November 15, 2010

Moroccan spiced chickpea and lentil soup

It's soup season again! I was reading a lot of recipes for Moroccan chickpea and lentil soup after seeing it and smelling it in the "take out" section of our grocery. I had to make it. I used what I had on hand and came up with my own combination of ingredients. The soup was wonderful! I enjoyed this soup a lot and it's a very healthy and satisfying soup (plus a great vegetarian meal). The combination of spices are warm, but not hot, and full of flavor. 

November 13, 2010

Pumpkin pancakes

Plate of pumpkin pancakes with maple syrup.

Pumpkin and pancakes -- two of my favorite things combined into one. I'm always experimenting with pancake recipes. Pumpkin pancakes are definitely one of my favorites and they are a wonderful way to use up pumpkin puree and to treat yourself and your family to a fall-themed breakfast. 

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I try to make them somewhat good for you by using whole wheat flour. These pancakes are very similar to my sweet potato pancakes. I think that you could use almost any winter squash puree in this recipe and they would be wonderful. 

I really love this time of year and I love to utilize the in season produce of fall. Plus, I think that weekend breakfasts are absolutely wonderful. This recipe will serve about 4 people. 

November 12, 2010

Cider-braised short ribs

Cider craised short ribs on potato and rutabaga puree.

Last Sunday was our one year wedding anniversary! My husband had a pretty nasty cold, so we didn't do much that day. I wanted to make him a comforting and delicious dinner to sooth his cold and to celebrate the day -- and I also did not want to go to the store. 

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We bought some beef before our farmer's market closed to hopefully last us a few months. So I was looking around to see what I could make with what we had already. I found the short ribs and thought they'd be perfect for a slow-cooking comfort meal. 

I also found some apple cider in the refrigerator that was starting to get a little bubbly. I thought that it would be a really good flavor for slow-cooked beef and vegetables, and it was. I served it over rutabaga and potato puree (one of my new favorite side dishes) except this time I just mashed it. 

This recipe (with puree or other potato side dish) will serve four people (or two with lunch leftovers). 

November 10, 2010

Red cabbage and green apple slaw

Week 8 of Fall Fest has arrived and this week celebrates Brassicas. Brassicas are a genus of the mustard family and include some of my favorite vegetables like brussel sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, and cabbage. This recipe features cabbage. This slaw is really quick and simple, but also very flavorful and colorful. It utilizes fall produce and makes a great side dish to many meals. I used red cabbage and green apple because I liked the contrast in colors and the tartness of the green apple. This recipe will make serve 4-6 people as a side dish. 

November 3, 2010

Maple-mustard roasted baby turnips


Week 7 of Fall Fest is here and this week we celebrate root vegetables. I've really been discovering more root vegetables this year with our local farmer's market. Turnips have been one of my favorite discoveries, and, in particular, baby turnips. Aside from being cute, they are super tasty! The baby ones are slightly spicy, but also sweet and juicy. My favorite way of making them so far is this recipe. It's really simple and a great fall side dish (it would also make a good Thanksgiving side dish). I'm always looking for new and interesting vegetable side dishes and this one is high on that list.