Pumpkin and Apple Waffles—yum, yum, triple yum!

Hubby says that truly, these were the best waffles he’s ever eaten. They were tall and puffy and gave the impression of eating a light cake loaded with a spicy pumpkin and apple mixture. We certainly give Pumpkin & Apple Waffles our enthusiastic votes.

Some apple bits sprinkled on top were the perfect garnish under the sugar-free syrup.

The batter stirs up thicker than do most waffle mixtures, but the high, cake-like product is the delightful result.

Pumpkin & Apple Waffles

1 cup whole-wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 eggs

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 cup pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)

1 medium apple, finely chopped and divided

1/4 cup milk

Preheat waffle iron. In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl mix eggs with sugar. Add to the dry mixture (note that at this stage, the mixture will be very dry). Fold in the pumpkin and half of the chopped apple. Add milk. Combine all into a thick, moist batter. Add batter to prepared waffle iron—about 1/4 cup batter per 4-inch waffle—and cook until waffles are done. Use remaining chopped apple to garnish cooked waffles. Top with maple syrup (we used sugar-free). Makes about six 4-inch waffles. (Source: Recipe appeared as “Coach Nicole’s Pumpkin & Apple Waffles” in recipes.sparkpeople.com)

Can’t ask for better busy-night dinner idea than Black-Bean Mushroom Quesadillas

These Black-Bean Mushroom Quesadillas were quick to prepare, tasty, and healthy. Who could ask for a better dinner idea on a busy night? (What nights aren’t?)

A can of black beans (draining and rinsing them removes a great deal of the sodium content) mixed with chopped bell peppers, sliced mushrooms, and chopped spinach and then sautéed forms the innards of these browned, whole-wheat tortillas. I plopped on a goodly portion of reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese before I folded the tortillas over to brown the back sides.

A little sliced avocado, salsa, and sour cream on the side, and Hubby and I were ready to sink ourselves into this delightful evening meal.

Black-Bean Mushroom Quesadillas

cooking spray

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 chopped red bell pepper

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 1/2 cups fresh chopped spinach

6 whole-wheat tortillas

3/4 cup shredded, reduced-fat cheddar cheese

salsa, optional

sliced avocado, optional

fat-free sour cream, optional

In a large skillet over medium heat spray pan with cooking spray. Add black beans, peppers, mushrooms, and spinach. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Remove vegetables from pan. Lay a tortilla in the pan; cover one half of the tortilla with 1 tablespoon cheese. Top with 1/6 of vegetable mixture. Cover with 1 tablespoon cheese; fold tortilla over. Flip after cooking 2 minutes. Repeat steps 4-5 with the remaining tortillas. Makes 6 servings. (Source: Chickasaw Nation Nutrition Services)

Veggie Gumbo—lucky? For sure, tasty

Who says dining for luck has to be reserved for celebrating the new year? How about for celebrating a new month? As February kicked off, we decided to try this Lucky Veggie Gumbo. Those reportedly lucky black-eyed peas were, of course, present—mingled with diced tomatoes, green chilies, brown rice, okra, and other veggies and seasonings.

This can be served as a main course, although we also enjoyed it as a side for meat loaf one day and baked chicken the next. In this dish, the okra addition was of the frozen variety, but yesterday’s springlike temps in our area remind us that gardening days (and the promise of our own okra growing outside) are just down the road.

Lucky Veggie Gumbo

1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth, fat-free (I subbed lower-sodium chicken broth)

2 cups cooked brown rice

2 cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained and rinsed

1 (4-ounce) can green chilies, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup frozen okra

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoons cayenne

3/4 teaspoon cumin

 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion, pepper, and celery until they are tender. Pour in the vegetable broth, rice, black-eyed peas, garlic, diced tomatoes, green chilies, and okra. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low. Simmer until desired thickness is reached. Add spices and lemon juice. If mixture is too thick, gradually add water. Makes 6 1-cup servings. (Source: Chickasaw Nation Nutrition Services)

Instant replay called for on these Pumpkin-Cranberry Bars

This snack made our Super Bowl super. I had baked these bars on Saturday but advised Hubby we had to wait until the game kickoff on Sunday to dine on them so they could be official. That was not easy for Hubby, but he knows the drill and obliged.

I had some dried cranberries left over from Christmas baking. And of course I have my ready supply of pumpkin puree packed away from the pumpkins that grew in our garden way-late in the year. I have the puree stored in small, recipe-friendly portions in the freezer. 

These bars were just delicious. Love the marriage of pumpkin and cranberry in these squares. I confess I was a pre-game couch potato and took the easy route on the frosting: I opened a container of (Betty Crocker-brand) ready-made cream-cheese frosting and used it to spread on the bars. Very yummy. 

I believe we picked a winner; Hubby called for an instant replay. He suggested we not wait until next year’s Super Game to try them again.

Pumpkin-Cranberry Bars

1 cup pecans

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar (or sugar substitute)

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 cup dried cranberries

Frosting:

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup cream cheese, softened 

2 teaspoons granulated white sugar (or sugar substitute)

fresh pumpkin seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the rack in the center of the oven. Place the pecans on a baking sheet; bake for about 8-10 minutes or until pecans are lightly browned and fragrant. Remove from oven; cool completely; then coarsely chop the pecans. Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch-by-9-inch pan.

In the bowl of your electric mixer or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until they are light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add the egg and vanilla extract; beat until incorporated. Beat in the pumpkin puree until incorporated (at this point the batter may look curdled). Gradually add the flour mixture; mix only until it is combined. Stir in the chopped toasted pecans and dried cranberries. Spread the batter into the prepared pan; bake for about 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bars emerges clean. Remove from oven; place pan on a wire rack to cool. When the baked item is cool, cut  into 16 (2-inch square) bars. For frosting, beat the whipping cream and cream cheese until it is light and fluffy. Add sugar to taste. Spoon a bit of cream cheese on top of each bar. Top with fresh pumpkin seeds (I used chopped pecans). (Source: joyofbaking.com)

Comfort food indeed—Creamy Chicken Stew

Everybody raved about this Creamy Chicken Stew. We poured it into soup bowls and dined away, although it just as easily could have been served over toast as though it were chicken a la king. Can’t think of a better dish for a cold January night with the wind howling riotously outside our windows.

Comfort food, indeed! Hubby and I were just back from a long road trip and needed something soothing to help us ease back into the routine. I loved the addition of the fat-free zesty Italian dressing; it provided all the seasoning needed. 

Creamy Chicken Stew

3/4 pound small red potatoes, quartered

2 tablespoons water

cooking spray

1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can reduced-sodium, reduced-fat cream of chicken soup

1/4 cup fat-free zesty Italian dressing

1/2 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth

2 cups frozen peas and carrots

4 ounces fat-free cream cheese

Place potatoes and water in microwaveable bowl with a lid. Microwave on high for 7 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender. Spray large skillet with nonstick spray. Sauté chicken on medium-high heat for about 7 minutes or until chicken is brown. Stir occasionally. To saucepan add cooked potatoes, soup, dressing, broth, and vegetables. Bring to boil; cover, Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer for 3 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are heated through. Stir in cream cheese. Cook 1 minute or until cheese is blended in. Makes 6 (1-cup) servings. (Source: Chickasaw Nation Nutrition Services)

Chocolate-chip morsels, pumpkin, spices mix up to make some pretty good waffles

These waffles made for a wonderful breakfast-for-dinner event at our house recently. Hubby said he’d really like waffles for the evening meal. Some chocolate chips on hand and fresh pumpkin puree combined to make Pumpkin Chocolate-Chip Waffles. I’ve had this recipe for ages and can’t possibly remember the source, but I certainly am indebted to the person who first put this idea together.

The merger of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves brought a very special spicy aroma while these were baking in the waffle grill. We poured sugar-free maple syrup on top and had ourselves a breakfast-for-dinner feast!

Pumpkin Chocolate-Chip Waffles

2 1/2 cups flour (combine all-purpose and wheat flours)

1/4 cup sugar (or sugar substitute)

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

dash cloves

2 eggs

3/4 cup pumpkin (I used fresh pumpkin puree)

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 cups milk (I used skim milk)

1/4 to 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Whisk together dry ingredients. Fold them into wet ingredients. Fold in chocolate chips. Bake on prepared waffle grill. Makes 6 waffles.

Fresher-than-fresh orange juice adds to divine, Sunshine Carrot glaze

I’ve prepared this recipe for years. In fact, in our early days of marriage it was my go-to, impressive veggie side any time we had company. The gingered-honey glaze on the carrot dish always made the steamed carrots look spectacular. Even with reluctant kiddos this method was a good way to be sure carrots were downed.

But I never had had the opportunity to stir up the glaze with absolutely fresh-off-the-tree oranges squeezed into my measuring cup for the orange-juice addition. I’ve blogged about how our trip West gave us the rare treat of toting home oranges grown on our very own tree and picked in the peak of citrus season. So when I thought of what were the most delectable ways to use my fresh-squeezed orange juice, this time-honored recipe of course sprang to mind.

Sunshine Carrots appeared in my first cookbook, Way Back in the Country; I had gleaned it from my  staple Better Homes & Gardens recipe album that I received as a wedding gift more than four decades ago. Steamed, sliced carrots are topped with golden sauce for a masterful side. Pouring in orange juice from the store jugs is, of course, a totally acceptable addition, but when the chance arises to use oranges that are fresher than the morning dew, do plunge right in!

Sunshine Carrots

5 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 tablespoon sugar (or sugar substitute)

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons margarine

Cook carrots until tender; drain. In small saucepan combine next four ingredients Add orange juice; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Add margarine. Stir well. Pour over carrots. Toss to coat. Serves 4.