Halloween!
![Picture](/uploads/3/9/1/6/3916068/2134698.jpg)
Pumpkin Butter Vinaigrette over Mixed Greens, Pepitas and Blue Cheese
When I think of Halloween, I think of carving pumpkins! So, what do you do with the seeds? Toast them and make this salad to go along with your other Halloween dishes.
Ingredients
When I think of Halloween, I think of carving pumpkins! So, what do you do with the seeds? Toast them and make this salad to go along with your other Halloween dishes.
Ingredients
- For the vinaigrette:
- leftover pumpkin butter (whatever is left in your jar, about a tablespoon or so)
- 1/4 apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 - 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoon honey, agave or applesauce, optional (my pumpkin butter had applesauce in the ingredients, adjust to your preferred level of sweetness)
- good pinch salt and pepper
- For the salad:
- mixed salad greens
- crumbled blue cheese
- toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- For the vinaigrette: Add all ingredients into almost empty pumpkin butter jar. Seal lid and shake vigorously until well combined. Taste for seasoning (add more honey or agave for sweetness).
- Spoon over your favorite salad greens along with good crumbled blue cheese and toasted pumpkin seeds.
![Picture](/uploads/3/9/1/6/3916068/52924.jpg)
Stuffed Peppers
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Arrange the squash on a baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until slightly tender, but still firm. The squash will finish baking in the peppers. While the squash is roasting make the quinoa.
In a small saucepan, bring 1 1/4 cups water to a boil over high heat. Add the quinoa, give it a quick stir, and cover with a tight fitted lid. Simmer for 15 minutes over low heat. Turn off the heat and allow the quinoa to steam covered for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff with a fork. All of the water should have absorbed.
In a medium bowl, add the tomatoes and reserved 1/4 cup juice, zucchini, basil, feta, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Add the cooked quinoa and butternut squash. Gently stir to combine. Set aside.
Fill a baking dish with enough water to cover the bottom. The water will help steam the peppers when baking. Cut the tops off the peppers. Remove the ribs and seeds with a paring knife. If the peppers don’t stand up on their own, barely trim the bottoms so they sit flat in the baking dish. Carve into fun/scary Halloween jack o' lanterns. Spoon the quinoa mixture into the peppers. Arrange the peppers in the baking dish. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil. Sprinkle the peppers with feta and continue baking for 10 minutes until cheese is slightly melted. Garnish with basil and more feta if so desired. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
http://lattesandleggings.com/2013/01/18/quinoa-stuffed-peppers-with-feta/
- 2 cups butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup quinoa
- 1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes, drained (reserving 1/4 cup juice)
- 1 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta, plus more for sprinkling
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 4 large orange bell peppers
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Arrange the squash on a baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until slightly tender, but still firm. The squash will finish baking in the peppers. While the squash is roasting make the quinoa.
In a small saucepan, bring 1 1/4 cups water to a boil over high heat. Add the quinoa, give it a quick stir, and cover with a tight fitted lid. Simmer for 15 minutes over low heat. Turn off the heat and allow the quinoa to steam covered for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff with a fork. All of the water should have absorbed.
In a medium bowl, add the tomatoes and reserved 1/4 cup juice, zucchini, basil, feta, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Add the cooked quinoa and butternut squash. Gently stir to combine. Set aside.
Fill a baking dish with enough water to cover the bottom. The water will help steam the peppers when baking. Cut the tops off the peppers. Remove the ribs and seeds with a paring knife. If the peppers don’t stand up on their own, barely trim the bottoms so they sit flat in the baking dish. Carve into fun/scary Halloween jack o' lanterns. Spoon the quinoa mixture into the peppers. Arrange the peppers in the baking dish. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil. Sprinkle the peppers with feta and continue baking for 10 minutes until cheese is slightly melted. Garnish with basil and more feta if so desired. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
http://lattesandleggings.com/2013/01/18/quinoa-stuffed-peppers-with-feta/
![Picture](/uploads/3/9/1/6/3916068/1861578.jpg)
Pumpkin Custard and Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti
I bought the pumpkin custard at Shake Shack. But I made the biscotti myself. It's a Mario Batali recipe. Yum!
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 tsp baking powder
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon almond extract (can use a little less)
3/4 cup whole hazelnuts, skin on
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, sugar and baking powder. In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, yolks and almond extract. Add wet mix to dry and stir until the dough comes together, about 2 minutes. (I gave up and used my hands for this.) Add hazelnuts and chocolate chips and mix until just incorporated. Form the dough into 3 logs each about 10 by 2 inches. (I did this in my hands as best I could--the dough was so sticky that I couldn't put it down and then pick it up again to move it to the baking sheet. I think that's why this recipe says to form three logs rather than one log--there's no way you could form one log and then move it to the baking sheet.) Place a piece of parchment onto a baking sheet and place logs on sheet. Place in oven and bake 20 minutes until light golden brown and remove. Allow to cool 5 minutes and cut logs on a slight diagonal into pieces 1/2-inch thick. Lower heat to 300. Return cut biscotti to baking sheet, just a little bit apart from each other, and place in oven. Bake 20-25 minutes until crisp and dry. Cool and serve.
I bought the pumpkin custard at Shake Shack. But I made the biscotti myself. It's a Mario Batali recipe. Yum!
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 tsp baking powder
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon almond extract (can use a little less)
3/4 cup whole hazelnuts, skin on
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, sugar and baking powder. In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, yolks and almond extract. Add wet mix to dry and stir until the dough comes together, about 2 minutes. (I gave up and used my hands for this.) Add hazelnuts and chocolate chips and mix until just incorporated. Form the dough into 3 logs each about 10 by 2 inches. (I did this in my hands as best I could--the dough was so sticky that I couldn't put it down and then pick it up again to move it to the baking sheet. I think that's why this recipe says to form three logs rather than one log--there's no way you could form one log and then move it to the baking sheet.) Place a piece of parchment onto a baking sheet and place logs on sheet. Place in oven and bake 20 minutes until light golden brown and remove. Allow to cool 5 minutes and cut logs on a slight diagonal into pieces 1/2-inch thick. Lower heat to 300. Return cut biscotti to baking sheet, just a little bit apart from each other, and place in oven. Bake 20-25 minutes until crisp and dry. Cool and serve.