Tag: Fall

Sapna3 Comments

Sweet & Spicy Harvest Bowl

The weather is still pretty warm out but I am mentally ready for fall!  Especially with all the delicious veggies at the Farmer’s Market that are coming out for the season.  The pomegranates, Brussels sprouts, root vegetables and especially all the squash and pumpkins I’m seeing everywhere!  They’re all so beautiful, colorful and oh so yummy!

I was inspired during my last visit to the Farmer’s Market for this recipe.  I used acorn squash because it is mild in flavor and one of the easiest squash to peel and cut.  The beets added beautiful color and flavor (and lots of nutrition!), and crispy brussels sprouts once roasted are the perfect addition for texture in this bowl.

Here are a few other ingredients I used though, I definitely didn’t roast them:

  • Avocado
  • Red Pears
  • Feta
  • Toasted Pecans
  • Quinoa

As for the dressing, I debated whether to add one or not but in the end, I decided a simple squeeze of lime would do justice without taking away from the other flavors.

I was so excited just roasting the veggies because they looked so bright, bold and beautiful!  The spice that I added to balance the sweet of the beets and pears out was smoky chipotle pepper to the veggies that I roasted.

This is one dish that I think is going to come up often on our table through this season!  Make a big batch for a holiday dinner side, a small batch for a lunch or make it a meal for a weeknight!  It’s simple, healthy, delicious, and you get to eat many of your colors!

Here are some of the health benefits from this yummy bowl:

  • Low Carb
  • High in Fiber
  • High in Protein
  • Vitamins K, C, A, and B-6
  • Good Source of Iron
  • Good Source of Folate

Well!  What are you waiting for?  You have got to try this out!

From my kitchen to yours, I hope you enjoy this delicious Sweet and Spicy Harvest Bowl!

Sweet & Spicy Harvest Bowl

Sweet & Spicy Harvest Bowl
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Sapna
October 15, 2020
by Sapna
Category Salads Vegetarian
Persons
2
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Total Time
50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 c Acorn Squash, peeled, deseeded, cubed
  • 1 large Beet, peeled, cubed
  • 1 lb Brussels Sprouts, halved
  • 1 Avocado, cubed
  • 1 Red Pear, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 c crumbled Feta
  • 1/4 c toasted pecans
  • 1/2 c quinoa
  • 1 lime, quartered into wedges
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground chipotle pepper*
  • 1 Tbsp Avocado or Olive Oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
  2. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat, parchment paper or aluminum foil
  3. In a bowl, add oil, 1 1/2 tsp salt, black pepper, and chipotle pepper. Mix well
  4. Add in the squash, beets and brussels sprouts. Toss well to coat all the veggies evenly
  5. Add the veggies to the baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes
  6. Meanwhile, thoroughly rinse the quinoa to remove the saporins
  7. In a medium saucepan, bring to a boil 1 c water and add rinsed quinoa and 1/2 tsp salt
  8. Let it cook for 10-12 minutes or until all the water has burned off. Remove from heat and cover for 5 minutes. When ready to use, remove cover and fluff with a fork.

To Assemble:

  1. Add the roasted veggies, quinoa, avocado, toasted pecans, feta, and pears to a bowl.
  2. Serve hot with a lime wedge!

Notes

*Adjust the amount of chipotle pepper according to spice level

Tags

Autumn,
Clean Eating,
Eat a Rainbow,
Eat your colors,
Fall,
Farm fresh,
Farmers Market,
Fresh Vegetables,
Gluten Free,
Harvest,
Healthy,
Protein,
Raw Foods,
Sustainable,
vegetarian
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Sapna4 Comments

Spiced Pear Loaf

I love a traditional banana bread but I also love changing out the fruits and making different types of loaves.  This Spiced Pear Loaf gives me a peek into the fall with its hints of cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger; the sweet pear chunks added in… oh so delicious!
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This bread uses milk and oil in addition to the pear chunks to give it just the right amount of moisture.  Use a 1:1 ratio of whole wheat flour and oats for a healthy balance of carbs, and just enough brown sugar to combine with the warm spices to bring fall home any time of the year!
IMG_7871
Use this loaf for a snack during recess, packed in your lunchboxes, or even as a sweet treat post meals.  So delicious and scrumptious, you have to try it out!
IMG_7862From my kitchen to yours, I hope you enjoy this delicious treat!

Spiced Pear Loaf

Spiced Pear Loaf
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Sapna
August 19, 2020
by Sapna
Category Breads Dessert
Persons
16
Serving Size
16 slices
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
55 minutes
Total Time
1 hour, 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 c old fashioned oats
  • 1 c milk
  • 1 c whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cardamom powder
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 1/2 c brown sugar
  • 1/4 c oil
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla exract
  • 2 med pears, ripe, cored, peeled, diced

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Combine milk and oats and let sit for 15 minutes.
  3. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients together including the spices.
  4. In a separate bowl, cream together oil and brown sugar. Add in the egg and beat well. Add in the vanilla extract and mix.
  5. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix well.
  6. Gently fold in chopped pears.
  7. Transfer batter to loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until golden brown crust and toothpick comes out clean from the center.
  8. Cool for 15 minutes before slicing.

Tags

baking,
bread,
comfort,
desserts,
Fall,
Loaf,
Oats,
Pear,
Snack,
spices,
Sweet,
vegetarian
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Basil Butternut Squash Lasagna

20151002_195403

Fall is here and that means squash is everywhere.  So many different kinds but butternut squash is one of my favorites.  I experimented with Giada de Laurentiis’ recipe for Butternut Squash Lasagna and since then, I’ve made a few changes of my own.  This recipe is great to serve for a dinner party, or even to have for lunch leftovers.  If you want the original recipe, I’ll post a link at the end of this blog post.  But for the moment, here’s my version.

Ingredients:
1Tbsp olive oil
1 whole butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2c water
1/4c butter
1/4c all-purpose flour
3 1/2c low-fat milk
Pinch nutmeg
3/4c (tightly packed) fresh basil leaves
1c fresh basil leaves, chopped
12 no-boil lasagna noodles
2 1/2c shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Add the squash in a heavy large pot full of boiling water.  Cover and simmer over medium heat until the squash is tender – it’ll take about 20-30 minutes.  Spoon out the squash and let it cool for 5 minutes.  Add to food processor and blend until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Melt the butter in a heavy medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 5 minutes.  Add the nutmeg and mix well.  Cool slightly. Transfer half of the sauce to a blender. Add the 3/4 of the basil and blend until smooth. Return the basil sauce to the sauce in the pan and stir to blend. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste.

Preheat to 375 degrees F.  Spread a ladle of the sauce in a baking dish. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles on the bottom of the pan. Spread a little squash puree over the noodles. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Drizzle some more sauce over the noodles.  In the second layer, sprinkle the cup of chopped basil.  Continue layering and top with mozarella cheese.

20151002_192341Tightly cover the baking dish with foil and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.  I found that this makes the sauce not bubble over and the flavors are so much more vibrant.  Bake the lasagna for 40 minutes.  Let the lasagna stand for 15 minutes before serving.  Garnish with some fresh basil.

*Here is the link to the original recipe by Giada de Laurentiis: Butternut Squash Lasagna

Sapna2 Comments

Chicken Pot Pie

Updated Jan 4, 2020 from the original post published Sept, 2015.

Chicken pot pie is a family favorite in this household.  My kids have been asking for this almost biweekly for the past couple of months.  It makes me so happy that they would love eating my pot pie (though I secretly think it’s mostly because the name has “pie” in it).  I have included in the recipe notes to make this recipe vegetarian and vegan so try it out and let me know what you think!

A hack that I have been known to use on occasion is buying rotisserie chicken, shredding it up and using that instead of baking my own.  This simply cuts down on the time involved to make the pot pie.  If you choose to go this route, remember to buy an herb roasted or seasoned chicken so that there is added flavor.  You can also make these in individual ramekins to personalize them by adding chicken to those who want it and keeping it vegetarian for those who prefer not.

Making chicken pot pie on a busy weeknight may not be ideal but it you can totally make and assemble the pie over the weekend and simply bake it during any weeknight.  Storage is easy as it can last in the fridge up to 5 days.  So what are you waiting for?  Make this your next meal and feel the comfort of home!

From my kitchen to yours, I hope you enjoy this delicious Chicken Pot Pie!

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie
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Sapna
September 26, 2015
by Sapna
Category Meats
Persons
6
Serving Size
1 slice
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour, 5 minutes
Total Time
1 hour, 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • 1 c carrots, diced
  • 1 c celery, diced
  • 1 c frozen peas
  • 1/2 c diced onions
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 c whole wheat flour
  • 5 c veggie broth
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1-2 tsp hot sauce (per your preference)
  • 1 Tbsp fresh thyme
  • 2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts
  • 2 tsp salt, divided
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, divided
  • 2 tsp Olive Oil
  • 3 Tbsp milk for milk wash

Instructions

For the Chicken:

  1. Preheat Oven to 400°F. Season boneless, skinless chicken with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper on both sides. Place on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
  2. When it's done cooking, remove from oven and let it rest for a couple of minutes then shred it with a fork.

For the Veggie filling:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F
  2. In a nonstick pot, heat the oil. Then add in the onions, garlic, peas, carrots, and celery.
  3. Mix well and saute for about 3-5 minutes until the onions turn translucent.
  4. Add in the flour and mix well. Let it cook for about 5 minutes so the flour is not raw.
  5. Add in the veggie broth, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, turmeric, thyme and hot sauce.
  6. Lower the heat just a little bit and cook until the mixture thickens.
  7. When the mixture is thickened, remove from heat and add in shredded chicken. Mix well.

To Assemble:

  1. Layer the bottom crust into pie pan and pat down firmly.
  2. Spoon in the filling with a little mound in the middle.
  3. Cover with top pie crust and seal the edges.
  4. Using a pastry brush, paint the with the milk over the top and seams.
  5. Make several small slits at the top to allow steam to release.
  6. Place in oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.
  7. Cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Notes

To make it Vegetarian:  Omit the chicken and continue with the rest of the recipe as follows.  

To make it Vegan: Omit the chicken, use vegan pie crust, and replace milk wash with either water or simply omit.  


Tags

Carrots,
Celery,
Chicken,
Comfort Foods,
Fall,
Healthy,
Kid Friendly,
make ahead,
Onions,
Peas,
Pot Pie,
Protein,
Rainy Day,
veggie broth,
Veggies
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