Pumpkin 2 for 1

I have several freezer bags of pumpkin that I put away last Fall and need to use up before the next crop is ready, so I have been looking for creative ways to use it up. I don't usually explore beyond the safety of my favorite pumpkin muffins, so I really had to stretch myself here. I tried two different recipes and am so glad that I did. I am more excited about this Fall's pumpkin crop than I have been in years! And yes, I do realize it is only June.

The first recipe I tried was pumpkin pancakes. I consider myself a connoisseur of pancakes and these were hands down THE best pancakes I have ever eaten! The texture was inexpressibly wonderful! You just have to try them! I used yogurt as opposed to buttermilk. I imagine that if you use buttermilk you will need less additional liquid to thin the batter to the desired consistency than I needed. The recipe made enough for four servings, which could have easily been stretched to six if I'd served eggs and bacon or sausage.

Pumpkin Pancakes
adapted from Trying it Traditional

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup cultured buttermilk or yogurt
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 egg
• 1tsp baking soda
• 1 Tbsp butter, melted
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• Additional milk or buttermilk as needed

1. Combine flour with yogurt or buttermilk the night before you plan to make the pancakes. Allow to sit at room temperature to soak for at least 12 hours.
2. Combine all remaining ingredients.  Add milk to get the proper consistency for pancakes (this varies depending on your pumpkin puree, yogurt vs buttermilk, personal preference, etc. 
3. Serve with butter, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and real maple syrup.

 
The second recipe I made was inspired by Tracey's Culinary Adventures. I felt like the pumpkin flavor was much more noticeable in this application and I loved the texture it gave to the oatmeal. I didn't add any nuts or dried fruit because I was aiming for a pumpkin pie taste and texture combination. I think I nailed it!

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

• 1 cup thick rolled oats
• 1 Tbsp whole wheat flour
• 1 cup water
• 1 Tbsp acid medium (whey, cultured buttermilk, yogurt, kefir, or lemon juice)

Combine and cover. Soak at room temperature for 12-24 hours.

• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp each: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger

Combine all ingredients with soaked oats in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until done. Serve with butter and real maple syrup, or if you want to really indulge  - some freshly whipped cream!

I had a little bit of this leftover, but not quite enough for a serving so this morning I added it to a smoothie with spinach, frozen mixed berries, a banana, yogurt, and a splash of apple juice - oooooh my goodness it was delicious! My one year old had two glasses before I could finish mine!

Your New Favorite Cookies

Judge me all you want, but even the most health conscious person needs a treat once in awhile and there is something about fruit and yogurt that just doesn't hit the spot like a good ol' chocolate chip cookie and a big glass of frosty milk! Raw, of course.

 

Today, when the craving hit I didn't feel like trying a new recipe, but decided I was in the mood for something a little different. I love chocolate covered macaroons and I love oatmeal cookies, so coconut and oatmeal sounded like the best of both worlds and I figured it would work out alright. Well, let me tell you... it was more than alright! It was delicious! The best part is that the oatmeal makes you feel like eating four or five cookies isn't really as bad as it is. And you will eat four or five of these, or probably more.

 

I'm lucky to have lots of people in my life to share these with, including some on the other side of the world, so I wasn't stuck with very many and that is a very good thing! I will warn you, anyone (especially unnamed pregnant women) you share with will come begging you for more! ;)

Your New Favorite Cookies
Adapted from Toll House

Ingredients 
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups unsweetened coconut
1 1/4 cups thick rolled oats

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. If you have a convection setting I'd suggest using it! 
2. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl and set aside. 
3. Cream butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Add vanilla extract and eggs. Beat until light in color and creamy in texture.
4. Gradually beat in flour mixture.
5. Stir in oats, coconut and chocolate chips.
6. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.  
7. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes (depending on size) or until just beginning to brown. 
8. Let cool on a wire rack. Store leftovers, if you have any, in an airtight container.

Chicken and Dumplings

One of the first meals I ever prepared for myself was the recipe for Chicken and Dumplings on the Bisquick box. Over the years I made adaptations, first adding thyme and then other spices, and eventually making my dumplings from scratch with whole wheat flour. It is still one of my all time favorite comfort foods and I'd like to think that I have come up with a recipe that never fails, but the truth is that no matter how many times I make it its always slightly different! I still can't figure out if the dumplings are supposed to be chewy and gummy or biscuit-y. I have given up trying to achieve either one because I love them both ways.

A friend recommended this recipe, which is pretty different from the way I would normally make my chicken and dumplings so I decided to give it a shot. My one-year old seemed to really like it, so it scored bonus points there! I, on the other hand, thought it could use a little work. I do plan to make it again, but next time will add a bay leaf to my simmering vegetables and will try boiling my dumplings in the broth instead of baking them, which is how I'd normally make them. I may try to bake them again, but in the future I would add a few tablespoons of flour to the milk before adding it to the filling to thicken it and make it more gravy-like. It doesn't seem like that should be called chicken and dumplings though, that seems a lot more like chicken pot pie. Whatever it will be called, I'm sure it will be good.

Chicken and Dumplings
Adapted from Passionate Homemaking

Note: Except for the dumplings, there is really no need to be exact in your measurements. Just eyeball it and save yourself the dishes!

Ingredients for filling -
4 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 celery stocks, chopped
1 cup peas
2 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp butter
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp sage
2 tsp salt
1 cup milk

Ingredients for dumplings -
2 1/4 cups flour (I used 1 cup hard white wheat, 1 cup soft white wheat and 1/4 cup barley flour)
1 cup cultured buttermilk
3 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions

1. Combine flour, buttermilk, and melted butter. Cover and soak overnight or approximately 12-24 hours.
2. Saute all vegetables excluding peas in butter and spices for approximately 5 minutes. Add broth and heat to a boil. Add two chicken breast and simmer until cooked, about 15 minutes. Remove chicken and chop.
3.  Add milk, chicken and peas to skillet. Stir to combine. Pour into a 13×9 baking dish.
4. Add remaining ingredients to soaked flour. Scoop dumplings by rounded tablespoon onto the top. 
5. Cook for about 18 minutes at 425 degrees.

Soaked Whole Wheat Pancakes

Supposedly soaking your whole grains before eating them is better for you, read about it here - Kitchen Stewardship - How and Why to Soak Whole Grains, try it, and decide for yourself. I can say that in the few weeks that I have been trying to eat (mostly) soaked grains I feel fuller after a smaller meal, have lost a few pounds and generally I am happier, but maybe that has more to do with the sun finally making an appearance. I have noticed that when I soak my grains they have a sourdough-like smell and flavor to them that I do enjoy, but have had to adjust to in some applications.

On to the important stuff - I seriously LOVED this recipe and will definitely be making it again. I made the batter according to the directions below, but added mix-ins to order - chocolate chip, banana, huckleberry, and huckleberry-banana! The recipe said that the pancakes take longer to cook than regular pancakes, but I didn't find this to be true. It also make a ton! I fed two adults and four kids and still had leftovers with one batch!

Soaked Whole Wheat Pancakes
From The Nourishing Cook, originally from Norishing Traditions.

Ingredients
2 cups freshly ground soft white wheat
2 cups cultured buttermilk
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions
Soak flour in buttermilk on the counter for 12-24 hours. After soaking time, stir in other ingredients and add water to desired consistency (When I made my last batch of butter I saved the water from my first wash and used it here). Cook on a hot, oiled griddle or cast iron skillet.

Baked Oatmeal

Organic oats in the bulk bins at Super1 are $0.89/lb and a pound goes a long way in our house! This is probably why we've been having oatmeal for breakfast almost daily for the last few weeks. It's also easy to fix, delicious and very nutritious. I have been having my plain old oatmeal with frozen berries and honey; brown sugar and cinnamon; strawberries, bananas and cream; and my newest obsession - with bananas, walnuts and maple syrup! Even with all of the possibilities, I was starting to get a little bored with breakfast so I went out looking for oatmeal recipes and found LOTS to choose from. I've done muffins and granola in the past, but was looking for a different application. I decided to try a baked oatmeal recipe that didn't seem all that different from my usual flavor choices

I really, really liked this recipe and am very excited to share it with you. I scaled down the original from Nourished Kitchen to suit my family's size and what we had on hand in the pantry.

Ingredients 
1/2 lb thick rolled oats
1/2 cup walnuts
1 tbsp whey  for soaking
2 tbsp whole wheat flour
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1/8 cup maple syrup
½ cup raisins
1 generous tbsp cinnamon
1/8 cup butter, plus extra for greasing baking dish

Instructions

1. Pour the oats, flour, and walnuts into a glass bowl.
2. Add whey and enough water to cover. 
3. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and allow to soak overnight.
4. In the morning, drain off as much water as you can. Don't worry about losing some of your flour, it's job is done.
5. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9 x 9-inch square baking pan with butter.
6. Beat together eggs, milk, and maple syrup.
7. Pour the egg mixture over the soaked oats and nuts, stir to combine.
8. Add raisins, cinnamon and melted butter.
9. Pour into greased baking pan and spread it out.
10. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until a knife inserted into its center comes out clean.
11. Let it rest for five to ten minutes before serving.