Herb-Coated Sweet Potato Fries!

Well hello all. Back again with an easy recipe to share and enjoy just in time for the crisp coolness of fall. Don't you just love this time of year? It's that sweet seasonal moment when the colors all around turn warm and the leaves crunch beneath your feet. I've been completely obsessed with quick, fall-inspired meals (mostly featuring squash,) and here's one go-to non-squash recipe I've come back to again and again this late September. It's great for those watching their weight because the fries are baked and not deep-fried and it's also a delicious pick-me-up to cure those dreaded post-summer blahs:

Herb-Coated Sweet Potato Fries
Serves: 2

Ingredients
2 Large Sweet Potatoes (Yams or--my favorite--Japanese sweet potatoes, they're white!)
1/4 cup olive oil + 1 teaspoon for mixing with fries
1 tablespoon coarse grain mustard
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. Peel the sweet potatoes
3. Cut lengthwise into slices about 1/2 inch thick
4. Slice these pieces again lengthwise so they form thin fries (no more than 1/2 inch in width)
5. Arrange the "fries" on a baking sheet and coat with olive oil (about 1/4 cup or just enough so all fries are coated but not too much so that there's excess oil on the baking tray.)
6. With your hands, mix the fries so that the olive oil is coated evenly.
7. Sprinkle fries with salt, pepper and a little cumin (not too much salt because we will be adding more salt later.)
7. Put fries in the oven and bake until crispy (about 35-45 minutes.)
8. While the fries cook, mix the mustard, white wine vinegar, oregano, basil, 1 tsp olive oil, salt (just a pinch! remember there's already salt on the fries,) and pepper in a bowl so that all ingredients are thoroughly combined.
9. Once fries are done, place them in a large bowl and mix with the mustard/white wine/olive oil/oregano/basil mixture. Start with just a little of this mixture and only add more if it doesn't coat all the fries. Once each fry has been lightly coated in the mixture, they're ready to eat!

As always, let me know how you like the recipe. Your feedback is deeply appreciated! Hope you enjoy!

Xo,

Organic Eats

Salad Celebration

Salads make the heart grow fonder. 

So if you've been checking out my recent twitpics, you'd know that I am currently OBSESSED with salads. As long as you keep a well-stocked refrigerator, easy salads become as low-maintenance as that perfect bed-head hair you just happened to wake up to one morning (guys, you wouldn't understand, girls, you get where I'm coming from...) Anyway, if you've got any of the following ingredients, throw them in a bowl NOW (no seriously, now...) and prepare yourself for a lunch that is the epitome of fresh and wholesome. Summer bikini season? We've got you.

A Salad to Celebrate

Ingredients:

-Lettuce, and any of these varieties will do:

• Butter lettuce
• Mixed spring greens (you can find these in a convenient pre-washed bag but wash them once again anyway just because...)
• Arugula (nothing like that classic peppery bite)
• Mixed herb salad (again you can find this bagged and ready go to)

-Dried cranberries

-Avocado (make sure it's ripe - the skin should be brown and frumply... yes frumply is an adjective)

-Chopped pecans (as many as desired)

-Chopped walnuts (again as many as desired... also, if you're feeling extra ambitious toast these babies up before you put them in your salad bowl!)

-Baby tomatoes sliced in half (about a handful)

-a few sprigs chopped cilantro

-some fresh chopped basil (rough chopped or even hand ripped and placed into the bowl)

-1/3 cup feta cheese (or crumbled goat cheese will also do but I like the saltiness of the feta)

-1 lime (juice + zest)

-2 teaspoons capers

-drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients in your favorite salad bowl. Finish with sea salt and enjoy! Seriously, thank me later :)

Xo

Ginger Bokchoy and Shiitake Mushrooms

Ginger Bokchoy

Hi all. If you've been reading my tweets lately you would know that I have recently taken to cooking ALL. THE. TIME. as a form of therapy and relaxation. So here now is one recipe I came up with that I absolutely love! Hard to tell from the picture but this ginger bokchoy is great as a side dish or as a main meal on one of those nights when you crave something delicious and meat-free but don't want to spend time with the oven or with making a time-consuming meal. 

Ingredients

2 handfuls shiitake mushrooms *I love my shiitakes so I sometimes put more - washed and sliced lengthwise into thick slivers about half an inch or so wide

1 avocado - sliced

3 bunches baby bokchoy - rough chopped in large chunks

2 tablespoons ginger - chopped

1 small shallot - chopped

Salt and Pepper (as desired)

1/3 cup olive oil

For the sauce:

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons peanut butter (unsalted or if salted adjust salt above)

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Directions

1. Heat up a saucepan with the oil on medium high heat. Add shallots and ginger and allow to cook until all have opened up and released their scents. Kitchen should smell amazing at this point, by the way. 

2. Add mushrooms. Cook until brown around the edges or about 8-10 minutes. 

3. Add bokchoy and cook another 3 minutes.

4. While bokchoy is cooking, combine ingredients for peanut sauce (save a little peanut sauce for a drizzle.) At last minute, add sauce to pan and stir until combined. 

5. Plate with avocado slices surrounding bokchoy and mushrooms and drizzle with extra sauce. 

ENJOY!

As always,

Organic Eats

"Why sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." -Alice in Wonderland

It's A French Toast Kind of Morning

Hello OEaters! Your trusty food girl here to bring you some more recipes. This morning I have for you some delicious French Toast that is sure to make even the dullest of Sunday mornings feel bright and special. So as Spring approaches, let's celebrate the sunshine and start anew...

French Toast

yield: 5-6 pieces of French Toast depending on how thick you slice them

Ingredients

1 loaf FRESH Challah bread (Best if baked that morning)

1 cup goat's milk (I prefer goat's milk but if you don't like the taste feel free to substitute with cow's milk)

5 eggs

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup organic cane sugar

1-2 pinches of salt

2 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. Slice bread in nice, thick slices. The key here is that they're thick enough to get a good bite but thin enough to be able to soak through.

2. Combine milk, eggs, vanilla extract, cane sugar and salt in a large bowl

3. Place bread slices in bowl. Using a spatula, pat down the bread then flip over and pat down the other side until bread is completely soggy and soaked through (this is SUPER important! Nothing worse than French Toast improperly made and dry in the middle. It may be that if your bowl is not big enough you divide the batter into two bowls just to make sure every piece is soaked through...)

4. As the bread is soaking... get a skillet going on medium high heat and allow butter to melt.

5. Once butter is melted, place bread in skillet and allow to cook until brown then flip over and cook other side (probably about 4-5 minutes on each side.)

6. Serve with some Grade A maple syrup, a little powdered sugar dusted on top (I prefer organic brown sugar sprinkled on top but whatever your heart desires,) cut up some bananas, get some nice coffee roasting and say it with me: GOOD MORNING SPRINGTIME!

Yours,

Xo Organic Eats oX

Potato Leek Soup

Hi all. Yes it's been a while since I've posted in my blog and yes I let the chaos of my life overtake what was an incredibly stress-relieving venture--namely, writing to you all, on here, sharing and exchanging healthy and thoughtful ideas about food. But here I am back again, (hopefully this time I can keep it up so that a new post appears every couple of days.)

And now, my recipe for potato leek soup. Envisioned after my uncle visited my house and declared there to be "several" edible leeks still unharvested in our small backyard garden. The soup was delicious and the preparation a breeze:

Ingredients

4-5 medium sized leeks - cleaned and chopped just a few inches past the part where it turns green

3 medium sized russet potatoes - peeled and chopped into 1-2 inch thick pieces

1 bag of fingerling potatoes (I find the contrast of starches to give the soup a little edge)

2 scallions - chopped

2 medium-sized shallots - chopped

4 cups low-sodium organic chicken or vegetable stock

2 cups water

2/3 cup cream (can substitute here for milk or yogurt though if you add yogurt I suggest adding it in the blender after the soup has cooked)

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Place the first 8 ingredients in a large pot on high heat. Allow to reach a boil then simmer for up to 1 hour.

2. Place soup in blender (I did it in batches and waited a while for the soup to cool - trust me on this one, you don't want a potato leek facial)

3. Add salt and pepper as necessary/desired, and add more water if the soup seems a bit thick.

ENJOY!

See? Piece of cake! Err... piece of leek root....

Yours tastefully,

Organic Eats

Fish and Chips: An Update

Hello there! Yes I know, I've been slacking on my blogger game. Well I'm back today and here with a great (and Oeats tested) recipe to share! This recipe is light and perfect for a late summer night dinner. Hope you enjoy! (Also, feel free to double or triple the portions, this recipe yield is for two!)

Ingredients

For the fries:

3 small yams or sweet potatoes

Pink Peppercorn (ground)

Pepper (regular - ground)

Salt (to taste)

Oil (for sprinkling)

White wine vinegar (for sprinkling)

For the fish:

2 fresh (WILD!) cod filets

2 eggs - organic preferred :)

1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon red chili flakes (okay, so I like things with spice... downgrade this amount if you can't take the heat!)

Oil for frying - cold pressed olive oil is a healthier alternative to canola but canola is the typical frying oil

2 teaspoons capers

Directions:

For fries:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Peel and slice the sweet potatoes

Drizzle with enough olive oil to coat and toss so oil covers each fry.

Spread fries out so none touch (SUPER important, otherwise they won't crisp properly!)

Sprinkle pink pepper corns, pepper and salt over the fries.

Douse in a healthy coating of olive oil (helps them crisp up.)

Bake in oven about 40 minutes or until they reach desired level of crisp!

Now while the fries are baking.... (start making fish about 10 minutes before fries are done...)

First, crank up your stove to medium-high heat and put a pan on the fire so it can heat up.

In a bowl, crack 2 eggs and whisk until combined.

In another bowl mix flour, salt, pepper and chili flakes.

Dip cod filet in egg mixture then dip in flour bowl, shaking off any excess flour after coating both sides of the fish.

Add oil to now hot pan, enough to form about 1/2 inch pool of oil throughout the bottom of the pan.

Place cod filets in the oil and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until the surfaces turn golden brown.

Plate the cod and sweet potato fries and sprinkle with capers. (The saltiness of the capers combined with the spice of the filet is heavenly! Also, a nice ode to the sea...)

Hope you enjoy!

Xo,

Organic Eats

Scrumptious Scallops

Hello there! I know, I know, this blog has been collecting proverbial cyber dust for a little while now but I promise, just in case you missed me... I'M BACK with a sauteed, seared and scored vengeance. Today's recipe is a simple one and was the object of my dinner last night, so I consider it well-tested... okay, enough blabbing.... here's the good stuff:

Scrumptious Scallops (serves 1 so double/triple/quadruple accordingly)

Ingredients:

4 wild bay scallops (I said WILD ya hear?)

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon red chili flakes (can adjust for desired spice level)

1/4 cup cajun blackening spice

Directions

1. Clean the scallops and remove muscle, (it's that little boxy-like attachment on the side, peels off easily)

2. In a small saucepan, heat the butter on medium-high heat until fully melted.

3. Simultaneously, combine the salt, pepper, red chili flakes and cajun blackening spice in a bowl.

4. Dip each flat side of the scallop into the spice mixture and place in the saucepan with the butter. Put on timer and cook for 2-3 minutes or until crispy brown.

5. Flip scallops over and sear other side, again cooking 2-3 minutes or until brown.

6. Take off heat and place over bed of freshly sauteed vegetables... think something seasonal... or rice, or anything your culinary heart can think of really.... and that's it! There's enough taste on these babies for them to not even need a sauce. Diet-friendly indeed!

Enjoy :)

As always, leave comments/questions/concerns/LOVE!

Xo,

Organic Eats

Cream of Avocado Soup - RH Week DAY 5!!

This recipe actually comes in to me from a source that chooses to remain anonymous, (mysterious, no?) What makes anonymous' recipe so great is that it requires NO cooking and utilizes ingredients that most probably have around their kitchen. So without further ado, I give you Cream of Avocado Soup by Untitled.... enjoy!!

Cream of Avocado Soup

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

4 ripe Haas avocados

3 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarians)

The juice of 2 lemons

The rind + juice of 1 lime

1 cup light cream

1/2 teaspoon chili powder (optional)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Dash Tabasco

Directions:

1. Peel, seed and dice avocados. Place in blender container.

2. Add chicken broth (or vegetable broth) and lemon juice to container. Blend until smooth.

3. Add cream, chili powder (optional,) salt, pepper and Tabasco. Blend well.

4. Chill and serve icy cold topped with croutons of your choice.

Anyone hungry??

Yuri's Coconut Lychee-Lime Semifreddo - RH Week Day 4!

Konichiwa! My name is Yuri but most people know me as Chef Pandita. I am so happy to be back here sharing another delicious recipe with you :D This is my second guest post at this lovely blog, you might remember my Yucca Fries which was the beginning of a beautiful twitter/blog friendship with Melissa. When she told me about this fun guest-posting week I told her to save me a spot, then that same day going through a food magazine I found the inspiration I needed.

It’s mango season here in the Dominican Republic. My dad has a huge mango farm so I’m always looking for new ways to serve them. This recipe caught my eye because it uses fresh mangoes and coconut milk. Those are typical flavors from this island, so I hope you make this and have a taste of the tropics J

I added lychees to the recipe because I LOVE them and they go really well with mango, coconut and lime flavor.

Are you familiar with semifreddo? Its an Italian frozen dessert and it means “half-cold”. It’s usually made with equal parts ice cream and whipped cream. This recipe is perfect for this time of the year!

Let’s start with the recipe, shall we?

You will need these ingredients:

First line a 4-1/2 by 8-1/2 inch loaf pan with parchment paper [I didn't have any so I used plastic wrap]:

Combine coconut milk and condensed milk; bring to a boil over medium heat stirring constantly.

Cook for 8-10 minutes until it thickens:

Transfer to a bowl, add lime zest and salt and place in bowl of ice water. Stir until it cools, around 5 minutes:

Drain, rinse and chop lychees:

Measure 1-1/2 cups of heavy cream:

Whip until it forms stiff peaks:

Fold into cooled coconut milk mixture:

Add chopped lychees:

Pour into prepared loaf pan:

Sprinkle toasted unsweetened shredded coconut:

Cover with plastic and freeze until firm [6 hours or up to 3 days]. When you're ready to serve it, peel and cut a mango:

Let semifreddo sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes and invert onto a serving platter. Peel away plastic or parchment paper and decorate with the sliced mango:

Coconut Lychee-Lime Semifreddo

Adapted from Everyday Food Magazine

Ingredients:

1 can [13.5 ounces] unsweetened coconut milk

1 can [14 ounces] condensed milk

1 can lychees in syrup

1 tablespoon finely grated lime zest

½ teaspoon coarse salt

1 ½ cups cold heavy cream

½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted

1 mango

Preparation:

Line a 4 ½ by 8 ½ loaf pan with parchment.

Prepare a bowl of ice water, reserve.

Drain and rinse lychees, chop them and reserve.

Pour coconut milk and condensed milk in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil stirring constantly and cook over low heat until it thickens [8-10 minutes after it boils].

Remove from heat and stir in lime zest and coconut. Pour into a large bowl and put over ice water, stir until it cools [around 5 minutes].

Beat cream until stiff peaks form.

Fold whipped cream into coconut milk mixture.

Fold in chopped lychees.

Pour into loaf pan, sprinkle toasted coconut on top.

Cover with plastic wrap or foil paper and freeze until firm [6 hours or up to 3 days].

When you’re ready to serve this semifreddo, take it out of the fridge while you prepare the mango. Peel and slice it, then invert the semifreddo onto a serving plate. Decorate with the fresh sliced mango and enjoy J

Thank you so much for reading, have a lovely day!

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Organic Eats <3 Chef Pandita!! Don't you just love her? The foodie community is so lucky to have such a dedicated, artistic, creative and kind chef on our side!! Don't forget to visit Yuri's website: www.chefpandita.com and follow her on twitter for more delicious updates: @chefpandita

Sal's Gazpacho Soup Two Ways - RH Week DAY 3!

Welcome to RH Week Day 3!! Hope you have been enjoying the tasty treats so far, I already have both recipes printed out and queued up to prepare for my next dinner party!! Today's guest entry is not one but TWO versions of Gazpacho soup, (a creamy gazpacho and a more traditional one,) sent in by a reader named Sal (no twitter or website he says in his e-mail, just an Organic Eats Fan... love it!) who got the recipes from an old, worn out and "thoroughly loved" recipe book entitled "Soups & Stews: A Two in One Cookbook" by Joanne Waring Lindeman c. 1976 Nitty Gritty Productions.

Personally, I really believe that there are fewer things more culinarily delightful than sipping chilled Gazpacho on a balmy summer day, so thank you again Sal for your contribution to many future nights spent in summer soup-filled splendor!

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Creamy Gazpacho

yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 lb ripe tomatoes

1/2 large cucumber

1/2 cup soft bread crumbs

1 clove garlic, mashed

1 tbs. salad oil

1 tbs. vinegar

2 cups cold water

salt and pepper

1 tsp. McCormick's Season All dash Tabasco

1 cup (1/2 pt.) heavy cream

finely chopped parsley

Directions:

Peel and chop tomatoes and cucumber. Put into blender container along with bread crumbs, garlic, oil vinegar and water. Cover and blend 2 minutes. Chill mixture until icy cold. When ready to serve, stir in salt, pepper, Season all, Tabasco and cream. Sever in chilled bowls garnished with finely chopped parsley.

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Traditional Gazpacho

Says the cookbook: "This Spanish tradition is first cousin to a salad but even more refreshing. It must be served icy cold."

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

4 cups tomato juice

2 beef bouillon cubes (can substitute for vegetarian to make this a vegetarian or vegan soup)

2 tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped, unpeeled cucumbers

1/4 cup chopped green pepper

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup wine vinegar

2 tbs. salad oil

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

6 drops Tabasco

Directions:

Bring tomato juice to boiling. Add bouillon cubes and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat and cool. Peel, seed and dice tomatoes. Add to cooled broth along with remaining ingredients. Refrigerate. Serve in chilled bowls.

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*Editor's Note: I love to top each bowl of chilled gazpacho with a few slices of avocado, a dollop of sour cream and some fresh chopped cilantro or basil for garnish and extra flavor.

Nelly's Pumpkin Corn Fritters - RH Week DAY 2!

Hello Organic Eats readers!

I'm Nelly and I blog over at Cooking with Books!

http://cookingwithbooks.blogspot.com

I’m so glad I have this opportunity to post here today and share a delicious, simple recipe! These fritters came about while I was living in Charlottesville, VA. My boyfriend had come and spent Thanksgiving with me and we had cooked a huge menu, having left over canned pumpkin. I’m sure you’ve been through this before, but you could also use fresh pumpkin puree to make this even better! Pumpkin is definitely a versatile product and you can check out Organic Eat’s Pumpkin Pancake post here: http://oeats.blogspot.com/2011/05/pumpkin-pancakes.html

Pumpkin-Corn Fritters

Yield: 12-16 fritters, depending on size

Ingredients:

1 large egg

½ cup milk

½ can of pumpkin puree

½ cup of corn kernels

1 cup flour (add more if needed to achieve thick batter)

1 tablespoon baking powder

To taste: salt, pepper, chopped green onions, sautéed yellow diced onions

Directions:

1. In a small sauté pan, heat about ¼ cup of vegetable oil.
2. Mix all ingredients together.
3. Fry on both sides until golden brown and cooked all the way through.
4. Serve with: a dipping sauce, cheese slices or as canapés with smoked salmon on top.

ALSO: try baking these! Spoon into circles on cookie sheet and bake at 350F for 4-5 minutes; the orange pumpkin color intensifies and the texture is completely different. Cut lengthwise and serve with flavored cream cheese or smoked salmon! A healthier, more nutritious version of a blini.

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Pumpkin Nutrition Facts:

-Pumpkin's deep orange color tells us it is rich in antioxidants and beta-carotene, a vitamin that can be converted to Vitamin A by the body. Beta-carotene can also reverse skin damage and promote good vision.

-Pumpkin also has anti-aging properties, and boosts your immune system.

-Don't forget the seeds! 1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds contains 92% of your daily value of magnesium!

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Special thanks to Nelly for this delicious recipe! Follower her on twitter @nella22 for more enticing eats!

Slyvia's Spanish Slaw - Recipe Hosting Week DAY 1!

Hello Organic Eats readers and welcome to what will undoubtedly be an epic week of recipe hosting, (let's call it RH week for short, shall we?) Your first recipe comes to you via California, from Sylvia of sylveeeskitchen.com (twitter handle: @sylveeeskitchen so be sure to log onto her site and follow on twitter for more delicious eats!) I love the addition of the spanish olives in this slaw and can't wait to try it out for myself! The recipe couldn't be more appropriate for the oncoming summer and what a great, unexpected twist on a classic summer side dish. Personally, I can't wait to celebrate this newly warm and gorgeous weather right by preparing me some spanish slaw! Ole!

........................

COSTA DEL SOL COLE SLAW

YIELD: 12 Servings

INGREDIENTS:

For the DRESSING:

1 clove Garlic

1 can Anchovy Fillets(optional)

1/2 cup Red Wine Vinegar

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Black Pepper

For the SLAW:

1/4 head Red Cabbage

1/2 head Green Cabbage

1 Red Bell pepper

1 small jar Spanish olives

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine the Dressing Ingredients in a blender jar; run at high speed until the Garlic is minced and all the ingredients are well blended.

2. Wash and dry all the Vegetables.

3. Thinly slice the Cabbages or slice in a food processor, using a 2mm slicing disk.

4. Thinly julienne the Bell Pepper.

5. Slice the olives into rounds.

6. Thinly slice the Red Onion.

7. Finely shred the Carrots.

8. Toss all the ingredients together in a large salad bowl; add the Dressing and serve.

9. The Salad may be made ahead of time and refrigerated; the dressing should not be added more than 1 hour before serving.

Note: Even though restaurants and delicatessens in the United States sell Spanish Cole Slaw, I could find none in Spain. This recipe uses ingredients that are often used in salads in Spain; if there really was such a thing as Spanish Slaw, this is how it might be.

Calling all Chefs/Cooks/Foodies/Adventurers of the Kitchen...

Hello all!! Happy Memorial Day Weekend to those US readers and to the rest, wishing you all a happy and relaxing weekend! Spent the night watching some beautiful fireworks that glittered across the surface of the Long Island Sound.

Today's post is more an announcement than a post: Exciting news! Starting on Wednesday, Organic Eats will be hosting a week of guest recipes so consider this post as an official bid to all of you fabulous culinary minds who read the blog to send in a recipe you'd like to be posted. The recipe can be absolutely anything... from your staple friday night dinner to your off-the-wall wacky dessert that is unexpectedly delicious... Of course all credit will be given to you as the grand creator of the recipe and expect loads of tweets/facebook mentions and the like to follow! I will be accepting submissions until Tuesday May 31st at 11PM. Please send your recipe to:

orgeats@gmail.com

Depending on the number of submissions, the recipe guest blog hosting may even extend a few extra days! Also, feel free to send in pictures or any other accompanying media that will help explain your recipe :)

Thanks so much in advance... not only for submitting but also for reading my recipes and food-fuelled thoughts, and I can't wait to read all of YOUR culinary creations!

Xo,

Organic Eats

Pumpkin Pancakes

It may not be October, but these pancakes are delicious enough for you to forget that.... I made these as a variation on the normal Sunday brunch and they were pure pumpkin perfection! If you can't already tell, I'm a bit obsessed with cinnamon so creating a recipe where cinnamon is involved makes me one happy cook! The spices in these pancakes are just right and enough to gently awaken anyone after the weekend is over. As an added bonus, the recipe is purely vegetarian and our homage to celebrating national Vegetarian Week 2011!

Pumpkin Pancakes

Yield: 7 pancakes (I made the recipe for 2 people but double it if you're making it for more...)

1/4 cup all purpose unbleached flour

1 tablespoon cane sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon shaved nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup whole milk + more if batter is too thick

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 large egg - separated

3 tablespoons butter - melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Mix:

-flour

-sugar

-baking powder

-nutmeg

-cinnamon

-salt

in a bowl until well blended.

2. In another bowl, mix:

-whole milk

-buttermilk

-pumpkin puree

-egg yolk (leave white in separate, small bowl)

-melted butter

-vanilla extract

3. Add contents of pumpkin bowl into dry ingredients flour mixture until combined. Don't worry if the mixture seems a little thick, it should be at this point.

4. Beat egg white until fluffy but not stiff (it should be at the consistency right before forming stiff peaks...)

5. Add the whisked egg white to the pumpkin/flour mixture, folding in gently so as not to break the white. At this point, if your batter is still looking a little thick, add in a little milk to thin it out.

6. Head 1 teaspoon of butter on a skillet over medium heat. Scoop desired size of pancake onto the skillet once butter is melted. Once the pancake has bubbled on the surface, use a spatula to flip over and cook on other side. (Timing depends on stove but for me it was about 3 minutes on one side 2 minutes on the other...)

7. Continue cooking until all of the batter is made, adding more butter if the skillet looks dry...

ENJOY and happy VEGETARIAN WEEK 2011!!! Go vegetables :)

Xo,

Organic Eats

Quinoa Flake Banana Muffins

Here is a recipe that can go vegan/low-fat OR it can have a bit of a higher fat content and a more creamy texture... all up to you and your dietary needs! But no matter how you slice it... or spread jam on it... these muffins are delish :)

Quinoa Flake Banana Muffins: (Vegan + Non-Vegan Versions below)

Ingredients

1/2 cup Quinoa Flakes

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose Flour (OR quinoa flour OR almond flour OR whole wheat flour... you get where I'm going with this...)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 VERY ripe bananas

2 eggs (OR 1/2 cup apple sauce for vegan version)

3 teaspoons honey

1/2 cup butter - melted (skip this ingredient if making these vegan)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F

2. Mix together quinoa flakes, unbleached flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Set aside

3. In a separate bowl mash the bananas until they turn to a chunky paste, beat in 2 eggs, add honey (or sugar.) At this point, slowly mix in melted butter (unless you leave out the butter in which case... well... don't.)

4. Add the contents of the flour bowl to the wet ingredient banana bowl and mix thoroughly.

5. Scoop into greased muffin tins filling only HALF WAY (these things rise!)

6. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown on top.

ENJOY!

I think the thing I love the best about this recipe is the simplicity of creation... you can pop these out in no time for an easy but healthy snack or a quick and hearty breakfast. A delectable treat, a drool-worthy muffin...

Adios!

Xo

Organic Eats

Fusilli Pasta in a Spicy Bechamel Cheese Sauce

Hi all! It doesn't quite feel like spring yet but these springy pastas are a comforting and hearty way to warm up in this abnormally cold weather. Hope you enjoy and feel free to substitute with a vegetable of your choice!

Fusilli Pasta in A Spicy Bechamel Cheese Sauce

Ingredients:

2 cups Fusilli Pasta

4 Cups water - boiling

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 cup broccoli - steamed

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 tablespoons flour

4 cups milk (whole or skim)

Salt ~2 teaspoons

White pepper - a few pinches

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup pepper jack jalapeno cheese

Directions:

1. First off, boil the pasta until desired texture in boiled water with a few drops of olive oil (I say about a teaspoon on the ingredients amount above.)

2. Simultaneously boil the broccoli - make sure to boil it to just before it's done, this way you can allow it some time to cook in with the pasta.

3. Next, get to work on your classic bechamel sauce. Cook the butter and flour together in a sauce pan until yellow and creamy (takes about 6-7 minutes.)

4. Add 4 cups of heated milk to the sauce - one cup at a time. Stirring with each addition.

5. Season the sauce with salt, white pepper and freshly zested nutmeg.

6. Continue to stir until sauce begins to thicken up, then when sauce becomes consistency of buttermilk (think thickened milk or yogurt texture) melt in the jalapeno jack cheese.

7. At this point, the pasta and broccoli should be done so add both to saucepan with bechamel sauce.

8. Taste the pasta and add whatever spices it needs (e.g. more salt, pepper, a little garlic powder etc.)

I love this recipe because it's a more gourmet version of mac and cheese and even incorporates some vegetables into the mix. Hope you try it and love it as much as I did!

Xo & stay dry in the rain,

Organic Eats

Strawberry and Blueberry Scones

Hi all! Sorry for the brief hiatus but the recipe posting is back! Expect some summer recipes to come your way in the VERY near future. To start off the season, here is a great recipe for strawberry & blueberry scones that not only utilizes fruits that are just coming into season now but also is incredibly easy to make. Feel free to change up the fruit in the batter, adding your own combinations or even to spice it up with the addition of some cinnamon or cracked pepper for an unexpected kick. The dough is not sweet but it is resilient and can hold up well to lots of great flavors. If you have an herb garden, I recommend experimenting with flavoring the scones with any combination of whatever looks great that you've grown, (particular favorites include a basil and strawberry combination or a rosemary and cracked pepper scone without any fruit.) Anyway, here's the recipe and I would love to hear how you add your own twist to the basic outline I've provided!

Strawberry and Blueberry Scones OR [Insert your own Fruit/herb/spice Combo here] Scones

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 cup pastry flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (frozen and cubed)

2 tablespoons maple syrup

3/4 cup whole milk (feel free to use skim if you're diet conscious or cream if you're looking to indulge!!)

6 large strawberries - chopped

1/2 cup blueberries

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400F

2. In a bowl, mix together the two kinds of flour, baking powder and salt (note that if you don't have pastry flour using all-purpose flour for the whole amount will do just fine.)

3. Add in the cold butter and stir until combined (easier with a kitchenaid mixer but still doable without one.)

4. Pour in milk slowly and mix in.

5. Add maple syrup (here you can do a taste test, if you want your scones a bit sweeter add more maple syrup, a bit more savory, add less or none at all.)

6. Add strawberries and blueberries and mix until combined throughout.

7. Scoop balls of the mixture onto a greased baking sheet, (about six balls of the dough should fit on one tray but make the scones whatever size you like.)

8. Bake about 15 minutes or until the tops of the scones have turned golden brown.

HOPE YOU ENJOY AND HAPPY EARLY SUMMER!

Xo,

Organic Eats