I Can't Stop!

More pumpkin! I opened a can of pumpkin for that Pumpkin Quinoa Breakfast and then had to find some ways to use the remainder of the can. I went here this morning....

Vegan Pumpkin Muffins:

INGREDIENTS:
1 3/4 C. all-purpose flour
1 1/4 C. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg (ground or freshly grated)
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. ground allspice
1/8 t. ground cloves
1 C. pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix!)
1/2 C. soy milk (I used unsweetened original almond milk)
1/2 C. vegetable oil
2 T. molasses

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a twelve-muffin tin.

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices. In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, soy milk, oil and molasses. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix.

Fill the muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

***This made 12 regular size muffins and then 12 mini muffins, at least in the size tins I have.

***I found this recipe by Isa Chandra here: The Post Punk Kitchen.

The Best New Breakfast I've Had In A While

I found this recipe while browsing Zite on my iPad. (I find far too many delicious sounding recipes this way.) Since it's fall, which puts me in a pumpkin mood, I had to try this one. I normally make oatmeal with almond milk in the microwave for breakfast. This recipe required a few extra minutes to make, which is tough in the morning if you're not really awake. But it was worth it. So good.

This serves four, so I made one-fourth of it as a single serving.

Pumpkin Quinoa Breakfast:

INGREDIENTS:
1 C. milk (I used almond milk, vegan!)
1 C. water
1 C. rinsed quinoa
1/3 C. pumpkin
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/8 t. ground nutmeg
1/8 t. ground ginger
Pinch of ground cloves
1/4 C. brown sugar
1/3 C. chopped pecans
1/4 C. dried cranberries

Directions:
Combine milk, water and quinoa in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Turn off heat; let stand covered 5 minutes. Stir in pumpkin, spices, and brown sugar. Transfer to four bowls and top with pecans and dried cranberries. Serve warm.

***The pecans are what put this dish over the top for me. Holy goodness.
***The original recipe can be found here: Make And Takes.

Fall Is For Soup

I love new recipes. And I love soups on fall days. I found this new soup recipe in my ReadyMade magazine, when it was still being printed (let's not talk about that).

It tasted amazing and had wonderful colors (don't you love colorful foods?).

My version

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Stew:

INGREDIENTS:
1 T canola oil
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch cubes
1 onion, peeled and roughly diced
1 red pepper, seeds removed and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1 jalapeño, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T chili powder
1 t cumin
1 t cayenne pepper
3 c vegetable broth
14.5-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
14.5-oz can diced tomatoes with juices
1 c frozen corn
1/4 c fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 c freshly squeezed lime juice

PREPARATION:
Heat canola oil in a large, heavy-bottom stock pot over medium high heat. Add sweet potatoes, onion, red pepper, jalapeño, and garlic, stirring to coat. Sauté until onion and peppers are soft, about 4 minutes.

Add chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper and stir well. Reduce heat to medium, cover pot, and allow sweet potatoes to soften, about 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

After sweet potatoes are fork tender, add vegetable broth, black beans, and tomatoes. Bring stew to a boil, stirring well and scraping the bottom of pot to incorporate all of the spices. Add frozen corn, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

Before serving, stir in cilantro and lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve stew with additional cilantro, if desired.

***The recipe allows for shredded cheddar cheese. But I went the vegan route.
***You can find the recipe here.