Gingerbread Cookie Pumpkin Trifle, by Diane

 

This is the first post that I won’t be able to add a “healthy” tag onto in a very long time, and well worth it!! This recipe takes our beloved Unbelievably Soft Ginger Cookies and mixes them into a layered trifle with pumpkin pie filling, vanilla pudding, and whipped cream. What’s not to love?? 

Ingredients:

1 batch ginger cookies

1 can puréed pumpkin

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp each ground cloves and nutmeg 

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 box vanilla pudding mix, prepared

1 container cool whip, thawed (I would use fresh whipped cream next time as we didn’t have enough of this and also the cool whip didn’t spread well)

Directions:

1. Mix the pumpkin, spices, sugar, milk, and prepared vanilla pudding together. 

2. Keep a few cookies aside for decoration, then crumble remaining cookies.

3. Layer the trifle with cookies, pumpkin mix, whipped cream and repeat once more for 6 total layers. 

4. Top with decorative cookies.

Apple Pie Martini, by Cheryl

I found this recipe (or actually, this recipe found me) and it looked so delicious and perfect for Thanksgiving Day. This is like drinking an apple pie... it's so good! It's super easy to make and it goes down smoothly (almost too smoothly, haha). This will definitely be a staple for years to come. Yum!

Ingredients: 

3oz vodka 

1oz butterscotch schnapps 

2.5oz apple cider 

caramel sauce 

cinnamon sugar 

apple slice 

Directions: 

1) Fill a shaker with ice and add the alcohol and cider. Shake until mixed and chilled. 

2) Line the rim of a martini glass with the caramel sauce, then dip into the cinnamon sugar. 

3) Pour mix into glass and top with apple slice.

Pumpkin Cheesecake, by Cheryl

It's pumpkin season! This was very easy to make and delicious to eat! I'm all about pumpkin everything right now so I needed to include a new dessert for us to munch on besides all of the kids' Halloween candy, ugh! Pair this with a nice topping like whipped cream or a caramel sauce and you'll definitely want to get another slice. Yum! 

 Ingredients (recipe from ) 

For crust: 

1.5 cups grahama cracker crumbs 

6 tbsp melted, unsalted butter 

1 tbsp sugar 

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

For filling: 

3 8-oz cream cheese packages, room temperature 

1.5 cups light brown sugar 

15 oz canned pumpkin 

4 large eggs 

1/4 cup sour cream 

2 tbsp all purpose flour 

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice 

1/4 tsp salt 

1 tbsp vanilla extract 

Directions: 

1) Pulse graham crackers in processor until crumbs form 

2) In a bowl, stir together all of the crust ingredients with crumbs. Transfer into a 9-inch springform pan and press into the pan going up about 1/2 inch on the sides. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Cool to room temp. 3) Beat the cream cheese and brown sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy about five minutes. 

4) In a separate bowl whisk together the rest of the filling ingredients. Add this mixture to the cheese and sugar mixture and mix on low speed until well combined. 

5) Transfer mixture to the pie crust and bake on the middle rack for 1 hour. Turn off heat, prop the door open, and let the cheesecake sit for about 45 minutes. Let cool to room temp, then transfer to fridge for more than 4 hours.

Cauliflower Garlic Fried Rice, by Diane

 

I made this as a side dish to go with my Gyoza Dumpling Meatballs, it came together in a few minutes while the meatballs were in the oven. Pretty good as a side or on its own!

Ingredients:

2 bags cauliflower rice w mixed veggies

4 eggs, whisked

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 shallot, thinly sliced

2 tbsp coconut oil

3 green onions, sliced

3 tbsp coconut aminos 

1 tbsp sesame oil

Salt and white pepper

Onion powder

Directions:

1. Preheat a pan to medium heat, add in coconut oil. When hot, add garlic and shallot slices and fry for 1 minute until crispy. Remove from pan.

2. Add sesame oil in, then pour in eggs. Allow to set for a minute, sprinkle on spices. Break up with the back of a wooden spoon.

3. Add in the cauliflower, green onions, and garlic/shallots. Mix well and add in seasonings to taste. 

Gyoza Dumpling Meatballs, by Diane

 

These are another @iheartumami creation, and they were so juicy and flavorful! Super easy to make as well with a good processor. They also happen to be whole30, and gluten free. I paired them with Cauliflower Garlic Fried Rice, yum! The only thing I would change is that the shiitake over powered the rest of the flavors, so next time I would cut them in half. 

Ingredients:

1 lb ground chicken

1/2 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 egg white, lightly whisked

4 oz shiitake mushrooms

3 scallions, white and green parts

1 small can bamboo shoots

2 small shallots

1 tbsp arrowroot powder

3 tbsp coconut aminos

2 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp sea salt

1/4 white pepper

Directions:

1. Soak the shrimp in 1 1/4 cup water and 1/2 tsp salt for 10 min (this makes the shrimp crunchier instead of mushy). Rinse well a few times and add to the food processor. 

2. Add mushrooms, scallion, bamboo shoots, and shallot to the food processor and mix finely. 

3. Take the mix and add it to the bowl with remaining ingredients. Mix for 2 minutes in the same direction until slightly sticky.

4. Preheat the oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Oil your hands and make the meatballs.

5. Bake for 15 minutes, flip and bake 5 more minutes. 

Green Beans with Toasted Hazelnut and Lemon Zest, by Diane

 

I found this recipe and it seemed like the perfect side dish! The flavors combined really well, but I did make some seasoning modifications as well as a pan sauce to go with it. The beans came out perfectly! I wish I had less hazelnuts in here though, next time!

Ingredients:

1 lb green beans

1/4 cup toasted crushed hazelnuts 

1 shallot, sliced into thin rings 

2 tbsp EVOO

1 cup chicken broth

2 tsp lemon zest

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp poultry seasoning

1/4 tsp onion powder

1 tsp arrowroot powder

1 tsp truffle oil

Directions:

1. Heat a large saucepan to medium heat and add in EVOO. Add in shallots and cook 5 min until golden brown.

2. Add in beans, broth, and salt. Bring to a simmer and cover for 8 minutes. 

3. Uncover and add nuts, zest, and remaining seasonings. Sprinkle on arrowroot powder and stir until pan sauce thickens. 

4. Turn off heat and drizzle truffle oil, adjust seasonings. 

Garlicky Oven Roasted Greens, by Diane

 

😍

For my 40th birthday this fall, I asked for some new pots and pans. The ones I have been using are at least 15 years old from grad school and definitely not fancy or nonstick! The item I’ve wanted most for years has been a classic red Le Creuset Dutch oven, and I got it this week along with some beautiful stainless steel All-Clad cookware! I’ve had my eye on this recipe for a while, and I knew it was the perfect thing to make on a rainy cold Sunday in my new Le Creuset as the recipe calls for the use of a Dutch oven!

This recipe was killer- all the good flavors and a great combo of salty, tart, spicy, garlicky. My only complaint was that the stems still had a bit of crunch to them, and I wish they would have cooked down softer. Otherwise this was a hit!

Ingredients:

2 tbsp EVOO

1 large onion, diced

6 cloves garlic, diced

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 cup ACV

2 lbs chopped collard greens

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tbsp butter/ghee

Kosher salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. 

2. Heat a Dutch oven to medium, add EVOO and onions, salt, and pepper, cooking until the onions are just softened.

3. Stir in garlic through ACV, cooking for another minute until fragrant.

4. Add in greens and cook until they wilt down and mix well with onions. Season generously with salt and pepper, and drizzle EVOO over top of greens.

5. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven for one hour. 

6. Stir in lemon and butter.

Pumpkin Seeds Two Ways, by Diane

This year I made two batches of pumpkin seeds- sweet and savory. For the sweet batch, I did a version of my Pumpkin Pie Roasted Pumpkin Seeds but with the addition of butter. For the savory batch, I got creative and added old bay and some spices. These turned out great and highly addictive! This is the recipe I’m posting below.

Ingredients:

Pumpkin seeds, dried

EVOO

Sea salt

Garlic powder

Onion powder

Old Bay

Directions: Combine all ingredients well, and spread on a greased baking sheet evenly. Roast at 400 for 15 minutes, flip, and roast until golden (about 10-15 more minutes). 

Pumpkin Spice Turmeric Latte, by Diane

I didn’t even bother with this photo, because this was horrid!! I had such high hopes for this recipe, but the spices were so intense that even with more milk added I had to pour the entire thing out. Ah well. 

Ingredients:

3/4 cup almond milk

3 tbsp pumpkin purée

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp coconut oil

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp each ginger, nutmeg, clove, cardamom

Pinch black pepper

Directions: combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat for 5 min, then transfer to a blender to thicken. Top with coconut cream. 

Whole30 Orange Chicken, by Diane

 

This is another of @iheartumami’s family recipes with a Whole30 twist! This was a really interesting method to get chicken crispy without frying, and the sauce was flavorful (I doubled the amount of aminos to get it perfect for me). 

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs chicken, cut into bite size pieces

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1 tsp baking soda

Coconut oil 

2 tbsp + 1/2 tbsp arrowroot powder 

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

2 thin slices ginger, minced plus 1 tsp grated ginger

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tbsp orange zest

1/3 cup orange juice

4 tbsp coconut aminos

3 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 scallion stalks, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425. Place a baking sheet in the oven while it preheats.

2. Toss the chicken in a bowl with the salt, pepper, baking soda, and 2 tbsp arrowroot to coat. Place in the fridge until the oven is ready. 

3. Once the oven is ready, remove the baking sheet and coat with 2 tbsp oil, then place the chicken evenly spaced on the sheet. Bake on lower rack for 10 minutes.

4. While the chicken cooks, combine the garlic, minced ginger, and red pepper flakes in a bowl. Set aside. Combine orange zest, juice, aminos, grated ginger, vinegar, and remaining 1/2 tbsp arrowroot powder in a small bowl, and whisk to combine before setting aside.

5. After 10 minutes, flip the chicken and cook until golden and crispy, another 8-10 minutes.

6. While the chicken cooks again, heat a saucepan to medium high, and add 1 tbsp oil. When it’s hot, lower the heat to medium and add the ginger/garlic/red pepper bowl as well as a pinch of salt. Stir 15 seconds until fragrant.

7. Whisk the orange juice bowl once more and add to the pan.  It should thicken as you stir often. Adjust with more arrowroot as needed, and taste your seasonings.

8. When the chicken is done, combine it in the pan with the sauce and toss well. Top with scallions.