Cauliflower Soup with Roasted Brussel Sprouts & Bacon

Ingredients:

1 stick butter
1/2 onion, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
1 celery stalk, fine diced
2 cloves minced garlic
1 cauliflower head, cored and roughly chopped
2 T finely minced fresh parsley
8 c low-sodium vegetable stock
6 T all-purpose flour
2 c whole milk
1 c half-and-half
1-2 tsp. salt
Ground black pepper to taste
1 container of fresh, small brussel sprouts, cleaned and roasted with a little evoo & salt
3 strips of thick bacon, cooked crisp and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Melt 1/2 stick butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the onions and cook until translucent. Add the carrots, celery and garlic and cook for a couple minutes more. Toss in the cauliflower, stir well, and cook with lid on over very low heat for 15 minutes.

Add parsley and vegetable broth and simmer for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, melt the remaining 1/2 stock butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour.  Cook for 2 minutes stirring constantly.  Whisk in the milk until smooth. Remove from heat and add half-in-half.  Pour this mixture into the pot.  Add salt and pepper.  Simmer for 20-30 minutes.  Taste and and add more salt if needed.

Puree soup with an immersion blender for a smoother, thicker consistency.  Simmer another 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add the roasted brussel sprouts and bacon.  YUM!

(Recipe adapted from Ree Drummond of the Food Network.)

Enjoy!

Sausage, Cabbage & Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

8 oz. (or 4 links) hot or sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings
1 large onion, chopped
2 large sliced carrots
2 celery stalks, cut in 1/2" pieces
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) reduced-sodium vegetable broth
1 c water
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 small head of green cabbage, cut thin
1 T flour

Break sausage into chunks into a large pot or Dutch oven. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until browned.
Add onion, carrots & celery.  Cover and continue cooking over medium heat until onions begin to soften, about 3 minutes.
Add broth, 1 c water and garlic.  Simmer 5 minutes or until carrots are almost tender.
Stir in cabbage; cook 5 minutes until vegetables are tender.
In a small bowl, stir flour and remaining 1/4 c water until blended.  Add to soup and cook 2 minutes.

(Recipe adapted from Woman's Day - March 2010)

GF Baked Oatmeal Popables with Fruit & Bittersweet Chocolate

There is a recipe going around on FB called Healthy Cookies.  I took my idea for these very tasty snacks from that.  They taste like sweetened cooked oatmeal, but in convenient snack-size mounds. You're gonna love 'em and so simple to make. If you use a vegan chocolate bar, this recipe becomes vegan as well as GF!

Ingredients:

2 large very ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup applesauce (I used unsweetened)
2 cups GF old fashioned oats (like Bob Mill's Organic)
1/4 cup coconut or almond milk, your preference
1/4 cup chopped dried cherries
1/4 cup chopped dried pineapple
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dark or bittersweet chocolate (I used Ghiradelli bittersweet. You can substitute a vegan bar)
1 tsp vanilla bean paste (you can substitute vanilla extract)

Preheat oven to 350*.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment.  Mix all ingredients together. Using a medium cookie scoop, place them 1/2" apart.  They do not spread, so 1/2" is plenty.  Bake for 16-20 minutes or until firm.  They really do not brown, so don't be concerned. Baking them makes them hold together.  Let cool and give them a try!

Enjoy!

Suga's Butternut Squash Bisque

I absolutely love the butternut squash soup at our favorite restaurant.  I can't get enough of it as it's on their seasonal menu making for a small window of opportunity.  I decided to try and duplicate it on my own.  It's not exact, but pretty darn close if I may say so myself.  This bisque has a delicate sweetness to it; not savory like the Curried Butternut Squash soup I posted last year.

Ingredients:

2 medium butternut squash, peeled, pulp removed and cut into 1" chunks
2 small carrots, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
2 small apples, cored, peeled and quartered
1 small sweet onion, skin removed and quartered
1 rib of celery, strings removed and cut into 4 pieces
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups apple cider
1 tsp. Kosher salt
2/3 cup of pure maple syrup
1/3 c packed brown sugar
3 T unsalted butter
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 - 1 1/2 cups heavy cream (more or less depending on desired consistency)
Greek yogurt or sour cream
Ground cinnamon

In a dutch oven add the first 9 ingredients.  Cook until all vegetables are fork tender.  In small batches place in a blender or food processor and process until smooth.  Add back to the pot.  You can also use an immersion blender for this step.

Once you have processed all the vegetables and have a smooth base, add maple syrup, brown sugar, butter and spices.  Simmer on stove on low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and making sure not to burn it.  You may want to put a mesh pot guard over the top as the bisque is thick and tends to splatter.  Splatters are very hot!!  Do not use the lid to the dutch oven as it will heat up the soup too much.  Stir in heavy cream until blended.

To serve, ladle into soup bowls and top with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream and sprinkle with ground cinnamon.  You can also use candied pecans or pepitas if you have on hand.

Pink Applesauce Tart

The oatmeal crust combined with the flavor of the apples makes me think of Apple Crisp.  A great way to use up applesauce left over from my Pretty Pink Applesauce recipe.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup All-Purpose Flour

1/3 cup quick-cooking rolled oats

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 T unsalted butter

Pinch of salt

2 T of apple brandy or Schnapps

1 1/2 cups pink applesauce

2 medium red-skinned soft apples (like Cortland or McIntosh)

3 T red currant jelly

Preheat oven to 375*.  Combine the first 4 ingredients in a bowl and press into a 9-inch tart pan.  Line with parchment and fit a 9" cake pan inside.  Fill the empty cake pan with weights and blind bake for 12 minutes.  Remove from oven and take away the weights and empty cake pan.  Bake for 4-6 more minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove from oven and let cool completely.

Meanwhile, combine sugar, butter & salt in small saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves, approx. 2-3 minutes.  Pay close attention as the mixture is thick and could tighten up if left alone or heat is too high.  Add 1 T of apple brandy and simmer 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the applesauce.

Spread applesauce mixture in cooled crust in tart pan.  Core the apples and cut paper thin using a very sharp knife or a mandoline.  Arrange in concentric circles overlapping slices as you go along, starting in the middle.  Completely cover the applesauce.  Bake 20 minutes.

Combine jelly and remaining 1 T of apple brandy in a small saucepan an simmer until the jelly is melted, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes.  Brush glaze over apples.  Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack.  Unmold and serve.

(Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Magazine)

Apple Cider Sangria

Very easy to prepare and oh so refreshing.  Just the drink you want to serve this time of year at a dinner party or Halloween gathering.  I recently hosted a Soup Night, and this was a real hit and paired perfectly with the menu.

Ingredients:

1/2 Gallon of good Apple Cider
1/3 Bottle Red Apple Schnapps
2  3" cinnamon sticks
5 whole cloves
2 red sweet apples (like Cortland), cored and cut into medium size chunks (feel free to add halved grapes, orange slices, maraschino cherries)
1/2 bottle Prosecco or white wine of your choice
Dried apple slices, optional

Best prepared 1 - 2 days before serving so the apples and liquid can marry.

Using a 1-gallon glass container, add the cider, Schnapps, cinnamon sticks, cloves & apple chunks (if using other fruits, add them at this time). Cover and refrigerate.  Just before serving, remove the cloves and add the Presecco or wine of your choice.  Fill wine glasses with ice and pour the Sangria over.  If you happen to have dried apple slices, one attached to the rim of the glass makes a perfect garnish.

Enjoy!

A Bat in my Belfy Craft Project

This is a very easy and fairly quick Halloween project once you have gathered the supplies.

Supplies needed:

2" styrofoam ball
4" styrofoam egg
2 toothpicks
White craft glue
1 black stretchy sock
22 ga. black wire or thin wire easily bendable with fingers
1 black chenille stem
Black felt, stiff type (I used a sparkly one)
Scissor
Craft knife
3 beads for eyes and nose
Halloween ribbon, approximately 6" long
5x7 picture frame w/o glass
5x7 decorative paper
Hot glue gun & glue sticks
Acrylic paints, optional

Press the styrofoam ball on a hard surface flattening one side.  Press the short end of the styrofoam egg the same way to make the end flat.  Insert the toothpicks down in the flat end of the egg.  Add some white glue over the flat area. Press the flat end of the ball onto the toothpicks and gently push down until it is flush with the egg.  Let dry.

Take the stretchy sock and carefully pull it down over the styrofoam shape starting at the ball, making sure the toe seam is across the ball. Keep working the sock down across the body until it is smooth.  Tie off the sock beneath the egg with the wire.  Snip off the excess sock leaving about 1/2" (kinda like a balloon).  Take the chenille stem and wrap around the wire twice.  Trim the stem to about 2" on each side, then bend up 1/2" at the end for feet.

Make the wings and the ears.  Look at the photo below and make a wing template that is approx. 4-1/2" long and 4-1/2" tall at the widest part (on the right side).  The ear template is 3/4" wide and 1-1/2" tall.  Fold the felt in half and place the template on the folder where specified and cut one.  Cut 2 ear templates.

Fold the flat part of the ears together and place a dot of hot glue in between and pinch until glue has dried.  Decide where you will place the ears.  With a craft knife or other sharp knife make a slit for each ear and add a drop of hot glue.  With the end of one scissor blade, push the ear down into the head and let dry.  Now attach the wings to the back with the hot glue gun.

Attach the beads for the eyes and the nose with not glue.  If your beads have holes you can hide them with some glitter glue.  I used purple.  I also added a heart with the same glitter glue.

If you like the frame the way it is, no preparation is needed.  I thinned some black & purple acrylic paint and splattered it all over as my frame was too plain.

Cut a piece of decorative paper to fit in the frame as a background.  Now take your ribbon and glue one end to the back of the bat.  Place the bat against the frame where you want it; holding it in place, glue the other end of the ribbon over the top and onto the back of the frame.  That's it!  Now stand back and admire your work.  Place it in your belfry or on a tabletop or wall and you now have a new Halloween decoration that you made yourself.

(Adapted from Holiday Crafts 2014 magazine.)

Enjoy!

Drunken Pumpkin & Bacon Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow Frosting

Can't you just taste them already just looking at the photo?

Ingredients (makes 14 cupcakes)

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup pumpkin puree
6 oz pumpkin ale
4 tbsp butter (1/2 stick)
2 eggs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
6 strips candied bacon (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350*.  Add cupcake liners to a 12-cup cupcake tin.  Set aside. Dice 3 strips of candied bacon and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt, set aside
In a non stick frying pan, melt butter over low heat until slightly browned
In a glass mixing bowl, combine browned butter with granulated and brown sugars, whisk together until combined, wait 1 minute and then whisk again
Add eggs, pumpkin and beer to the butter sugar mixture. Fold together with a rubber spatula. Add diced bacon. Carefully fold wet mixture into dry, being careful not to over mix.
Using a large scoop, scoop batter into prepared cupcake tins.
Bake for 16-20 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Cool

The Marshmallow Frosting:

8 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon fine salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Candied Bacon:
6 strips thick sliced bacon
1/2 c dark brown sugar
3 T pure maple syrup

Preheat oven to 400*. Combine brown sugar and maple syrup in small bowl.  Place strips of bacon on a rack on a foil-covered rimmed baking sheet. Spread with brown sugar mixture.  Bake for approximately 40-50 minutes until crisp-baked.  Let cool and prepared as directed in directions.

Place the cooled cupcakes on a baking sheet and set them aside.

Fill a medium saucepan with 1 inch of water and bring it to a simmer over medium heat.

Place the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt in the clean bowl and whisk by hand to combine. Nest the bowl over the saucepan, making sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Heat the egg white mixture, whisking constantly, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is hot to the touch (about 120°F on an instant-read thermometer), about 6 minutes.

Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, whisk for 1 minute on medium speed. Increase the speed to high and whisk until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 5 minutes more. Add the vanilla and whisk until just incorporated, about 1 minute.

Transfer the frosting to a large piping bag fitted with your preferred piping tip and pipe onto the cupcakes. Broil until the tops are starting to brown, about 20 to 30 seconds—watch carefully to avoid burning. (Alternatively, you can use a kitchen torch).
Cut remaining 3 strips of candied bacon into 14 equal-sized pieces. Place one piece on top of each cupcake.

Apple Peel & Core Jelly Jars

After I made 3 quarts of pink applesauce I had so many peels and cores left over I decided to use them to make apple jelly.  Here's how I did it ...

Ingredients:

Apple peels and cores from roughly 10 red apples
6 cups water
3 T powdered pectin
1-1/2 c granulated sugar
1 Cinnamon stick
1 Whole Clove
Star Anise (optional)

Makes approximately 3 cups.

Bring peels and cores to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium; simmer for 45 minutes.  Pour through a sieve into a large saucepan to equal 3 cups liquid.  Add water to make up the difference if needed.

Whisk in pectin and sugar.  Add cinnamon stick and clove.  Bring a boil and continue to boil for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and discard spices.  Pour into hot sterilized jars/jar; filling to 1/4 inch from top.  Wipe jar rim and cool completely.   Add a star anise to top of each jar, then add lids and chill 12 hours.  Refrigerate up to 1 month.

(Recipe adapted from Southing Living magazine)

Autumn Apple Upside Down Cake

Ingredients

 Topping

3 medium apples

4 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

2 tablespoons boiled cider or thawed apple juice concentrate

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup light corn syrup

Cake

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

2 tablespoons boiled cider or thawed apple juice concentrate

2 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups flour

1 large apple, peeled and finely chopped

·          

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 13"x9" cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment, and grease the parchment.

Peeling and slice the apples into 1/4" thick wedges.

Place the apples in rows along the pan.

Prepare the topping by heating the butter, sugar, boiled cider, cinnamon, and corn syrup together over low heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.

Pour 1/2 cup of the syrup mixture into the prepared pan, and set the rest aside.

To make the cake: Beat the oil, brown sugar, boiled cider, eggs, spices, and salt together for 2 minutes at medium speed

Mix the flour with the baking soda, and stir it into the batter.

Add the chopped apple, and mix until just blended.

Drop scoops of the batter atop the apples in the pan, gently spreading to cover.

Bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted near the center comes out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven, and run a thin spatula around the edge to loosen.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn it out onto a serving plate, bottom side up. Scrape out any sauce that remains in the pan, and spread it over the cake.

Reheat the reserved topping. If butter starts to separate as you reheat, add water by the teaspoon and stir until the butter rejoins the rest of the sauce.

Pour the sauce over the cake. Serve cake warm or at room temperature. Recipe adapted from KAF.