Book of Yum

Welcome to Episode 4 in our Vegetarian Thanksgiving Series. Today Kim of Welcoming Kitchen shared a creative recipe for a Mushroom Socca Tartlet that would be a wonderful entree in any holiday meal. Kim used all whole ingredients, even grinding her own chickpea flour from dried chickpeas to make the socca. My favorite part of this recipe is probably the fresh herb infused oil. Not only does it look beautiful but it sounds like it would taste simply divine. All of the recipes at Kim and Megan’s site are free of the eight common allergens (dairy, eggs, soy, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, fish, and shellfish), gluten-free, and vegan. Not only that, but they have a series of cookbooks out, and the latest released in June Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen- & Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes looks pretty awesome. Allergen AND Gluten-free AND Vegan recipes? Sign me up!

For my contribution, I thought I’d share an unusual but absolutely recipe for delicious apricot glazed brussels sprouts. In my opinion, brussel sprouts are an unfairly maligned vegetable. If they are prepared right, they can be really, really tasty.

Here are some lovely blog recipes for Brussel Sprouts.
I tried the first three recipes and they were YUMMY!
Elana’s Pantry Chestnuts with Brussel Sprouts
Gluten-free Bay Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Gluten-free Bay Lemon Dijon Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Fat Free Vegan Brussels Sprouts with Basil and Garlic
Simply Recipes Hashed Brussel Sprouts with Lemon

Apricot Glazed Roasted Brussel Sprout recipe Side Dish  Vegetables  American

Ingredients 1 lb- 1 1/2 lb. brussels sprout olive oil dried dill to taste salt pepper 1/2 cup apricot jam (i use a no-sugar variety) 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice lemon zest, if desired Directions Clean sprouts and shake off water, or fold in a towel. Cut in half, horizontally, and place in medium to large bowl, drizzling with olive oil. Season with dill, salt, and pepper and place flat on cookie sheet. I think that it is easiest if you put them all one way, either flat, cut side face down or round exterior face down. Place in 425 F oven and bake for 15 minutes and then check. If one side is nicely browned, turn over. Otherwise, put back in oven for another 10-15 minutes or until browned on one side. (This will depend on size of the brussel sprout) When this one side is brown, turn the sprouts over and bake for 5-10 minutes or until done to your preference. I like them more done than my DH- My favorite part is the crispy, paper-like exterior. yum! He likes them lightly browned but not papery. To each their own. While sprouts finish browning, put your jam, lemon juice, and zest in a heavy bottomed, small soup pot. Bring to a simmer and let it come to a liquid like texture. Then turn off the stove and reserve glaze. When brussel sprouts are done, put in a pretty, medium sized serving bowl and drizzle generously with glaze, stirring if necessary. Serve and enjoy!

Rating:  9 Original Source:  Contents of my brain, inspired by many recipes online. Please do not replicate without my written permission. Thanks! Recipe ID:  1466 Added:  October 18, 2009 Last Modified:  October 18, 2009

Welcome to Pumpkin Week! I’ve had a fondness for pumpkins since I was a little kid picking out my pumpkin for a Jack O’lantern. Then I moved to Colorado and made friends with a pumpkin patch with a delightful assortment of pumpkins and squash, hay rides and mazes for the kids (and those who were kids at heart). I discovered the joy of bringing baby pie pumpkins home and roasting them in the oven for homemade gluten-free pumpkin pie. When we finally bought a house in California last year where we could have a garden, I knew I wanted to plant pumpkins so I could realize a childhood dream and grow my own pumpkin for a jack O’lantern. Of course I thought pies with homemade pumpkin would be a nice perk, too. Our pumpkins vined their little hearts out in the garden and produced some darling beauties. I haven’t had the heart to cut them open and bake them yet, although I did roast one of the spaghetti squash that we grew. It was very yummy.

As autumn has set into California with its fickle, spring-like nature that alternates cool days with sunny days and the nights turn crisp, I find myself craving pumpkin. This week I will be sharing two (possibly three) pumpkin recipes with you and hosting a pumpkin recipe mr. linky on Friday, so stay tuned.

I’ll start the week with a healthy drink for a dairy-free Chocolate Pumpkin Cream Smoothie that sounds naughty but isn’t really. Toddler Yum heard the word “chocolate” and slurped it down like nobody’s business, which made me happy. I hope you will enjoy it as much as we did!

One note- the avocado is there for the additional healthy fats and creaminess. It does add a little flavor so the cocoa is absolutely necessary for smoothing the flavors together, in my opinion. Do be careful not to add too much banana as the flavor is quite strong. It is mostly there for the sweetness, so if you prefer another mild fruit, feel free to experiment.

As part of the Tastemaker program with Foodbuzz, I got the nifty Tervis Tumbler pictured. I thought it might be fun to participate, and we can always use another bpa free, dishwasher safe cup for Toddler Yum. Their 8 oz toddler-sized tumblers look interesting. I might have to get some cups made for Toddler Yum!

Here are some additional recipes for Pumpkin Smoothies:
Vegan
Pumpkin Smoothie with Ginger and Maple Syrup
Sugar-free Pumpkin Smoothie with Coconut Whip
Pumpkin Smoothie with Homemade Hemp Milk
Silken Tofu Pumpkin Smoothie
Pumpkin Smoothie with Flaxseed and Soy
Pumpkin Smoothie with Protein Boost
Pumpkin Smoothie with chia and almond milk
Vegetarian
Pumpkin Smoothie with Yogurt
Brown Sugar Sweetened Pumpkin Smoothie

Other Foodbuzz folks put some interesting things in their Tumblers:
Juiced tangerine limeade

Chocolate Pumpkin Smoothie Breakfast  Vegetables  American

Ingredients 1/2 cup cooked pumpkin (canned ok) 1/2 avocado (peeled and without the pit) 1 cup homemade cashew milk* (or favorite non-dairy milk of choice) 1 tbsp agave or your favorite liquid sweetener (such as homemade simple syrup. Do NOT use honey as it has too much personality) 1 tbsp cocoa powder (NOT optional, although carob powder might be a good substitute if you are sensitive to chocolate) 1 small frozen banana 1 nutmeg for grating Directions Combine ingredients in your blender (a cheap-o blender will be just fine) and process until smooth and creamy. Pour in a glass or cup and grate nutmeg on top for serving. Enjoy! I am curious about what it would taste like frozen into a popsicle- I think it might be pretty tasty. I also considered adding 1/2 tsp of vanilla. I might do that next time. You can also add a pumpkin spice type blend of spices. I like Penzey’s Cake or Baking Spice. Notes *CASHEW MILK RECIPE: I made one big batch of cashew milk that I used in recipes for several days. I soaked 1 cup of cashews overnight with enough water to cover and then drained them, discarding the liquid. I blended them together with water up to the top of my blender (measuring 5 cups including the cashews), to make a milk which I did not strain. I stored it in the refrigerator in a glass pitcher to use as needed. For drinking or to use in hot cereal, I add a drop of vanilla and a little agave to the milk.

Rating:  7 Original Source:  Contents of my brain, please do not replicate without my permission. Recipe ID:  1572 Added:  October 24, 2011 Last Modified:  October 24, 2011