Oven Baked Tempeh

Since I have a few vegan’s/vegetarians following me, I thought it would be fun to have a vegan/vegetarian week.  So if I do not follow the rules completely I apologize but I am sure y’all will be able to make the correct adjustments.

For my first dish of the week I made Oven Baked Tempeh and I loved it.  It was very easy to make, had great flavor and was very healthy of course.  The recipe calls for seasoned tempeh and the grocery store I went to only had original flavor, so I did some reading and decided to add a little garlic powder and onion powder to it before adding it in with everything else.  Vegan or non-vegan, I highly recommend this recipe!

Here is the recipe:

            1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

            1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

            1 leek, sliced

            1/3 cup shallots, chopped

            1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped

            4 cloves garlic, minced

            2 cups baby carrots, halved

            1 cup diced zucchini (I recommend a little more)

            1 (8 ounce) package seasoned tempeh

            1/2 cup dry sherry

            1 tomato, chopped

1 tablespoon tamari (I used 2 Tbsp)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Place oil and crushed red pepper in a stovetop-safe and oven proof 2 quart casserole dish. Saute over medium heat for 1 minute. Add leek, shallot, red bell pepper and garlic. Saute for 3 minutes. Add the carrots and zucchini. Saute, stirring frequently for 5 minutes. Add the tempeh and saute for 5 more minutes. Add the sherry, tomato and tamari. Saute for an additional 5 minutes.

Cover casserole dish and bake in at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.

I am not a vegan obviously (see previous post), and I loved this!  I hope you do too!

Stuffed,

Brittany

CCRyder's Smoker Rib Rub

These ribs are so amazing that you do not even need or want BBQ sauce to go with them.  Tired of the rib rub we have been using for the last year, I went searching for a new recipe and I do not think we will be getting tired of this one anytime soon.  The recipe came highly rated from allrecipes.com and for very good reason.  Make these on the smoker or the grill.  They are delicious both ways.

Here is the recipe:

1/3 cup sea salt

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons onion powder

2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika

3 tablespoons New Mexico red chile powder

2 tablespoons ancho chile powder

2 tablespoons ground black pepper

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons crumbled dried thyme

1 tablespoon crushed dried rosemary

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground nutmeg

1 tablespoon ground allspice

In a medium bowl, mix together the sea salt, white sugar, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, chili powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, thyme, rosemary, cumin, nutmeg, and allspice. Store at room temperature in an airtight container until ready to use.

Rub generously onto ribs or meat of your choice, cover and refrigerate overnight before smoking or grilling.

Hope y'all enjoy these as much as we always do!

Stuffed,

Brittany

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Butter

Okay, at this point y'all are probably thinking I went a little overboard with the sweets/ the apple butter and pumpkin butter and maybe I did a little, but I just love the euphoric smells of fall and the holidays!  And I love to share what I make with friends and family, so the more the merrier.  This pumpkin butter came from Food.com.  It is delectable and adds a little something extra when served with the pumpkin bread, but is just as good on a simple piece of toast.

Here is the recipe:

8 cups pumpkin puree
4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
4 lemons, juice of

Squeeze the lemons and add their juice to the pumpkin and spices.
Cook the mixture in a crock pot on low for 4 1/2 hours until mixture becomes thick and smooth.
Put the golden pumpkin butter in sterilized, very hot, pint or half pint jars and seal.

Enjoy!

Stuffed,

Brittany

Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread

Another delicious recipe that I pulled from Allrecipes.com, one of my favorite places to search for recipes mainly because I can read reviews and the alterations people have made to the recipes.  It is great! This recipe is so very simple to make and it makes 3 small loaves of bread (again perfect for sharing which is what the holidays are all about!).

Here is the recipe:

1 (15 oz. can pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling)
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsps baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.

In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.

Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Overnight Slow Cooker Apple Butter

This was just one of the most delicious smells to wake up to and get to smell every time we walked in the house for a good day and a half!  I have been eating it on toast, pumpkin bread and even a slice of my friends cinnamon bread the other day and they were all scrumptious!  It made 4 cups that I put into 8, 1/2 cup jars and shared with family and friends which they all loved!

Here is the recipe:

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup apple cider
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground mace
10 medium apples, peeled, cored and cut into large chunks (about 2 1/2 pounds)

            Combine all ingredients in a 5-quart electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 10 hours or until apples are very tender.

            Place a large fine-mesh sieve over a bowl; spoon one-third of apple mixture into sieve. Press mixture through sieve using the back of a spoon or ladle. Discard pulp. Repeat procedure with remaining apple mixture. Return apple mixture to slow cooker. Cook, uncovered, on high 1 1/2 hours or until mixture is thick, stirring occasionally. Spoon into a bowl; cover and chill up to a week.

            Stovetop variation: Combine all ingredients in a Dutch oven. Cover and cook over medium-low heat 1 hour or until apples are very tender, stirring occasionally. Strain through a sieve as recipe instructs in Step 2. Return mixture to pan. Cook, uncovered, over medium-low heat 15 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently.

Note:

A mixture of apple varieties, rather than just one type, will produce apple butter with rich, complex flavor in this slow cooker recipe. Good choices include Esopus Spitzenburg, Granny Smith, Jonathan, Northern Spy, Rome, Stayman, Winesap, and York. Enjoy the apple butter over toast or English muffins, or serve it with pork chops or chicken.

Hope y'all enjoy this as much as all of our friends, family and we have!

Stuffed,

Brittany 

Green Beans and Butter Beans

This dish is absolutely one of my favorites!  Probably because it is a dish that my Dad and I came up with and have making for many years, but it has definitely become one of my go to dishes.  It is healthy, quick and inexpensive to make and makes for great leftovers (I think I like it better as leftovers than I do right after it is made).

Here is the recipe:

1 Tbsp olive oil

2-3 cloves minced garlic

1 medium onion chopped

1 jar julienned sun-dried tomatoes

2 small bags of frozen cut green beans

2 cans butter beans, with juices

4 – 6 oz. crumbled bacon

Saute the garlic, onion and sun-dried tomatoes in a medium size pot until tender.  Add the green beans and cook until thawed.  Then add the butter beans with the juice, bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer.  Add the crumbled bacon right before serving.

Hope you enjoy this one as much as I always have!

Stuffed,

Brittany

Butternut Squash Risotto

I thought this recipe that I found in Cooking Light was great, but I will definitely make some tweaks when I make it again.  Andy did not particularly care for the chunks of butternut squash, but that was probably my favorite part.  I think to make it creamier it needed some cheese added in, maybe a Parmesan or a fontina.   Also, I think some onion might be a great addition.  Overall though it was a great fall dish!

Here is the recipe:

3 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash, divided
3 1/2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
2 cups uncooked Arborio rice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
5 ounces applewood-smoked bacon, cooked and crumbled

My additions:

¼ - ½ grated Parmesan cheese
½ - 1 cup chopped onion

Combine 2 cups squash and 2 1/2 cups water in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Place mixture in a food processor. Process until smooth. Return mixture to pan. Stir in broth; bring to a simmer. Reserve 1/4 cup squash mixture. Keep pan warm over low heat. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add rice; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  (If adding onion, cook onion in 2 Tbsp of olive oil until tender then add rice).  Stir in remaining 1 cup squash, 2 1/2 cups squash mixture, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cook 2 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add remaining squash mixture, 1 cup at a time, stirring until each cup is absorbed before adding the next (about 20 minutes). (If adding cheese, stir in right at the end before serving.  Remove from heat; stir in reserved 1/4 cup squash mixture. Top with parsley and bacon.