Making Pumpkin Spice stuff always reminds me of college. Not just because PSL are so often associated with college girls but because it was in my college years at Cal Poly that I started experimenting with pumpkin pie spice in recipes. There’s something about it that’s just soo comforting. It reminds me of Fall, the start of the new school year, and being so inspired in such a fun time of my life. What memories does it bring up for you? This smoothie is pretty healthy and not too sweet.
{makes 1 smoothie}
1 scoop Vega Vanilla Protein Powder (a little less)
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp pumpkin puree
1 frozen banana
1 tbsp almond butter
sprinkle hemp seeds (optional)
blend first 6 ingredients in a blender
pour into a cup and top with hemp seeds and maybe a little more cinnamon
I made this original pumpkin cookie recipe in college and today is really feelin like Fall so of course, I wanted to make something pumpkin-y, cus ’tis the season. However I wanted to make these a little healthier so I made some substitutions et voila. I still used an egg but if you really want these to actually be vegan you can try a flax egg instead!
{makes 10 cookies}
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup coconut sugar +a little extra for sprinkling
1/3 cup coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg (or flax egg)
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
spiced cashew cream frosting:
1 cup cashews
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp pumpkin puree
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp each cardamom and cinnamon
a couple splashes almond milk
pepitas or another nut of your choice for the topping
pre-heat oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet (or 2, mine are pretty small) with parchment
in a large mixing bowl combine flour, baking soda, sugar and spices
add egg, vanilla, pumpkin puree and melted coconut oil, stir until combined
spoon cookies onto baking sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
remove from oven and let cool
meanwhile soak cashews in hot water until the start to get soft
in a small food processor blend all frosting ingredients, adding more almond milk as needed
once the cookies have cooled slightly spread frosting over and decorate with pepitas and a little sugar (optional)
great with chai tea. or red wine, as is everything
I love lamb. And you should too even if you don’t eat meat. According to the butcher at WFs , Icelandic lamb is “where it’s at” and is only offered for one month a year, so get to it.
serves 4
3 heads garlic
1 big shallot
1 carrot (peeled)
1 yellow onion
2 cups red wine
2 tbsp olive oil
1 quart chicken stock
4 lamb loin chops
1 sprig rosemary
1 sprig sage
1 portobello mushroom
2 delicata squash
slice shallot, onion and carrot and mince garlic
in a large pot heat olive oil then add shallot, onion, garlic and carrot
heat oven to 350° F and slice squash in half
scoop seeds out and brush with olive oil, then line a baking sheet with parchment paper and put squash face up
when oven is pre-heated cook for 20 minutes or until soft
when onions and shallots are starting to turn opaque, add the red wine
add chicken stock, rosemary and sage and slowly simmer for as long as possible
in a medium sized saute pan, brown lamb in butter then add to the saucy mixture and cook over low heat until fully cooked through
cut squash in half and serve the lamb mixture over the top
This was another attempt to use up large amounts of greens before they wilted past the point of no return. I love making warm wilted greens in the winter instead of salads. It’s so much more satisfying and comforting. The combination of sweet dates and savory spiced garbanzo beans adds complexity and takes these healthy greens to a whole new level. If it wasn’t already good enough, another reason to eat chard is its’ plethora of health benefits. It has lots of antioxidants, vitamin C (for immunity), vitamin K (for bone strength), omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin A, calcium, potassium and iron (red blood cell production).
According to “nutrition-and-you.com”, regular inclusion of chard in the diet has been found to prevent osteoporosis, iron-deficiency anemia, and vitamin-A deficiency; and believed to protect from cardiovascular diseases and colon and prostate cancers
1/2 can garbanzo beans
2 cloves garlic
1 large bunch green chard
about 8 cups-worth spinach
1/4 cup water
10 dates
2 tbsp olive oil
salt pepper
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1tsp red chili flakes
1 lemon (juice)
heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat and mince garlic
add garlic to the pan with the cumin paprika and chili flakes
drain garbanzos and add them to the skillet, stirring to coat them in the spices
continue cooking, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, until garbanzos start to brown a little bit
slice chard and spinach and add chard in batches to the skillet, pit and slice dates
in the first batch add the water and cover for 1 minute
then remove cover and add more chard, flipping so that the already cooked greens are on top
continue this process until all of the chard and kale are cooked about evenly, turn the heat down
add the sliced dates and mix in, remove from heat and move to a large mixing bowl
squeeze lemon juice in and mix, adding salt and pepper to taste
Veteran’s Day was gloomy and kind of cold. My roommate and I both had a lot of studying to do so we decided we would hole up at home (not too out of the ordinary for us). I made this comforting breakfast hash to get the day off to a good start. It made the house smell nice all day and then I re-heated the leftovers for an easy dinner. Caramelized onions make anything 10 times better. Especially potatoes. The secret to making good caramelized onions, is keeping the heat low and letting them cook low and slow them for a long time.
3 medium sized potatoes
3 sweet potatoes
1 pat butter
2 tbsp olive oil plus 3 more
splash of balsamic vinegar
2 white onions
1o baby bell peppers (or capsicum)
a few sprigs each rosemary, thyme and or sage, whatever you have/can find
salt and pepper
melt butter and olive oil over medium low heat in a non-stick skillet
slice onions thinly and add to the skillet
let caramelize, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes, add a splash of balsamic vinegar
seed and slice the capsicum and add to the skillet, caramelize for 5 more minutes then take off the heat
pre-heat the oven to 400 F and line a large baking pan with tin foil or parchment paper
dice potatoes and sweet potatoes as uniformly as possible
in a large bowl mix potatoes and sweet potatoes with herbs, 3 tbsp olive oil and generous amounts of salt and pepper
spread out the mixture in the pan and bake for 20 minutes stirring occasionally
remove and add caramelized onion mixture, continue baking for 25 more minutes or until potatoes reach the consistency you’re after. serve with eggs, toast, cottage cheese or pretty much anything. Parsley Chimichurri (pictured) is a great addition!
There’s nothing like warm soup during these cold months and there is so much good seasonal produce to use. Another plus of slow-cooking a soup like this, is it makes your house smell really nice and cozy.
1 small sweet potato
2 small yellow onions
1 large fuji apple
2 cloves of garlic
1 celery
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp curry powder
salt n pepper
2 sprigs rosemary
1 sprig each sage and thyme
1 pat butter
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 can canellini beans
5 small carrots
1 bunch kale
slice onions and mince garlic
add butter to large pot, add onions, garlic, spices and herbs to pot
let cook at medium low heat until onions start turning opaque
peel carrots and sweet potato, then slice them along with the celery and apple, into smaller-than-bite-size pieces
add these fruits and veggies to the pot and add the chicken broth and water
drain canellini beans and add them to the pot
cover and let cook on medium low heat for 5 hours, the longer it cooks the more flavorful it will be
clean and slice kale away from the stem and add to the pot
continue cooking until kale begins to wilt, serve with hearty bread, with some garlic and melted cheese perhaps
Nothing says fall like apple desserts. Except maybe pumpkin desserts. Which I will broach later this week/weekend. Here is an easy apple turnover recipe I threw together for an impromptu dessert tonight. To top off this seasonal dessert, already made with love, I used apples that we picked with my parents in the Cal Poly orchards last weekend.
serves 2 (heaping servings though)
1 apple
1 cup walnuts
1/2 sheet puff pastry
2 tsp cardamom
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp raw brown sugar
3 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 cup honey
1 cup ricotta
thaw a puff pastry sheet, dice apple and grind or slice walnuts
heat 1 tbsp coconut oil in pan and add the apple, cardamom, cinnamon and a drizzle of honey
cover and let simmer over medium low heat for 10 minutes
pre-heat oven to 350°F and cut the puff pastry in half then cut that half in triangles
once apple start softening, take off heat and let cook a minute
then fill one half of each triangle with just enough of the apple mixture, making sure you can still fold dough over and seal them and that there is some leftover for topping
then fold dough in half and push sides down with a fork, sealing the triangles
brush with remaining melted coconut oil and sprinkle with sugar
place on lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown and puffy
while baking, whip ricotta and 1/4 cup honey in a food processor
serve each turnover with a spoonful of whipped honey ricotta and the remaining apple/walnut mixture and a drizzle of the remaining honey
I love lamb. And you should too even if 
