Weekday Recipes

The weather has been cooling off a little here in Florida, signaling autumn. And while it isn't quite the same as fall in the rest of the U.S., it does warrant having autumn-ish food. Enjoy!

CHAI SPICED APPLE CIDER

This comes from one of my favorite email lists, TheKitchn. If you haven't checked out TheKitchen or its sibling site, Apartment Therapy, you should. The recipe, which serves 4, starts off, "I’m not a very frilly hot beverage kind of person. Most of the time it’s coffee with a splash of heavy cream, or a simple cup of hot tea. On occasion, I’ll splurge and get a latte but beyond that, I don’t branch out too far. However, once fall hits, I start craving hot apple cider — usually paired with a freshly made apple doughnut from the local apple orchard.

"This chai spiced apple cider is a lovely fall splurge and it's easy to make!"

To view this recipe online, click here.

4 cups apple cider

1-inch whole piece ginger, peeled

2 whole cinnamon sticks

8 whole cloves

6 whole cardamom pods

4 whole black peppercorns

1 whole star anise

1/2 whole vanilla bean, sliced in half lengthwise

1 cup whipped cream (store-bought or homemade)

1 tablespoon maple syrup

Ground cinnamon, for topping

In a 2-quart sauce pan, combine the apple cider with the ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom pods, peppercorns, star anise, and vanilla bean. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let simmer for 15 minutes until fragrant.

Strain the cider and divide between two mugs. Fold the maple syrup into the whipped cream, then dollop it into each mug. Finish with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

ROASTED APPLE AND WINTER SQUASH SOUP

This also comes from TheKitchen, and can be viewed online here. Serves 4.

3 pounds winter squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 medium sweet-tart apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered

2 large cloves garlic, peeled

1/4 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons Kosher salt

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

4 cups unsalted vegetable broth

Garnish

1 medium sweet-tart apple

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a large bowl, combine the squash, apples, onion, garlic, olive oil, salt, rosemary, thyme, and allspice. Spread the vegetables/fruit on two parchment-lined baking sheets. Roast, turning once, until tender, about 40 minutes.

Puree the roasted vegetables/fruit with the vegetable broth. If using an immersion blender, this may be done in a large pot. If using a food processor, this may be done in batches, transferring the puree to a large pot as you go along.

Place the pot over medium heat and simmer until warmed through. If a thinner consistency is desired, add water or more broth. Taste and adjust seasonings.

To serve, garnish with thinly sliced or diced apples. (Sliced apples may be pan-fried in a little butter or olive oil until golden.)

ROASTED ACORN SQUASH WITH BROWN SUGAR AND BUTTER

This has got to be one of my favorite ways to cook acorn squash. It's simple, but tastes great. This one comes by way of Kathy Kingsley, About.com's American Food guide. She writes, "Brown sugar and butter enhances the flavor of this fall favorite. It makes a great side with roast pork, turkey or chicken."

Prep time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 45 minutes; Total Time: 60 minutes; Yield: Serves 4

This can be viewed online here.

Ingredients:

2 acorn squash (about 1 1/2 lb.), unpeeled, halved lengthwise, and seeded

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

4 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Preparation Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Place the squash halves, cut side down, on a large rimmed baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the butter with the brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the pan for the heat and stir in nutmeg. Turn the squash halves over and pour and brush the butter mixture over the inside of the squash halves.

Continue roasting until the squash halves are just tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 20 to 30 minutes more. Place the squash halves on a serving platter and serve.

CHILI CON CARNE

Yield: 8 servings (about 1 cup each)

View online: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/782.shtml

Source: 1,001 Delicious Recipes for People with Diabetes

Book Info: http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/22.shtml

Ingredients

Vegetable cooking spray

1 pound 95% lean ground beef

1-1/2 cups chopped onions

1 cup chopped green bell pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons dried cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) no-salt whole tomatoes, undrained, coarsely chopped

1 can (6 ounces) reduced-sodium tomato paste

3/4 cup beer or reduced-sodium beef broth

1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar

2-3 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa

1 can (15 ounces) red kidney beans, rinsed, drained

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded fat-free, or reduced-fat, Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions and tops

1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

Directions

Spray large saucepan with cooking spray; heat over medium heat until hot. Add ground beef, onions, bell pepper, and garlic; cook over medium heat until meat is brown and vegetables are tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, and cloves; cook 1 to 2 minutes longer.

Add tomatoes and liquid, tomato paste, beer, brown sugar, and cocoa to beef mixture. Heat to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, covered, 1 hour. Stir in beans and simmer, uncovered, to thicken, if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon chili into bowls; sprinkle each with equal amounts of cheese, green onions, and sour cream.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 220; Protein: 21.9 g; Fat: 3.6 g; Sodium: 224 mg; Cholesterol: 32.5 mg; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 28.7 g; Exchanges: 2 Vegetable, 1 Bread, 2 Meat

HERBED CARROT SOUP

From the December 2005 issue of Runner's World; reprinted from HerbWise: Growing, Cooking, WellBeing, by Bruce Burnett

2 pounds of carrots, chopped

1 large onion, diced

6 sprigs of fresh parsley, 3 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, and 6 six black peppercorns, bundled together so that they can be easily removed after cooking

2 cloves garlic, crushed

4 Tbs of butter

6 C of vegetable stock

Freshly grated mace or nutmeg

Salt & pepper to taste

Lightly sauté the onion & garlic in the butter. Add the stock & carrots & simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the bundle of herbs & continue to simmer for another 20 minutes. Remove the herbs, allow the soup to cool, & put it through the blender in batches. Reheat the soup over low heat while adding the mace or nutmeg & salt & pepper to taste. Serve with some fresh, homemade bread & garnish with some fresh parsley & a little chopped fresh thyme.

Note: The original recipe called for vegetable or chicken stock.

PUMPKIN SPICE WHOOPIE PIES

From Food.com. Prep time: 30 minutes, total time: 45 minutes, Yield: 12-18 sandwiched cookies

The person who wrote this for Food.com wrote, "Whoopie Pies are big sandwiched cookie. These are a hit with kids and adults alike. I prefer mine frozen!"

Ingredients

Cookies

1 cup pumpkin

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 package spice cake mix (2 layer size)

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

Marshmallow Spice filling

1/2 cup butter

1 (8 ounce) packages softened cream cheese

2 cups powdered sugar

3 1/2 ounces marshmallow cream ( half of a 7 oz jar)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

Cookies: Beat pumpkin and butter with an electric mixer until smooth.

Add cake mix, eggs and milk and beat on low speed until combined, then on medium speed for one minute.

Cover cookie sheets with parchment or oiled foil.

Drop large mounds of dough 3 inches apart on cookie sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees F.

Filling: Beat together butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar, marshmallow cream, vanilla and cinnamon and nutmeg. Beat until well combined. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or until cookies are ready to be filled.

When cookies are cool, spoon filling on bottom of cookies and sandwich together.

Nutrition Facts: Serving Size: 1 (1549 g); Servings Per Recipe: 1; Amount Per Serving % Daily Value: Calories 477.2; Calories from Fat 250 52%; Amount Per Serving % Daily Value: Total Fat 27.7g 42%; Saturated Fat 15.0g 75%; Cholesterol 93.9mg 31%; Sugars 40.2 g; Sodium 444.8mg 18%; Total Carbohydrate 54.1g 18%; Dietary Fiber 0.7g 2%; Sugars 40.2 g 161%; Protein 4.3g 8%