Pumpkin S'mores Cake

I'm not quite ready to leave fall behind yet. It's not officially over for another week or so. Just enough time to squeeze in a few more pumpkin baked goods.

This cake is super light & fluffy, despite being made with whole grain flours. There's also banana (which you can't taste, if you're against banana flavor), pumpkin, & a variety of warming spices, all with great health benefits to get out of a yummy piece of cake.  I wouldn't call it a health food, but at least it has some healthy aspects. You won't even realize there's anything healthy at all once you take a bite!

As for the topping...who doesn't want to remember summertime with the s'more combination? It goes well with the soft, pumpkin cake; the perfect blend to remind us of summer & fall.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin S'mores Cake

Inspired by How Sweet It Is

Serves 20

2 c loosely packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 ripe banana, mashed
1 1/2 c pumpkin puree
1 1/2 c white whole wheat flour

1 c spelt flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground ginger

1/2 c unsweetened almond milk

1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 c miniature marshmallows
1 full sheet graham cracker, crushed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray.

Whisk together the eggs & brown sugar in a large bowl until no lumps remain. Add vanilla & butter, whisking to combine. Add pumpkin puree. Once combined, whisk in both flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt & spices. Stir just until no dry spots remain, then add milk & whisk until batter is smooth. Pour into prepared baking pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean & the edges pull away from the sides of the pan.  Remove from oven & sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Once cake is cool, sprinkle with marshmallows. Broil for about 3 minutes, watching very closely, until marshmallows are lightly toasted. Do not walk away while broiling! The marshmallows will go from toasted to burnt very quickly. Top with crushed graham cracker, slice & enjoy!

Mac 'n Cheeze Vegetable Casserole

On Saturday at market, they had broccoli on sale, 3 head for $5. So far, I've used 1 head; it was large enough for us to have steamed as part of our rice bowls on Saturday night, added to this casserole, & eated for lunch on Monday. I have 2 heads left. I think tonight we'll have broccoli soup. Maybe tomorrow night we can roast it. Good thing I love broccoli!

This dish is a lighter take on macaroni & cheese. While it is admittedly less creamy, you can always double the sauce recipe to get more of a traditional casserole. The flavors are delicious & it has the added benefit of being very healthy. We love this pumpkin cheeze sauce & I was so excited to have it for the first time this fall! I discovered it from Angela's blog last fall & we had it many times, but then we moved on from pumpkins & sort of forgot about it until now.

Even if you're skeptical of this, just try it. I think you'll love it! It tastes decadent, even though it's full of healthy ingredients. The pasta to vegetable ratio is perfect for me (about even). If you prefer more veggies or more pasta, just tweak it to your liking. It's easy to mix up this dish.

Enjoy!

Mac 'n Cheeze Vegetable Casserole

Sauce inspired by OhSheGlows.com

Serves 6

1 box whole wheat elbow macaroni

1 large onion, sliced

2 bell peppers, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 small zucchini, chopped

1 small head of broccoli, chopped

1 T organic butter

1 1/2 c unsweetened original almond milk

1 T cornstarch

3/4 tsp. garlic powder

8 T nutritional yeast

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp. dried ground mustard

1 1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/4-1/2 c panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 9"x13" baking pan with cooking spray. Prepare pasta as indicated on the box. While the water boils & the past cooks, prepare remaining ingredients.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook onions until soft, about 4-5 minutes. Add peppers, jalapeno, & garlic. Cook for another 4 minutes, then add zucchini & broccoli. Cook just until tender.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add milk & cornstarch, whisking until smooth. Stir in garlic powder, nutritional yeast, Dijon mustard, dried ground mustard, and pumpkin. Combine, then add salt & pepper, adjusting to taste.

Once everything is ready, combine pasta, vegetables, and sauce. Stir until noodles are all coated with sauce. Pour into the prepared baking pan. Top with panko bread crumbs. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until heated through and the top is browned.

NOTE:

Alternately, you can skip the baking step and serve as a stove top mac n' cheeze. I like the baking step because the flavors have more time to meld & the top gets crunchy, but for a quicker meal, it's still tasty pre-baking!



Cinnamon Spiced Pumpkin Quinoa

Lately, any time I cook a grain, I make extra. It's perfect for lunches, future dinner bases, & breakfasts. So when I had 1 cup of uncooked quinoa & my recipe called for 1/4 cup, I cooked it all, & stored the extras in the fridge.

Then the following morning, I mixed in some pumpkin, almond milk & spices to make a hearty, protein rich, fall flavored breafkast.

I love to have a a big, filling breakfast. When it's bulky, it makes me feel full longer. It's probably mostly mental, but it works! Quinoa really fluffs up & fills my stomach, so it's perfect for a hearty breakfast. Plus the warmth from the spices & the hot quinoa is great for these chilly mornings.

Enjoy!

Cinnamon Spiced Pumpkin Quinoa

Serves 1

1 c cooked quinoa

1/4 c pumpkin puree

1/4 c unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1/4-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (to taste)

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl. Heat for 50 seconds, stir, & heat for another 40 seconds. Top with fruit, nuts, and/or nut butter & enjoy!

Topping ideas:

banana & peanut butter

apple chunks & pecans

raisins & walnuts

dried cranberries & almonds

coconut & almond butter

Cheezy Eggplant Bake

Did everyone survive the first of many holiday celebrations? I feel like Thanksgiving is always the kick off for an entire month of get-togethers & celebrating. It's a tasty step in the direction of Christmas, which is my all time favorite holiday.

Our aunt made a delicious butternut squash lasagna for Thanksgiving dinner & then sent us home with the leftovers! (Thanks! We've enjoyed every bite!)  As we were eating lunch on Saturday, the Bup had a great idea for a variation on the lasagna using eggplant & a pumpkin cheese sauce.

A few weeks ago, we discovered Angela's super delicious & creamy sauce that's cheesy in taste but very healthy & light. It's like a dream come true. We've had it on pasta twice so far, but I've never experimented further.

If you're a little iffy about eggplant, this probably isn't the recipe to kick off your love of the veggie. The flavor comes through & really compliments the cheesiness. You could substitute cooked noodles for the eggplant if that's more your style. Just try the sauce. It tasted even better after it baked & we loved this dish with all of its flavors & textures.

Spread out about 1/3 of the sauce in the bottom of the pan. Look at how creamy it is! You'd never know by looking at it that it's full of healthy nutrients. The main healthy components are pumpkin & nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is a relatively new ingredient in my cooking life & it's fantastic. It creates a yummy cheese flavor without all the fat, cholesterol & calories, plus it's a great vegetarian source of vitamin B12.

Lay half of the eggplant slices on top of the sauce.

Sprinkle with mushrooms & onions. (No onions are in the pictured version.) I think it would also be good to add some chopped bell pepper or broccoli to the mixture, but I haven't tried that so I can't guarantee how the flavors would meld.

Top with another layer of sauce & sprinkle with garlic powder, black pepper & Italian seasoning.

Layer with the rest of the eggplant.

Top with the remaining sauce. At this point, you can go several directions. You can leave it as is or top with Italian seasoning. If you're feeling adventurous, sprinkle 1/3 cup of panko breadcrumbs on top for an added crunch.

After a short bake & broil, the top turns golden brown.

My favorite thing about this dish is how the creaminess of the sauce combines with the chew of the eggplant. It was filling & full of flavor without weighing me down - it was the perfect combo after all the Thanksgiving eating!

Cheezy Eggplant Bake
Serves 2

1 small eggplant (or 1/2 of a large eggplant), thinly sliced into rounds
6 white mushrooms, chopped
1 small onion, sliced
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp.garlic powder
1 tsp. Italian seasoning, divided
1/3 c panko breadcrumbs, optional
Pumpkin Mac 'n Cheeze Sauce

Preheat oven to 375*F. Spray a 5"x7" pan with cooking spray & set aside. In a small skillet over medium heat, saute mushrooms and onions until they soften & begin to sweat. Spread about a third of the pumpkin sauce over the bottom of the prepared pan. Lay half of the eggplant slices in a single layer to cover sauce. Spread mushroom & onion mixture over eggplant. Pour half of remaining pumpkin sauce over the mixture. Sprinkle with black pepper, garlic powder, & 1/2 tsp. of Italian seasoning. Place remaining eggplant slices in a single layer on top of sauce & seasonings. Top with the rest of the pumpkin sauce & sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning & panko breadcrumbs, if desired. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove aluminum foil & bake for 20 minutes more. Place under broiler for 3-5 minutes to lightly brown the top, watching closely so that it does not burn. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve hot.

Note: Once you assemble the dish, it can be stored in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake it. Do not place a cold glass pan into a preheated oven! If you are going straight from refrigerator to oven, place pan in oven to slowly warm while the oven is coming up to temperature. Once the oven comes to 375*F, then bake for 15 minutes before removing the foil.

Apple Pumpkin Beer Bread

Fall is slowly winding down. Daylight savings has come & gone, so now it's dark in both the morning & evening. This makes me want to curl up on the couch with a blanket & a mug of hot tea every.single.night. Not good. Especially when things like meetings & life get in the way.

You're probably ready for me to let go of fall, since I've been talking about it for months now, but I'm trying to hang on a little big longer.

This bread, with its fall flavors of pumpkin, apple, & spices helped just a bit. It's sweet enough to be dessert, but healthy enough for breakfast. Or as a mid-day snack to tide me over until dinner.

Start by mixing up the dry stuff, complete with lots of warming spices! Depending on how spiced the pumpkin beer you use is, you may want to reduce or increase the spices. I used Post Road Pumpkin Ale, which is slightly spiced but not over the top.

Chop up the apples & stir together the wet ingredients. There will be leftover beer, but don't worry about that. I'm sure you'll find a good place for it. ;-)

Pour the wet ingredients in with the dry and mix away.

Then add the apple chunks, stirring just until they're combined. Don't over stir.

Pour the batter into a loaf pan. I put a baking sheet under my loaf pan while baking, just in case, and it did catch a few drippings of batter. I wanted a nice big loaf, so I didn't want to cut back on the ingredients, but I also didn't want to have to clean the oven!

 

Once it cools, you can slice it up & enjoy!

The chunks of apple cooked into little pockets of sweetness, complimenting the spiced bread. Each bite has all the fall flavors, kicked up a notch with the slight hint of beer. I hope you enjoy it!

Apple Pumpkin Beer Bread

Yield: 12 slices

2 1/2 c white whole wheat flour

1/4 c ground flax

1/4 c toasted wheat germ

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ginger

pinch nutmeg

2 c chopped apples

1/4 c coconut oil, melted

1/2 c pumpkin puree

3/4 c agave nectar or maple syrup

3/4 c pumpkin beer

1 T vanilla

Preheat oven to 350*F. Spray a glass loaf pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine white whole wheat flour, flax, wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.  In a separate bowl, mix together coconut oil, pumpkin, agave nectar, pumpkin beer and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until no dry ingredients remain. Add apples and stir just until combined. Pour into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cook in pan 10 minutes. Invert onto a cooling rack and cool completely before slicing.

Halloween & Pumpkins

Happy Halloween!

I'm super into fall. I love everything about it, but I just don't get excited over Halloween like some people.

Sure, as a kid I loved getting lots of candy. I was super anal about it, too. I'd come home from trick or treating & dump my plastic pumpkin bucket out on the table. I separated out every candy into it's own pile & then counted them. Mom always wanted my Reese's cups, Dad liked the Snickers, & I liked M&M's. I would dole them out carefully, until I got to the candies I didn't like. Then I was very generous. "Here, Mom! You can have all of the Now&Laters!"

I remember leaving a Sugar Daddy on the dashboard of our truck one time. I've never been super into caramel, so it was taking me forever to eat it. When we stopped at a rest area, I set it there & when we got back into the truck it had melted down through the speaker holes. Oops...

Anyway, aside from the candy (which I don't get anymore anyway) I don't get excited about Halloween. I don't want to dress up or answer the door to strangers or decorate my house or go on scary hay rides or to haunted forests. I'd rather decorate for fall with autumn harvest things & make it last through Thanksgiving.

So instead of cool decorating ideas or spooky baked goods, I'm sharing with you a pumpkin recipe I found that I think you need to make. I'm celebrating fall by eating tons of pumpkin & squash.

OhSheGlows.com - Garlic Pumpkin Knots

Go make them. It'll take about 30 minutes of work & 2.5 hours of waiting, but it's totally worth it. You can always go plan your costume while you're waiting!

These rolls literally melt in your mouth. The dough is so light and airy. I even used white whole wheat flour for half of the flour & they were STILL airy! I did give them a second rise, once they were tied into knots. That was mostly because I was waiting for some super yummy Pumpkin Spice Bars to come out of the oven, but I would do it again. They really puffed up during that final 30 minute rest time.

These were perfect for eating on that bizarre snow day we had over the weekend!

I'll post my pictures from that soon (poor little garden!), but it just didn't seem right to post snow pictures on Halloween. This is fall, & I want to keep it that way!

Dinner for One + Roasted Curried Butternut Squash

When I'm eating alone, I get creative. It's probably a good thing that I rarely eat alone.

If left to my own devices, I'd be eating a lot of popcorn, apples, bananas, & carrots, with some chocolate dipped marshmallows thrown in for balance.

Yeah...

This meal, however, was a healthy mish-mash of foods. I'm really into orange lately. Maybe my beta carotene levels are down? Or maybe it's just fall & pumpkin season.

Don't forget the wine. When you're peeling & cubing 1 mini pumpkin & 2 small butternut squashes, you get thirsty.

See how my meal progressed? Toast with Dijon mustard, carrots, roasted yellow tomatoes + eggplant, & pumpkin seeds....

...turns into toast with Dijon mustard topped with roasted yellow tomatoes + eggplant, carrots, & roasted butternut squash.

It was completely worth the effort of preparing the squash. That stuff is like candy! I just can't stop eating it. It's melt in your mouth creamy & has just the right salty/sweet ratio.

Those pumpkin seeds sure did grow fast!

Roasted Curried Butternut Squash

Serves 2-4

1 large or 2 small butternut squash

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp curry powder

1/4 tsp cumin

Preheat oven to 400*F. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Peel & remove pulp from butternut squash, saving seeds for roasting seperately. Cut squash into small cubes, about 1/2"-1" in size. Spread on prepared tray in an even layer with all cubes touching the tray. Sprinkle with sea salt, curry powder, & cumin. Bake for 15 minutes. Stir & bake another 15 minutes. Stir again, checking for burning. Squash can be eaten when it's soft (check by poking with a fork - if it goes in easily, squash is done). If you prefer your squash to be a little crispier on the outside (like I do), leave in oven for another 10-15 minutes. Serve warm. Leftovers can be refrigerated for about 4 days & reheated as needed.

The Birthday Celebration That Just Doesn't End!

I'm prolonging this birthday as long as possible. So far, it's going on 1.5 weeks. :-D

Don't count, okay?

Mom & Dad were away for the week, so they had us over for the "official birthday dinner" on Sunday.

We started with olive bruschetta & goat cheese toasts. They were really good! The recipe was from Better Homes & Gardens, and it was actually an Olive-Cherry Bruschetta, but Mom left the cherries & prosciutto out. I'm glad, cause it was delicious as it was. We decided that anything with lime juice in it is always excellent.

For pre-dinner drinks, I brought Pumpkin Mudslides. The Food Network posted a mini-recipe on Twitter that I had to try. If you like pumpkin & you like Bailey's, this is for you. Yum!

To compliment the pumpkin in the mudslides, we also had roasted butternut squash candy.

Dinner was a white lasagna that was chock full of veggies!

Broccoli, cauliflower, onions, mushrooms, kale, zucchini, eggplant, green beans, & tomatoes with whole wheat lasagna noodles & a variety of cheeses.

Pairing Wine: Riesling, compliments of Dad's wine making

When we go to dinner at my parents, Mom always makes sure to have a super huge salad. Half for me, a quarter for her, the rest for the guys to split. :-)

My traditional birthday cake is always white with chocolate icing. It's my all time favorite, at least when it's made by Mom! She made Happy Day cake, which is an older recipe that she's tweaked a little to make it healthier. I love cake!

After dinner, we played pinochle. All of my hands looked about like this...decent but nothing special. Mom & I were a team against the guys, just like last weekend. We lost, but only by a little! I guess they deserve to win sometimes, too. ;-)

Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend! It always goes by WAY too quickly!

Birthday Dinner

A few notes & a cupcake recipe from my birthday:

1. Tuesday night was spent prepping cupcakes to bring to work. I finished this messy task at 10:15pm by splitting a giant-leftover batter-not quite baked through-chocolate chip cupcake topped with a whole lot of icing with the Bup. Yum!

2. It rained on my birthday. All. Day. Long. I went roller blading anyway & barely got wet. I'll show that rain!

3. The Bup left me notes on star shaped Post-Its. My favorite was on the door heading to the garage: "Wait! You forgot your halo!" O:-)

4. All 24 cupcakes disappeared before 5pm. Most were gone before noon. Guess my co-workers like cupcakes! (see below for recipe)

5. We had Zesty Wheat Berry-Black Bean Chili, salad, and bread for dinner, prepared by the Bup. The secret's out, my love, now I know just how well you can cook!

6. After dinner, it was still raining. We went for a walk anyway & got soaked. I think the rain showed us this time.

7. Avocados were on sale for $1, so we made a trip to the store.

8. While we were out, we got ice cream, the perfect birthday treat!

9. There was some pumpkin to puree. Now I have 5 1/2 cups of puree in the fridge to eat! YES!

10. We saw Tangled for the first time & LOVED it. I think the Disney movies have been going downhill since all the Princess classics, but this one was excellent!

11. After all this cake & ice cream, I think I need to go back to green veggies & smoothies for awhile. I even found a great post for a great assortment of go-to healthy foods!

Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes!

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes adapted from Can You Stay for Dinner? 

Makes 24 cupcakes

3 c white whole wheat flour

1 ½ c granulated sugar

1 T + 1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

8 T unsalted butter, melted

1/2 c unsweetened applesauce

1 cup reduced fat sour cream

4 T ground flax seed OR 4 T chia seeds, mixed with 3/4 c water* - let set for a few minutes before using

1 T + 1 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 c mini chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350*F. Line two 12 cup standard sized cupcake tin with paper liners.

Using an electric mixer, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add melted butter, applesauce, sour cream, flax/chia eggs, and vanilla. Beat at medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula and continue to mix until no lumps remain. Stir in chocolate chips by hand.

Evenly divide the batter among the cups in your prepared pan. Bake until cupcake tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pan carefully and let them cool on a wire rack.

*Note: You can use 4 large eggs instead, but then you lose the health benefits of the flax/chia.

Peanut Butter Icing/Filling

1 T butter, room temperature

1/3 c natural peanut butter

3 c powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2-4 T milk, or more if needed

Using an electric mixer, beat together butter & peanut butter. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, alternating with vanilla & milk, until you reach desired consistency. It should be spreadable, not runny.

Chocolate Icing

4 T butter

1/2 c cocoa powder

3 c powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2-4 T milk, or more if needed

　

Using an electric mixer, beat butter until smooth. Add cocoa powder & mix in. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, alternating with vanilla & milk, until you reach desired consistency. It should be spreadable, not runny.

To stuff the cupcakes

Note: You will probably have leftover icing. I had about 1 cup of peanut butter icing left over. You can freeze it to use at another time. Or eat it with a spoon. Your choice, I won't judge! :-)
: Fill a pastry bag with peanut butter icing. Stick the tip into the middle of the top of the cupcake and gently push down. Squeeze out icing as you pull up until you see it peak out the top. Then ice the cupcake with chocolate icing either with the icing bag or using a knife.