Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

Pumpkin Spice Cookies:

• 1/2 Cup Butter (1 stick)
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Cup Canned Pumpkin
• 2 Cups Flour (I used Old Mill Gluten Free)
• 4 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp Ginger
• 1 Cup Chopped Walnuts or Pecans (optional)

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1/2 Cup Butter
• 8 oz block of Cream Cheese
• 3 tsp Vanilla
• 4 Cups Powdered Sugar
• 1 tsp Cinnamon

Directions:

Pumpkin Spice Cookies:

Preheat Oven to 350°F

1. In a mixer cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs and pumpkin and mix well.
3. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and spices together and fold into cookie batter.
4. Mix until well blended.
5. Drop a spoonful of the cookies batter onto a cookie sheet.
6. Bake in a 350°F oven for approximately 15 minutes.
7. Allow to cool.
8. Frost with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:

1. Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a mixer until blended.
2. Add powder sugar a cup at a time and continue to mix until sugar is incorporated.
3. Finally, add cinnamon
4. Place frosting in large Ziplock bag, cut small portions of corner off of bag, and frost cookies.

Recipe Adapted from Two Sisters Crafting

Summer Bean Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 can black beans (drained & rinsed)
• 1 can corn (drained & rinsed)
• 1 can black eyed peas (drained & rinsed)
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1/4 red onion, diced
• 1 avocado, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro 
• Juice of 1 lime
• Salt &pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. combine all ingredients
2. Stir to combine well
3. Serve 

It will stay fresh in the refrigerator for a few hours. If making ahead more then a few hours, add avocado and lime just before serving.

~Recipe adapted from my amazing sister-in-law

Chickpea-Powered Mediterranean Couscous

Ingredients:
1 zucchini
8 oz grape tomatoes
2 sprigsThyme (.5 oz)
2 Scallions
2 cloves garlic
1 lemon
1 can Chickpeas
1 teaspoon Paprika
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 cup couscous
1/2 Tablespoon Stock Concentrate
1/2 cup Feta Cheese
Salt & Pepper, to taste
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Directions:

1. Wash and dry all produce. Adjust racks to middle and upper position and preheat to 425 degrees. 
2. Trim zucchini, then cut into 1/2-inches cubes. Halve tomatoes. Strip thyme leaves from stems. Trim, then thinly slice scallions, keeping greens and whites separate. Mince garlic. Halve lemon.
3. Toss zucchini, tomatoes, and half of the thyme leaves on a baking sheet with a drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt & pepper. Roast in oven on middle rack until tender, about 20 minutes, tossing halfway through.
4. Meanwhile, drain and rinse the chickpeas. On another baking sheet, toss chickpeas, paprika, a drizzle of olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast in oven on upper rack until crisp, about 20 minutes, tossing halfway. TIP: The chickpeas may pop-it's natural.
5. Heat 1 Tablespoon butter, garlic, and scallion whites in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Once butter is melted and garlic is fragrant, add couscous and remaining thyme leaves. Toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing until couscous is lightly toasted, 2-3 minutes.
6. Stir stock concentrate and 1 1/2 cups water into pot. Bring to boil, then lower heat and reduce to a simmer. Cook until couscous is al dente, 10-12 minutes.
7. Add half the veggies, half the feta cheese, and squeeze of lemon to pot with couscous and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Divide couscous & veggies between plates, then top with scallion greens and remaining feta cheese.

Chicken with Balsamic Fig Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 lb thin chicken
• 2 shallots
• 2 sprigs rosemary or 2 tsp (remove needles & bundle needles together and chop across)
• 1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 Shallots
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1 Tablespoon Chicken stock concentrate
• 1 oz Fig Jam
• Drizzle Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper, to taste

For side dishes:

• 1/2 lb potatoes
• 3 cups snap peas
• drizzle olive oil
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Pat chicken dry with a paper towel ans season all over with salt and pepper. Cook in pan until no longer pink in center 5-7 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside to rest.
2. Lower heat under pan to medium. Add Shallot, chopped rosemary, and a drizzle of olive oil. Cook, tossing, until softened, 2-3 minutes. Stir in balsamic vinegar and fig jam. Simmer until syrupy, about 1 minute. Stir in 1/2 cup water and stock concentrate. Let reduce until saucy, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 TBSP butter. Season with salt & pepper.
3. Thinly slice chicken. Drizzle chicken with sauce. 

I served mine with roasted potatoes & snap peas.

1. Preheat oven to 425°F
2. Cut potatoes in 1/2 inch cubes, toss potatoes and snap peas in olive oil, and a dash of salt & pepper. Toss on baking sheet and cook in oven until tender and browned, 20-25 minutes.

*Leave butter out if you'd like the dish to be dairy free.

* You can sub sweet potatoes for regular potatoes & sub green beans for the snap peas.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies - GF, Dairy Free, Egg Free

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/3 cup coconut milk (rice, or almond)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3/4 cup white rice flour
• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 2 Tablespoons GF Starch
• 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (you can buy dairy free chocolate chips, the brand I've seen is Simple Joy)

Directions:

1. Mix together the sugar and oil.
2. Add the milk and vanilla and mix until combined
3. Mix together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet mixture. Just mixing until you don't see flour. (don't over mix).
5. Add the chocolate chips.

Allow the dough to rest 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Bake cookies on a well greased cookie sheet or silicon mat. Bake 10 minutes or until desired doneness is reached. Let cool on baking sheet 5 minutes before moving to wire rack. *This is to allow cookies to be firm enough to hold shape.

~Recipe adapted from Yammies Guten Freedom

Banana Bread using Brown Sugar

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 1 Hour


Ingredients:

• 4 large very ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F
2. Lightly grease loaf pan
3. Melt butter on stove top or in microwave (place paper towel above butter dish if doing it in the microwave.
4. In a large mixing bowl, Add ripe bananas mashing with back of fork. Add the butter and sugar mixing well. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract.
5. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir with a whisk. Add to banana mixture until flour is incoporated, taking care not to overwork the batter. Stir in the walnuts, if using.
6. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake at 350°F for 45 to 65 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few dry crumbs.
7. Cool the bread in the pan for 30 minutes. Remove the bread and cool completely on a wire rack.

Make ahead tips:

• The bread will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
• Baked and cooled bread can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.