wrap up: {coffee} {latte} {mocha} {raspberry} {recipe} {valentine's day}

i made this fennel and tomato soup this week from the jan/feb issue of vegetarian times, and boy was it delicioso! with the addition of some corn it was extra hearty and nutritious. i served it with sauteed kale and sweet potato fries and it warmed us up from the inside out. head over to vegetarian times for the recipe!

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image via bbc

 
The above photo of lemon curd, sweetly packaged in jars, inspired me to share with you my favorite lemon curd recipe. Homemade lemon curd is such a versatile gift – it can be used for baking – as filling in pastries and tarts, or topped onto cookies; it can be spread on toast or wafers, and eaten plain. Using just a few ingredients, you can have homemade lemon curd in about half an hour!

ingredients

4 lemons
1.5 cups sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) of butter
4 eggs
pinch of salt

directions

Begin by zesting your lemons with a vegetable peeler rather than a grater. In a food processor, combine the zest and sugar, and process for three minutes. The mixture is ready when it’s as smooth as baby food.

Cut your lemons in half and squeeze them for a half cup of lemon juice. This was three lemon halves for me.

Transfer the lemon zest / sugar mix into a bowl, and cream in the butter. Use an electric mixer to combine well. Add the lemon juice, eggs, and salt. Mix well

In a saucepan, cook your lemon mixture on medium-low heat, stirring often. Heat the curd to 175 degrees F, which is the temperature needed for thickening. Once the mixture is sufficiently thick and the temperature has reached 175 degrees F, remove from heat and let cool.

Store the lemon curd in an air-tight container. Because it contains eggs and butter, make a note of when it was made if you are using it for gift giving. For long-term storage, you will want to use traditional canning methods. Your lemon curd is now ready for baking, gift-giving, or eating as-is!

Out to find ways to make life simpler, Ashley is tackling life one DIY project at a time. Learning as she goes, she also spends her days writing Indie Pretty Projects and creating for her Etsy shop.

wrap up: {ashley pahl} {gift} {homemade} {lemon curd} {lemons} {recipe}

in the past, i haven’t been the biggest fan of cold soups, but this one rocked my world (but, you can also serve it warm, if you like). adapted from this recipe, it’s one of the easiest soups i’ve made and it’s great for a group of people with different dietary needs. the flavors are just right and it’s so filling and satisfying. i hope you’ll enjoy!

ingredients

- 6-8 medium to large heirloom tomatoes
- 1 small yellow onion
- 1 medium yellow squash, halved lengthwise
- 1 bell pepper
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 cup pureed veggie juice (on the juice isle!)
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Coarse salt

topping:

- 1 avocado
- 1 small red heirloom tomato

directions

chop all ingredients into thick chunks and combine in a food processor and pulse until pureed. (that’s right, just puree it all together!). season with salt and top with diced avocado and fresh tomato. serve chilled.

wrap up: {autumn} {cold} {fall} {gazpacho} {gluten free} {raw} {recipe} {soup} {vegan}

Last week I made pumpkin spice lattes, and with a lot of pumpkin puree left over in my fridge, I had to use it for something. Enter: DIY pumpkin pasta sauce. I experimented with the flavors as I went – it started as a sweeter sauce, but I quickly realized adding herbs and black pepper would make it perfect. So, this sauce is thick and savory, with just a hint of sweetness in the nutmeg – perfect on top of plain pasta or ravioli. It’s also very easy to make, and it’s vegetarian – I’ve included substitutes for vegans as well!

ingredients

 
- 1/4 cup butter (vegan substitute: 1/4 cup vegan “buttery” spread OR 3 tablespoons canola oil)
- 1 shallot
- 2 – 4 garlic cloves (depending on your taste)
- 1 – 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree (or follow Bonnie’s instructions for pumpkin puree in this – recipe)
- 1/2 cup vegetable stock
- 3/4 cup milk (vegan substitute: 3/4 cup soymilk, rice milk, etc.)
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 teaspoons fresh, minced sage leaves OR 2 teaspoons dry ground sage
- 2 teaspoons fresh, minced thyme leaves OR 1 teaspoon dry ground thyme
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- pinch of nutmeg

optional toppings:

- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- parmesan cheese

directions

After shallot and garlic are minced, sauté in skillet of melted butter (or vegan substitute) on medium for about 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to low, and stir in pumpkin puree. Continue to stir for 3 minutes, and slowly add stock, milk, salt, pepper, sage, and thyme. Allow sauce to simmer, covered, until ready to serve. Top with walnuts and parmesan cheese, if desired.

Out to find ways to make life simpler, Ashley is tackling life one DIY project at a time. Learning as she goes, she also spends her days writing Indie Pretty Projects and creating for her Etsy shop.

wrap up: {ashley pahl} {autumn} {fall} {pasta} {pumpkin} {recipe} {sauce} {seasonal}

on friday’s dinner ideas post i mentioned that i had made my favorite shepherd’s pie, so this week i thought i would share the recipe with you! it is always inspired by whatever veggies are in season at the moment, so this is a year-long favorite. and since it’s so versatile (and oh-so-scrumptious) you can switch up the veggies to anything you like!

*note! this time, i used purple potatoes- aren’t they purty?! you can use any potato though. :) also, be sure to cover the entire top of your pie, i just photographed this one before i finished so that you could see the yummies that lie beneath!

wrap up: {fall} {recipe} {recipes} {seasonal} {shepherd's pie} {vegan} {vegetarian}

so, i’m still craving corn. i suppose it will wear off around the end of november as it usually does, but for now i’m enjoying it as much as i can. since the weather has started to change, i also find myself craving hearty soups. thus, another take on chowder! though i love my original corn chowder, i have fallen in love with this farmer’s market chowder (adapted from this vegetarian times recipe). it has all the flavors of fall and just warms you up from the inside out.

ingredients:

• 4 ears of corn, kernels cut off and cobs reserved
• 2 1/2 cups plain almond milk
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tbs butter (i use earth balance)
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• 3 carrots chopped
• 2 celery stalks chopped
• 1/2 lb. green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley

directions:

1. combine corn kernels, almond milk, and minced garlic in saucepan. run the back of your knife down the cobs to release the pulp into saucepan, then add cobs to pan. bring to a boil. remove pan from heat, and let steep.

2. heat butter in a stock pot over medium-low heat. add onions, carrots and celery and cook until onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. add paprika, and cook 30 seconds. add 3 cups water, and bring to a boil.

3. discard cobs from your milk mixture and add the remains to your stock pot. add green beans and return to a boil. reduce heat and let simmer until beans are cooked, about 6 minutes.

5. sprinkle with parsley and serve.

wrap up: {chowder} {corn} {fall} {famer's market} {recipe} {seasonal}

I love to have ready-made mixes for baking on hand, but I don’t enjoy unnecessary ingredients and preservatives found in store-bought mixes. For every boxed food mix out there, there is a homemade alternative. From muffins to pancakes, cakes to cookies, hot cocoa to biscuits, there are alternatives that we can make at home, thus controlling the ingredients we feed ourselves and our families.

I have tried a few different recipes, and ended up taking the best parts of a few different mixes. This recipe for anytime biscuit mix can be kept in the refrigerator for 6-8 weeks – or up to four months if you choose vegetable shortening instead of butter (I prefer butter). Use this mix in place of your average brand-name biscuit/baking mix, and just add milk to have fresh biscuits in 8-10 minutes.

Biscuit mix for storing:

12 cups of flour (white or whole wheat)
6 tablespoons baking powder
2 tablespoons of salt
1 cup of butter (6 – 8 weeks of storage) OR 2 cups of shortening (for up to 4 months of storage)
optional: 1/4 cup sugar (if you like sweeter mixes, or plan to use for pancakes)

To mix:
Start by sifting dry ingredients together in a large bowl. I use a bowl with an air-tight lid, so I can store the mix in the same container.

Cut in butter or shortening – I used a fork for this step. Mix well.

To bake biscuits:

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees F. Stir together 2 cups of mix with 2/3 cup of milk. Roll out dough and cut biscuits, or simply use the drop-biscuit method (just a drop of dough on your baking sheet).

Bake biscuits for 8 minutes.

To make pancake batter:

Stir two cups of mix with 1 cup of milk and two eggs. Heat a skillet on medium heat with a bit of butter for greasing, and pour batter into pan. When bubbles rise to surface of batter, it’s time to flip! Cook until both sides are lightly browned.

Out to find ways to make life simpler, Ashley is tackling life one DIY project at a time. Learning as she goes, she also spends her days writing Indie Pretty Projects and creating for her Etsy shop.

wrap up: {ashley pahl} {biscuit} {homemade} {mix} {recipe}