Spiced Pumpkin Bread

Happy halloweekend everyone! Hopefully, you whipped out your costumes that you're allowed to wear 1x a year and it be okay to be a cat, turtle, duck, shower curtain- whatever floats your boat! This year, I was just a kitty cat (would you expect anything else from me?!). But I like to celebrate differently- i was craving some sort of pumpkin and decided to make this pumpkin bread! At one of the culinary schools I visited, the chef prepared for us a pumpkin bread. I took similar measurements, and just did many substitutions. My first attempted bread seemed to be too dense, so I added a little more flour and got a better result! This bread is so delicious and the pumpkin definitely is the key note in this. Omnomnomnom

Spiced Pumpkin Bread

vegan~glutenfree

1-9x5" loaf pan

1 1/2 cups ap gluten free flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 flax eggs (or 2 servings ener-g egg replacer)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 cup almond milk

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

a handful of walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and grease and flour your 9x5" pan

2. In the bowl of your stand mixer, add the flax eggs and brown sugar and beat on medium until the sugar is quite dissolved. Slowly incorporate your coconut oil while beating.

3. Add the rest of the wet ingredients- vanilla, pumpkin, and almond milk, and mix until fully incorporated.

4. Next, sift your dry ingredients into a medium mixing bowl (flour, baking soda and baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt). Once sifted, add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, while your mixer is running on low (do this in 3-4 batches, because you don't want all the flour to fly up in your face!). Let it beat for a few minutes, until fully incorporated.

5. Turn off your mixer, and scrape out your batter and place it into the loaf pan. If you want, before you put it in the loaf pan, you can incorporate the walnuts in the batter. I liked mine on top, so I didn't do this.

6. Once your batter is in the loaf pan, "drop" it 3 times-so there are no air bubbles in the loaf.

7. Sprinkle walnuts on top, and bake for 1 hour and 20-30 minutes. Allow it to cool for 30 minutes before you dig in!

Little iggy was sooo sleepy- he didn't want me doing my homework!

"Cinnamon Toast Crunch" Pumpkin Seeds

HAPPY CELIAC AWARENESS MONTH!

Short, sweet and to the point, I have for you toasted pumpkin seeds - cinnamon sugar flavored! omnomnomnomnom. My roommate Brittney thought of the title- they seriously taste like cinnamon toast crunch! OMMMNOM. In order to do these right, you're gonna have to buy a pumpkin- otherwise they won't be as good!

Toasted Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds

glutenfree~vegan

Pumpkin seeds from any type pumpkin, cleaned and patted dried

2 Tablespoons cinnamon sugar (McCormick is gluten free and vegan)

1 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 325 F

2. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil, then spray with oil (I have grapeseed oil cooking spray!)

3. Sprawl out pumpkin seeds on baking sheet, and sprinkle on cinnamon sugar and salt.

4. Cook for 10 minutes, take it out and shake your baking sheet. Put it back in for another 15-20 minutes.

5. Let cool and eat up!

Spiced Pumpkin Soup

It's that time of year again, when the pumpkin madness begins! I know, this kinddaa looks like Applesauce, but it's actually pumpkin soup. Yup. Pumpkin Soup. Creamy, deliciousness. The secret ingredient to its thick density? Chickpeas. 

Spiced Pumpkin Pie Soup

gluten free~vegan 

Servings: 6

1 pumpkin (sugar pumpkin works)

8 cloves garlic

2 tablespoon EVOO

1/2 onion, diced

1-15 oz can chickpeas, with water

6 tablespoons soy/almond/any non-dairy milk

1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1) First, preheat your oven to 350 F

2) Stab your pumpkin 6 times around, so that it punctured through the inside. Drizzle 1 Tablespoon EVOO onto your pumpkin and rub it all in!

3) Put your pumpkin on a deep dish baking tray (like one you would use to make brownies) and roast it for 1 1/2 hours (Mine took a little less, so check after an hour- it depends on the oven, and my oven is small in my apartment). 

4) When pumpkin is tender and easy to put a knife through, take it out of the oven and let it rest for 30 minutes.

5) Cut your pumpkin in half, and take out the stringy stuff in the middle (save the pumpkin seeds to roast for later!). Spoon out the roasted pumpkin remaining that will be for your soup! (I began doing this part when I was ready to put it in the soup)

6) Next, begin making the soup! Add the remaining tablespoon to a 4 quart saucepot and add in your whole cloves of garlic and diced onion over medium-high heat. Cook for 3 minutes.

7) Add in the pumpkin as well as your can of chickpeas (with water), pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon. Bring to a boil. Once it is boiling, let it simmer for 15 minutes. 

8) Take it off the heat and either use an immersion blender or a blender to your desired consistency. 

9) When serving, add in 1 tablespoon of soy milk for each serving and swirl. Sprinkle cinnamon on top to serve!

Per Serving:

165 calories ~ 25g CHO ~ 5g FAT ~ 6g PRO

My mom made some corn muffins for the soup- followed the recipe from the back of the box of a corn muffin mixture, and substitute buttermilk for Soy + Apple Cider Vinegar, and ENER-G for Eggs :] such a sweetheart. And topped it with some vegan butter? Perfeecctttttt

My little Iggy try to catch some dreams :]<3

Pumpkin Chickpea Chili

I've been so excited to upload this recipe- It's one of my favorite recipes I've reinvented. I was inspired by the recipe book by Allyson Kramer Great Gluten Free Vegan Eats- it is probably one of the most inspirational stories of becoming a gluten free and vegan cook, as well as has some of the greatest recipes yet! 

I'm a little under the weather today because my dog, Hershey Bear, is not doing well at all :[. I thought this little kick could be a bit of comfort. 

Pumpkin Chickpea Chili

adapted from "Great Gluten Free Vegan Eats"

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon EVOO

1 cup fresh corn

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can pumpkin puree

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 can PINTO (original says black, but I love pinto!) beans, drained and rinsed

1-3 teaspoons chili powder, to taste

2 teaspoons cumin

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup vegetable broth

zest and juice of 1 lime

black pepper to taste

1/2 cup minced cilantro to garnish

a dollop of "daizy" (vegan sour cream..just a little play on words)

1. In a large skillet, saute the onions, garlic, green pepper and salt in the olive oil for 10-15 minutes over medium heat.

2. Stir in the remaining ingredients, and increase the heat to high. BTB (Bring to boil)

3. Reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until heated through. Garnish with vegan sour cream and cilantro and serve.