Acorn Squash

Ahh....fall is in the air!! This recipe makes an easy side dish, but I usually end up eating most of it for dinner instead! Crack open a cider, and enjoy the flavors of this awesome squash.

Directions:
Cut the squash in half, starting at the stem. You will need a very sharp knife and a lot of muscle! Score the insides a few times in each direction. Once you have the halves, place them on a cookie sheet, cut side up in about an inch of water. This will keep the skin from burning. In each half, put 2T of butter or margarine, salt and pepper to taste, a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice and about 1/8 cup of raw sugar (brown sugar works as well). Bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1.5 hours.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

I have been dying to make something with pumpkin! It is by far my favorite fall flavor and to make it that much better, I combined it with chocolate. These aren't overly sweet, stayed super moist and were a huge hit with everyone. Next time I would double the batch just so they could stick around a little longer! These muffins are gluten free, and as an added bonus, are also vegan. They make a perfect on-the-go breakfast or snack and were incredibly easy to make.

And how cute are these reusable silicone cupcake holders??

Ingredients:
1 package gluten free yellow cake mix (I used Cherrybrook Kitchen)
1/2 bag chocolate chips (make sure they're vegan if that's what you're going for)
3/4 15 oz can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 TBS vanilla almond or soy milk

Directions:
Mix everything together until smooth and spoon into greased cupcakes pans. Bake according to directions on cake mix. I got 12 muffins out of this recipe.

Gluten Free & Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

It has been a long time since I've updated!! However, I am back and happy to be here! Life has a funny way of happening and disrupting the general order of things. My kitchen was in a state of disarray for so long, I thought I was going to forget how to cook. Thankfully, I did not, and couldn't wait to try out some new recipes. I'm a HUGE fan of cupcakes, and what could be a better time to make cupcakes than my favorite holiday...Halloween!! These really turned out adorable and so tasty even with their gluten free and vegan status. Taste tested and approved by non-vegans and non-celiacs alike!

Cake Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups gluten free flour blend, I used Namaste
1 cup turbinado or other raw sugar

heaping 1/4 cup gluten free cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

1 cup water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Sift together the dry ingredients.

Add additional ingredients and mix together till smooth.

Pour into lined muffin cups, filling almost all the way full.

Bake for 20-26 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Remove from oven and allow to cool before frosting.

Buttercream Frosting Ingredients:

1/2 cup non-hydrogenated shortening

1/2 cup margarine

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

up to 1/8 cup almond milk

Directions:

Cream together the margarine and the shortening. Add sugar and beat for
about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla then the soy milk 1 tablespoon at a time
while continuing to beat. Stop adding soymilk when you are

happy with the consistency and continue to beat another 5 minutes for a creamy consistancy.

This recipe makes a LOT of frosting. There will only be about 8 cupcakes, and it would be more than enough to half this buttercream recipe. However, it would be perfect for a cake!

I decorated these cupcakes with colored icing, sprinkles and little halloween-themed flags. Go crazy...just make sure all of your decorations are gluten-free and vegan safe.

Stuffed Chicken with Roasted Asparagus

Dinner with friends on a Tuesday night really breaks up the week and gives me something to look forward to! A big thanks to Kerryann for helping out with the stuffed chicken. She spotted this recipe in her South Beach Diet cook book, and we decided to give it a whirl. I recommend using extra large chicken breasts so you can make a nice, big pocket to stuff!

Spinach & Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Ingredients:

olive oil

4 large chicken breasts

1/2 lb fresh spinach

2 cloves of garlic

4oz goat cheese

salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat a couple teaspoons of olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat and add chopped garlic. Saute for about 30 seconds and then start adding spinach. Cook until all spinach is wilted and then move to a plate. Next, cut each chicken breast almost in half (create a pocket), salt and pepper the inside, stuff with 1/4 of the spinach, 1oz of goat cheese and close. Use toothpicks to hold together if needed. Heat the skillet back to medium heat and brown chicken on both sides. Transfer chicken to a cookie sheet or just move skillet to preheated oven. Bake for about 10 minutes or until cooked thoroughly. 

To roast asparagus:

Cut tough ends off of fresh asparagus, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Lay the asparagus in a single layer on cookie sheet and cook at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until just starting to brown.

Chicken Salad Wraps & Peanut Butter Bars

Chicken Salad Wraps 

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup mayo

1/2 cup sour cream (you can also use low fat)

1/2 cup seedless red grapes - halved 

1/2 cup walnuts

1 tsp onion powder

salt and pepper

4 large lettuce leaves

Directions:

Bake the chicken breasts for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees, let cool and shred into a large bowl. Add mayo, sour cream, walnuts, grapes, onion powder, and salt and pepper to taste and mix to combine. Adjust any ingredients after a taste test. I know I added a little bit too much mayo! Oops! Still turned out great, but start with less and work up. Add a quarter of the mixture to a large lettuce leaf and wrap like a burrito. I served mine with fresh cut cantaloupe and avocado.

Peanut Butter Bars

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1 3/4 cups confectioner’s sugar

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup gluten free graham cracker or gingersnap crumbs 

1/4 cup butter

1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Melt 1/2 cup butter in sauce pan over low heat. Once melted, remove from heat and add powdered sugar, peanut butter and crumbs. Stir until all combined and smooth. Spread mixture into a well greased square casserole dish and pat down. In the same sauce pan, melt 1/4 cup butter and then add chocolate chips and stir until melted and shiny. Pour chocolate over peanut butter mixture and smooth out. Refrigerate bars for at least an hour before cutting. Better than a Reese's!! 

Weekend in Review

I am completely in love with summer. Everything is more alive when the days are longer. There's nothing better than sleeping in, spending the day by the pool with my favorite boy and having a few drinks on the porch in the shade. August weekends are full of lazy relaxation and happiness. I completely recharge so I can be productive once again on Monday.

One thing no one wants to do when its hot outside is spend a lot of time in the kitchen. As much as I love to bake and try out new recipes, I just can't do it for hours at a time when its 100 degrees outside. Plus, why waste time inside, when you can be outside enjoying yourself? But a girl's gotta eat! So I managed to have a weekend of tasty meals without spending too much time with the oven on.

Summer Crisp Salad

This salad is crunchy and light. Easily prepared in about 10 minutes, its perfect for a quick lunch or dinner. I used Romaine lettuce, mini cucumbers, Gala apples, Feta cheese, chopped walnuts and Bolthouse's Raspberry Merlot Vinaigrette. 

Polenta with Marinara

Use pre-cooked polenta sliced into strips to create a fun appetizer or light meal. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan on medium high, season polenta with Italian seasoning and cook on each side until crispy. Serve with marinara sauce. 

Sweet & Sunny Breakfast Bowl

Top instant or quick cooking brown rice cereal with a chopped banana, walnuts and honey for a filling and nutritious start for the day. This filled me up for hours and almost felt like dessert for breakfast!

Margherita Pizza

I used a pre-made frozen pizza dough (Gillian's Foods) for this amazing gluten free pizza. Roll out the dough, top with marinara, fresh mozzarella and basil and bake according to directions on package. This is by far the best gluten free pizza I've had to date! It's nice to have it fresh from the oven!

Rice Chex Treats

Of course there has to be dessert! These treats are made by melting one stick of butter in a large saucepan. Add one package of Jet Puff marshmallows (regular or mini), one TBS vanilla extract and melt. Once melted, remove the pan from heat and stir in an 8oz box of Rice Chex. Pour the mix into a greased 13x9 pan, press down (with greased hands!) and let cool before cutting. You'll want to have a couple of people around to share these with, or you will surely eat the entire pan!!

Sesame Chicken

This blog, among other factors, is really taking a toll on my waistline! I've decided to lighten things up a bit and try some healthier recipes. This recipe for Sesame Chicken is adapted from Martha Stewart's website (oh Martha, my hero). I found it while searching for "light chicken ideas". While it is indeed healthy, its quite filling and one of my favorite recipes yet! 

Makes about 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup rice

3 TBS honey

2 TBS sesame seeds

2 TBS gluten free soy sauce

1 garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed

2 large egg whites

1/4 cup cornstarch 

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into chunks

salt & pepper

2 TBS olive oil

4 scallions, thinly sliced

1 1/2 lbs broccoli, steamed 

Directions:

Cook rice according to directions. Meanwhile, make sauce: In a small bowl, combine honey, sesame seeds, soy sauce, and garlic. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together egg whites and cornstarch. Add chicken, season with salt & pepper and toss to coat. In a large non stick skillet, heat 1 TBS oil over med-high heat. Add half the chicken. Cook, turning occasionally until opaque throughout. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining chicken. Return all chicken to skillet, add reserved sauce and scallions, and toss to coat. Serve sesame chicken with broccoli and rice.