Pumpkin Muffins | New Addition

I haven't made pumpkin muffins since last year's recipe, and since we are in the season of pumpkin EVERYTHING I decided to try out a new recipe.
This recipe was definitely 'up there' on the delicious factor. One of my favorite pumpkin bread's to date.

Squash + Black Bean Enchiladas

This particular evening I was feeling adventurous and wanted to try out a new + more adventurous dinner when I came across Sprouted Kitchen's Roasted Zucchini, Black Bean, + Goat Cheese Enchiladas. As per the usual, I modified her recipe based on what I had in my house; but boy were these enchilada fantastic!

They turned out much much better than I had imagined.

This was my first time making enchiladas, I was surprised at how easy they were to create. They were time consuming as I roasted the squash + used dried beans, however, I don't mind things like that. I often roast my veggies or cook my beans while working on other projects so I don't even feel like I am cooking, plus I feel like preparing these on my own results in a better overall flavor. 

Continuing on my exploration of food I picked up a delicata squash and used it for this recipe. These squash have quickly become my new favorite! For a little more on winter squash varietals here is an explanation from Suzie's Farm.

Chocolate Avocado Mousse | Don't Be Scared!

Rich, creamy goodness!

I know some of you out there might have your face twisted up + head cocked sideways after reading the title of this post. I know I did when I first read it on a dessert menu while out at a restaurant one day. But my curiosity got the better of me, I ordered it + it was heavenly! So rich, creamy + full of chocolatey flavor, I swear if I didn't know it I would have never guessed there was avocado in it! I was hooked. But I definitely didn't want to have shell out $6 bucks every time just to enjoy this delicious dessert + so I decided to try to make my own Chocolate Avocado Mousse + it turned out delicious!

I searched around a bit before I decided on this particular recipe which can be found here. I decided to go with this one as it was very simple + had exact ingredient quantities, unlike other sites I looked at it. I also found some helpful tips on other sites which I will also share with you below. Although I did use this particular recipe as a guide I did end up changing it just a bit, but I'll get more into that later. As I mentioned you might be somewhat hesitant about this dessert, but I swear you'll love it! 

Let your curiosity take over, grab your ingredients + let the adventure begin! :)

Ingredients:

1 Avocado

3 tbs Honey

1/4 cup Cocoa Powder

1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Pinch of Salt

2 tbs Milk
Garnish (optional)

Like I said I used the recipe above as a guide, I ended up adding a lot more of the ingredients than what the recipe originally called for. When I made my mousse I added a total of about 5-6 tablespoons of honey, 1/2 cup of the cocoa powder, a few pinches of salt, + about 4 tablespoons of milk. But that's just me, my sweet tooth is out of control which is the reason for adding so much honey. When I only added the 1/4 cup of cocoa powder like the recipe called for the mousse still had somewhat of an avocado flavor, the chocolate flavor wasn't prevalent enough which is why I added some more cocoa. I love a good sweet + salty balance which is why I added more salt, just to get it to an even keel. More below about why I added the additional milk.

How To:

* Blend avocado until smooth

* Add remaining ingredients + blend until smooth

* Pour into a bowl + chill for 2.5 hours

* Serve as is or garnish

(Garnish ideas below)

When I first started making this dessert, I did follow the recipe + used a blender to blend the ingredients smooth. However when I tried to just blend the avocado alone it wasn't working very well which is why I added 2 tablespoons of milk to it which made it a lot easier to blend. Once I had the avocado pretty much blended all the way I added the other ingredients + once again ran into the problem of it just not wanting to blend well for me, which is why I added 2 more tablespoons of milk, hoping it would help. But it didn't. So in the end I ended up using a mixer to get the mousse smooth. Next time I make this I think I will just use the mixer + see how that goes. 

Tips

This dessert is super rich so the serving size shouldn't be much larger than a big tablespoon. I swear it'll be enough. 

Garnishings: The possibilities are endless when it comes to a good garnish for this dessert. 
A few of the top of my head: 

+ Nuts

+ Caramel

+ Pinch of Sea Salt
+ Cinnamon + Sugar

+ Oreo Crumbles

+ Mint Oreo Crumbles

+ Andes Mint Pieces

+ Chocolate Sauce

+ Salty Cracker Crumbles
+ Fresh Fruit 
(Berries would be delicious!)
+ Dollop of Peanut Butter or Whip Cream

* If you want to make a simple 2 ingredient Chocolate Avocado Mousse simply combine avocado + hot chocolate mix until smooth, chill + serve!

Like I mentioned this recipe can easily be made into a Vegan friendly dessert by simply substituting Agave syrup instead of the honey, skip the Vanilla Extract, + instead of regular milk use almond or soy milk.

- I served coffee along side the mousse + it was out of this world! :)

Not only is this dessert super good it's also on the healthier side! If you're feeding this to skeptical/picky eaters, just don't tell them there is avocado in it until they've enjoyed it, they'll be shocked! :D

Until next time friends...Cheers!!! 

<3 Noonie

Cauliflower Falafel

My love of falafel, cumin, tahini, and middle eastern food continues with this experiment. Falafels are one of my favorite things to pack for snacks (or lunch) because they are so easy to carry around. I use one of my glass jars and stack the little guys inside. They are so flavorful that I often eat them plain, but they would also be great if you wanted to create a sandwich or wrap and use them as the "meat" substitute. Either way, you can't go wrong.

Directions:

1. Use the cheese grater blade for the food processor and chop carrots and onion.

2. Change blades to the normal blade and chop the cauliflower.

3. Add wet ingredients into food processor with cauliflower and carrot mixture. Blend until combined.

- note: if you have a smaller food processor like I do you might need to just use half the cauliflower mixture and add the remaining by hand)

4. Transfer to a bowl and add flour, flax, and any other dry ingredients. (If you have a large good processor you can do everything in the there)

- if the mixture is too wet add more flour or starch, if it's too dry more olive oil or water

5. Add heaping spoonfuls to a well greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 15 minutes (or until golden brown)

6. Flip falafels and bake for another 15 minutes. I also push them down a little at this point to make them flat on each side.

7. Remove and enjoy

Yield: a lot! +/- 40

Tips: if I were to do it again I would half the recipe as I made too many. But they also freeze well so that is where my extras are currently residing.

links

Inside-out Almond Joy

I went out for a little dessert picnic at the Astoria Park with my girlfriend, which warranted a new creation that would be delicious and easily transportable.

If you hadn't noticed yet, I love coconut and particularly coconut macaroons. Simple to make, easy to share, and healthy as usual.

These little guys turned out lovely! They're the consistency of an oatmeal cookie but the flavors of coconut with the little gooey treat inside! Also perfect for travel and easy to eat on the run if you need a quick pick-me-up.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to: 350'

2. Mix together all ingredients until a stiff dough (except almonds and chocolate)

3. Rub hands with flour and grab a little scoop of the coconut mixture, pat it flat in your hand, place 1 almond + 1 chunk of chocolate in center, fold over, and roll into a ball. Repeat.

4. Place on oiled cookie sheet or parchment paper. 

5. Bake for 12 minutes

6. Let cool a little + enjoy

Yield: 10 balls

Tips: You can roll these in almond pieces, or in melted chocolate for a more refined appearance, or mix in the almond pieces for flavor throughout. But I like the idea of a little hidden treat in the center. 

Double the batch, they're addicting!

Enjoy!

-Nelli

Links

Fancy Toasts

This week I came upon a loaf of fresh baked sourdough bread; this of course has had me making yummy sandwiches all week + in this case has me brainstorming creative methods to use up the bread.

This concoction was my dinner last night, and as like many of my creations it's made up of random things I had lying around. If you happen to have these ingredients I highly recommend them both, if not I suggest you doing a little experimenting of your own!

Avocado Toast

1/4 Avocado

Sprinkling of Salt

Drizzle of Olive Oil

Fig Toast

1 tsp Apple Butter

Drizzle of Honey

Sprinkle of salt

1/2 Fig

Directions:

1. Toast bread

2. While bread is toasting cut figs + prep avocado. 

- Avocado: slice into cubes, place on wooden cutting board, mash with fork, add salt till desired (and any other spices), mash a little more.

3. Compile toast

- Fig: spread apple butter, add sliced figs, drizzle honey, and sprinkle with a touch of salt

- Avocado: drizzle toast with olive oil, add your mashed avocado

For something extra tye adding pumpkin or sunflower seeds to your fig toast or add cucumber or chia seeds to the avocado.

Another victory from "The Lazy Chef"

Cheers

-Nelli

Apricot-Coconut Scones

There is nothing better than a fresh, well balanced scone.... Well any pastry for that matter. So today's experiment consists of apricots + coconut. Why you might ask? Because it's what was in my pantry and it sounded like a better combination than fig + coconut. I've been on this 'use the things in my cabinet' kick and so far they have been turning out wonderfully! I also like to research and use other bloggers recipes for inspiration, so for this recipe I combined the recipes from both of these bloggers:

The Little Eipicurean's Lemon Blueberry Oat Scones

Vegan Yumminess's Apricot Scones

My other new "thing" is making smaller batches of each experiment. I often end up with 40 muffins or 25 scones then I end up eating them all. And as delicious as they may be, I get tired of the same thing every day. So this recipe was for a more reasonable amount. I made 7 small scones, but you could also make 4 "normal sized" scones. 

I hope you enjoy!

Directions:

1. Mix together dry ingredients + coconut oil

2. Mix in apricots and coconut

3. Mix in coconut milk 1/2 at a time (so you can control how dry/wet they are. Mix until they are the desired consistency: form into a ball without being too wet.

4. Lay on wax paper or a floured surface. 

Form into a 1" thick flattened surface.

5. Cut into wedges and separate on the baking sheet.

6. Refrigerate for 30 minutes (optional)

7. Preheat oven to 375'

8. Bake for 15-20 minutes

9. Prep the glaze: mix everything together until smooth. If you want to glaze the entire surface of the scones double or triple the measurements. 

10. Once removed: drizzle glaze on top of scones + sprinkle with shredded or toasted coconut. 

Yield: 7-8 small or 4 regular scones

Tips: go easy on the salt! I accidentally put too much salt in mine. I was able to add more glaze which masked the salt. But be careful. 

Enjoy!

- Nelli

And I gifted a few

Beet + Carrot Slaw

This was a simple slaw I whipped up after being inspired by many bloggers beet recipes lately. Super simple, healthy, and refreshing what else could you ask for.

If you haven't noticed neither of us have been blogging as often lately, but -fingers crossed- that has come to an end and I will be back on track in no time!

Cheers!

-Nelli

Zucchini Boats

My days off almost always include a trip to my local natural food store (5th photo down), where I spend a good amount of time perusing the isles to see whats on sale + all of the goodies that I don't need but will inevitably come home with anyhow. This particular trip included the purchase of: zucchini, tomato, carrots, sunflower seed butter, tea, brazil nuts, cashews, beer, and some random health food bars. I often decide what I will make for dinner while wandering these isles, but on this day I found my dinner hours beforehand while I was sipping my morning coffee, watching the news, + skimming over blogs. I came upon one of my new favorite bloggers, In Sonnet's Kitchen, + this dish.

Simple, easy, healthy, what more can the lazy chef here ask for?

Directions:
1. Cut zucchini in 1/2 + scoop out insides with a spoon
2. Spread a layer of pesto (or sauce of your choosing)
3. Stack ingredients: tomato, olive, onion, etc.
4. Sprinkle with salt, olive oil, + balsamic vinegar (+ cheese if you desire)
5. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes
6. Enjoy

Tips:
Fill these little guys with anything you would like on a pizza.
The pesto recipe I used is one that I created a month or so ago, and is delicious!

Until we meet again,

-Nelli

Apple Banana Carrot Oat Muffins

Apple Banana Carrot Oat Muffins, these muffins have so many goodies in them that I figured they deserved an acronym, so ABC-O it is (which I intend to be pronounced as ABC-OHHHHH!).

This is the first recipe I've concocted all on my own. I set out to create a breakfast muffin that could replace the mass amounts of fruit I consume for breakfast (Typical Day: 1/2 apple, 1 orange, 1/2 cup berries, 1 carrot, 1 celery, + 1 mini muffin). Not because I don't enjoy the fruit, but because it takes me a good 20 minutes to eat + I figured I needed to give myself a challenge. Thus the ABC muffins were invented. I then decided to make + use oat flour because oatmeal is a breakfast food, so oat flour would make them more breakfast-y. The flavor of these muffins is wonderful, but I had a little trouble with them setting up, which you can read about below.

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325
2. Make oat flour: Place 2 cups of oats in food processor + blend until desired consistency
3. Mix oat flour + dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
4. In food processor: grate carrots + apple
5. In a separate bowl mash the banana
6. To the banana add: honey, oil, + milk. Stir.
7. Mix banana mixture with dry ingredients until well combined.
8. Add the carrots + apples. Stir.
9. Divide into muffin tins + bake for 20-30 minutes
10. Let cool + enjoy!

Yield:
12 mini muffins + 12 normal sized muffins

Tips:
I think this might work better if I had mixed 1/2 oat flour with 1/2 spelt or whole grain flour. They were quite wet and needed to cook on the longer side before they could set up, or I could have used less milk + wet ingredients. The recipe above has less milk than what I used (3/4 cup), which should improve future recipes.

Sweet Potato Croquettes

I've been smitten with sweet potatoes for some time now, they're good for digestion, they taste delicious, and there is a plethora of recipes for how to use them online.
So of course I go on a hunt for a croquette recipe, because what better way is there to eat your veggies than mashing them all up and rolling them into a ball?

These little guys turned out to be one of my absolute favorites, I don't know if the word 'croquette' does it justice, its more of: 'if a falafel + hush puppy had a baby + filled it with sweet potato it would be this.' These are so flavorful + delicious, just thinking about them has me drooling.

Any-who, I hope you enjoy!

Directions:
1. Bake or boil sweet potato for 1 hour
2. Cook quinoa (1/2 cup dry + 1 cup water, boil, cover + simmer for 12 minutes)
3. Mash sweet potato
4. Put all of the ingredients together and mix
5. Place rounded spoonfuls onto oiled baking sheet
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes

Yield:
15 croquettes

Tips:
Add Flour!
On my first round I attempted to do these flour-less (from the blog I was following) and they were a disaster. While the flavor was good they were basically the same as the 'mash' so if you want to bake them and make them into croquettes add some type of flour.

Until we meet again,

Nelli

Chocolate Coconut Macaroons

If I haven't mentioned it before, coconut macaroons are one of my all time favorite cookies (blueberry coconut macaroons) so I tend to make variations of them and this round is definitely on my list of favorites!

The photograph below has some of my favorite things in it: Scarlett, Cookies, + thoughts of Georgia. I was recently in Savannah (which I will be blogging about soon), and picked up that nifty magazine which happened to have my all time favorite movie featured on the cover. Like many little girls who grew up in America I always wanted to be Scarlett O'Hara; the charm, the clothes, the spunk!
Now that I am mostly grown up I have re-evaluated that desire; but anytime I watch the movie I get as giddy as a schoolgirl, fantasizing about long puffy dresses, refreshments on the porch, and of course a tumultuous relationship with a southern boy.

"Oh Rhett"

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350'
2. Mix everything together
3. Bake for 12 minutes

Yield:
5 cookies

Tips:
If the mixture is too dry add more milk +/or honey until it reaches desired consistency.
If its too wet add more coconut +/or flour.
Chia, Flax, + Carob are not necessary but I figure if I can throw them in and make my cookies healthier then why not?

It's been a pleasure.

-Nelli