Whole Grain Cherry Almond Zucchini Muffins (Low-fat!)

"There's something very summer about cherries," someone at work said to me this week.  I couldn't agree more, and what perfect timing he had, because there just so happened to be a sale on cherries this week.  Organic cherries, at that.  And conditioned by years of watching my mother stockpile groceries, I followed my instincts.  I came home with 5 pounds of dark red cherries, glistening with matte condensation.

Ambitious as I may be, I can't eat 5 pounds of cherries before they go bad.  I needed to find some way to use them, or at least to preserve them.  So I started pitting them (my fingers are still slightly purple), and one episode of Gilmore Girls later, I had a mountain of halved, pitted cherries sitting in front of me.  Begging to be used, and pleading with me to infuse something baked with their tart sweetness.

The flavor combination was easy, because cherries go beautifully with almonds.  Theirs is sort of a famous little affair.  So it was really just a matter of finding the medium I was in the mood for.  In the end, I settled on muffins.  Whole grain muffins, specifically, and ones that would use less fat.  Muffins I could eat a few more of without feeling guilty.  Which turned out to be a very wise choice in this case, as these muffins turned out to be heavenly - a little too heavenly for comfort, actually.

Mine turned out to be pretty moist, which is partly due to the substitution of applesauce for some of the oil, and partly due to the shredded zucchini and squash (I used half zucchini and half yellow squash simply because that's what I had in my kitchen, but you should feel free to use all of either, if you only have one or the other).  The fresh chopped cherries add a tart sweetness, the perfect complement to the almond flour and extract.

The bottom line is that they're fabulous, and would be wonderful to eat any time of day (I, um, may have turned them into my dinner tonight).  So next time you find yourself wondering how to use those cherries you just bought, try this recipe out.  And I dare you to stop at just one.

Whole Grain Cherry Almond Zucchini Muffins
Makes 12 muffins

1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup combination of teff flour, brown rice flour, and sorghum flour
1/4 cup sweet rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup smooth applesauce
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup shredded/pureed zucchini and/or yellow squash
1 egg
1 tsp. flaxseed meal + 1 tbsp. warm water
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract (optional)
3/4 cup chopped (pitted) cherries

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line a muffin tray or spray with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and mix well.  In a separate bowl, mix together the oil, applesauce, shredded zucchini/squash, sugar, egg, flaxseed meal and water, and vanilla and almond extracts.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to mix.  Add the chopped cherries (with as little of the water as possible) and stir to mix.

Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin tins.  Bake at 350 F for 25 - 35 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean.  These end up being very moist even after baking for a long time, so definitely take them out after 35 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites - Healthy, Vegan, and Raw

I know the words "vegan" and "raw" can have a similar effect to flipping an "off" switch for some people.  They become suspicious and doubtful of its flavor potential.  But just hear me out on this one.

I was browsing through food blogs last night and, after following a long chain of hyperlinked posts, stumbled across a blog called "Chocolate-Covered Katie."  Feeling an immediate kinship with the title, I delved further into Katie's website and discovered an entire section of her blog dedicated to making what she calls "Fudge Babies."

Intrigued, I scrolled through the list of varieties she has mastered.  Some of the flavors she has developed recipes for include peanut butter cup cookies, snickerdoodles, chocolate fudge, tiramisu, and s'more cookies, to name a few.  There are many others, and they all look fantastic. 

The first one I wanted to try is a flavor most of us will recognize and love.  Something we probably ate too much of when we were kids (and, um, some of us beyond the time since we were kids):  chocolate chip cookie dough.  What is it about cookie dough that is so damn good?  Yes, it's bad for you.  But it's awfully hard to resist one little taste while you're dumping chocolate chips into a buttery, sugary, silky-smooth bowl of cookie dough.  And once you've had one little taste, it's awfully hard to resist another little taste.  And then another.  And another.

With these, you don't have to worry about all the butter, sugar, and raw eggs you're consuming as you eat cookie dough.  It's not completely spot-on in flavor, I will say that - but it's very reminiscent of cookie dough, and you can make it even more so by upping the vanilla content.  But even though they aren't exactly the same as cookie dough, they are still really, really good.

And best of all, you can feel good about trading in that sliver of flavor for a huge slice of health.  As Katie describes, these are sort of reminiscent of Larabars in their flavor, texture, and simplicity.  They are super easy and quick to make (you can have them done in less than 15 minutes) and make a healthful and delicious snack.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites (Modified slightly from "Chocolate-Covered Katie's" fantastic recipe, which you can find here.)
Makes about 12 - 15 pieces

90 grams (~1/2 cup) dates
30 grams whole raw cashews
1 tsp. gluten-free vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt (optional)
2 heaping tbsp. shredded coconut
1/4 cup mini-chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life brand)

For best results, chop dates into smaller pieces before placing into food processor so they are easier to grind up.

Place the dates, cashews, vanilla, and salt (if desired) into a food processor (Katie uses a Magic Bullet, but I don't have one of those, so I just threw it all into my plain old food processor).  Blend on the highest setting until the dates have been reduced at least to small crumbs and will stick together in clumps (longer if you want it to be even smoother).  Scrape into a bowl and add the coconut and chocolate chips, stirring to mix well.  Scoop out by the tablespoonful and mold into small balls with your hands.

That's it!  Now you can go ahead and eat them.  You can store at room temperature or in the fridge.

I haven't tried it yet, but I suspect these would be great dipped in a chocolate ganache.

Health Nut Crunchy Granola

You know how granola you buy at the store always has that wonderful crunch?  It's not the crunch of over-baking - it's the crunch of perfect baking.  Not too hard, and not too soft.  It's the kind you marvel at with each bite - light, crisp, and utterly addictive.  It's a melt-in-your-mouth kind of crunch.

I eat homemade granola for breakfast almost every day, and every time I make a new batch, I tweak my recipe a little bit in an attempt to make it taste like one from the shelves of Whole Foods.  I've tried different ratios of liquid to dry ingredients, different ingredients, and different baking temperatures.  And it turns out, that particular kind of crunch is not all that easy to achieve - at least, not until you've discovered a few secret tips after many failed attempts.  (Well, maybe not failed - I never made a batch I couldn't eat.  They just weren't perfect.)

Yesterday, somehow, I hit upon a magical combination of ingredients, baking temperature, and baking time.  I'm not saying this recipe is perfect yet.  But I'm sharing it with you because it is really, really, really good - by far, the best granola I've ever made.  The flavor is addictive, and the best part is that it doesn't rely on a lot of oil for its texture.  Instead, it's packed full of nuts, pure nut butter, and seeds.  If you can't have any of the ingredients listed, you can easily substitute the same amount of something else.  For instance, if you can't have nuts, use all Sunbutter; if you can't have almond butter, you can substitute all Sunbutter or use peanut butter instead.  Don't like sesame seeds?  Leave them out and put in more flaxseeds.  If you like dried fruit in your granola, go ahead and add some.  I'm going to keep working on it until it's perfect, but for now, this makes a fantastic breakfast on its own, or sprinkled over some fruit and yoghurt.  It's full of flavor - but it's also healthy.

And the crunch?  That's the best part.  It's there, too. 

Health Nut Crunchy Granola
Makes 2 - 3 cups of granola

1 cup gluten-free oats (make sure to talk to your doctor before starting to eat oats if you have celiac!)
2/3 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup whole cashews, ground or crumbled
1/3 cup almond meal
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1 tbsp. flaxseeds
1 tbsp. sesame seeds
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp. Earth Balance Buttery Spread (or oil)
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. agave nectar (can substitute honey)
1 1/2 tbsp. almond butter
1 1/2 tbsp. Sunbutter (can use either all Sunbutter or all almond butter if needed)
3 tsp. gluten-free vanilla

Preheat oven to 300 F.  Spray a glass baking dish with non-stick spray.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, coconut, ground cashews, almond meal, flaxseed, sesame seeds, buckwheat flour, cinnamon, and salt.  Mix well and set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, water, Earth Balance, honey, agave nectar, almond butter, Sunbutter, and vanilla.  Heat over medium heat until it starts to simmer and everything has melted together.  Pour immediately over the dry ingredients and stir very well to mix.  Make sure all of the dry ingredients have been coated.

At this point, the granola will be very sticky and will look like one big clump.  Spread into the glass pan and place in the oven.  Bake at 300 F for 45 - 50 minutes, reaching in every 5 - 7 minutes to stir.  If you want lots of big chunks in your granola, don't break up the clumps; if you want lots of smaller clumps, do a stir-and-chop to get the consistency you want. 

The granola is done when it's got a sort of golden hue and when the clumps are not breaking apart easily when you stir the granola.  They will not be completely crunchy yet (they'll get crunchier as they cool), but they should taste kind of toasted - slightly hard on the outside and a little softer on the inside.

Remove to a large plate or another pan and spread out to cool.  When completely cooled, store in a container with an airtight lid in the refrigerator for longer shelf-life.

Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Soup with Thyme

Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity.  I recited this to myself as I watched this soup simmer, resisting the familiar urge to reach into the spice cabinet and dump more seasonings in.  Stop.  Breathe.  Keep it simple. 

I'm beginning to realize how vital this concept is in culinary pursuits.  Cooking need not involve lots of heavy machinery or fifteen different spices which will only confuse your palate.  Food can be uncluttered without sacrificing flavor.

This is a soup for a cold, gray day (if possible, hold out for a snowy one) - not just for its color, which will inject some brightness into the bleakness of winter, but also for its vivid taste, which delights afresh with each bite.  The thyme and sun-dried tomatoes are perfect together, giving each other space but merging beautifully at the same time. 

It is simple, but there is no flavor sacrificed in this soup. Best of all, you can serve it to almost anyone, as it is gluten-free and vegan.

Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Soup with Thyme (Adapted from Food and Wine)
Serves 2 - 3

1 tbsp. Earth Balance Buttery Spread
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. minced or crushed garlic
2/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes (the kind packed in oil), drained and coarsely chopped
1 large tomato, diced
3 cups gluten-free vegetable or chicken broth (such as Trader Joe's or Pacific brands)
6 - 7 whole fresh thyme sprigs, divided
1/2 - 1 cup soy creamer (to taste/texture)
1 tsp. brown sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
You will also need:  A food processor or blender

In a medium-sized pot, melt the Earth Balance and olive oil together over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and cook over medium heat for about 4 - 5 minutes or until the onion is becoming translucent.  Add the diced tomato, sun-dried tomato, chicken broth, and 4 whole thyme sprigs to the pot.  Bring ever-so-briefly to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.  Simmer over medium-low heat for at least 20 minutes, but up to 35 or 40 minutes if you have the time.

Remove the whole sprigs of thyme and discard.  In batches (depending on the size of your food processor), puree the soup as finely as possible.  Return to the pot.  Add the soy creamer (adding more if necessary or if you want it to be especially creamy), add the brown sugar, and then season with salt and pepper to your own taste.  Take the remaining 2 - 3 sprigs of thyme and pull off the tiny leaves and sprinkle into the soup.  Serve with hot garlic bread or this grilled cheese.  It also goes quite well with Roasted Red Pepper Mini Meatloaves.

You can make this ahead of time and store in the fridge for a day or two until you're ready to serve it.  Heat over medium-low heat for about 10 - 15 minute until it is warmed through. 

English Muffins by the Gluten-free Goddess

That is an English muffin, friends.  A real English muffin.  I received a lovely set of English Muffin Rings from my cousin for Christmas, and I put them to use immediately upon returning to Boston yesterday after spending the holidays in St. Louis.  I tried this recipe for English muffins by the Gluten-free Goddess, and you are looking at the rather delicious result.  I halved her recipe and used a real egg instead of the egg replacer and ended up with 5 English muffins.  This is what mine looked like when they came out of the oven (the dusting on top is cornmeal that I sprinkled on before baking):

These were pretty simple to throw together - the longest part about this recipe is proofing the yeast.  And that only takes five minutes.  But once the yeast gets frothy, the dough comes together in just about another ten minutes.  Definitely no longer than you'd spend driving to the store to buy a bag of English muffins, let's put it that way.

The texture of these was pretty good and was pretty close to a regular English muffin; however, I might play around with the recipe a bit more to see if I can make it even lighter.  But even as they were, these were pretty fantastic and are definitely worth making.  They may seem slightly dense once they cool, but don't worry - pop them into the toaster and they will be transformed into airy lightness.  They are even sturdy enough to make an egg sandwich without falling apart.  I suspect these would also be great for making mini-pizzas or mini-paninis, if you have a panini-maker.

Or you could keep it simple and delicious with some good homemade jam and peanut butter.

Check out those air pockets!  Try them out for yourself.  If you don't have English muffin rings, you could try using (carefully cleaned!) empty tuna cans with both the top and bottom cut off.  Freeze any leftovers as soon as they're completely cooled and toast to defrost as the cravings hit (you could even slice them before freezing to make it easier on yourself).  If you've missed English muffins, these will hit the (approximate) spot!

Multigrain Breadmaker Bread by the Gluten Free Goddess

You know how gluten-free bread sometimes withers under the heat of the oven?  How it looks so full of yeasty promise, only to deflate disappointingly once you attempt to actually bake it?

I've been hearing rumblings of the wonders that a breadmaker can work on gluten-free bread, and as I was lucky enough to inherit a Breadman Breadmaker from my cousin recently, I decided to try out a recipe from Karina's website (always trustworthy) in my first attempt to use it.  She raves about her Multigrain Bread in her blog, and so I decided to give it a try.  I followed her recipe pretty exactly, using real eggs instead of egg replacer and used all water for proofing the yeast instead of using half non-dairy milk.  I also left out the seeds on top (and I only did that because I stuck this in the breadmaker at an ungodly hour of the night after a marathon paper-writing session and promptly fell asleep before it was time to add the seeds on top).

The result?  Mine was a little dry, but made a beautiful piece of toast spread with sweet jam.  And it slices!  It slices without falling apart!  I'm inclined to blame myself for the slightly dry texture because I originally only used 1 cup of warm water to proof the yeast since I'm not cooking at a high altitude like Karina was.  I think next time I'll use the full 1 1/4 cup and see if it turns out to be any moister.  Overall, though, it was a pretty good loaf of bread and held up well in terms of texture, and was particularly good as toast.  I think everyone's breadmaker will be slightly different, so I'd start with Karina's original recipe and then tweak from there.  Even if mine turned out a little dry, it was still eons above some of the store-bought stuff I've choked down.  Thanks for the recipe, Karina!

Roasted Red Pepper Mini-Meatloaves

I can't believe how well these turned out.  I have this habit of going grocery shopping without any real plan for what I want to make, which is a bit like going to a hardware store and buying a few nails and some wood and then coming home to draw up a blueprint.  But, you know what?  Sometimes that means you end up with something amazing that you never would have planned for.

These mini-meatloaves were born out of a perfect storm of leftovers.  2 lonely roasted red peppers left in a jar.  Some brown rice from the week before.  Half a pound of ground turkey.  Random condiments in the door of my fridge.  You might not think that could amount to much - but - it did.  These turned out to be so perfectly moist and full of wonderful flavor!  You can stick with eating them as meatloaves, or add a little more rice/oats and make them into meatballs to serve on top of some marinara-coated pasta.  You could even just cook this as a hamburger and put it into a gluten-free bun, topped with your favorite gluten-free (and/or vegan) cheese.  But no matter how you serve it, the flavor will win you over with the first bite. 

Roasted Red Pepper Mini-Meatloaves
Makes two mini-meatloaves.


1/2 lb ground turkey
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup cooked brown or white rice (if you don't have rice, you can substitute gluten-free oats)
1 roasted red pepper, diced
1 1/2 tbsp. jam
3 tbsp. gluten-free barbecue sauce (Trader Joe's Kansas City Smokehouse is gluten-free)
3 tbsp. gluten-free marinara sauce (optional)
1 tsp. minced onion
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Spray two mini-loaf pans with cooking spray.

Stir all ingredients together in a large bowl and mix well.  Spread into two mini loaf pans.  Bake for at least 40 minutes or until the meatloaves are cooked all the way through.  Serve with mashed potatoes and vegetables, cornbread, or slice and make into a sandwich.

Roasted Acorn Squash with Apple-Cranberry Cornbread Stuffing

Don't let the length name of the recipe fool you.  This is actually pretty easy to make, as long as you have some time for the squash to roast.  And the end product?  It is so good.  So, so good.  I actually kept nipping away at the stuffing as it baked in the oven because it was so delicious, leaving me with a little less to actually stuff the acorn squash with.  So that's my warning to you, although I'm not saying don't eat along the way - I'm just saying, perhaps plan ahead and make a little extra stuffing specifically for the purpose of gnoshing.

I got the idea for this recipe on the Gluten-free Goddess's website, although my disclaimer is that I did not look at her recipe - only the picture - and went from there.  So I credit her for the idea for this fantastic bit of cooking - thanks, Karina! And since I still have quite a few of the Pumpkin Corn Muffins from last week in a freezer holding pattern, this was the perfect way to use some of them up.

The most contentious part of any Thanksgiving is arguably the stuffing.  Whose recipe is best?  I, of course, believe firmly that my mom's stuffing is the best in the world and would never consider another option for a moment.  So, I used my mom's stuffing recipe here - but if you feel the same way about your mom's recipe, go ahead and use it instead!  Just substitute the cornbread for the regular bread and you should be good to go.  This was a perfect pre-Thanksgiving dinner, full of harvest goodness and filling the house with familiar and comforting aromas. 

Roasted Acorn Squash with Apple-Cranberry Cornbread Stuffing

1 medium acorn squash, cut in half
3 tbsp. maple syrup or agave nectar
2 tbsp. brown sugar, divided
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup chopped leeks (I used frozen chopped leeks from Trader Joe's)
1 stalk celery, diced
1/2 large apple, peeled and diced
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
dash of cayenne pepper
dash of smoked or regular paprika (optional)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried thyme (optional)
1 tsp. dried parsley
Ground pepper and salt to taste
1/3 cup dried cranberries
3 pumpkin corn muffins (or your favorite cornbread or corn muffins) - best to use ones that are a little dried out or which have been frozen

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Slice the acorn squash in half, scoop out all of the seeds, and place in a baking dish.  Sprinkle with 1 tbsp. brown sugar and drizzle with maple syrup.  Place in the oven to bake.

In a saucepan, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil.  Add the leeks, celery, and diced apple and cook over medium heat for at least 5 - 7 minutes. Add the spices, cranberries, and broth and continue to cook until the leeks and celery are quite tender and the broth has reduced by about half (about 7- 9 more minutes).

On a cutting board, chop up the corn muffins into small pieces and place them in a large bowl.  Pour the leek mixture over the cornbread and mix well, coating all pieces of cornbread with the liquid.  Pour into two small mini-loaf baking dishes and place in the oven with the acorn squash to bake.

Bake the cornbread for about 20 - 30 minutes (depending on your oven temperature) or until the edges start looking crispy.  Remove from oven and set aside until the acorn squash has finished baking.  It's done when a fork goes in easily and the flesh of the squash pulls apart easily.  If desired, you can baste the squash in the maple syrup/agave nectar as it bakes.

When the squash is done (and times will vary based on your oven temperature and the size of the squash), remove from the oven and stuff with the cornbread stuffing.  Place back into the oven for 5 - 10 minutes, or long enough for the whole thing to heat through again.  Drizzle a little more maple syrup over the top, if desired.  When the cornbread starts getting crispy again, remove from the oven.

Serve on its own as a delicious, hearty vegan meal, or as a side dish to turkey.

Spaghetti Squash with Vegan "Meat" Sauce

Spaghetti squash is kind of the best of both worlds.  You get the illusion of pasta with only 1/4 the calories, not to mention the extra vitamins and minerals.  While it takes a little longer to make than regular pasta, it's incredibly easy to prepare; all you have to do is cut it in half and stick it in the oven, and then - magically - the long, stringy pieces practically fall onto your plate in a twirled pile when it comes out of the oven about 40 minutes later.

But I can't take credit for the idea to make spaghetti squash this week.  A friend of mine was practically glowing with her recent first experience with it, and, inspired, I picked one up during my next visit to Trader Joe's.  It was definitely worth it.  Not only did it literally feed me for six meals, it was delicious, light, and remarkably like pasta (with a slightly different, but good, texture - and really wasn't terribly far off from some of the gluten-free pastas I've tried).  For the sauce in this recipe, I wanted to make something that was chock full of vegetables, so I basically pureed/grated what I had in my fridge and mixed it with some marinara sauce (the grated mushrooms give this sauce its "meaty" texture). 

Feel free to improvise - I definitely did, and it turned out deliciously.

Spaghetti Squash with Vegan "Meat" Sauce

1 spaghetti squash, sliced in half

1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce (I used Trader Joe's Tomato Basil Marinara)

1 cup baby carrots

1 cup mushrooms (I used baby portabellas)

1 roasted red pepper

Handful of fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1 - 2 tsp. minced garlic

Salt, pepper, garlic powder, basil, and oregano to taste

Dash of cayenne pepper

Daiya Vegan Cheese (or your favorite non-dairy cheese) to top

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Place the spaghetti squash in a pan lined with parchment or wax paper (to avoid sticking) with the rind up, and bake for 35 - 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the rind goes in easily.  Remove from oven, and set aside to cool (now with the rind side down).

In a food processor, place the carrots, mushrooms, roasted red pepper, and basil leaves and process until they have the consistency of being finely grated.  Place in a saucepan over medium-low heat with 1 - 2 tsp. minced garlic and saute for 3 - 5 minutes, stirring often.  You want to sweat the vegetables, not burn them! Add about 3/4 of the jar of marinara sauce to start with and stir well.  If you want a thinner sauce, add more; if you want a chunkier sauce, leave it the way it is.  Add the seasonings to your own taste and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Scoop out the "noodles" from the spaghetti squash and top with the sauce and Daiya Vegan Cheese, if desired.

Pumpkin Corn Muffins

What a perfect treat for an overcast, chilly November afternoon.  These are a breeze to throw together (assuming, that is, that you have gluten-free cornmeal on hand, which I did not), and they bake up perfectly moist and tender, yet not too crumbly.  I got this recipe from Jules Gluten-free blog and used hemp milk (because, really, what else do you use hemp milk for?) and added about 1 tsp. gluten-free vanilla, but otherwise followed her recipe exactly.  Mine did not turn out to be overly sweet like some corn muffins, so keep that in mind so you can adjust the sugar to your own taste if you prefer a sweeter corn muffin.  If you make them as muffins, and not cornbread, bake them for about 22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  You can find it by clicking here.  So, go to her blog, grab your cornmeal, and get ready for some autumn deliciousness.

Low(er) Fat Pumpkin Bread

I'm on a low(er) fat kick these days.  I guess I figure, with how terrible of a stress eater I am, and in my first semester of graduate school, I'd better at least mitigate how badly this could turn out.  And I think I've made myself feel less guilty for eating these treats.  Which, unfortunately, will probably just lead to my eating more of them.  But, shh.  Let's just say it's healthier this way.  

After the how well my low(er) fat banana bread turned out, I've been substituting applesauce for oil all over the place, and with great success.  You won't be able to tell that anything is different about this bread, except perhaps that there is less oily residue on your hands after you eat it.  But that's it.  No difference in taste or texture - it's just as good as you remember it.  And vegan friends, you can take it a step further, if you wish.  Go ahead and substitute Egg Replacer for the eggs to make this a delicious, completely animal-product-free dessert.  It will still taste fantastic.

Low(er) Fat Pumpkin Bread

Makes 1 loaf

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup applesauce (use smooth or chunky depending on your own preference)

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

 2 eggs (can replace with Egg Replacer for vegan bread)
1 cup Libby's pumpkin puree (*see note)
1/2 cup rice flour
1/4 cup sorghum flour

1/4 cup chestnut flour (can substitute sorghum flour)

1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. xanthan gum
2 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. cinnamon (or more to your own taste)

Combine the oil and sugar well, and then beat in the eggs. Add the pumpkin puree and mix well. Combine the flours, salt, baking powder, xanthan gum, and spices in a separate bowl and then add slowly to the wet mixture. Mix well and then pour into a greased or sprayed bread loaf pan and bake for 50 - 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the bread comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for at least 15 - 20 minutes, and then remove and continue to cool on a baking rack. Or, if you're like me and can't wait that long, serve warm from the pan with cup of hot, black coffee.

**If you want to make your own pumpkin puree, here's how:  simply take large slices of fresh pumpkin and bake at 350 for 1 - 1 1/2 hours in the oven. When it is very, very soft, remove from oven, scoop out the pumpkin flesh, and remove to a large bowl. If it is soft enough, you don't need to puree it (I did not puree mine because I don't have any electric mixing devices), but if you do have a way to do it, it would be best to puree it to remove all chunks. Store in the refrigerator if you will use it that day, and otherwise, store in 1 cup portions in the freezer until you need to use them.

Blueberry Applesauce

It's apple season.  That means weekend trips to apple orchards to take a hayride out into the tree thickets, munching on delicious fruit straight from the tree as you forage for apples that have somehow escaped the notice of apple-pickers past.  A breeze drifts by and you notice a slight chill in the air.  There are children and parents carefully selecting large pumpkins from a hay-strewn patch.

This story almost always ends the same way.  Caught up in the romantic notion of autumn, surrounded by flowering trees and with apples practically falling at your feet, you buy a bag.  Perhaps you buy a 20 pound bag.  And then you get home, and you stare at the bag of apples you've bought, and you think:  What the heck am I going to do with these?

I have yet to finish my own apples from last weekend off, and I only took one-third of the bag that my cousin, her boyfriend, and I bought.  But for a start, I decided to try making applesauce.  And then, halfway through cooking it, I decided to make half of it blueberry applesauce because....well, just because.  Because I had blueberries, and I was curious.  And oh, am I glad I did... 

Both versions of this turned out to be delicious.  You can add more or less sugar (even no sugar!) depending on your own taste and how sweet your apples are on their own.  Mine were a bit tart, so I went the sugar route.  But you don't have to follow this recipe exactly.  Let it tell you what to do.  And if you don't want the blueberries?  Leave 'em out!  Or add your own favorite fruit, and see what happens.

Blueberry Applesauce

6 medium-large apples, peeled, cored, and quartered
1 cup water
up to 1/4 cup brown sugar
up to 1/4 cup white sugar
2 tbsp. lemon juice OR 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
3 sticks cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
dash of vanilla extract (if desired - make sure it's gluten-free!)
1 cup frozen blueberries, rinsed

Place everything but the blueberries into a large pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10 - 15 minutes, or until the apples are becoming very soft.  Adjust the spices and sugar to your own taste.  Add the blueberries and stir well.  Continue to simmer for another 10 - 15 minutes until the fruit is falling apart.  Remove from heat and mash with a potato masher or a fork.

If desired, serve warm over ice cream or cake, or serve chilled.

Sauteed Asparagus with Dill

A breezy summer evening.  Grilling in the shady warmth of a patio overflowing with thriving green plants.  The smell of hickory almost hugging you as it bastes your dinner in its aroma.  Fat pieces of chicken sizzling under a thick, red, homemade barbecue sauce, which caramelizes slowly over the heat of the coals.

And inside, the smell of asparagus filling the room as it jumps lightly in the pan, hopping with bursts of heat.  The perfect green complement to the deep red of barbecued chicken and light, summery yellow of roasted corn.  All tasting delightfully of hickory.

My cousin Erin used a simple recipe for this asparagus, and one that can pretty much entirely made to your own taste, so the measurements are not exact.  It's what you want it to be. 

And on top of being delicious, asparagus packs a nice punch of nutrients, being high in magnesium, zinc, and iron.  It's also rich in protein, fiber, and an array of vitamins, including vitamins A, C, E, and K.  It's a wonderful weight-loss food, too, as it's very low in fat.  Can it get any better?

So, enjoy!  Saute up some of this asparagus to go with any meal, and adjust the seasonings to your own taste.  You can't go wrong - I promise.

Sauteed Asparagus with Dill

Trimmed asparagus tops

Olive oil to taste

1 tsp. dill (or to taste)

Salt and pepper to taste

Wash the asparagus in cool water.  Trim by removing the bottom third of each stalk, which is the toughest part.  If you bend the asparagus, it will break naturally at the point at which it goes from tender to tough.  How convenient!

In a large nonstick pan, heat the olive oil.  Add the asparagus (add only enough at one time to create a single layer) and turn to coat with the oil.  Sprinkle about 1 tsp. of dill and salt and pepper over the entire layer (or more or less depending on your own taste) and continue to saute for another 5 - 10 minutes, or until the asparagus is tender but still slightly crispy.  It should be bright green in color still.  Serve immediately, or if you are serving it later, cover until ready to eat. 

Check out other recipes that use asparagus on Foodista:

Asparagus

Fresh Summer Vegetable Marinara Sauce

Talk about a fresh dish for a warm summer evening.   You will feel healthy after eating this sauce - trust me.  All of the ingredients for this sauce came straight from the farmer's market and their colors - and flavors - burst out of the sauce.  I recently discovered my food processor buried in the basement, kept in storage during my year away in Swaziland, and - feeling inspired - I used it to grate all of the vegetables that went into this sauce, making it more uniformly delicious with every bite.  I also used only minimal spices so as not to overwhelm the natural freshness and flavors of the veggies.  This became a rather dry sauce, as I let most of the liquid boil off of it, and it ended up with the consistency of a very thick pesto more than anything else (which I enjoyed).  Keep it covered if you want it to be soupier.  But have faith.  Let it do its thing.   Let it simmer away and voila - a beautiful sauce will emerge, one that is slightly sweet from the carrots, a bit tart from the tomatoes, and all around delicious.  

Fresh Summer Vegetable Marinara Sauce

1/2 white onion

1 large carrot

3 cloves garlic, minced

5 juicy and ripe tomatoes

4 stalks bitter greens (kale, turnip greens, spinach, etc.)

1/2 red bell pepper

1 tbsp. olive oil (or less if you can get away with it)

Handful of fresh basil, chopped, or 1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/4 tsp. dried oregano

1 - 2 splashes of gluten-free balsamic vinegar to taste (I used Trader Joe's brand)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Prepare your favorite pasta as directed (I used Tinkyada Whole Grain Spaghetti Noodles).

Cut the carrots and onion into large chunks and feed into the food processor to grate (or, if you don't have one, grate them by hand).  Grate the bell pepper and set aside.  Heat the olive oil in your pan and add the carrots and onion; stir to coat well.  Cook over medium heat for about 5 - 7 minutes.  After about 2 minutes, add the minced garlic and stir.

Meanwhile, cut the tomatoes into large chunks and place directly into the food processor.  Blitz them a few times until you have a chunky sauce, and add this to the carrot and onion mixture.  Rinsing out your food processor between batches, chop the bitter greens the same way. 

If you are using fresh basil, chop it into rough pieces and add them to the pot, along with the oregano, salt, and pepper.  Add one splash of balsamic vinegar to taste, and taste it again after about 2 minutes.  Add some more if you feel it needs it. 

Continue to cook over medium-low heat, uncovered, for about 5 - 7 more minutes, or until you are happy with the taste and/or your pasta is done.  

Serve over your favorite pasta and top with Vegan Parmesan Cheese or Daiya Vegan Cheese, if desired.  

Suggestions for using leftovers:   

-Place a corn tortilla on a nonstick pan and spread half with the marinara sauce and half with Daiya Vegan Cheese.  Cook until cheese is melted, then fold and enjoy!

-Mix with shredded turkey or chicken and eat over a bed of lettuce as a salad or in a sandwich.

Raspberry Jelly Roll

This is the beautiful cake that was waiting for me when I arrived home on my birthday.  My mom had sent me a flurry of text messages while I was out with some friends celebrating.  It turned out that she was asking me what kind of jam I wanted in my birthday jelly roll.  After a rapid back-and-forth of flavor discussions, we finally settled on raspberry.  And it was a good choice, and the jam was even homemade!  This is a lovely, light cake that looks fancy and tastes even better!

Raspberry Jelly Roll (Adapted from "The Joy of Cooking" by Irma Rombauer)
1/2 cup white rice flour
1/8 cup tapioca starch
1/8 cup potato starch
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup white sugar, divided
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (optional - we didn't use them)
Confectioner's sugar
3/4 - 1 cup raspberry jam (other flavor suggestions: blackberry, strawberry, apricot, blueberry, etc.)

Preheat the oven to 375 F.  Grease a 15 ½" x 10 ½" x 1" rimmed baking sheet (jelly roll pan) and line the bottom with wax or parchment paper.  Do not grease the top of the wax/parchment paper.

Sift flours together with baking powder and salt and whisk in a bowl until thoroughly blended.

Separate the eggs and set the egg whites aside.  Beat all four egg yolks at medium-high speed for 1 minute.  Gradually add 1/2 cup of the sugar and beat until pale and thick.  Gradually add the flour and beat on low speed until smooth.

Using clean beaters, beat the 4 egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl at medium-high speed until soft peaks form.  Slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until stiff but not dry.

Using a rubber spatula, fold one-quarter of the whites into the batter, and then carefully fold in the remaining whites.  If desired, fold in the 1/2 cup nuts.

Scrape the batter into the prepared jelly roll pan and spread evenly.  Bake until the top is golden brown and springs back when lightly pressed, about 10 - 12 minutes.  Run a knife along the edges to release the cake from the pan.  Remove the browned crust from the top (it will become crumbly if rolled up with the jam).  Invert the cake onto a sheet of aluminum foil that has been sprinkled with confectioner's sugar (to ensure even distribution of sugar, use a sifter to sprinkle it onto the foil).

Let the cake cool completely before peeling off the wax/parchment paper.  Once it has been removed, spread the entire top of the cake evenly with the jam of your choice. 

To roll the cake up (quoted from "The Joy of Cooking"):

"Starting at a short end, fold and press and inch or so of the cake firmly up over the filling to get started.  Keep these first turns tight; cracking will diminish as the diameter of the roll increases.  Use the sheet of foil under the cake to help roll the cake.  Once the cake is rolled, use two hands to move the roll carefully back to the center of the foil.  Wrap the back of the foil over the cake so that it overlaps the front portion of foil, covering the roll completely and tightly.  Place in the refrigerator to firm the roll before unwrapping and serving."

Notes:  

-Other fillings could include gluten-free custard, buttercream icing, poppy seed filling, chocolate spread, espresso/coffee spread, ganache, or your favorite nut butter.
-The jelly roll became more moist on the second and third days.  If you are keeping it beyond 2-3 days, slice into individual portions and keep in the freezer until ready to serve.

Cheesy Turkey Quesadilla with Mango-Ginger Chutney

My mom has been trying to clean out the shelves in our freezer now for the last few weeks to make room for our frozen fruit order, which we use to make a huge amount of jam each year.  The biggest obstacles to achieving that goal were two fat, frozen turkeys that sat perched on one of the shelves.  Mocking her with the exorbitant amount of space they were taking up. 

So we cooked them.  Both of them...on the same day.  These were not small turkeys, mind you.  Their combined weight was just shy of 50 pounds, and we roasted them all day, one after the other, filling the house with the delicious smell.  I woke up and for a moment, thought it was Thanksgiving.  We cut away the meat for what seemed like hours, never quite seeming to find the end of it, filling up containers and gallon freezer bags with the succulent and tender meat.  About 20 people came to the gathering at which this turkey was served, and while they did their part in helping us consume it, we are still swimming in the leftovers.  I don't mind this, as I love turkey and haven't eaten it in over a year, and hey - it's a chance to get a bit creative with how to use it.  This is what I came up with today.

This is very quick to make, perfect for a dinner or lunch where you don't have a lot of time to prepare a full meal.  And while I don't usually like the texture of corn tortillas when they haven't been cooked, these puff up into a lovely soft shell for the toppings, and the light sprinkling of garlic, salt and pepper on the outside might make you forget that you're eating one made from corn.  I happened to have Trader Joe's Mango Ginger Chutney on hand, but you could really use any chutney you like for this. 

Cheesy Turkey Quesadilla with Mango-Ginger Chutney


For each quesadilla:
1 - 2 tbsp. of your favorite chutney (I used Trader Joe's Mango Ginger Chutney)
~1/3 cup Daiya Vegan Mozarella Cheese
~1/3 cup shredded turkey (or shredded chicken)
1 gluten-free corn tortilla
Any other toppings you like! (sliced bell peppers, mushrooms, red onions, etc.)
Cooking spray
Garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Spray a small nonstick pan with the cooking oil, coating well.  Sprinkle a generous amount of garlic powder over the cooking spray evenly, and then add a little salt and pepper as well (to your own taste).  Place 1 corn tortilla in the pan and push it around the pan a bit to coat it well with the cooking spray and spices.

Spread about 1 - 2 tbsp. of the chutney over the tortilla.  Sprinkle cheese over the chutney, and then evenly place the rest of your toppings on top of the cheese.  Cook over medium-high heat for about 4 - 6 minutes until the cheese is melted, and then fold in half and continue to cook for another minute or so to brown both sides.  Serve immediately.

Easy Chili Beans on Toast

This is a recipe for a day when you come home hungry and want something filling that will be ready in about 10 minutes or less.  Or for a day when you have a can of beans you need to use up.

The other day, I found myself in both of those situations.  Sometimes you need a cop-out meal, something fast that will satisfy you and save time.  And sometimes, cop-outs can be delicious.

Easy Chili Beans on Toast

2 slices gluten-free bread, toasted
1 can red kidney beans
1/2 tsp. onion flakes
1/4 tsp. garlic powder (or 1 tsp. minced garlic)
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground oregano
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
Dash of cayenne pepper (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 tbsp. tomato paste
1/4 - 1/2 cup water, to desired thickness

Place the kidney beans into a skillet and heat them.  Add the spices and stir to coat well.  Continue to cook for another 2 - 3 minutes.  Add the tomato paste and stir to distribute evenly.  Add 1/4 cup of water and stir.  As it boils off, add more if desired.  Cook for another 4 - 5 minutes.

Serve over toasted bread.  Delicious plain, or add melted cheese if you are dairy-tolerant, or top with a fried egg.

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Banana Chocolate Chip Macadamia Cookies

This is the kind of joy that can result when you are scrambling to get rid of ingredients in your kitchen before moving.  I found about six kinds of gluten-free flours I need to get rid of, and in my freezer, five frozen, ripe bananas.  A chocolate bar.  Half of a bag of almond meal.  

A friend and I were chatting the other day about substitutions for butter in cookie recipes, and I told her about substituting banana in my oatmeal cookie recipe a few weeks ago.  We wondered if that same substitution could work for any cookie, or if the oats made it work with their bulkiness.

Well, it worked for this one.  It really worked.  I feel absolved of guilt as I indulge in these cookies.

They aren't the kind of cookies that retain their shape in the oven, even after I stuck the dough in the freezer for an hour.  They spread.  But they remain so chewy, so delicious, and so addictive after they come out of the oven that you won't mind. 

Banana Chocolate Chip Macadamia Cookies

1 cup mashed bananas (3 medium ripe bananas, mashed)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg + 1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla extract OR 1 package vanilla sugar
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
3 cups gluten-free flour (What I used:  ¾ cup millet flour, ¾ cup tapioca starch, ¼ cup potato starch, ¼ cup brown rice flour, ½ cup buckwheat flour, ½ cup sorghum flour)
½ cup shredded coconut
¾ cup almond meal
100 grams crushed macadamia nuts
1 chocolate bar, chopped or 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Cream together the mashed bananas and sugars.  Add the egg plus the egg white and beat to mix well.  Add the vanilla/maple extract and stir well.  

In a small mixing bowl, mix together the flours, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.  Add them, little by little, to the wet ingredients, mixing well.  Add the coconut and almond meal and continue to stir. 

Crush the macadamia nuts into smaller pieces and add them, along with the chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate bar) to the dough.

Place the dough in the refrigerator for an hour or two, or in the freezer for 30 - 45 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 350 F and place about 1 tbsp. of dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  These will spread a lot as they bake, so be conservative with the amount of dough you use for each cookie.  Bake for 10 - 14 minutes, or until the edges are just turning brown.  Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack before serving.  They'll harden a bit as they cool, so it's ok (even desired) for them to look a little undercooked when they come out of the oven!

Creamy Butternut Soup with Chickpeas

Food can taunt you.  In particular, a certain butternut squash that has been sitting on my kitchen counter for several weeks can taunt me.  Every time I walked into the kitchen, I felt a pang of guilt about not having used it. It sat there, lying motionless on its side, somehow always in my line of sight.  Whole.  Uneaten. 

Finally, I caved.  I got out my peeler and the biggest knife I had and chopped it up.  I roasted it in the oven.  And then I made it into a delicious soup.

This is the perfect soup to warm your body and your soul on a crisp fall evening.  The seasons are turning here in Swaziland; the summer rains are subsiding, and the cold fronts are creeping up on us daily, lingering longer each day.  It makes you want to come home and sit in front of a fire, sipping hot cider and reading a thick book in front of jumping, soothing, warm flames .  

You'll think about that as you eat this soup, of how comforting it is in its thickness and heartiness.  And how much of autumn it evokes. 

Creamy Butternut Soup with Chickpeas

2 tbsp. olive oil, divided

1 small onion, chopped very finely

1 small golden delicious apple, peeled and chopped very finely

3 tbsp. minced garlic or 4 -6 garlic cloves, chopped finely

1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into small cubes, roasted

½ tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. oregano

1 small bay leaf

Dash of cayenne pepper

Vegetable or chicken broth to cover (about 1 – 2 cups)

1 cup cooked chickpeas, rinsed

¼ - ½ cup coconut milk (to taste)

Salt and pepper to taste

Cooked rice (brown or jasmine) – optional

Preheat the oven to 450 F.  Peel and dice the butternut squash, toss with a small amount of the olive oil, and place in a glass baking dish.  Cover with foil and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, stirring as needed to prevent sticking.  Remove from oven and set aside.

In a pot, heat the remaining olive oil and add the diced onion and garlic.  Cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes.  Add the diced apple and continue to stir for another 3 – 5 minutes, or until the onions become translucent.  Add the roasted butternut squash, cinnamon, oregano, bay leaf, and cayenne pepper and stir.  Cover with the vegetable or chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Cover the pot and reduce to a simmer, continuing to cook for another 10 – 15 minutes or until you are happy with the taste and consistency. 

If you have a hand mixer, you can puree the soup that way, or you can puree it in batches in a blender.  If you are like me and don’t have either, just take a fork or potato masher and smash it manually.  Add the chickpeas once you like the consistency, and then the coconut milk to your own taste.  Continue to adjust the seasonings, and be sure that the coconut flavor does not overpower the butternut flavor.  Add salt and pepper to taste, place into bowls, and sprinkle some parsley on top to serve.

If desired, add some cooked brown rice into the pot before serving, or serve with some crispy quinoa crackers.