One of my least favorite Winter treats growing up was when my mum used to make roasted apples.  I don’t know how she prepared them but it seemed to me that she would just take apples and stick them in the oven and roast until there was nothing left but a pile of mush!  It wasn’t until I was in charge of my own kitchen that I learned to appreciate roasted apples, only I pan roast them rather than oven roast.  And the trick is to start with firm apples and pears!  I still prefer my fruits raw but will occasionally mix up this treat for friends and family members who cannot eat raw foods.

Pan-Roasted Spiced Apples & Pears

2 whole apples (Granny Smith or Honey Crisp are my favorites)
4 whole pears
1/3 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed
2 tablespoons salted butter
1/3 cup apple juice
whip cream to serve (optional)

Peel and core the apples and pears.  Cut the apples into quarters and the pears into halves.

Sprinkle sugar over bottom of heavy non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Stir slightly to allow sugar to rest in an even layer on bottom of pan.  Add a little bit of water and stir until sugar melts and begins o caramelize at the edges.  Add the spices and butter.  Stir gently with a wooden spoon to mix the caramel and butter together.  Be careful: the mixture may spit and bubble!

Once the butter and caramel are incorporated, turn the heat to high and add the apples and pears to the skillet cut side down.  Cook for approximately 5 minutes, turning them every minute, until evenly caramelized.

Pour in the apple juice and cook until reduced and thickened.  The liquid should thicken into a syrupy sauce.  Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Serve fruit in warm plates with the remaining caramel sauce and a dollop of whip cream or ice cream, if desired.

Kitchen Table Talk…

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I cleaned out my freezer today and found a forgotten container full of frozen blackberries.  I had gone to visit a friend in the summer who grew blackberries and raspberries in their backyard and had completely forgotten that I had set aside a few pints to get me through the winter.  What a treat!  I left a pint out on the counter for about an hour to defrost a little and whipped up a delicious batch of blackberry smoothie.

Blackberry Surprise Smoothie

3 whole bananas
1 pint blackberries
2 cups baby spinach
3 to 4 peppermint leaves
1/2 to 1 cup water

Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender and enjoy!

On the 5th day of Christmas, another raw Christmas cookie recipe hit my inbox. I doubt I’ll have time to make this recipe today as I have loads to do around the house. I’ve been spending quite a bit of time in the kitchen trying out some new recipes as I plan my Christmas Eve menu but haven’t had time to post them here for you. You’ll have to make do with a few more recipes from the FREE 12-Days of Christmas Cookie mini-course. If you’re making this recipe for someone with gluten intolerance, be sure that your vanilla extract is gluten-free.

Figgy Pieces

1/2 cup soaked dried figs
4 or 5 fresh figs
1 cup almond pulp
1/2 teaspoon natural vanilla extract

Blend the fresh and dried figs with the almond pulp. Add vanilla. If the dough is still too dry add some of the water used for soaking the figs.

I did this in a rectangular shape then scored in triangles to make a different shapes from other cookies. Before dehydrating place a slivered almond on top to decorate.

The FREE 12-Days of Christmas Cookie mini-course continues with another raw christmas cookie recipe. Today’s treat, raw truffle cookies. I must say, getting a Christmas themed recipe in my inbox every day has really put me in the Christmas spirit. In fact, I’m having my first Christmas dinner this evening with a friend. We’re going out for dinner, to a Japanese restaurant so there’s decidedly nothing Christmasy about our meal, but Christmas is the excuse to get together. And I have just enough time to whip him up a batch of raw Christmas cookies.

Truffle Cookies

2 cups nuts [if you use walnuts, pecans, pistachio; no need to soak!]
1 cup pitted dates
1 cup frozen blueberries [or you can use strawberries, peaches, pears, mango, banana]
1/4 cup raw carob

Blend the nuts, dates, raw carob and blueberries.  in a food processor until the mixture is smooth.  Shape the mixture into small balls and roll them in crushed walnut or pistachio or shredded coconut to use as a Truffle or; flatten the ball with a fork to make the cookie. The truffle [ball] or the cookie keeps very well in the fridge; however, if stacking for storage use some parchment paper to prevent sticking.

I was at the market early this morning and picked up some butternut squash on a whim.  I’ve never made Butternut Squash Soup before but last night I was talking to my sister and remembered that she had made the soup for Thanksgiving a few years ago and it was yummy.  I thought it might be nice to try my hand at making my own Butternut Squash soup so that next time she’s over, we can trade recipes.

Roasted Curried Butternut Squash Soup

1 large butternut squash, halved and seeded
2 whole red onions, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 whole carrots, peeled and chopped
1 medium head garlic
6 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup plain yogurt
olive oil for sauteing

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Wash and cut butternut squash in half.

Place squash halves onto the prepared baking sheet. Wrap garlic in foil and set with squash. Roast in the center of the oven for 45 to 60 minutes, until the squash is tender. Remove from oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.

In the meantime, place large saucepan on medium heat and saute onion, celery and carrot for about ten minutes until vegetables are tender. Squeeze garlic cloves out of their skin and add to saucepan. Scrape the flesh from the squash and add to contents of saucepan.  Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth.  Add chicken stock if required.  Puree until smooth.  Add remaining stock and seasonings. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in yogurt.  Serve hot.

Vegetarian Variation: Substitute vegetable stock for chicken stock

I’m always on the lookout for new recipes to try.  A few months back, I came across a recipe for Cinnamon Rolls which I saved for a special occasion.  I’m gluten-free and the recipe wasn’t so the recipe was tucked away for the day when inspiration struck.  That day was last Friday.  It was a glorious fall day and I walked to the grocery store and while I was there, decided to pick up ingredients to make the cinnamon rolls.  I was pretty sure I had everything I needed already but since I was in the mood to make them, I wanted to make sure I wasn’t left without a key ingredient (namely… cinnamon!).  Goodies in hand, I headed back home and whipped up a batch for my honeyman.  Oddly enough, no sooner had they come out of the oven, than the door opens and honeyman walks in with his daughter and they are shocked by the surprise of the tasty treat.  It seems they were talking about cinnamon rolls on the way home and saying how they haven’t had any in a long time.  Wonder if their conversation happened around the time I started picking out ingredients at the grocery store.  Their mouths were full so I never got a chance to find out!  This recipe is courtesy of Mary Wigmore Reynolds.

Cinnamon Rolls

Dough:
4½ – 5 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour, divided, plus more for rolling out
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup milk
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
vegetable oil for your bowl and cake pan

Filling:
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces

For the dough:
In the bowl of the electric mixer with paddle attachment, mix 2 cups flour with the yeast. In a small saucepan over medium heat stirring constantly warm the milk, butter, sugar and salt until butter is just melted. With the mixer on low, slowly add the milk mixture into the flour and yeast mixture. Add the eggs one at a time. Beat on high for 3 minutes. Replace the paddle with a dough hook and knead in 2½ cups flour for about 4 minutes. You don’t want dough to be too sticky so add more flour if necessary until it’s smooth.

Shape the dough into a ball. Place the dough in a greased bowl and turn it over once. Cover with a clean cloth and let it rise! This usually takes about an hour to an hour and half. Then punch it down (be nice!) and place on a lightly floured surface, cover with a clean cloth and let it rest for 10 minutes.

NOW FOR THE FILLING!
Combine brown sugar, flour and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Cut in cold butter and mix until crumbly. Set aside.

To finish:
Roll the dough into a 12″ square. Evenly sprinkle over filling. Roll dough into a log and pinch the edges to seal. Slice log into 12-14 rolls. Arrange in a greased round cake pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise for an hour or so until nearly doubled in size (or refrigerate for up to a day but let it sit out for 20-30 minutes before baking).

Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes or until light brown. Cool for 10 minutes then invert onto a large round serving dish! Eat them all!

I’m the first to admit that I do not have a well equipped kitchen.  Having never been married, I missed out on the 12 toasters that is the obligatory wedding gift so I’ve had to slowly stock my own kitchen.  As I’ve only had my own grown up home for the past three years, my kitchen equipment tends to be a regular smorgasboard of mismatched pots and pans handed down from my family.

I have only one new frying pan and one new electric skillet.  Everything else has been handed down with love and I’m grateful for the memories of each piece.

I’ll admit, though, as much as I love my eclectic and accidental kitchen, there are days I dream of a large, well equipped kitchen, full of the finest equipment designed to bring my accidental chef creations to life.

My well equipped kitchen would include:

Basic Kitchen Utensils:  Things like mixing bowls, measuring cups and spoons, a whisk, a paring knife, a quality knife set, a potato ricer, wooden spoons, at least two vegetable peelers (because you never know when your sister-in-law will help out in the kitchen), a can opener, wooden spoons and rubber spatulas, and a nutcracker (an item I currently don’t own!)

Appliances:  I’m well stocked in this department with a high speed blender, a hand mixer, a four slice toaster, and a food processor.

Pots & pans: Stainless steel 1-quart and 3-quart pots, a few frying pans, and a slow cooker (mine is a hand me down and I LOVE it!)

Bakeware: Cake pans, muffin pans, lasagna pan, cookie sheets, a pie pan and of course a rolling pin.

You can find a detailed list of my well equipped dream kitchen in my new eBook cookbook “Aunt Annie’s Award Winning Recipes“

As featured in the Healthy Salad Dressings ebook compiled by Deborah Carraro

This creamy, filling dressing is delicious and much healthier than the old version, and has helped keep my family and friends RAW! A tasty treat for special occasions.

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup raw, organic tahini
2-4 Tablespoons cold-pressed, organic flax/hemp or olive oil (optional) OR mashed Avocado
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 inch ginger, grated, optional for added zest!
Celtic sea salt, Nama Shoyu or olives to taste for newbies OR powdered dulse and kelp for black belt Raw Fooders

Blend, stir or shake until mixed.  Use immediately, or store in an air-tight jar for 3 days.  Garnish with a pinch of ground flax seeds for a ‘parmesan cheese’ effect if desired.  Serve with a generous helping of bliss!  Enjoy!