Apple-Picking & Apple Burritos!

Now that September is coming to an end, I can FINALLY fully embrace fall.

I snickered when Shipyard Pumpkin was out before my pool closed. I groaned in disgust when all things Halloween and autumn started popping in local stores.

But now’s the right time. The weather is fully cooling off, I’ve bought myself some fabulous new boots, broken out the sweaters and of course, gone pumpkin and apple-picking.

Apple-picking is somewhat of a tradition (OK, it’s only our second year) among the girls at work and we returned to the orchards this past weekend. Arikka and I were ambitious with our apple recipes and we each brought home a whopping 12.2 pounds of apple, to which we paid a mere $15. It’s always a fun experience and picking the apples is just as fun as eating them.

One of my co-workers, Peter, actually came up with the idea for these apple burritos when he’d had one too many beers at Red Sox game. It turned out to be brilliant though and these burritos are perfect for breakfast or dessert. How awesome is it when a drunk idea actually turns out to be a sober success?!

4 whole wheat tortilla/burrito wraps

2 apples of your choice, peeled and sliced

1/3 cup raw sugar

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tbsp water

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp sea salt

• In a saucepan, cook apples in orange juice, lemon juice, sugar and sea salt over medium heat for 2 minutes
• Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook, partially covered for 5 more minutes
• Add cinnamon and nutmeg and cook on medium heat for a few more minutes, stirring continuously
• Add cornstarch and water and pecans and stir together for another minute, so that most of the liquids are gone and the mixture is sticky
• Remove from heat, add maple syrup and pecans and stir until combined
• Wrap up into burritos and serve!

(cool tree at the orchards at Tougas Farm)

 

 

Sweet Potato & Peppers Breakfast Hash

This was originally meant for a breakfast hash, since I always complain about only eating toast, bagels or other refined carbs for a morning meal (shame on me!). I’ve been good about getting in more smoothies and veggie/fruit-based muffins lately, but this sweet potato hash is a welcome change. It’s very filling and keeps you satisfied well past lunch. I ended up eating alot of it for dinner as well, and it’s sweet and savory flavor makes it great for any time of day.

4 sweet potatoes, cubed

2 bell peppers (whatever colors you want)

1 yellow onion, sliced

1/4 cup vegetable broth

4 tbsp olive oil, divided

1 cayenne pepper, minced

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp black pepper

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees
• Toss sweet potatoes with 2 tbsp oil, salt, paprika and black pepper
• Lay on a baking sheet and roast at 425 degrees for 50-60 minutes, turning halfway through until browned
• 10 minutes before sweet potatoes are done, cook onions and cayenne pepper in remaining oil in a frying pan over medium heat for 5 minutes
• Add bell peppers and continue stirring for 5 more minutes, until softened
• Add vegetable broth, and stir for 1 more minute
• Remove sweet potatoes from oven and add to frying pan
• Stir potatoes, peppers and onions together for a few more minutes, then serve

 

Raisin Walnut Carrot Cake Muffins

These muffins left me absolutely speechless. They are super sweet although they’re void of much sugar. They’re extremely fluffy and almost melt in your mouth as you eat them. And the raisins and walnuts add great texture elements. I love, love LOVE these little muffins. And so did Jim and EVERYONE at work. I so enjoy hearing people tell me how much they like the treats I bring into the office and these guys got rave reviews. Friday got alot sweeter with these awesome carrot cake muffins.

2 cups organic flour of your choice

2 cups finely shredded carrots

1 cup coconut milk

1 ripe banana, mashed

1/2 cup organic olive oil

1/2 cup organic raisins

1/2 cup raw organic walnuts

1/4 cup raw honey

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup raw organic sugar

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Whisk together flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and sea salt
• Mix together coconut milk, banana, honey, oil and maple syrup until well blended
• Fold dry mix into wet mix and stir until combined
• Add in carrots, raisins and walnuts
• Pour into greased muffins tins and bake at 350 degrees for 20-23 minutes

 

Apple Oatmeal Muffins

2 cups organic all-purpose flour

2 cups organic rolled oats

3 apples, peeled and chopped

1 cup organic applesauce

1 cup almond milk

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup organic raw sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Whisk together flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt
• Stir in almond milk, applesauce and oil
• Fold in apples and stir until well mixed
• Pour into muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes

Banana Summer Squash Bread

Summer squash? In a bread? For real?

If zucchini can make an appearance in lots of baked good, why not the yellow version of the yummy squash?

They taste exactly alike, the only difference being the shape and color. I had a squash on hand, but not enough to make a meal so I figured it’d be a great addition to my banana bread. It adds a great level of moistness (hate that word!) and I love sneaking veggies into meals, even when they seem like they don’t belong. The end product looks too dark and not very appealing, but trust me, it is beyond delicious. This is one of those treats I’ll bring into work and everyone will go crazy for it and be completely shocked that it’s healthy…and vegan of course 🙂

3 ripe bananas

1 1/2 cups chopped summer squash

1 cup organic all-purpose flour

1 cup organic whole wheat flour

1 cup organic applesauce

1/2 cup raw organic sugar (optional)

1/2 cup olive or coconut oil

1/4 cup raw honey

1/4 cup coconut milk

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp pure vanilla

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp sea salt

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Whisk together flours, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt
• Mix in summer squash, applesauce, olive oil, honey and vanilla
• In a blender, blend bananas and coconut milk until creamy
• Fold blended bananas into mix and stir until mixed
• Pour batter into a greased 9X5 loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes

Homemade Peanut Butter

I don’t know about you, but we are finding it IMPOSSIBLE to find organic peanut butter these days. Not at Whole Foods, not at Trader Joe’s, not anywhere. I did find one brand at Hannafords’s but it was a whopping 7 bucks a jar and that just seems crazy to spend on smushed peanuts. It’s been equally difficult to find organic, raw peanuts, or ones that haven’t been smeared in salt or fake honey. But considering I’ve been obsessed with our Peanut Butter & Jelly Popsicles and have been anxious to make these Thai peanut wraps (stayed tuned for the recipe tomorrow), I knew that I needed to find some organic peanut butter-and fast.

I finally decided upon some organic, slightly roasted peanuts and wanted to make my nut butter from scratch. And I’m so glad I did, because per usual, the homemade version is far superior to the store-brand and is a cinch to make. You can adjust the  saltiness and sweetness to your liking, but the ratios I used are a pretty good base in my opinion. This yields a little more than a cup and a half of peanut butter, but it’s fairly heavy and a little goes a long way.

2 cups organic, roasted peanuts

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tbsp raw organic sugar

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp raw honey

• Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until creamy, at least 2 minutes
• Serve or store jarred, in the fridge for up to 2 weeks

Raw Creamy Strawberry & Raspberry Parfait

Breakfast. Dessert. You decide.

Either way, it’s healthy, delicious, and best of all RAW.

I just cannot get used to eating more raw meals. I don’t know why, because I really thoroughly enjoy alot of the un-cooked food I make for John and I am fully aware of how much nutrition comes from eating raw versus cooked. Midday meals and dinner are just so much more satisfying to me if cooked, and I guess I’m just not physically ready to stray away from that at all.

Luckily, fruit is much easier to work into my own raw diet, especially when they’re the base for breakfasts and desserts. Raw cheesecake, raw porridge, and raw ice cream are some of my FAVORITE meals and this parfait is definitely up there. It’s super creamy and extremely filling, so one batch can last for multiple sittings. I had this for breakfast AND dessert the other day 🙂

2 cups strawberries

1 cup raspberries

1 1/4 cup raw cashews, soaked for 2 hours

1/2 cups shredded coconut

1/4 cup raw honey (or maple syrup)

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp pure vanilla

• In a blender, blend soaked cashews, honey, lemon juice and vanilla together until creamy
• Pour into bowl and set aside
• Then blend strawberries and raspberries together until thinned out
• Pour a layer of the cashew mix on the bottom of a glass, then add some of the strawberry mix and top with some shredded coconut
• Keep repeating layers until all mixtures are used

Epic Kale Bagels!

There were many highlights to our vacation weekend in North Conway, New Hampshire. Canoeing, sleeping for 12 hours at a time, hiking some gorgeous waterfalls and flying down water slides were close to the top. I am mildly embarrassed to admit that my favorite part MAY have been when we stopped in a bookstore and I sat on the floor browsing vegan cookbooks I had never seen before. I came across “Hearty Vegan Meals for Monster Appetities” by Celine Steen and was blown away by almost every recipe. I legit squealed in the middle of the store when I saw the recipe they had for kale bagels though. I was in too much of an excited frenzy to actual document the recipe itself and I have no idea what it entailed. I did come home though and research regular bagel recipes and added kale to it. They’re fairly easy to make, and although mildly time-consuming, the bulk of it is waiting around for the yeast and dough to rise. They’re great for breakfast with some vegan butter OR as a sandwich base for a nice lunch.

4 cups whole wheat bread flour

3 cups chopped kale

2 cups warm water

1/4 cup chopped scallions

1 clove garlic, minced

1 package active dry yeast

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp sea salt

• Mix together flour and salt
• In a frying pan over medium heat, cook kale and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes or until wilted
• Once cooked, pour into small bowl and stir in water and yeast- let stand for 10 minutes
• Pour kale mix into flour mix and stir together
• Knead for 7-10 minutes with additional flour if too wet
• Roll into ball and cover for 1 1/2 hours to rise
• After 1 1/2 hours divide dough into 8 pieces
• Roll each piece into a ball then wedge a hole through the middle about 1-2 inches wide
• Let sit, and bring a large pot of water to a boil
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Add bagels 4 at a time into the water and boil for 30-45 seconds on each side
• Place onto greased baking sheet when they come out of the water
• Bake bagels at 400 degrees for 20 minutes

Raspberry Orange Walnut Muffins

I wanted to call these sunshine muffins based on their ingredients, but the end product turned out alot darker than I presumed it would. They still have a “sunny” flavor to them and are a great way to use up a bunch of fruit you may have lying around. These make for a super yummy morning snack 🙂

2 cups organic all-purpose (or whole wheat if you prefer)

Juice from 4 oranges (about 1 cup)

2 cups fresh raspberries, chopped (frozen and thawed is fine too)

1 cup chopped walnuts

2/3 cup raw sugar

1/2 cup ground golden flaxseed

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup almond milk

3 tbsp orange zest

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp pure vanilla

1/2 tsp sea salt

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Mix together flour, sugar, flaxseed, baking powder, baking soda and salt
• In a separate bowl mix together raspberries, orange juice, orange zest, coconut oil, almond milk and vanilla
• Slowly stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients, untilthoroughly mixed
• Fold in walnuts
• Pour batter into greased muffin tins and bake at 375 degrees for 17-20 minutes

Mango Orange Banana Smoothie

Oatmeal and rice pudding are out, now that the weather is heating up. Smoothies are my new go-to breakfast and are actually more filling than most other morning options. I usually do a generic strawberry banana or blueberry one, but mangoes were only a buck a piece at Trader Joe’s this week so we bought a bunch. Mangoes and oranges seemed like a great pair, and blended up with some coconut milk, made for an UNREAL smoothie. You have to try it!

1 mango, cut into pieces

1 banana, sliced

Juice of 2 oranges

3/4 cup coconut milk

1 tbsp honey or other liquid sweetner

• Blend all ingredients together until smooth and creamy