Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

I love toasting pumpkin seeds! And, it is so easy to do, kind of squishy and messy, but most definitely easy. I remember as a child that it was my dad's job to carve the pumpkin and my mom, my sister, and I would fish the seeds out of the pumpkin "guts". Such great memories of this activity that it still makes me smile today.

 



Pecan Sweet Potato Bake

This recipe is a cleaned up version of one of my husband's favorite holiday dishes. We made a trial run of a more nutritious version and it turned out fantastic! We traded out the canned sweet potatoes with fresh, the refined white sugar with coconut crystals and maple sugar, and made sure the dairy was all from organic, grass-fed sources.

For the filling:
3 cups sweet potatoes cut in pieces, cooked until softened
2 pasture eggs
1/2 cup coconut crystals, try Coconut Secret
1/4 cup organic milk from grass-fed cows
1/4 cup organic butter from grass-fed cows, melted
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp sea salt

For the topping:
1/4 cup coconut crystals
1/4 cup maple sugar
2 tbsp almond flour
1/4 cup cold organic butter from grass-fed cows (chopped)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Cinnamon to taste (about 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp)

How To:

1. Filling: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl combine all the filling ingredients and beat until fluffy. Transfer to an 9x9 cassarole dish (lightly greased with butter or coconut oil).
2. Topping: In a small to medium sized bowl combine the sugar and flour. Mix in butter until crumbly. Pour onto the top of the filling and then sprinkle pecans and cinnamon. Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes.

Comments:
This was really delicious and serves about 8 to 10 as a side dish. There is no need to ever make it the "old" way again. I was thinking that you could easily substitue walnut flour or pecan flour (ground in a magic bullet or food processer) for the almond flour ingredient, depending on your taste preference. In the version in the picture, it didn't hold together very well, but tasted great. 

This post was submitted to Traditional Tuesdays, Foodtastic Friday, and Iron Chef Mom Sweet Potatoes.

Meatloaf

Fall is the perfect time to break out the big guns-- the big pile of seasoned, baked meat. Men everywhere love to eat meatloaf, and when prepared nutritiously, women everywhere can be happy to serve it at their tables.

 

Breakfast Quiche

Ingredients:
1 medium Russet potato, sliced very thinly (use a mandolin if you don't think you're up to the task)
2 cups corn (I use organic frozen because it's easy, but fresh off the ear would be awesome)
4 pasture eggs
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes, drained and rinsed (or 1 chopped fresh tomato or about 1/2 cup chopped grape or cherry tomatoes)
1/4 cup whole milk, try to find a good local source
About 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup grated cheese (I used a combination of Manchego and Cheddar, which I had in the house)
Butter (about 2 tbsp. divided) or ghee (try Organic Valley or Kerrygold)
Sea salt and pepper to taste (about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper or less)
3 dashes of tabasco sauce (or other similar type sauce)
1/4 tsp chili powder

How To:
1. Prep/ Make the Crust: Preheat oven to 350 and arrange potato slices in a deep dish pie plate that has been prepared using about 1 tbsp of the butter. Overlap the slices so there are no gaps. When done arranging, pour remaining butter (melted) over top and stick in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes until the potatoes start to brown and are tender. You'll remove from the oven when done and set aside.

2. Prep/ Filling: While the crust is cooking, grate your cheese, dice your peppers and tomatoes as needed, and slice your onions. In a blender, combine the milk, corn, eggs, salt, tobasco, and chili powder. Blend until just mixed but don't over mix. You will still want to see chunks of corn in the mixture.

3. Put it all Together: Sprinkle half your cheese on the bottom of the pie pan (on top of the potato crust). Then pour your egg mixture and arrange the peppers, tomatoes, and green onions on top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and stick back into the oven. Bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool ten minutes, then slice and serve.

Comments:
This takes about 30 minutes leisurely prep time and then cook time. Definitely not something you would want to make when you were in a rush, but nice for the weekend and you can store in the refrigerator for about a week for quick breakfasts when you really need them. My husband ate half a quiche on his own, so I am not sure what to label the number of servings, but honestly, I think one to two slices for a regular person!

 

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This post is linked up to Fat Tuesday, Busy Mondays, Freaky Friday!, Foodie Friday, Fight Back Friday, Sunday School at Butter Believer, Whole Foods Wednesday, Waste Not Want Not Wednesdays, Strut Your Stuff Saturday, Countdown to 2013: Best Breakfast Recipes.

 

Please follow the links for other great recipe ideas!

Cinnamon Vanilla French Toast

Have I mentioned how happy I am to have added butter back into my diet? This recipe is a perfect illustration of that happiness. Remember to only use organic butter from grass-fed cows and check out this brief excerpt highlighting some of the reasons why I make that recommendation (Nina Planck, from her book, Real Food):

"Compared to industrial milk, dairy foods from grass fed cows contain more omega 3 fats and more vitamin A and more beta-carotene and other antioxidants. Butter and cream from grass fed cows are a rare source of the unique and beneficial fat CLA. According to the Journal of Dairy Science, the CLA in grass fed butterfat is 500 percent greater than the butterfat of cows eating a typical dairy ration, which usually contains grain, corn silage, and soybeans. CLA is a polyunsaturated omega 6 fat [which is not the same at other omega 6 fats, and acts more like an omega 3], CLA prevents heart disease (probably by reducing atherosclerosis), fights cancer, and builds lean muscle. CLA aids weight loss in several ways: by decreasing the amount of fat stores after eating, increasing the rate by which fat cells are broken down, and reducing the number of fat cells. Most studies of CLA and cancer have been conducted on animals, and more research is needed, but findings are encouraging. CLA Inhibits growth of human breast cancer cells in vitro. A Finnish team round that a women eating dairy from pastured animals had a lower risk of breast cancer than those eating industrial dairy".

2 slices bread, try Ezekial or French Meadow Bakery brands
1 egg, I recommend free-range or, even better, farm fresh, pasture eggs
1 tsp organic vanilla
1/2 tsp organic cinnamon (or more to taste)
A splash of milk (about 1 tbsp), try Organic Valley
A little real maple syrup (optional), Grade B is just fine, about 1 tbsp
A little butter (about 2 tbsp), organic and from grass-fed cows, try Kerry Gold or Organic Valley Pasture butter

Beat egg with milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. Dip bread slices into egg mixture. In the meantime, add 1 tbsp butter to a medium sized saute pan over medium heat and ensure the bottom is covered with butter when it melts. Add bread to pan and cook about 5 to 7 minutes per side. You may want to sprinkle with a little extra cinnamon when you first start cooking or at the end (I don't think you could ever use too much cinnamon).

Serve with remaining butter and a drizzle of maple syrup. YUM.

Comments: This is really fast to make, quick and easy preparation and so very good. Easy to double the recipe, but the current version makes one serving.

Spicy Potato Wedges

I know I say this a lot, but these are delicious!! Super easy side dish and you can adjust the heat.

3 medium to large Russet potatoes (you could use sweet potatoes too)
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp Italian seasonings
1/4 tsp cayenne (red) pepper - more or less to adjust heat level, this is probably a "medium"
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp maple sugar
About 1/2 cup olive oil

How To:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
1. Season: Measure out all seasonings and combine in a baggie or bowl. Wash potatoes really well and then cut into wedges (quarter potato and then cut each quarter into wedges (1/8ths). Add to baggie or bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and mix to coat.

2. Cook: Arrange potatoes in a single layer on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper or foil. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes until potatoes are done. Serves about four to six.

Comments: I think you could arrange these potatoes on a dish and then cover with chili and grated cheddar cheese and have a most excellent homemade chili cheese fries. This was my husband's idea, actually, and so I'm adding a "guy stuff" label to this post!

 

This recipe was featured on Busy Monday and Just Another Meatless Monday.

Grilled Ham and Cheese

About 8 slices of no-sugar added sliced bread, like French Meadow Bakery brand
About 4 ounces of organic cheddar cheese, sliced thinly (for 4 sandwiches), try Organic Valley
Butter (softened) try Organic Valley
Ham, four slices, I recommend organic and nitrate-free

Heat a large saute pan over medium to medium-low heat. Melt a tablespoon of butter on the bottom and spread around. In the mean time, prepare your sandwiches by arranging the cheese and ham inside two slices of bread. Spread a thin layer of butter on one side of the bread. Then, add your sandwich to the saute pan, butter side down (I find two at a time works well). Spread a little butter on the top side and cook a few minutes, until browned. Flip and cook another few minutes, until that side is also browned and the cheese inside is melted. Serve warm.

Comments: This makes four sandwiches. As far as the butter goes, try to use as little as possible and if the butter is soft, a small amount will go a long way. This is fairly quick to make and so extremely good. Grilled cheese is a real favorite in our house and you can make this a more nourishing option by using a high quality bread and high-quality, organic dairy. We serve with tomato soup.