Whole Wheat Pumpkin Scones

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Scones

2 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 -1 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (I used closer to a cup, making it a pretty stick dough)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
egg wash (1 egg & 1 tbs water)
Sugar In The Raw for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 400.

Line baking sheet with Silpat or parchment.

In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt with a few pulses.

Add butter and pulse until coarse sand texture.

In small bowl combine buttermilk, pumpkin and vanilla. Add buttermilk mix through feed tube while pulsing. Do not over mix.

Transfer dough to floured surface and pat out to about 1 inch thick. With square cutter, cut out scones then divide the square in half to be a triangle. Place scones on baking sheet and brush with egg wash. Sprinkle sugar on tops and bake 20 minutes or until golden. Cool on rack.

Maximus walked around Target eating one after school and showed it to each person we passed. They're not very sweet (you can add more sugar if you'd like), but they're tasty!

Crock Pot Chicken & Whole Wheat Dumplings

• 1 lb - 1.5lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs and breasts
  
• 2-3 ribs celery, diced
• large handful shiitake mushrooms, diced
• 1-1.5 cups carrots, diced
• 1 (8oz) package dried organic leek soup mix
• 4-6 cups water
• 3-4 Not Chick-N bouillon cubes (my favorite- vegan with the best chicken taste)
• salt
• pepper
• thyme (palms measurement, about 1.5 tbsp)
  
• paprika (about 1 tbsp)
  
• garlic (about 1 tbsp)
  
• onion powder (about 2 tsp)
  
• whole wheat biscuits (recipe below)
  

I used this recipe for the whole wheat biscuits. She uses all purpose flour, but I won't ever buy that and I always use whole wheat. They turned out great! Also, I used buttermilk instead of heavy cream. Here's the link:

Cream Biscuits
Okay, I HATE making biscuits. Hate. However, this recipe I will be using over and over. It was simple. I was going for small biscuits, so I used a champagne sample cup we had- you can use a large shot glass or small juice cup, I guess? They were about 2 inches across. Oh, and I double sifted the whole wheat flour.


Cute, eh? Invest in a baking mat. I use mine in countless ways.


Done! Lovely!


Heat a tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium- high heat until hot. Add chicken, cook and stir until just browned.

In a slow cooker, combine the chicken, celery, carrots, mushrooms, soup mix, all seasonings and water. Mix well.

Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours.

When you're about an hour from serving, shred the chicken and tear the biscuits into thirds or quarters. Place the pieces on top of the liquid in the slow cooker and turn to low and cover for about an hour.

Serve and enjoy! I noticed online that almost all recipes called for the use of those Pillsbury Grands refrigerated biscuits. They added them, uncooked, about 45 minutes before serving. Google it and if that's what you want to use, go for it. (Jesse LOVED the whole wheat biscuits used as "dumplings" in this recipe, so that's what I'll continue to use.)

I sat outside on the deck and ate a bowl in the cold, crisp fall air. It was so good that my eyes rolled in the back of my head. SO GOOD.

Chunky Vegetable Soup & Roasted Butternut Squash

Chunky Vegetable Soup

• Couple tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 medium/large carrots, chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, pressed
• few pinches thyme
• 2 cans stewed tomatoes (I puree mine for the tomato hater in my house)
• few cups chicken stock
• handful pasta (whatever you want. I used spinach spaghetti, broken into small pieces)

In a stock pot over medium heat, add oil and heat. Add and cook the onion, celery and carrots until soft. Add garlic and thyme. After 3 minutes, add tomatoes and water and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add the pasta and cook until done. I let mine sit on low, covered, for a half hour prior to serving. Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.


Roasted Butternut Squash

I LOVE THIS. I am not a fan of squash cooked with sugar or anything sweet- I am a hater of sweet when it should be savory. I never, ever let my syrup touch my eggs or bacon. Ack! But this side is amazing. It's not my recipe. I found one and tweaked it until it was just right, so it's sort of mine?

• 1 tsp smoked paprika (please buy good paprika. Paprika rules the spice rack.)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion salt
• Fresh ground black pepper and sea salt
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• extra virgin olive oil (the amount will vary. Use until you have a runny paste)

Preheat oven to 375. Peel the squash and cube into 1 inch pieces. (Google how to peel and cut a butternut if you don't know how)

Mix the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, salt and balsamic in a small bowl. Slowly stream in olive oil and whisk quickly until you have a runny paste. Don't add too much, it's not salad dressing.

Dump mixture over squash pieces in a large bowl and mix until it's evenly coated. Arrange on a baking sheet covered by Silpat (or parchment or some kind of protective layer. Silicone is best) and bake until done, about 30-40 minutes. You'll want to check and turn about halfway through cooking time.

Greek Hummus & Pesto Pizza

From the bottom to the top:

• whole wheat pita
• hummus
• pesto
  
• low fat feta
• roasted red peppers
• red onions, thinly sliced
• rotisserie chicken
• olives
• drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
• chopped romaine lettuce, tossed in homemade (or whatever you want) Greek dressing
  

Bake at 400 for 5-7 minutes. Top with the cold romaine lettuce before serving. I served it last night with a side of pesto parmesan quinoa. Easy and nutritious.

Leftovers?

Best use of leftovers. Ever.

• Leftover grilled chicken and "arrachera". (Mexican market marinated flank steak)
• Brown and wild rice mixture
• Sauteed spinach
• Dijon
• Onion
• Vegan sour cream, or whatever you have
  

Cook the rice first, since it takes the longest. Saute spinach in extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. (I used an entire bag of spinach and it shrinks down into 3 tiny servings)

Cook chicken and beef over medium until done. Make a pan sauce with butter (I used vegan), a bit of dijon, a splash of stock and vegan sour cream (it doesn't have to be vegan. I also added a finely chopped white onion.

Serve rice on bottom, top with spinach and finish with the meat and sauce. Dee-lish.

Kid Cuisine Bug Hunt Fun Nuggets

Well...doesn't the name say it all? Bug? Fun? Nuggets? Seriously?!

Here's the ingredient list:
Chicken Patties (Chicken, Breading [Wheat Flour, Salt, Dextrose, Soybean(s) Oil, Whey, Oleoresin Paprika], Water, Soy Protein Textured [Soy Protein, Soy Carbohydrate], Batter [Corn Flour Yellow, Corn Starch, Spice(s), Salt Sugar, Yeast Extract Autolyzed, Guar Gum, Leavening, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Garlic Powder, Monocalcium Phosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate], Chicken Broth Powder [Maltodextrin, Chicken Broth, Salt Flavor(s)], Salt Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Flavor(s) BHT, Soybean(s) Oil Partially Hydrogenated, Spice(s) [Mono and Diglycerides, Spice(s) Extractive, Lactic Acid]), Macaroni and Cheese (Pasta [Semolina Durum, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Folic Acid (Vitamin aB), Egg(s) Whites], Water Cheese Cheddar [Milk Pasteurized Cultured, Salt Enzyme(s), Annatto], Whey Sweet Dried, Cream Sweet Dried [Cream Sweet, Milk Non-Fat, Sodium Caseinate], Food Starch Modified, Wheat Flour Soybean(s) Oil Partially Hydrogenated BHT Beta Carotene [Corn Oil, Beta Carotene], Butter [Cream Sweet Salt], Citric Acid, Datem, Disodium Phosphate, Salt Mono and Diglycerides Cheese Blend [Cheese Cheddar Blend, Cheese Cheddar Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt Enzyme(s) Annatto Cream, Sodium Phosphate, Lactic Acid Yellow 5, Yellow 6]), Chocolate Pudding (Water Sugar Food Starch Modified Milk Non-Fat Dry, Soybean(s) Oil Partially Hydrogenated BHT Cream Sweet Dried [Cream Sweet Milk Non-Fat Sodium Caseinate] Cocoa Powder [Potassium Carbonate], Cellulose Gel, Cellulose Gum, Salt Soy Lecithin), Corn (Corn Water Soybean(s) Oil Partially Hydrogenated BHT Sugar Salt Emulsifier(s) [Polyglycerol Esters Of Fatty Acids], Flavor(s) Butter [Soybean(s) Oil Partially Hydrogenated Butter Oil, Butter Fat Enzyme Modified, Whey Powder Sweet, Milk Non-Fat Dry Powder], Soy Lecithin Beta Carotene [Corn Oil Vitamin A Palmitate, Beta Carotene]), Ketchup (Water Tomato(es) Paste, Corn Syrup High Fructose, Corn Syrup, Vinegar, Sucrose, Salt Flavor(s) Natural, Onion(s) Powder, Spice(s) Spice(s) Extractive), Cookies (Sugar Flour Enriched [Wheat, Niacin Iron Reduced, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1) Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) Folic Acid (Vitamin aB)], Vegetable(s) Oil [Soybean(s) Oil Hydrogenated, Cottonseed Oil Hydrogenated], Cocoa Processed With Alkali Corn Syrup High Fructose Corn Flour, Salt Dextrose Sodium Bicarbonate Maltodextrin Cottonseed Oil Partially Hydrogenated, Red 40 Lake, Soy Lecithin Sugar Magnesium Stearate, Flavor(s) Natural)

I personally, would feel like a failure of a parent if I bought, microwave heated, served and watched my child eat this shit. Get a clue people- cook. Chicken, whole wheat bread crumbs and an oven. It doesn't take long, it's inexpensive and it works. My child as nugget and fast food free. And he hates fries! Stuff like this is beyond freaky. And sad.

Aurgh...the ingredient list won't copy and paste successfully, I'm sorry. But here's a link to what's inside: gross

Grilled Flank Steak over Pesto Quinoa with Roasted Veg

Lately I've been queen of the 30 minute recipes (Rachael Ray can suck it, mine are better) but tonight I felt like spending more time in the kitchen. This one ended up taking 45 minutes! And many thanks to my dear Sarah Dunbar, who informed me of pesto quinoa. Another 'oh duh!' moment for me...

Flank steak (I buy arrachera at my carniceria)
Assorted veg cut into inch pieces
Quinoa
Pesto (I made basil pesto this time, not spinach)

Quinoa is made just like rice. I used 1.5 cups of quinoa with stock and brought it to a boil. I covered it and lowered the heat and let it finish cooking- about 18 minutes. I roasted the assorted veg (red onion, green bell pepper, mushrooms and broccoli) at 425 for somewhere around 15-18 minutes. Then I stepped outside and grilled the steak until nearly done. Let sit a good 10 minutes before slicing- don't ruin it by hacking into it too soon. The longer it sits, the better. When the quinoa is finished, mix in pesto and a bit of Parmesan cheese. Serve the quinoa on the bottom, top it with the roasted vegetables and finish it with the sliced steak on top. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil and pesto over the steak. Attack with fork and knife.