November 2011 - Alida's Kitchen

Pumpkin Cornbread

November 30, 2011 ·

On Monday, I shared my favorite chili recipe of all time and gave you a preview of today’s post. What goes best with chili – cornbread! As I am sure you have noticed, we are all about pumpkin over here these days. So we put the two together to make Pumpkin Cornbread.

This recipe is super easy to make, and the sweet cornbread was the perfect complement to the spicy chili. The leftovers were a great quick breakfast on the go, while Adam enjoyed it most as a snack in the car after a trip to the zoo. Versatile and delicious, these Pumpkin Cornbread recipe is definitely a keeper.

Pumpkin Cornbread

Yields: 16 servings

Ingredients

1 cup flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup cornmeal
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup canola oil
1 tablespoon molasses

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 8x8" baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, brown sugar and cornmeal; set aside.
In a separate bowl, lightly beat eggs and then stir in the pumpkin, oil and molasses until combined.
Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients and fold until just combined. Pour the batter into the pan (smooth the top, if needed).
Bake 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Slightly Adapted from Sweet Pea’s Kitchen

Filed Under: bread, breakfast, healthy, Recipes Tagged With: baby/toddler, cornbread, easy, pumpkin, quick, snack

Pumpkin Banana Pancakes

November 22, 2011 ·

Here are the Pumpkin Banana Pancakes I alluded to in yesterday’s post. Thankfully I did not lose the eggs and was able to make them. It’s a good thing too. I was excited to try a new spin on an old recipe, and Adam absolutely LOVED them! Similar to Pumpkin Banana Bread, these definitely taste like a cross between pumpkin pancakes and banana pancakes. Not a bad thing if you ask me!

The recipe made around 50 small-ish pancakes. I typically make a huge batch for the freezer and package them in groups of 6 (enough for a few days in each bag). I figured Adam would eat 1 or 2, and I would have the rest to use for pictures during nap time. Well…that morning he ate 4. Then he asked for another one for snack. This left me with 1 pancake for pictures. I couldn’t quite take a picture of just 1 pancake, so I decided to do pictures the next day and took out another 6-pack from the freezer. Of course, what did Adam do the next day? He ate 4 pancakes! I feared having fewer, so I made do with the 3 that remained. I’m just so glad he likes them. I hope you do too!

Pumpkin Banana Pancakes

Ingredients

1¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
2 cups milk (whole, skim, 1%, whatever you like)
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cooking spray

Instructions

In a large bowl, stir and sift flours, baking powder and pumpkin pie spice.
In another bowl, beat eggs with pumpkin, banana and vanilla. Add milk and oil and mix until smooth.
Fold pumpkin mixture into dry ingredients. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat griddle to medium heat and spray with cooking spray.
Drop pancake batter by the generous tablespoonful onto griddle. Cook until bubbles appear (about 2-3 minutes). Flip and cook until set (about 2-3 minutes). Repeat.

Notes

These freeze really well. I store them in a plastic baggie in groups of 6, with each pancake separated by wax paper squares. I then put all of the plastic baggies in a freezer bag.

Filed Under: breakfast, healthy, kid-friendly, Recipes Tagged With: baby/toddler, banana, brunch, pancakes, pumpkin, snack, toddler

Land ‘o Lakes Eggs

November 21, 2011 ·

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program with Land ‘o Lakes, I was the lucky recipient of coupons for 2 dozen free Land ‘o Lakes eggs. We use so many Land ‘o Lakes products, from cottage cheese to light butter to ice cream, I was definitely excited for the opportunity to use their eggs. The Land ‘o Lakes website has a wealth of information about their eggs, including the Egg Essentials Brochure, which details their different types of eggs, as well as their benefits. I chose the Omega 3 eggs. Since I don’t eat any fish, I’m always looking to get my good fats from other sources.

I used the eggs in several recipes, including Cottage Cheese Pancakes, Skinny Pumpkin Pie, Peanut Butter Surprise Muffins, Easy Spinach and Cheese Lasagna, and here are a couple pictures of others that will be posted in the coming weeks. I absolutely love these eggs, but something happened that makes me love Land ‘o Lakes even more.

One night I was making Pumpkin Banana Pancakes. I opened the refrigerator to grab the eggs, and then SMACK! The egg carton slipped out of the fridge and onto the ceramic floor. Oh NO! This happened once before, with a different brand of eggs (full carton, mind you) and I lost them ALL. Now Mike was gone, Adam was asleep, I had partial pancake batter, thought I lost the rest of my eggs, and was dreading the mess. It was 10pm, and I was tired. I reluctantly picked up the carton, looked through the clear packaging, and….I saw only one little crack. Could it be? I opened the carton, picked each one up and indeed…I only lost ONE egg. Whoever created the packaging for the Land ‘o Lakes eggs is pure genius! It saved my eggs from a potential disaster. Premium quality eggs, premium quality packaging, Land ‘o Lakes eggs rock!

Tomorrow I will share with you the recipe for the Pumpkin Banana Pancakes. Adam absolutely LOVED them and so did we!

Filed Under: review Tagged With: product review, tastemaker

Easy Spinach & Cheese Lasagna

November 17, 2011 ·

While working on clearing out the cupboards in advance of our upcoming move, I found myself faced with 3 boxes of lasagna noodles. How did that happen! At least it is something I am happy to use, unlike the random can of soup that I have been avoiding. In lieu of my usual lasagna recipes, which tend to be a bit more labor intensive, I decided to go with something easy and quick to prepare. This Easy Spinach and Cheese Lasagna is exactly that…and so good!

This lasagna is first simplified by not boiling the noodles. I used no-boil noodles, but have used regular noodles in the past and they have worked just fine. Another step is saved by using a good quality pasta sauce from a jar. A from scratch sauce would of course be fabulous, but we’re going for easy here. Mix the filling, layer it up with the sauce and noodles, add water, and pop the pan in the oven. In a little over an hour, you have an easy, healthy, delicious meal. This lasagna makes plenty for serving guests, or you can enjoy some great leftovers!

Easy Spinach and Cheese Lasagna
Yields 6-8 servings

15 ounces low fat ricotta cheese
2 cups part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (divided)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded (divided)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 (16-ounce) bag frozen spinach, thawed, chopped and drained well
3-4 garlic cloves, grated or minced
2 teaspoons Italian herb seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
1 (25-ounce) jar pasta sauce
9 to 12 no-boil uncooked lasagna noodles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9×13 inch non-reactive baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup Paremsan, egg, spinach salt, pepper and Italian herb seasoning.
In another bowl, combine the remaining mozzarella and Paremsan cheese. This is for the topping, so set aside.
Pour 1 cup of pasta sauce in the bottom of the baking pan. Top with a layer of noodles and then a layer of the ricotta-spinach mixture. Repeat with another layer of noodles and ricotta-spinach mixture. Top with remaining sauce and sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Pour 1 cup water around the edges of pan.
Cover very tightly with non-stick foil (or foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray). Bake for 1 1/4 hours. Let stand, uncovered, for 15 minutes before serving.

Adapted from Whole Foods

Filed Under: healthy, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: cheese, easy, entertaining, italian, lasagna, quick, spinach, tomato, vegetable

Layered Pumpkin Loaf

November 15, 2011 ·

Layered Pumpkin Loaf is a delicious and easy recipe for pumpkin bread with a cream cheese swirl in the middle.

For the longest time, Mike and I would get ‘Pumpkin Loaf’ from everybody’s favorite coffee shop (you know, the one with the green logo). While that bread is good, I dare say that I prefer this Layered Pumpkin Loaf. Perhaps it’s the moist and flavorful bread, or perhaps it’s the cream cheese layer resting in the middle. Regardless of the reason, this is just plain good.

I substituted buttermilk for the skim milk in the original recipe, and I added extra cinnamon in addition to the pumpkin pie spice. I also added the chopped pepitas on top. Pepitas are tasty, add some crunch, look pretty, and go perfectly with this bread.

If you will be hosting out of town guests over the holidays, or simply hosting a breakfast/brunch, Layered Pumpkin Loaf would make a lovely addition to your table.

Not sure if you noticed, but I like pumpkin just a little bit. 🙂 This bread is certainly no exception.

Layered Pumpkin Loaf

Yields: 9x5 loaf, approximately 16 servings

Ingredients

1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
½ cup packed brown sugar
4 egg whites, divided
½ cup low fat buttermilk
¼ cup canola oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
2½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt (optional)
1 package (8 ounces) Neufchatel cream cheese (1/3 reduced fat), softened
¼ cup pepitas, chopped (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, stir pumpkin, 1 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, 3 egg whites, buttermilk and oil, until combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Add to pumpkin mixture and fold gently just until moistened.
In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, remaining granulated sugar and remaining egg white until well blended.
Spoon half the pumpkin batter into a 9x5-inch loaf pan sprayed with cooking spray. Spread the cream cheese mixture in a layer over that batter. Top cream cheese layer with remaining pumpkin batter (You will want to spread the top pumpkin layer a little bit with a silicone spatula, but it is ok if a little cream cheese is still visible).
Sprinkle the top layer with chopped pepitas, if desired. It helps to gently pat the pepitas into the batter
Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 5 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Loosen bread from sides of pan; cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan to wire rack; cool completely.

Adapted from Kraft

Filed Under: bread, breakfast, healthy, Recipes Tagged With: brunch, cream cheese, holiday, pepitas, pumpkin, snack, starbucks

Peanut Butter Surprise Muffins

November 10, 2011 ·

It has been far too long since I have made something with peanut butter. I thought these Peanut Butter Surprise Muffins would be a good way to curb any peanut butter withdrawal. You know anything with ‘surprise’ in the title is going to be something special (good or bad I suppose, but I promise only good things for you).

First you have a peanut butter muffin, which by itself would be quite delicious. Add a surprise in the middle (in the form of a mini peanut butter cup), and you have something that is just plain fun and tasty too!

Peanut Butter Surprise Muffins

Yields 12 muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

3 teaspoons baking powder
pinch salt (optional)

2 eggs

2/3 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup natural peanut butter (chunky or creamy)

2 tablespoons butter, melted

12 miniature peanut butter cups

1/4 cup chopped peanuts (optional, for topping)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners or cooking spray.
In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt until combined.
In a separate bowl, which together eggs, buttermilk and vanilla. Stir into flour mixture until just moistened.
Combine butter and peanut butter. Fold into batter (do not over mix).
Fill each muffin cup 1/4 full with batter. Place a mini peanut butter cup on top of each. Cover with remaining batter. Sprinkle tops with chopped peanuts, if using.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into muffin comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack to cool completely.

Adapted from Taste of Home

Filed Under: breakfast, Recipes Tagged With: brunch, chocolate, muffins, peanut, peanut butter, snack

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

Pumpkin Apple Muffins

November 4, 2011 ·

Adam’s nap cycle is pretty predictable. He typically naps for 2-3 hours each day, but occasionally goes through week-long periods of 1 hour naps. Sometimes it’s due to teeth, sometimes it’s due to growing, and sometimes who knows. We have been through it enough to know that it passes in about a week. So when we found ourselves through week 2 of short naps, it was a little disconcerting (and tiring) for all. Fortunately, we did made it through the latest short-nap phase, and these Pumpkin Apple Muffins are a result of those extra 2 hours I was not expecting.

I have been working on a recipe for Pumpkin Apple Muffins for quite a while. When I found myself with extra apples from other recipes and several cans of pumpkin puree, it was clearly time to execute my vision. The combination of my two favorite fall flavors was just so appealing. The result is a moist, flavorful muffin that is a perfect blend of pumpkin and apple.

After Adam’s blissful 3 hour nap, I decided we should split a muffin for snack. Before he could even finish his first bite, Adam said ‘more muffin.’ Over and over, ‘more muffin for Adam’ until he finished nearly 3/4 of our muffin. His enthusiasm says it all…these are fantastic!

Pumpkin Apple Muffins
Yields 12 muffins

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup pumpkin puree
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 eggs (or 1 egg and 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed plus 3 tablespoons water – see note)
1/4 cup applesauce
1 medium apple, cored and shredded (any variety)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups in a standard muffin tin. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and baking soda until combined.
In a separate medium bowl, mix pumpkin, oil, eggs, applesauce and apple until combined.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and gently fold until combined. (note: batter will be thick)
Divide batter evenly amongst 12 muffin cups.
Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes and then move muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.

Note: I only had 1 egg, so I used ground flaxseed as a substitute. 1 egg = 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed plus 3 tablespoons water. Mix flaxseed and water in a bowl and let sit for about 2 minutes. Add just as you would an egg.

Adapted from Low Fat Cooking @ about.com

Filed Under: breakfast, healthy, Recipes Tagged With: apple, baby/toddler, brunch, low fat, muffins, pumpkin, snack, toddler

Apple Cinnamon Oven Pancake

November 3, 2011 ·

I can still remember the first time I made this pancake. It was many years ago, after I moved into my very first apartment. I had purchased a Betty Crocker cookbook, and for whatever reason, out of all the recipes, the Puffy Oven Pancake jumped out at me. I was hosting a brunch to show off the new place, and thought it would be a perfect dish to serve. You know it’s a winner when after so many years, the memory of this pancake is fresh in my mind.

Over the years, I have made a few tweaks to the recipe. It is very easy to make and yields an impressive looking result. The pancake is light, and with the delicious cinnamon sugary apple topping, additional toppings are not necessary.

Apple Cinnamon Oven Pancake
2 tablespoons butter (I use light)
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 medium apple, thinly sliced (any variety, I used granny smith)
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup low fat buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Put butter in a 9-inch pie plate and put in the oven to melt.
Mix sugar and cinnamon and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whisk eggs. Add buttermilk, and whisk until blended.
Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in flour until blended. Batter will be lumpy, be careful not to over mix.
Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture over melted butter. Top with apple slices. Pour batter over apple slices.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until pancake has puffed up and is golden brown. Invert on to a serving platter and cut into wedges.

Adapted from Betty Crocker

Filed Under: breakfast, healthy, Recipes Tagged With: apple, brunch, cinnamon, easy, pancakes, quick

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