Pumpkin pie!

Well, it is October now, and fall has arrived!  While I love the beautiful colors of fall, I am dreading the fast approaching winter...but maybe this year it won't be so bad :)

In our CSA box last week, we got a pie pumpkin!  A pie pumpkin is sweeter than regular pumpkins, which is why it is great for cooking and for making pumpkin pie.  So that's exactly what I did!  It was the first real pie I've ever really made successfully, and it was delicious!  Vivek and I don't exactly like those store bought pie crusts because then we just taste too much bland crust and not enough filling.  So I made my own graham cracker crust that only covered the bottom of the pie pan.  We definitely liked it better that way!

Recipe for Pumpkin Pie

INGREDIENTS
3/4 pint vanilla ice cream, melted and warm
1 egg
1 cup pumpkin puree (I boiled the pumpkin until soft, scooped out the flesh, then pureed it)
1/4 cup white sugar
pinch salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 unbaked pie crust

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, whisk the egg.  Stir in the pumpkin puree, sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.  Mix in the melted ice cream until smooth.  Pour the filling into the pie crust.

3. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the filling is set.  Serve with whipped cream on top!

Soups!

We have been able to try some awesome new recipes with our veggies from our CSA including two amazing soups!  The first is a potato leek soup, and Vivek says that it is his favorite soup of all the ones I have ever made!  This is my first time cooking with leeks, which are like onions but have a milder flavor.  The soup is definitely hearty and delicious!

Recipe for Potato Leek Soup

INGREDIENTS
4 tbsp butter
4 leeks, diced
4 cups vegetable broth
4 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups 2% milk
2 tbsp low fat cream cheese
salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a large pot, heat the butter until melted.  Cook the leeks in the butter with some salt and pepper until tender, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes.

2. Pour the broth into the pot.  Add the potatoes and bring to a boil.  Season with salt and pepper.

3. Pour in the milk and add the cream cheese.  Reduce heat and simmer at least 30 minutes, until potatoes are tender.


The other soup that I made quickly became one of my favorites as it has a sweet and spicy element to it!  I made this soup using a delicata squash from the CSA box.  I had never heard of this type of squash before, but it is similar to a butternut squash or a pumpkin in that it has a sweetness to it when cooked.  I got this recipe from the Vitamix cook book, so it was relatively healthy as well :)

Recipe for Thai Squash Soup

INGREDIENTS
2 delicata squash, halved and baked until soft
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 can of tomato paste
1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger root
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 can coconut milk
1/2 tbsp chopped green chilies
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Use a peeler to peel off the skin of the cooked squash and cut squash into chunks.

2. In a large pot, saute onions in olive oil until soft.  Add tomato paste, squash, ginger, garlic, broth and coconut milk. Mix well and allow it to heat for about 10 minutes.

3. Place the contents of the pot along with the lemon juice, green chilies, and salt in the Vitamix and blend on high for about 2 1/2 minutes or until smooth.

You can serve this soup garnished with some chopped cilantro, peanuts, sour cream, or drizzled with sriracha sauce!  So yummy!

Italian feast!

When Shyam and Ami were visiting us last week, we decided to cook up an Italian feast!  Shyam made some incredible ravioli FROM SCRATCH!  He made the pasta dough, rolled it out in his pasta roller, made the creamy mushroom filling, and made the rich cream sauce!  I will have to get the recipe from him and try it myself (after I get a pasta roller!), but I did help out by making some bruschetta!  I used the delicious baby tomatoes that was in my CSA box to make the topping for the bruschetta, and it was so easy and tasty that I will definitely be making it again!  I made the bread that we used for the bruschetta from scratch in my bread machine.  It was so nice to have such a fresh meal!

Here are some pics of the incredible ravioli:

Perfection!

Sundried tomato and parsley on top!

And here is my side dish :)

Baguettes made from scratch!

Recipe for Bruschetta

INGREDIENTS
3 cups tomatoes, diced
1 tbsp dried basil
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 loaf French bread, sliced and toasted

INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a bowl, toss together all ingredients except the bread.

2. Serve on toasted bread slices.

Quinoa Masala Burgers

Now that we are back from our California trip, we are back in the swing of things and cooking with all of our amazing CSA veggies!  We were so lucky to have Shyam and Ami visiting us this past week, so we really got to try out some delicious recipes.  I made some yummy quinoa masala burgers, which I have made before and we all love!  I made the buns from scratch using my bread machine, and they turned out so soft and yummy!  I used the lettuce, cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes from the CSA box to accompany the patty in the burger, and with a little mustard, mayo, cheese and Sriracha sauce, it was an amazing meal!

Recipe for Quinoa Masala Burgers

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup dry quinoa-cooked with 3/4 cup water (bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and cook until quinoa is clear with a white rim around the edge)
1 baked sweet potato with skin removed
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 small onion, diced
2 inch piece of ginger, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp mustard seed
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 egg
melted coconut oil for brushing burger patties

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine all ingredients and mix in a large bowl

3. Form mixture into patties (makes about 4-6 patties)

4. Place patties on a large greased baking sheet

5. Brush top of burgers with small amount of coconut oil

6. Bake for 15 minutes, then flip the burgers and coat with coconut oil again.  Bake for another 15 minutes.

Eggplant Parmesan

Although I was not much of an eggplant fan growing up, I have found several ways to enjoy this vegetable, and one way is in eggplant parmesan!  I found a recipe that bakes the eggplant rather than frying it, which makes it a much healthier alternative to the restaurant versions I've had.  We paired it with some whole wheat spaghetti and some store-bought marinara sauce and topped it with shredded mozzarella cheese!  Yum!

Recipe for Eggplant Parmesan

INGREDIENTS
1 large Chinese eggplant, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch sections
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried basil

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Spread out eggplant slices and sprinkle some salt on each slice.  Let sit for 30 minutes.  Then rinse them and pat dry with paper towel.

2. In a gallon sized ziplock bag, mix together bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and dried basil.  Shake the bag until mixed well.

3. Dip an eggplant slice in the egg and then place it in the ziplock bag with the breadcrumb mixture in it.  Shake the bag until the eggplant is coated with the breadcrumb mixture.

4. Remove the eggplant from the bag and place it on a baking tray that is coated with olive oil.  Repeat above steps with all the eggplant slices.

5. Bake the slices in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes on each side.

6. Serve warm with marinara sauce, spaghetti, and shredded mozzarella cheese!

Thai Basil Eggplant

In keeping with the Asian theme this week, I made a Thai Basil Eggplant dish that we have had at restaurants before, and it was very tasty!  I got eggplant and basil in our CSA box last week, so it was a perfect way to use those ingredients.  I served it over white rice, but next time I may try making some coconut rice to give it some extra flavor!

Recipe for Thai Basil Eggplant

INGREDIENTS
1 large Chinese eggplant, cubed
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 block extra firm tofu, cubed
1 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch basil leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 tbsp hoisin sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp chili garlic sauce
2 tsp corn starch

INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a wok, heat the oil and add the eggplant pieces.  Toss to coat the eggplant in oil.  Add a tablespoon of water and cover and let cook on low-medium heat for 10 minutes.  Stir frequently to avoid the eggplant from sticking to the pan.

2. Add in the onions, garlic, bell pepper, and tofu. Stir and let cook for 5 minutes.

3. To make the sauce, whisk together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, sugar, and corn starch.

4. Add the sauce to the wok, stir well, and let cook for another 5 minutes until the sauce slightly thickens and coats all the vegetables and tofu.

5. Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped basil.  Serve over rice!

Asian lettuce wraps

This week, I have been cooking a lot of East Asian dishes, and one that I have made several times before are Asian lettuce wraps.  These are inspired by the vegetarian lettuce wraps at PF Changs, which we love!  I use soy crumbles (we like the Lightlife brand because they use non-GMO soy) and tofu bits, which make it very hearty and full of protein!  I used the lettuce head that was in our CSA box as the wrap, and it makes a delicious meal or appetizer!

Recipe for Asian Lettuce Wraps

INGREDIENTS
Lettuce leaves
1 package soy crumbles
1/2 cup tofu, cut into small cubes
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup water chestnuts, chopped finely
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1 tbsp minced pickled ginger
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp chili garlic sauce
1 tbsp dark sesame oil

INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a wok, heat the cooking oil and add onions, water chestnuts, tofu and garlic.  Cook for 5 minutes.

2. Add soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar and chili garlic sauce and stir.

3. Add in the sesame oil and soy crumbles.  Cook for 5 minutes.

4. Spoon mixture into washed lettuce leaves and serve with dipping sauce.  To make the dipping sauce, in a small bowl, mix together 1 tsp sesame oil, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, and 1 tbsp chili garlic sauce.