Pumpkin Oatmeal

Part Two of the pumpkin shortage: it's not quite over yet but I managed to scrape up an organic can of the orange stuff at Sprouts...oh how I love Sprouts, in the absence of a Trader Joe's it definitely suffices. This recipe is simple but it is so warm, earthy, and satisfying that I just had to share it.

Pumpkin Carrot Muffins

All the ingredients I needed for a recipe I had been milling over were in my kitchen, except one...a can of pumpkin (apparently equatable to gold around here right now). I went to five different grocery stores asking if they had canned pumpkin and the last employee I spoke with finally offered an explanation as to why I kept coming up empty handed: NOBODY around here had pumpkin, the crop froze this year and there seemed to be a shortage. I scrapped the pumpkin and started to search for a substitute. I found a frozen package of pureed winter squash and decided to go with it. It really worked beautifully and this wonderful muffin was born.

Spicy Vegetable Picatta

I decided to remake this recipe from one of my very first posts and I wanted to call it Vegetable Scampi. However, after some research on the meaning of the word scampi I discovered it did not refer to the garlicky sauce you normally find the shrimp in, it refers to the shrimp themselves. Scampi actually means prawns. Since my dish lacks anything of the sort I went with the term picatta because it is defined as "savory, tasty, spicy, or piquant" and that certainly sums this meal up perfectly. This dish is incredibly flavorful, the sauce is light, smooth, and tangy, the vegetables are garlicky and the capers, lemon zest, and basil on top make it seem much fancier than it actually is.

Kale Chips

I know kale chips are seriously old news but I had to jump on that band wagon sometime! Actually, I had never cooked or done anything with kale (excluding using it as a plate decoration) until last month. Kale is a somewhat leathery green and I never expected it to be transformed so much by simply baking it. This leafy vegetable becomes incredibly light, delicate, crisp, and seriously addicting. The taste falls somewhere in-between brussels sprouts and spinach and I love it. These chips are packed full of magnesium, fiber, calcium, iron, and vitamins A, C, and K. I don't think a snack could be much better for you and taste as good as these.

Vegetables with Peanut Sauce

Peanut butter is one of my absolute favorite foods. I could eat it on almost anything, whether it be sweet, salty, or spicy...I also frequently find myself eating it straight from the jar with a big spoon. Considering it is a good source of protein but also a high calorie food having this sauce over steamed vegetables is a perfect combination.