Tag Archives: fall

The Berry Ricky

With end of summer lingering (I’m optimistic) and the transition to fall upon us, this is a great time to enjoy late summer seasonal berries. This drink uses raspberries, blackberries, lime and mint, add some Cointreau, soda water and voila! No fancy cocktail tools, no shaking, just a little stirring of ingredients and served with ice!

Ingredients

2 oz Cointreau
1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
2 Blackberries
2 Raspberries
5 Mint Leaves
3-4 oz Club Soda (I used a sparkling water like Perrier)

Directions

Muddle the berries and mint in the bottom of a glass.
Add Cointreau and fresh lime juice with ice, and top with sparkling water.
Stir briefly. Garnish with a berry and mint sprig.

Source: I found this at Cointreau.us

Tricolor Autumn Salad

Leave a reply

This is made with purple cabbage, romaine lettuce and carrots.. full of nutrients, all raw ingredients, crunchy and delicious! Toss with Tahini Dressing and enjoy.

Ingredients

1 small head purple cabbage (grated)
1 small head romaine lettuce (finely chopped)
1 cup grated carrots
1 batch Tahini dressing

Tahini Dressing (makes 1.5 cups or so)

1/2 cup roasted tahini
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sea salt

Directions

In a large bowl, toss veggies
For dressing, puree ingredients until smooth
Toss salad with 1/2 cup or up to all dressing and serve

Source: Thanks Paleo Cooking from Elana’s Pantry

Baked Parmesan Zucchini

Leave a reply

Crisp, tender zucchini sticks are brushed with oil, topped with parmesan and herbs, and roasted to perfection. Totally yummy! I had to make a second batch just for the photos as the first batch disappeared pretty fast. 🙂

Ingredients

4 zucchini, quartered lengthwise
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a cooling rack with nonstick spray and place on a baking sheet; set aside.
In a small bowl, combine Parmesan, thyme, oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper, to taste.
Place zucchini onto prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan mixture. Place into oven and bake until tender, about 15 minutes. Then broil for 2-3 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown.
Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

Thanks http://damndelicious.net/2014/06/21/baked-parmesan-zucchini/

Peach or Nectarine Crisp

Leave a reply

Sweet succulent peaches and nectarines are sprinkled with an almond oat topping and baked till crisp and golden. Served with rich vanilla ice cream, this is wonderful and delicious summer dessert.

I modified this recipe from the original from PCC Natural Markets – but because the peaches were so ripe and sweet and I was planning to serve this with vanilla ice cream, I used a lot less sugar and also substituted tapioca flour instead of the corn starch. You can consult the original here, but here is my version of the recipe and the vote in my house was: this peach crisp is amazing!

Ingredients

2 pounds ripe peaches or nectarines, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 Tbsp coconut sugar, divided
2 teaspoons lemon juice
4 teaspoons tapioca flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (quick-cooking fine)
6 tablespoons cold salted butter, cut into small pieces
Vanilla yogurt or vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375° F.
Combine peaches or nectarines, 1 Tbsp coconut sugar, lemon juice and tapioca flour in a 9-inch shallow round baking dish or pie plate.
In a separate bowl, combine almond flour, oats and salt. Rub in butter with your fingertips until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle oat topping over the fruit mixture. Place the dish or pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet.
Bake until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before serving. Top each serving with a dollop of yogurt

Thanks PCC Natural Markets

Savory Mushroom Quiche

Leave a reply

I can’t believe it’s September already, but it’s been a beautiful summer! There’s a late summer chill in the air here in Seattle and the days are getting noticeably shorter. We had our first big wind/rain storm of the season last weekend.. there were uprooted trees and felled branches all over and many people lost power for a day or more. It sure makes you appreciate having light and heat at the flip of a switch! It was a little hard to explain to my two year old why we couldn’t make toast or pancakes but my almost five year old thought it was very fun to eat frozen bread with butter and jam! Anyway, here’s a great fall dish – mushroom quiche! I took my classic Quick Quiche recipe added a step (I promise it’s worth it!) and voila – lovely seasonal fall quiche!

Ingredients

I buy gluten free crusts in packages of two, so usually make two quiches at a time. One for now and one to freeze! So this recipe is for two quiches.

2 pie crusts (wheat or there are many gluten free options out there)
4 eggs
1 3/4 cups milk (2%, whole, or half & half.. your choice)
dash of salt and white pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Filling

2 cups shredded swiss cheese (divided)
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
1 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp thyme (dried) or 1 tsp fresh chopped thyme
1 Tbsp dry sherry

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
In a large pan, saute onion in butter over medium heat for 5 minutes
Add mushrooms and seasonings and saute for another 5 minutes (when done, onions should be transparent and golden brown, mushrooms tender and shrunken and liquid should be evaporated)
Stir in sherry and remove from heat
Make your quiche custard now by beating eggs until frothy, then adding seasoning and milk
Now you are ready to assemble and bake: first put 1/2 cup cheese in bottom of each crust, then add the mushroom/onion filling evenly, top this with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese, and then divide and pour the custard mixture into each filled crust
Bake for 40-45 minutes (crust should be golden brown, filling browned and firm to touch)
Cool a bit and serve!

Sweet Potato, Sausage and Kale Soup

1 Reply

It’s been rainy and damp this past week, so this soup seemed like a great dish – the sweetness of the sausage and sweet potatoes balance out the kale in a delicious way. Hot steamy bowl anyone? This recipe makes a large batch and freezes very well!

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
4 cups chopped onion (about 2 large)
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 lb sweet turkey or chicken Italian sausage
8 c. coarsely chopped peeled sweet potatoes (~2 lbs)
5 c. water
4 c. chicken broth
1 bunch kale, rinsed and chopped
1 cup coconut milk
Salt / pepper to taste

Directions

Heat oil in large pot, add onion and sauté for 5 minutes
Add garlic, salt & pepper (if desired) and sauté for a minute
Remove casings from sausage and add sausage to pan
Cook 5 minutes or until sausage is lightly browned, stirring to crumble
Add potato, water and broth and bring to a boil
Reduce heat and simmer for ~8 minutes
Gradually add kale, cook another 10 minutes or until tender
Season with salt/pepper as needed
Makes 10 servings

Apples & Toffee Caramel Dip

1 Reply

Go Seahawks!!!!!!!!!! I’m reposting this as an awesome super bowl game day snack. Totally unhealthy, totally delicious. Super easy to make. Enjoy!

This dip pairs especially well with Honeycrisp (or a tarter) apple!

Ingredients

1 brick cream cheese
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. white sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 bag toffee chips (like Heath toffee bits)

Mix first four ingredients well and fold in chips. Let chill for at least an hour. This makes very well a day in advance.

Honeycrisp apples are amazing with this dip!

Mashed Potatoes

1 Reply

What says comfort food like hot mashed potatoes with very simply some melted butter, salt and pepper..! Mashed potatoes are incredibly easy to make. And you can do so much with them. Mix in some fresh or roasted garlic, sour crème or milk, finely chopped chives or green onions, bacon bits and cheddar cheese. The combinations are endless! The secret to good mashed potatoes however is simple.. it lies in the quality and type of potatoes. I’ve found red potatoes and gold potatoes to be excellent options for mashed potatoes.

Ingredients

2 lbs potatoes
dash of salt
Butter and/or other favorite toppings

Directions

Peel potatoes (if desired), chop in 1″ pieces
Cover potatoes with water in pot and bring to boil
Cook until knife inserts in a potato easily
Pour off water and let cool a bit
Use an inversion blender to mix, adding butter and other toppings as desired

Paleo Apple Crisp

1 Reply

I was inspired by Lauren’s recent Apple Pie post and wanted to make a gluten free and paleo version!

This is a delicious paleo version of a classic apple crisp. Instead of flour and oats, you use almond meal which pairs beautifully with the apples. So yummy topped with some cold coconut milk.

Ingredients

2 cups blanched almond flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup coconut oil or butter (melted)
¼ cup honey
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
6 large apples, peeled and diced (I like Granny Smith apples)

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine almond flour, cinnamon and nutmeg
In a smaller bowl, combine oil, honey and vanilla
Stir wet ingredients into dry
Place apples in a glass baking dish
Crumble topping over the apples
Cover with tinfoil and bake at 350° for 50 minutes on low rack
When apples are soft and their juices bubble, remove cover and bake 10 more minutes to turn golden brown
Serve warm with coconut milk

Inspired and modified: http://cavemanstrong.com/2010/09/apple-crisp/

Shepherd’s Pie

Leave a reply

This is some serious comfort food – perfect for this dreary January weather – juicy ground beef and spices are tossed with vegetables and topped with golden and buttery mashed potatoes! 🙂

Ingredients

2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup milk
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 carrots, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375° F.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain; run through a food mill, ricer or mash. Stir in butter and milk; season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions, carrots and garlic; cook, until soft, about 7 minutes. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the fat.
Stir in tomato paste, peas, and parsley; season with salt and pepper.
Transfer meat mixture to an ovenproof dish. Spread potatoes over the top and crosshatch with a fork. Bake until golden, 30 to 35 minutes.

Super Mom Tip: Make days to weeks in advance and freeze! When ready, defrost in fridge overnight and bake per directions above.

Thanks to PCC Natural Markets and note that this recipe has been modified from the original.

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: