Pumpkin pancakes

19Dec09

This is a Martha recipe. Its very delicious – subtle, but with an obvious spice.

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2Tbs sugar
2Tsp baking powder
1/2tsp cinnamon, ground ginger and salt
1/8tsp nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves
1cup milk*
6Tbs canned pumpkin
2Tbs melted butter
1 egg

Sift together dry ingredients, mix wet and blend together.

*I found these to be a bit thick, and added approx. 1/8 cup more milk.

Filed under: Autumn, Breakfast   |  Leave a Comment

Creamed Spinach

12Dec09

1.5 cup whole milk
3 large cloves of garlic
2 Tbs butter
3 Tbs flour
1/2 c. grated parmesan
1/2t. ground nutmeg
salt & pepper to taste
2 packages frozen spinach or approx. 1/2lb fresh

Melt butter in a pot over medium high heat. Sautee garlic until fragrant. Whisk in flour and stir until golden. Add milk and stir continuously until thick and smooth. Stir in spinach (if fresh), cheese, nutmeg and cook until cheese is melted and spinach is wilted (~ 5min).
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

If using frozen spinach, defrost in a microwave and strain to separate liquid. Add spinach as for fresh.

Filed under: Sauces   |  Leave a Comment

Pumpkin roll

28Nov09

This came from a recipe website. It is absolutely delicious. I made it for Thanksgiving, and everybody requested it again for Christmas (and birthdays, graduations…)

Ingredients
3 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar, divided
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
FILLING:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Additional confectioners’ sugar, optional

Directions
Line a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with waxed paper; grease the paper and set aside. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks on high speed until thick and lemon-colored. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar and pumpkin, beating on high until sugar is almost dissolved.
In a small bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold into egg yolk mixture. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; gently fold into pumpkin mixture. Spread into prepared pan.
Bake at 375° for 12-15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 5 minutes. Turn cake onto a kitchen towel dusted with confectioners’ sugar. Gently peel off waxed paper. Roll up cake in the towel jelly-roll style, starting with a short side. Cool completely on a wire rack.
In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until smooth. Unroll cake; spread filling evenly to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up again. Cover and freeze until firm. May be frozen for up to 3 months. Remove from the freezer 15 minutes before cutting. Dust with confectioners’ sugar if desired. Yield: 10 servings.

Filed under: Autumn, Breads, Desserts   |  Leave a Comment

Roasted Red Pepper hummus

23Aug09

1 3/4 cup of cooked, drained chickpeas (or 1 15oz can). Reserve juice.
1/2cup diced roasted red pepper
3Tbs tahini
2Tbs lemon juice
1 large clove of garlic
1tsp cumin
2tsp coriander
1tsp salt

Mix all in a food processor.

If using dry chickpeas, soak for at least 2-3 hours. Cook in fresh water; bring to a boil and cook on low for 2-3 hours, until chickpeas are soft.

If roasting red peppers, Preheat oven to 450 at BROIL. Place peppers on a baking sheet under broiler for 30min, turn every 5-10 minutes as peppers blacken. Remove to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let sit 20 minutes. When peppers are cool enough to handle, peel off skin and remove stem and seeds.

Filed under: Ethnic, spreads & dips, vegan   |  Leave a Comment

Black bean and banana empanadas

08Jul09

Crust:
1cup flour (half whole wheat bread flour, half all-purpose)
1/4cup melted butter or olive oil
2Tbs cold water

Blend butter and flour. Add water and form a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and chill one hour.

Filling:
1Tbs olive oil
1/4cup onion
1 stalk of celery
1/4cup green pepper
1cup black beans
2 cloves minced garlic
1 banana, diced
1tsp. ground cumin
1/4tsp. coriander
1/4tsp. curry powder
1/4tsp. cinnamon
1/4tsp. chili powder
2Tbs lemon juice
3Tbs salsa
salt to taste

Over medium high heat, sautee onions, garlic, pepper, celery until onions are translucent. Add in beans, bananas, spices. Continue to cook over medium – low heat until mixture thickens to desired consistency.

Preheat oven to 400F
Divide crust into four parts. Roll each into a ball and flatten with a rolling in until 6-8in. in diameter and 1/4in. thick. Fill with 2-3Tbs mixture. Fold crust in half, seal and crimp edges with a fork. Chill for 10 minutes once all empanadas are formed. Bake 20 minutes. Let cool for at least 5 minutes.

Filed under: Ethnic, Main dishes, vegan   |  Leave a Comment

Sweet potato hummus

05Jul09

1lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1″ pieces
1can (19.5oz) chickpeas
1/4cup fresh lemon juice
1/4cup tahini
2Tbs olive oil
2Tbs ground cumin
1 clove garlic, chopped
Coarse salt and pepper

Steam potatoes until tender, about 10-12 minutes.
In a food processor, combine ingredients. Puree about 1 minutes. Add water to thin if needed. Season with salt and pepper. Cool.
Refrigerate up to 1 week. Yields 4 cups.

Filed under: spreads & dips, vegan   |  Leave a Comment

Strawberry Muffins

05Jul09

1.5cups sliced strawberries
1/3cup + 1Tbs sugar
1.25cups all purpose flour
1/2cup whole wheat flour
2tsps. baking powder
1/2tsp baking soda
1/2tsp salt
1/2tsp ground cinnamon
1cup lowfat buttermilk
1/2cup Extra virgin olive oil
1 large egg
1tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400F.
Line 12 muffin pans.
Toss berries with 1/3cup sugar, mash, set aside.
Whisk together flours, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon.
Combine buttermilk, oil, egg, vanilla and whisk to combine.
Make a well in the flour. Pour in the buttermilk mixture and berry mixture (with juice). Fold until combined.
Divide among muffin cups and sprinkle tops with remaining sugar.
Cook about 17 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle is clean. Cool completely. Devour

This recipe is from the Vegetarian Times magazine

Filed under: Breads, Breakfast   |  Leave a Comment

Peach Pie

05Jul09

Crust:
2cups flour
1/2cup melted butter
1/4cup cold water
optional sugar to taste
Blend butter and flour with a fork. Sprinkle water over and incorporate until a dough is formed. Separate into two parts and roll each into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and let chill in the refrigerator at least an hour.
This makes two crusts, one for the top and one for the bottom

Filling:
5cups peaches (about 9)
1cup sugar
1/2cup all purpose flour
1/2tsp cinnamon
2Tbs butter
2Tbs sugar

Preheat the oven to 425F.
Mix flour, sugar and cinnamon and set aside.
Peel and chop peaches. Mix in dry ingredients.
Turn peaches into a pastry-lined pan. Dot the top with the butter.
Cover with the second crust, cut slits in the top. Cover edges of crust with tinfoil.
Bake 35-45 minutes total. Remove tinfoil from edges and sprinkle with sugar for the final 15 minutes.

Lots of fruits can be substituted for the peaches:
Use 5 peaches and 2 cups blueberries; decrease cinnamon by half.

Filed under: Desserts, Summer   |  Leave a Comment

Pita bread

10Jun09

3 cups flour
1.5 tsp salt
1Tbs sugar or honey
1 packet (2Tbs) instant yeast
1 1/4 cup of water at room temp.
2Tbs vegetable oil, olive oil or melted butter

Mix flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Add oil, water and mix. The ingredients will clump, forming a ball. Flour a surface and knead for ten minutes until the dough becomes soft and elastic. Create a ball and place it in a greased bowl; let rest 90 minutes. When doubled in size, punch the dough down and divide it into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and cover them with a towel to rise for 20 minutes.
Preheate the oven to 400F, placing an overturned baking pan on the rack to heat.
Roll the dough to 1/4-1/8 in thick. When the oven is fully heated, place as many pitas as will fit on the baking pan and cook for 3 minutes. For a crunchier pita, bake 3-5 minutes longer.

The high temperature and thinly rolled dough shock the yeast, causing the pitas to form balloons in the oven while they cook. This is how the pocket is formed!

Filed under: Breads   |  Leave a Comment

Strawberry Lemonade

31May09

1/2c. sugar
1c. coarsely cut strawberries
1c. water

Combine in a saucepan, bring to a boil and let simmer until berries soften and lose their color. Let cool, then strain through a fine sieve or cheesecloth.

Add 2 cups of lemon juice (4 lemons = approx. 1 cup juice)
3-4 cups cool water

Filed under: Summer   |  Leave a Comment