Pumpkin-Maple Pie

For the crust:

2/3 cup pitted dates (soaked if firm for 1 hr and drain)

1 1/4 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup pecans

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. coconut oil

Preheat the oven to 350° and grease a 9-inch pie dish.  In a food processor, combine oats, pecans, cinnamon and salt.  Process until coarse.  Add dates and coconut oil and process until mixture comes together.  It should stick together when pressed with fingers.  If still dry, add 1 tsp. water and process again.

Press down in base of pie dish going up the sides.  Poke several holes in the crust with a fork and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until golden. Let cool for 30 minutes on a cooling rack.

For the filling:

1 cup raw cashews, soaked for 1 hr, drained and rinsed

1 cup canned pumpkin

3/4 cup pure maple syrup

1/2 cup coconut oil

2 tsp. vanilla

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. ground ginger

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

In a high-powered blender, combine all ingredients until smooth.  Add 1 Tbsp. almond milk if too thick to blend.  Pour filling over crust and place in freezer to chill overnight or 5 to 6 hours until firm.

Serve with whipped coconut cream, finely chopped pecans and nutmeg.

Beet Smoothie

 1 small beet, peeled (cooked or raw)

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 frozen banana

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 cup coconut water

2 Tbsp. cocoa powder

1 heaping Tbsp. peanut butter

Place all ingredients in a high-powered blender and combine until smooth.

Baked Reuben Braid

1 loaf Rhodes Bread Dough, thawed and risen

⅓ cup cheese Italian herb dressing

½ lb. thinly sliced turkey pastrami

8 slices Swiss cheese

2 cups sauerkraut, drained

1 egg white, beaten

2 Tbsp. caraway seeds

Spray board or counter with non-stick cooking spray. Roll dough into a 12 x 18-inch rectangle. With a clean ruler, gently mark a 4-inch space down the center. Then mark dough into 2-inch strips horizontally. Pour dressing down the center of the dough. Spread layer of pastrami, then slices of Swiss cheese. Top with sauerkraut.

Make cuts on sides from filling to dough edges. Begin braid by folding the top row toward filling. Then fold strips left over right, right over left. Fold bottom end towards filling and finish by stretching the last strip and tucking under.

Support the braid with both hands and place on a large sprayed baking sheet. Brush braid with egg white and sprinkle with caraway seeds.

Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until browned. Cool slightly and slice to serve.

Canned Tomatoes

Place wide-mouth canning jars in dishwasher and run on a 1-hour wash so they will be hot and sterile when ready to can. 

Plug kitchen sink and fill with Roma tomatoes.  Completely cover with boiling water.  Let sit until tomato skin starts to separate from tomatoes.  Drain water by using a long spoon to pull the plug.

Core and peel tomatoes and slice into thirds.  Place tomatoes in a large stock pot.  Bring to a boil, stirring frequently until tomatoes are covered in their own juice and boiling.  Boil for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, boil lids in a small pan and prepare water bath for canning.

Remove jars from dishwasher one at a time and ladle in tomatoes using a funnel.  Alternate a ladle full of tomatoes with a ladle full of tomato juice so you aren't left with just juice at the end.  Fill jars to the lowest rung on the neck of the jars - do not overfill.  Wipe tops of jars and place on a lid and ring.  Do not over tighten rings, they should be snug but not tight.

Boil jars in water bath for 40 minutes + 2 minutes for every 1000 feet above sea level (example: 2,000 ft above sea level, boil for 44 minutes total).  Remove from water bath and gently wipe excess water.  Let cool.

Once cooled, test lids to make sure they sealed properly by pushing down on them.  They should not pop or buckled.  If so, place in refrigerator and use within 3 days.

Ham and Cheese Quiche

 1 Tbsp. butter

1/2 onion, minced

2 tsp. garlic, minced

4 eggs

1 cup half and half

salt & pepper to taste

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese, divided

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided

2 cups cooked ham, diced

1 9-inch deep dish frozen pie crust, thawed

Parsley for garnish

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a saucepan over medium heat, cook butter and onion until onion is clear.  Add garlic and sauté for 1 more minute and remove from heat.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, half and half, salt and pepper.  Fold in 3/4 cup Swiss cheese and 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, ham and sautéd onion.  Pour into thawed pie crust and place on a baking sheet.

Top with remaining cheese and bake for 40-45 minutes or until set and crust is golden brown.  Garnish with fresh parsley.

Tartar Sauce

Mayo (can substitute plain Greek yogurt)

Sour cream

Lime juice

Sugar

Salt

Pepper

Dill weed spice

Combine equal amounts of mayo and sour cream.  Add a splash of lime juice and season with sugar, salt, pepper and dill weed spices to taste.  Mix well and serve cold.

Summer Salad

1 rotisserie chicken, chopped

1 container of grape tomatoes, halved

1 package of penne pasta (cooked al dente)

1-2 cups of toasted pine nuts (toast in a pan until browned)

1 package of crumbled feta

1 container of baby spinach leaves from Costco (comes in the tub)

Dressing Ingredients

3 Tbsp or 1 package of Hidden Valley buttermilk ranch

1 cup of mayo

1 cup of buttermilk

1/2 a jar of pesto from Costco

Whisk together the dressing ingredients. 

Place cool pasta and chicken in a large bowl, pour enough dressing over the top and refrigerate overnight or for a few hours. 

Before serving, add the rest of the ingredients and more dressing if desired.

Toss and serve chilled!