Pumpkin, Pepita, & Black Bean Quinoa

I learned today: after eating candy nonstop for a week because "it's Halloween," it's very difficult to try and stop abruptly because "Halloween is over." And it's very hard (read: impossible) to sate a chocolate craving with an apple.

I think I may have a sugar problem. 

But with Halloween being a thing of the past this year, I believe that only leaves us with one thing to do. Buy all the half priced candy from the CVS near your office AND the CVS near your apartment. Eat your decorations.

Ok, not all your decorations (unless you decorate solely with candy). Certainly not the skeleton hanging on your front door. Specifically, the little pumpkin you bought because it looks cute in your living room/kitchen/office. I'm talking "pie pumpkins." (I'm sorry, but you can't actually eat the one you carved.)

Didn't do that? I'm sure they're cheap now. Go get one! Next year, plan ahead. Eating decor is so strangely satisfying. (Was that too bossy? Sorry.)

While it would be fun and delicious to whip said pumpkin into a pie, my thoughts were really focused on taking a few steps away from the sugar shaker. This dish is packed with protein and, when it's unaccompanied by the rest of the pie, pumpkin is actually super healthy. Vitamin A anyone? It's important to eat all the colors of the rainbow all year long and not just in the summer. Pumpkins, sweet potatoes and other squashes are perfect seasonal ways to attain this goal.

Pie pumpkins can be hard to hack open. The way I cracked mine was to cut off the top (as if it were a carving pumpkin), scoop out the seeds and microwave the topless (ooh-la-la) pumpkin for 5 minutes. This softened the outside of the pumpkin so that I was able to cut it in half. This also conveniently reduces the roasting time. #winwin




Soundtrack: 

Pumpkin, Pepita, & Black Bean Quinoa
Serves 4

1 pie pumpkin
1 c. quinoa
2 tbsp EVOO
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp white vinegar
2 tbsp water
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp dried sage
1-2 tsp sriracha
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Baby spinach

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare the pumpkin by removing the top and scooping out the seeds. Set the seeds aside. Microwave the pumpkin for 5 minutes, or until it begins to soften.

While pumpkin is in the microwave, clean the seeds of pulp and pat dry. Place a sheet of aluminum foil on a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. Toss the seeds with salt and lay flat on the baking sheet. These will roast for 25 minutes and will need to be stirred at 10 minutes.

Remove pumpkin from the microwave. Cut in half. Place the halves face down on a foil lined baking sheet. This will roast for 20 minutes.

Rinse quinoa and cook according to package instructions (this is usually about 20 minutes as well, so the recipe will be well timed to start this when the pumpkin begins roasting).

Meanwhile, whisk together to EVOO, honey, white vinegar, water, cinnamon, sage, and sriracha.

Once quinoa, and pepitas are finished cooking, toss together with black beans and dressing in a large bowl. The pumpkin can be cut into cubes in the shell (much like you would cut an avocado) and then removed. Add to bowl and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over bed of baby spinach.

I hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween!

Pecorino Crusted Apple Turnovers

Dear Creativity,

Please come back. I miss you.

I think I lost you somewhere between getting home every night at 7 PM, just wanting to shove the nearest food item (usually candy corn) in my mouth when I walk in the door and being broke as a joke after not getting paid for a month and a half.

But I think I'm ready to be friends again. I think this time I will pay more attention to you. I promise you actually.

Love,

Meghan

In the meantime, these apple turnovers rule. Got lots of time and lots of butter? Make your own puff pastry. I did! I made it while unemployed a few weeks ago and froze half. It keeps for 2 weeks in the freezer. Or just buy it at the super market. It will still be good. And easier!


PS The new Geico Maxwell radio ad makes me infinitely happy (will there be.. snacks?!). Anyone else? Oh and check out these freakin meese! Cuuuute.

Parmesean Crusted Apple Turnovers
8 turnovers
Adapted from Joy of Cooking

1 lb puff pastry
1 lb apples (usually 2 large, 3 small)
1/4 c sugar
1 tsp AP flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 c Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated

Roll the pastry dough into two 11-inch squares, about 1/8 inch thick. Place each square on a baking sheet covered in parchment (or a Silpat) and place in the refrigerator to chill while the filling is prepared.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Peel, core and cut the apples to a 1/4 inch dice (do this while the pastry dough chills, not ahead of time). Toss together in a medium bowl the apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon, lemon juice and salt. Set aside.

Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and trim 1/2 inch from all sides of each square. This will leave you with two 10-inch squares and even edges. Cut each square into four equal 5-inch squares. Turn each piece over.

Spoon some of the apple mixture, dividing it equally, into the center of each square. (I typically have some apples left because they won't all fit. I just eat these. NBD) Brush two adjacent sides of each square with some egg wash (you know, to seal the turnovers) and fold so that the sides with no egg wash meet the egg-washed sides. Use a fork to seal by making impressions around the edges.

Brush the top of each turnover with egg wash and cut 3 slits in the top of each. Arrange on baking sheets at least 1 inch apart and top each with 1/8 of the cheese.

Bake the turnovers 15 minutes at 425 degrees, until they begin to brown. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees and bake another 20 minutes.

Try to serve warm or at least in the same day. Fresh pastry is always best. If you can't eat them all in one day, you can breathe some life back into them with a toaster oven (think toaster strudel).

Oh.. and you don't work in a bakery. So don't worry
some are rectangles, octagons or shaped like ghosts.

Carrot & Apple Olive Oil Cake

I recently went apple picking at this beautiful farm in VA. It actually looks like that little water color in the top left corner. I'm not kidding. It was so refreshing to get out into the country for a day and be a total apple nerd. I can't encourage this activity enough.

I used some of said apples to make this amazingly moist cake. Aaaaaand then I spent 20 minutes evening up the edges of section of the cake from where the last slice was taken. Oh it looks a little crooked here. Ok that's straight.. oh wait it's a little bit off here. You know.. important stuff. Obviously eating the remnants.

It's good. It's real good.

The cake is baked in a 13x9 pan. I actually ended up cutting mine in half, frosting with a simple cream cheese frosting (highly recommend, although something with coconut would be nice too!), and making a square layer cake. I added some leaf sprinkles for fall flair and awesome points. 

Ok CLEARLY I'm no professional, but this is pretty adorbs.. amiright?

Soundtrack: These things...



Carrot & Apple Olive Oil Cake

• 1 1/4 sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup EVOO
• 2 c ap flour
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 c peeled, cored and shredded apple
• 2 c shredded carrot
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 9 X 13 inch pan by greasing and dusting with flour. Set aside.
• 
  
• In a large bowl, blend together the sugar and the eggs. Add the oil and mix until combined. Using a spatula, stir in flour, spices, salt, and baking soda. Don't worry - the batter should be pretty thick at this point. Stir in the carrots and the apples (watch how this step makes the dough-like mixture from the previous step become more like a cake batter and be totally amazed!). Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top.
• 
  
• Bake 40 minutes.

PS Watch yo fingas!

Potato & Pear Soup

I own too many jackets. Coats. Outerwear. Whathaveyou. I need to lose a few.  I have donated so much clothing in the past month. Downsizing apartments and, therefore, closets will do that to a girl. But I can't cut back on jackets.

Is that weird? I mean I guess most people (ehemm.. ladies) own too many purses or shoes or something else at least multiseasonal. I own like maybe 6 winter coats.

I've noticed it's a problem recently, because they barely fit into the space I've been designated to stuff them. 

I've also noticed it's a problem, because as it gets chillier and I'm a working woman again, I don't really own a decent coat to wear to a real adult job in the fall. I don't really own too many clothes to wear to said real adult job either, but I'm working on that.

So like.. do I really need to buy another coat? Or can I tough it out until winter? Hmm.. First world problems.

Considering the weather is supposed to be 80 all next week and I don't get paid for a month, I'm going to go with the latter. The temptation is there though. Ugh. Not good things.

Potatoes. Pears. Soup. All good things.

This is a pretty simple soup in both taste and instruction. It's a good weeknight homemade meal. I've been really trying to focus on quick and easy lately. I'm trying to be seasonal and healthy as well. Try it with me! Gooo us!

Soundtrack: You won't make it through the whole thing, but that leaves plenty of time to dance later!




Potato and Pear Soup
Serves 3-4

1 tbsp EVOO
1 small onion, diced
1 c diced fennel
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 carton (32 oz) chicken or vegetable stock
1 small sweet potato, peeled & cut into 1" cubes
6-7 yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1" cubes
1 tsp smoked paprika
salt & pepper
2 medium Anju pears, quartered
jalapeno oil  to finish (optional)

In a medium stock pot, heat 1 tbsp of EVOO over med-low heat. Add onion, fennel and garlic and saute for about 10 minutes, until onion begins to soften and is aromatic.

Add stock, both potatoes and paprika. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Raise the heat to med-high and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to med-low and simmer. Cook the potatoes for about 10 minutes, until potatoes are almost soft enough to mush with a fork. Add pears and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Remove from heat.

Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until desired texture. (Alternatively, you could cool the soup, transfer to a blender or food processor and puree. Don't add boiling hot liquid to a food processor blender though, it could explode!)

Ladle into bowls and finish with jalapeno oil. 

Zatar Seasoned Roasted Veggies & Potatoes

Heyyyy you! Are you busy during the week? Ugh, yea man, I know what that's like. Are you busy on the weekend too? Yea.. totally hear ya. 

Would you like an easy, throw-together kinda side dish? Thought so!

I know that I love this one so I thought I would share. I love this because it's so easy to commit to memory. You get your veggies and a healthy starch all in one dish so you're minimizing dishes to wash. And while the veggie combo that I list for this recipe is a great combo to roast together with potatoes, if you don't have red pepper you could substitute green. You could use sweet potato or russet potatoes. You could even nix the carrots and switch it up with brussell sprouts. Basically, it's easy to work with what you have in the fridge. 

I'll keep this short, you know, because you're busy. But totally save this and give it a try next time you're pressed for time. 

Zatar Seasoned Roasted Veggies & Potatoes

Serves 2-4 (I'll be honest, Adam and I split it. But it should probably serve 4 as a side.)

5-6 yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 small red onion, coarsely chopped into large slices

1 small red bell pepper, coarsely chopped

1/2 c baby carrots

1 tbsp EVOO

2-3 tsp of zatar

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, toss together all ingredients until potatoes are coated by oil and seasoning.

Bake in a ceramic or glass dish for about 1 hr or until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.

 

Curried Turkey Chili

Sometimes I wish that a picture could capture and share taste. I can post a picture for you and make you drool over what I've made, but unless you feel like laboring in the kitchen yourself, I can't really share with you. And.. I'm all about sharing.

Today, I wish I could share the feeling of eating something warm on a the first chilly (or in this case chili.. har har har) day of the fall. The smell of a newly lit pumpkin candle. The satisfaction of a few crunchy leaves on the ground. The beauty of a bright sunny day that doesn't make you run and hide indoors because it's just too hot. 

I wish I could share opening a new jar of my mom's homemade concord grape jelly. Or pulling on a sweater outside for the first time in months (I've been rocking one every day indoors for months now, but that's just an over-air conditioning issue).

But I'm sure you have your own favorite fall stuff. Please share it in the comments! Fall is my favorite season so get ready to listen to me raving on about it for the next couple months.

Make a chili. Make a soup.. or a stew. Make an apple dessert. Throw some butternut squash into something. Drink a pumpkin beer or three. Fall is about comfort. It's not too hot, not too cold. It's cozy. Let's share that.



Curried Turkey Chili
Serves 3-4

1 tbsp EVOO
1 lb lean ground turkey
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 small onion, diced
2 tbsp chili powder, divided
2 tsp curry powder, divided
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 c chicken stock
1 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 can diced tomatoes
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
salt & pepper

In a medium dutch oven or stock pot, heat 1 tbsp EVOO over medium heat. Add turkey, garlic, onion, 1 tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp curry powder, and 1/2 tsp smoked paprika. Add a couple small pinches of salt and pepper. Saute the meat until browned, stirring every couple of minutes.

While the meat is browning, whisk flour into the chicken stock until combined.

Once the meat is browned, add flour and stock mixture, oregano, cumin, coriander, diced tomatoes (including juices), bell pepper and sweet potatoes. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring this to a boil.

Once chili is boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Salt & pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Blueberry & Fennel Frittata

Hello!

Logging in to my little blog again after almost a month hiatus is so exciting! Wee! I'm still sort of in between kitchens. As I sit here in Philadelphia, PA, everything I own is in Washington, DC gathering dust. I'm here until Monday, but then I'm a representative-lacking-Washingtonian for good. This has literally been the l o n g e s t move in the history of the world.

I did do a little dabbling in my new kitchen last weekend on Saturday morning. It was a day which I was going to also dedicate to baked goods, but that was cut short by a power outage in the afternoon. Literally walked in the door with an armful of groceries, excited to finally mix butter with flour again, and.. pop! and everything shuts down. 

Fortunately, it came back the same evening and merely deterred my culinary endeavors. My ice cream didn't even melt. YES! And I guess the grilled cheese party I was baking for wasn't REALLY lacking in the fat department anyway. I'm still sweating butter. (PS if you ever find yourself in need of a new party idea.. grilled cheese is the way to go.)

I should also let you know that I owe the inspiration for this frittata came from my poor eyesight. I was driving down 95, heading to work last Thursday, when I noticed a WaWa billboard with an egg wrap. At first glance (and ok,  and the next 2-3 seconds as well) it looked like egg and blueberry. Which.. was interesting to me. Obviously it was sausage, but it got me thinking. So thanks, WaWa, for making your sausages look conspicuously like blueberries.

 I made this with swiss for myself and mozz for Adam. Swiss won in my book, but mozz is an acceptable substitute if your pallet is a little funny and you don't like the swiss.

Blueberry & Fennel Frittata
Serves 2

1/4 c coarsely chopped fennel bulb
2 heaping tbsp blueberries
4 eggs, beaten
salt & pepper
2 oz swiss cheese (or mozzarella), shredded

Grease a small cast iron pan (or a non-stick fry pan) and heat over low heat. Season eggs with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Add fennel and saute for 3-4 minutes until it begins to soften and becomes slightly translucent. Pour in eggs and drop blueberries gently around the pan evenly. Cook eggs over low heat for 5-7 minutes, or until eggs begin to firm up in the center.

Sprinkle cheese evenly over the top. If using cast iron, place pan in the oven and bake for 3-4 minutes, or until cheese is completely melted and just begins to brown. (If using non-stick, continue to cook over low heat on the stovetop until cheese melts).

Cut into 2 pieces and serve with toast for breakfast or salad for lunch (or dinner of course!).