fall Archives - Alida's Kitchen

Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup #SundaySupper

September 22, 2013 ·

Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup is smooth, creamy and a little spicy! This delicious and health soup is easy to make and pure comfort food.

Since today is officially the first day of Fall, the Sunday Supper theme for this week is “Fall Foods.” I had several ideas for this one, but after making Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup, it was the obvious choice to celebrate the season. A warm soup made with sweet potatoes, that is smooth and creamy, is perfect comfort food for when the temperatures start to get cooler. A little spice from the chipotle chile adds just enough heat and depth to make it interesting. Made as-is, this Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup is vegan and gluten free….

Filed Under: gluten free, healthy, kid-friendly, Recipes, soup, vegan, vegetarian Tagged With: chipotle, dinner, easy, fall, sweet potato, vegetable

healthy skinny pumpkin pie without crust

Crustless Pumpkin Pie

November 8, 2011 ·

Crustless Pumpkin Pie is a delicious, pumpkin pie made a little healthier without the crust. This is always a favorite dessert and is a lighter, healthier alternative to a traditional pie. A must-make for the holidays!

Usually by the time Thanksgiving rolls around, I have made at least 6 pumpkin pies…and enjoyed them immensely, of course. Now, before you think I’m some crust-making machine, I must confess to you that my pumpkin pies are made without crust. This Crustless Pumpkin Pie is a recipe that I found years ago, and frankly it is pure genius. By eliminating the extra step of making crust and the excess fat and calories that come with the crust, you are left with a simple, delicious and “skinny” pumpkin pie!

This pie is so good and very easy to make. In fact, this is so easy to make, the first time I made it I put everything (minus the topping) in a blender. It turned out great! These days, I don’t have a blender, and I’m a little more cautious when baking.

Made with pumpkin and skim milk, you are left with a healthier alternative to your traditional pumpkin pie. It is no wonder that once pumpkin season hits, I have this pie in the fridge all the time. I have tweaked the recipe over the years to what it is today, and Mike and I are in pie-heaven all fall/winter long.

Crustless Pumpkin Pie

Yields: 8 servings

Ingredients

Brown Sugar Topping

¼ cup brown sugar, packed
¼ cup rolled oats
1 tablespoon light butter, softened (I use Smart Balance light, from a tub)
¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Pie

1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated skim milk
2 eggs (or 3 egg whites)
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
½ teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray and set aside.
Prepare Brown Sugar Topping: mix oats, brown sugar, oats and cinnamon until combined. (I have found that, while messy, using my fingers to mix the topping works best). Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs and sugar until combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and spices. Add to pumpkin mixture and gently fold until incorporated.
Pour pumpkin mixture into prepared pie plate. Sprinkle Brown Sugar Topping over the top. Bake for 50-55 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes, and then move to refrigerator for at least 4 hours to overnight.

Adapted from Betty Crocker

Filed Under: dessert, Featured, healthy, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: brunch, crustless, easy, fall, holiday, pie, pumpkin

Apple Cheddar Frittata

November 1, 2011 ·

Since last week ended up being pumpkin week, I thought it would be fun to give a nod to another fall classic this week – the apple. I enjoy an apple for lunch nearly every day and love using them in new recipes. This Apple Cheddar Frittata was new to us and will definitely be making a recurring appearance. The sweetness of the apple pairs beautifully with the sharp cheddar and the red onion balances nicely with the two.

Mike told me this is the best frittata I have made yet, though I’m noticing a trend. He seems to say ‘this is the best yet’ with everything I make. Hmm… 🙂

Apple Cheddar Frittata
Yields 4 servings

1 medium red onion, sliced
Cooking spray
8 eggs, plus 2 egg whites
1 cup (4 ounces) white cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon light butter
salt and pepper, to taste
1 large (or 2 small) Gala apples, thinly sliced (peeling is optional)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees with oven rack set to the top third.
In a medium nonstick ovensafe pan sprayed with cooking spray, cook red onions over medium heat until softened (about 7 minutes). Put the onions in a separate bowl and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg whites, 1/2 cup cheese, salt and pepper. Stir in onions.
In the same pan used for the onions, heat butter over medium. Add egg mixture, and after 1 to 2 minutes once the eggs have set, arrange the apples on top in a circular pattern, starting from the outside edge. Sprinkle with remaining.
Transfer skillet to oven. Bake until frittata is set in the center, about 20 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, release frittata from pan and transfer to a cutting board. Let sit for 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Filed Under: gluten free, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: apple, cheddar, cheese, easy, eggs, fall, frittata, onion

Pumpkin Gingerbread

October 28, 2011 ·

Evidently it has unofficially become pumpkin week here at Alida’s Kitchen. I had something else planned for today, but it just seemed fitting to close the week with a new favorite and continue the pumpkin theme. It does not get more seasonally appropriate for fall/winter than pumpkin and gingerbread. This Pumpkin Gingerbread is no exception.

I have not done a lot of baking with crystallized ginger, so it was fun to try something new. It definitely enhanced the flavors in this gingerbread. The original recipe did not call for cloves, but I like my gingerbread a little spicy. I thought the cloves were perfect addition. I love that this is made with whole wheat flour and not a lot of sugar. Healthy, delicious and perfect for the season, this Pumpkin Gingerbread makes a delightful breakfast, brunch or even dessert.

Pumpkin Gingerbread

Yields 16 servings

1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/3 cup chopped crystalized ginger

2 eggs

1 egg white

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup molasses

1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

1 cup pumpkin puree

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8″ square baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside
Combine flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and baking powder in a medium bowl. Stir in crystalized ginger.
Whisk eggs, egg white, oil, molasses and pumpkin in a large bowl.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, folding gently until just combined.
Pour mixture in prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack. Serve topped with crystalized ginger, if desired.

Adapted from prevention.com

Filed Under: bread, breakfast, dessert, healthy, Recipes Tagged With: brown sugar, brunch, fall, pumpkin, whole wheat

Spiced Pumpkin Molasses Muffins

October 17, 2011 ·

I am always looking for new and different recipes for muffins. They are an easy make ahead breakfast that Mike can take on the go, on his way to work or while traveling. They are also easy for me to grab while I’m chasing after Adam, who then insists (very persistently) that I share with him. Pumpkin season seems to be very popular with everybody these days, and our family is no exception. For this muffin, I was looking for something pumpkin, healthy and with a little pizazz. Enter Spiced Pumpkin Molasses Muffins.

These muffins fulfill all of the above requirements and then some. The pumpkin and molasses flavors are nicely balanced, with neither one outshining the other. I topped the muffins with a mix of chopped pepitas, oats and brown sugar, which added some nice texture and visual appeal. The muffins would be delicious without this optional topping, but I highly recommend it. I also highly recommend making these muffins!

Spiced Pumpkin Molasses Muffins

Yields: 12 muffins

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup white whole wheat flour
¼ cup flaxseed meal
¼ cup rolled oats
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
½ cup dark brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
2 eggs
3 tablespoons molasses
¼ cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ pepitas, chopped (optional for garnish)
2 tablespoons rolled oats (optional for garnish)
1 tablespoon brown sugar (optional for garnish)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin cups with liners (or sprady with cooking spray). In a small bowl, mix together chopped pepitas, oats and sugar for garnish, if using. Set aside.
In a bowl, mix together the flours, flax seed meal, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
In another large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, pumpkin puree, yogurt , eggs, molasses, oil, and vanilla until well-blended.
Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture, folding until just combined (do not over mix).
Divide the mixture into the prepared muffin tins, and sprinkle each muffin with the pepitas-oats mixture.
Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes.

Adapted from All Recipes