Sweet and Spicy Rainbow Carrots

     These carrots are absolutely beautiful. I had never seen them before making this recipe, and I fell in love with their vibrant colors. They basically taste just the same as your regular old orange carrots, but it's hard to say no to something this pretty!

Behold! (It's hard to believe, but I promise I'm not even using a filter!)

    While I was cooking them I couldn't get over how bright they were. Initially when they were heated up, the colors just enhanced and It didnt even look real! After they cooked down a while, they absorbed some of the delicious orange juice and brown sugar sauce which allowed them to lose some of the bright color, but they still stayed so pretty!

    It's a perfect side dish for a fall meal. The flavors are sweet, warm, and reminiscent of Thanksgiving. Plus the colors just scream Autumn!

   A forkful of these carrots, cranberry sauce, my mom's garlic roasted onions and fresh turkey is to die for.....

(I will have to write a post about the onions my mom makes because they're absolutely amazing!)

     This will definitely be a recipe I continue to make year round. It would be great with chicken or pork, as well!







Sweet and Spicy Rainbow Carrots
Ingredients:
2 lb bag rainbow carrots (regular works too)
3 tbsp butter
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/8 tsp cinnamon
salt and pepper
garlic powder

Directions:
Peel and slice carrots fairly thin
In skillet over medium heat, melt butter.
Whisk together orange juice, brown sugar, cayenne and cinnamon, and mix into melted butter.
Increase heat to medium high.
Add in carrots and mix around to coat. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until sauce has reduced to a glaze and carrots are tender and browned slightly on the edges.

Kale Salad with Chicken Sausage and Curried Squash

   I've been making some variation of this kale salad basically every day. It's so good and so flexible based on whatever vegetables you have. This particular one I had to blog about, because it's a perfect fall dish, from the flavors to the colors of the ingredients.

     The Al Fresco sausages really are great because they have a variety of flavors, and they're perfect for a quick weeknight meal because they're totally cooked so they heat up in just a couple minutes. Plus they're not nearly as bad for you as regular italian sausages, without sacrificing any flavor. The sweet apple sausages and the curried squash was such a delicious combination, and it's a pretty healthy meal. I promise, once you make a kale salad like this, you'll be addicted.

   You could of course use another type of sausage, but because apples are in season, it seemed only fitting to use the apple sausages. Using a regular sweet sausage and then topping the salad with some apple pieces would be delicious as well. Anything that celebrates this beautiful fall season!






Kale Salad w/ Chicken Sausage and Curried Squash
(For One)
Ingredients:
1 cup cubed butternut squash (1" pieces)
2 tsp oil
1/4 tsp curry powder
pinch cumin, salt and pepper
2 tsp oil
1/2 small onion, sliced
1 Al Fresco Apple Chicken Sausage, chopped
1/4 cup halved cherry tomatoes
2 big handfuls chopped kale (with no big veins)
2 tsp rice vinegar
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Toss squash pieces with oil and season with curry powder, cumin, salt and pepper
Spread evenly on cookie sheet and roast til squash it tender and lightly browned, about 20-25 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat oil in skillet over medium/medium low heat.
Add sliced onions and cook slowly until they're tender and just starting to brown.
Add in sliced tomatoes and sausage pieces, and stir around.
Raise heat to medium/ medium high.
Add in kale and use a spatula to mix around the ingredients and get the kale moistened.
Add in rice vinegar and immediately cover pan and let steam for 2 minutes or so.
Season with salt and pepper and serve when kale is tender, top with butternut squash.



   

 

Cauliflower "Fried Rice"

     I wish I had come up with this on my own because this idea is pure genius! It is probably the first thing I've actually tried off of Pinterest and it's magical. I might be way overly excited about it, but I tend to do that about food. It tastes delicious, it's super healthy and it's really not that time consuming like other creative health conscious recipes tend to be. It makes me happy just looking at it!

       You can cook it just as you do traditional fried rice, and add even more veggies to the mix. I paired mine with my favorite coconut curry chicken thighs, (which I will post a recipe for sometime soon) and it was by far the most satisfying, feel-good meal I've eaten in a while.

       Cauliflower is a great vegetable to incorporate in your diet because it's loaded with Vitamin C (antioxidants) and K (anti inflammatory). And just look at it! You can't even tell that it's not rice! I'm talking to you, mothers with picky children. This would've been gold for me as a kid because I would hardly look at vegetables, let alone pick them up with a fork and eat them.

     
    You could add cooked an egg and pork, shrimp or chicken to the mix, too! The recipe below is very basic, so there's plenty of room for modification!



   

Cauliflower "Fried Rice" 
Ingredients:
1/2 large head cauliflower, chopped (for ease in food processor)
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce (or tamari)

Directions:
Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and peas and saute until tender.
Meanwhile, pule cauliflower in food processor, until rice sized chunks. Don't over process because you won't end up with "rice".
Add garlic to pan with onions and peas and stir, then add in cauliflower and raise heat to medium-high. Pour soy sauce on top and stir to combine.
Cover and cook for about 5 minutes. Cauliflower will be tender but not mushy- similar to rice!

Apple Crisp

    It's plain to see why New Englanders are obsessed with fall. It's such a beautiful season, and we've been fortunate to have wonderful weather so far, making it easy to enjoy some outdoor activities.

Exhibit A:   Acadia

Exhibit B:   In the woods somewhere

    Although the weather and foliage is first on the list of my favorite things about fall, the second is (you guessed it) the food. Fall comfort food is absolutely the best, and there's no way I would let winter come without first making a delicious apple crisp!

    There's nothing fancy about this recipe. It's traditional, basic, and absolutely perfect. With the warm cinnamon apples and sweet crunchy topping paired with ice cream, I honestly don't know what could be better for a fall dessert.

(Please ignore the poor photo quality - I use my iphone and the lighting in my kitchen is so terrible that I literally have to use one of my roommate's flashlight on their phone to even be able to see the dish. No professional blog photography here haha!)


      It is a perfect comfort food dessert, which happened to be a current necessity. My roommates and I ate half the pan in impressive timing, then dished the rest out to kids at a party we had, so I promise you it was thoroughly enjoyed.

      My roommates and I have a slight froyo obsession (I know, typical girl thing), so when I asked one of them to bring home ice cream to go with the crisp, it was no surprise she came home with a yogurt blend. Generally vanilla is great with crisp, but this caramel one was so good, especially with the little pecan crunchy bites in it! I think a maple walnut ice cream would be a great pairing as well :)


    It's a super simple recipe, and apple picking season is in full swing - so get to it!





Traditional Apple Crisp
Ingredients:
4-5 lb apples, peeled, cored and sliced (I used McIntosh)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp flour - gluten free if necessary
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp water
1 1/2 cup oats - gluten free if necessary
1 cup flour - gluten free if necessary
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1/2 cup softened butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix together the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Toss with apples to coat and pour into 9x13 baking dish. Top with lemon juice and water.
Mix together oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder & soda and salt. Mix in butter, with your hands if necessary, until mixed and crumbly. Top the apples evenly with the mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, top will be browned and sides bubbling.
Serve warm with ice cream.






Recipe altered from allrecipes.com

Pomegranate Chicken and Brussels Sprouts

     This post is devoted to two of my newest favorite recipes, one of which I've made about 10 times and I've yet to post about (most likely because I'm too eager to eat them to take the time to take a decent photo), and the other is totally credited to Stonewall Kitchen. Though my internship there has technically ended, I have a stockpile of their products and I am more than happy to blog about how much I enjoy cooking with them.

(Before I sell you on their product though, I'll let you know that the Pomegranate Grille Sauce used in the recipe is being discontinued. They are available online through the barn sale or there might be some left in the warehouse store in Rochester, NH. I have tasted many of their other sauces though, and I can promise you that the Roasted Apple Grille Sauce (which I currently have a bottle of so you can expect a recipe soon) or the Garlic Rosemary Citrus Sauce, would both be delicious following the same recipe!)

    Stonewall Kitchen products really do make life easier in the kitchen because the sauces are soooo delicious and therefore lessen the amount of work you end up doing to get a final dish that is super good, and still tastes homemade.

So now I'll begin with this chicken....

     The pomegranate taste is unique and sweet (but not overly!) and the wine helps add another dimension and bring out those flavors. My boyfriend and I were very impressed, literally saying "wow this is good" between each bite. Serving it with quinoa was also a great choice because it soaks up the sauce so nicely. And it's gluten free! Hallelujah!

   Serving this chicken with one of my favorite brussels sprouts recipe just makes it a perfect meal. I would honestly eat this for dinner every day!

       I am so in love with brussels sprouts. They're my favorite vegetable and coming up close to my favorite food in general (call me crazy). I eat them 10x more than I end up blogging about, but I will try and change that!

      The recipe below is my current go to, and it couldn't be easier. Just toss the little guys in oil, season and roast them, then toss in a little bit of balsamic salad dressing and serve with feta or goat cheese. I also love using Stonewall Kitchen Balsamic Fig Dressing for this same recipe, but I'm not trying to go all sales woman-y on you and freak you out. Just keep in mind it's a really good option :)

     You really could toss the sprouts in any of your favorite salad dressings, and try and pair the flavors to match the main portion of your meal!




Pomegranate Chicken
Ingredients:
1 lb chicken breast
Salt, Pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup sliced onion
1/2 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup Stonewall Kitchen Pomegranate Grille Sauce (or Roasted Apple Grille Sauce or Garlic Rosemary Citrus Sauce)

Directions:
Season chicken with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat, and add chicken, onions and garlic.
Cook chicken until browned on first side, about 4 minutes, then turn over and cook about a minute or so on the other side and add in wine and simmer to reduce by about half.
Pour pomegranate sauce on top and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low about 2 minutes more.




Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients:
1 lb brussels sprouts
2 tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt
Pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2-3 tbsp balsamic salad dressing (or other)
1/3 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Remove the little root off of the brussels sprouts and slice them in half. Toss to coat in olive oil and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Spread on baking sheet and roast in preheated oven about 30 minutes, depending on the size of the brussels sprouts.
Remove from oven, and toss to coat in medium bowl with salad dressing.
Serve with cheese as garnish.

Coconut Banana Pumpkin Pancakes

      So remember when I made those Pumpkin Seven Layer Bars and claimed I had leftover pumpkin that I was sure to use for another recipe post?! Well ta-daaaaa, here it is! These pumpkin banana pancakes are a great way to celebrate the fall season, without clogging an artery like the seven layer bars might....

      They're about the healthiest pancakes you can get, and I'll tell you they smell absolutely amazing when cooking. Plus the recipe is really convenient because it makes two perfect pancakes all for yourself :)


(yes one is missing from the photo because I ate it while the other one was cooking....)

      I've seen plenty of variations of these simple, and often paleo, pancakes, and I'd have to say my favorite part about this one is the combination of flavors, especially with the use of coconut oil. It's a super healthy fat and it tastes like (you guessed it!) coconut! Then it's smothered in maple syrup and you eat both of them and maybe even lick the plate and you still don't feel like a beached whale. That is the glory of healthy cooking.

     As always, you can add fruits, nuts or even chocolate!

       I'm definitely going to start making more pancakes like these. They're simple to make, nutritious, filling, and you eat them with maple syrup and that is basically the only excuse I need to make more :)






Coconut Banana Pumpkin Pancakes
Ingredients:
1 medium ripe banana, mashed
Heaping scoop of pumpkin puree (a little less than 1/4 cup)
1 egg
1/3 cup oats (gluten free if necessary)
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
2 tsp coconut oil

Directions:
Mix together banana and pumpkin, then add egg and stir to combine.
Mix in remaining ingredients, and any additional nuts, fruit, etc.
Heat coconut oil in large skillet or griddle over medium heat. (no higher!)
Pour in batter and spread fairly thin, making about 2 pancakes depending on size of banana. Cook in oil until both sides are browned.
Serve with maple syrup.

Turkey Gyro Salad w/ Homemade Tzatziki

       A Gyro is a Greek dish that is made from meat being vertically roasted rotisserie style and is often served in a sandwich with tomatoes, onions and tzatziki sauce. This version is more college kid friendly because it uses ground turkey instead, and there's also a gluten free option! It has such a unique flavor and is a great change of pace from my usual uses of ground turkey (chili, burgers, shepherd's pie).

       The homemade tzatziki sauce is delicious. You definitely cannot have a gyro without it! It also has many other uses so save the leftovers for anything from a dip for veggies or chips, a sandwich spread, or a sauce for any cooked meat or fish. (Follow up recipes coming soon!)

      It's a good idea to make the sauce a day in advance because the flavors will have time to develop and it tastes much better.

      I served mine a little different from the traditional style, because I've yet to see gluten free pita bread, and I have a feeling that if I did find any it would taste like straight up cardboard. Instead, I pan fried a corn tortilla in a little oil over the stove to create a tostada, and I also ate it as a salad with the tzatziki sauce for dressing.

      You could of course stick to the traditional pita if you aren't gluten free, but the salad is a low carb, healthy option! Plus it omits any oil based dressing and the Greek yogurt is fat free, so it is an extremely low-cal dish, packed with protein.

 




Turkey Gyros
Ingredients:
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 cucumber, peeled and seeded
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp fresh dill
salt and pepper to taste

1 lb lean ground turkey
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp onion powder
salt and pepper

salad greens
chopped tomatoes
chopped red onion
feta cheese

Directions:
Finely grate the cucumber and use paper towel to squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
Mix together yogurt, cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, dill and salt and pepper to taste. Store in airtight container in fridge and wait at least a few hours for flavors to blend.
Heat a couple teaspoons of olive oil in skillet over medium high heat. Add turkey and garlic, stir and mix in oregano, thyme, basil, marjoram, onion powder and salt and pepper. Cook til browned, about 8 minutes, and drain the fat from pan.
Serve over salad greens with tomatoes, onion, feta and tzatziki sauce, or stuff all ingredients in a pita!

Pumpkin "Seven Layer" Bars

    Seven layer bars are probably the most delicious desserts on earth. They're nostalgic to me because I remember having them as treats after sports games or at potluck dinners and whoever's mom made them was basically the coolest.

They're moist and sweet with coconut, toffee and chocolate and are soooo damn addicting.....

And then we added pumpkin.

And then I cried tears of joy.

And then came heartburn.

Oh my god so gooey and perfect....
(Don't let the heartburn deter you from making these....)

          The addition of pumpkin is perfect for the season, of course. It adds a new element to the traditional bar, and I guess we can pretend that it makes them healthier to eat. A little butter never hurt anyone, right?! Trust me it's worth every. single. calorie.

          Also, they're easy to make gluten free! I used my favorite gluten free ginger snaps (well the only ones I've ever had) as the crust, which I've used before in Carrot Cake Cheesecake Bites.

       What's nice about these seven layer bars is that they're pretty flexible. You can use whatever you'd like for the crust, from graham crackers to wafers to ginger snaps, and then top it with whatever type of chocolate chip, candy or nut that you want. I also like to go heavy on the coconut, but that's just me! Just choose ingredients that you think pair well with pumpkin :)

       This recipe is also a blessing in disguise because it only uses 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree, leaving me with the majority of a can leftover. I guess this means you can expect another pumpkin recipe coming up real soon...... (Which probably would have happened regardless)

       Make sure to let them cool completely before cutting. I know it's hard because I broke that rule myself, but letting them set makes a difference and you're suppose to eat them cool or room temp. If you eat them warm they are pretty gooey - but then again, I'm not sure gooey is necessarily a bad thing ;)






Pumpkin Seven Layer Bars
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers (or ginger snaps, etc - gluten free if necessary)
6 tbsp melted butter
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts
1/3 cup toffee bits
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp cinnamon
dash nutmeg
1 cup shredded coconut

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350
Mix together crushed graham crackers with melted butter and press into bottom of 9x9 pan.
Layer chocolate chips, toffee and nuts over crust.
Mix together sweetened condensed milk, pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg and pour over top.
Top with shredded coconut.
Bake 25-30 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
Let cool before cutting.








Recipe adapted from www.alattefood.com

Honey Soy Srircha Chicken Wings

        I work at a bar called The Roost that specializes in wings, so I am constantly serving them to people, yet I've never made them on my own. I decided it was about time to try, because it is Sunday and what's a more perfect game day snack than wings?! That's right..... nothing.

      They're sticky and messy and delicious and that is exactly what I want while watching a good football game. They're baked until crispy and tossed in a sweet, salty and mildly spicy sauce that everyone's sure to love.

      I was tied between trying two different recipes - Asian sticky wings or Honey Srircha wings - so I asked my boyfriend which he'd rather have, and of course he recommended mixing the two together. It was a very good choice, indeed.

        Patting the skin dry and brushing it with the oil and butter allows it to crisp up really nicely (DO NOT skip that step!), so you won't miss the deep fryer. In my opinion they're just as good, and they're much healthier!

         I'm thinking that I will be serving up wings at home during Sunday football quite a bit this year, so you can expect some new and creative recipes!


They were gone all too soon.....

Honey Soy Srircha Chicken Wings
Ingredients:
12-15 chicken wings
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp melted butter
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari
1 1/4 cup water
1/3 cup honey
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp srircha or to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 and line rimmed baking sheet with foil and grease.
Pat chicken wings dry.
Mix together oil, butter, garlic powder and salt, and brush wings liberally on all sides.
Cook in preheated oven 40-50 minutes or until skin is crispy.
While chicken is cooking, combine soy sauce, water and honey in saucepan over medium to medium-high and simmer 20-30 minutes to reduce, til it just coats the back of a wooden spoon. Stir in butter, lemon juice and srircha. Adjust srircha amounts to taste.
Toss wings to coat, and serve with remaining sauce drizzled on top.