Friendsgiving dishes

I hosted our 4th annual Friendsgiving last Thursday and it was a success. We split up the food assignments which makes it easy on all of us. We each pick something we enjoy making or bringing and it turned into a great spread. There is so much magic when food, friends, warm lighting, and flowers come together. Makes me want to host a few more dinners this fall-winter.

Two Friendsgiving sides:

1. I made the salad and I just followed Green Kitchen Stories directions for their Millet & Pumpkin Winter Salad. It's a beautiful looking salad and would be a perfect side dish if you're in need of one this holiday. I substituted sweet potatoes for the pumpkin and spinach for the greens. I love how colorful and fall-looking it is.

2. Maggie made a stuffing that had me singing praises. I loved the cranberry punch in it. It's a 101 Cookbooks recipe, but is no longer on the site. Here is what Maggie did:

I used dates instead of figs and 2 cups of cranberries instead of one. For the walnuts, I just mixed them with an egg white and some sugar and toasted them in the toaster oven.

1 large loaf/slab of herb bread
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup dried figs, finely chopped
1 cup sugared walnuts (see recipe below)
1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup vegetable stock
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the bread into 1/2-inch cubes. Shoot for 6 to 7 cups of cubed bread. Set aside in a large bowl.

Put the cranberries in a small saucepan with 1/4 cup of the apple juice and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until cranberries start to pop and split. Cook a minute beyond that and drain the cranberries, discarding the cooked apple juice. Add the cranberries to the bread, along with the onion, figs, sugared walnuts, and sage.

In that same small saucepan over medium heat whisk together the remaining (1/4 cup) apple juice, butter, and stock. Toss the bread (don't over mix or it could go to mush) and stuff whatever it is you are going to stuff. Alternatively, bake, covered, in a casserole dish at 375 degrees for 50 minutes.

Makes about 6 cups of stuffing.

Quinoa Dinner Bowl // Recipe

 

My sister Egan is always cooking up some delicious, healthy, unique concoction. Every time I go over to her house I'm inspired by something she's making.
Yesterday we made dinner and she helped me with a craft project. I think I could eat this meal every night no problem.

Quinoa Dinner Bowl

layer the following:
+raw kale with a little olive oil
+purple cabbage
+cooked quinoa (hot or cold)
+canned black beans (hot or cold)
+celery
+carrot
+tomato
+roasted sweet potato
+stir fried chicken (grass-fed)
+avocado
+drizzle of balsamic vinegar

the variations are endless...

Carrot Apple Muffins // Recipe

 

Years ago my sister Egan introduced the family to these healthy muffins. They've always been a great way to use any extra carrots or maybe apples that aren't crisp enough to eat.
I adapted this recipe a little and they still turned out great.

Carrot Apple Muffins
1 1/2 cups oatmeal
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup organic sucanat
3 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
3/8 tsp. baking soda
3/8 tsp. salt
1 cup applesauce
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 shredded carrot
1 shredded apple
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 egg white

Stir dry ingredients together. In food processor shred apple and carrot. Add most ingredients to dry ingredients. Spoon into prepared muffin tins. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven and bake for 20 minutes.

Thai at home // recipe

 

For my last meal at home, my mom (with some help from me) made homemade bread and pad thai. One of the best reasons to cook at home is the control. Pad Thai can be pretty heavy at a restaurant, but at home, you can lighten it up and adjust to your liking. This recipe is fresh and feel good. Don't you love my mom's big white bowls? Perfect for pad thai.

The bread recipe is from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day and has a sprinkling of Mediterranean salt on top from Whole Foods, the spread is grape jam homemade by my mom.

Pad Thai
Family Fun magazine 2007

½ pound dried rice noodles, linguine width

¼ cup Asian fish sauce

3 Tbs. sugar

2 Tbs. soy sauce

1 Tbs. water

½ tsp. dried red chili flakes (optional)

1 egg, lightly beaten

3 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 Tbs. chopped garlic

¼ pound skinless, boneless chicken cut into bite-size pieces

¼ pound shrimp (about 10-12 medium or 14-16 small) or substitute tofu

1 cup shredded carrot

2 cups fresh bean sprouts

½ cup chopped scallions

3 Tbs. freshly squeezed lime juice

Chopped peanuts

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.  Add the noodles and turn off the heat.  Let them stand for 10 minutes, using tongs or two forks to separate the strands as they soften and turn from translucent ivory to white. Drain the noodles, rinse them well in cold water, and drain again.  Set them aside

In a small bowl, stir together the Asian fish sauce, sugar, soy sauce, water and chili flakes (if desired), until the sugar dissolves and everything is well mixed. Set aside.

Heat 1 Tbs. of the vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat.  Add the egg and scramble it as it cooks just until it is no longer runny, about 30 seconds.  Transfer the egg to a plate.

Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and swirl it around.  Add the garlic and toss well.  Add the chicken and cook it until the edges have mostly changed color, about 1 minute.  Toss it well and continue cooking to brown it, about 30 seconds, then push it to the sides.  Scatter the shrimp, spreading them out, and cook until the edges have changed color, about 1 minute.  Toss them well.  Add the carrot and cook everything about 1 minute longer.  Scoop the chicken, shrimp, and carrot into a bowl, leaving as much oil as possible in the pan.

Swirl the last tablespoon of oil in the pan.  When it’s hot, add the noodles, spreading them to the edges.  Cook for 1 minute, until the oil sizzles.  Scoop up the noodles and turn them over in a big mass.  Cook them another minute, then turn them again.

Pour the sauce mixture around the sides of the pan.  When it sizzles, place the cooked chicken and shrimp on the noodles along with the bean sprouts, scallions, and cooked egg.  Gently scoop the noodles from the bottom and turn them over.  Continue tossing them to mix in the chicken, shrimp, egg, etc.  Remove the pan from the heat.  Add the lime juice and toss the noodles well.  Serve the pad thai hot or warm, topped with chopped peanuts if you like.  Serves 4

for halloween

A Happy Halloween lunch yesterday.

It's time for clementines! I eat 3 a day at least. Easy.

For the acorn squash: I sliced, took out the seeds, sprayed olive oil with the Misto, sprinkled with sea salt and roasted in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.