Acorn Squash Soup with Warm Spices

This soup is the perfect taste of fall; squash, cinnamon and cumin are set off with the tang of lime juice.  Delicious and filling, low in calories, high in fibre and vitamin A!  Try this super economical dish tonight!!!

ACORN SQUASH SOUP WITH WARM SPICES

Ingredients:

 1 kg acorn squash

2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp salt

1 medium cooking onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1 cup water

1/4 cup 35% cream (I used goat milk)

1 tbsp fresh lime juice

1/2 cup pepitas (young pumpkin seeds - optional)

• Peel squash, cut in half and scoop out seeds.  Cut squash into 1" cubes (approximately 7 cups worth)
• Heat a large pot over medium heat.  Add olive oil (or coconut or grapeseed), then onions. Saute until onions soften; approximately 5 minutes.  Add garlic, spices and remaining salt.  Cook for 1 minute.  Add cubed squash and cook 2 more minutes.  Add broth and water.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium.  Simmer, partially covered, until squash is tender (approximately 30 minutes).
• Puree mixture in pot using a hand blender, or in batches using an upright blender.  Stir in cream and lime juice.  Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with pepitas.
• ENJOY!

Pumpkin Waffles with Apple Cider Syrup

My friend Anne sent me this recipe and brought all the ingredients over to my house...what could I do but oblige her after all that hard work?!  These waffles not only smell incredible but taste absolutely amazing!  A delicious taste of autumn!!!

PUMPKIN WAFFLES WITH APPLE CIDER SYRUP

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour (I used gluten free all-purpose)

4 tsp baking powder

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground allspice

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin

2 cups milk (I used unsweetened original almond milk)

4 eggs, separated

1/4 cup butter, melted

Syrup:

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup apple cider

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp butter

• Preheat a waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions.
• Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, salt and brown sugar in a mixing bowl.  
• In a separate bowl, stir together the pumpkin, milk and egg yolks.  Whip the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until soft peaks form.
• Stir the flour mixture and 1/4 cup of melted into the the pumpkin mixture till combined.  Using a rubber spatula, fold the egg whites into the batter.
• Cook waffles according to manufacturer's instructions
• TO MAKE THE SYRUP:  stir together the sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon in a saucepan.  Stir in the apple cider and lemon juice.  Cook over medium heat until mixture begins to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until the syrup thickens.  Remove from heat and stir in the 2 tbsp of butter until melted.
• Serve the warm syrup over top of the waffles with a small pat of butter.  ENJOY!

STRAWBERRY TART

I found this recipe in "People Magazine" (of all places!?) and it is remarkably easy and delicious!!!  Perfect for the upcoming strawberry season too!!!  As we don't eat gluten, I substituted the flour in this recipe but it definitely didn't affect the taste.

STRAWBERRY TART

Ingredients:

1 cup flour (I used Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose gluten free)

1 tsp baking powder

Pinch salt

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar (I used coconut sugar), plus 2 tbsp

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 tsp real vanilla extract

8oz fresh strawberries, halved

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

• Preheat the oven to 375F.  Either using the wrapper from the butter, or coconut oil, or cooking spray, oil a 9" springform pan.  Set aside.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.  Set aside.
• Cream butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy in a large bowl using a hand mixer.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Mix in vanilla.  Using the mixer on low speed, incorporate the flour mixture until just combined.
• Pour batter into the prepared pan, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 mins.
• Removed pan from fridge and arrange the strawberries on top of the batter, cut side down.  Pour the lemon juice evenly over top the berries.  Combine the 2 tbsp sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle evenly over the top of the tart.
• Bake the tart until the edges are golden brown and the centre is set (check by inserting a toothpick into the centre - it should come out clean).  Approx. 45 mins.
• Remove from the oven and set tart aside to cool.  When cool, run a knife around the edges of the pan, remove the springform side and serve.
• ENJOY!!!  

Slow Cooker Overnight Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Greg leaves for work at 5am most mornings and with this cold weather, I wanted to have something nice and warm for him to eat before he leaves (but without having to get up and make a breakfast! LOL!)  I happened to see this recipe and it is a definite keeper!  I intend to experiment with a variety of ingredients such as toasted almonds and dried wild blueberries, or dried cherries and walnuts!!! The chewiness of the steel cut oats, along with the sweetness of the apples and the delicious aroma of cinnamon will undoubtedly make it a favourite in your home!

SLOW COOKER OVERNIGHT APPLE CINNAMON OATMEAL

Ingredients:

2 apples peeled, cored and cut into 1/2" pieces

1 1/2 cups of non-fat milk (I use vanilla almond milk as we are dairy-free)

1 1/2 cups of water

1 cup steel cut oats

2 tbsp brown or coconut sugar

1 1/2 tbsp of butter cut into pieces (optional)

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tbsp ground chia or flax seed

1/4 tsp salt

• Coat the inside of the 3 1/2 quart or larger slow cooker with cooking spray or oil (trust me - this saves a TON of cleaning!!)  Add all ingredients and stir to combine.
• Place the lid on the slow cooker and turn it to low for 7 hours (overnight)  Resist the urge to lift the lid of the slow cooker as this adds an additional 30 minutes of cooking time to the recipe...trust me, the aroma will escape no matter what!
• Serve topped with nuts, raisins or maple syrup and ENJOY!!!        

Basic Waffle Recipe

As the vegan recipe only made two waffles, I made these for the kids (because Greg and I gobbled up the other ones!!)  This is an old stand-by recipe that comes from "The Complete Canadian Living Cookbook" and works perfectly every time!

BASIC WAFFLE RECIPE

Ingredients:

2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

2 eggs

2 cups buttermilk*

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 tbsp coconut, vegetable, grape seed or avocado oil

• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk and butter.  Pour over flour mixture and stir until just combined.
• Heat waffle iron and set at desired temperature.  For each waffle either spray the waffle plates, or lightly brush with some oil.  Pour 1/2 or 1/4 cup (according to the manufacturers directions for your waffle maker) of batter and spread to the edges.  Close lid and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until crisp, golden and steam stops.
• Serve with pure maple syrup and butter, or fresh berries, applesauce, whipped cream, ice cream, chocolate sauce...the topping possibilities are endless!

*If you do not want to buy buttermilk (as it comes in large quantities, usually), you can add one 1tbsp of fresh lemon juice to each cup of regular 2% milk.  Let sit for a few minutes so milk can slightly curdle/thicken, before using*
 **Any leftover waffles can be frozen for use later!  Just place small squares of waxed paper between the waffles and seal inside of a freezer bag.  When you are ready to eat them, simply place waffle halves in a toaster!**

Easy Vegan Waffles

As Greg was on a cleanse with our Naturopath (and received a clean bill of health just this week and has never felt better after losing 14lbs!), I created these vegan waffles for breakfast the other day.  Although he can eat eggs, you really don't miss them in this recipe.  Try them and you might be surprised how fantastic these taste!!!

EASY VEGAN WAFFLES

Ingredients

1 cup rice flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup almond milk

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

       

• Whisk the dry ingredients in a large bowl, set aside. Mix the wet ingredients in a smaller bowl. Combine and mix until no dry powder is evident.
• Preheat waffle iron and spray with some nonstick oil (or wipe down with some oil). That's important because they can stick to the waffle plates. Cook according to the waffle maker's instructions, which usually means putting about 1/4 cup batter on the iron, closing, and waiting for a light to go out, or a timer to beep.
• Top with maple syrup and fresh berries for a real treat!

**These don't make much (in fact the two that I show in the picture are it!  But make extra to freeze and enjoy on a busy morning.  When you freeze, just place pieces of wax paper between the waffles and place in a Ziploc freezer bag**

Rhubarb Squares

This recipe came from a fellow CSA Member of "Cooper's CSA Farm & Maze" and it is nothing short of excellent!  My family absolutely loves this treat and eagerly look forward to the springtime when we receive fresh rhubarb in our CSA boxes!!!

RHUBARB SQUARES

Ingredients:

Filling:
3 cups rhubarb, chopped in 1/2" cubes
1 1/2 cups of white sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla extract
Crust:
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, cold and cut into 1/2" cubes

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Combine filling ingredients in a large saucepan over medium heat, and cook until thickened.  Set aside.
• Combine the first 6 crust ingredients in a mixer and mix well.  Add butter and process until mixture is crumbly.
• Pat 2/3 of the crust into a greased 8"x12" pan.  Add filling.  Sprinkle the remaining crumbs evenly over the top.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
• Cool and keep in refrigerator until ready to enjoy!

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Although India's Naturopath said that she is MUCH better now, we have to slowly reintroduce the previously restricted foods into her diet.  Therefore, I am still creating foods that stick to her diet (and frankly do us all the world of good as they have no dairy, wheat, refined sugar...after all it is only a couple of weeks until we head down to Mexico and have to squeeze our winter bodies into bathing suits!!!)
 I found this recipe in the "Get It Ripe" vegan cookbook by Jae Steele and all of the family LOVED them!!!

APPLE CINNAMON MUFFINS

Ingredients:

2 cups spelt flour (or 1 brown rice & 1 quinoa like I used!)

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 medium apple, peeled & diced

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

3/4 cup raisins

1/3 cup non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

3 tbsp EVOO (or sunflower oil)

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• Preheat oven to 375F.  Prepare a 12 cup muffin tray with paper liners or a light coating of oil (I have silicone muffin trays so I didn't do either!)
• Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.  In a smaller bowl combine the raisins, apples, applesauce, milk, syrup, oil and vinegar (this will help rehydrate your raisins a little so they aren't so chewy)
• Add the liquids to the flour mixture and gently stir with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula until just combined.*
• Portion the batter into the muffin cups and bake for 20 to 22 minutes until the tops are golden brown and domed and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
• ENJOY!! 

*Ensure that you stir your batter gently as over-mixing can cause gluten to develop in the batter and your muffins won't rise as well.  Spelt has gluten but the amount is so minor that your body can process it much easier than if it were wheat flour!
**Make sure you remove the muffins from the tray 5 minutes after they've been removed from the oven - this will ensure that humidity doesn't build up in the bases of your muffins and cause them to become 'gluey'.
***You can also add flax or poppy seeds or chopped almonds or walnuts to the batter as well!!!

Minted Bulgur With Pomegranates

I spied this recipe in the latest "Chatelaine" magazine and since I had all the ingredients, thought I would give it a whirl ~ and boy am I glad I did!!!  Not only is this super-easy to put together, but it is chewy and tastes great hot or cold.  Pomegranates are in season now and bulgur is as easy to use as couscous but has far more nutrients!

MINTED BULGUR WITH POMEGRANATES

Ingredients

1 tbsp butter

1 small onion, finely diced

1 cup coarse, uncooked bulgur

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

Zest from one lemon

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (approx. 1/2 pomegranate)

1/4 cup sliced almonds

2 tbsp chopped fresh mint, or 1 tsp dried

• Melt the butter in a large saucepan and saute the onion, bulgur and cinnamon for approx. 1 min.
• Add the chicken broth and bring it to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until all the liquid is absorbed and the bulgur is tender (approx. 15 mins)
• Stir in the lemon zest and juice with the pomegranate seeds and almonds. 
• Remove from heat and sprinkle with the mint before serving!

*This dish is delicious both as a side dish warm, or room temperature as a salad!  To remove the pomegranate seeds, simply slice the pomegranate in half lengthwise.  Hold it cut-side down over a bowl and hit the skin side firmly with a wooden spoon.  The seeds will drop right out!!*

Pumpkin & Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

My mother-in-law made her own pumpkin pie filling and then brought us a loaf of pumpkin bread that she made!  This inspired me to make my own and I must admit I used canned pumpkin (despite my best intentions to make my own from the pie pumpkins that we got from Cooper's CSA Farm & Maze).  This was such an incredibly easy, delicious and moist cake that we just gobbled it up!!!

PUMPKIN & CHOCOLATE CHIP BUNDT CAKE

Ingredients:

4 eggs

2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

1 cup fresh or canned pumpkin

1 tsp real vanilla extract

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cloves or ground allspice

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups walnut pieces or chocolate chips

  

• Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Grease and flour a 10" bundt pan or tube pan.
• In a large mixing bowl, mix the eggs with a large fork until well blended.  Mix in the sugar. Add the oil in a steady stream, mixing all the while, until the mixture is thick and smooth.
• Mix in the pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon, clove and salt. Add the baking soda and baking powder in pinches, breaking up any lumps with your fingers. Stir in thoroughly.
• Stir in the whole wheat and all-purpose flours just until blended. Stir in the walnuts or chocolate chips.
• Pour and scrape the batter into the pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Invert, remove the pan, and cool on the rack for about 15 minutes more.
• ENJOY!

French Toast with Caramelized Bananas & Pecans

Although I am not a huge fan of French toast, my family definitely is and we had our friends Dave, Siobhan, and their kids staying over for Thanksgiving...so I chose this recipe from Canadian Living because it looked delicious and would feed a crowd at breakfast ~ we paired it with bacon and sausages and it was fantastic!!!

FRENCH TOAST WITH CARAMELIZED BANANAS & PECANS

Ingredients:

1/3 cup chopped pecans

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups 5% cream or milk

 2 tbsp pure maple syrup

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

1 loaf of egg bread

2 tbsp butter

Bananas:

2 tbsp butter

6 firm peeled bananas, halved crosswise and lengthwise

1 cup pure maple syrup

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

• On a baking sheet, toast pecans in 325F oven for approx. 6 mins.  Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt.  Cut egg bread into 3/4" thick slices; dip into egg mixture until soaked.
• In a large skillet, melt 1 tbsp butter over medium heat and cook the slices, in batches and adding more butter as needed, until golden, approx. 3 minutes.  Transfer to 2 rimmed cookie sheets.  Bake in the oven at 350F until puffed and heated through, approx. 8 mins. Place in a large 9" x 13" casserole dish, and set aside.
• Caramelized Bananas:  Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, melt half of the butter over medium high heat.  Fry half of the bananas, turning once, until golden and tender, approx. 3 mins.  Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining bananas.
• In the same skillet, bring maple syrup and brown sugar to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat and simmer for 2 mins.  Stir in bananas; simmer for 1 minute.
• Spoon over the French toast and sprinkle with the pecans.
• ENJOY!!

Spiced Spatchcock Chicken

We are part of the poultry share with "Cooper's CSA Farm & Maze" and nothing beats the fantastic flavour and texture of free-range, pasture-raised, hormone & antibiotic free chicken!!

In case you aren't familiar with "spatchcocking" it is simply a method of flattening out a whole chicken so that it can be grilled evenly!

SPICED SPATCHCOCK CHICKEN

Ingredients

2 tbsp EVOO

1 1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp black pepper

3/4 tsp ground allspice

1/2 tsp each ground cinnamon & salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

3lb (1.5 kg) whole chicken

Lime wedges

• In a large bowl, combine oil, turmeric, pepper, allspice, cinnamon, salt and cayenne pepper. Set aside.
• Using kitchen shears, cut chicken down each side of the backbone; remove the backbone. Turn chicken breast side up; press firmly on breastbone to flatten. Add to bowl and rub all over with the spice mixture.
• Heat barbecue grill and place large piece of heavy duty foil over the grill (or if you have a drip pan under the grill, just oil the grill itself). Place chicken bone side down on the grill and close lid, turn once two-thirds of the way through cooking time of 45 minutes, until juices run clear when thigh is pierced (or when thermometer reads 165C).
• Transfer to a cutting board and let stand for 10 minutes before carving.
• Serve with lime wedges and ENJOY!!