Balancing Act: Roasted Fall Vegetable Salad

While fall is the ideal time of year for comfort food - apple pie, mashed potatoes, stuffing - it's also the easiest time of year to pack on a few extra pounds. Thanks to the cooler weather, it's easy to hide what all that pie does to your middle underneath layers and loose sweaters. And though I'm not one to sacrifice my favorite fall foods for vanity's sake, I don't want to be cursing those extra helpings of cider donuts come next spring. So in order to get the most of the comforting fall flavors we all love, I look to the many hearty vegetables the autumn harvest has to offer.

This salad with roasted butternut squash, brussels sprouts and beets is so satisfying that you won't feel like you're missing out at all. Plus, just look at those colors. If that doesn't look like fall, I don't know what does. And if anything, eat this salad so you can feel a little less guilty about polishing off that bag of candy corn after.

Roasted Fall Vegetable Salad
makes 4 entrée-sized servings

Ingredients:
1 lb butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
1 lb brussels sprouts, halved
2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cups precooked beets, quartered
1/4 cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
16 oz baby spinach (or 2 bags of the pre-washed kind from the grocery store)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Assemble the squash and brussels sprouts on the baking sheet so they're in one even layer. If the pan is too crowded, use 2 baking sheets. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Using your hands, toss the veggies so they're evenly coated in oil. Roast in the oven about 30 minutes, or until tender and slightly browned. Allow the veggies to cool slightly.
3. Top the spinach with beets, gorgonzola, walnuts and roasted veggies. I don't use any extra dressing for this, because I find the beets and roasted veggies help moisten the spinach, but if you want to drizzle with some extra olive oil, more power to ya.

Quick Bites: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

In case you've been living in a ditch for the past couple of weeks, pumpkin season is upon us, and there's no escaping it. From pumpkin lattes, to pumpkin ice cream and pumpkin Hershey's kisses, pumpkin is everywhere and it's taking over the world. Not that I'm complaining, I'm more than willing to succumb to the pumpkin world domination.

So today I bring you a super quick, super simple, and even more delicious recipe for pumpkin chocolate chip bread. A couple years ago, my brother Michael and I went to breakfast at this diner where he ordered pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes. This was before the pumpkin craze was really the phenomenon it is today, so we thought the combination of pumpkin and pancakes was totally brilliant. Now that Michael is all grown up as a freshman in college (sigh), I attempted to recreate that diner breakfast in bread form. Though I'm not able to share this bread with Michael right now, the comforting aromas of pumpkin and chocolate keep us feeling close regardless of the physical distance.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread adapted from Big Girls Small Kitchen
makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup turbinado sugar (raw cane sugar)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 can pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking power, and baking soda.
3. In another bowl, beat the eggs. Add sugar, vanilla extract,  and oil until combined.
4. Fold the egg mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir in pumpkin purée until combined. Fold in chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
5. Pour the batter into loaf pan and bake for 1 hour, or until cooked through and tender in the center.

Before...

...After! Mmm...

One Pot Wonder: Italian Vegetable Soup & Cornbread

Summer is unofficially over, which means it's time to get back to routines and schedules. And I could not be happier. I know, I sound like a total party pooper. Don't get me wrong, I do love summer, but come late August every year, I'm itching for cooler weather, apples and pumpkins, prime time TV, and a week when I can just stay put and get back in the kitchen.

Now I don't want to jinx it, but I think it's safe to say that the dog days of summer are finally past us. The weather in NYC has been just divine, and I've finally had a few weekends where I can stay home and relax instead of living out of a suitcase between graduations, vacations, and beach visits. So with some extra time on my hands, it was about time I got back in the kitchen with one of my favorite Sunday traditions: one pot meals!

As I've said here before, one pot meals are clutch for young, busy and poor folks (like me)! They're a major timesaver during the week, and much healthier and more cost effective than ordering takeout everyday for lunch or dinner. On the menu this week is a big, biiiig pot of Italian vegetable soup. Besides chopping up all the vegetables, you essentially just dump and stir everything into a big pot. And because I always need a little carb-age to truly hold me over, I made a lighter version of hearty cornbread. While it may officially be summer until this Saturday, this Italian vegetable soup and cornbread says fall is here to stay.

Italian Vegetable Soup
serves 6-8

Ingredients:
2 cups escarole, chopped
2 cups baby spinach
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 zucchini, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 fennel bulb, chopped
28 oz can diced tomatoes
6 cups vegetable broth
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

Add escarole, spinach, garlic, onion, zucchini, red bell pepper, fennel, canned tomatoes, vegetable broth, red pepper flakes, thyme and oregano to a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 10-15 minutes until vegetables are cooked through. Season with salt and pepper and top with parsley and basil.

Healthy Cornbread
serves 12

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray an 8x8 inch pan with cooking spray.

Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir in yogurt and eggs until combined and batter is smooth. Pour into pan and bake 20-25 minutes until tender and cooked through in the center.

Apples to Apples

Apple picking is one of my favorite fall festivities. The smell of cinnamon-y cider donuts, hay rides, and the crisp, chill air are symbols of quintessential autumn. Even at 23 I still get the same thrill of plucking the perfect apple as I did when I was 10. Something about this wholesome activity makes me nostalgic for our family visits to Arnold's Orchard in Westborough, MA where the apples were plenty and the stinky rabbits in the mini petting zoo even more so.

This past weekend marked our group's second annual trip to Outhouse Orchards in Croton Falls, NY. After scrambling to catch the train due to a much needed Starbucks run, we were on our merry way out of Manhattan to the "country". Just over an hour outside the city, it was quite the cultural adjustment for us Manhattanites. Only three cabs in service for the whole town? Impossible! But yes, after a 30 minute wait for one of the three cabs in all of Croton Falls we had FINALLY made it to Outhouse Orchards!

The sweet, sugary smell of cider donuts hit us as soon as we stepped out of the cab. Heaven. Unfortunately, the orchard was entirely picked out of apples, but lucky for us, there was another orchard right across the street that was still ripe for pickin'.

It was quite the struggle at first. We searched high and low for apples, but to no avail. After a frustrating start to the day we made friends with Alessando, an adorable 3 or 4 year old boy who pointed us to where we could find more apples and lent us his picker to reach those at the tops of the trees. He even assisted in picking a few apples for us! (Not knowing if he actually picked these or just took some dirty ones off the ground, we had to toss 'em.) In the end, we wound up with a full satchel of apples, while although on the smaller side, were still beautiful and perfect for cooking... Because really, who actually eats all those apples anyway? Everyone knows the only reason you go apple picking is to make unhealthy things out of them! Apple crisp, apple pie - bring on the carbs and buttah!

So this made the perfect opportunity for an apple-themed potluck. But this was no ordinary apple potluck. No, we had a bounty of unexpected sweet and savory dishes. The menu included:

• Curried Apple Soup
• Baked Brie with Apples and Walnuts
• Butternut Squash and Apple Gratin
• Apple, Onion and Goat Cheese Tart
• Apple and Raisin Bread Pudding
• Apple Pie with Crumble Topping (because you just can't go apple picking without making an apple pie!!)

Apple picking may be an activity that brings me back to my childhood, but this potluck was a real grown-up affair. Every dish was so delicious and perfectly balanced with the slightest apple taste, that I couldn't resist a second serving. Leaving happy and with my pants unbuttoned, I was already excited to continue this new fall tradition next year.

Apple, Onion and Goat Cheese Tart

serves a crowd, or 6 hungry girls 

Ingredients:

1 package puff pastry dough, thawed

2 tbsp olive oil

2 small-medium apples, cored and thinly sliced

4 onions, halved and thinly sliced

1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

2 tsp dried thyme

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. 

2. Add the onion and apples. Stir to coat in the olive oil. Cook slowly until the onions and apples begin to caramelize and become very soft, about 25-30 minutes. Stir occasionally to evenly distribute heat. 

3. Meanwhile, place puff pastry dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Gently prick dough. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

4. When the onion and apples are done, gently spread on top of the pre-cooked pastry dough. Sprinkle with goat cheese and dried thyme.

5. Return the tart to the oven at 400 degrees and continue cooking until cheese begins to melt and the tart turns golden brown, about 10 minutes. 

6. Allow the tart to cool slightly before cutting into pieces. Serve warm.

Apple, Onion & Goat Cheese Tart

Baked Brie

Curried Apple Soup

Apple Pie with Crumble Topping

Apple Bread Pudding

We love apples!!!

A Belieber in Pumpkin

I'm going to let you in on a little secret. I'm having a love affair...

With pumpkin! I've had a pumpkin fetish ever since the pumpkin spice latte was introduced at Starbucks years ago. I do think the pumpkin craze is a bit much now, a little too mainstream. But I'd like to think I was one of the original pumpkin enthusiasts, before it became so in vogue.

But so what if pumpkin is more of a "rom-com" than an edgy, indie flick. I've always preferred my movies cheesy and my music poppy. Maybe pumpkin is the Justin Bieber of food right now, but that's not going to stop my obsession (with pumpkin I mean, although I do have quite the case of Bieber Fever). Knock it all you want, but it's darn good, and you can't deny that you don't love it too (again, I'm talking about pumpkin here, but also applies to the Biebs).

We all love pumpkin for its sweet, nutty flavor; but the reason it's such a beloved ingredient is for what it represents: family traditions, holidays, gathering together with loved ones. Surprisingly pumpkin pie was never a staple at our Thanksgiving table, but the symbol of what it represents makes me nostalgic for holidays past as a kid.

While I love your standard pumpkin dishes - pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread - I'm interested in using it in new and expected ways. So when I came across this recipe from Serious Eats for pumpkin turkey chili, I just had to try it. Pumpkin and chili, how much more autumn and hearty can you get? It seemed like the perfect combination...and trust me, it was! The pumpkin flavor was very subtle, but added a nice warmth and spice to the chili. It was the perfect one-pot meal to make on a lazy Sunday afternoon. This pumpkin turkey chili gave a more hipster edge to an otherwise Bieber-esque ingredient.

Pumpkin Turkey Chili
Makes 5-6  servings


Ingredients:
1 tbs vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chiles
1 garlic clove, minced
1 lb ground turkey
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (14.5 oz) red kidney beans
1 can (14.5 oz) pumpkin puree
1 1/2 tbs chili powder
1/2 tbs cumin
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Cayenne pepper to taste (about 3-4 shakes)
1/4 fresh cilantro, chopped
Shredded cheddar cheese

1. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat.
2. Saute onion, pepper, green chiles and garlic until tender - about 10 minutes.
3. Make room in the center of the pot. Add the turkey and brown, breaking up with the back of a spoon.
4. Stir in tomatoes, beans and pumpkin. Add chili powder, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper.
5. Reduce heat and simmer at least 20 minutes. Stir in fresh cilantro. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese.

The perfect workweek lunch - healthy, hearty and delicious!

Sweating for Soup

The weather in New York City just doesn't want to change. I still can't walk outside without getting an attractive little sweat stain on my back, and my electric bill continues to grow as I pump the AC.

Hello Fall, you were supposed to start on Friday. Where are you?!? Okay, fine. You're not ready to show yet, but I will do everything in my power to tempt you out. Starting with delicious food.

So on this lovely, muggy Sunday afternoon I decided it would be the perfect time to make a big, steaming pot of soup. Yes, I was literally sweating over my stove and had to air myself out every 5 minutes by standing in front of my AC, but the end result was totally worth the steam sauna.

I intended to make cauliflower parsnip soup - yet another recipe from my favorite blog Big Girls Small Kitchen - but when Trader Joe's didn't have parsnips, I decided to take my own spin on it and do a cauliflower carrot ginger soup. It was super simple and made my apartment smell so warm and slightly sweet from the carrots and ginger. And the best part is now I have a delicious, healthy lunch for the whole week, and it only took one pot, about 40 minutes, and lil-bit-a sweat.

Fine, Fall. Be stubborn. But even if you refuse to come, I can at least eat like you are here.

Cauliflower Carrot Ginger Soup
Makes 6-8 servings


2 tbs olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 head cauliflower, chopped
1 lb carrots, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
7-8 fresh thyme sprigs
8 cups vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, cover, and cook until translucent - about 8 minutes.
2. Add cauliflower, carrots, ginger, thyme, vegetable stock, salt and pepper. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Remove the thyme stems and season with salt and pepper if needed.
4. Purée the soup with an immersion blender or food processor, until mostly smooth but still somewhat chunky. Garnish with fresh thyme.

Soup simmering away...Me sweating away

This soup just looks like fall

Falling for Autumn

This summer has flown by at lightning speed. It’s been over a month since my last blog post, and yet it feels like it was only Memorial Day a week ago. Unfortunately, I think the summers will only get shorter as my years as an “adult” progress. I’m kicking myself now, wishing I soaked up every last second of freedom last summer rather than stressing out about finding a job.

As sad as it is to see summer go, I always look forward to this time of year—apple picking, sweater weather, and pumpkin everything! For me, the fall is a time of comforting traditions spent with friends and family, and a welcome change of pace after a summer on-the-go…So the recent dreary and cooler weather in NYC was the perfect opportunity to make something warm and wholesome for dinner.

Sloshing through the puddles on my way home from work, I had this craving for a curry dish. Now don’t be fooled—curry was never a tradition in my home. I don’t know that curry has ever set foot in my family’s home, but something about the rich spices and the deep orange color of curry just has “autumn” and “comfort” written all over it. Luckily, this recipe is so simple that I already had all the ingredients and didn’t have to trek back out in the rain to the grocery store. I served the curry sauce with shrimp over brown rice, but it would also be great over chicken or vegetables. The curry perfumed my whole apartment with this spicy, almost cinnamony smell, and had a rich, creamy texture that I just crave in fall foods. Not having a true summer vacation anymore is definitely a bummer, but it’s these hearty, comforting meals that I look forward to all year round.

Easy Curry with Shrimp and Brown Rice (served with roasted baby zucchini, pictured below)

Serves One

Ingredients:

1 tbs butter

2 tbs honey

1 tbs Dijon mustard

1 tsp curry powder

Dash of nutmeg

Dash of salt

6-7 cooked shrimp (I just thawed some frozen shrimp in my freezer)

1 cup cooked brown rice

1. In a small saucepan, combine the butter, honey, mustard and spices over medium heat. Whisk until the butter is melted and everything is combined even.

2. Add the cooked shrimp to the sauce, allowing them to absorb the flavors and warm through—about 4 minutes.

3. Pour the shrimp and sauce over prepared brown rice and serve warm.

Candy Corn Confession

In my "Fall Flavors" post the other day I forgot to mention one of my all-time favorite things about fall: candy corn. Although a chocoholic at heart, candy corn has always held a special place within me. These cherished novelties begin to appear in the middle of August, when stores are already setting up for Halloween. Their lifespan only lasts until a few days after Halloween, when they are thrown into the 50% off bin, and chocolate turkeys take their place. So when candy corn season begins each year, I know how crucial it is to stock up on this limited treasure.

Just this morning I bought a bag of Brach's (definitely the best) candy corn, and now it's already halfway empty! As much as candy corn brightens my soul, it certainly is not good for my waistline. Similar to my addiction with peanut butter M&M's, I cannot control myself when candy corn is within reach. With each handful I take I promise myself it will be the last one; until 5 minutes later when I find myself wanting more and grabbing another handful without even thinking. It's impulsive, instinctual. Like somehow these tiny, sugary morsels fulfill some biological need of mine.

Perhaps the addiction occurs because I know it is so limited. Candy corn only comes around a few months each year, so eat as much now while you still can! Or maybe it's because of the whole "forbidden fruit" concept. I know it's bad for me and I shouldn't eat it, but the more naughty it is, the more I want it! Candy corn always reminds me of Halloween and trick-or-treating--maybe my obsession stems from some subconscious desire to relive childhood innocence and carelessness? Or maybe it's just that candy corn is so darn good, it really is that addictive.

Whatever the biological or psychological reasoning behind my addiction, I know I won't be going cold turkey anytime soon. Time for one more handful...