Applesauce is a classic, perfect kid food. We prefer unsweetened and organic – and that gets pricey. A quart typically costs about $4. The good news? Applesauce is incredibly easy to make, and if you can find an afternoon to do some canning, you can have your own perfect applesauce for a little over $1/quart. You can make it as thin or chunky as you like, with or without sugar, cinnamon, or other spices.
Warm applesauce with cinnamon can be a simple dessert, or mix it with plain yogurt or cottage cheese for a healthy snack.
This year I made several quarts of ‘plain jane’ applesauce (just apples, and cider for the cooking liquid), and also pomegranate clove applesauce. Continue Reading »
Roasted butternut squash and apple soup = autumn in a bowl.
The soup parade continues–I can’t get enough of it during the colder months. So easy, so delicious, and usually very nutritious. There just isn’t a down-side.
In this particular soup, roasted homegrown butternut squash meets local apples and sautéed sweet onions. Set it all off with crunchy sunflower and pumpkin seeds, tossed with cumin and chili powder–this was a perfect warm dinner after a busy day cleaning up the garden. Good bread and a green salad completed the meal. This was fast, and had major kid-appeal (sweet and vividly colored). You could do the roasting earlier in the day, and finish up the soup just before the dinner hour.
There are lots of squash and apple soup recipes out there, but most are pureed silky-smooth. I prefer a more casual ‘mashed’ texture, plus, it’s easier and faster. Continue Reading »
Accidents happen, and sometimes they are a good thing. I inadvertantly created these while making a different recipe – but they turned out well, so I thought I’d share.
These cookies have the nutty taste of browned butter, and the swirly look of marbled brownies. When they cool, there is a little layer of chocolate in the middle, where the melted chips settled. Please note, the idea is to add the chocolate chips when the dough is still warm, so you need to make the dough in one step. Continue Reading »
Another hot, nourishing stew to keep you warm at night. I think you could live off of this stew for weeks at a time and be in perfect health. Veggies, whole grain, and protein from the quinoa and beans make it delicous and super-nutritious. The rosemary garlic olive oil gives it a luxurious flavor and silky texture. Continue Reading »
Soup season is here, and there is nothing lovelier than a bowl of hot, homemade soup–unless it is a bowl of soup with a hot, homemade roll. These pumpkin rolls are dense (in a good way, not in a heavy way), chewy, with a hint of sweetness and a pretty orange tinge. It is a splendid accompaniment to a hearty soup or stew. If you wanted them to be a little less hearty (and a little less healthy), you could replace some of the whole wheat flour with all-purpose. Also, if you don’t enjoy molasses, you could replace all or some of the molasses with additional maple syrup or honey.
I want to dispel the myth that yeasted breads and rolls are difficult to make (especially if you have a stand-mixer). They seem daunting, and you do have to account for rise-time, but if you have two hours before dinnertime, you can turn out a nicely baked bread or pizza crust with minimal effort. Perfect for Sunday night dinner. Just dump everything into a bowl, mix a bit, and let rise someplace cozy. Shape, bake, and your house will be smelling like heaven in 10 minutes. Continue Reading »
