VEGAN PUMPKIN BREAD

Vegan pumpkin bread with nuts is perfect for a Fall or Winter breakfast. If you prefer dessert, add dark chocolate chips to this recipe and indulge after dinner.

Since baking relies on exact measurements I found a recipe for a vegan pumpkin bread online and just made it my own. This recipe is inspired from the blog "Little House On The Vegan Prairie."

Ingredients:
makes one 9 inch loaf

1 and 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda 

1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
3 flax eggs (I use Bob's Red Mill products...if not vegan you can use regular eggs)

 1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup soy, almond or skim milk (I used soy)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (for the top)

Directions:
Usually while baking I just throw everything together and it always tastes great. For this recipe I actually put on my baking hat and mixed the wet and dry ingredients separately. Do what you like. The only directions really worth knowing are:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 inch bread pan.
2. Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients, then mix together. Spoon mixture into pan.
3. Add chopped nuts to the top of the loaf.
4. Bake for about 60 minutes or until toothpick (fork) in the center comes out clean.

 (Also let me preface...any picture I take on my blog will not be great. This is because I have no light in my little closet apartment and I own about 4 dishes....thanks).

STUFFED ACORN SQUASH

I try really hard to eat local and seasonal foods. Seasonal food usually tastes better than out of season produce and you're also helping the environment by not eating foods that have traveled halfway across the country or world. 

For me, the hardest time to eat seasonally is during the Winter months. I mean how many root vegetables can you eat? Tonight, I tried to be a little creative and experimented with Acorn Squash. Acorn Squash is high in vitamin C, potassium and magnesium. It also makes a hearty and healthy winter meal.

Below are the ingredients for my wild rice and sage stuffed acorn squash.

Ingredients (2 servings)

1 cup of wild rice

1 butternut squash
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
8-10 sprigs of fresh sage
salt/pepper
olive oil

Directions

Start by slicing the acorn squash in half. To make this easier slice a small piece off the bottom of the squash so it sits evenly. Scoop out the seeds of the squash and place the two halves on a baking sheet. 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Season the squash halves with salt, pepper and a splash of olive oil. Bake for about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes based on the size of the squash.

For the rice mixture begin by boiling 1 cup of wild rice with a little olive oil so it doesn't stick together. While the rice is boiling lightly toast a 1/4 cup of pine nuts in a dry pan. Pine nuts burn very easily so watch them closely and flip often. It will only take 1 or 2 minutes to toast.

Set the nuts aside and add two teaspoons of olive oil to the pan. Heat the oil then add the fresh sage. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes until the sage is crisp. Save the leftover oil.

When the rice is tender (30/35 minutes) mix the leftover sage oil with the rice, toasted pine nuts and fried sage. I chopped my fried sage into little pieces but you could leave them whole if you prefer.

Stuff the acorn squash with the sage rice mixture.

POST-THANKSGIVING DETOX SMOOTHIE

The morning after Thanksgiving most of us are still feeling the repercussions of overindulging on our favorite holiday foods. To help get rid of the turkey day bloat try Dianna's detox smoothie. My Stepmom Dianna made these for the whole family this morning. It looks scary but actually taste delicious.

Ingredients (all the measurements are estimates, I don't think smoothie making is an exact science)

1cup Aloe Vera juice (aids in digestion)

1/2 cup pure blueberry juice 

Mix of greens (2 handfuls of spinach and 2 handfuls of kale)

Handful of fresh or frozen blueberries

Handful of wheat grass

1 banana 

To make, blend and enjoy.

MY FAVORITE PRODUCTS

My favorite products will be a recurring post whenever I find a few household/food items to recommend. Below are a few products that I recently discovered. Let me know what you think.

Pereg Quinoa

Quinoa is an extremely healthy seed that's high in protein, iron and B12. In spite of Quinoa's nutritional benefits it can sometimes taste bland. Pereg Quinoa is pre-seasoned, all natural and delicious. It contains only spices and dried vegetables and comes in a variety of flavors.

The Bee's Knees

This product is made by Peanut Butter and Co. It's a mix a creamy peanut butter and sweet honey. It's not as healthy as most natural peanut butters that simply contain peanuts and salt but, it is still much better for you than brands like Jiffy, Peter Pan and Skippy. If you want a healthy peanut butter but need a little sweetness this is the brand for you. I love eating it on green apples or mixed in with my oatmeal. 

                                  Yogi Lemon Ginger Tea

Yogi is probably my favorite brand of teas. There are tons of flavors, they taste great and each tea bag has a inspirational message on its string. I like to relax with a cup of lemon ginger tea before bed or drink it when I have an upset stomach. 

Tomatillos

Until now I've been scared of cooking with tomatillos. They've always looked intimidating with their weird husks and sticky coating but, last night I made a homemade tomatillo salsa for the first time. Before I reveal the recipe here are a few tips about buying/using tomatillos:

Tomatillo Tips:

1. Always buy firm tomatillos that sit tightly in their husk.

2. When cooking with tomatillos buy a few extra than the recipe calls for because under the husks there are always some duds.

3. After removing the husks, don't be alarmed by the sticky coating simply wash the tomatillos and begin your cooking prep.

Photo courtesy of indieogdenutah.com

Tomatillo and Roasted Poblano Salsa

Ingredients:

7 tomatillos

2 medium poblano peppers

1/2 medium red onion

1 tablespoon cilantro

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper

1. Start by washing & drying the poblanos. Place them on a baking sheet as is and broil them in the oven. There is no need to use any olive oil here.

2. Roast the poblanos for 20 to 30 minutes flipping regularly. The peppers are ready when most of their outer skin has charred. Let the peppers cool then peel off the outer skin.

3. Roasting the peppers is the only actual "cooking" in this recipe. Now, finely chop the tomatillos, the peppers, about a tablespoon of cilantro and about half of the red onion.

4. Combine all chopped ingredients with a tablespoon of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.

Tomatillos are in season from Summer to early Fall. I've been finding them at my weekend farmer's market and definitely recommend giving them a try. They make a salsa that's a bit tart and beautiful to look at.

THE SOOTHING SOUNDS OF A MONOCHORD

For my birthday, my friend Cristina wanted to buy me a session with the Monochord. A woman she knows was administering the class and since the proceeds were going to Breast Cancer I was all for it.  The only problem was I had no idea what a Monochord was. 

After a little more research I learned that the monochord is basically a human-sized guitar that uses its vibrations to heal.  You actually lie down on the table and the practitioner plays the strings underneath you. Leave it to the Germans to invent this device, the perfect combination of music and engineering. 

Courtesy of: globalsoundhealing.net

My session lasted about an hour and I actually really enjoyed it. I found the humming sound completely soothing and was able to zone out and reach a semi-meditative state. I felt the vibrations travel through my body during the session and felt energized as I left the table.  Since I'm such a scatterbrain my mind wandered during parts of the session but every time my mind wandered I focused on the humming sound to bring me back to focus.

I don't know if I would jump at the opportunity to lie on the monochord again. In reality I'm more of a massage/yoga kind of girl but hey I'll try anything once. My thought process is anything that aids in healing can't be that bad.

SPINACH PIE

For my first post I thought it was fitting to use one of my favorite recipes. I grew up watching my father make Spinach Pie or Spanakopita for every big family occasion. Over the years I've experimented with his recipe and created my own Nikki-ized version. I tend to like more spinach and less cheese in my version, which is the more traditional Greek way. My family thinks the more cheese the better.

INGREDIENTS

1 Package of Phyllo Dough (thawed)

2 Large bags of frozen spinach

1 Large white onion

2 Blocks of feta cheese

1 Container of parmesan cheese

2 Eggs or egg substitute

2 Tablespoons of fresh Dill
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

PREPARATION

1. Start by unwrapping the Phyllo Dough from plastic lining. Let it get to room temperature while continuing other preparation. If the dough is frozen let it thaw for about 3-4 hours before use. 
2. Chop 1 large white onion and saute it in light olive oil. Set aside after the onion has browned.
3. Place frozen spinach in strainer and thaw with hot water, make sure to squeeze spinach with hands and paper towels to remove all extra water.
4. Chop Feta into bite size pieces. You could also use the pre-crumbled Feta here but I'm partial to the full blocks.
5. Mix the dried spinach, chopped feta, parmesan cheese, sauteed onion, chopped dill and two eggs together in a bowl.
6. Remove phyllo dough from package. Handle gently as phyllo dough breaks easily. 
7. Grease a 9x12-baking dish (I use olive oil) and place a sheet of dough at the bottom. Brush lightly with oil and place another sheet on top of it until half the dough is used. If your dish is slightly smaller you can always cut the excess phyllo dough from the edges.
8. Scoop the entire filling on top of the phyllo dough lining the pan. Top the spinach mixture with remaining dough layered while brushing oil in between sheets.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour, until top is golden brown. After baking, let the pie cool before cutting (it may fall apart if you don't wait).