Apple Spice Cookies

 

Given all the exciting fruit there is to love, from tropicals like kiwi, mango, papaya and pineapple to summer's juicy stone fruits and gorgeous berries, I'm a little boring when it comes to my very favorites. Ordinary bananas and grapes make me happy- and most of all, apples. I like Honeycrisp and Granny Smith best, but any crisp one will do. I think I ate an apple nearly every day of both my pregnancies.

Most of the time, I like them just for snacking, but this time of year I find myself drawn to baking and cooking with them. In the past week and half alone, I've made almond studded whole wheat apple scones, soft granola bars with apple and carrot, cheddar-apple paninis and these cookies. Soft, cake-like and pleasantly spiced, I'm fairly certain these cookies won't ever take the place of your favorite chewy peanut butter or chocolate chip ones, but with apples, cranberries, walnuts and cinnamon, they are a fun treat for fall.

My modifications included the use of butter over shortening, and honey and maple syrup in the place of significantly more brown sugar, as well as the adjustments necessary when baking with natural sweeteners. Smaller changes included swapping out raisins for cranberries and eliminating a glaze that would've made these unbearably sweet. They are delicious warm out of the oven, and even better the next day. Aside a cup of coffee or tea, they could even pass for breakfast.

Apple Spice Cookies
adapted from Glazed Apple Cookies from allrecipes
yields around 2 dozen

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup honey (I used a Sourwood mixed honey)
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 egg
2 cups sifted (prior to measuring) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup peeled, cored apple in fine dice (1 1/2 small apples)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries

Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, beat butter, honey and maple syrup over medium speed until light and thickened, 3 minutes. Beat in egg and blend thoroughly.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, salt, baking soda and powder, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Add half of the flour mixture to honey mixture and combine with mixer on low. Stir in apples, walnuts and cranberries. Add remaining flour and mix well.

Drop by heaping tablespoons (1 1/2 to 2 tbsps worth) on prepared baking sheet 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Transfer to rack to cool.

Lentil Salad with Grapes, Apple and Feta

My mom is a magazine junkie. She subscribes to at least a dozen cooking and decorating magazines, and every year for Christmas she gifts my sister-in-law and myself each a handful of subscriptions. Sometimes I struggle to have time to read to read them all each month, but I always eventually work my way through them and tear out and save any recipes I might want to make. Each year, she switches up the magazines I receive, but out of those four or five, I always receive Living and Everyday Food. EDF is easily the magazine from which I try the most recipes.

The other day I was skimming through my binder of clippings and came across this lentil salad. I don't remember saving it, and I'll admit wasn't the most eye catching salad in terms of vibrancy, but I'm sure it was the ingredients that caused me to add it to my to-try collection. Lentils, feta, red grapes, walnuts and thyme are all things I absolutely love. Since I had everything on hand I decided to whip up this salad and then just because it seemed like it would be a nice addition, I included a green apple.

As I was in the middle of putting this together, I sampled a bite and at first, found it so-so. But once I seasoned it with salt, pepper and thyme and added the feta, the flavors just popped and became something I immensely enjoyed. This a wonderful make ahead salad, which can be stored in an airtight container container for up to 3 days. I tinkered with the quantities in order to make it 3 servings, so it would be perfect for people who like to make a salad to take for several days of work lunches. It holds up great and is just as delicious on day three.

Lentil Salad with Grapes, Apple and Feta
adapted from Everyday Food
serves 3

1 cup water
1/2 cup green or brown lentils, rinsed and picked over
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp honey
2 tbsp olive oil
1 Granny Smith apple, seeded and diced
1 cup red grapes, halved
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1/3 cup toasted walnut pieces
1/3 cup crumbled feta (I used reduced fat)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
baby spinach leaves, for serving (optional)

In a small saucepan, bring water and lentils to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until tender but not mushy. Drain any remaining water, and rinse under cool water and drain again.

Meanwhile in a medium bowl, whisk together vinegar, lemon juice and honey. Next whisk in olive oil. Stir in apples, grapes, celery, walnuts and cooled lentils. Add feta and thyme and then season to taste with salt and pepper. If desired, serve on a small bed of spinach.

Cinnamon-Raisin Oats with Bananas and Walnuts

I'll be honest, I wasn't really crazy about steel cut oats the first time I tried them. They were okay, but they sure didn't seem worth the long preparation time. Especially as I could have my regular quick-cooking oats in under two minutes. But there are plenty of other things I didn't really get the big deal about at first that now are constant staples in my home, like quinoa and greek yogurt. I don't give up on food easily (not to mention I still had a good sized package of the steel cut oats), so I tried several cooking methods and add-ins before finding how I liked it best.

My version is mostly adapted from a Irish Oatmeal Brulee recipe (although you won't catch me caramelizing sugar on top of my breakfast). Even so, it is plenty sweet, thanks to the maple syrup and golden raisins. In my experimenting, I discovered that I preferred a combination of water and milk versus using all of one or the other, and that I actually favored coconut milk (beverage) over 2% milk. And I love how simmering the oats with a cinnamon stick infuses so much flavor than a sprinkle of the ground stuff. 

This version does take longer than other ways I tried- by the time all is said and done, this takes about 45 minutes to prepare. I'll stick with my quick cooking oats for busy weekdays, but this is perfect for lazy weekend mornings.  

Cinnamon-Raisin Oats with Bananas and Walnuts
adapted from Irish Oatmeal Brulee, Taste of Home Magazine, April and May 2011
4 servings (although I think it is more like 3 servings)

Bananas and toasted walnuts are a wonderful compliment, but feel free to use different fruit or nuts as a topping. Or enjoy it just as it is.

2 cups water
2 cups unsweetened coconut milk beverage
1 cup of steel-cut oats (also called Irish oatmeal or Scottish oats)
1 cinnamon stick
kosher salt
3 tbsp maple syrup
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup toasted walnuts
1-2 bananas, sliced

In a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, bring water and milk to a boil. Add oats, cinnamon stick and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes or until thick and creamy, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat. Discard cinnamon stick. Stir in maple syrup and raisins. Cover and let sit for 3 minutes, then uncover and let sit for 5 additional minutes.

Divide into serving bowls and top with banana slices and walnuts.

Spring Carrot Teacakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

During the recent time I spent out of the kitchen, I found myself itching to bake. Which amuses me, because when I started this blog not quite two years ago, I didn't even enjoy baking. I think because it was too messy (I have tidiness issues), too exact of a science (I like to play with recipes), but mostly because I just was wasn't a fan of sweets. I can tolerate a counter covered in flour now, and I've actually come to like sweets, unfortunately, more than I used to. My biggest problem now with baking is that I often try to make substitutions to make them a little better for us and then sometimes wind up with a ruined baked good. Nothing worse than a severely under sweetened or overly dense treat.

Because of this, I was excited to receive a copy of Green Market Baking Book: 100 Delicious Recipes for Naturally Sweet and Savory Treats, a lovely cookbook that embraces the concept of eating locally, seasonally and healthfully, and is composed of baked good recipes without the use of refined sugar or artificial sweeteners, many that are dairy-free, vegan or gluten-free. Normally a cookbook without photos of finished products -there are none, just charming illustrations of produce scattered throughout- would greatly disappoint me, but even without, I found myself wanting to try just about every recipe in the book.

First, I made a Honey Whole Wheat Ginger Cake that we loved (warm, for breakfast with coffee or as an afternoon snack with tea), that I somehow never got to photographing. After that, I decided on these carrot tea cakes. Now I probably love carrot cake more than the average person, but anyone who tried these agreed they were wonderful. They are absolutely delicious, and the "frosting," which is a simple maple and vanilla spiked cream cheese spread, really makes them awesome.

And these are only the first two recipes from the book. I have so many more I'm planning on trying.

Spring Carrot Teacakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
from Green Market Baking Book by Laura C. Martin
makes 12 (I halved this recipe and still got 9)

for the cakes:
4 eggs
1 cup maple syrup, preferably Grade B
1 1/4 cups light olive oil
1/2 cup sour cream (I substituted non-fat greek yogurt)
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup spelt flour
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
3 cup grated carrots
1 cup chopped nuts, such as walnuts or pecans (I used walnuts)

for the frosting:
12 oz cream cheese (I used the 1/3 less fat kind)
 1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325.

Beat the eggs until frothy. In a separate bowl, mix the maple syrup, oil, sour cream or yogurt, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Add the syrup mixture to the eggs and beat for another minute.

Sift the flours, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Add to the egg mixture and mix until just combined. Fold in the carrots and nuts.

Pour into cupcake liners in a muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (mine took at least 5 minutes longer). 

To make the frosting:
Beat ingredients together until fluffy and spreadable. Use a generous dollop on top of each teacake.

Spelt Banana-Walnut Muffins (and 7 Random Facts)

The last batch of muffins I made were a total flop. In theory, they should've been delicious, with bananas, blueberries, oats, and maple syrup. But they wound up ridiculously undersweet and lacking in flavor completely. I can usually suck it up and finish up less-than-spectacular baked goods or leftovers, but those muffins got tossed. No peanut butter or cream cheese was saving them.

When I got the urge to bake up some more muffins, I wasn't taking any chances. I knew just the ones I wanted to try. I've had the recipe starred in my reader for over 6 months, but I kept forgetting to pick up spelt flour. This was actually my first time baking with it, but I've always really enjoyed any store-bought breads with spelt, so I was pretty certain I'd love these muffins, too.

And oh, did I. Sage and Beckett, too. Because these muffins are awesome! They make up for the last ones (and then some) and are my new favorite muffin. I unveganized them by using an egg and swapped the pecans for walnuts. Instead of evaporated cane juice I used a reduced amount of brown sugar and a little less of the maple syrup called for, and they were plenty sweet. In fact, they need nothing to enhance them. They are perfect as they are.

Before I get to the recipe, I want to thank to Meg of Cooking.In.College for tagging me in her 7 Facts Award post. Before passing it on to 7 other bloggers, I am supposed to share 7 random facts about myself, so here goes:

1)  I have A LOT of shoes -some I've never even worn before- but I tend to wear the same few favorite pairs over and over. And since I live in FL, I wear flip-flops or sandals all year round.  
2)  I could give up meat and sweets entirely without too much trouble, but I don't think I could ever give up cheese or coffee. I hope I never have to.
3)  I will watch tv sometimes with Sage or Beckett, but I pretty much never put it on for myself. I'd much rather read a book or browse blogs or websites, and I hate the television being on just for background noise.
4)  My favorite things to eat are salads and soups. I could have one or the other (or both) everyday and never get sick of them.
5)  My mom gave birth to me at home by herself, more than two months early. Coincidentally, Sage was also born at home, but his home birth (and that of his older sisters) were intentional.
6)  Before I started blogging and reading so many other amazing blogs, I baked about once a year and never really enjoyed it. Now I like to bake several times a month.
7)  My very favorite color is orange, and the majority of the interior walls in my house are an orange color.

I'm passing this to on 7 very rather different bloggers, because I am curious of what they will share. My Life as a Cradle Rocker, Culinary Flavors, Of Muses and Meringues, Simply Life, Kate & Khan, Eat Well. Live Well. Be Well. and Just2Good. If you want to participate, link to the person who tagged you, list 7 random things about yourself and then pass it on to 7 other bloggers. 

Now for the recipe...

Spelt Banana-Walnut Muffins
adapted from Cate's World Kitchen
yields 12 muffins

1 1/2 cups spelt flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 rip bananas, mashed
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 tbsp canola oil
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Preheat oven to 350.  Line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners.

Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the banana, sugar, maple syrup, egg and oil. Gently mix the dry ingredients into the wet, taking care not to overmix. 

Divide batter evenly between the liners. Sprinkle the chopped nuts over top and bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Cool in muffin tin for about 10 minutes, before transferring to cooling rack to cool completely.

Vegan Pumpkin Cranberry Bread

Today was one of those rare, wonderful days, where I was kid-free (the little guy was spending the day with his nana), and I had no reason to leave the house, no errands to run and nothing I had to get done. I found myself in a rather domestic mood, and all I felt like doing was cooking, baking, cleaning...and staying in my pjs all day. I can happily say I accomplished all of these things today.

For the baking, I was just about to make a sandwich bread I've been wanting to try when I decided to completely change gears. Not wanting to wait for yeast to rise and craving something a little on the sweet side, I began looking for a pumpkin quick bread. I found one that had great reviews, but while vegan, wasn't exactly healthy.

I played around, cleaning it up a little, and making changes like swapping out the shredded coconut for dried cranberries (majorly reducing the sugar, since the cranberries are plenty sweet). I also used extra pumpkin in place of some of the oil. The end result was a yummy, fall-flavored bread that you'd never guess was vegan. It was really moist and for our tastes, perfectly sweetened. Definitely a perfect treat for a perfect kind of day.

Vegan Pumpkin Cranberry Bread

adapted from allrecipes.com

makes 1 loaf

1 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

pinch of cloves

1 1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 cup canola oil

1/3 cup coconut milk (or almond)

1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking soda, salt and spices. In a smaller bowl, combine pumpkin, oil and milk. Mix wet ingredients into the dry ones, and stir until incorporated. Fold in cranberries and walnuts.

Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for an hour, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Remove from oven, cover tightly with foil and allow to steam for 10 minutes. Remove foil and turn onto rack to cool completely.

Roasted Pear & Butternut Salad with Gorgonzola and Apple Cider Vinaigrette

I've never really been big on pears and I'm not sure why. I won't pick them out of something like a Martha's Vineyard salad, but I won't just snack on one as I would an apple. However, lately- and maybe its a pregnancy thing- whenever I see a recipe with pears, I've found them oddly appealing. Shopping the other day, a few made it into my basket with the mindset if I didn't enjoy them, Sage and Beckett would.

I figured I'd probably roast them and serve them in a salad, but the idea to pair them with butternut didn't come to me until I saw the pears and the squash sitting side by side in my fruit bowl. Gorgonzola and toasted walnuts seemed like an obvious compliment, as did a simple apple cider vinaigrette. This was one of those times where I knew this was either going to be amazing or totally not work out. Obviously, this was a winner. It was absolutely delicious, fairly quick to make and surprisingly filling. I'm definitely rethinking the pear thing.

Roasted Pear & Butternut Salad with Gorgonzola and Apple Cider Vinaigrette

serves 2

1 small (1 1/2 lb) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed

2 firm Bosc pears, unpeeled, cored and cut into chunks the same size as the squash

1 tbsp olive oil, divided

kosher salt

1/2 cup walnut pieces, toasted

1/3 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese

salad greens of choice- I used baby spinach

for the dressing:

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp fesh lemon juice

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 425. Toss squash pieces with 2 tsp of olive oil and season with a pinch of salt. Spread in a single layer on one side of a baking sheet. Toss pears with the remaining tsp of olive oil and spread on other side. Roast, flipping squash and pears over during cooking. The pears will be ready at about 20 minutes. Remove them from baking sheet and continue roasting squash until tender, about 5 additional minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the dressing ingredients and set aside.

Once squash and pears are roasted, toss with a small amount of dressing and let cool just slightly. Serve over a bed of greens, topped with half of the walnuts and cheese, and the remaining dressing on the side.

Roasted Delicata Squash and Tomatoes over Spinach Pesto Pasta

While I often prefer to cook without using any kind of recipe, there are definitely times when I'm lazy. Where I'd rather just follow the steps of a tried-and-true recipe, eliminating the guesswork. Because some days, the chopping, mincing, shredding and sauteing is enough work, without having to think. This was the case the other day. All I wanted was to find a quick and easy non-sweet way to prepare the delicata squash that was calling my name. But as ingredients I wanted to use kept popping in my head, I found I was being way to specific in my recipe search.



I'll spare you the wandering thought process that led me to combining the summery flavors of tomatoes and basil along with a winter squash, but I will assure you this was delicious and a fun way to transition late summer and early fall into one dish. Spinach pesto is a favorite of mine because I almost always have lots of spinach on hand, but usually not very much basil (for a florist by trade, I have a surprisingly brown thumb, so growing it is not an option.) I wasn't sure how this meal would all come together, but it most certainly did and I'm glad I didn't find a recipe to follow after all.

Roasted Delicata Squash and Tomatoes over Spinach Pesto Pasta
serves 2-3

1 medium delicata squash (around 1.5 lbs.), unpeeled, halved lengthwise, seeds removed and cut into 3/4 inch thick crescents
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp olive oil
1 large clove garlic, pressed
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1 cup grape tomatoes
2 cups hot, cooked long slender pasta of choice (I used whole grain spaghetti, about 1/3 of a box)
shredded parmesan, for serving, if desired

for the pesto:
1 1/2 cups tightly packed baby spinach
1/4 cup loosely packed basil leaves
1/4 cup toasted walnut pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup shredded parmesan
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 tbsp water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Toss squash slices with 1 tbsp olive oil, garlic, a couple pinches of salt and a generous amount of pepper. Spread in a single layer on half of a baking sheet. Toss tomatoes with remaining tsp of oil and a touch of salt. Spread onto other side of baking sheet. Roast for 15-18 minutes, or until squash is tender and tomatoes have collapsed, flipping squash over halfway through cooking time.

Meanwhile, pulse all pesto ingredients in a food processor until smooth, scraping sides down as needed with a spatula. Toss hot pasta with pesto.

To serve, top pasta with roasted squash and tomatoes and sprinkle with additional grated parmesan, if desired.

Spinach-Peach Salad with Walnuts and Gorgonzola

Lately, I've been having some days where I just have no inspiration for dinner. This happened a few nights ago, despite having a huge selection of seasonal produce from my trip to the market the day before. With the dinner hour approaching, I began randomly googling ingredients, hoping for inspiration. Somehow, I stumbled across a Spinach and Peach Salad, even though I hadn't been searching "peaches." Now, we're not usually big on salad with fruit, but I had bought a basket of peaches, which had become quite ripe overnight, so I decided it was worth a try.

I skimmed through several similar recipes, and noted the many variations. Some were as simple as spinach, pecans, peaches and bottled dressing. Some were much more complex. There were different types of nuts, the addition of soft cheeses and onions, even salmon, and dressings that ranged from Poppy Seed, Italian, Raspberry Vinaigrette, and Red Onion. I had Gorgonzola and walnuts on hand, which I thought would go nicely, and I choose to dress mine with a simple balsamic vinaigrette.

I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this. Sage did too. He admitted that while he figured he would like it, he didn't "expect it to be that good." But it was! The tangy blue cheese kept it from being too sweet, and the walnuts gave a needed crunch. I'd meant to add some red onion but forgot, but now I don't know that it needed it. The only thing I do differently next time, is tossing the spinach with most of the vinaigrette before adding the other salad components, just for a prettier presentation.

Spinach-Peach Salad with Walnuts and Gorgonzola

for the vinaigrette:
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
1 small clove garlic, pressed
2 tbsp good quality olive oil

for the salad:
5 oz. baby spinach leaves
2 small peaches, pitted and diced
1/3 cup toasted walnut pieces
1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola

To make the dressing, combine first four ingredients together in a small bowl. Whisk in olive oil. Set aside.

To assemble salad, in large bowl, first layer spinach, top with peaches, walnuts and drizzle with vinaigrette. Top with Gorgonzola. (Alternately, toss the spinach with most of dressing first, then top with peaches, walnuts, drizzle with remaining dressing or serve on the side, and finish with Gorgonzola.)

Lemon-Basil Pesto with Farfalle, Broccoli and Feta

We lost my father-in-law to a heart attack yesterday. Curt was truly a one-of-a kind individual and lived a fascinating life (How many people do you know who survived being struck by lightening on two separate occasions?). He loved being the center of attention and would tell stories of his past that sounded like they were from a movie script. Along with more talents and skills than I could ever count, he was an amazing cook. Having spent time as a chef, he was passionate about food and cooking. I was lucky enough to have cooked beside him on numerous occasions, which was always an experience. He was like a tornado in the kitchen, and every meal prepared, no matter how simple, came with a lengthy lesson or two.

Last night for dinner, I wanted to cook something I thought he would've enjoyed. Lemon, basil, garlic and parmesan were all ingredients commonly found in his kitchen. I intended to use a long slender pasta (which I apparently forgot to buy) and serve this with chicken (which I forgot to defrost) but it worked well with the farfalle and even my chicken-loving husband thought this was just perfect as a vegetarian dish. I think "Papa," as my son called him, would've loved this, and in his honor I completely trashed the kitchen while making this.

Lemon-Basil Pesto with Farfalle, Broccoli and Feta
2 to 3 servings

for the pesto:
2 cups packed basil leaves
1/4 cup walnut pieces, toasted
2 tbsp good quality olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
2 cloves garlic, smashed
juice from half of a large lemon
1 tsp water
pinch or two of kosher salt

for the pasta:
7.25 oz uncooked multi-grain farfalle (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 tbsp olive oil
3 broccoli crowns, cut into small florets
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
crumbled reduced fat feta, for serving

In a food processor, pulse all pesto ingredients together until smooth, stopping to scrape sides as necessary. Set pesto aside.

Cook pasta until al dente in salted water, according to package directions. Drain, reserving pasta water.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet that has a lid over medium heat. Add broccoli, season with salt and pepper, and saute for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add a couple tablespoons of pasta water, cover and cook for an additional two minutes, or until broccoli is tender crisp. Toss with cooked pasta and pesto, adding a little of the reserved cooking liquid if dry.

Spoon into serving bowls and top with feta.

Slow-Roasted Beets with Buttermilk Blue Cheese, Watercress and Toasted Walnuts

When Ashlee from A Year at The Kitchen decided to start Symon Sundays, a group to cook through Chef Michael Symon's Live to Cook, I thought it sounded fun. I was even more excited by the first recipe she chose, a salad featuring roasted beets- which I absolutely love- accented with buttermilk blue cheese, toasted walnuts and a orange-balsamic vinaigrette. If she hadn't a chosen it, it definitely would've been one of my picks.


At first I didn't think I was going to be able to find the Roth Kase Buttermilk Blue Cheese (or Maytag) that the recipe called for but then I stumbled upon it. I was not able to find the golden beets, though, so I had to substitute with all red beets. Luckily, that was the only substitute I had to make.


While I LOVE beets, I usually don't make them myself very often, because they are a bit of work. There did seem to be something slightly over complicated in this preperation. (But perhaps it had something to do with the fact I have a white, very porous sink and I find it much easier and less messy to peel my beets before roasting. Or most likely it had something to do with the toddler in my kitchen, very insistent on helping, when he should've been napping.)


At any rate, I was really hoping this salad would be amazing...and it was! I loved the combo of the roasted beets with the blue cheese, the peppery watercress and the tasty vinaigrette. While Sage does fall into category of beet eater and salad eater, he isn't one to get excited about either, but he really liked it too. Unfortunately, it was a dreary rainy day, and my picture doesn't due justice to this pretty salad.


Ashlee has the recipe posted.

Lentil Walnut Burgers

When I first saw this recipe in my Google reader a while back, I knew it was something I wanted to try. In fact, I planned on making these burgers immediately as I had the ingredients on hand, but somehow it didn't happen. Then I forgot about them. Recently I was perusing the blog where I'd first seen them, Cara's Cravings- which is full of a healthy, yet certainally never boring, recipes- while looking for new vegetarian dishes to try. Seeing this recipe again, I knew I couldn't let them get away from me a second time and made them the next day.

Originally a Moosewood Cookbook recipe, Cara had altered it a bit, changing hers from Lentil Walnut Burgers to ones made with pecans, and topped with sliced apples and blue cheese crumbles and seasoned with thyme. I choose to make mine with walnuts, just because I prefer them over pecans, and also to skip the apples but keep the blue cheese and the thyme. They were wonderful and we loved how they paired with the cheese.

Now here's the beauty of these tasty burgers: you don't just have to do the patty on a bun thing. The next day after I made them, I worked late, and when I got home, Sage repurposed them as a filling for delicious meatless quesadillas, along with sauteed mushrooms, tomatoes and white cheddar. Then the next day for lunch, I crumbled one over a salad with blue cheese and a drizzle of olive oil and vinegar dressing. I'm not a big fan of eating of same thing for days on end, but a busy schedule left cooking new things everyday hard, so I loved how they worked in several different ways. They can also be frozen. I will definitely be making these again soon.

Lentil-Walnut Burgers, adapted slightly from Cara's Cravings (originally from Mollie Katzen/Moosewood)

3/4 cup green lentils (or brown)

1 1/2 cups water

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup minced onion

4 large cloves garlic, minced

8 oz mushrooms, minced

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (or pecans)

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tsp minced fresh thyme or rosemary (I used about a 1/2 tsp dried)

1/2 cup rolled oats

crumbled blue cheese, if desired

Place lentils and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 30 minutes, or until the lentils are soft and the liquid is gone.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet. Add onion and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute for about 5-10 minutes more, until the vegetables are soft. Add the thyme, the walnuts, and season with salt & pepper. Set aside to cool while the lentils finish cooking.

When the lentils are done, place in a bowl and mash with the vinegar. Add the sauteed vegetables and the oats and mix well. Chill for about an hour.

Preheat broiler. Form the lentil mixture into six equal sized patties ( I actually got 7 patties) and place on a baking sheet. Broil for about 8 minutes on each side. If desired, top the burgers with the blue cheese and broil for one minute more, or until cheese is melted.

Apple-Walnut Salad with Cranberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

Sometimes I will have dinner all figured out, and then right before I start making it, change my mind completely. This was one from one of those nights. I wasn't feeling too good and didn't really feel like cooking- or eating- a big dinner, and suddenly a salad just sounded wonderful.

A half bag of cranberries in the crisper drawer inspired me make a dressing, and then walnuts and apples just seemed like a logical addition. The outcome was a very tasty salad. It reminded me somewhat of a Martha's Vineyard salad, which from our favorite New York style pizza place has the most amazing homemade whipped raspberry dressing. I tend to think of that salad as summery, but using apples instead of pears and cranberry dressing for the raspberry gave a decidedly Fall feeling.

I loved the earthiness of the greens and walnuts, paired with the sweet apples and the very tart dressing. I do think this would've been better with goat cheese instead of the reduced-fat feta. Not that flavor was wrong, I just think the creaminess of the goat cheese would've added so much.

Cranberry Balsamic Vinaigrette (yeilds 1 cup)
1 cup fresh cranberries
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp honey
3 tbsp basalmic dressing
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp apple juice
pinch or two of kosher salt

Bring cranberries and water to boil in small saucepan. Boil 5 minutes, reduce heat and simmer another 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. (Or cool, and blend in a mini processor.) Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the salad assembly: I used several handfuls of spring mix, about a 1/4 of a apple (sliced thin,) a handful of toasted, chopped walnuts, and a sprinkle of crumbled feta (but suggest goat cheese) per individual dinner sized serving. Drizzle with Cranberry Balsamic Dressing.

Penne Tomato Rustica

I'm not much into meal planning. For two reasons- the first being, I have no idea what specific dishes I'll be in the mood for during the week. If I buy ingredients for certains meals, its most likely that I won't wind up actually making those. The other problem is I often see things I want to make on websites and blogs or in magazines, but then when I'm trying to make a grocery list, none of it strikes my fancy right then. So I'm better off just jotting down the items we're out of like peanut butter and fabric softener and figuring out the rest as I go. I take on the produce and cheese sections like a kid in a candy store. I select whatever speaks to me right then.

Once home, with all of my random ingredients, I began imagining the ways I'll put them together. Combinations will come to my head, and sometimes I need varification that the things will work together. One way I do this is simply by googling these pairings. Another is to use allrecipes' Ingredient Search. With this feature, I might just get the confidence certain ingredients work with one another. Sometimes I may take elements from various recipes to make what I have in mind. And then sometimes, I'll find a specific recipe I want to try out.

Yesterday, I found one of those recipes, in the form of Fettuccini Tomato Rustica. A pasta dish with pesto, feta, and sun dried tomatoes, it sounded heavenly. But with a cup of oil- yes, a cup!- not to mention oil in the pesto and from the oil packed tomatoes, as well as full fat feta and ricotta, it also sounded way too unhealthy and rather oily. And then I saw it had 1000+ calories and 78 grams of fat per serving. Uh, no thanks.

So I moved on, but a while later I couldn't get the concept of the dish out of my head. I knew I could make it much healthier. The first thing I did was tackle making a lightened up pesto. Then I omitted the ridiculous amount of oil, using just enough to saute my vegetables. A little extra of the light pesto with some broth, thinned at the end with pasta water, made a delicous sauce without all of the oil. And using tomatoes not packed in oil (I buy soft, ready to eat ones) and reduced fat ricotta and feta helped even more. I added in mushrooms (a good move) and grilled my chicken instead of pan cooking (personal choice.) The three of us enjoyed it very much, and I felt much better about eating something drastically reduced in fat content. After dinner, we decided this this dish would be elevated to an "amazing" status if we replaced the chicken with sun dried tomato chicken sausage.

Penne Tomato Rustica (adapted from Fettuccini Tomato Rustica II, allrecipes)
makes 3 servings
1/2 (14.5 oz.) box of multi-grain or whole wheat penne
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
4 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 (3 oz.) pkg of ready to eat sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup Light Pesto (recipe follows)
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup crumbled reduced fat Feta cheese, plus extra for garnish
1/4 cup part-skim ricotta
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
1 large breast of chicken (If small, use two, or substitue with chicken sausage)

Cook pasta according to box directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking water.

As pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large skillet. Add garlic, mushrooms and tomatoes, and cook for about 5 minutes or until mushrooms are becoming soft. Reduce heat and add pesto, broth, feta and ricotta. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Allow to simmer, as the pasta finishes cooking. When it is done, add hot pasta and stir to coat with sauce. Thin with 1/4 cup of reserved cooking water. If needed, add the remaining 1/4 cup.

Meanwhile, pound chicken to 1/2 inch thickness and grill until cooked through (We like to use our George Foreman for meals like this.) Slice or dice chicken. Plate pasta and serve chicken over top. Sprinkle with extra feta.

Light Pesto (adapted from Taste of Home)
makes 1/4 cup
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp shredded pamesan
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
8 walnut halves, chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp chicken (or vegetable) broth
1/2 tsp olive oil
sea salt and fresh ground pepper

In mini processor, add garlic, cheese, walnuts. Cover and process for about 30 seconds. Add basil, and process another 15-20 seconds. Add liquids and process until combined and relatively smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Blueberry Zucchini Bread

With my soup (below) on the stove, simmering, and my child taking a very late nap, I needed something else to be doing other than the mopping I was avoiding. I had zucchini in the crisper, and suddenly I thought making bread. I found a fairly healthy recipe on allrecipes.com. I wanted to make it even healthier, so I used mostly applesauce instead all of the oil it called for (a cup!), reduced the amount of brown sugar, and used more wheat flour and less all-purpose.

While I was in the middle of making it, I spotted a pint of blueberries when reaching for the applesauce. Somehow it seemed a shame to not include blueberries while baking at this time of year. So, after a moment of consideration, I threw caution to the wind and subbed the raisins I was going to use for blueberries. Then as it was in the oven, I was positive I'd ruined it. Luckily, this wasn't the case. It's a great combination! This yummy bread is moist and lightly sweet, perfect for breakfast, a snack or dessert.

I'd like to note: I personally thought 3 tablespoons of cinnamon seemed extremely excessive, yet I went for it. As it was baking all I smelled was cinnamon, and I feared it would be overpowering. It isn't. In fact, it doesn't stand out at all, so I wouldn't reduce it.

makes 1 loaf, adapted from Zucchini Bread III, allrecipes.com

3 eggs

3/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 cups shredded zucchini

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup quick cooking oats

1/4 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

3 tsp cinnamon

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1 cup blueberries, partially mashed (or raisins)

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. In a large bowl, combine eggs, applesauce, oil, sugar, zucchini and vanilla. Mix well.

3. Add flours, baking powder and soda, salt, cinnamon and oats to bowl. Combine. Stir in blueberries and walnuts. Pour into loaf pan.

4. Bake for about an hour or until tester inserted in middle comes out clean.

Cherry Beer Cake

I usually bake like twice a year, so I have no idea what's up with all the baking I've been doing lately. I saw a recipe for a Beer Cake with cherries it it and was intrigued, but it was chocolate. I'm not a cake person, but I do love beer, so I wanted to find a non-chocolate version.

I found a recipe on LiveJournal that the poster had modified. I cut the recipe in half, made a few changes myself, and made 6 cupcakes and a mini loaf. All I had was a Belguim lager, Stella Artois, which is one of my favorite beers, and I think a great one to have used. I wouldn't think something like BudLight would be good choice. I went with a Vanilla Glaze from allrecipes.com, although they'd be just as good without icing. They were amazingly moist and sweet but not overwelming. Definitely a great option for people who don't care for traditional cake.

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 egg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1 1/2 cup sifted flour*

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup beer

3/4 cup fresh cherries, pitted and quarted (about a dozen)

1/3 cup walnuts, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and beat well. (If making full recipe, beat well after each egg.)

3. In seperate bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda and salt.

4. To butter mixture, alternately add beer and flour mix, stirring well in between.

5. Stir in cherries and nuts.

6. Pour into greased muffin tins, loaf pan, or cake pan. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (It took about 25 minutes for the cupcakes, and about 30-35 for the mini loaf.)

* I don't have a sifter, so I just used 1 1/2 tbsp less of the 1 1/2 cups of flour.

Vanilla Glaze (from allrecipes)
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1/2 tbsp milk
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp butter

1. Melt butter, and add to rest of ingredients. Stir until creamy.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Today I had my friend's eight year old daughter at my house for a few hours. After my son was picked up to spend the day with his nana, I quickly discovered without him, there wasn't much interesting for her to do other than watch tv. All I have is toys best suited for a toddler boy.

I'm not much of a baker, but I suggested we make cookies. I looked up a quick recipe on allrecipes.com, noted a few suggested user modifications, and dove into it. I quarted the original recipe (which yields 42) because I didn't want to have a bunch of cookies in the house. I wish I would've only halved it, because they are some of the best cookies I've ever made! Oh well, its for the best, really. I forgot to set the timer and had to guess, but they still came out perfect- slightly crisp on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside.

This is the halved recipe (will make around 24)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
2/3 cup and 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli)

1.Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Mix in the quick oats, walnuts, and chocolate chips. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.
3.Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Apple Walnut Rice

My mother-in-law brought us a big bag of walnuts today. I was trying to decide what to make for dinner, and in my mind I kept pairing the nuts with apple...and brown rice? My husband loves rice (I'm a pasta girl at heart) and I've learned to enjoy rice a lot more in the past few years.

I jumped on allrecipes.com as I so often do for inspiration. I found such a recipe, although made with instant white rice, and I totally made my own version. I paired it with turkey kielbasa, which in my opinion was kind of a nice contrast with the salty and sweet. While he LOVED the rice, Sage didn't care for the two together so much. We both decided it would go perfect with pork tenderloin. Next time I'd like to add chopped celery but I didn't have any. And I may make less, since it isn't great leftover.

1 ½ cup plus ¼ cup water, divided
1 cup apple juice
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of celery seed
1 cup long grain brown rice
½ cup chopped onion
Cooking spray
1 small apple, peeled and chopped
2/3 cup chopped walnuts

1. In large saucepan, bring 1 ½ cup water and apple juice to a boil. Add rice, cinnamon, salt, and celery seed. Stir, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 45 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, sauté onion in small skillet coated with cooking spray.
3. When rice has cooked for 45 minutes, add ¼ cup water, sautéed onion, apples and walnuts. Cook 5-10 minutes or until rice is done and apples lose their crispness.