Berry Cranberry Sauce

I made this for a dinner party and I had a hard time not eating it all before then. It's seriously good. Enjoy, and have a great Thanksgiving!

Berry Cranberry Sauce

1 bag frozen cranberries
1 bag frozen mixed berries (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries)
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
2-3 bay leaves
orange zest (about 1/2 tsp)
juice from half of an orange
1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 tsp each of:
cinnamon
nutmeg
cloves
ginger

In a large saucepan, boil a bit less than 2 cups of water. Add cranberries, syrup, sugar, bay leaves, orange zest and orange juice and simmer for about 10 min. Remove bay leaves. Mix in apple sauce, spices and other berries, and simmer for another 10 min, or until able to mash fruit together. Let cool and serve.

(Recipe by H. Farrell)

Hiking Old Rag

The best weekends involve a good, long hike on a sunny day. And this weekend, I not only hiked one of my favorite trails, I also made three new recipes. Stay tuned for those. It's about time there were some more photos on this blog, so here are some from the Old Rag mountain trail in Shenandoah National Park.

(Photos by H. Farrell)

Pumpkin Pecan Oatmeal

Look forward to mornings! Breakfast is probably my favorite meal, and this is a delicious, fall recipe that will last you until lunch.

Pumpkin Pecan Oatmeal

The oatmeal:
1/2 cup regular oats
1 cup water
cinnamon
raisins
milk or soymilk

The pumpkin:
100% pure canned pumpkin (unsweetened)
Agave nectar or honey
Some or all of the following:
cinnamon
nutmeg
ginger
cloves
allspice

Combine oats and water in a large bowl and sprinkle cinnamon and raisins on top. Microwave on high for about 2 1/2 minutes. In a dish, mix pumpkin with sweetener and spices (taste until have good combination). Remove oatmeal from microwave and mix in a large spoonful of the pumpkin. Add milk until a good consistency. Sprinkle pecans on top and enjoy! Put the remaining pumpkin mixture in the fridge for tomorrow's breakfast :)

(Recipe by H. Farrell)

Crazy Rice and Beans

I love rice and beans, not only because the dish is tasty, but because you can make a lot of it and have it for lunch the next day(s). Here's another example of a flavorful, colorful dish that resulted from throwing together whatever I found in the fridge, freezer and pantry.

Crazy Rice and Beans

About 3-4 servings each of rice and quinoa.

The beans:

olive oil

3 cloves garlic

1 can black beans

1 can pinto beans

tomato sauce (about 1/2 can)

1-2 T lemon juice

1 bag frozen chopped spinach

chopped green onion

pepper, cumin, chili powder, other spices

The guacamole:

1 avocado

plain yogurt (about 2 T)

1/2-1 T lemon juice

chopped green onion

chili powder, garlic pepper to taste

Cook a small pot of rice and a separate pot of quinoa, according to directions. In a large pot, heat olive oil and crushed garlic. Rinse beans and add to pot (with some extra water so they don't burn). Add rest of ingredients and heat (add water if it starts to stick). Mash the avocado and mix with other guacamole ingredients. When the beans are warm and the rice and quinoa are done, mix a little of everything together and serve!

(Recipe by H. Farrell)

Curry Squash Soup

This soup took less time to make than I thought -- the hardest part was cutting and peeling the raw squash (which you don't have to do if you roast the squash). It's a great fall soup, especially when it's cold and raining outside!

Curry Squash Soup

1 acorn squash
1 butternut squash
2 small or medium potatoes, boiled or baked, with or without skin*
1 jar roasted piquillo peppers (or red peppers)
1 can lite coconut milk
1 tsp cayenne red pepper
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
2 T lemon juice
Sweet onion, diced and sautéed in olive oil*
Safflower, to garnish*

Cut the squash into small cubes, removing the peel and seeds. Boil enough water to cover the squash and then let simmer until the squash is soft (20 to 30 min). Alternatively, roast the squash at 425 for 45-50 min -- cut squash in half, remove stems and seeds, place face down in a glass dish with water covering the bottom. 

Spoon the cooked squash, potato, roasted peppers, spices, lemon juice and coconut milk a little at a time into a blender and purée until smooth. Heat the soup over low heat and add the onion and safflower, if using. Let heat through and serve warm.


*I added these the second time I made this recipe.

(Recipe by H. Farrell)

Blackberry Pecan Pumpkin Pie

This pie is amazing. 
This pie would have been amazing. 
When you make this pie (because you should definitely make it), do not add the blackberries to the top of the pie until the pie is finished baking. If you add the blackberries before the pie is done, especially if said blackberries are frozen, the pumpkin will never firm up and the center of your pie will be soggy. 
And no one wants soggy pie. 
However, despite the gooeyness, this was a very tasty pie, and I already have the ingredients to make another!

Update: I made this pie again without the blackberries on top and it came out excellent. I would still garnish the top of the pie with fresh blackberries, if available.

Blackberry Pecan Pumpkin Pie

Crust:
3 T butter, melted
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup wheat flour
3 T flaxseed meal
1/2 cup regular oats
3 T water

-- Mix above ingredients together and spread on bottom and sides of greased pie pan. Bake for 15 min at 350 degrees.

Blackberry layer:
1 cup frozen blackberries, thawed
1/4 tsp dried basil
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp sugar

-- Blend the above ingredients until smooth and set aside. (Yes, basil is correct -- I got this from the blackberry peach jam I got at an orchard a couple months ago.)

Pumpkin filling:
2 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 can (10.5 oz) evaporated milk
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
Pecan pieces (keep separate)

-- Beat eggs and add the other filling ingredients, except the pecans. When the crust is done, remove from the oven and spread the blackberry sauce layer over the crust. Sprinkle pecan pieces over that. Slowly pour the pumpkin filling over everything, and put back in oven (350 degrees) for about 45 min. Add time if center of pie is still soft, until toothpick comes out clean. After the pie is done, pile blackberries in the center (fresh or frozen and drained) with pecan pieces around the edge.

(Recipe by H. Farrell)

Tomatoes for Breakfast and Lunch

I love tomatoes. But as it gets colder, the fresh tomatoes at the store are not the deep red, flavorful tomatoes of summer. Today, I wanted to make an omelet for breakfast and a salad for lunch, and added tomato flavor to both -- in the form of tomato sauce. I used a small can of no-salt-added tomato sauce and a few other ingredients to make a regular omelet and salad that much better.

Omelet Italiano

Beat eggs with a little milk. Add dash of salt and some crushed red pepper, dried thyme and oregano. Cook omelet in a greased skillet. When ready to fold over, spread a couple spoonfuls of ricotta cheese and tomato sauce on one side,  fold omelet over and let cheese warm for a short time (careful, if it gets too hot it will start spitting tomato-cheese at you).

Tomato Salad Dressing

In a small dish, mix a couple spoonfuls of tomato sauce with a little balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Add dried basil, parsley, garlic pepper and lemon juice. Toss with your favorite salad ingredients.

Vegetable Lasagna

Vegetable Lasagna

1 large (or a medium and a small) eggplant
1 baking potato (ex: Russet)
1 large jar marinara sauce (no salt added)
1 can diced tomatoes (no salt added)
1 jar roasted peppers (I used piquillo peppers), chopped
1 package frozen chopped kale, defrosted and drained
1 package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained
Ricotta cheese (amount of cheese and spices depends on preference)
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Dried oregano 
Dried basil
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice eggplant into 1/4-inch slices and place on a greased cookie sheet. Brush eggplant with olive oil and brown in oven (about 5 min). 

In a large baking dish, spread a thin layer of olive oil. Shred or peel potato until the shavings cover the bottom of the pan. Spread over that a thin layer of marinara sauce and half the can of tomatoes. Continue to layer ingredients in the pan: half of the eggplant, chopped peppers, half of the packages of kale and spinach, half of the ricotta, flavor generously with oregano and basil, thin layer of sauce, rest of the eggplant, rest of the tomatoes, rest of the kale and spinach, and more ricotta. Finish with a final layer of sauce, more potato shavings if you have any remaining, and, finally, a layer of shredded mozzarella.

Cover dish with a "tent" of tin foil (so the cheese doesn't stick to it) and bake at 375 degrees for 55-60 min. If the dish is really full, put a cookie sheet underneath it so the sauce doesn't boil over onto the bottom of the oven. Enjoy!

(Recipe by H. Farrell)