnaise
8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese
1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
3 tbsp. butter, melted, plus more for the pan
1 1/2 sleeves round butter crackers (such as Ritz), broken (about 3 cups) I used bread crumbs
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400˚. Combine the squash and onion on a large tray. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with the salt and black pepper. Toss well to combine. Cook for 25 minutes, until the squash is slightly softened and has released its liquid. Drain the mixture through a colander. Press gently with paper towels to soak up any extra moisture. Let cool.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350˚. Place the eggs in a large bowl and whisk. Add the sour cream, mayonnaise, cheddar cheese, thyme and black pepper and stir together. Gently fold in the squash and onions (they can still be warm when you fold them in, just be sure they're not piping hot). Transfer the mixture to a lightly-greased three-quart baking dish. Cover and bake for 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, cracker pieces and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle in an even layer all over the top of the casserole.

Return to the oven for 25 to 30 minutes more, until the crackers are golden brown and the edges are bubbly. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Greek Zucchini Bake

I roast a vegetable with some canola oil and garlic salt nearly every night for dinner. I wondered if I could add enough variety to make it worthy of a main dish.

I've tried Thai-inspired, teriyaki, and Mexican. So far, this Greek one is my favorite.

Greek Zucchini Bake
Serves 4-6

2 zucchini sliced to about 1/2 inch coins
2 yellow squash sliced the same
1 red onion roughly chopped (to size of squash)
1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper chopped to size of squash
1 cup cherry tomatoes whole
1/2 cup Kalamata olives whole
2-3 T canola oil (or whatever oil you prefer)
1 1/2 t Lawry's garlic salt

6-8 oz crumbled feta

Preheat oven to 415 degrees. Wash and chop vegetables. Then, toss all veg with oil and garlic salt on sheet pan. Bake 20-30 minutes. Toss about halfway through. 5-10 minutes before you're ready to take the veg out, sprinkle feta over sheet and bake until feta just begins to brown.

Vegetarian Burrito Filling

Instead of stuffing zucchini, I just diced the zucchini, largely borrowed from this recipe at Mel's Kitchen Cafe, and I found this to be a really tasty burrito filling. My additions and notes are in italics.

Ingredients

2-3 T canola oil
1 medium onion diced
1 lb plant based crumbles
2 medium zucchini, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
1 jalapeno, finely chopped (seeds and membrane removed if you want less heat)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground coriander
chicken stock as needed ok, so not totally vegetarian, but I found that the veggies needed some stuff
1 c frozen corn thawed
16 ounces tomato sauce
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1-2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese, or a combination
Chopped cilantro for garnish

Instructions 

In a large cast-iron skillet, soften the onion first with 2-3 T canola oil. Then, add plant based crumbles for about 5 minutes. Then, add spices, jalapeno, garlic, and zucchini. Keep adding chicken stock or water as needed to keep stuff from sticking. Add corn; it will cook quickly. 

Stir in the tomato sauce, and bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. I added a handful of chopped cilantro and cooked a bit longer.

Add to burritos with avocado, pickled onions, sour cream, and a squeeze of lime.

NYT Take out Noodles

I changed this recipe enough and don't remember where I wrote the notes, so I wanted to save this here.

We have peanut and soy allergies in our house so I only used tahini and coconut aminos. I added chicken and topped with cilantro, mint and lime juice. I doubled the recipe for 2 lbs of fresh noodles. I think next time I will triple it for better coverage of the chicken. Such a keeper!

Without the chicken, it's one of those great recipes that you don't realize is vegan. I ate mine with kimchi on top. 

1 pound noodles, frozen or (preferably) fresh 

2 tablespoons sesame oil, plus a splash 

3 ½ tablespoons soy sauce I used coconut aminos

2 tablespoons Chinese rice vinegar 

2 tablespoons Chinese sesame paste I did 3 T tahini in place of the sesame paste and peanut butter

1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter 

1 tablespoon granulated sugar I didn't mean to half the sugar, but I did and thought it was plenty sweet (and I LOVE sugar)

1 tablespoon finely grated ginger 

2 teaspoons minced garlic 

2 teaspoons chile-garlic paste, chile crisp or chile oil, or to taste 

Half a cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/8-inch by 1/8-inch by 2-inch sticks 

¼ cup chopped roasted peanuts 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook until barely tender, about 5 minutes. They should retain a hint of chewiness. 

Drain, rinse with cold water, drain again and toss with a splash of sesame oil. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons sesame oil, the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame paste, peanut butter, sugar, ginger, garlic and chili-garlic paste. Pour the sauce over the noodles and toss. 

Transfer to a serving bowl, and garnish with cucumber and peanuts.

Leslie's Pressure Cooker Pinto Beans

Every time I eat bean and rice at Leslie's house, I can't believe how good they are. I soak mine overnight, but I don't know that it makes a difference. https://www.apinchofhealthy.com/instant-pot-pinto-beans/

• 1 pound dry pinto beans
• 5 1/2 cups water
• 1 2/3 Tablespoon Better Than Bullion vegetable base
• salt and pepper to taste (Honestly, mine didn't need any. The BTB flavored them perfectly. Taste them first.)

Instructions

1. Rinse off your pinto beans, and drain them using a wire mesh strainer.

2. Add them to the Instant Pot, along with the water and Better Than Bullion vegetable base.

3. Close and lock the lid, and cook on manual high pressure for 45 minutes. Note: It will take several minutes to come to pressure.

4. Allow the pressure to naturally release (Do not use the valve, but let it sit until the pressure indicator pin drops on its own. Mine took about 26 minutes, FYI.)

Recipe Notes

45 minutes is the pressure cook time, but this will take longer than that to cook. The pot takes a little while to come up to pressure, plus about 25 minute to naturally release.

Thai-Style Shrimp/Chicken and Rice Soup

Adapted from Gourmet 2005 Cookbook (also found here: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/thai-style-chicken-and-rice-soup-109019)

I was worried the curry paste might make it too spicy; it really wasn't spicy at all, and I think by using chicken in place of shrimp and skipping the fish sauce, this would make a tasty top-8 allergen free dinner.

INGREDIENTS

8 cups homemade chicken stock 

1 heaping tablespoon Thai green curry paste*

4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

1 (2-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed I only had ground coriander, since it is run through a paper towel, I just used that instead

2 cups loosely packed whole fresh cilantro leaves plus 1/2 cup chopped (from 2 large bunches)

1 cup jasmine rice

3 stalks celery, medium chop

1 cup carrots, medium chop

3/4 lb medium shrimp in shell (31 to 35 per lb), peeled and deveined

1 (13- to 14-oz) can unsweetened coconut milk, stirred well I used light since that's what I had

2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

Accompaniment: lime wedges

PREPARATION

Combine stock, water, curry paste, garlic, ginger, coriander seeds, and whole cilantro leaves in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan, then simmer, uncovered, until ginger is softened, about 15 minutes. Pour through a paper-towel-lined sieve into a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot and discard solids. Stir rice into soup and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 15 minutes. The celery and carrots are my additions; I added them with the rice, and I thought the texture was perfect.

Add shrimp and poach at a bare simmer, uncovered, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Stir in coconut milk and fish sauce and simmer, uncovered, until peas are crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice, salt, and chopped cilantro. I added a dash of fish sauce and lime juice to my bowl right before I ate my lunch.

*Available at Asian markets, some specialty foods shops, and some supermarkets.

Caramel Apples: an Involved Project to yell at your kids should you try and do it with them

I remember once in college I had the bright idea to make caramel apples. I melted those little Kraft caramels and tried to dip apples in the warm caramel, and well, it was not a Hallmark moment. The caramel slid right off..I rubbed off the wax, I tried to kind of score the apples, nothing save, peeling the apples, which only worked slightly better and definitely looked weird, got the caramel to stick.

Last weekend, we needed a Girl Scout project. Our girls love to bake/cook, but being in Phase 1 of the Cactus Pine Girl Scouts COVID-19 response means we have to be outside, wearing masks with no more than 10 people at any given activity.

So, I thought of caramel apples but remembered my past experience. 

After a dry run with my kids and the activity with the Girl Scouts, here are my tips.

Use this recipe from Our Best Bites because everything they make is awesome.

To keep the caramel on:

1. Chill the apples and take each one out right as you're ready to dip. We did our activity outside so I kept our apples both fresh and dipped in a small ice chest with a bag of ice.

2. This recipe recommends keeping the caramel at 200 degrees. I don't know if it's the Arizona weather (it was 98 degrees outside when we made our's), but in a crock pot, I tried to keep the temperature between 180 and 190...I need to mess around with these temperatures more, so this is more a note to remind myself should I want to attempt this again.

Overnight Oats

I spent a LOT of time looking for recipes for overnight oats...I think I had some 40 pins on Pinterest for different flavors. Finally, I cobbled together my own recipe for maximum taste with low calories. Cold oats are the only way I eat oatmeal for the majority of the year in Phoenix.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 T cocoa powder

2 T peanut powder

1/2 frozen banana

1 t chia seeds

Stir and refrigerate the night before.

I like the banana in there because it adds a good amount of sweetness so I only add a few drops of chocolate stevia (honestly, vanilla stevia tastes the same to me in this breakfast).

Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats

2 T pumpkin puree

1/4 c milk

1 T pumpkin pie coffee creamer

1/2 c oats

2 T toasted pecans to top in the am

I want to mess around with this recipe more, but for now, I can't beat the ease of using pumpkin pie coffee creamer.

Chai Overnight Oats

1/2 c rolled oats

1/4 c concentrated herbal chai tea

1/4 c unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1/2 c frozen berries

Stir and refrigerate the night before.

Maple Blueberry Overnight Oats

1/2 c rolled oats

1/2 c unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1-2 T maple syrup

1/2 c blueberries

2 T toasted pecans to top in the am

Apple Pie Granola

I used Jesseca's Pumpkin Pie Granola as a template for making this apple pie granola. I'm still tweaking it a bit, but it shows promise.

Apple Pie Granola

Ingredients
3 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 t cinnamon I'm going to try this with 1 teaspoon next time
1 cup roughly chopped pecans or walnuts I used sliced almonds
1/2 cup Bare Baked apple chips smashed into smaller pieces again, I might do more here
1/4 cup coconut oil I used canola oil
1/3 cup honey I did 1/4 c and that was sweet enough for me (mostly because I didn't want to dirty another measuring cup)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 t vanilla extract
1/2 cup applesauce I'm thinking of trying this with apple butter next time or perhaps 3/4 c of applesauce instead of 1/2 c

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking tray with parchment and set aside.

Whisk together the oats, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, almonds, and pecans in a large mixing bowl.
Microwave the coconut oil and honey for just a few seconds in a small separate bowl until liquid. Whisk in your vanilla and applesauce. Ok, I didn't read this closely. Honestly, I put everything in the same bowl at once. I did do a lot of stirring because I worried that I wouldn't spread the flavors evenly, but I haven't had a problem doing it this way.

Gently stir your wet ingredients into the dry until fully incorporated. Spread onto your prepared baking tray in an even layer.

Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown making sure to stir once halfway through baking. Allow to cool completely on the baking tray before enjoying. I added the baked apple chips after baking and cooling. I really wanted to keep the crunch of the apple chips, and I worried about burning them if I baked them with everything else.

Recipe Notes
For a more clump filled granola make sure you keep the granola in a thicker layer. You may need to increase baking time by 10-15 minutes

Pumpkin Spice Granola

About a year ago, I wrote a book review about Cast Iron Kitchen by Jesseca Hallows, which introduced me to her website, One Sweet Appetite. I have loved making granola ever since Alton Brown introduced me to it, but I really appreciate Jesseca's innovative flavors (LOVE her banana bread granola!) and have begun using the Pumpkin Pie granola template for other flavor experiments like blueberry lemon and apple pie.

Pumpkin Pie Granola

Ingredients
3 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup roughly chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup coconut oil I used canola oil
1/3 cup honey I did 1/4 c and that was sweet enough for me (mostly because I didn't want to dirty another measuring cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking tray with parchment and set aside.

Whisk together the oats, brown sugar, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and pecans in a large mixing bowl.
Microwave the coconut oil and honey for just a few seconds in a small separate bowl until liquid. Whisk in your vanilla and pumpkin puree.

Gently stir your wet ingredients into the dry until fully incorporated. Spread onto your prepared baking tray in an even layer.

Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown making sure to stir once halfway through baking. Allow to cool completely on the baking tray before enjoying. I'm not sure why, but this time I had to bake it for over an hour.

Recipe Notes
For a more clump filled granola make sure you keep the granola in a thicker layer. You may need to increase baking time by 10-15 minutes

Vegan Taco Casserole

I haven't made a vegan casserole before, and I admit that despite the promises on this blog, I was apprehensive about serving this. In fact, I was so worried about it that I told my kids that they didn't need to try it if they wanted to stick to the leftover clean-up dinner we were doing.

But, this was REALLY good! Like I didn't think a casserole without dairy could be this good. I realized that I did do a few things to clear out the fridge that ended up working in my favor so I wanted to record them here.

This recipe is from Joy Shull at Build Your Bite. My notes are in italics.

INGREDIENTS
1 medium onion, chopped
I added a yellow bell pepper because I needed to use it
7 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or minced
1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder I did more like a tablespoon
2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon cayenne I didn't have cayenne so I sauteed a seeded and diced jalapeno pepper instead with the onions
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika I did more like a teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 (15 oz) can of black beans, drained
1 (15 oz) can of great northern beans, drained
I had about 2 pounds of pinto beans I had cooked in the pressure cooker that needed to be used and I was too lazy to make into refried beans, so I used these in place of the beans listed above.
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
2 1/2 cups chunky salsa I used my homemade salsa because I had it on-hand.
14 oz organic yellow tortilla corn chips, plus more for serving
Lime juice for topping
Green onions for topping

INSTRUCTIONS
Combine onion, peppers, garlic, olive oil, chili powder, cumin, basil, cayenne, smoked paprika, sea salt, and pepper in a skillet and cook on medium heat for 5-10 minutes, or until onion is translucent and starts to brown. I cooked the onions on low heat for a little bit to help them caramelize a bit. I also added a lot more of all the spices.

Add black and great northern beans to onion mixture and stir well. After adding the beans to the first saute, I was excited. Those beans were great on their own!

Using a 13 by 9 glass baking dish, first put down a layer of tortilla chips to cover the bottom of the pan. I did this all in the cast iron skillet that I sauteed everything in.

Layer half of the bean mixture onto the chips, followed by 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast, and 1 1/4 cups of salsa.

Add another layer of chips and cover with remaining beans, nutritional yeast and salsa.

Cover top of dish with a layer of crushed corn chips. Lazy: I did half the beans, then, the chips, salsa, and yeast; other half of beans with the rest of the salsa, chips, and yeast.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until chips on top start to brown.

Top with fresh lime juice and green onions. I didn't have lime juice, but I did have cilantro and green onions. I thought this was really good as is, but I did need to use up some sour cream, so Nate and I had that on top.

Serve with additional tortilla chips to build the perfect bite.
Enjoy!
The recipe said it makes 4-5 servings; I think it's closer to 6-7.

Rotisserie Chicken Fried Rice

inspired by Martha Stewart Pork Fried Rice

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons plus 1/4 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 bunch scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 2 cups cooked white rice (about 3/4 cup uncooked rice)
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1. 
   

   1. In a wok or large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over high. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, lightly beat eggs with 1/4 teaspoon soy sauce to combine. Add eggs to wok and swirl to coat bottom of pan. Cook, without stirring, until almost set, 1 minute, then fold in thirds with a spatula. Transfer cooked eggs to a work surface and cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
2. 
   

   2. Add 1 tablespoon oil to wok and swirl to coat. Add garlic, ginger, and scallion whites and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add pork and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add carrots, peas, and rice and stir to combine. Add cooked egg, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, and vinegar and cook, stirring constantly, until rice is coated, about 1 minute. Let cook, undisturbed, until warm, about 1 minute. Top with scallion greens and serve.

Granda's Thanksgiving Stuffing

• Two or Three loaves of bread (home-made preferred, this year I used two Costco baguettes)
• One day before preparing break bread into small pieces; cover in bowl with towel to allow to dry

In large casserole:

• ½ lb butter
• 2 large onions coarsely chopped
• 1 cup (I use more) chopped celery
• 2 shallots finely chopped
• 3-5 finely chopped garlic cloves
• [I often include mushrooms, but this year I didn’t]

Season and toss the bread with

• 3 tsp salt
• Ground black pepper to taste
• 2-4 tbs chopped fresh sage (to taste)
• Can also add rosemary and other herbs as you like; I keep it simple. Just keep tasting until you like it.

When the buttery goodness is ready, mix the bread into the casserole until thoroughly mixed, evenly distributing the butter/onions/celery.

This all should be done the day before. You can use some of stuffing to stuff the turkey, the rest you bake in the casserole at 350 until the top layer is a bit crispy. Takes about ½ hour.