Christmas Cookies

We did our annual Christmas cookie bake session earlier this week. It was a lot of fun & we made dozens of cookies! In total, there were 11 different kinds.

As usual, Dad & W spent the afternoon making pizzelles. This year, they made 3 flavors: anise, almond, & lemon. All of them are crisp & flavorful.

Mom made Russian Tea Cakes (the white balls in the picture above) & Brown Sugar Sandtarts (the colorful cookies on the counter in the top right of the pic above). Both are family recipes that she makes year after year. The Sandtarts take a lot of time because the dough is rolled out & cut into shapes, which then need to be decorated before they are baked. They're totally worth the effort though!

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I mixed up the most varieties, but they were much smaller batches than the pizzelles or sandtarts.

Shown above are Pfeffernusse Cookies (Eat Live Run) (the round ones on the left) & Coconut Horchata Polvorones (Oh Ladycakes) (the flower shaped cut-outs). The Pfeffernusse were super easy to make & they have a nice spice/nut flavor. I wish I had taken them out of the oven just a little sooner because they are a little dry, so next time I would definitely bake them for less time. The Coconut Horchata Polvorones are not at all what I was expecting! They have excellent coconut flavor, but they aren't crispy like I thought they'd be. Instead, they are soft & doughy. Still good, but I wonder if they should bake longer.

I also made 2 kinds of biscotti - Whole Wheat Cranberry Pecan Biscotti (Eat Live Run) & Coffee Biscotti with Chocolate Bits (My Kitchen Affair). Both are good, although I prefer the Cranberry Pecan flavor. I love that flavor combo! I thought the coffee flavor was a bit strong in the Coffee Biscotti. However, if you like chocolate covered espresso beans, you'll love those cookies!

The dark brown cookies in the top center of the above picture are Peanut Butter Gingerbread Chocolate Chunk Cookies (Chocolate Covered Katie). I doubled the batch & was glad I did, because it still only made 2 dozen. By the time we divided them up to give to my aunt & grandma, & then half for each of us, there weren't many left! They're super chewy & mostly taste like pb cookies, but then they have a little kick from the ginger.

Also shown above in the center, are round brown cookies with pink sparkly edges. Those are Speculoos Buttons (Bon Appetit). If you click the link, you'll see that mine turned out looking nothing at all like the ones in their picture (which are gorgeous, by the way). Dad said mine look like sliced bologna or deer sticks, & he's pretty much right. Ugh. But, they taste delicious, so that's what matters! Maybe I should have put forth more effort & iced them, but they were the last batch to come out of the oven & I was tired...excuses, excuses...

I've been compiling cookie recipes for the past several months on my Cookie Bakin' Pinterest board, so there were plenty that I didn't get to. Lots of time for that during the rest of the winter!

Happy baking!

See last year's baking:

Part 1

Part 2

Healthy Spiced Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I seem to have an abundance of cookie recipes on here, but I like to make cookies & W likes to eat cookies, so I'm always trying new ideas. Cookie recipe testing is really just an excuse to eat the dough...and my love for cookie dough is the main reason I bake vegan cookies. No raw egg for me!

Another reason I keep making new variations is because I want to find a fairly healthy cookie recipe that doesn't taste that way. And since some people don't like banana or coconut or oats or need gluten free, etc., I keep baking. It's a real hardship. ;-)

They don't always turn out good enough to post about. I made a batch awhile ago that were kinda gummy & didn't keep well at all. I spared you from those.

This batch was my attempt at a seasonal chocolate chip cookie, hence the spices. We both really liked them. The peanut butter flavor is pretty subtle, as is the banana. They worked great together as a substitute for oil/butter (although I did use just a little) & sugar. Feel free to add more chocolate chips if you want, although I do tend to be heavy handed.

Enjoy!

Healthy Spiced Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 16 small cookies (vegan & gluten free, if using GF oats)

1 ripe banana, peeled & mashed
1.5 T coconut oil, softened
1/4 c natural peanut butter
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of ginger
3 T coconut flour
1 c rolled oats (gluten free if needed)
3 T unsweetened almond milk
1/3 c semi sweet chocolate chips (vegan if needed)

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix mashed banana, coconut oil, and peanut butter. Add sea salt, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and coconut flour. Stir well. Add oats and almond milk, mixing just to combine. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto a baking sheet. Using a fork, gently flatten balls. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until cookies no longer appear wet and are lightly browned on the edges. Remove from cookie sheet and cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container for 3-5 days.

Zucchini Baked Oatmeal with Fruit

It's zucchini season at last! I look forward to this time of year. I love zucchini pretty much any way it's prepared. This breakfast is a great way to add some vegetables to your breakfast. It's a healthy alternative to zucchini bread & uses a whole zucchini, so if you're not in to eating zucchini in savory recipes, this is a perfect way to use up your surplus.

Since I like to top my oatmeal with fruit & peanut butter, I kept this recipe simple. It doesn't have any sugar, so it's the perfect template for loads of fruit. I topped mine with half a banana, half a peach, a handful of blueberries, & a spoonful of peanut butter. W had the same fruits, but had Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter instead of pb. (I bought him this for his birthday because the boy is obsessed with Nutella, which is pretty unhealthy, whereas the Justin's brand is mostly hazelnuts instead of sugar. He likes it just as much!)

I don't have the patience to stir a pot of oats, so I love making baked oatmeal instead. This isn't like the baked oatmeal you get at a restaurant, it's more like a hybrid of stove-top & baked. It's firmer than stove-top oats, but has a similar flavor profile. Typical baked oatmeal is often full of sugar, making it a less healthy option. This is flavored mostly by the cinnamon instead of sugar.

If you're baking zucchini bread or roasting some veggies, mix this up & throw it in the oven, too. You'll have breakfast ready for the whole week & you barely lifted a finger.

Seasonal, simple & delicious! Enjoy!

Zucchini Baked Oatmeal with Fruit

Vegan & Gluten Free (if using GF oats)

Serves 6

2 c shredded zucchini (from 1 large zucchini)

2 c rolled oats (gluten free if necessary)

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 T ground flax seed

pinch of salt

2 c unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or milk of choice)

2 c water

Fruit of choice, such as bananas, blueberries, peaches, strawberries, etc. (optional)

Nut butter of choice (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray an 8"x8" baking pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix together zucchini, oats, cinnamon, flax seed, & salt. Add milk & water, stirring to combine. Pour mixture into prepared baking pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until all of the liquid has absorbed & the oatmeal is firm. Allow to cook for 15 minutes before slicing. Top with fruit & nut butter. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Note:

This can be made ahead of time & reheated in the oven, or portioned out & reheated in the toaster oven or microwave. I like to make it over the weekend, then divide it into 6 servings & reheat each day throughout the week for a quick breakfast.

Chocolate Bunny Butt Cake + Healthy Peanut Butter Frosting

Last weekend, we had my grandparents over for dinner & to play pinochle. Since we won't see them on Easter, I wanted to have it be an Easter-ish dinner. I asked the Bup what he wanted for dessert and he said, "Chocolate cake!" Surprise! That's what he always wants...

I started thinking of how to make chocolate cake more spring/Easter themed, & stumbled on the Bunny Butt Cake, courtesy of Betty Crocker. Of course, I had to healthify it, so I made my own cake & frosting.

This cake is dense & chocolatey. It's my favorite chocolate cake - one of the few cakes that I could eat without any frosting. That's really saying something, because usually I'm a frosting nut & don't much care about the cake part. While I'm not going to say this is a health food & you should have it every day, it is fairly healthy for chocolate cake.

And the frosting!!!! It's delicious! This is my new go-to peanut butter frosting. It has no butter & no refined sugars, yet it's sweet & smooth, just like it should be. Even if you don't make the cake, you could still use the frosting for other cakes/cupcakes. Believe me, it's yummy!

If you need a dessert for Easter, I hope you'll try this!

Chocolate Bunny Butt Cake
Adapted from Eating Well
Serves 8-10

1 3/4 c white whole wheat flour or spelt flour

3/4 c evaporated cane juice (or organic sugar)

2/3 c unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 c buttermilk (I used 2 T apple cider vinegar + 1 c unsweetened almond milk)

3/4 c packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 c coconut oil, melted

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 c hot strong black coffee

1 batch Healthy Peanut Butter Frosting (see recipe below)

2-4 T shredded coconut.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Coat a 1 1/2-quart ovenproof bowl (8 inches across top) and 6 muffin cups from a regular-size muffin tin with coooking spray.  

Whisk flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add buttermilk, brown sugar, egg, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add hot coffee and beat to blend. Don't worry - the batter is supposed to be thin.

Pour cake batter into the muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Pour remaining batter into the ovenproof bowl.

Bake cupcakes 20-22 minutes, and the bowl 60-70 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes each before removing from muffin cups and bowl. Cool completely on wire racks.

Place large dome cake, flat side down, on a large serving platter. Coat with frosting to desired thickness, reserving some frosting for the feet and tail.  Place 2 cupcakes for feet on the bottom of the cake. Place 1 cupcake for the tail a few inches up, centered between the feet. Secure each cupcake with a toothpick through the center, pushing in until it does not show. Carefully coat feet and tail with frosting. Sprinkle shredded coconut onto the tail, pressing gently so that it sticks to the frosting.

Note: This chocolate cake can also be made in 2 round 9" or 8" pans, or a 9x13 pan. Baking times will vary.


Healthy Peanut Butter Frosting
Makes 2.5 cups of frosting

1 1/3 c natural peanut butter
16 dates
2/3 c water
1/4-1/2 tsp. salt (if your pb has salt in it, use the lesser amount and adjust to taste)
1/3 c old-fashioned oats
3 T maple syrup
1/2 c unsweetened almond milk

Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor. Process until smooth and creamy, adding more milk if necessary. Refrigerate in an airtight container for 2 hours to allow flavors to meld and frosting to thicken. This can be done ahead of time; I made mine the night before. When the cakes are cooling, remove from fridge to allow to come to room temperature for easier spreading. Extra frosting can be frozen in an airtight container for about 3 months.

Fruit & Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

In case you didn't already know, I love dessert! Every day, I look forward to a sweet treat after dinner & most days, we have one. Since we love dessert so much, I try to make healthy treats for us.

These bars are healthy, low in sugar, & packed full of oats, but they taste delicious & satisfy our taste for something sweet & chocolatey. I used a combination of dried fruits (cranberries, cherries, golden raisins, & blueberries), but any of those would work by themselves as well. The cranberries were my favorite in combo with the chocolate!

I was really tempted to have one for breakfast & just might do that tomorrow. Aside from the chocolate, these are very similar to a baked oatmeal, so I say go for it! Dessert for breakfast always makes the day feel special. :-)

Fruit & Chocolate Oatmeal Bars
Vegan & Gluten free (if using gluten free oats)
Serves 9

1 banana, mashed
1/3 c nut butter*
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c almond milk
1/4 c sucanat/coconut sugar/brown sugar
2 c rolled oats, gluten free if necessary
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 T chia seeds
1/4 c cocoa powder
1/3 c dried cranberries, raisins, or a mix
1/3 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray an 8x8 pan with cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, mash together the banana and nut butter. Add vanilla and milk and stir until combined. Stir in oats, baking powder, salt, chia seeds, and cocoa powder. Once combined (don't overstir), add dried fruit and chocolate chips. Spread in the prepared baking pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until top springs back lightly when touched. Allow to cool before slicing.

*Any nut butter or cookie butter (like from Trader Joe's) can be used. Cookie butter or almond butter have a more neutral taste. Peanut butter would add more flavor & make them a peanut butter chocolate bar!

Christmas Cookie Baking, Part 2

Over the weekend, we did a second cookie baking session. Sure, the first was successful & all, but can you ever really have too many cookies? There are so many delicious recipes out there to try!

In order as you see above, here's what we made.

1. Limoncello Pizzelles - The guys made both pizzelles, as usual. They're trying something new & flavoring them with liquors. To these, they also added lemon zest. It brought out the flavor nicely!

2. Cooking Light's Chocolate-Hazelnut Thumbprints - We loooooove these! It's always nice to have a chocolate cookie in the mix & these are pretty, too.

3. Apricot & Pistachio Biscotti - Usually you find pistachios combined with dried cranberries, so the addition of apricots is refreshing. Another thing I love about biscotti is that it keeps well. Perfect for when you have a lot of cookies around.

4. Joy's Vanilla Almond Orange Cloud Cookies - I never baked with almond paste before, so these were a change. Also, they're flour-free, so they're great for people with gluten allergies. They're chewy inside with a crisp outside. So good!

5. Kahlua Pizzelles - They were a little disappointed in the texture of these - they're not as crisp as usual. We're not sure what happened there, but the I'm not worried. They're still good!

6. Summer's Dirty Snowballs (not pictured) - These were least impressive of all the cookies. Maybe because they're frozen? They look cute, though. I think we'll try ours in banana soft serve, making a kind of blizzard treat.

I hope you're still in the cookie spirit! Happy baking!

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!

Christmas Cookie Baking

Last Saturday we went to my parents' house & baked 6 batches of Christmas cookies!

My mom made the Lime & Ginger Chewies shown above, plus some Spicy Gingerbread Twigs. Both recipes were from the December issue of Better Homes & Gardens. Their cookies recipes for this year are full of variety.

We had some issues with the first batch of the Lime & Ginger Chewies. They spread a lot during baking & we wound up having to cut them apart (hence the squares in the upper right of the pic above). If you make these, space them far apart on the cookie sheet! They really are chewy cookies, which we love. Plus, the lime flavor shines through perfectly without overwhelming the cookies.

The Spicy Gingerbread Twigs are like hard sticks of gingerbread cookie. Much easier to make than rolling & cutting out gingerbread men, but with the same flavor. I'd suggest omitting the cayenne pepper if you're serving them to kids. It adds quite a kick.

I baked 2 kinds of biscotti. The ones pictured above are Anisette Biscotti from BrownEyedBaker.com. I used sambuca for the anisette liquor, & coconut oil instead of vegetable oil.  They're more soft & crumbly than what I think of biscotti as being, but the flavor is sooooo good!

The other biscotti I made was from Eating Well. I made this Double Chocolate Biscotti before a few years ago & it is just as good as I remembered! The traditional Italian biscotti does not have any added oils/fats, but uses eggs instead. This recipe follows that tradition. It has a rich chocolate flavor without being overly sweet.

If you're a huge chocolate fan like me, try dipping these into hot cocoa. It's delicious!!

Dad & Bup made pizzelles. Can you tell we have some Italian background in this family? :-) My grandma gave us this pizzelle iron as a wedding gift. I made pizzelles with it once before the Bup took over that job. He & my dad make a great team.

Dad mixes up the dough & then the Bup cooks them. He has a timing system down pat.

Their first batch was Almond Apricot Brandy flavored & the second was Anise. I'd share the recipes with you, but Dad guards his recipe card with his life. He has so many alterations to the original recipe that you can barely read the card. I'm going to have to copy it down at some point so we can preserve the recipe.

They're hard to tell apart by sight on a cookie platter. We store them in separate tins & label them so we know what we're getting without having to take a bite.

We had pre-dinner drinks to finish off a successful afternoon of cookie baking. This recipe was a new discovery from one of our drink books. It's called Fire & Ice, and is made from equal parts Sambuca, Brandy & Triple Sec.  Our day had an anise theme to it: biscotti, pizzelles, & drinks.

Having tasted these once before, I opted for the small glass. This is a strong drink!

 Here's to a festive & joyous Christmas season full of cookies!

Cheers!

Kale & Feta Portobello Caps

Along with our cabbage side dish, I made baked portobello caps. They look kinda fancy, but they were super quick to make. This whole meal came together in about 40 minutes, most of which was baking time.

I don't like my portobellos to be too juicy, so I prefer to bake or grill them with the gill side down first to cook off some of the juices. After that, I turn them over, top them, & bake them a little longer until heated through.  The Bup likes his a little juicer, so when he's grilling, he'll keep mine gill side down for almost the entire cooking time.

Since kale really shrinks when it cooks, I pre-cooked it prior to topping the mushroom caps. That way it would stay on easier & I could fit more on there. It also cut down on the baking time, since the kale mixture just needed to be heated instead of complete cooking.

This meal had a lot of flavors, but they went so well together! It was surprisingly warming, which made for a perfect dinner on a crisp fall night.

Kale & Feta Portobello Caps

Serves 2-3

3 large portobello caps, washed & destemmed (save the stems)

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

3 leaves of kale, destemmed & chopped

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)

3 T feta cheese, divided

3 tsp. Balsamic vinegar, divided

Preheat oven to 400*F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Place mushroom caps gill side down on the baking sheet & bake for 15 minutes.

In the meantime, chop the stems that you removed from the caps. Cook stems, garlic, & kale in a skillet over medium heat until the kale is wilted. Add red pepper flakes if desired.

Remove baked caps from the oven & drain juices from the baking sheet. Turn the caps over so they are gill side up. Top with equal parts of the kale mixture. Then add 1 T feta cheese & 1 tsp. Balsamic vinegar each. Return to oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until heated through. They can be served now, or placed under the broiler for about 3 minutes to lightly brown the feta cheese (highly suggested!). Enjoy!



Cherry Walnut Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

The best thing to do during a big storm is bake cookies! The warmth of the oven, plus the comforting smell of them baking, makes for a cozy afternoon.

These cookies are full of natural, healthy ingredients. Spelt flour, oats, cinnamon, cherries, & walnuts all add health benefits. Everyone loves eating a cookie & still feeling like they put something healthy into their body!

Enjoy & stay dry. My thoughts & prayers are with everyone as Hurricane Sandy comes through!

Cherry Walnut Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Adapted from Cooking Light
Makes 32-34 cookies

2/3 c (3 oz) spelt flour (or sub white whole wheat flour)
1 1/2 c old-fashioned oats
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
6 T organic butter
2/3 c sucant
1 tsp. vanilla
1 organic egg
1/2 c dried cherries (or sub raisins or dried cranberries)
1/2 c chopped walnuts
1/3 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Mix together flour, oats, baking soda & salt in the bowl of a mixer. Stir to combine.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Once melted, watch closely until butter begins to brown. Remove browned butter from heat & add sucanat. Add to flour mixture and beat at medium speed until combined. Add vanilla and egg; beat until blended. Fold in cherries, walnuts, & chocolate. 

Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto baking sheets. Cookies will only spread slightly. Bake for 12 minutes, then remove from oven & cool on pans for 3 minutes before removing. Finish cooling on wire racks.

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 Apple Sharlotka with Peanut Butter Drizzle

It's finally apple season! Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the apples, crisp fresh morning air, pumpkin everything, the sound of leaves crunching, & the beauty of all the colorful leaves. So to celebrate, I decided to make an apple dessert! It seemed like a good way to ease into fall flavors.

We had this for breakfast - it's definitely healthy enough! Although it does have more sugar than I normally have at breakfast, it also has fruit, whole wheat flour, eggs, & cinnamon. Plus peanut butter! And if you're like me, you'll add another spoonful of pb on top before enjoying.

Here are just a few of the health benefits from this cake:

• Apples: fiber, vitamin C, phyto-nutrients
• Whole Wheat Flour: fiber, manganese, tryptophan, selenium
• Organic Eggs: choline, selenium, folate, B vitamins, lutein, protein
• Cinnamon: calcium, iron, aids in digestion
• Sucanat: potassium, Vitamins A & C (Sucanat is a raw sugar, often used for the same flavors as brown sugar. Unlike refined sugars, it retains some nutrients, making it a healthier option.)
• Peanut butter: healthy fats, protein, staying power!

To celebrate our anniversary, I used my heart shaped springform pan. I got it awhile ago, but don't use it often because it's awkward to cut even slices from a heart. It's fun to have for celebrations, though! Just don't be jealous when I "accidentally" cut my slice bigger than yours. :-)



Cinnamon Apple Sharlotka with Peanut Butter Drizzle
Serves 8
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

6 large apples (I used Granny Smith)
3 large organic eggs
3/4 c sucanat
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 c white whole wheat flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2-4 T natural peanut butter, to drizzle on top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Spray the paper & sides of the pan with cooking spray. Place springform pan on a large, rimmed baking sheet to catch any leaks that may occur while baking. (I would have had a mess to clean up in my oven!)

Peel, halve and core your apples. Chop them into small chunks (about 1"x1/2" each). Place apple chunks into the pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs & sucanat until thick. Beat in vanilla. Stir in the flour, mixing until just combined.

Pour batter over the apple chunks in pan. Spread the batter to make sure it evenly covers all of the apples. Make sure to help the batter fill in the spaces between the apples.

Bake for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Remove from oven & cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Remove the sides of the springform pan, then flip cake onto another rack, peel off the parchment paper, & carefully flip it back onto a serving platter. Drizzle with peanut butter. Serve warm.

Curried Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

We had a crazy long/busy weekend! I'll have some pictures & stories of our shower renovation up soon. My original plan was to have grilled pizza on Saturday night, but when we realized how long it was going to take to finish the shower, we decided not to take the time.

Sunday night came along, and we still needed every minute we could get, so I changed plans & made these stuffed peppers. They were very easy - only about 30 minutes hands-on time. The curry flavors went very well with the quinoa & pepper, & even provided a subtle heat to the dish. These peppers are packed with healthy protein (from the quinoa) & veggies, not to mention all of the flavor!

You can see that they look a little charred. I like my peppers a little crispy, & the pieces of swiss chard that were on top turned black. If you would prefer yours to be slightly less done, just bake for less time. The filling is pre-cooked, so as long as they are heated through, the baking time is adjustable. Just note that the less time you bake them for, the less cooked the pepper will be.

Curried Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Serves 4-6

1 c quinoa

1 1/2 c unsweetened almond milk

1/2 c water

4-6 bell peppers, depending on their size

1 tsp. coconut oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tomatoes (or about 1 1/2 cup), chopped (or a 14 oz. can of diced)

1/3 c peanut sauce

1 T red curry paste

3 T nutritional yeast

3 T curry powder

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. salt

2 c swiss chard, chopped (or substitute spinach)

In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa, almond milk, &water. Bring to a boil, then cover & simmer for 15 minutes.

Core peppers by cutting a wide circle around the stem. Pull out all seeds, leaving hollow peppers. Cut the stem out of the lids & chop the remaining pieces. Spray a 9"x9" pan with cooking spray & place hollowed peppers in it, upright. Preheat oven to 350.

Heat coconut oil in a large skillet (I used a cast-iron pan) over medium heat. Add onions & pepper pieces. Cook for 5 minutes or until softened. Add garlic & cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes, peanut sauce, red curry paste, nutritional yeast & spices. Stir to combine, then add cooked quinoa. Once mixture is heated through, removed from heat & stir in swiss chard.

Spoon mixture into hollowed peppers, dividing evenly.* Bake for 40-45 minutes.

*I started out with 4 peppers & when I started adding the filling, I realized I had enough for a 5th. If your peppers are smaller, you may have enough to fill 6.

Zucchini & Eggplant Lasagna

We've made this twice in the last 8 days. It's that good. Both times required a trip to the grocery store for tofu. It was totally worth it.

I almost didn't share it with you because we were running super late & I didn't have much time for photos, but since we've had it twice, I had to snap a few quick ones. To note: lasagna is ugly in pictures, especially rushed ones. Don't let that put you off. It tastes 1000% better than it looks here!

Let me tell you about the second trip to the grocery store. It was on Sunday afternoon & I decided to bike. So I headed out, & started seeing some dark clouds coming in. I hurried through the store & got frustrated immediately. I thought I'd buy a couple boxes of tofu so this wouldn't happen again, only to find that they only had 3 containers & they all expired on Aug. 8. Strike 1. I paid for my items & headed out to my bike. It was really dark & blustery, but I decided to head home anyway. I took the shortest route, but it wasn't enough. As I exited the parking lot & turned at the light, it started to downpour. I was drenched within seconds, so I figured I might as well keep going...I'm pretty sure at one point it was hailing. Strike 2. I made it home safely, though. Next time I need tofu for a recipe, I'm taking the car & buying several boxes!

This recipe is perfect to make ahead of time. We assembled the lasagna on Sunday afternoon & then put it in the refrigerator, covered, overnight. When I got home from work on Monday, I took off the lid & put it in the oven while it preheated. Once the oven was at 400, I set my timer & dinner was ready 45 minutes later! It's great for nights when you have other chores to do before dinner because there's no prep involved that day. I would assume that it could be frozen & then baked in a similar fashion, though baking time would increase.

Grilling the veggies adds so much flavor to this lasagna! I do not recommend skipping that step. It also helps keep the lasagna from getting overly wet as it bakes. I hope you try this & enjoy it! It's light, yet filling - perfect for a late summer evening.

Zucchini & Eggplant Lasagna - Vegan
Filling adapted from PBS Food Fresh Tastes Blog
Serves 6

2 medium zucchinis
1 large eggplant
3 c thick tomato sauce
1 16 oz. block extra firm tofu
1 T nutritional yeast
1 T olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp oregano
2-3 cloves garlic
4 c swiss chard (or spinach), coarsely chopped
garlic powder
Italian seasoning

Cut tofu into 4 pieces & press for at least 20 minutes.

Slice zucchinis & eggplant lengthwise into long strips, about 1/4" thick. Grill slices on a well-oiled grill at med-high for about 5 minutes per side or until browned.

In a blender, combine pressed tofu, nutritional yeast, olive oil, salt, oregano, & garlic. Blend until smooth. Add swiss chard & blend until only small pieces of swiss chard remain.

Preheat oven to 400*F. Spray a 9"x13" baking pan with cooking spray. Spread about 1/2 c sauce on the bottom of the pan. Lay a single layer of zucchini (about 1 of them) on the bottom. Cover with half of the tofu filling mixture. Sprinkle with garlic powder & Italian seasoning. Cover with sauce, about 1/2 to 1 cup. Layer with the eggplant slices. Top with remaining tofu filling & 1/2 to 1 cup of sauce. Sprinkle with more garlic powder & Italian seasoning, if desired. Place the remaining zucchini on top and cover with remaining sauce. Bake for 45 minutes or until bubbly.*

*Baking time is fairly flexible. I've increased the heat to 450 & baked for 45 minutes, so if you have something else to go in the oven also, it should bake nicely at 350 also, just bake it for an hour instead. All of the ingredients are cooked already, so baking it helps meld the flavors and heat everything evenly.

Happy Day Walnut Cake

I'm a bit of a cake snob.

It took me about 25 years to realize it, but it's true.

When we go out to eat, I always get excited about the dessert tray. Most times, my eyes are drawn to the chocolate cake, always so dark & covered in plenty of frosting, but when I get it, it rarely lives up to my expectations. It's always either too dry, not chocolatey enough, or just mediocre all around. So now, I try to remember that & order something different. Or just go for ice cream. That's always a safe bet.

This cake ranks in the "something different" category. The walnut cake recipe is a traditional one that my mom gave me from her recipe cards. I believe she got it from her mom, who got it from hers, etc., so I'm not sure of the origin. I just know it's good! Mommom always served it with a fluffy white frosting & stored it in her silver cake carrier.

I found an identical carrier at our church rummage sale & just had to buy it. I love using it because it always reminds me of Mommom's cakes.

Poppop's birthday (85 years!) was on Saturday, so Mom invited my grandparents & us over for dinner on Sunday to celebrate. I offered to make the cake, & Mom said he loves walnut cake, so she shared the recipe. I'm not a fan of the fluffy frosting that's the norm, so I went a different route & made rhubarb frosting.

I love the way the flavors blend together. The hint of rhubarb cuts the sweetness of the frosting & compliments the nutty flavors in the cake. The first time I tried the frosting, it was on rhubarb cupcakes. That was good, but this was great!

Enjoy!

Happy Day Walnut Cake

Recipe from Mom's Archives, adapted very slightly

Serves 10-12

1 c all-purpose flour

1 1/4 c white whole wheat flour

1 T baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 1/3 c sugar

1/2 c non-hydrogenated shortening

1 c almond milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 organic eggs

1 c chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375*F. Grease and flour two 8" round pans. In the bowl of a stand mixer, sift together flours, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Add shortening and mix. Once combined (mixture should be crumbly), add 1/2 of the milk, the vanilla, and 1 egg. Beat for 2 minutes. Add remaining milk and egg. Beat another 2 minutes. Gently fold in walnuts. Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake for 28-30 minutes or until bake pulls away from the edges of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from pans and allow to cool completely on cooling racks before icing.

Rhubarb Frosting

Adapted from Food Doodles

1/2 c organic butter, softened

1 c pureed raw rhubarb, cooked until reduced by half & cooled
5 c powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

In a medium bowl, beat the butter, rhubarb puree, and vanilla together to combine.  In 1 cup increments, add the powdered sugar until the frosting is thick and smooth.  Depending on how wet your rhubarb is, you many need to add addtional sugar.