Oatmeal Orange Pumpkin Cookies

This is a little different than your typical pumpkin chocolate cookie (which we sure love around here!).  This is not quite as sweet, but is very delicious and is a fun and unique twist with the orange zest.  

I would recommend doubling this recipe if you have many mouths to feed!

• 
  
  In a large mixing bowl stir together:
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light olive oil
• 1 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 2 large egg whites OR 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoon orange peel zest (this makes it!)
• 2 cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
• 1 cup wheat flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  1/4 tsp cloves (optional)
  1/3 tsp ginger (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans
  
  
• -Bake 350 for 13-20 minutes (depends on size of cookie). You don't want these doughy :)
  -Note: Gluten Free flour works well or you can also blend up oats for your cup of flour substitution.

Pumpkin Pie Breakfast Cookies

Yields: 12 cookies Ingredients: 1/2 cup pumpkin puree 1/2 cup natural peanut butter, or nut free 1/4 cup honey 1 tablespoon vanilla 1 1/4 cup quick oats* (see note) 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 1/2 teaspoon baking soda Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. 2. In a large bowl, stir together the pumpkin, peanut butter, honey, and vanilla. 3. To the pumpkin peanut butter mixture add the oats, pumpkin pie spice, and baking soda. 4. Stir the oat mixture into the pumpkin mixture until combined. 5. Using a cookie scooper, drop mounds of dough 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Get fingers damp then flatten each cookie mound slightly. 6. Place the cookie sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool down.  

*If you don't have quick oats, just pulse normal oats in a blender until oat pieces are smaller.

Pumpkin Apple and Oat Breakfast Cookies

I love breakfast cookies. Warning--these are not very sweet. 

They are hearty and make a great quick breakfast or snack! They also freeze well.

•  1 cup Rolled Oats
• 2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 2 teaspoons Cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
• 1/3 c light olive oil
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 large Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 cup Shredded Apple
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree

Makes approx. 20 cookies

Directions

-Preheat the oven to 350°F.

-In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients until combined well.

-Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.  Drop the dough by spoonfuls (about 3 tablespoons for each cookie) onto the prepared baking sheet. With damp hands, flatten the cookies slightly. 

-Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned and set.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes on the cookie sheet before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Curry Pumpkin Soup

Picture from vibrantplate.com

picture credit:  mommyshomecooking.com

Carmelize for 7 minutes in soup pan over medium heat:

2 TBS oil
1 sweet onion

Add and simmer until carrots are tender-about 10 minutes:

6 carrots, diced

4 c. chicken or vegetable broth

-Blend onion and carrot/broth mixture

-Return blended mixture to soup pan

Add:

4 more cups for chicken or vegetable broth

1 28 oz can pumpkin

1/4 c. honey

2 1/2 tsp curry

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1 c. cream

-Stir soup until combined and heat until warm.

-Garnish Ideas: Pumpkin oil and pumpkin seeds, or freshly ground pepper and parmesan cheese, croutons, bacon bits, cream drizzle and parsley

Breakfast Cookies

A healthy hearty cookie!  These are full of lots of yummy stuff.  Everytime I make them it seems I tweak the recipe a bit depending on what I have, and they still always turn out.  They are great for a snack or breakfast :-). These are NOT sweet, so if you find they taste too healthy, you could always increase the amount of sugar.

1 1/4 c. wheat flour
1/2 c. oats
1/2 c. bran flakes
1/4 c. ground flax or wheat germ (optional)
1 c. canned pumpkin
1/4 c. light olive oil
1/4 cup maple syrup or brown sugar
2-4 oz. carrot baby food puree (optional)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 c. slivered or chopped almonds
1/4 c. white chocolate chips (or regular)
1/3 c. craisins

-Through everything in a bowl at once (I'm all about quick and easy!) and mix until well combined. 
-Bake 350 12-14 minutes.
-Makes 2-3 dozen

Egg and Gluten Free Version:

1 1/2c. oat flour
1/2 c. oats
1/4 c. ground flax
1 c. canned pumpkin
1/4 c. light olive oil
1/4 cup maple syrup or brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 c. slivered or chopped almonds
1/4 c. white chocolate chips (or regular)
1/3 c. craisins or raisins

-Line baking sheet with parchment.  Press cookie dough mounds flat before baking.

-Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes

European Muesli

This is a simple fantastic breakfast. 

This is similar in concept to the recipe COLD OATMEAL, 

but it has a creamy European flare!  

Like any oatmeal, you can really top it with any fresh or dried fruit, nuts, 

shredded coconut, cinnamon, nutmeg, etc. 

 I make a large batch of the oatmeal base and it just sits in my fridge ready to go.  

I often have the batch last for 3 weeks in the fridge!

Amazing Pumpkin Cream Cheese Pie

This is a delicious pumpkin pie variation that has a "lighter" taste than traditional pumpkin pie...and the pecan topping makes it extra tasty!  Think cheesecake, pumpkin pie, and pecan pie all in one!

Pie Crust for 2 9" pies *(my favorite recipe here)

FILLING:
2, 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
6 eggs
2 ½ c canned pumpkin
1 12oz can evaporated milk
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
½ tsp nutmeg
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, beat all of the above with an electric mixer until smooth. Spoon mixture into the bottom of the two prepared crusts.
- Bake in preheated oven 40 min

TOPPING:
2 c chopped pecans
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
6 Tbsp cold butter
-While the pie is baking, combine flour, butter and brown sugar for topping. Cut with a pastry cutter until crumbly. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle over the pie. Bake for 15-20 minutes more, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
-Cool pie for 1-2 hrs. Refrigerate within 2 hrs. Serve cold topped with whipped cream and freshly grated nutmeg.

Fall Cooking Class Recipes

Here are the recipes from my most recent cooking class.  I took pictures of everything and then they all got deleted somehow...so I'll just post them anyway so you have something to go from for now!

Latacha’s CHILI

Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef 1 medium/large onion, diced 1 29 oz can tomato sauce 1 29 oz can kidney beans, drain liquid 1 29 oz can pinto beans, drain liquid 1 4 oz can mild green chilies 2 stalks celery, diced 3 fresh medium tomatoes, chopped 1 TBS chili powder 2 tsp cumin powder 1 teaspoon black pepper 2 teaspoons salt 4 cups water Directions: 1. Brown the ground beef with onion in a skillet over medium heat;  drain off the fat. 2. Using a fork, crumble the cooked beef into pea-size pieces. 3. In a large pot, combine the beef plus all the remaining ingredients, simmer over low heat. 4. Cook, stirring every 15 minutes, for 2 to 3 hours.  (Or use crockpot: low for 3 hours) 5. For spicier chili, add ½ teaspoon more black pepper. For extra spicy chili, add 1 tsp black pepper and a tsp cayenne pepper. For super hot spicy, add 5 sliced jalapeño peppers to the pot. Laura’s Veggie Chili 1 medium onion, diced 1 can corn, drained 1 zucchini, chopped 2-3 bell peppers (any color), chopped 1 29 ounce can tomato sauce 1 29 ounce can kidney beans, drain fluid 1 29 ounce can pinto beans, drain fluid 1 4 oz. can mild green chilies 2-3 stalks celery, diced 3 medium fresh tomatoes, chopped 1 TBS chili powder 2 teaspoons cumin powder 1 teaspoon black pepper 2 teaspoons salt 4 cups water Directions: 1.     Caramelize onion for 7 minutes (optional) 2.    Combine ALL ingredients in large soup pot (or crockpot).  Stir to combine.  3.    Simmer over low for 2 hours (or cook on low for 2-3 hours in crockpot) Crockpot Pork Chops with Apple Chutney (Betty Crocker) Ingredients 4-8 center-cut bone-in pork loin chops, 1 inch thick (about 2 lb), trimmed of fat ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper 6 tablespoons packed brown sugar 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ cup sweetened dried cranberries 2 medium baking apples, peeled, chopped (2 cups) Directions 1 Spray 3- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper; place in cooker. 2 In small bowl, mix brown sugar, vinegar, ginger, cinnamon, red pepper and cranberries. Spoon over pork in cooker; top with apples. 3 Cover; cook on Low heat setting 4 hours to 4 hours 30 minutes. Fresh Blender Cranberry Sauce  4 c. cranberries 1 whole orange (peel and all!) 1 c. sugar -Cut off ends of orange, then put cranberries, orange  and sugar in blender.   -Blend until smooth. Stir in 1 c. pomegranate seeds (optional).   -This keeps in fridge for a VERY long time!  It also freezes well, so well that you cannot tell the difference between a fresh  or frozen batch! Mini-Gingerbread Muffins ¼ c. butter, softened 2 1/3 c. flour (can use wheat) 2 tsp baking pwdr. 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp ginger ½ tsp cinnamon ½ tsp allspice ¼ tsp cloves ½ tsp salt ¾ c. sugar 1 c. pumpkin ½ c. unsulfured molasses 2 eggs ½ c. buttermilk 1 c. confectioners’ sugar and 2 TBS water (for frosting) -Combine all ingredients (except conf. sugar/water) in bowl  and mix until well combined. Spoon into prepared mini cake or muffin pans. -Bake 350 for 20 minutes. Let sit in pan 5 minutes on cooling rack. Then shake out of pan. Cool completely. Then dip muffin tops in  Confectioners’ sugar glaze if desired. -Yield 36-40 mini muffins. -For LARGE muffins bake 25 minutes. Cheesy Southern Biscuits 1 tsp olive oil 2 c flour 1 TBS baking powder 1 TBS dried parsley 1 tsp thyme 1 tsp salt 1 tsp white sugar 1 c shredded cheddar cheese 5 TBS butter 1 c milk (a little bit more if dough too dry) -Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. -With a fork, mix together the flour, baking powder, parsley, thyme, salt, sugar,  and cheese in a bowl. Cut the butter (or grate) into the flour mixture in  coarse chunks, then use the fork to further]cut the butter into the flour-cheese  mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Lightly stir in the milk  just until the dough holds together. Don’t over stir! -Drop the batter by spoonfuls (or cookie scoop) onto 11x17 the baking sheet,  and bake in the preheated oven until risen and golden brown, 20-25 min.  -Makes 12 large (bake 25 minutes) or 18 medium biscuits (bake 20 minutes).  For mini biscuits (bake 12-15 minutes). *Pumpkin* or Cream Biscuits 2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour 2 TBS sugar 2 tsp baking powder ½ tsp salt 1 1/ 2 c. heavy cream -Preheat oven to 425. 1. Mix together all dry ingredients.   Add cream (and pumpkin for pumpkin version) and stir until just combined (add extra cream if too dry). 2. Using hands, shape dough into a circle or rectangle.  Cut into wedges  or circles. 3. Place biscuits on parchment lined baking sheet and bake until golden brown,  about 15 minutes.  Serve immediately. ***For PUMPKIN version, add ½ c. pumpkin at the same time as the cream.  Sprinkle top of biscuits with cinnamon and sugar before baking.