Pumpkin Apple Baked Beans

I know you're all probably sick of pumpkin-everything recipes by now. But will you indulge me in one last pumpkin-hurrah? Pretty please? It's worth it, I promise. 

And this one is a wonderful way to use up any pumpkin flesh left-over from carving your Halloween pumpkins.

I've been re-inspired by bean recipes lately because of a wonderful new cookbook by Kathy Hester, The Great Vegan Bean Book, which is packed with tips, and inspiring recipes, some of which take beans to a whole new level. Like the black bean fudgesicles, the triple lentil soup with wheat berries, and the coconut pecan blondies (using white beans)... to name a few. Can't wait to try these all.

I had heard of making apple cider baked beans before and always wanted to try it out. I decided that adding pumpkin to the recipe might give it an added seasonal flavor kick. I was not mistaken with this one. You can use sweet or hard cider, but so far, I've just made them with sweet apple cider. And the combo of cider, chopped pumpkin and apple, topped with a generous hunk of butter gives these baked beans a wonderfully warm and sweet autumnal flavor. When I took the photos, I thought the beans were ready to eat, but then I decided to give them another hour on the stovetop and that's when the magic really happened. They thickened right up and the flavors completely melded together. I thought I would have lots for leftovers the next day but they got gobbled up all in one meal!

Enjoy this one! Get the recipe by clicking here.

'Paleo' Pumpkin Caramels

Ah Halloween. The season of sugar. My nemesis. I'm always in search of healthier desserts so I can indulge my sweet tooth without feeding my sugar addiction too much, especially at this time of year. And I wanted to make a healthier version of these salted pumpkin caramels, featured in my last video recipe.




As you can see in that video, those caramels do require a small mountain of sugar. They're amazing, don't get me wrong, but I wanted to come up with a naturally sweetened, healthier version. And I had a hunch some of you out there might dig it. 

So I played around a little and came up with this recipe which is pretty darn delicious and totally simple. It's essentially made with only 3 ingredients: pumpkin, honey, and coconut oil. Mmmm. Happy Halloween!

'PALEO' PUMPKIN CARAMELS

1 cup pumpkin purée
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup coconut oil
Optional but recommended: 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves)  half of one vanilla bean, 1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds, dash of good quality salt

In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan, simmer the pumpkin purée, honey, spices, and scraped vanilla bean seeds on medium-low heat for about 20 to 30 minutes or until very thick (about the consistency of mashed potatoes). Be sure to stir the mixture frequently as it cooks, particularly once it thickens as it can stick to the bottom of the pot. 

Once it has thickened considerably, remove from heat and add the coconut oil. Mix together until the coconut oil melts. Blend with a hand blender (or whisk vigorously by hand) until smooth and thick. 

Line a 9 x 5 loaf pan with oiled parchment paper (leaving an overhang on either side for easy removal) and spoon or pour the hot pumpkin mixture into the pan. Smooth the top with a spatula and sprinkle with the toasted pumpkin seeds until the top is evenly covered. 

Refrigerate for at least an hour. Remove the solid rectangle from the pan by pulling the edges of the parchment paper, and invert it onto a cutting board, pumpkin seeds facing down. Slice into squares. (If you have trouble slicing them cleanly, place in the freezer for an additional 15 minutes before slicing). If you wish, sprinkle a little salt on top of the caramels. Store in the fridge until ready to eat.

(A final note: the pumpkin can be replaced by winter squash such as buttercup, butternut, or delicata. The drier the flesh of the squash or pumpkin, the less time you'll have to cook it with the honey to get it to the right consistency - I find cutting any squash or pumpkin in half and baking it cut-side down on the pan until soft, then letting it cool cut-side side up yields the best results and a nice firm squash or pumpkin purée)

Parsley Almond Pesto on Angel Hair Pasta with Roasted Squash

First of all. Thank you so much for the kinds words I received from so many of you after my last post. Your response really moved me and lifted my spirits. I especially appreciate the encouragement because sometimes I find it difficult to write about the things that matter the most to me. When I mentioned to a friend that I wanted to write about what happened in Elsipogtog but found it hard to find the right words to do so, she told me to write from the heart. Not always an easy thing to do, but I'd like for this blog to be a place where I can dig a little deeper, and write from the heart more often. So thank you for encouraging me to do that.

And right now, my heart is telling me to tell you about parsley almond pesto. On angel hair pasta. With roasted squash. Because while the basil in your garden may have passed its heyday, parsley is just getting its groove on and looking mighty fine around these parts, and hopefully where you live as well.

I actually like this pesto better than basil pesto. I know. Blasphemy. But it's true. There's just something about parsley, it tastes so fresh and vibrant and it's such a hardy little plant that can withstand such cold temperatures. And did you know it contains three times the Vitamin C as oranges and twice as much iron as spinach? It makes a pesto that aside from  bursting with flavour, packs a real nutrient punch.

Top it with some seasonal roasted squash (whichever one you've got handy will do), and you've got yourself a meal.

I recommend angel hair pasta because I find it's the best way to highlight a good pesto. This is a brand I often like to use. The pesto should be applied generously and coat every delicate noodle so it maximizes the flavour. Do be careful not to overcook angel hair pasta though, it cooks in about 2 to 3 seconds flat! 

This pesto uses almonds, but feel free to use walnuts, pine nuts, or whatever you fancy. You can use either flat leaf or curly parsley. Enjoy! And click here for the recipe.