Pumpkin Cheesecake Souffles

This year we were blessed with not just one Thanksgiving celebration, but two! A potluck event at a friend's house, for which I was busily cooking on Thanksgiving day, and where Zach joined us after a hectic day's work at the hospital, followed by our Thanksgiving celebration on Saturday with 12 friends attending! And then there are the treats I plan to bring to Zach and his coworkers all along the journey between Thanksgiving and Chanukkah/Christmas as well... Needless to say, I've been in a menu tizzy for nearly a month.

With so many events, I have a glorious opportunity to explore a variety of different holiday desserts, embellishing our manditory dessert menu of pecan and apple pies. This is one dessert that left us particularly enchanted... Even Zach, who normally isn't a fan of pumpkin pie and would be expected to mutter something about pumpkin invading his cheesecake, was enthralled by this dessert. Just the right balance of creamy cheesecake on the palate with the light, fluffy texture of a pumpkin mousse, and the irresistible, nutty spices of fall...

As we continue to celebrate our first Thanksgiving in our new home in Ohio, I wish everyone much joy, the unparalleled joy of sharing a meal, a flavor, a memory with those you love...

Pumpkin Cheesecake Souffles

Individual ramekin dishes
  2 packages (8 ounces each) reduced fat cream cheese, softened
 3/4 cup raw turbinado sugar 
4 egg whites, lightly beaten 
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin 
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 
1/8 teaspoon salt

~ Coat the ramekin dishes with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
~ In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add egg whites; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in the pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt.
~ Divide the batter between the ramekin dishes, filling 2/3 full. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes - until the center is set.
~ Allow to cool at room temperature, then refrigerate and serve slightly chilled...

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Cakes

I told myself no. I would not purchase Halloween candy, and I certainly wouldn't bake any of the decadent, tempting recipes for post-Halloween candy cookies. We were out of town in Texas for Halloween, so I figured I was safe - we weren't home to receive trick-or-treaters, so no need to purchase tempting bags of chocolate. Indeed, I sailed through exactly three weeks past Halloween, with nary a hint of holiday candy tip-toeing into my grocery cart. And then the next season of Thanksgiving/Christmas/Chanukkah treats emerged...


and I just so happened to spy a package of Reese's Minis peanut butter cups. Mini miniature peanut butter cups, adorably tiny, already unwrapped and perfect for baking. All resolve flew out the window.

Naturally I baked cookies. Chocolate chip peanut butter cup cookie cakes.

A completely life altering experience.

Totally worth waiting for in utter suspense, careening past Halloween and nearly into Thanksgiving. Because in a world full of tricks, everyone needs a treat now and then...

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Cakes

2 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup SmartBalance Light
1 1/2 cup raw turbinado sugar
1 tsp vanilla
4 egg whites
1 cup dark chocolate chips (at least 60% cacao)
Reese's Mini's peanut butter cups

~ Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin cups with paper liners.
~ Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt, and set aside.
~ Beat the SmartBalance Light, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy.
~ Beat in the egg whites.
~ Stir in the dry ingredients.
~ Fold in the chocolate chips.
~ Place a scoop of dough into each muffin cup, filling each cup approx 1/2 full.
~ Bake for 10 minutes.
~ Remove from the oven, and immediately place two Mini PB cups on each cookie cake, pressing down gently to ease the PB cups into the dough.
~ Return to the oven for 2 more minutes.
~ Allow to cool on wire racks... and enjoy! :-)

'Twas the Monday before Thanksgiving...

... and I am frantically preparing for a holiday long weekend off from work, practically unheard of in the medical field. Of course, this means I have to cram an entire week's work into three days in order to savor these precious few days off, so I am having a somewhat hectic and harried start to the week...

So, please forgive me this brief note, and please write me to tell me what brilliant delicious ideas you're formulating for your Thanksgiving menus! Speaking of which, Zach does have to work on Thanksgiving, so we will be having our festive Thanksgiving celebration the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend, and I will do my best on the actual Thursday of Thanksgiving day to bring holiday cheer to Zach and his co-workers at the hospital.

And in the meantime, our CSA box brought us greenhouse avocados this week! A remarkable holiday gift indeed!

Dinners on the Fly...

With Thanksgiving fast approaching (and by fast I actually mean galloping towards me at an alarming and thrilling rate, reminding me of all the shopping and menu finalizing I still have yet to accomplish), I've been dialing down the regular weekday cooking and prepping the fridge and freezer to receive the bounty of Thanksgiving dishes, thus trending more towards understated weeknight suppers with minimal leftovers. Yet while these dishes seem so humble to me, I always love learning about other folk's approaches to speedy weeknight options (all too appropriate for these weeks when Zach is working night shift and needs a quick dinner ready before he dashes out the door to work just as I'm arriving home), so I decided to share a few here in case you too are spending more time this week shopping for sweet potatoes and freezing homemade stock than thinking about Monday night's dinner... Or in case you and your spouse are attempting to compress an entire day's conversation into a 30 minute dinner scheduled between your opposite work shifts... In either instance, dinner should be memorably delicious... and efficient.

With some lovely jalepenio yogurt cheese from the farmers market, we created quesadillas with arugula and thinly sliced apple...

Spinach sauteed with garlic and sliced radishes, topped with feta cheese and served alongside black rice...

The most intuitive dish, yet utterly delightful - acorn squash, with the seeds scooped out and roasted with a light coating of cooking spray, turbinado sugar, and cinnamon, the squash baked separately, then served with a small dollop of SmartBalance light, the roasted seeds, and more cinnamon...

Kale, red onions, red peppers, and lots of garlic sauteed together, then folded into an EggBeaters omelet topped with parmesan cheese...

A bunch of veggies tossed in the crockpot with kidney beans, black beans, and chili spices, topped with a wedge of LaughingCow cheese which totally elevated this simple veggie chili to new creamy heights...

I'm eager to hear - what are you favorite quick culinary delights for a speedy supper? :-)

Pumpkin Fiber Bars

We're just a bit obsessed with fiber in our household. Technically a form of carbohydrate that cannot be digested, as you likely know, fiber comes in two forms - soluble and insoluble - both usually lacking in the typical American diet. Thus, Zach and I have been on an evangelical quest to encourage our family and friends to consume more fiber. Granted, this creates interesting dinner table conversations, and at work I'm known as the fiber-girl who's always telling her coworkers "yay fiber," but fiber is worth it! The average American consumes only 15 grams of fiber a day, yet the recommended quantity is at least 25 to 30 grams per day! Zach and I aim to consume at least 50 grams of fiber from dietary sources each day, and most days we exceed our goal. (Just in case your interested, my dietary fiber count for yesterday was 65.3 grams... Score!)

While most of the time we simply focus on whole grains, lots of legumes, and lots of veggies for our fiber sources, I have become a recent fan of FFactor cereals, particularly the Skinny's and Skinny's n Fruit, both of which contain 18grams of fiber in a 1/2 cup, 70 calorie serving! I'm very pleased with the way this cereal uses minimal ingredients and real dietary sources for the fiber - just wheat bran and oat bran. Most mornings if I'm having Greek yogurt or cottage cheese for breakfast I'll sprinkle some of the cereal on top... But last weekend I decided I should branch out and bake a high-fiber treat! Our pumpkin obsession continues, naturally, as we drift from Halloween into Thanksgiving, thus, voila, pumpkin bars. Pumpkin bars with an enormity of fiber. Surprisingly, they emerged still very moist and full of rich pumpkin flavor, a wonderfully cozy and satisfying spice bar. After serving a few to Zach's friends one evening and finding them polished off with rapidity, I even felt confident enough to spread the fiber love further and bake a big batch for Zach to take to work the next day, where Zach reported they were much enjoyed for breakfast. As we are fans of not-so-sweet deserts that are healthful enough to double as breakfast, I love how these seamlessly transition from dessert with a scoop of ice cream one night to breakfast with a bit of peanut butter the next morning...

 

Pumpkin Fiber Bars

(Adapted from Betty Crocker)

2 cups high fiber cereal, such as FFactor or FiberOne original

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup apple cider

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree

4 egg whites

1 1/2 cups whole wheat or white whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups raw turbinado sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped walnuts 

~ Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
~ Place cereal in resealable food-storage plastic bag. Seal bag and crush with rolling pin - or crush in food processor).
~ In large bowl, beat oil, apple cider, pumpkin, and egg whites until well blended. Stir in crushed cereal, and let stand 10 minutes.
~ Beat in remaining bar ingredients except walnuts until well blended.
~ Stir in walnuts. Spread evenly in pan. The mixture will be thick.
~ Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool completely, then slice and enjoy! 

 

Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Spinach

Occasionally, I find myself thinking that cooking is a lost art in today's era, especially amongst my generation.  I recollect when I was the only one amongst my graduate school classmates who cooked at all, and the ridicule they levied my way for being so "old fashioned" and "participating the patriarchal oppression" simply because I prepared actual meals. (I should add that I always irrefutably responded, "how come you always come over to my house for dinner, then?")

Then I remember my wonderful blogger friends, keeping the art of home cooking alive... and I am reminded of how many wonderful friends with which I've been blessed who share my passion for preparing nourishing, nurturing meals.

My friend Claudia recently shared with me this remarkable recipe, perfect for chilly nights when you crave comfort food but still want a more healthful version of the classic, decadent dish... I should add that I called this "spinach casserole" when I served it to Zach, because otherwise he would have said "why is there spinach in my mac and cheese?!" Yet without preconceived notions of what macaroni and cheese should be like, this dish is glorious - creamy, intensely flavorful with the piquancy of lots of black pepper and nutmeg, and perfectly soothing on a winter's night.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Spinach

(Adapted from Eating Well)

3 panko breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon canola oil
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 16-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed (I used Trader Joe's frozen spinach - Gina is right, this is the best frozen spinach ever!)
1 3/4 cups 2% milk, divided
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups shredded reduced fat Cheddar cheese
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 cups whole-wheat penne

~ Put a large pot of water on to boil. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat an 8-inch-square baking dish with cooking spray.
~ Mix breadcrumbs, oil and paprika in a small bowl, and set aside.
~ Place spinach in a fine-mesh strainer and press out excess moisture.
~ Heat 1 1/2 cups milk in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until steaming. Whisk remaining 1/4 cup milk and flour in a small bowl until smooth; add to the hot milk and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce simmers and thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Cheddar until melted. Stir in cottage cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
~ Cook pasta for 4 minutes, or until not quite tender. (It will continue to cook during baking.) Drain and add to the cheese sauce; mix well.
~ Spread half the pasta mixture in the prepared baking dish. Spoon the spinach on top. Top with the remaining pasta; sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture.
~ Bake the casserole until bubbly and golden - 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm!

Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Blondies

  

I never buy iceberg lettuce, because I know it's simply green water, devoid of the nutritional value of dark leafy greens... But... A head of iceberg lettuce arrived in this week's CSA box, and I had to do something with it, right? On a whim, I decided to make a classic iceberg wedge salad, something I've never fixed before, because, well, see above. Of course, I had to fusion it up a bit, and opted to drizzle the massive boulder of crispy lettuce with a sesame ginger dressing, then sprinkle it with chopped pecans and feta cheese. And I have to admit, the salad was so much fun. There was something elegant and enchanting about the presentation, and something so whimsical about a salad that requires a fork and knife, and makes one feel simultaneously proper and retro combined with a child-like urge to pick up individual salad leaves with your fingers. Having discovered the wonders of this presentation at last, I'm very eager to see how it transfers to other, more nutritious and colorful lettuces and greens - I do believe I shall try a romaine salad wedge next...

Rest assured, though, I didn't just come here to talk about iceberg wedges! I initially came here to talk about chocolate chip cream cheese blondies... Which, upon reflection, needs no further introduction... 

 

 Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Blondies

2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup SmartBalance Light
1 cup raw turbinado sugar
4 egg whites
1 cup fat free Greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
12oz bag dark chocolate chips (at least 60% cacao)
4 oz reduced fat cream cheese, cut into very small pieces

~ Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9X11" baking pan with cooking spray, and then dust the pan with flour.
~ Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt, and set aside.
~ Whisk together the SmartBalance, sugar, and egg whites.
~ Blend in the Greek yogurt and vanilla.
~ Fold in the dry ingredients.
~ Fold in the chocolate chips.
~ Spread half of the batter into the baking pan.
~ Place the cream cheese pieces evenly across the batter.
~ Carefully spread the remaining batter across the top of the cream cheese layer.
~ Bake for 30 minutes - until set on top.
~ Allow to cool for 10 to 15 min, then serve while still warm to achieve the full effect of the melted chocolate and cream cheese... To serve leftovers, rewarm briefly in the microwave...

These make a lovely sundae with chocolate and pumpkin ice cream... :-)

 

Roasted Root Vegetable Medley

 I have a culinary bucket list confession to make. Until recently, I had never cooked with Daikon radishes. I knew what they were, vaguely, I'd probably consumed them while eating out at some point (this is why I fervently wish every restaurant dish came with a list of ingredients so I could be fully aware - both for health purposes and sensual appreciation - of what I'm eating), but I'd never actually walked over to one, put it in the grocery bag, and marched it home. Shameful. A foodie should try everything, right? (Good thing I have several more decades of living ahead of me, God-willing. I can easily compile a long list of ingredients I still need to learn to cook, right alongside my list of novels to read...)



Anyway, upon opening a recent CSA box, a very long, alarmingly anatomically shaped tuber emerged. My first thought, always having an intense, homesick longing for chicory coffee in the recesses of my subconscious, was that I  had received a chicory root. Upon finding an utter dearth of recipes for chicory root on the web (perhaps it's only used in coffee?), I concluded this mystery vegetable required further examination. Peering at it pensively, yet another corner of my subconscious concluded: Daikon radish. Shockingly, I was correct, though I'm not sure from what distant memory this knowledge emerged. Regardless, I was delighted to have a new vegetable, and was utterly clueless as to how to prepare it. A bit rashly, perhaps, I concluded that it was a root vegetable, so surely it could be roasted alongside a medley of other root vegetables for a glorious, early winter harvest dish.



I later discovered that the proper way to serve a Daikon radish seems to be raw and thinly shredded, as a salad, but the innocent discovery had already been made. The roasted Daikon radish, alongside little classic red radishes, sweet potato, and turnips, was magical... and was guaranteed a place at our fusion-cuisine obsessed Thanksgiving table.

So, please do share... What's on your culinary list of ingredients to cook with for the first time? And, because I love hearing about what my friends are cooking and reading, what's in your pile of books to read?



Roasted Root Vegetable Medley

2 large sweet potatoes, cut into 1" pieces
1 large Daikon radish, cut into 1" pieces
4 medium turnips, cut into 1" pieces
1 large bunch red radishes, cut into 1" pieces
2 onions, quartered and layers separated
1 T Olive oil
1 T Rosemary
1lb Italian-style turkey sausage, sliced OR 1lb Italian-style vegetarian soy "sausage," sliced (such as Tofurky brand)

~ Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Position the oven rack in the upper 1/3 of  the oven. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up, and coat the foil with cooking spray.
~ Toss together all the veggies in a large bowl with the olive oil and rosemary. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
~ Spread the veggies in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.
~ Remove from the oven, give the veggies a stir, and scatter the sausage or veg sausage on the baking sheet with the veggies.
~ Bake for 30 minutes, or until everything is cooked through. Serve warm! This also makes a lovely, casual first course with a glass of red wine...

Harvest Garlic-Herb Kale Soup

Energized by my success in presenting one Thanksgiving recipe ahead of time, I've been experimenting with several other potential holiday recipes. As this is the first year I'll be hosting our Thanksgiving completely solo, without the assistance of Zach's family and my family's culinary insights combined, I feel as though some advance preparation is necessary. While in the past I've vacillated between very modern and very traditional for my Thanksgiving dishes, this year the rhythm of cooking seasonally from our CSA box has me inclined to let the rustic nature of the fall and winter harvest vegetables, such as hearty leafy greens, lead the day...

Harvest Garlic-Herb Kale Soup

2 T olive oil
2 onions, chopped
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 large carrots, diced
2 heads garlic, separated into whole cloves
1 bunch fresh parsley, roughly chopped (approx 1/2 to one cup, depending on how much you like parsley)
4 cups vegetable broth (plus more if needed)
2 (15oz) cans white beans, drained
1 T Italian seasoning
5 cups roughly chopped kale

~ In a large soup pot over medium heat, saute the onion, celery, carrots, garlic cloves, and parsley in the olive oil until the veggies are tender. (If you like a stronger parsley flavor, add the parsley to the broth in the last few min of cooking instead of sauteing it. Personally, I'm a fan of the nice, mellow-green flavor it acquires when sauteed...)
~ Stir in the broth, white beans, and Italian seasoning, and simmer until the beans are nice and tender and the flavors have developed.
~ Stir in the kale, and continue to simmer until the kale is tender.
~ Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve warm!

Pumpkin Spice Beer Bread

Lately I've really been enjoying being a beer snob not only when it comes to drinking beer, but also for baking beer bread. Different beers make a surprisingly huge difference in the flavor of the bread! Last week I whipped up a loaf of apple beer bread with a New Holland Mad Hatter IPA, and the sweetness of the apples paired beautifully with the hoppy sharpness of the beer - almost like an apple and cheddar cheese pairing. (To recreate this loaf, simply use Farmgirl Susan's basic beer bread recipe and add 1 finely diced apple while using an IPA beer.)

While sorting through the pantry contents recently, I discovered I had half a cup of pumpkin puree and one lone raspberry wheat beer lurking in the fridge. This particular raspberry beer was especially fruity, so I decided raspberries weren't too far from cranberries and thus hoped the beer would go well with the pumpkin! The result was a revelation - intensely spicy, with a deep, mellow pumpkin flavor accentuated by the subtle notes of the fruit beer, and best of all, a slight sweetness not at all like intensely sweet classic pumpkin breads, but instead just perfect to accompany a hearty main course stew. The pumpkin also made the bread incredibly moist, and added a chewiness not usually found in beer breads... I can't wait to try more beer and bread pairings! Now if only Zach would spare an oatmeal stout for the baking cause...



Pumpkin Spice Beer Bread

3 cups whole wheat flour (or white whole wheat flour)
1/2 cup raw turbinado sugar
1 tsp salt
1 T baking powder
1 T cinnamon
1 (12oz) bottle fruit beer
1/3 cup pumpkin puree

~ Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9X5" baking pan with cooking spray.
~ In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon.
~ Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour in the beer and pumpkin puree. Stir until you have a thick dough.
~ Scoop the dough into the baking pan, and bake for 45 min - until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean.
~ Allow to cool at least partially before slicing... If you can! :-)