Saturday, October 20, 2012

A Tasty Halloween!




It's that time of year! Lately, I've been doing so much with pumpkins. In fact, I think pretty much everything I've made in the last couple weeks has involved pumpkin in some way. I've decided to combine all these recipes into one big post. I hope you like pumpkin!

Perfect Pumpkin Spelt Bread
Adapted from A Grain a Day

Ingredients:
3 c spelt flour
2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1 t salt
2 t ground cinnamon
3 t pumpkin pie spice
3 T arrowroot powder
1 T flax seeds
2/3 c agave syrup
2 c pumpkin puree
1/4 c canola oil
1/3 c apple sauce
Pumpkin seeds for garnish

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately. Combine wet and dry ingredients and stir until smooth and uniform.

Step: Spread mixture into greased bread pan. Bake for around 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when poked in the center of the bread. Let cool.


Pumpkin Spice Granola
Adapted from Skinny Taste
Ingredients:
1/4 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and pat dried
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup agave syrup
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 t coconut oil
1 t pumpkin pie spice
1/4 t cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/2 t vanilla extract

Step 1: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Combine all wet ingredients and spices and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Step 2: In a separate bowl, combine quinoa, oats, flax, seeds, almonds, and cranberries. Pour wet mixture over dry and stir until everything is thoroughly coated.

Step 3: Spread mixture on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper. Bake in oven for 20 minutes, or until golden. Remove and let cool before storing in an airtight container.

Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Seeds
Adapted From The Hazel Bloom
Ingredients:
Around 2 c pumpkin seeds (Mine came from the pumpkins I carved!
3 T Canola oil
1T powder stevia extract
1 1/2 t salt
1 T rosemary
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/4 t black pepper

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all seasoning and oil and mix until thoroughly blended. Add pumpkin seeds and stir until seeds are evenly coated.

Step 2: Spread seeds on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Let cool.

I even had a pumpkin dish at my favorite Italian restaurant! I must say, Pumpkin ravioli in a sage cream sauce may just be one of the best things I've ever tasted...



I hope these recipes make your halloween even more fun! If you have any more amazing pumpkin recipes send me a message with your recipe!





Sunday, October 7, 2012

Pumpkin Mac & Cheese

It's pumpkin season! One of my favorite seasons, to say the least. I'll leave my description of this recipe to a few words: It turned out to be absolutely delicious! This is a great alternative to macaroni and cheese and is a wonderful seasonal dish.

Pumpkin "Mac and Cheese"
Adapted from Peachy Palate

Ingredients:
1 box Quinoa pasta
2/3 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 can cannellini beans drained and rinsed, 4 T reserved
1c cherry tomatoes
1t whole grain mustard
Lemon pepper to taste
Dash of Italian seasoning
1/4t salt
1-2 T olive oil

Step 1: Cook pasta according to the directions on the box. Drain and set aside

Step 2: Blend pumpkin, milk, 4T beans, mustard, and all seasoning in a blender until smooth. Set aside.

Step 3: Saute tomatoes and the rest of the cannellini beans in olive oil until tomatoes are juicy and tender

Step 4: Combine noodles, sauce, and tomatoes and beans in a pan and heat on low until heated through. Serve Warm

Enjoy!








Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Here's another hummus recipe in case you're tired of the simple recipe!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
By Caroline Mac
Ingredients:
1 can garbanzo beans, 2 T of liquid reserved
1/2 c tahini
3 T Lemon juice
1/2 cup fire roasted peppers


Step 1: Blend tahini, liquid and chickpeas in a food processor. Add lemon juice and peppers and blend until creamy and smooth.

Serve with your favorite veggies, chips, crackers, or bread!

Enjoy!