Another successful Pumpkin Night!  Thank you, Lara, for another great batch of pumpkin chili and cornbread. 

Zoe- Thanks for your great pumpkin additions as well:

Pumpkin salsa:

http://www.littlefiggy.com/pumpkin-salsa/

Pumpkin Spice Brown Rice Salad: 

(I used chicken instead of tempeh)

http://www.averiecooks.com/2012/06/pumpkin-spiced-brown-rice-tempeh-and-cranberry-salad.html#comments

Wine, dessert and delicious soup!

Curried Coconut-Squash Soup from The Runner's World Cookbook 

(pre-run, gluten-free, fast, low-calorie)

3 cups fresh or frozen cubed butternut squash

1/4 cup water

1 can (14 oz) light coconut milk

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup low-fat plain greek yogurt

Put the squash in a microwavable dish. Add the water and loosely cover the dish. Steam it in the microwave on high for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the squash is soft. Let it cool in the microwave for 1 minute. 

In a blender, combine the squash, coconut milk, broth, curry powder, and salt. Puree until smooth. 

Transfer the soup to a pot and heat over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until gently simmering. Ladle the soup into bowls and top each with a dollop of yogurt. 

THANKS SUSAN!

Cucumber Watermelon Salad & Caprese Farro Salad

Cucumber Watermelon Summer Salad
3 cups seedless watermelon, cubed
2 cups cucumber, cubed
1 cup yellow bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup purple/red onion, diced
1 avocado, cubed
1/4 cup cilantro, firmly chopped

Dressing1/4 cup avocado oil
2 Tbs orange juice
2 Tbs lime juice
2 Tbs tequila (I omitted, only because I didn't have any!)
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper

1. Combine watermelon, cucumber, bell pepper and onion in a larger bowl.
2. In a jar with lid, combine avocado oil, orange juice, lime juice, tequila, salt and pepper. Shake dressing ingredients to combine.
3. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
4. Toss together with watermelon mix.
5. Add cilantro and diced avocado and mix gently.
6. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes before serving.

Caprese Farro Salad from The Runner's World Cookbook
10 ounces farro (about 1 1/2 cups) - (small bag is an easy find a Trader Joe's)
4 cups water
1 tsp salt
8 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
8 oz fresh mozzarella, cubed, or 8 oz. mini mozzarella balls
1/2 cup fresh basil, chiffonade (thin strips made by laying the leaves together, rolling like a cigar and slicing crosswise)
1/4 cup EVOO
2 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar (best new discovery: Balsamic Glaze, also from TJ's)
1 tsp agave nectar or honey
ground black pepper

Combine the farro with water in a medium saucepan. Add the salt salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes or until the farro is tender.

Drain well and place in a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. Toss to combine.

In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, agave nectar or honey, and pepper to taste. Drizzle over the farro mixture and toss to coat. Serve immediately or let cool and serve at room temperature. 

Book club is a hit at Courtney's new home!

Courtney hosts an entertaining book club at her new home.  It is always good to see everyone, catch up and eat good food.

Courtney made a delicious main dish:  Sweet Potato, Kale, and Sausage
http://pinchofyum.com/sweet-potato-kale-sausage-bake-white-cheese-sauce. 

This was followed by 2 great desserts.  Thanks to Courtney for the Healthy No Bake Snickerdoodle Bites:
http://thebigmansworld.com/2015/10/01/healthy-no-bake-snickerdoodle-bites/

And Lauren for the Pumpkin Brownies:
http://cookiesandcups.com/2-ingredient-pumpkin-brownies/

Happy Eating and Reading ;)

Delicious eats in Del Mar

I think the desserts took the prize this time around...oh wait or is that every time ;)

Zoe provided an amazing Strawberry Bread:

Strawberry Bread

Ingredients
1 ½ cups fresh strawberries, sliced
1 cup sugar
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup melted butter (1 stick)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly grease a standard loaf pan (8”x5” approx.)  Rinse, core and slice the strawberries, place in a small bowl and sprinkle with ½ cup sugar. In a large bowl, blend together the remaining sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  In a medium bowl, beat the eggs until foamy, then add the vanilla and melted butter.  Make sure the melted butter isn’t too hot- just barely melted.  Stir in the strawberries.  Combine the two mixtures, blending until the dry ingredients are moistened.  Pour into the pan and bake for 60 -70 min, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  

Lara made her now famous fudgy hot tamale brownies....YUM!

Her recipe was adapted from this one: http://www.somethingswanky.com/fudgey-chocolate-chunk-brownies/

**Lara says "Two things to note, I used a whole bag of dark chocolate chips, and also added a whole box of hot tamales candy!"

Lauren made delicious Raw Fig Bars:
http://www.thehealthymaven.com/2014/09/raw-fig-bars.html#_a5y_p=2339836

Talia hosts bookclub and boy was it delicious!

Talia is at it again- a full night of delicious food.  Recipes are below:

Tomato Soup with Parmesan Croutons
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2015/01/tomato-soup-with-parmesan-croutons/

Pimento Cheese dip
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2014/12/pimento-cheese/

Shredded Romaine and cucumber salad with yogurt dressing
http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/shredded-romaine-cucumber-salad-yogurt-dressing.aspx

Easy Frozen Dessert

1/2 cup corn syrup

1/2 peanut butter

3 cups rice krispies

vanilla ice cream

1 pkg dream whip

1 tsp instant coffee

2 Tbsp chocolate milk powder

Chocolate to garnish top

Mix first 3 ingredients together and pack into 9x13" pan.  

Spread layer of ice cream on top of base.

Whip cream according to directions.  When finished whipping, mix in by hand the coffee and chocolate milk powder.

Spread on top of ice cream layer.

Grate chocolate on top

Place in freezer until serving time

Take out 10 mins before serving to facilitate slicing

  

Megan Bitsoff's 3 Course Meal!

Salad:

• Cherry tomatoes, halved
• One bunch of green onions, chopped
• Cucumber, striped and chopped
• Italian lettuce
• Feta
• Dry Italian ZESTY dressing (in a packet)
• Mix with EVOO and balsamic vinegar

Carrot Ginger Soup

• 2 T butter
• 2 onions, chopped fine
• 1/4 c minced crystallized ginger
• 1 T grated fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• salt and pepper
• 1 t sugar
• 2 lbs. of carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 4 c. water
• 1.5 c carrot juice
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 t cider vinegar
• chopped chives
• sour cream

Directions

1. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, crystallized ginger, fresh ginger, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, and sugar; cook, stirring frequently, until onions are softened but not browned, 5-7 minutes
2. Increase heat to high; add carrots, water, 3/4 cup carrot juice, thyme sprigs, and baking soda and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until carrots are very tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Discard thyme sprigs. Working in batches, process soup in blender until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Return soup to clean pot and stir in vinegar and remaining 3/4 cup carrot juice.  (Soup can be refrigerated up to 4 days.)  Return to simmer over medium heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with sprinkle of chives and dollop of sour cream.

Chocolate Mousse:

• 6 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocalate, chopped course
• 4 T butter
• pinch salt
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 2 T strong coffee
• 4 large eggs, seperated
• 2 T sugar
• 1/2 c chilled heavy cream, plus more for serving
• Chocolate Covered coffee bean (Fresh and Easy; I'll save everyone the trip of going to 10 different places!)
• Strawberries for garnish

1. Melt the chocolate in an uncovered Pyrex measuring cup microwaved at 50 percent power for 3 minutes, stirring once at the 2-minute mark. Whisk the butter into the melted chocolate, 1 tablespoon at at time. Stir in the salt, vanilla, and coffee until completely incorporated. Whisk in the yolks, one at a time, making sure that each is fully incorporated before adding the next. 
2. Stir the egg whites in a clean mixing bowl set over a saucepan of hot water until slightly warm, 1 to 2 minutes; remove the bowl from the saucepan. Beat with an electric mixer set at medium speed until soft peaks form. Raise the mixer speed to high and slowly add the sugar; beat to soft peaks. Whisk a quarter of the beaten whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, then gently fold in the remaining whites.
3. Whip the cream to soft peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the mousse. Spoon portions of the mousse into 6 or 8 individual serving dishes or goblets. Cover and refrigerate to allow the flavors to blend, at least 2 hours. (The mousse may be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.) Serve with additional whipped cream, chocolate covered coffee beans, and strawberry.