Baked Pumpkin Donuts

{note} You will need a donut pan for this recipe, or you could make muffins

Donuts

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin purée (canned pumpkin)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, or 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus heaping 1/4 teaspoon each ground nutmeg and ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour

Coating

• 3 tablespoons cinnamon-sugar

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two standard doughnut pans. If you don't have doughnut pans, you can bake these in a standard muffin tin; they just won't be doughnuts.

2) Beat together the oil, eggs, sugar, pumpkin, spices, salt, and baking powder until smooth.

3) Add the flour, stirring just until smooth.

4) Fill the wells of the doughnut pans about 3/4 full; use a scant 1/4 cup of batter in each well. If you're making muffins, fill each well about 3/4 full; the recipe makes about 15, so you'll need to bake in two batches (unless you have two muffin pans).

6) Bake the doughnuts for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of one comes out clean. If you're making muffins, they'll need to bake for 23 to 25 minutes.

7) Remove the doughnuts from the oven, and after about 5 minutes, loosen their edges, and transfer them to a rack to cool.

8) While the doughnuts are still warm (but no longer fragile), gently shake them in a bag with the cinnamon-sugar. If you've made muffins, sprinkle their tops heavily with cinnamon-sugar.

9) Cool completely, and wrap airtight; store at room temperature for several days.

Yield: 12 standard or 24 mini doughnuts (or 15 muffins) {original recipe from: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/PrintRecipe?RID=4281&radio=1}

Tortilla Pie

1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1 yellow or white onion, chopped
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can whole kernel corn, drained (or about 1.5 cups frozen, thawed)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
1 1/2 cups salsa, divided
1 cup shredded cheese
1-2 Tbsp taco seasoning mix (see below)
6 corn tortillas

On the stove over medium-high heat, cook the meat with 1-2 Tbsp of taco seasoning. When it's close to being done, add the onion and cook until onion is soft and translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Drain off any excess grease.

In a large bowl make filling mixture: Combine meat and onions, corn, beans, tomatoes, and 1 cup salsa. Place 3 tortillas in the bottom and part way up the sides of a 9-inch glass pie plate. Then add the filling mixture. Place 3 more tortillas over the filling. Spread 1/2 cup salsa over the tortillas. Top with 1 cup cheese.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 60 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve with sour cream and sliced green onions if desired. Makes 4-6 servings.

Note: Cooked, shredded chicken can be used instead of ground beef, or meat can simply be omitted for a vegetarian option.

- - -

Taco Seasoning:

1 Tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp dried oregano

Creamy Avocado Pasta

6 ounces whole wheat pasta
1 large ripe Avocado, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 Mango Jalapeno chicken sausages (or any flavor - this is just my personal favorite)
1 red pepper, diced

1. Bring water to a boil in a medium sized pot. Salt the water and add in your pasta, reduce heat to medium, and cook until Al Dente, about 8-10 minutes.

2. Either grill, microwave, or bake chicken sausages according to package directions. Once cooked through, slice sausages into 1/4" thick slices.

3. While sausages and pasta are cooking, make the sauce by placing the avocado, garlic, lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper into a food processor or blender. Process until smooth and creamy.

3. When pasta is done cooking, drain and place pasta into a large bowl. Add the sauce to the pasta and toss until pasta is well coated. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired. Top with cooked sliced chicken sausage and diced red pepper. Serve immediately.

Note: This pasta dish is best eaten the day it is made.

Time: 15 minutes. Serves 2. Can easily be multiplied to serve many. Such a quick and easy dinner!

{Adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod}

Creole Breakfast Bread Pudding

1/2 lb sausage
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/3 cup sliced green onions
1/3 cup dry white wine
8 cups french bread cut into 1" cubes (day old or stale is ideal)
2.5 cups milk
1/2 cup cream
1/4 cup melted butter
8 large eggs, beaten
8 ounces peperjack cheese, shredded
8 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
3/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp each black and cayenne peppers
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 325. Cook the sausage in a skiller. Add onions and peppers. Cook for 3 min more. Stir in the green onions, add wine and cook over high heat for 1 min. Set aside.

Place bread on a mixing bowl. Add milk and cream. Stir well. Let sit for 5 min.

Pour melted butter into a 9x13" pan and coat sides. Pour extra butter in with the bread.

Mix sausage and bread mixtures. Add eggs, jack cheeses and seasonings. Put in the pan and cover with foil.

Bake 1 hour. Uncover and bake 15 min more. Remove from oven and increase the temp to 375. Spread sour cream and parmesan cheese over the top. Bake for 10-15 min. Serve hot.

Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad

1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup vegetable stock

3 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

vinaigrette
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon, apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper, to taste

1 green onion, sliced thinly
2 tablespoons sliced toasted almonds
small handful of dried cranberries
feta cheese crumbles

Bring vegetable stock to a boil and add in quinoa. Cover and simmer over medium heat until tender and mostly absorbed. Drain, fluff with a fork and set aside.

Meanwhile, toss sweet potatoes with olive oil, cumin, chili powder and cayenne and bake in a 400F oven for about 20 minutes or until tender.

In a small serving dish, toss together the quinoa and potatoes. Combine the vinaigrette ingredients in a small jar (tasteand adjust seasonings, if necessary) and pour over salad. Add in green onions, almonds, cranberries and feta and combine.

Serves at least 8 as a side.

{from Poppytalk}

Peanut Butter Bacon Cookies

1 cup all-natural chunky or smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
about 6 slices of bacon, cooked, cooled and diced

In a skillet over medium high heat, fry up bacon until cooked through and let cool on paper towels until cool enough to dice. Dice up and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment and set aside. In a mixer combine peanut butter and sugars until well combined, about 2 minutes. Add egg and baking soda and mix for another 2 minutes. Fold in cooked bacon. Roll into large walnut sized balls and create a criss-cross pattern with a fork. If you’d like, roll the dough balls in granulated sugar before making the criss-cross pattern. Bake for 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool on a baking sheet for five minutes.

Mushroom Turkey Barley Soup

1 Tbsp butter
1/2 c onion, chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
5 c chicken broth
1/3 c pearl barley
1 T soy sauce
4 carrots, sliced
2 tsp dried dill weed
pepper to taste
8 oz mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 lb turkey breast, cubed

Melt butter in a stock pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until onions are tender but not brown. Add mushrooms and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

 Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute. Add stock, barley, soy sauce, and turkey. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 30 minutes.

Add carrots, dill, and pepper. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, or until barley and vegetables are tender.

Play Dough

3 cups flour
1.5 cups salt
6 tsp. cream of tarter
3 tbsp. oil
3 cups water

Pour all ingredients into a large pot. Stir constantly over medium heat until a dough ball forms by pulling away from the sides. Knead dough until the texture matches play dough (1-2 minutes). Store in plastic container. Should last for at least 3 months.
To color, divide into 6 pieces. Into each piece, knead 1 packet of Kool-Aid.

Kool-Aid Colors:
Lemon-aid: Can hardly tell it's in there
Pink Lemon-aid: Very pale pink, fleshy
Blue Raspberry Lemon-aid: Light blue
Cherry: Pink
Strawberry: Dark pink
Lemon-Lime: Bright green
Grape: Blue-purple
Orange: Bright orange

The Perfect Bloody Mary

5 1/2 oz. V8 hot & spicy tomato juice
1 1/2 oz. gin or vodka
1/2 oz. lemon juice
1/2 oz. worcestershire
fresh ground black pepper
celery salt
olive or pickle juice
tobasco sauce

Combine tomato juice, gin (or vodka), lemon juice and worcestershire in a glass with ice. Add a few twists of pepper, a few shakes of celery salt, a dash of olive or pickle juice, and a dash of tobasco. Stir. Adjust to taste. Garnish with pickle, lemon, salami, cheeses and olives.

This can easily be made non-alcoholic by omitting the gin.

Slow-Roasted Orange Pork

1 (6-7 pound) boneless pork shoulder or Boston butt, well marbles
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp  ground allspice
1 tsp ground corriander
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbs salt
6 cloves garlic, thinnly sliced
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1-1/3 cups orange juice, divided
1.5 cups dry red wine, divided

2 Tbs fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbs olive oil
2 thin-skinned oranges, thinly sliced

Three days before cooking, make deep cuts into the roast. Combine cloves, allspice, coriander, pepper, cinnamon, salt, garlic, oil, 2/3 cup orange juice and 1/2 cup of wine. Smear mixture all over roast, stuffing spices and garlic into the cuts. Put in a bag or container with extra marinade and refrigerate for 3 days, turning several times.

Day of cooking:
Remove meat from fridge and preheat oven to 400 F. Puree rosemary, onion, oil and salt. Spread over meat, stuffing into cuts. Put the roast into a shalow pan (such as a 9x13x2 or a half sheet pan) with the fat side up and scrape any remaining marinade over the meat. Lay orange slices over the roast and roast for 30 min.

Pour the remaining wine and orange juice over the roast, reduce temp to 325 F and roast 90 min, basting over 20-30 min. Once meat reaches 145-150 F, reduce heat to 200 F for another 30 min, or until internal temperature is 155-160 F. Remove from oven and let rest for 10-15 min before slicing.

Thinly slice pork and drizzle with pan juices. Serve along side roasted potatoes and salad.

Endive, Apple and Goat Cheese Salad

Salad:3 large endives, unblemished
1 medium Honey Crisp or Braeburn apple
3/4 cup walnut halves, toasted and roughly chopped
3oz goat cheese, crumbled

Apple-Cider Vinaigrette:
1/2 apple, cored and chopped
2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
2 tsp mustard
2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup parsley leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice

For Salad, slice the endive in 1/2-1" pieces and put in a bowl of ice water for 5 min. Drain, sprin and throughly air-dry. Quater, core and thinly slice apple. Toss with lemon juice to prevent browning.

For vinegairette, put all ingredients except for the oil and lemon juice into a food processor or blender. Puree. Add oil slowly and allow to throughly blend. Just before serving, mix in lemon juice.

Toss endive, apple, goat cheese and walnuts with 4-6 Tbs of the dressing (or to taste) in a bowl.

{notes} This salad serves 4-6 people as a side. You can double the endive and apple to make it go further (with no need to increase the other ingredients). Add more dressing if you do that. The dressing makes a boat-load; several times what you actually need, so feel free to scale down. The recipe says you can keep the dressing up to 8 hours in the fridge, but I'd give it a week, probably.

Cranberry Orange Ice Cream

1.5 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
4T orange juice concentrate
2 T water
2T brown sugar

1T vanilla
1 cup cream
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar

Heat cranberries through brown sugar in a sauce pan over medium-high heat. Simmer for 5 minutes, squishing the cranberries as you stir. Cool completely (to speed cooling, pour into a shallow pan and place in fridge for 30 min).

Mix vanilla-sugar in a bowl until sugar is mostly dissolved. Pour into ice cream maker along with the cranberry mixture. Freeze according to manufacturer's directions.

Mango Chicken Curry with Coconut Rice

This takes a little planning ahead. The meat should marinate at least a couple hours, or overnight. The rice takes about an hour and fifteen minutes to prepare. It's worth the effort, though. If you want to save on calories or groeries, the curry would be good over plain rice as well. {Thanks to my friend, Laura, for the base of this recipe}

Serves 4.

For the chicken curry:

2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks

2-3 Tbsp. hot curry paste

Veg. oil

Cider vinegar

1 onion, chopped

1-2 bell peppers, sliced and cut into 1" pieces

Fresh cilantro, chopped

2 mangos, chopped

Coconut rice (see below)

Make a marinade with the curry paste, a little oil, some cider vinegar, and a little water.  Add the chicken and let it marinade for a few hours.

Cook the onion and peppers in a little oil.  When done, add the chicken with marinade.  When the chicken is cooked, add the cilantro and mango chunks.  Stir over heat a few more minutes.  Serve over rice.

For the rice:

1 1/2 cups brown jasmine or basmati rice
2 cups good-quality coconut milk (preferably regular, not 'lite')
2 cups water

1/2 tsp. salt

2 1/2 Tbsp. dry shredded coconut (optional)

1 Tbsp. coconut oil, or other vegetable oil

Rub the oil over the bottom of a large saucepan. Add the rice, coconut milk, water, salt, and shredded coconut. Stir and set over high heat. Bring to a bubbling (but not rolling) boil. Immediately reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 1 hour, or until the coconut-water has been absorbed by the rice. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 10 min. Fluff with a fork.

Wheat Berry & Black Bean Vegetarian Chili

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 large yellow bell pepper,chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
2 14-ounce cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
1-2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
3 cups roughly chopped kale
2 cups vegetable broth
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
2 cups Cooked Wheat Berries (recipe follows)
Juice of 1 lime
1 avocado, diced (optional but recommended)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional but recommended)

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes, chipotle to taste, kale, broth and brown sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes.

Stir in cooked wheat berries and heat through, about 5 minutes more. (If using frozen wheat berries, cook until thoroughly heated.) Remove from the heat. Stir in lime juice. Garnish each bowl with avocado and cilantro. This freezes well.

Cooked Wheat Berries:
1 cup hard red winter-wheat berries
3.5 cups cold water
1/2 teaspoon salt

Sort through wheat berries carefully, discarding any stones. Rinse well under cool running water. Place in a large heavy saucepan. Add water and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Drain and rinse.
(Make-ahead tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month.)


6 servings: about 1 1/2 cups each
Active Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour (or 40 min if wheat berries are made ahead of time)

Nutrition:
Per serving: 386 calories; 11 g fat ( 1 g sat , 7 g mono ); 61 g carbohydrates; 14 g protein; 15 g fiber; 703 mg sodium; 311 mg potassium.

{adapted from Eating Well}

Peanut Butter Energy Bites

(makes 18-20 bites)

1 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)

1/3 cup honey

1 cup coconut flakes

1/2 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla

Mix everything above in a medium bowl until thoroughly incorporated. Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour. Once chilled, roll into balls and enjoy! Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

{note} When I made these, they were a bit dry. If you have that problem (which probably has t do with your peanut butter, as I always pour the oil off of my new jars of PB), just add more PB and honey until it will hold together.

*original recipe on smashedpeasandcarrots.blogspot.com

Peanut Butter Bars

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a mixing bowl, cream butter, sugars and peanut butter. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. Combine flour, oats, baking soda and salt; stir into the creamed mixture. Spread into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool before cutting.

{note} The batter for these is really thick. I had to spread it in the pan like you do icing. Also, they would be good without the chocolate chips (or with peanut butter chips) if you don't do chocolate. I think they'd also turn out well with less sugar, but I've only made them the one time, so I don't know for sure.

Baked Chicken Flautas

{makes 8}

1/3 cup cream cheese, softened (or plain yogurt)
1/4 cup salsa
1 Tbs lime juice
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
3 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbs chopped green onion
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup grated cheese
8 medium tortillas or 12 small tortillas

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and ightly spray with oil. Mix everything but the tortillas in a bowl. Lay the tortillas out and place a line of filling down the center, staying about 1/2" from the edges. Roll up as tightly as you can and place seam-side down on the baking sheet, arranging so they aren't touching. Spray tops with oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake 15-20 min, or until crisp and starting to brown. Serve with something to dip in: sour cream, salsa or guacamole.

Chicken Shawarmas

{like a gyro}

3 chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1 cup plain yogurt
2 T lemon juice
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne
3 cloves minced garlic
1 Tbs oil

3 slices of pita bread, cut in half to make pockets
veggies (such as cucumber and tomato), sliced
hummus (optional)
plain yogurt (optional)



Mix chicken through oil together in a container and marinate for 8 hours, or overnight. Remove chicken from marinade and cook in a skillet.

Fill pitas with chicken, veggies, hummus and yogurt.

Serves 6.

High Protien Pancakes

We eat these with strawberries and syrup (or Levi likes them rolled up with jam). Any way you make them, they're good and good for you. Makes about 20 pancakes.

8 eggs
16 oz cottage cheese (low-fat is fine)
1/2 c oatmeal
1/2 c oat bran (I usually use flax meal or wheat germ)
2 T canola oil

Put all ingredients ina blender and process until smooth. Cook 1/4 cup at a time in a griddle 1-2 minutes per side.

{per pancake}
Calories: 68.1
Fat: 3.8g
Carbs: 2.8g
Protein: 5.7g

Light Baked Potato Soup

{from Cooking Light}

4 baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds)

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

6 cups 2% reduced-fat milk

1 cup (4 ounces) reduced-fat shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese, divided

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup reduced-fat sour cream

3/4 cup chopped green onions, divided

6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Pierce potatoes with a fork; bake at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool. Peel potatoes; coarsely mash. Discard skins.
3. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour in a large Dutch oven; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 8 minutes). Add mashed potatoes, 3/4 cup cheese, salt, and pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat.
4. Stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup onions. Cook over low heat 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated (do not boil). Sprinkle each serving with cheese, onions, and bacon.

Soft Pretzel Bites

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 pkg active dry yeast
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda

1 large yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Combine water, sugar and salt in a large bowl of your stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let sit 5 minutes until it foams up. Add in the flour and the butter and use the dough hook attachment to mix on low speed until combined. Up the speed to medium and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 5 minutes. Remove the dough, clean the bowl and oil it up with a bit of vegetable oil. Place the dough back inside the bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Let it sit in a warm place for about an hour until it has doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 450F and line 2 sheet pans with Silpat liners (or brush with vegetable oil) and set aside.

In a large pot, bring the 10 cups of water along with the baking soda and bring to a rolling boil.

In a small bowl, combine the salt, sesame seeds and garlic powder.

Meanwhile, divide the dough into 4 sections (like cutting a pie) and roll out the dough using your hands into a long snake. Cut the dough into 1 inch sections. Repeat with the remaining dough. Lightly roll each section into balls.

Drop the pretzel bites one at a time into the boiling water for about 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and place onto the prepared sheet pans. Brush each ball with the yolk & water mixture and then sprinkle with the salty seed mixture. Bake for 12 - 14 minutes or until the pretzel bites take on a dark brown colour. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes before serving. Makes about 60 bites.

These are best fresh out of the oven, but still are great cooled off. Next day reheat in the oven. Serve with mustard or fondue.

{Adapted from Alton Brown and poppytalk}