Chicago Blogger Meet-up with Amanda Skrip

Posted on September 29, 2011 by Jessica Howells

Last night was the much anticipated (for me at least) Health food Chicago Blogger Meet-up at Whole Foods (Halsted and Waveland location) with natural foods chef Amanda Skrip. It was so fun to get to meet local bloggers, some of which I have followed since before I was blogging (I’m talking about you Chelsey!) and some newbie bloggers, Katie, Cait and Tracy! Amanda also had help from an equally as talented assistant Alia! Due to crazy Chicago traffic some bloggers weren’t able to come but I hope to do it again sometime so if you are a local blogger and you weren’t able to come this time around, let me know and I will add you to the list for the next meet-up

So we started out the evening with snacks and a much needed glass of wine…

After introductions and bloggy gossip (which truthfully could have gone on all night!) we sat down to watch Amanda whip up some unbelievable grub! All of the recipes were gluten free and vegan – love it! We started out with some Sweet Potato Ginger Soup which was awesome and sooooo easy to make. Amanda explained how this is a great way to use up left over cooked sweet potatoes from a previous meal, which, as many of you know, I HATE wasting food, so this is a perfect recipe to have handy (not to mention I always have sweet pots on hand for those nights that I am out of creative ideas).

While we sipped on the soup Amanda was busy making a Brown Rice ‘risotto’ style dish with white beans, kale and maitake mushrooms. I couldn’t believe how creamy it was and yet there was no cream in it! Amanda described it as the perfect comfort food and I couldn’t agree more. Comfort food without all the ‘baggage’!

One of the reasons I love going to Amanda’s classes is because she is so knowledgeable about food, the health benefits, how to make healthy substitutes and so much more. If I wasn’t eating, drinking wine or asking her a million questions (yeah, I was that girl…) I was watching her cook so effortlessly and trying to soak in all of her knowledge. While I could go on and on about how talented she is, I’ll spare you and just share with you the next dish Spaghetti squash salad with arugula, olives and almonds – perfect for fall!

And for dessert we were treated to Baked Pears in a Pecan Crumble, perfect fall dessert recipe! Amanda suggested that this recipe works great for other fruit too like apples, peaches, etc.

Just when you think it can’t get any better, Amanda pulls the Sesame brittle out of the oven. I’ll be honest, I was skeptical about this one, it looked like a bland pile of seeds but when I tasted it I think Chelsey and I almost simultaneously fell off our chairs! This was hands down the group favorite and Amanda says her clients request it all the time. This makes a great snack or treat with the perfect mixture of salty and sweet.

And I certainly can’t rave about it without giving you the recipe, so here you have it! If you do make it please be sure to link back to Amanda’s website and give her some kudos for a fantastic dish (www.amandaskrip.com). She also mentioned this makes a great gift for the holidays, which is something I definitely plan on doing.

Sesame Brittle

Ingredients

3/4 cup of sesame seeds
3/4 cup of sunflower seeds, raw
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, raw
2 sheets of nori
1/2 cup pure maple syrup

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Heat a large skillet over a medium flame. Add the sesame, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds, and stir frequently with a wooden spoon until toasted, about 3-5 minutes.

3. Transfer content to a large bowl. Using scissors or kitchen shears, cut the nori into small, thin pieces and add to the seeds. Pour maple syrup into bowl, and stir to coat evenly.

4. Pour seeds onto baking sheet, and use a spatula to spread it into an even layer. Transfer to oven for 10-12 minutes.

5. Remove from oven and let cool 30-40 minutes. Break the now hardened brittle into medium size pieces. And enjoy!

Share this article

Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Jessica Howells

Ahhh, fall. It’s bittersweet for me. While I am devastated that summer is over I love curling up by a toasty fire, sipping warm drinks and enjoying fall’s finest foods, pumpkin, apples, and squash! I have made variations of stuffed acorn squash before but his one was hands down my favorite. The flavors just mixed so well. So here ya have it!

Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

Ingredients

1 medium acorn squash, halved and seeded (puncture interior with fork or knife)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter (or other margarine), melted
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped (I used Grimmway Farms, cuz I looooove them!)
1 can beans, rinsed and drained (I used kidney but you can use any kind)
1/4 cup raisins
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 vegetable bouillon cube
Ground cumin to taste (I used about four or five shakes)
Salt and pepper to taste
Stock (use veggie for full vegan meal, I only had chicken, sad day…)
Optional: shredded cheddar cheese (or vegan option)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Arrange squash halves cut side up on a baking sheet. Once you have punctured the interior, add a small tab of butter and a sprinkle of brown sugar to the cavity . Bake for 1 hour or until soft. Check with a fork or knife to make sure it is soft before taking it out.

2. While the squash is baking, cook quinoa according to directions on package. Add the bouillon to water and quinoa during first step. Once the quinoa is cooked, season with cumin, salt and pepper. (Note: I also cook mine in broth instead of water for added flavor but that is optional.)

3. Heat broth (you can also use olive oil if you so choose) in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, celery, and carrots, and cook about 5-10 minutes. Mix in the beans and raisins and continue to cook and stir on low heat until vegetables are tender.

4. Combine veggies and bean mixture with quinoa and keep on low heat until your squash is ready.

5. Stuff each squash halve with quinoa veggie mixture, and sprinkle with one teaspoon cheddar cheese, if using. Cook another five minutes or until the cheese is melted.

What are some of your favorite fall foods?

What is your favorite season?

Share this article

Carrot Cake Bites

Posted on September 27, 2011 by Jessica Howells

I’ll be honest, I didn’t have a lot of faith in these. A majority of my desserts end up being failures for one reason or another but much to my surprise, these turned out great! Recipe adapted from The Purple Carrot.

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat bread flour (or your choice of flour)
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup finely shredded coconut
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds (or other nut)
1 cup finely shredded carrots (I used Grimmway Farms)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Optional: 1 Tablespoon of coconut oil

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven at 375.

2. In large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt and oats. Add carrots, almonds, raisins, coconut and cinnamon.

3. In separate bowl, mix together agave, vanilla, and applesauce (coconut oil if using). Add to flour mixture and stir until combined.

4. Drop onto parchment paper lined baking sheets, about 1 tablespoon in size. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden. (I made mine a bit bigger so I baked mine a little longer)