AUTUMN VEGETABLE SOUP.

autumn is definitely soup, stew and chili season around here. they are so easy to make and there are endless varieties to try out. soups also work well for busy families who can't always sit down at the same time for dinner. i usually put together a soup like this late afternoon and let it simmer till someone says they're hungry. you can always make double and freeze half for another time. soups hold up great in the freezer.

we're expecting snow this weekend and i'm already thinking about more soups to make. butternut squash, baked potato, corn chowder...yum! have a nice cozy weekend and if you're in for a cold one, eat lots of soup.

-bette

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

1 large onion

4 cloves garlic

4 stalks celery

4 carrots

1 medium zucchini

1 medium summer squash

1 orange bell pepper

1lb frozen corn

2 quarts vegetable broth

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1 teaspoon dried italian herbs(thyme, rosemary, parsley, etc)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

peel and chop veggies. in a large soup pot, saute all veggies(except corn) in olive oil until tender. add frozen corn and cook for 2-3 minutes to bring back to temperature. add spices and veggie broth. bring to a boil then turn down to simmer until ready to eat. enjoy! 

THE PERFECT SUGAR COOKIE RECIPE.

PERFECT SUGAR COOKIE RECIPE (for the baking impaired and mamas of many littles)

1. start with this.

2. wait to sweep until flour explosion has come to an end.

3. any hair resembling rapunzel should be pulled back, unless you like furry cookies.

4. in the absence of the appropriate measuring spoon, use palm of hand for exact measurement.

5. ask children prior to baking if their hands are washed, not halfway through.

6. use remaining flour to powder any shiny noses.

7. do not refrigerate dough for full 2 hours, unless you want to know what happens when granite and a rolling pin get together.

8. save baked cookies in a ziploc bag or tupperware, unless you want to chip a tooth the next morning when you sneak one with your morning coffee.

9. if caught by a child with said cookie, give them one to shut them up.

10. when child sells you out to other children, give them each one too.

there it is, a fool proof recipe for the perfect cookies. i don't recommend straying too far from this recipe. bad things will happen. bad. things. enjoy!  

-bette

BUTTERNUT SQUASH GRATIN WITH GOAT CHEESE AND ALMONDS.

i'm sure i've never mentioned it before but, i frickin love fall! there is no better time of year. not too cold, not too hot. the crisp air and cozy sweaters. the most scrumptious colors in abundance and the food, oooh the food! i can never get enough of the autumn goodness during these months. i've been craving thanksgiving dinner already and since i didn't have quite the motivation to tackle that beast in my current state of forever pregnant, i opted for one of my most favorite fall recipes. the original recipe can be found here and it's delicious just as it is. i was missing a couple ingredients the other day, so i substituted a bit. it was just as yummy as i had remembered and i'll be making it embarrassingly often this season...if you try it, you will be too. enjoy!


BUTTERNUT SQUASH GRATIN WITH GOAT CHEESE AND ALMONDS

Ingredients:

3.5 lbs of butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed(it should be around 8 cups)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
4 tablespoons of butter
2 medium onions, sliced
1 5.5oz log of goat cheese
1 cup of half and half
1/2 cup of almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon of dried, ground sage
coarse sea salt
black pepper

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place butternut squash cubes and olive oil in large bowl; sprinkle with coarse kosher salt and ground pepper and toss to coat. Spread out squash cubes on large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until just tender and beginning to brown, stirring occasionally, about 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons butter in heavy medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add sliced leeks and chopped sage; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until tender but not brown, about 15 minutes. Coat 11x7-inch baking dish with remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Spread half of leek mixture over bottom of prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with half of squash and half of cheese. Repeat layering with leeks, squash, and cheese. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Pour cream evenly over gratin. Sprinkle with toasted chopped hazelnuts. Bake uncovered until gratin is heated through and cream is bubbling, about 30 minutes (40 minutes if previously chilled).

*preparations from here, i was too lazy to type them all out myself!

QUICK BLACK BEANS & BROWN RICE.

in a perfect world i would make this from all fresh ingredients and let it simmer in the crockpot (i actually don't even own a crockpot) for a few hours until dinner time. in that world i would also have a sparkling clean house and be rocking a charming set of pearls june cleaver style. geez, my head is spinning. back to the real world now folks. half an hour till the mister gets home, the discovery of freshly crayoned wall murals and what-did-i-just-step-in?!'s, wet hair from a last minute shower and the inevitable "i should probably make something for dinner". this is precisely why i love to have some easy meals handy. i'm going to be relying on these even more when littlest jones arrives in a few weeks. we have a little bit of a love affair happening with black beans and who doesn't love good ole beans and rice, with or without pearls?

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked organic brown rice
2 cans organic black beans(do not drain)
1 can organic chopped tomatoes
1 can chopped green chilis
1/4 large onion
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper to tase
2 Tbs olive oil
small handful of fresh cilantro

Directions:

prepare rice according to package. my stove top rice always turns out like oatmeal or tooth-chipping pellets, so i count on my trusty rice cooker every time! chop onion and garlic, saute in olive oil until translucent. add beans, tomatoes, chiles and spices. bring to a boil then turn to simmer. simmer beans until rice is ready to eat. pile it up in a bowl and garnish with cilantro. quick and delish!

SOUTHWESTERN COUSCOUS.

have i mentioned i love easy recipes? i think grains are just about the easiest meal starters ever. you can add pretty much anything you want to them, depending on what cuisine you're in the mood for. when i made this recipe i was fresh out of tortilla chips and basically just looking for an excuse to eat that guacamole. this was such a yummy summer lunch. the kids loved it and i think it might just become a sunny day staple around this house. next time charlie will be eating his out on the deck. i'm still finding grains of couscous in random dining room crevices.

SOUTHWESTERN COUSCOUS:

Ingredients:
2 cups prepared couscous
1 cup yellow corn
1 cup black beans
1/4 cup cilantro
2 Tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp ancho chili powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
chop cilantro and garlic. toss all ingredients in a large bowl. top with a scoop of guacamole or your favorite salsa. it's so easy a caveman could do it. ;) enjoy!

RED QUINOA WITH CHICKPEAS & TOMATOES.

another delicious, quick dish for this summer. this is perfect if you want something lighter to accompany grilled black bean burgers or flesh burgers, if that's your thing. i loved this and it just gets better overnight. sadly, the kids didn't agree with my choice of ingredients. they all chowed down the chickpeas and quinoa like champs and returned to me a bowlful of tomatoes. these kids can eat around tomatoes like nobody's business. oh well, i'll keep trying. here's the recipe.

RED QUINOA WITH CHICKPEAS & TOMATOES:

Ingredients:

1 cup of red quinoa(uncooked, it will double like rice when it's cooked)
2 cups water to cook quinoa
1 can chickpeas(garbanzo beans) drained
2 medium tomatoes chopped
2 green onions chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 handful cilantro chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
the juice from 1/2 a lemon
1 tablespoon cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

add quinoa to boiling water and reduce to simmer until water is gone. drain your chickpeas and chop your veggies and herbs. mix olive oil and lemon juice. toss quinoa, veggies, herbs and seasonings in a large bowl. drizzle with lemon olive oil. eat at room temp, preferably outdoors with lots of friends and little tomato-haters.

OUR FAVORITE VEGAN PANCAKES.

these are the easiest pancakes you will ever make. we make them at least twice a week. i love recipes that can made from items you always have on hand. we've been knee deep in our summer simplify project, more to come on that later, so we've been neglecting our normal grocery store trip. no one around here has ever complained about eating pancakes too often. top these with your favorite summer fruits and enjoy!

and can i just whine once more about my busted camera lens? i'm lost without my camera and as you can see, iphone photos are far from sufficient. soon i will replace it and feel whole again.

VEGAN PANCAKES:

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups whole grain flour

1 1/4 cups water

2 tablespoons raw sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil

toss all ingredients in a big bowl and stir. pour batter in skillet or on a griddle. flip when you see bubbles in your batter.

top with whatever you like and eat! we like ours with vegan butter and blue agave!

VEGAN LO MEIN & THAI SPRING ROLLS

eating healthy meals can be quite a struggle when you're on vacation. especially when there are thirteen different food critics giving their opinions for dinner. i will admit we didn't do much cooking during our texas visit, but we did manage to cook a couple of great meals. this was one of them. perfect for a warm texas evening. i love super quick dinners like this that can be easily altered to suit everyone's likes and dislikes. i usually end up making this when i'm trying to use up my veggies before they go bad. anything is good tossed with sauce and noodles. i apologize now for the spring roll addict you will soon become. i'm currently raising three little spring roll addicts. they request them at least once a week and love to help make them. they're great to toss in a picnic lunch too. happy eating!

spring roll disclaimer: if you have a toddler, there is a good chance they will sneak a spring roll behind your back, bust that thing open and string the rice noodles throughout your living room as if it were christmas tree tinsel. consider yourself warned.

VEGAN LO MEIN: original recipe here

Ingredients:

3/4 pound lo mein noodles or whole wheat spaghetti
sesame oil
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/3 cup sliced green onions
1 cup julienne carrots
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 cup sliced mushrooms
3/4 cup fresh bean sprouts
1 big ass handful of cilantro - we're kind of obsessed with it around here

Instructions:

cook the lo mein noodles in boiling, salted water. don't overcook or they'll be mushy once you stir fry them later. set aside to cool. toss with a little sesame oil if they're sticking together.

mix the hoisin sauce and soy sauce together and set aside.

in a wok(as if we all own one or something) or a large, deep skillet heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil and saute the ginger, garlic, and scallions. again, don't let them get mushy, just cook until you can really smell them. add the carrots, celery, red onions, mushrooms and saute. add the bean sprouts at the very end.

in a separate skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil and stir fry your noodles. once they have a little color and are heated again, add them to the veggies and toss with the hoisin soy sauce mix. sprinkle fresh cilantro on top and serve...or eat straight out of the bowl...with your hands.

THAI SPRING ROLLS:

Ingredients:

1 package spring roll wrappers
1 package bean-thread noodles or thin rice noodles - cook according to package instructions
1/2 cup bean sprouts
5 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup fresh herbs - we used a mix of cilantro, basil and mint
1/4 cup carrots, grated
1 jar of peanut sauce - i'm usually to lazy to make it myself!

Instructions:

drop your spring roll wrappers into hot water, one at a time, for about 15 seconds. just long enough to make them soft. fill with noodles, veggies and herbs and roll together, folding the sides in as you go. don't be afraid to overfill, the wrapper will stick to itself and keep everything inside. dip in peanut sauce and eat or chill in the fridge until you're ready. and don't forget about the toddler disclaimer!

EAT YOUR VEGGIES.

i thought it would be fun to share some of our favorite recipes. the kids and i are vegetarians. mr jones is not, he loves animal flesh. he usually grills chicken or steak to accompany whatever vegetarian meal we cook. we get asked all the time no meat?! then what do you eat? so, here's what we eat...

VEGAN TOMATO HERB PASTA SALAD

Ingredients:

1lb whole grain fusilli pasta

2lbs mixed tomatoes, whatever tomatoes are in season, the littles love grape tomatoes

3/4 cup fresh herbs, whatever mix you like, we used just basil this time

2 Tbs finely chopped shallot

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup vegan mayonnaise

1 Tbs white wine vinegar, i used red wine vinegar

1 tsp sugar, optional, i like it to cut the tartness

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Whisk together oil, mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar(if using it), salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Chop tomatoes and toss with chopped shallot and dressing. Set aside to marinate.

Cook fusilli in a pot of salted boiling water until al dente(tender, but not mushy). Drain pasta then toss with tomatoes and dressing. Mix in herbs last.

Eat out on the porch or take on a park day picnic. Yum!