Peanut Butter Pumpkin Cookies

So if you still have pumpkin purée leftover after making Pumpkin Leek Potage here's a cookie recipe chock full of good stuff to eat.

1 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup pumpkin purée
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsps vanilla
1/3 cup chopped dried cranberries
1 cup oats
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup coconut
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
coarse salt (optional)

Blend peanut butter, pumpkin and brown sugar together.
Add eggs and vanilla. Combine the oats and baking soda and stir into the wet mixture.  Finally add the cranberries, coconut and walnuts.

Drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

Sprinkle coarse salt on top if you like, then bake in a 350 F oven for 10 minutes.

And here's the link to the Pumpkin Leek Potage

http://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.ca/2015/10/pumpkin-leek-potage.html

Pumpkin Leek Potage

This is the most flavourful pumpkin soup you'll ever taste. From the mellow taste of the leeks to the sweetness of the Granny Smith apples, there are a lot of layers here.  It's the first time I've ever used celeriac and I like it. You will too!

2 cups pumpkin purée (about 4-5 cups cubed fresh pumpkin)
3 tbsps butter
2 cups sliced leeks
1 cup celeriac
1 cup parsnip
8 cups (divided) vegetable broth
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp long grain white rice
2 Granny Smith apples, cubed

Take a soup pot and start by cooking the leeks in the butter until translucent.

 Next add the peeled and cubed celeriac and parsnip.
This celeriac is such a weird looking veggie eh?

Anyways, you can add the pumpkin purée in at this point along with 4 cups of vegetable broth. Season with nutmeg, thyme and salt.

Bring to a boil and add the rice. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until rice is cooked, about 15 minutes.
Add the apples. I couldn't decide if I wanted to peel them or not so I did this before cubing them.

Cook until veggies and apples are soft enough to purée, about 15 minutes. Use an immersion blender to purée, adding as much broth of the remaining 4 cups to make it the consistency that you like. I used the full 4 cups.

Garnish with sour cream, garlic croutons, sliced leek and salted sunflower or pumpkin seeds. Hope you like it!

And here's a link to the Garlic Croutons

http://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.ca/2015/01/garlic-croutons.html

Salsa Verde Chicken Legs

With all the green tomatoes in my garden I got to thinking about making salsa verde.  No, I didn't make it yet but decide to make this recipe with a store bought one anyways.
The homemade one might be coming soon.

4 chicken legs, split 
salt and pepper
2 cups salsa verde
some chopped sundried tomatoes
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cut the legs in half, so 4 thighs and 4 drumsticks. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray large enough to hold them. Salt and pepper the chicken then pour the salsa verde on top.

Place in a 350 F oven for 20 minutes.
Sprinkle with chopped sundried tomatoes and return to a 400 F oven for 15-20 minutes longer.

Add the cheese and broil a couple of minutes to melt.

Serve alongside some veggies.  It could also be served on rice but I wasn't feeling ricey today : )

Easy Slow Cooker Tomato/Pizza Sauce

Easy because once you prepare the veggies and put them in the cooker, just walk away for 8 hours. The link to my Roasted Tomato, Garlic and Basil Sauce is at the end of this recipe, but it is more time consuming.

Use a 7 quart slow cooker for this recipe. It makes about 10 servings of tomato sauce and is also great as a pizza sauce.

5 lb very ripe tomatoes
2 tbsps olive oil
1 large onion
1 red pepper
4 cloves garlic
2 tbsps balsamic vinegar

2 small cans tomato paste
1/2 - 1 tsp salt
10 grinds of black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1-2 tbsps fresh chopped basil
1 tsp sugar

Start by browning the onion and red pepper in a skillet with the olive oil, 4-5 minutes.

Add the garlic in the last minute. Quarter the tomatoes, or cut up a little more if your tomatoes are very large, and place in the bottom of the slow cooker.

Add the browned onions, etc.
Deglaze the skillet with the balsamic vinegar and pour that into the slow cooker.

Stir the remaining ingredients in well.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.  Don't lift the lid until then.

Once you've cooked for 8 hours, remove the lid, turn the temperature up to high, and cook uncovered 15-20 minutes longer.

With an immersion blender, or small batches in a food processor, purée until you reach the consistency you like.
Check to see if you need more salt and pepper.

When you have a little more time try this Roasted Tomato, Garlic & Basil Sauce. You won't be disappointed.

http://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.ca/2013/09/roasted-tomato-garlic-basil-sauce.html

BBQ Chili Con Carne

Cool days, cold nights.  Time for some Fall comfort food.

2 tbsps vegetable oil
1 lb ground beef
2 cups chopped onion
2 tbsps minced garlic
1 tsp finely chopped jalapeno
1 cup canned tomatoes
3 tbsps tomato paste
1/4 cup of your favourite BBQ sauce
3 tbsps chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
pinch cayenne
2 cups beef broth
2 - 540 ml (19 oz) cans red kidney beans

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet and brown the beef and onions.  When there is nearly no pink left on the beef add garlic and jalapeno.  Continue cooking until the beef is completely cooked.
Add canned tomatoes, tomato paste and BBQ sauce. I like this President's Choice Beer and Chipotle flavour for it's smoky taste.

Lower the heat and add chili powder, salt, pepper, cayenne, beef broth and kidney beans.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover.
Simmer 45-60 minutes.

Serve with a good country bread that'll sop up all the yummy juices.

Spicy Ground Pork Pad Thai

This is my first Pad Thai. Never ate it before, never made it before. But I was told it's pretty good. 

6 oz spaghetti
1  lb lean ground pork
1 onion
1 red pepper
2 carrots
1 stalk celery
4 radishes
1/4 tsp powdered garlic
12 oz bean sprouts
1/3 cup peanuts and/or sunflower seeds
handful of spinach, chopped
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsps fresh chopped basil
2 tbsps vegetable oil
3-4 tbsps dried garlic green peas
I found these at an Asian specialty store

Sauce
3 tbsps oyster sauce
3 tbsps brown sugar
3 tbsps chicken broth
2 tbsps white wine vinegar
1-2 tbsps soya sauce
1-2 tsps sriracha hot chili sauce

Cook and drain spaghetti (I know it should be rice noodles, but this works) Toss with a little oil and set aside.

Cut the onion, red pepper, carrots, celery and radishes into thin strips. Set aside.

Mix the sauce ingredients together. I made it with 1 tsp sriracha which was good and spicy enough for me. But my in-house pad thai "expert" said it could have been a bit hotter. Add more sriracha or even a few shakes of hot pepper flakes if you like it hotter.

In a large skillet heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil and cook the julienned veggies until tender crisp, about 4-5 minutes. Set aside.

In a large wok heat another tbsp of oil. Cook and break up the ground pork until there is no pink meat left.  Sprinkle with a little powdered garlic and toss in the drained spaghetti.

Add the sauce to the wok, stirring and cooking until it starts to thicken.  Make a hole in the middle and add the beaten egg.  Let it sit for 30 seconds then stir it all together to coat everything.

Add the vegetables and the bean sprouts. Cook 2-3 minutes then remove from heat.

Stir in the peanuts/sunflower seeds, spinach, basil and garlic green peas...

and enjoy!

Rotisserie Chicken Salad Sandwich

Leftover chicken from last night's supper becomes tomorrow's yummy lunch.

1 cup chopped rotisserie chicken
2 tbsps chopped celery
1 finely chopped radish
2 tbsps dried cranberries
1/4 tsp celery seed
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsps mayo

Just mix everything together. I left the cranberries whole but you might like them chopped.

Makes enough for 2 or 3 sandwiches.