Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Chips

As per usual around this time of year, I am totally enamored with pumpkin. I bake with it, I put it in my oatmeal and I generally give it all the love I can.

Many moons ago, Ladyjaypee made some pumpkin bread when I was home for a school break. I couldn't get enough of it. Today, I enlighten you with that pumpkin bread. I halved the recipe as shown below and added chocolate chips because I got an extra large size bag from Costco and feel the need to add them to everything.

Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread
All Recipes

1/2 of a 15-ounce can of pureed pumpkin
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup water
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one large loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Gently stir in chocolate chips. Pour into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for about 50-70 minutes in the preheated oven. Mine took about 70 minutes to completely finish cooking. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Healthy Pumpkin Cookies

I have been so incredibly lazy when it comes to blogging lately! I have been baking, not at the same frequency I used to, but it has mostly been things I have already made and posted before. Or I'm just too tired from running my butt off to be bothered with photographing. But, for a split second one morning at 7am, after a 6 mile run, I found the will to photograph the last few of these cookies I had left. No natural light, so excuse the picture.

I really loved these cookies. They are almost like a Lara Bar with pumpkin. They taste chewy, probably from the dates, but are easy to put together as long as you have a food processor!

Healthy Pumpkin Cookies
Fun and Food Cafe

2 cups pecans, toasted and cooled
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup puréed pumpkin
1 tablespoon orange zest
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped, pitted dates
4 tbsp honey

Take a baking sheet and roast your pecans for about 10 minutes, watching them carefully so they do not burn. you can also do this on a stove in a wok. or you can buy Toasted Pecans in the first place.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Put pecans and oats in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until a fine meal forms, about 25 times. Add flour, baking soda, salt, cardamom and nutmeg to the ground meal and pulse another 20 times to combine all the ingredients. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Add pumpkin, orange zest, orange juice, honey, vanilla extract and dates to the food processor. Blend until a smooth puree forms, scraping the sides down occasionally, about 1 minute.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Scrape the pumpkin mixture into the well and fold all the ingredients together with a large spatula.

Scoop about 2 tablespoons of batter onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart. Flatten the batter slightly. Bake 20 minutes, until the bottoms are just browned. Remove to a cooling rack and cool slightly before serving. Store in an airtight container.

Cilantro Lime Chickpea Salad

This is such a great salad. Very appropriate to bring to work for lunches! Which is, of course, what I am using it for! I also added some extra veggies liked chopped carrots, tomato and cucumber. The "dressing" can be made according to your preferences: more oil, less lemon juice, etc.

Cilantro Lime Chickpea Salad
Oh She Glows

• One 15-oz can chickpeas (2 cups cooked), drained and rinsed


• 2 cups spinach


• 1/4 cup sweet onion, chopped finely


• Juice from 1.5 limes


• 3/4 cup fresh Cilantro


• 1/2 tsp sugar (or to taste)


• 2 tsp Dijon mustard


• 1 garlic clove


• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil


• 1/2 tsp ground cumin


• 1/2 tsp kosher salt + ground pepper

1. In a food processor, add the spinach and pulse a few times until chopped very small. Add the processed spinach, drained chickpeas, and chopped onion into a large bowl.

2. In the food processor (no need to rinse the bowl!), add the lime juice, cilantro, mustard, sugar, garlic, cumin, and oil. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

3. Pour the dressing on top of the spinach chickpea mixture and stir well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let stand for about 10 minutes to let the flavours develop (optional- I didn’t!). Serve over a bed of grains, like brown rice. Serves 1-2.

Felafel

I love felafel along with almost all other Greek/Mediterranean food. I finally made some felafel and froze the extras for another day. These were perfect for throwing into lunch, whether it be a salad or in a sandwich.

Felafel
Sugarcrafter

• 1 (15 ounce) can chick peas


• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced


• 1 tsp onion, finely minced


• 3 Tbsp fresh cilantro, roughly chopped


• 1 tsp lemon juice


• 1 tsp crushed red pepper


• 1 Tbsp flour


• 1 tsp baking powder


• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, divided

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drain the beans completely, and then place them in your food processor along with all ingredients except for the breadcrumbs. Pulse a few times just until well-blended, and then spoon into a medium-sized bowl. Add the breadcrumbs and combine.

Form the mixture into small balls and flatten them slightly. Bake for 12 minutes and then flip and bake for another 12 minutes.

Banana Soft Serve

Oooooo this was a great discovery. It's funny. I found this recipe and made it and one day later, a sugar loving friend (hi Butthead!) emailed me that I had to try this new "Banana fro yo" recipe! Haha. Great minds think alike.

This really is a genius idea and tastes just like dessert. This is how I made it the first time, but Butthead suggested adding some peanut butter and unsweetened cocoa powder, which of course I tried as well and was super delicious!

You can make this in either a blender or a food processor. I've done both and think the food processor is easier, but it works in a blender, nonetheless.

Banana Soft Serve
Oh She Glows

• 1 frozen banana


• 1/3 cup Almond Milk (or your choice of milk)


• 1 T chia seeds (thickens it)


• Chocolate chips, if so desired

Directions: BLEND!