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Maple Curry Acorn Squash(Again)

Written on November 9, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Side Dish

Every year when squash season comes around I make this recipe; it’s probably the second or third time I posted it. Once more can’t hurt, right?

Maple syrup and curry powder are an underrated combination. The sweetness in the syrup smoothes out the heat in curry powder and creates something unexpectedly delicious. Acorn squash is a great base for this since it doesn’t have too much flavor on its own and is good for you, too.

Maple-Curry Acorn Squash

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 3 servings):

1 Large acorn squash
3 Tablespoons maple syrup
1 Tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt*

*omit if your curry powder is already salted.

Method:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and line a baking tray
Cut the squash in half to remove all the seeds. Once de-seeded, cut along the ridges into thin wedges.
In a large bowl, toss the wedges with the maple syrup, curry powder, and salt.
Lay the squash out on the baking tray and roast for 45 minutes or until fork tender.
Remove from the oven and serve hot.

If there’s any extra of the syrup mixture after you coat the squash or after it bakes drizzle it on top of the finished product for an extra hit of flavor.

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Gluten-Free Apple Crisp

Written on November 7, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

It’s almost not Fall in New England if you don’t make an apple crisp. Every year we’d end up with more apples than any one person could eat and end up making a recipe like this; apples just taste better with cinnamon and oats and brown sugar.

A recipe like this is almost too simple to be as good as it is. I never peel the apples but you certainly could put in the extra effort. You can also eyeball the measurements since it’s very forgiving. If you aren’t concerned about gluten, substitute 1/2 cup of flour in for the oat flour.

The crumble layer isn’t very thick for this crisp which I think keeps the textures balanced. If you want a crumble that completely covers the apples, double the amounts of oat flour, oatmeal, sugar and butter that’s listed.

Gluten-Free Apple Crisp

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 6 servings):

4 sweet apples, cored and diced
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons oat flour*
1/4 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted

*You can make this easily yourself by grinding oats in a food processor.

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, toss together the diced apples, cinnamon, and salt.
Pour the water into an 8 x 8 baking pan and dump in the apple mixture.
In a separate bowl, mix together the oats, oat flour, and brown sugar.
Pour the melted butter into the flour mixture and mix them together completely.
Spread the crumble mixture out evenly on top of the layer of apples.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the crust has hardened and turns golden. Serve hot.

If there are leftovers, always reheat them in the oven and not the microwave to ensure a crispy top coating.

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Sautéed Kale with Pecans

Written on November 5, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Side Dish

Kale is one of those foods that it takes effort for me to enjoy. I never jumped on the kale chip bandwagon and steamed kale just tastes too bland. Add some butter, maple syrup, and pecans though and now we’re talking.

I like this because it’s a simple, fast and delicious side dish. The less you wilt the kale the more vibrant the flavor and texture of it will be.

I like pecans to add a nice crunch factor but you could really swap in any nuts or even croutons.

Sautéed Kale with Pecans

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 7 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 2 servings):

1 1/2 Tablespoons butter
2 1/2 cups loose leaf cut kale
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch of nutmeg
3 Tablespoons chopped pecans

Method:

Heat the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat.
Add in the kale and toss it in the melted butter. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the kale turns a deeper green and begins to wilt.
Add in the salt, nutmeg, maple syrup, and pecans and toss together until mixed.
Return to the stove for 20-30 seconds to heat. Serve hot.

Suddenly eating your vegetables isn’t so hard.

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Egg-Battered Tofu

Written on November 2, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Entree

I have three roommates now and I’m pretty sure all of them would make a better food blogger than me. Every week one of them is making a recipe from Pinterest and the kitchen constantly smells amazing; I’m in awe and usually a little jealous on the days I eat cereal and yogurt for dinner.

One of my roommates made a Korean feast a few weeks after we moved in and served some of the best tofu I’ve ever had. I asked for the recipe and she made it sound so simple: just eggs, tofu, green onion and salt. I think she might have been keeping a secret because mine has never come out as good as hers but not for lack of trying.

I think the secret to making this taste good is to cut the tofu thin but not so thin it breaks apart. You don’t want to bite in after the eggs been cooked and taste cold tofu. Other than that, it really is a simple recipe, and definitely a staple for me now.

Egg-Battered Tofu

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 2 servings):

1 block extra firm tofu
3 large eggs
2 Tablespoons chopped green onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
Sesame oil
Soy sauce

Method:

Dice the tofu into even-sized rectangles; the thinner the better.
In a small bowl, beat together the eggs, salt and green onion.
Heat a little sesame oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat.
Dip the tofu squares into the egg batter, coating them, and then dropping them into the pan. Make sure not to overcrowd the pan by cooking too many at once.
Let the egg cook for about a minute on one side and flip to cook the other side.
Move the tofu to a plate to keep it warm.
Repeat until all of the tofu is used, oiling the pan with sesame oil in between each batch.
Serve hot with sesame oil and soy sauce for dipping.

It took me a few batches to get it “right”, and even still I swear the one my roommate made tasted ten times better. I might have to trade brownies for cooking lessons.

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Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Written on October 31, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Side Dish

I’m not the best speller. In the past week I’ve learned three different words I’ve been spelling wrong all along. The first was “forcable” instead of forcible. That one could have gone either way, right? Another was “judgement” for judgment. I’m still left wondering what happened to that missing e. And then there’s “brussel sprouts”; to be fair, I don’t know anyone who’s ever taken time to pronounce that extra s.

It’s a good thing I’m better at preparing brussels sprouts than spelling them. They can seem intimidating and bland at first but with the right seasoning you’ll have no problem finishing a plateful.

Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 4 servings):

1lb fresh brussels sprouts, stems removed and halved
3 Tablespoons maple syrup
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
In a large bowl, toss together all of the ingredients until the brussels sprouts are evenly coated.
Lay the brussels sprouts out in an even layer on a non-stick surface.
Roast for 30-40 minutes until the sprouts begin to brown on the outside and are tender.
Serve immediately.

If you don’t have maple syrup, use something like honey to add the sweetness.

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Candy Party Mix

Written on October 26, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

This kind of treat has a lot of names. “Monster mix” and “Trash mix” come to mind; let’s call it a party mix since that sounds more elegant when you’re stuffing your face with candy at 8pm.

After Halloween everyone’s always stuffed with more candy than they know what to do with. This is a great recipe to use it up and have something fun and festive to put out at a party or the office. Adding some salted nuts helps to break up the sweetness and add a little crunch factor without making it into a “healthy, boring” treat.

Adapt to use what you have; swap out chocolate covered raisins instead of the almonds or use pretzel M&Ms. It’s entirely versatile.

Candy Party Mix

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 3 cups):

1 cup salted peanuts
1/2 cup chocolate covered almonds
1/2 cup M&Ms
1/2 cup Reese’s miniature peanut butter cups(or regular sized peanut butter cups cut into quarters)
3/4 cup small Swedish Fish

Method:

Mix all of the ingredients together and enjoy.

You’re welcome for the sugar rush.

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Peanut Butter Snack Squares

Written on October 24, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Snack

Every afternoon around 3pm I run into the problem of something healthy to snack on. I’d usually just prefer a bag of M&Ms and some Reese’s peanut butter cups and call it a day, but apparently that’s not good for you(who knew?). I went ahead and tried to make a healthy snack since it’s a lot easier and cheaper than finding tasty ones in the grocery store. And wouldn’t you know you can still have your peanut butter and chocolate and eat well, too?

These definitely aren’t fudgy enough to be blondies or airy enough to be cake; that’s why I’d call them “squares” and say they’re the perfect afternoon pick-me-up when you’re not sure what to have. They’re filled with whole grains, peanut butter, and low-fat yogurt so they must be a better choice than anything from the vending machine.

If you want to make these really healthy, swap out the chocolate chips for raisins. Then again if you want to use both I won’t tell anyone.

Peanut Butter Snack Squares

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 9 squares):

1 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour(or regular flour)
3/4 cup gluten-free rolled oats
1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 egg
2-4 Tablespoons water
1/3 cup chocolate chips

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8×8 baking pan.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, oats, and sugar.
Add in the peanut butter, yogurt, and egg and beat well.
Slowly add in water just until the batter is wet enough for you to stir with a whisk or spatula to mix it.
Lastly fold in the chocolate chips.
Pour the batter into the greased baking tray. Bake for about 25 minutes until the edges start to brown.
Let the pan cool before cutting it into 9 squares. Store sealed in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

After a few days these start to stiffen up. Just pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds on a low setting and it’ll be just like they came out of the oven again!

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Pumpkin Spice Buttercream

Written on October 22, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

Last weekend I tried to make gluten-free pumpkin cupcakes; the result was a little disappointing and I’ll have to try again to come up with a recipe that isn’t. But what can never disappoint is frosting.

Although there texture was a little rough, the cupcakes still tasted fine so I went ahead and frosted and served them. Frosting can fix just about any cake disaster. Instead of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste, pumpkin pie spice gives the perfect earthy flavor for Fall. You could easily pair this with a yellow or chocolate cupcake and it’d be just as good.

You can easily make this recipe non-dairy by using a dairy-free margarine and non-dairy milk. Don’t go too heavy-handed with the spice because the sugar really turns up the flavor.

Pumpkin Spice Buttercream

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes enough for about 10 cupcakes):

1 stick butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1-3 teaspoons milk(optional)

Method:

Beat together the room temperature butter, powdered sugar, and pumpkin pie spice until the frosting has an even consistency.
If your frosting is on the thick side, add milk by the teaspoon until it’s at an easier consistency to work with.
Make sure to use the frosting within 2-4 hours of preparing.

Hopefully I’ll get the cupcakes right. Eventually. For now eating the frosting is just fine.

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Homemade Pumpkin Cream Cheese

Written on October 17, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Sauce

I used to be obsessed with Panera Bread and their cinnamon crunch bagels and fancy cream cheeses; it’s not nearly as much fun to go to when you can’t have gluten so it’s been a while. But this week I had extra cream cheese to use up and a hankering for gluten-free bagels and knew exactly what to make.

This cream cheese is simple and delicious. It has just the right amount of spice to make a plain bagel really taste special. I always catch myself licking the knife clean after I’m done spreading it on because it’s too good not to.

You don’t need to use particularly fancy ingredients for this recipe. If you don’t have maple syrup you can substitute honey or molasses. Use just as much sweetener as you prefer for the flavor.

Homemade Pumpkin Cream Cheese

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 8 servings):

1/2 cup cream cheese
3 Tablespoons pumpkin puree
~2 Tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Method:

In a small bowl, beat together all of the ingredients until there are no lumps left.
Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks after making.

It almost makes you wonder how something so simple can be so good.

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Easy Polenta And Eggs

Written on October 15, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Entree

Real Italians look away; this recipe definitely isn’t for you. Otherwise keep reading.

Now that it’s getting darker earlier and earlier I can’t help but be lazier when it comes to cooking meals. I’ve been looking for simpler things I can throw together in 10 minutes or so that still pack a lot of flavor. I’ve started keep a tube of pre-cooked polenta(the horror!) around to heat up in sauce whenever I need a quick Italian fix. Gourmet? Not at all. But it’s healthy, gluten-free, and much cheaper than take-out options.

This is hardly a “recipe”; more like a list of ingredients to throw together for a quick meal. If you’re not a vegetarian, you can skip the eggs entirely and use a meat sauce instead. But I think there’s nothing better on a cold night than warm marinara sauce and runny yolks.

I’d generally say to expect 3-4 polenta slices, 3/4 cup sauce, and 2-3 eggs per person but you can customize this to perfectly fit your appetite.

Polenta And Eggs

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

Pre-cooked polenta
Marinara sauce
Eggs

Method:

Add enough marinara to fill a frying pan.
Slice the polenta 1/2 an inch thick and spread it out on the sauce in a single layer.
Cook for 2-3 minutes on medium in a covered pan, flip, and cook another 2-3 minutes.
Move the polenta onto a dish but reserve the sauce in the pan. Add a little bit of water if it looks dry or is thinning.
Poach the eggs in the tomato sauce until the tops are cooked but keeping the yolks runny.
Serve the poached eggs and marinara sauce over the plated polenta.

Of course if you have time you can cook your own polenta and make the marinara sauce from scratch. But then again if you have time for all of that something tells me you aren’t looking at this recipe.

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