Roasted Pumpkin Salad

From 101 Cookbooks, by Heidi Swanson.

If you are looking for something to serve on Thanksgiving Day search no further!  This recipe will definitely be repeated in my kitchen.  The roasted squash and onions smelled so good and the nutty flavor of the rice sang an ode to fall and harvest time.  It passed the husband test with flying colors, the toddlers, well that's a standard all of it's own.  But I will just say that there were no leftovers and next time I'll probably double the recipe.

3 cups of pumpkin (or other winter squash), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
extra-virgin olive oil
fine grain sea salt
12 tiny red onions or shallots, peeled (OR 3 medium red onions peeled and quartered)
2 cups cooked wild rice*
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons warm water
1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 375.
Toss the pumpkin in a generous splash of olive oil along with a couple pinches of salt, and turn out onto a baking sheet. At the same time, toss the onions with a bit of olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and turn out onto a separate baking sheet. Roast both for about 45 minutes, or until squash is brown and caramelized. The same goes for the onions, they should be deeply colored, caramelized, and soft throughout by the time they are done roasting. You'll need to flip both the squash and onion pieces once or twice along the way - so it's not just one side that is browning.
In the meantime, make the dressing. With a hand blender or food processor puree the sunflower seeds, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and honey until creamy. You may need to add a few tablespoons of warm water to thin the dressing a bit. Stir in the cilantro, saving just a bit to garnish the final plate later. Taste and adjust seasonings (or flavors) to your liking - I usually need to add a touch more salt with this dressing.
In a large bowl, toss the wild rice with a large dollop of the dressing. Add the onions, gently toss just once or twice. Turn the rice and onions out onto a platter and top with the roasted squash (I'll very gently toss with my hands here to disperse the pumpkin a bit). Finish with another drizzle of dressing and any remaining chopped cilantro.
Serves 4.
* To cook wild rice: Rinse 1 1/2 cups wild rice. In a medium sauce pan bring the rice and 4 1/2 cups salted water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Cook for 40 minutes or until rice is tender and splitting open, stirring occasionally. You'll have enough for this recipe and some leftover.

Apricot Granola Bars

From Veggie Life, Winter '02-'03

Granola bars need little bits of a lot of different items, but they are all so healthy it blocks out the brown sugar...right?  Maybe someone out there can suggest a better substitute so the healthy feel is unadulterated, agave perhaps?  Oh ya, and the butter...well, just see disclaimer page.

1 c old-fashioned oats
1/3 c wheat germ
1/3 c whole almonds, unblanched
2 T pumpkin seed kernels
2 T sesame seeds
1/4 c honey
1 T walnut or peanut oil
1/3 c brown sugar
1/4 c melted butter
1/4 c raisins
1/4 c chopped dried apricots
Cooking spray or oil

Preheat oven To 225 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, combine oats, wheat germ, walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds.  Add 1 T of the honey and the oil.  Toss to mix well.  Spread mixture on a nonstick baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, stirring often, until toasty.

Raise oven heat to 350 degrees. In same mixing bowl, combine remaining honey, brown sugar, melted butter, raisins, and apricots.  Stir in toasted mixture and mix well.

Line a 9-inch square baking dish with foil and lightly spray or oil.  pour in granola mixture and smooth with a spatula. Bake 13 to 15 minutes, until golden. Remove from oven and cool completely in pan. When cool, tip out granola, remove foil, and cut into bars. Store in a container with a tight-fitting lid.

Pasta with Arugula

 From The Lazy Vegetarian

I got some arugula in my weekly vegetable delivery and wasn't sure what to do with it.  I found this easy recipe and added a yellow squash and red pepper since I needed to use them as well.  Quite good!

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced (I often used jarred, pre-minced garlic)
8 oz. small, fat pasta* (1/2 of most packages)
1 bag or package arugula**
1/2 cup (or to taste) sliced pitted black olives
2 medium (or one extra-large) tomato, cut into bite-sized pieces
Fresh ground pepper
1/4 - 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (or soy equivalent, like Veggie Grated Parmesan from Galaxy Foods)

Cook the pasta per package directions in a large pot. When it is almost done, heat the oil in a small skillet and cook the garlic for a couple of minutes. After draining pasta, return it to the pot, and add the rest of the ingredients, except cheese. Drizzle the oil on top and mix together. Mix cheese in or sprinkle on top of each serving. Serves 2-3.

Chocolate Banana Cream Pie

By Caitlin Wilson Rivera.

I haven't officially tried this yet but I have a pie in my freezer and I have sampled all of the parts, so I have a pretty good feeling that this recipe is going to be a keeper.  Thus I throw caution to the wind and post this gem that I plan to enjoy tonight after my boys are in bed and the evening is mine.

Crust:
1 1/2 c raw almonds
1/4 c honey or agave nectar

Filling:
1 1/2 sliced banana
walnuts
1 c raw cashews
2 bananas (very ripe)
pinch of salt
1 t vanilla
1/2 c cocoa
1/2 c agave nectar

To make the crust, in a food processor grind the raw almonds into a fine powder.  After it looks almost like flour add the agave nectar or honey and process until well combined. Empty the contents into a pie plate and flatten with your fingers to make the crust. The crust will not go all the way up to the top, but it should be close.

Lay banana slices out on the crust just so it covers the bottom.  Sprinkle with walnuts

To make the filling, in a food processor grind cashews into a flour.  Then add bananas, salt, vanilla, cocoa, and agave, and process until mixed well.  Pour contents into pie plate over top of bananas and walnuts.  Spread filling out evenly.  Cover and freeze until solid.  Remove pie from freezer and let thaw 10 minutes before serving.

Nut Butter-Cinnamon-Raisin Granola

From The Low-Cholesterol Oat Plan by Barbara Earnest and Sarah Schlesinger.

This granola is soooo yummy, it's like eating cookies for breakfast. I always add in a chopped apple and use almonds rather than peanuts, but I really don't think you can go wrong with this one.  Every time I make a batch of this stuff I have to divide it equally into two separate containers so my husband and I are sure to get even shares.

2/3 c unhydrogenated peanut butter or almond butter
2/3 c honey
1/2 t cinnamon
1 t vanilla extract
3 c old-fashioned rolled oats
1 c oat bran
1 c raisins
1 c unsalted peanuts

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Combine peanut butter, honey, and cinnamon in a saucepan over low heat and stir until they are all liquified. Stir in vanilla.

Combine all remaining ingredients and stir in the peanut/honey mixture, coating evenly.

Spread granola onto a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes.  (Then the recipe says to leave the pan in the turned-off oven for 1 1/2 hours.  I never do this because I like mine soft.  If you prefer crunchy granola then follow this step.)

Keep refrigerated in an airtight container.

Skinny Tomato Sauce

1 med onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
 2 T water
1 (32 oz) can crushed tomatoes w/ Italian herbs, or add 1 T Italian seasoning
1 T olive oil
 2 t sugar
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 bay leaf

In saucepan combine onion, garlic and water.  Bring to boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 10 minutes or until onion is tender and translucent, stir and add water as needed.  Add remaining ingredients.  Increase to medium high and bring to boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes.  Discard bay leaf.

Asian Coleslaw

By Bobbi Ritcheske.

This makes a HUGE salad, so hopefully you love cabbage like I do or you have invited your extended family over for dinner. I substituted a cucumber in for one of the bell peppers. The dressing really is very good and I stuffed pita bread with the whole concoction.  All together it made a filling meal, and was pleasing to the eye as well. 

Salad:

5 c thinly sliced green cabbage
2 c thinly sliced red cabbage
2 c thinly sliced Napa cabbage
2 large red or yellow bell peppers, julienne
2 carrots, julienne
6-8 green onions, sliced
1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro

Dressing:

6 T rice wine vinegar
6 T olive oil
5 T creamy peanut butter
3 T soy sauce
3 T brown sugar
2 T minced fresh ginger root
1 1/2 T minced garlic

Prepare the dressing by whisking together the rice vinegar, oil, peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and garlic.

In a large bowl combine the vegetables and cilantro.  Add dressing, toss and serve.  Season with salt and pepper and/or sesame seeds to taste.

Baby Bok Choy and Cashews

From my Brown Box Organics newsletter.  Serves 4.

2 T olive oil
1 c chopped green onions, including green ends
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb. baby bok choy, rinsed, larger leaves separated from base, base trimmed but still present, holding the      smaller leaves together
1/2 t toasted sesame oil
salt
1/2 c chopped, raw cashews

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan on medium high heat.  Add onions, then garlic, then bok choy.  Sprinkle with sesame oil and salt. Cover and let the baby bok choy cook down for approximately 3 minutes. (Like spinach, when cooked, the bok choy will wilt a bit.)

Remove cover. Lower heat to low. Stir and let cook for a minute or two longer, until the bok choy is just cooked.

Gently mix in cashews.

Roasted Butternut Squash

From greenereating.com.

I harvested three beautiful butternut squash from my garden this afternoon.  These squash were planted along my fence in a different area from the rest of the veggies, and the only reason they turned out as well as they did is that my neighbor dutifully irrigates his yard on the other side of the fence.  Thus the squash got watered too.  I believe he had a squash growing on his side of the fence from my vine, which of course I graciously bequeathed to him. 

3 c. cubed butternut squash
2 T. balsamic vinegar
1 t. smoked paprika
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. onion powder
1/4 t. pepper

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Toss all ingredients in a medium bowl.
• Spray a cookie sheet and spread squash in single layer.
• Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.  Turn squash and bake for another 20-30 minutes, until desired crispiness.

Sopa de Legumes

In a previous life I journeyed to Portugal with Micah the Travel Gal and enjoyed all kinds of flavors that were new to me. I especially liked a soup that is common throughout the region and has kind of a peasant-food feel to it. (For some reason I am fascinated with what it would be like to live as a peasant girl.) With fresh-from-the-bakery Portuguese rolls this simple meal is so satisfying, especially for someone like me who now has to imagine travel to foreign lands.  Micah obtained this recipe from a Portuguese friend who had to estimate quantities, but it always seems to turn out right.

1 litre water
1 1/2 bowls potatoes
1 bowl carrots
1 bowl onions
4-5 garlic cloves
1/2 head cabbage
 +/- 1/4 c olive oil
couple squares chicken bouillon (see Disclaimer, or use vegetable broth)

Cut up veggies and add to water (boiling), olive oil and bouillon.  Cook until veggies are really soft.  Puree.  Eat with bread.

Lentil Barley Stew

From Food.com, by pattykay in L.A.

Hearty and great as leftovers too. I serve it over rice.

• 2 -4 tablespoons butter (or margarine)
• 3/4 cup chopped celery
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 6 cups water (or stock)
• 3/4 cup lentils
• 28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup shredded carrot
• 3/4 cup barley
• salt (to taste)
• pepper (to taste)
• 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1. Saute celery, garlic and onion in butter in a large pan (I use a 5-qt dutch oven).
2. Add water or stock and lentils.
3. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Add tomatoes, barley, carrots and seasonings.
5. Simmer for 45-60 minutes, till barley and lentils are tender, adding more stock if necessary.

Cashew Curry

From 101 Cookbooks, by Heidi Swanson.

Heidi makes her own curry powder and includes the recipe for that following the curry.  I'm not to that point yet and used curry powder from a spice jar and I still thought it tasted great.  This is also a good recipe for using up vegetables in the fridge that have limited days left.  Serve over warm rice,  I think brown basmati has a nice flavor.

1 cup whole coconut milk
1 - 2 tablespoons curry powder*
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/2 large red onion, chopped
1 medium garlic clove, chopped
1/3 cup water
4 ounces firm tofu, cut into small cubes (optional)
1 cup green beans, cut into 1-inch segments
1 1/2 cups cauliflower, cut into tiny florets
1/3 cup cashews, toasted
a handful of cilantro, loosely chopped

Bring half of the coconut milk to a simmer in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Whisk in the curry powder and salt, working out any clumps. Now stir in the chopped red onion and garlic and cook for a minute. Stir in the remaining coconut milk and the water, and then the tofu. Cook down the liquid for a couple minutes before adding the green beans and cauliflower. Cover and simmer for just about one minute, maybe two - or just until the cauliflower and beans lose their raw edge and cook through a bit. Remove the pot from heat and stir in the cashews. Taste and adjust the seasoning (salt / curry powder) if needed. Serve with a bit of cilantro topping each bowl.
Serves Serves 2-3.
*I like to make my own curry powder on occasion using the freshest whole spices I can come by. This curry powder has evolved from one I read about in Sri Lanka a few years back - if you like more heat, add another red chile or two. In a dry skillet over medium heat toast 4 dried red chiles, 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, 1 tablespoon cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, 1/2 teaspoon cardamom seeds, and 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves. Toast for just a minute or two or until the spices are deeply fragrant. Now use a spice grinder to grind the chiles into a powder first, remove them, then grind the spices - it usually takes a couple minutes in the grinder for each. Place in a small bowl and stir in a scant tablespoon of ground turmeric, and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Sift through a medium-fine sieve to weed out any clumps and your curry powder is ready to use. Makes a scant 1/3 cup.

Creamy Pumpkin Curry Soup

This was a staple during my Atkins days and is a recipe that comes from the Atkins Kitchen.  This version has been veganized and would probably be just as good with other winter squashes. 

2 T olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, pushed through a press
2 t curry powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 can (14.5 oz) vegetable broth, plus 1 can water
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
3/4 c coconut milk

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Cook onion 5 minutes, until softened. Add garlic, curry powder, salt and pepper and cook 1 minute more.

2. Add broth, water and puree; mix well.  Reduce heat to low.  Cook stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.  Stir in coconut milk.

3. Puree soup in blender in batches until smooth. Heat through before serving.

Broccoli-Peanut Noodles

From vegweb.com, by katt.

There's nothing like watching your picky toddlers actually eat what you made for dinner that can make you feel like you're an ok mom after all. Tonight I scored big with these peanutty noodles, and even got a few "trees" down my boys as well. 

    1 large broccoli head
    about 1/2 pound noodles of your choosing
    1/2 cup unsweetened peanut butter
    1/2 cup water
    1 tablespoon cider vinegar
    2 tablespoons soy sauce
    2 tablespoons sweetener
    cayenne, to taste
    1/2 cup peanuts, toasted
    2-3 medium carrots, grated

Directions:

1. Steam broccoli and cook noodles according to package directions.

2. Whisk peanut butter and water together over medium heat. Add vinegar, soy sauce, sweetener, and cayenne and heat through.

3. Drain the noodles and broccoli, toss with sauce and nuts, and add raw carrot over all.

Creamy Tomato and Rice Soup

Cool fall weather started yesterday in Caldwell and I felt the need for some comfort food. I've had this recipe for tomato soup for a long time but haven't made it for quite a while. As I was cooking up a batch I sent my husband to the store for some good bread and he returned with his own comfort food: fried chicken, jo-jos and egg nog. To each his own, but to be fair he also brought the requested crusty bread and it was perfect with the soup.

From Venturesome Vegetarian Cooking by J.M. Hirsch and Michelle Hirsch.

1/2 c cashew pieces
6 large, ripe tomatoes
1/2 c fresh basil leaves
2 T tomato paste
2 c cooked short-grain brown rice
2 t soy sauce
2 t balsamic vinegar
1 c vanilla rice milk
1 T minced fresh dill (or 1 t dry)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the cashew pieces on a baking sheet and bake 10 minutes or until just golden.

Meanwhile, cut the tomatoes into small chunks, reserving as much of the juice as possible. Place the tomato chunks and juice in a medium saucepan. Roughly chop half the basil and add it to the pan. Bring the mixture to a simmer over a medium flame. Add the cashews, tomato paste, 1 1/2 c brown rice, soy sauce, vinegar, rice milk and dill. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.

Transfer the soup to a blender, in batches if necessary, and puree until smooth. Return the soup to the pan and add remaining rice and basil. Simmer another 3 minutes over a medium flame. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh parsley or additional basil, if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

Long Weekend Grilled Salad

Here's another gem from Oh She Glows by Angela Liddon.  I did make this salad over a fall long weekend and it was a hit.  We added a couple of avocados as well that complimented all of the other veggies.

Salad:

• 3 bell peppers (any colour)
• 2 zucchinis, sliced in half lengthwise
• 6 ears of corn, husk removed
• 1.5-2 cups cooked black beans (or one 15oz can)
• 1/2 cup uncooked wheatberries (optional)

Dressing:

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (2 limes) I’m sure lemon works too
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 small garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro (or herb of choice)
• 1 tsp maple syrup (or other sweetener)
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• Salt/Herbamare & Pepper, to taste

1. Preheat the grill over medium heat. When it’s ready add the corn, rotating every few minutes. After about 10 minutes, add the zucchini and bell peppers. No need to chop the peppers, you can leave them whole. Grill for another 10 minutes, rotating frequently, until lightly charred.
2. Meanwhile, cook your wheatberries on the stovetop (if using them) according to package directions. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients and adjust to taste.
3. When vegetables are done on the grill, cool, and then remove corn and chop the peppers and zucchini. Mix the drained and rinsed beans, wheatberries, dressing, and vegetables together in a large bowl. Add a generous amount of salt and pepper, to taste. Will keep for a few days in the fridge.