Pumpkin Crazy Cake from michellestastycreations.com

1-1/2 cups + 2 Tbs. flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup solid pack pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 Tbs. Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
5 Tbs. canola oil
3/4 cup water

Frosting:
1-1/2 Tbs. Butter, unsalted at room temperature
2 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl or the 8 x 8 pan you are going to bake in place the flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt. Mix with a whisk until combined.

Make three indentations (wells) two small and one large one in the flour mixture.  Pour the vanilla and vinegar into the small wells and the oil into the large well.

Pour the water over the whole mixture then add the pumpkin.  Mix well until completely combined.  If needed add more water up to a total of 3/4 cup.

Pour into an 8 x 8 baking dish.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or just until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Do not over bake.  Mine was done at just 35 minutes exactly.  Mine took 40 min

Cool the cake completely then frost.  (If you want this to be a dairy free cake choose a frosting without an dairy products instead of the following)

To make the frosting place the butter and cream cheese in a bowl and beat until completely smooth.

Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and mix until it is smooth.
Spoon the whole bowl of frosting onto the cake and spread to the edges.  Slice and serve.

Amish Never Fail Pie Crust

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 ½ cups vegetable shortening, cubed
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar
  • ½ cup water
  1. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, and salt until combined. Add the shortening and pulse until pea-sized crumbs form. Transfer the dough to a large bowl and bring the dough together with a wooden spoon.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, vinegar, and water. Pour over the dough and mix until combined (dough will be sticky). Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before rolling.
  3. For a hot pie (e.g. with a filling that needs to be baked), divide the chilled dough in half on a generously floured work surface. Roll half of the dough to ¼-inch thick and transfer to a 9-inch pie dish. Repeat with the second half of dough if the pie is covered. Bake as instructed in the recipe. Wrap any remaining dough in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerate.
  4. For a cold pie (e.g. with a filling that doesn\’t need to be baked), move oven rack to the lowest tier and preheat oven to 375°F. Divide the chilled dough in half on a generously floured work surface. Roll half of the dough to ¼-inch thick and transfer to a 9-inch pie dish. Loosely fit aluminum foil over the lined pie dish and weigh down with pie weights, raw rice or uncooked beans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the weights and foil and continue baking for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown. Fill and chill according to recipe.

Creamy Pasta Salad from barefeetinthekitchen.com/

salad:
8 ounces salad macaroni or ditalini pasta
1 cup tiny broccoli florets
1/2 cup diced cucumber
1/2 cup finely diced red pepper
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1/4 cup very thinly sliced green onion
dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons white wine or plain vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, adjust to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package, adding a generous tablespoon or so of kosher salt to the water as it cooks. Just before the noodles are done cooking, add the broccoli to the pot. Let the broccoli boil for about 30 seconds and then drain everything into a large colander. Rinse well with cold water.

 Stir together the mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, pepper, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the cooked pasta and broccoli to the bowl and stir well to coat. Add the cucumber, pepper, and onions and stir again. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Stir again just before serving. Enjoy!

If you forget to toss the broccoli in the boiling water at the end of the pasta’s cooking time, you can also steam it in the microwave. Place the broccoli in a glass bowl along with a tablespoon of water. Microwave for 60-90 seconds, until the broccoli is bright green and barely softened.

Creamy Cashew Veggie Pot Pie from lunchboxbunch.com

pot-pie-creamy-veggie 23sqsqsqVeggie Filling:

*note that the amounts of the veggies are easy to modify and switch out as needed. You just want about enough veggies to fill up your pot pie serving dish
3/4 cup petite peas, organic (frozen)
1 large carrot, diced
1 small potato, peeled/diced (I used a sweet white yam, but you could use a plain white Russett potato or even a sweet potato) – about 1 1/4 cups when chopped
1/2 cup chickpeas, drained/rinsed (canned)
1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms, diced

spices/oil for veggie saute:
1/2 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
a few dashes of black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
a few pinches of cayenne (optional)
(Any other dry spices/seasonings you would like to add)

Cashew Base:
1 cup vegetable broth
2 cups soaked raw cashews
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
2 Tbsp white miso paste (adds saltiness and subtle flavor)
additional salt if needed (if you do not use miso paste, you should add some salt)
a few pinches of cayenne (optional)

Crust:
1 cup white flour, organic
1/4 cup virgin coconut oil (use refined if you do not want any coconut flavor at all, unrefined will have some coconut flavor)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp lemon juice
4-6 Tbsp warm water
a squeeze of orange juice (brush top of pastry with it, or squeeze over top)

*note: if you use a casserole dish or something with a larger opening space than my dish, you will need more crust to cover, so you may need to double my recipe

My dish: measures 9½ inches in diameter; holds 3.88 quarts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (Yes! At the start because this goes so fast!)

2. Add you cashews (about 1 1/2 cups before the are soaked) to a large bowl and cover with very hot water. The hottest setting on your tap. Add a pinch of salt and allow to sit while you do the veggie prep. (note: If you have time and plan ahead, soak the cashews for even longer – 4+ hours is great. This will help ease the blending process just a bit. This is advised if you are not using a high speed blender.)

3. Prep all your veggies. Set aside.

4. Add you potatoes to a deep skillet and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cover with lid. Reduce heat a bit and allow to cook until a tested potato is tender, but not mushy. Drain the water and set potatoes aside with other veggies.

5. Drain your cashews and add 2 cups of the soaked cashews to your blender. If you have any extra cashews you can thrown them in as well or toss them in whole with your veggie mix. Add the veggie broth, miso, sauce spices and acid. Blend from low to high until smooth and creamy. This may take a minute or so. Set aside. (Adjust salt and seasonings if desired.)

6. In that same skillet, add your oil and when the oil is hot add in the carrots, beans and mushrooms. Saute for a few minutes until cooked down. Then add in the peas and potatoes and saute until peas thaw a bit. Over medium heat.

7. Pour the base sauce over top the veggie saute and toss until all the veggies are well coated. Turn heat to high and saute for another 1-2 minutes so that the flavor of the nutty sauce develops a bit.

8. Pour the heated veggie filling into your pot pie serving/baking dish. Set aside.

9. Quickly mix up your dry ingredients for your crust. Then using your hands, mash in the coconut oil. Then one tablespoon at a time, add in the water. Mixing with every new spoonful. Keep adding until your dough in kneadable yet still moist. When this occurs, knead a bit then roll out on a floured surface. This does not to be perfect at all! I very quickly pressed and rolled out my dough (as you can tell by the crumbly state after baking). Add to top of your serving dish and slice a few vent lines in top. Lastly, squeeze a bit or orange juice over top – or brush pastry lightly with it. It gives a subtle orange tint that beats an “egg wash” any day!

10. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve after about 20 minutes of cooling. Store in fridge and reheat as needed. Eat within 3 days. This dish probably freezes quite well, but I have not tested freezing yet.

Nutrition estimate based on 6 servings per recipe (per serving below)

Pickled Cranberry Preserves from Canadian living

  • 600x400_pickles-cranberry-preserves14138248711 cup  granulated sugar
  • 1 cup  cider vinegar
  • 1 piece fresh ginger, (1 inch/2.5 cm) thinly sliced
  • 6 whole cloves
  • 2 tsp coarse salt
  • 1 tsp  black peppercorns
  • 3 cups fresh or frozen whole cranberries
  • 4 strips orange zest

In saucepan, bring sugar, vinegar, ginger, cloves, salt and peppercorns to boil; cook, stirring, until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes.

Stir in cranberries and orange zest; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook until cranberries are just beginning to burst, 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool completely, about 2 hours. Strain mixture over bowl, reserving solids and liquid.

Transfer cranberry solids to sterilized 2-cup  jar with tight-fitting lid; top with enough reserved liquid to cover, discarding any excess. Seal tightly. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours. Store in refrigerator for up to 2 months.

 

The Original Potato Salad from Hellmann’s

6609TheOriginalPotatoSalad2

  • 2 lbs. potatoes (5 to 6 medium), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
  • 1 cup Hellmann’s Mayonnaise
  • 2 Tbsp. vinegar
  • 1 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1 cup thinly sliced celery
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped (optional)
  1. Cover potatoes with water in 4-quart saucepot; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and cool slightly.
  2. Combine Hellmann’s, vinegar, salt, sugar and pepper in large bowl. Add potatoes, celery, onion and eggs and toss gently. Serve chilled or at room temperature.