Chocolate Pumpkin Bundt Cake

You don’t have to have pumpkin pie to still enjoy pumpkin and spice in a holiday dessert. This tender, moist cake uses pureed pumpkin to replace much of the fat and is delicately seasoned with classic holiday flavors.


For the Cake
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 cup granulated organic sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup nonfat buttermilk
1 15-ounce can unsweetened pumpkin puree (or use fresh, here’s how)
3/4 cup dark brown sugar packed
1 large egg at room temperature
1 large egg white at room temperature
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For the Glaze & Garnish
1/2 cup packed organic confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon non-fat buttermilk
2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips or toasted chopped nuts (see Tip)


To prepare cake:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 12-cup Bundt pan.

2. Whisk all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a medium bowl.

3. Blend 1 cup buttermilk, pumpkin puree and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed. Beat in whole egg and egg white. Stir in oil, corn syrup and vanilla. Gradually add the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.

4. Bake the cake until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool completely on the rack, about 2 hours.

To glaze & garnish cake:
Combine confectioners’ sugar and 1 tablespoon buttermilk in a small bowl, stirring until completely smooth. Place the cake on a serving plate and drizzle the glaze over the top; garnish with chocolate chips (or chopped nuts) while the glaze is still moist.

Tips: To warm an egg to room temperature, either set it out on the counter for 15 minutes or submerge it (in the shell) in a bowl of lukewarm (not hot) water for 5 minutes.

To toast chopped nuts & seeds: Cook in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

Makes 16 servings.

Nutrition per serving: 234 calories; 5 g fat (1 g saturated fat, 3g mono unsaturated fat); 13 mg cholesterol; 46 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 3 g fiber; 238 mg sodium; 159 mg potassium.


Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/chocolate-pumpkin-bundt-cake.html#ixzz2CdxRuUNO

Persimmon Almond Cake

Ingredients

1 pound very ripe persimmons
6 eggs
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar (or Sucanat, read about natural sweeteners)
2 1/3 cups ground almonds
1 teaspoon baking powder


Preheat the oven to 375F.


1. Slice the persimmons in half and scoop out the flesh, place in a food processor and briefly pulse, then add remaining ingredients and pulse to a pulp.

2. Oil an 8-inch springform pan and pour mixture in. It is a very, very wet batter.

3. After 40 minutes, cover with foil to prevent top from burning. Cake is done after about an hour total, or when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

4. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack. Once cool, remove from pan. It can be served immediately, but improves after one day.

5. Serve with creme fraiche, whipped cream or Greek yogurt if you like.


Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/the-best-holiday-cake.html#ixzz2CdwjCBYE

Classic Sweet Potato Pie Recipe

Pumpkin just doesn’t appeal to everyone, so that’s where this alternative traditional holiday treat can come in handy. It uses the same homey spices as the Thanksgiving classic, but with sweet potatoes instead of pumpkin for a dense filling and creamy texture.

Many folks prefer sweet potato pie, not only at holiday time, but any time. We can vouch for its anti-oxidant nourishment as well as its spicy, fragrant sweetness.



INGREDIENTS
Dough for 1 crust

Filling
2 large sweet potatoes
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 cup light cream or half and half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt


1. Chill pastry until firm enough to roll, about 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 400F. Put sweet potatoes on a large baking sheet. Pierce them deeply with a paring knife several times. Bake until tender throughout (check with a paring knife), about 1 hour. Set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh into a food processor and process until smooth. Dump the puree into a medium-sized bowl. Return 1 1/2 cups of the puree to the food processor. Don’t worry if you come up a little short. If you have extra, save it for another use.

3. On a sheet of lightly floured waxed paper, roll the pastry into a 12-inch circle with a floured rolling pin. Invert the pastry over a 9-inch standard pie pan, center, and peel off the paper. Tuck the pastry into the pan, without stretching it, and sculpt the edges into an upstanding ridge. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes, then remove. Cover the shell with aluminum foil and fill with dried beans to weight it. Bake at 400F for 15 minutes, then remove the foil and beans, and prick the bottom of the crust with a fork several times. Lower the oven temperature to 375F and continue to bake 10 to 12 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.

4. Reduce oven temperature to 350F. Add sugars, eggs, and egg yolk to the food processor and process with the sweet potato puree until smooth. Add the cream, vanilla, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and process again until smooth. Carefully pour the filling into the cooled pie shell.

5. Place pie in the center oven rack and bake for 30 minutes, then rotate the pie 180 degrees, so that the part that faced the back of the oven now faces forward. Continue to bake until the center is set and the edge has risen slightly, 15 to 20 minutes.

6. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let cool. Serve barely warm or at room temperature. Or cover with loosely tented aluminum foil, refrigerate, and serve cold.

Serves 8 to 10.


Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/classic-sweet-potato-pie-recipe.html#ixzz2CdvwRAYp

Gingered Cranberry-Pear Cobbler

Cranberries add a particularly pleasing tartness and color to pears, while fresh ginger, lemon and vanilla brighten up the pears. The nutrition information below is calculated using reduced-fat sour cream–but you can use regular sour cream, greek yogurt, or soy yogurt for a wholesome or vegan substitute.


Filling:
1/3 cup pear nectar, apple juice or water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
8 slightly underripe pears, preferably Bosc or Bartlett, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger
2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen, thawed, coarsely chopped (see Tip)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Crust:
1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup light vegetable oil


1. Position a rack in the center of the oven; preheat to 400 F. Coat a 3-quart non-reactive baking dish (see Kitchen Note) with cooking spray.

2. To prepare filling: Combine pear nectar (or juice or water) and lemon juice in a large bowl. Toss pears with the juice.

3. Whisk brown sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest and ginger in a nonreactive Dutch oven until combined. Drain the liquid from the pears into this mixture; stir until well blended. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring, just until it begins to boil, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the pears and cranberries and cook, stirring, until the mixture is steaming, about 2 minutes. Stir in vanilla.

4. Spread the fruit in an even layer in the prepared baking dish.

5. To prepare crust: Combine sour cream and lemon juice in a small bowl. Place flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, salt and baking soda in a food processor fitted with a dough hook or chopping blade; process to combine.

6. Drizzle in oil and process in quick pulses just until the mixture is the consistency of very fine crumbs, stopping and scraping the bottom and sides several times. Add the sour cream mixture; process in quick pulses just until incorporated and the mixture holds together when pressed between the fingers; do not overprocess. If the mixture seems dry, gradually add a little cold water, a teaspoon at a time, and pulse briefly several times just until the mixture is moistened and holds together.

7. Lightly dust a 14-inch-long piece of parchment or wax paper with flour. Turn the dough out onto the paper and let rest for 5 minutes. Knead briefly until the dough just comes together. Lightly flour the top and cover with a second sheet of paper. Roll or press the dough into the same shape as your baking dish, just slightly smaller.

8. Discard the top sheet of paper. Invert the dough, centered, over the fruit. Discard the paper. Using a greased sharp paring knife, cut large decorative slashes in the dough to vent steam. Sprinkle the dough evenly with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Place the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet (to catch any overflowing juices).

9. Bake the cobbler until the top is golden brown, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.


Tip: To make quick work of chopping cranberries, place whole berries in a food processor and pulse a few times until the berries are coarsely chopped.


Kitchen Note: A non-reactive pan–stainless steel, enamel-coated or glass–is necessary when cooking acidic foods, such as cranberries, to prevent the food from reacting with the pan. Reactive pans, such as aluminum and cast-iron, can impart an off color and/or off flavor in acidic foods.
Makes 10 servings.

Nutrition per serving: 321 calories; 7 g fat (1 g saturated fat, 4g mono unsaturated fat); 3 mg cholesterol; 66 g carbohydrates; 3 g protein; 7 g fiber; 160 mg sodium; 324 mg potassium
Nutrition bonus: Fiber (30% daily value), Vitamin C (20% dv).
Exchanges: 4 other carb, 1 fat (mono).
Carbohydrate servings: 4.


Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/gingered-cranberry-pear-cobbler.html#ixzz2CdvP2RCu

Sweet Potato Cheesecake with Ginger Pecan Crust

The first time I had sweet potato cheesecake was at the famed Galatoire’s in New Orleans. It was one of those dizzy food moments where the universe falls away as every cell in your body seems to be rushing, tripping, and scrambling towards the mouth to get in on the action. The exact Galatoire’s recipe is, well, a bit caloric. Instead, here is an ever so slightly healthier version of sweet potato cheesecake, perked up with a nutty ginger crust.


For the Crust:
1 1/2 cups all-natural gingersnap crumbs
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 teaspoon fresh minced ginger
3 tablespoons melted butter


For the Filling:
9 ounces organic cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup date sugar (brown sugar may be substituted here)
1 3/4 cups sweet potatoes, mashed
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup organic low fat buttermilk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg


For the Topping:
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
1 cup Greek yogurt, room temperature
3 tablespoons organic sugar (or sweetener of your choice)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl mix gingersnap crumbs, pecans, ginger and butter until combined. Press mixture with your fingers into the bottom and 1 inch up the side of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 6 minutes or until set—do not let it brown. Remove and let cool.

3. Beat cream cheese until smooth and add maple syrup and date sugar. Add remaining filling ingredients and beat well until combined. Pour into crust and bake for 55 minutes, or until set.

4. Stir together topping ingredients and spread over warm cheesecake. Bake for an additional 5 minutes until topping is just set.

5. Cool on a wire rack. Remove springform ring and chill at least several hours, or overnight.


Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/sweet-potato-cheesecake-with-ginger.html#ixzz2CdutrbZv

Vegan Chocolate Cream Pie

Chocolate Cream Pie

yields one 8″ pie



Crust:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup organic sunflower oil
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/8 cup orange juice
1/2 Tbsp. dry sweetener


1. Sift flour into a bowl. Remove any bran.

2. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients and whisk together with sweetener.

3. Mix dry ingredients into the wet. Dough should be wet enough to hold together and dry enough not to stick to your fingers. It is best to use this dough immediately for easy rolling. (Otherwise, wrap and chill until ready to use.)

4. Roll dough between two pieces of wax paper, (dampen a flat surface and place wax paper on it, flattening to remove bubbles) or use flour to keep dough from sticking. Roll from the center outward, until even, about 1/8” thick. Place the rolled dough in a pie plate and gently press it into the plate, covering the sides and bottom.

5. Pre-bake crust at 350° for 6-10 minutes until golden-brown. Let cool.



Filling:
2 C. fair-trade chocolate chips (vegan of course)
1 package silken tofu (organic), rinsed and drained
1/4 C. dry sweetener
1 T. vanilla


1. Melt chocolate chips*. In a food processor, using the “S” shaped blade, blend all filling ingredients until smooth.

2. Pour filling into baked crust. Refrigerate for 45 minutes.

* To melt chocolate, use a double boiler. If you do not have one, boil water in a large saucepan. Place chocolate in a smaller one and place this saucepan into the boiling water. Warm chocolate on medium heat, stirring until melted.
Top with “Whipped Dream”



Whipped Dream (non-dairy whipped cream)
1/4 cup organic soy milk (thick, creamy)
1/4 cup dry sweetener
2 Tbsp. vanilla
3/4 cup light-flavored organic oil (sunflower)


1. Pour soy milk into a blender, keeping it just under the tips of the blade. Add sweetener and vanilla.

2. Start by blending this mixture, then turn the blender to high speed, slowly adding the oil.

The soy milk will thicken up to a “whipped cream” consistency. You can use this on any of your favorite desserts.

Tipsy Maple Pecan Pie

 

 

Here in the northeast the air has taken on that brisk edge that slowly starts to erase the soft humid air of summer. It’s breezy, the sky is piercing blue, and flashes of hot orange and red are starting to pepper the trees. For some this means cozy sweaters and a fireplace, for me it means PIE!

I just can’t help myself. The farmer’s market is in all its glory, tables rowdy with the mayhem of end-of-summer produce tangling with the autumn newbies–and I have been coming home so laden with produce that I have been spending each spare moment in the kitchen. Along with braised leeks, creamed kale, spicy gingered squash, and so on–there have been pies. Pear, plum, apple and even Concord grape. But for me the ultimate comes in the form of the pecan pie. I usually need to make one when pie season, I mean autumn, begins–but then try to save them for later in the season when local produce is meager.

This recipe is pretty basic. I have swapped out the usual refined sugar and corn syrup with the more wholesome alternatives of maple sugar and maple syrup. I realize not everyone has access to some natural sweeteners (read more about natural sweeteners here)–if not, instead of the maple sugar you can use raw sugar, which is slightly less processed than white or brown sugar–if you use maple sugar and want a less pronounced maple flavor, use honey or agave.

I realize that this recipe has its fair share of calories–but with the nutritious elements (all those pecans and molasses!) at least the calories are meaningful. I haven’t tried a vegan version of this, but I will work on it–in the meantime, I posted a vegan pecan pumpkin pie last year if you’d like to try it.


Tipsy Maple Pecan Pie
3/4 cup maple sugar (or organic raw sugar)
3/4 cup blackstrap molasses
1/2 cup maple syrup (or agave nectar or honey)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup bourbon
1 1/2 cups pecan halves
1 Basic Pie Dough (use your favorite 9-inch crust, or recipe below)


1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.

2. Put the molasses, sugar, agave, butter, and salt into a saucepan over medium heat. Stir with a until the sugar has dissolved.

3. Increase heat to high and let the mixture boil for 1 minute, then emove from heat, pour into a mixing bowl and let cool to room temperature.

4. Whisk eggs, vanilla, and bourbon into the molasses. Stir in the pecans, then pour mix into the prepared pie crust.

5. Bake the pie on middle rack for about 1 hour–it should be firm around the edge and nearly set but still a little soft in the middle (it should wiggle when you nudge it). Allow to cool completely before serving.


Basic Pie Dough (9-Inch)
This is such a simple crust, just make sure not to work it too much. Once you’ve added the ice water, stop fussing with it. To make ahead, this can rolled out and frozen for future use, or shaped into a disc and refrigerated for a few hours.

1/2 cup organic all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour (or your favorite baking four)
1 teaspoon raw sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons cold butter, diced, plus a little more to grease the pan


1. Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter or 2 knives, cut the butter into the flour until it feels like cornmeal. Sprinkle in ice water, as needed (as many as 4 tablespoons) mixing it into the dough until it can form a ball. Press the dough into a round, flat disk, and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before rolling it out.

2. Coat a 9-inch pie pan with softened butter, then sprinkle with flour. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness.

3. Fit the dough into the pan. Trim and crimp the edges.


Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/tipsy-maple-pecan-pie.html#ixzz2CdsOZ3wV

Vegan Pumpkin Streusel Cheesecake

Dessert this year includes the traditional holiday pumpkin, but it comes as part of a vegan, dairy-free cheesecake. It’s sure to be a crowd pleaser with its rich, creamy blend of pumpkin and tofu dusted with a crunchy streusel topping. This simple-to-make vegan holiday dessert will satisfy family and friends who love cheesecake with a dense texture and rich pumpkin flavor. Since milk and eggs aren’t used in the recipe, it’s also a natural for those allergic to or intolerant of these two foods.

Crust:
5 vegan whole-wheat graham crackers
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
11/2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon organic brown sugar

Cheesecake:
2 (12.3-ounce) boxes of silken soft tofu
1 (8-ounce) container of vegan imitation cream cheese (such as Tofutti)
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
2/3 cup organic brown sugar
11/4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.


1. To make crust, place graham crackers in a food processor or blender and pulse to form fine crumbs. Combine crumbs, pecans, oil and sugar. Reserve 3 tablespoons of crumb mixture; set aside. Pat remaining crumb mixture into the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan lightly coated with canola oil.

2. To make cheesecake, place a sieve or colander in a bowl. Line sieve with two layers of unbleached paper towel or an unbleached coffee filter. Spoon silken tofu into sieve and cover with a small plate. Add a weight or heavy can to top of plate. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let stand 30 minutes; drain off liquid.

3. Place drained tofu into a food processor or blender. Add cream cheese and remaining ingredients and puree until smooth. Spoon tofu mixture into crust-lined springform pan and bake at 325 degrees for 70 minutes. Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture evenly over top of cheesecake and turn off oven. Cool cheesecake in closed oven for 75 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven and run a knife between the pan and the cake before removing the top part of the pan. Cool to room temperature. Cover and chill for eight hours or overnight. Cut into 12 wedges and serve.


Yield: 12 servings (1 slice)
Nutrition information PER serving: Calories 206; Protein 5 g; Carbohydrate 23 g; Total fat 11.3 g; Saturated fat 1.9 g; Cholesterol 0 mg; Sodium 119 mg; Fiber 1.9 g


Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/vegan-pumpkin-streusel-cheesecake.html#ixzz2CdrnusWd

Half-the-Calories Deep Dish Apple Pie

With all that delicious fruit an apple pie should be healthy, but the truth is a slice can have as much as 750 calories and 30 grams of fat. Run away! For the most part, the culprit is the crust. We use whole-wheat pastry flour to add fiber and lower the saturated fat by replacing some of the butter with vegetable oil. The brown sugar-sweetened filling in this pie is made with two kinds of apples for the perfect balance. A slice has half the calories of a typical version and only 10 grams of fat. Sweet!



Crust
1 1/4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus 1 teaspoon for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 tablespoons ice water
1 egg white, lightly beaten, for brushing

Filling
6 cups thinly sliced peeled McIntosh apples (about 2 pounds) (see Tip)
6 cups thinly sliced peeled Granny Smith apples (about 2 pounds) (see Tip)
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch of ground allspice
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour


1. To prepare crust: Whisk whole-wheat flour, 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Cut butter into small pieces and, with your fingers, quickly rub them into the dry ingredients until the pieces are smaller but still visible.

2. Add sour cream and oil; toss with a fork to combine with the dry ingredients. Sprinkle water over the mixture. Toss with a fork until evenly moist. Knead the dough with your hands in the bowl a few times–the mixture will still be a little crumbly.

3. Turn out onto a clean surface and knead a few more times, until the dough just holds together. Divide the dough in half and shape into 5-inch-wide disks. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

4. Meanwhile, make filling: Combine apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and pinch of salt in a large bowl. Reserving 4 cups, transfer the rest of the apple mixture to a Dutch oven.

5. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the apples are tender and beginning to break down, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the reserved apples and 2 tablespoons flour; let cool for about 30 minutes.

6. To assemble & bake pie: Position a rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 425 F. Remove the dough from the refrigerator; let stand for 5 minutes to warm slightly. Roll one portion between sheets of parchment or wax paper into a 13-inch circle. Peel off the top sheet and invert the dough into a 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie pan.

7. Peel off the remaining paper. Scrape the filling into the crust. Roll the remaining portion of dough between sheets of parchment or wax paper into another 13-inch circle. Peel off the top sheet of paper and invert the dough onto the fruit. Peel off the remaining paper. Trim the crust so it overhangs evenly. Tuck the top crust under the bottom crust, sealing the two together and making a plump edge.

8. Flute the edge with your fingers. Combine 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Brush the crust with egg white and sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar. Cut 6 steam vents in the top crust.

9. Bake the pie on the bottom rack for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue baking until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, 25 to 35 minutes more. Let cool on a wire rack for about 1 1/2 hours before serving.

Ingredient Note: Whole-wheat pastry flour, lower in protein than regular whole-wheat flour, has less gluten-forming potential, making it a better choice for tender baked goods. You can find it in the natural-foods section of large super markets and natural-foods stores. Store in the freezer.
Makes 10 servings.
Nutrition per serving: 352 calories; 10 g fat (4 g saturated fat, 3g mono unsaturated fat); 14 mg cholesterol; 64 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 6 g fiber; 153 mg sodium; 234 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (15% daily value).
4 Carbohydrate Servings.
Exchanges: 2 starch, 2 fruit, 2 fat.



Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/half-the-calories-deep-dish-apple-pie.html#ixzz2CdqhkG6g

Sage & Nut-Stuffed Delicata Squash

Serves 4 as a side dish or 2 as a main dish

Ingredients

* 2 delicata squashes, halved length-wise and seeded
* 2 Tbsps fresh sage,chopped
* 1/3 cup lightly toasted pinenuts, chopped
* 1/3 cup lightly toasted almonds,chopped
* 1/2 cup cooked short-grain brown rice (I usually cook the rice in some vegetable broth for added flavor)
* 2 eggs, beaten (use organic, pasture-raised if you can get ‘em)
* 1/4 cup cheddar cheese
* 1/4 grated Parmesan cheese
* 2 medium onions, finely chopped
* 4 cloves of garlic, minced
* 2 Tbsps olive oil or butter
* Salt and pepper to taste


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in sage and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in nuts. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine the rice, eggs, Parmesan and half of the cheddar cheese. Stir in the nut and onion mixture. Divide the stuffing among the squash halves, sprinkle with the rest of the cheddar cheese, and bake until tender when pierced with a fork and tops are browning, about 45 minutes.


Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/sage-nut-stuffed-delicata-squash.html#ixzz2Cdob2g80




A few more recipes you might like:

• Butternut Squash Ravioli With Browned Butter, Sage, & Pinenuts
• Candied Butternut Squash
• Roasted Delicata Squash & Tortellini Salad
• Risotto With Roasted Butternut Squash & Sage
• Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Curried Potato Salad

You can add anti-inflammatory healing power–along with great flavor–to your usual potato salad with this mouth-watering recipe that includes cancer-fighting curry spices, bell pepper, and spinach. A healthier potato salad recipe for your cookout or picnic!






INGREDIENTS
3 large Yukon Gold or other all-purpose potato, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
1 small bunch spinach, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
2 green onions, both white and green parts, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk (use the thick stuff at the top of the can)
2 teaspoons rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
1-2 teaspoons curry powder, to taste
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Sea salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste

1. Boil the potatoes until they are just tender, about 10 minnutes, then add spinach and allow to cook a minute or so, until wilted. Drain, and place potatoes and spinach in a large mixing bowl. Add bell pepper and green onions, stirring to mix.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, coconut milk solids, and vinegar together until smooth. Add curry powder, cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste, whisking again to combine. Pour over potatoes and vegetables, adding a little more olive oil if the mixture is too dry. Stir well to coat.

3. May be served room-temperature or chilled.

Serves 6.


Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/curried-potato-salad.html#ixzz2CdnoXEoS