How Sweet Eats Winter Rice Bowls {A Hearty Vegetarian Main Dish}

 If you're craving some healthy comfort food, this is it! A wintery vegetarian bowl of jasmine rice, kale, roasted sweet potato rounds and sliced Brussels sprouts, with cannellini beans, topped with crispy fried shallots and pomegranate seeds. Let me tell you it is stunning in person - like eating a bowl of jewels. The colors really pop.

I also love the all the textures with the massaged kale, crispy Brussels and fried shallots, the big savory slices of sweet potato with the sweet pop of the pomegranate seeds. Not to mention, the beans really round the meal out making it very satisfying. This bowl of wintery goodness is a flavor and texture explosion that is sure to please everyone. I will be making this one again!

Winter Rice Bowls

Adapted from The Pretty Dish

by Jessica Merchant

1 large sweet potato, sliced into 1/4" rounds

1/2 pound Brussels sprouts, stems removed, sliced

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/2 teaspoon + a pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon + a pinch of black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

3 cups chopped green curly kale

2 cups cooked jasmine rice

1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup pomegranate arils

Crispy Shallots

vegetable or canola oil

2 large shallots, sliced

2/3 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Before you begin the recipe you should have 2 cups cooked jasmine rice. If you do not, go ahead and cook the jasmine rice prior to starting on everything else as you need time for the jasmine rice to dry out and fluff up.

Preheat the oven to 400F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. On 1 sheet, place the sweet potato rounds. On the other sheet, place the sliced Brussels sprouts. Drizzle both the potato and sprouts with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper and the garlic powder. Roast for 15 minutes, tossing, then continue to roast until veggies are golden brown and cooked through. The amount of time will vary - but mine cooked about 15 minutes, then 5 more minutes. She allots 30 minutes in the recipe. It will depend on how big your potato and sprouts are.

While the vegetables are roasting, toss the kale with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and pinch of salt and pepper. Massage the oil into the kale. The kale should reduce in size by about half once it is massaged well enough.

In a large bowl, toss together the rice, cannellini beans, and kale. Add in the Brussels sprouts and potato rounds. Be careful how you toss the veggies or you will break up the potato rounds.

To Make The Crispy Shallots: In a medium saucepan, heat about 2" oil over medium-low heat. You want the oil to reach about 350F, but after a few minutes of heating, I'll test it out by throwing a shallot slice in. While the oil is heating, in a small bowl, stir together the flour, salt, paprika, garlic powder, and pepper. Dredge the shallot slices in the flour mixture. Add them in batches to the oil. Fry until just golden and crispy, then remove with tongs or a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to drain excess grease. Repeat with remaining shallot slices.

To Plate The Bowls: Put the rice and vegetable mixture into bowls and reheat if necessary, or desired. Top the rice bowl with the crispy shallots and gently toss. Top with a sprinkling of pomegranate arils and serve!

For The World! @ I Heart Cooking Clubs!

Ina Garten's Roasted Vegetable Soup with Brioche Croutons

 

Dear Ina,

You published this recipe, and aired it on your cooking show, back in 2002. I have been wanting to make this soup recipe ever since then. Twenty-two years, Ina. It's not like I haven't been busy cooking away in my kitchen because I truly have. 

The problem is, there is just isn't enough time for all the recipes.

Something I wonder about all the time. How do cookbook authors and celebrities, such as yourself, have the time to try so many recipes? Do you cook and try new recipes all day every day? Morning to night? Do you ever sleep?

I'd really love to know the secret because I'm turning 50 next year and I need to figure out how to jam pack thousands of recipes in to the second half of my life. 

I happened to have all the ingredients for this soup on hand: carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash. I set about roasting all the veggies, then followed your directions to blend them in a blender with some chicken stock. I returned the mixture to a dutch oven, adding chicken broth and bringing to a slow boil.

I plated some in a bowl with some leftover roasted veggies, the brioche croutons, and some parsley. I decided to top with a little Parmesan cheese. It looks very festive and seasonal and was really warming and comforting. We enjoyed it with some added spice, sprinkling and stirring in some cayenne pepper to really warm the soul. Happy to finally try it!

Hoping for answers to my above questions,

Kim 

Roasted Vegetable Soup with Brioche Croutons

Adapted from Food Network

by Ina Garten

Serves 4-6

3 to 4 cups chicken stock

1 quart Roasted Winter Vegetables

salt and black pepper

Brioche Croutons

olive oil

Roasted Winter Vegetables

1 pound carrots, peeled

1 pound parsnips, peeled

1 large sweet potato, peeled

1 small butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled and seeded

3 tablespoons olive oil

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Brioche Croutons

6 ounces brioche or Challah

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

For the Roasted Veggies:  Preheat the oven to 425F. Cut the carrots, parsnips, sweet potato, and butternut squash in 1 to 1-1/4" cubes. All the vegetables will shrink while roasting, so don't cut them too small. Place all the cut vegetables in a single layer on 2 baking sheets. Drizzle them with olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss well. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender, turning once with a metal spatula. Sprinkle with parsley, season to taste, and serve hot. 

For the Brioche Croutons: Slice the bread about 3/4" thick. Cut off the crusts and then cut the slices in 3/4" dice. You should have 3 to 4 cups of croutons. Place the croutons on a sheet pan and toss them with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for 5-6 minutes, checking periodically, until they're nicely browned on all sides. Cool to room temperature before using and store in a sealed plastic bag.

For the Soup: In a large saucepan, heat 3 cups of chicken stock. Coarsely puree the Roasted Winter Vegetables and the chicken stock in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Pour the soup back into the pot and season, to taste. Thin with more chicken stock and reheat. The soup should be thick but not like a vegetable puree, so add more chicken stock and/or water until it's the consistency you like. Serve with Brioche Croutons, a sprinkle of parsley, and a good drizzle of olive oil. 

 

November Potluck @ IHCC

Giada's Grilled Lamb Chops

 My son had a lamb dish at a restaurant and kept talking about it over and over so I decided to try my hand at grilling lamb chops. 

I chose Giada's recipe for Grilled Lamp Chops because I had just harvest all my herbs and have been trying to use them up. This recipe was so simple. You make a paste with garlic, rosemary, thyme, cayenne, salt, and olive oil. Then you marinate the chops in that paste for an hour. After marinading the chops, you allow them to come to room temperature and then you grill them for just 2 or 3 minutes per side.

This couldn't be any easier. The paste really flavors up the chops and they are tender. juicy, and succulent! We really enjoyed these!

Grilled Lamp Chops

Adapted from Food Network

by Giada De Laurentiis

Serves 4

2 large garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

pinch cayenne pepper

coarse sea salt

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

6 lamp chops, about 3/4" thick

In a food processor, or mortar and pestle, add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, cayenne, and salt. Pulse until combined. Pour in the olive oil and pulse into a paste. Alternatively, grind with a mortar and pestle until you have a paste. Rub the paste on both sides of the lamb chops and let them marinate for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator. Remove from refrigerator and allow the chops to come to room temperature; it will take about 20 minutes.

Heat a grill pan over high heat until almost smoking, add the chops and sear for about 2 minutes. Flip the chops over and cook for another 3 minutes for medium-rare and 3-1/2 minutes for medium. 

Simple Is Best @ I Heart Cooking Clubs!
 

Celebrating Fall Equinox: One Pot Fall Vegetable Orzo and Chickpeas!

People tend to assume that I spend a lot of money on groceries. I always laugh at that, because they couldn't be more wrong! 

If anything I spend less since nearly EVERYTHING I make is from scratch! I think people who cook a lot tend to spend less on the average for that reason. Frozen foods and packaged foods are convenience foods and those will cost you big time.

Let's take this dish, for example, One Pot Fall Vegetable Orzo and Chickpeas. It calls for orzo pasta, spinach or kale, butternut squash, Parmesan cheese, broth, onion, garlic, and fresh herbs.

I could go to the store and buy pre-washed and packaged greens, packages of cubed up butternut squash, canned or boxed broth, and two kinds of herbs. All of that adds up, you're talking $15-20 just on those ingredients alone. However, I bought spinach from the produce section that I wash, dry, and chop myself. A container of already pre-washed spinach costs $3.99, mine was $1.69. A package of cubed up butternut squash yields about 2 cups for $4.99, but I bought an entire butternut squash for $4.19 and got 6 cups of squash when it was all said and done. Broth costs anywhere from $2-3 boxed up in the store, but I make mine with leftover chicken bones and vegetable peels, pretty much for free. I have chives, basil, oregano, thyme, sage, and parsley growing in abundance in my backyard that I grew from seeds for minimal costs and they save me money every week.

Moral of the story: Grow your own and also, do it yourself! Stay away from the pre-packaged stuff that you think saves you time because in the end it costs more and you get less. Plus, it's not that hard to just do it yourself! 

This was a fun dish to make. I enjoyed washing, cutting, and prepping all the veggies. I love the orange and green pops of color in the orzo and the ease of a one pot dish. Plus, this makes a ton of orzo! We had it for dinner and then I had enough for four lunches throughout the week! It was cheesy and comforting and so pretty and satisfying. I can definitely see myself making it again this fall!

One Pot Fall Vegetable Orzo and Chickpeas

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

by Jessica Merchant

Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 sweet onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups cubed butternut squash, 1/2" to 1" cubes

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, chopped*

2 cups kale or spinach*

salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 cup orzo

1 (14 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2-1/2 cups vegetable stock

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

fresh herbs, such as parsley, chives, sage, thyme, etc. for topping

Note: I left out the cremini mushrooms because we aren't big mushroom fans. I used spinach instead of kale because the spinach just looked better.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in the onions and garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir in the butternut squash with another pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until the squash is beginning to get tender.

Stir in the mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes, until soft. Stir in the kale or spinach, cooking for another few minutes until it wilts. Stir in the nutmeg and if you think it needs it, another pinch or two of salt and pepper.

Stir in the dry orzo pasta. Stir in the chickpeas. Pour in the vegetable stock and let the mixture come to a boil. Reduce it to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 15 minutes, until the orzo absorbs the stock and is plumped up. If the orzo isn't finished, cook for a few minutes more. The mixture still might be wet. If it seems too wet and the orzo is fully cooked, cook it for 5 minutes, stirring often, with the lid off.

Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Top with fresh herbs and serve! 

Fall Equinox @ I Heart Cooking Clubs!
 

Ina Garten's Zucchini Flower and Leek Frittata {A Thing of Beauty}

I am my Lost Kitchen Era, where I am obsessed with Erin French's The Lost Kitchen show, restaurant, food, plating, and all the edible flowers she uses to garnish her dishes! I love how Erin goes to the local farms and is inspired by what is in season to make beautiful dishes. 

I wanted to create a Lost Kitchen dish in my own kitchen, so I went to the Lexington, Kentucky Farmers Market and I found zucchini flowers! I was so excited because I had never cooked with zucchini flowers before.

So I turned to the one and only queen, Ina Garten and I found her recipe for Zucchini and Leek Fritatta. This was a major win as it allows me to really channel the whole edible flowers vibe of The Lost Kitchen.

I searched the market for the rest of the ingredients needed: pancetta, leeks, baby zucchini, fresh thyme, eggs, half and half, Gruyere, and fresh basil. This added up to be a pricier dish than most recipes I cook, but that's ok, because as I shared above, I'm in my Lost Kitchen Era and I have a major need to cook with edible flowers.

This was more laborious than most dishes, with a lot of prep, as I had to clean the zucchini flowers, removing the stamen, and dry them. I had to cut and wash the leeks, which was a rather sandy and dirty task.I had to cut and wash the basil, the thyme, the zucchini. Cut and cook the bacon. Shred the cheese. Crack and beat 8 eggs. Cook the frittata filling. It was more involved than your regular everyday frittata, but no worries, this was THE FRITTATA to end all fritattas! It was going to be adorned with the most beautiful zucchini flowers. Doesn't it look gorgeous going into the oven?

Doesn't it look gorgeous coming out of the oven? I mean wow...It's stunning! Ina says to allow the frittata to cool for five minutes and then cut into it. I am dying to see how it all tastes.

The frittata slices perfectly and each person gets their own zucchini flower with their portion, how brilliant! The frittata is brimming with zucchini, zucchini flowers, bacon, leeks, and my favorite...Gruyere cheese. I love all these ingredients so much!

I go to take a long awaited bite and the zucchini flower is soft and baked into the frittata. It is an odd texture, soft and hard to cut into, the whole flower wants to stay together. Something about the flavor and texture is not appealing. I push the flower off and take a bite of the egg and filling, the flavors are too strong and overpowering. I take another bite and something here is just not working. I keep taking bites because I love all the ingredients, it appears to have baked up perfectly, and Ina Garten has never let me down, but the dish just didn't work for me. I am, however, very happy to have made the dish and finally get a chance to work with zucchini flowers. I like to try new things even if they don't work out. I do have another zucchini flower recipes up my sleeve, so stay tuned for that. The verdict is still out!

 Seasonal and Local Produce @ IHCC

 

How Sweet Eat's Lemon Butter Chicken {My New Favorite}!

 Over time, my favorite dishes have become the recipes with only a handful of ingredients, like this one: chicken, flour, oil, butter, lemon juice and slices, garlic, fresh herbs, and salt and pepper.

NOTE: This is a lemon-forward dish. The lemon isn't overpowering, but it is there, so if lemon isn't your thing than skip this, but if lemon is you're thing then.. Newsflash: THIS CHICKEN IS SO SO TENDER! In fact, How Sweet Eats mentions "This is easily my most-made recipe of the last ten years."

That's saying something, isn't it?

After making this dish and pretty much inhaling it, I can certainly see why it's one of anyone's most-made recipes! The chicken is extremely tender! And the lemon butter sauce is so flavorful. Not to mention, the dish is really easy and quick to put together.

I served the chicken with some pasta to round out the meal, but you could also serve this with rice and/or any green veggies.

This recipe is one of my favorite recipes of the year so far! I will be making it on repeat in my kitchen!

Lemon Butter Chicken

Adapted from Everyday Dinners

by Jessica Merchant

Serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced in half lengthwise

salt and pepper, to taste

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons butter 

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 lemon, thinly sliced

1 lemon, juiced (1/4 cup lemon juice)

chopped fresh herbs (parsley, oregano, or thyme for serving)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Pound the chicken breasts with a meat tenderizer until they are the same thickness. Season them on both sides with 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the pan.

Take each chicken breast and dredge it through the flour, making sure it's completely covered but shaking off any excess. Place it in the pan and repeat with the other chicken breasts, cooking for 3 to 4 minutes total, 2 minutes each side. This might have to be done in batches. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish and repeat with any remaining chicken, using the remaining olive oil as necessary.

Once the chicken is out of the pan, keep the skillet over medium-low heat and add the butter. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the lemon slices and lemon juice. Cook for 2-3 minutes, flipping the lemons in the pan. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Pour the lemon butter mixture over the chicken in the baking dish.

Bake for 15 -20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165F. Remove the chicken from the oven and sprinkle with fresh herbs. Serve immediately. 

Shop Your Fridge @ IHCC

Michael Symon's Shrimp with Pineapple Glaze

 
Symon said this Shrimp with Pineapple Glaze was one of his favorite summertime grilling recipes so I wanted to give it a go. 

The pineapple glaze consisted of pineapple juice, sherry vinegar, brown sugar, jalapeno, ginger, crushed garlic, toasted coriander and cumin seeds. I was a little worried the pineapple glaze would be too sweet, but it was actually on the mild side, both sweet and smoky.

We enjoyed it, but I'm not sure I'd make it again. It's hard to beat a good buttery garlic shrimp!

Shrimp with Pineapple Glaze

Michael Symon's 5 in 5 

by Michael Symon

Serves 4-6

1 cup pineapple juice

1/4 cup sherry vinegar

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 jalapeno (split lengthwise)

1 garlic cloves, smashed

1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger

1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground

1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground

24 medium shrimp (about 1 pound) shelled and deveined 

salt and pepper

1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for the pan

Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.

Put a nonreactive large saucepan over high heat and add the pineapple juice, vinegar, brown sugar, jalapeno, garlic, ginger, coriander and cumin. Bring the mixture to a boil and allow to reduce until thickened while the shrimp is cooking, about 4 minutes.

Thread 3 shrimp onto each of 8 skewers (if wooden, soak in water about an hour before), season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Put the skewers on the grill, cover, and cook until the shrimp turn pink, about 2 minutes per side (I found that this took less time than the recipe called for).

Remove the shrimp from the grill and put them on a platter. Strain the pineapple glaze into a bowl, brush it on both sides of the shrimp, and serve.

Light & Easy @  IHCC

Michael Symon's Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

 

 I've been wanting to try my hand at making Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce for years, but I don't grill often and my son is allergic to nuts, so it makes things difficult.

Today, however, I had all the ingredients and my son was at work so I thought the timing was just right. I got my new cast iron grill pan out and whipped up the peanut sauce: peanut butter, orange zest, orange juice, soy sauce, olive oil, and a jalapeno. 

I cut up the chicken thighs into halves and marinaded them in the peanut sauce for a little while before threading them onto skewers. Grilled them on one side for 3 minutes, then the other side for about 3 minutes and it was done! Easy and peasy oh so delicious!

This is a perfect recipe for this time of year, whether you like to grill indoors or outdoors. It's light and flavorful and quite healthy!

This version uses only about 5 ingredients, but I can see spicing things up with some red pepper flakes or spicy peppers. I liked serving the chicken on some warm and fluffy naan bread, but you could also serve it with veggies and rice.

 

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

Adapted from Michael Symon's 5 in 5

by Michael Symon

Serves 6-8

 2 tablespoons peanut butter

grated zest and juice of 2 oranges

1 jalapeno, minced

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup olive oil

8 (4-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, halved*

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves, if desired

*Notes: I had a little over 2 pounds of chicken thighs and there was plenty of marinade to go around.

Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, orange zest and juice, jalapeno, soy sauce and olive oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with half of the peanut sauce, mixing well to coat the meat.

Thread 2 pieces of chicken onto each of 8 skewers. Put the skewers on the grill, cover, and cook for 3 minutes. Flip the meat, cover, and cook until the meat is well caramelized, about 2 minutes.

Remove the skewers from the grill and put them on a platter. Drizzle with the remaining peanut sauce and top with the cilantro and jalapeno, if you wish. Serve immediately. 

Five Ingredients @ I Heart Cooking Clubs

Ina Garten's Broccoli and Bowties

 

I remember when Ina made this Broccoli and Bowties dish on her cooking show way back in the aughts. Gosh, that was a long time ago. Ina was about 20 years younger and so was I. 

I put this dish on my "to-make list" and then proceeded not to make it for about 20 years. Such is life! 

Back then my "to-make list" felt 20,000 pages, it was quite literally ever-ending. In fact, I used to have nightmares that someone was trying to kill me and in my dream I would be thinking, "wait, you can't kill me yet...I have too many recipes I want to cook first."

Now it's years later, I've shared over a thousand recipes on this blog, and I still feel that way. I still have a million recipes I'd like to make and there is just simply not enough time, especially lately.

I'm going on my 12th week of being quite sick and eating a limited diet. However, I do miss cooking and my husband is a pasta and broccoli lover, so I thought this was the perfect easy peasy dish for me to make him.

Ina likes her broccoli to be firm-tender in this dish, but my husband likes his broccoli a little softer. This is why if you've seen Ina's version her dish looks quite different than mine. My version looks green because the broccoli cooks longer, breaking up, and creating more of a sauce with the Parmesan, butter, oil, and garlic. My husband prefers my version of this dish because the broccoli seems to go further and becomes saucier and is just more broccolier! Look at me creating new words! Either way you make it, this dish is a winner and perfect for this time of year.

Broccoli and Bowties

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Family Style

by Ina Garten

Serves 6-8

8 cups broccoli florets

salt

1/2 pound farfalle (bowtie) pasta

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

zest of 1 lemon

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup toasted pignoli (pine) nuts

freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Cook the broccoli for 3 minutes in a large pot of boiling salted water. Remove the broccoli from the water with a slotted spoon or sieve. Place in a large bowl and set aside.

In the same water, cook the bowtie pasta according to the package directions, about 12 minutes. Drain well and add to the broccoli.

Meanwhile, in a small saute pan, heat the butter and the oil and cook the garlic and lemon zest over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Off the heat, add 2 teaspoons salt, the pepper, and lemon juice and pour this over the broccoli and pasta. Toss well. Season to taste, sprinkle with the pignolis and cheese, if using and serve.

Ingredients You Love @ I Heart Cooking Clubs

Hot Honey Roasted Salmon

 This is such a fun and easy recipe! If you want to hop on the hot honey trend, this is a good way to do it. You don't need to buy any hot honey because you're gonna make it yourself! And...it's easy peasy. Just honey and thinly sliced jalapeno that simmers for about 5 minutes on the stove-top and you're all set. The honey gets a little spicy and the jalapeno slices get all candied and all kinds of delicious.

 The salmon gets seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and lemon slices, then topped with the hot honey before getting roasted and after. It's the perfect mix of sweet and spicy and those candied jalapenos are tasty as ever.

Give this one a try if you're in the mood to shake things up!

 

Hot Honey Roasted Salmon

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

by Jessica Merchant

Serves 4

1/2 cup honey

1 jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced

1 (2 pound) salmon filet

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 lemon, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment. 

Heat the honey and the jalapeno in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Let the honey come to a light simmer then turn off the honey. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Strain the honey through a fine mesh sieve to remove the peppers and the seeds.

Place your salmon filet on the foil and sprinkle it with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Spoon a few tablespoons of the honey on top. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork.

Before serving, drizzle a bit more honey on the salmon and add the peppers if you wish. Serve with an extra spritz of lemon.

 

Maple Brown Sugar Applesauce

 
If you're spending a lazy day at home, there is nothing like the smell of homemade applesauce bubbling away on the stove. The scent of fresh apple mingling with the caramel notes of brown sugar and maple syrup is so comforting.

This is an autumn-spiced applesauce with a good dose of cinnamon, clove, ginger, and nutmeg. It's perfect for enjoying all on it's own, with oatmeal, or even with vanilla ice cream and/or yogurt for dessert! 

Maple Brown Sugar Applesauce

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

Serves 4-6

4-6 apples, chopped

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/8 - 1/4 cup maple syrup*

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of ground cloves

pinch of ground ginger

pinch of nutmeg

vanilla ice cream, if you wish

Notes: I used 6 mini Honeycrisp apples for this, but feel free to use any apple you like. I also decreased the amount of maple syrup by half, but feel free to use the whole 1/4 cup, if you like!

Add chopped apples to a pot and just cover with water. Add sugar, syrup, lemon zest, vanilla and spices and bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered until apples are mushy, about 45-60 minutes. Add more water if needed. Turn off heat and mash apples. Serve as is or with vanilla ice cream.

 Comfort Food @ IHCC

Quick and Easy Maple Turkey Chili

 Have you ever put maple syrup in your chili? I hadn't and guess what? Turns out I had been missing out because the maple syrup adds a depth of sweetness that pairs very well with the savory smokiness of chili! 

Trust me, we loved it! Plus, this is the perfect chili to top your baked sweet potatoes with because the sweetness of the sweet potatoes pair perfectly with the sweetness of the chili!

If you're in the mood for a quick weeknight chili with a touch of sweetness, give this a try! I would definitely make it again!

Quick and Easy Maple Turkey Chili

Recipe adapted from How Sweet Eats

by Jessica Merchant

Makes 4

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt and  pepper

1 pound lean ground turkey

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 (14-ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes

1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 to 3/4 cups chicken stock

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions, peppers and garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add in the ground turkey and another pinch of salt and pepper. Break it apart with wooden spoon and brown it, about 6 to 8 minutes. Once the meat is browned, add in the chili powder, paprika, oregano, cumin and red pepper flakes. Stir and cook for 2 minutes.

Add in the tomatoes, beans, stock, and maple syrup. Bring the mixture to a b oil then reduce it to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips, avocado, sour cream or whatever you love on your chili! 

Chili Cook Off @ I Heart Cooking Clubs+