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Fall Recipes

October 9, 2017 By

I’m in love with this dish.
♥
A sustaining and tasty fall salad. Sweet roasted and spicy pumpkin is topped with layers of crunchy apples, woodsy pine nuts and a load of iron clad spinach. I suggest Crown prince pumpkins (the large gray Cinderella ones with shiny skin) because they have the best texture and deep autumnal flavor but butternut squash works well and will still taste great.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spiced pumpkin wedges with spinach, apple & pine nuts
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Recipe By Silvia Baldini— A lovely sustaining and tasty fall salad. Sweet roasted and spicy pumpkin is topped with layers of crunchy apples, woodsy pine nuts and a load of spinach. I'm in love with this dish.
Servings
4/6 people
Servings
4/6 people
Spiced pumpkin wedges with spinach, apple & pine nuts
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Recipe By Silvia Baldini— A lovely sustaining and tasty fall salad. Sweet roasted and spicy pumpkin is topped with layers of crunchy apples, woodsy pine nuts and a load of spinach. I'm in love with this dish.
Servings
4/6 people
Servings
4/6 people
Ingredients
PUMPKIN
  • 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed chilli flakes
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium pumpkin, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and cut into 6-8 wedges
SPINACH
  • 3 tablespoons pine nuts
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 red onion, sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed chilli flakes
  • 1 tart apple (Granny Smith or similar), peeled, cored and diced
  • 2 garlic cloves crushed
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons runny honey
  • 1 pound washed spinach sliced in ribbons
  • 5 tablespoons double cream
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 pinch fresh ground black pepper
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 400F Put coriander, cumin, fennel, cinnamon and chilli with the salt into a mortar and pestle and crush until finely ground. Add the garlic and olive oil and pound to a paste. Rub this spice mix evenly all over the pumpkin wedges. Arrange in a single layer in a roast until tender, about 40 minutes.
  2. Make the spinach topping when the pumpkin is nearly done. Toast the pine nuts in a dry heavy frying pan over the low heat, shaking the pan once or twice, until nutty and golden, about 5 minutes.
  3. Put the oil in a large pan over medium heat. When it's hot, add the onion and chilli and cook until soft and wilted, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the apple and garlic ad cook until the apple starts to turn gold, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cumin, honey and two tablespoons of the pine nuts. Add the spinach and cook until just wilted, about 3 minutes, then pour in the cream and heat through. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Arrange the roast pumpkin onto a serving platter, pour over the spinach sauce and sprinkle over the chopped cilantro and remaining pine nuts. Serve at once.
Recipe Notes

THINK AHEAD

You can bake the pumpkin a day ahead; reheat gently in a 300F oven, about 20 minutes. The spinach sauce is best made just before serving as it loses its bright green colour if you leave it sitting around but it takes only a few minutes if you have your pine nuts ready and toasted and your spinach chopped.

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This soup is made with an unexpected combination of healthy and powerful ingredients that taste sublime together. Eggplant, toasted almonds, dried soft apricots and turmeric. Grilling and charring the eggplant gives smoky flavor while the apricots and the almonds bring sweetness and a lovely texture. A sprinkle of turmeric and cumin gives a mediterranean touch to the soup and a hefty squeeze of lemon brightens it up. I serve the soup hot or even better at room temperature, in big bowls for supper or a sustaining lunch.


 

Eggplant, Almond, Tumeric and Apricot Soup
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Recipe By Silvia Baldini — I'm big fan of eggplant and this soup is made with an unexpected combination of healthy and powerful ingredients that taste sublime together. Eggplant, toasted almonds, dried soft apricots and turmeric. Grilling and charring the eggplant gives smoky flavor while the apricots and the almonds bring sweetness and a lovely texture. A sprinkle of turmeric and cumin gives a mediterranean touch to the soup and a hefty squeeze of lemon brightens it up. I serve the soup hot or even better at room temperature, in big bowls for supper or a sustaining lunch.
Servings Prep Time
4/6 people 25 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4/6 people 25 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Eggplant, Almond, Tumeric and Apricot Soup
Yum
Print Recipe
Recipe By Silvia Baldini — I'm big fan of eggplant and this soup is made with an unexpected combination of healthy and powerful ingredients that taste sublime together. Eggplant, toasted almonds, dried soft apricots and turmeric. Grilling and charring the eggplant gives smoky flavor while the apricots and the almonds bring sweetness and a lovely texture. A sprinkle of turmeric and cumin gives a mediterranean touch to the soup and a hefty squeeze of lemon brightens it up. I serve the soup hot or even better at room temperature, in big bowls for supper or a sustaining lunch.
Servings Prep Time
4/6 people 25 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4/6 people 25 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Ingredients
  • 2 medium eggplants
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • salt
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1 clove garlic crushed
  • 2 teaspoons grated gresh ginger
  • 2 teaspoons ground coritander
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • 2 pints vegetable stock
  • 4 oz dried apricots, roughly chopped
  • 4 tablespoons Marsala or Sherry
  • 2 tablespoons clear honey
  • 1/2 medium fresh lemon juice
  • 3 oz lightly toasted grounds almonds
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Heat a grill pan to fairly high. Spread the eggplants out on a rack over the grill pan. Brush lightly with oil and season. Grill on both sides for about 12-20 minutes until golden. You can also use the oven broiler.
  2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large lidded saucepan. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin seeds and turmeric. Cover and sweat for 10 minutes.
  3. Stir the grilled eggplants into the onion mixture with the stock, apricots, Marsala, honey and lemon juice. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
  4. Add the almonds and simmer for 5 minutes.
  5. Allow to cool slightly before puréeing until smooth. Check seasoning.
  6. Return to the rinsed out pan and re-heat slowly. Divide between warmed serving bowls and serve.
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Beef, Prunes, Chickpeas and Ginger Slow-Cooked Pot

February 14, 2017 By

The lovely guys and girls at ctbites just published my yummy winter recipe for Beef, Prunes & Chickpeas pot on their beautiful new redesigned blog. Thank you!

Prunes, chickpeas and ginger combine forces in this hearty slow-cooked dinner that’s crammed full of flavor. It’s the perfect dish when a jolt of much-needed energy to sustain our daily actions is needed.

This pot is a darling at my house come winter during Sunday family dinners when warmth and restoration are very much a necessity. Prunes for fiber, chickpeas for nutrient-rich energy, ginger as  antioxidant and a generous amount of sigh-inducingly tender beef.

Let’s put power back in the right hands and the force of sustenance in our family’s bellies.

Beef, Prunes, Chickpeas and Ginger Slow Cooked Pot
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This is a tagine, or slow cooker, recipe. It takes about 2 1/2 hours to cook but once you prep it, you don't have much else to worry about.
Servings Prep Time
8 people 20 minutes
Cook Time
2 1/2 hours
Servings Prep Time
8 people 20 minutes
Cook Time
2 1/2 hours
Beef, Prunes, Chickpeas and Ginger Slow Cooked Pot
Yum
Print Recipe
This is a tagine, or slow cooker, recipe. It takes about 2 1/2 hours to cook but once you prep it, you don't have much else to worry about.
Servings Prep Time
8 people 20 minutes
Cook Time
2 1/2 hours
Servings Prep Time
8 people 20 minutes
Cook Time
2 1/2 hours
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion chopped
  • 2 medium celery stalks chopped
  • 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and grated
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 pinch saffron threads
  • 1 pound cubed lean beef lamb, chicken or pork would work well
  • 1 cup canned chickpeas drained dried chickpeas could be used, but must be soaked overnight
  • 1 large 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 4 cups chicken or beef stock
  • 3/4 cup pitted prunes
  • 1/2 cup diced eggplant
  • 1/2 medium lemon, juiced
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven, heavy pot or slow cooker. Add the onions, celery and garlic and cook, stirring, until the onion softens.
  2. Add the ginger, cinnamon and the salt and pepper. Stir and add the saffron threads; cook always stirring, about 2 minutes. Add the beef and cook for 5 minutes until browned.
  3. Add the chickpeas and the crushed tomatoes and stir. Add the stock, cover and gently simmer on low heat for 45 minutes.
  4. Add the prunes and eggplants, cover and gently simmer for 1 hour.
  5. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed. Add the juice of the lemon and stir. Then add the chopped cilantro leaves and serve.
Recipe Notes

Add some chili flakes or harissa to kick up the heat. Freeze any leftovers. Serve with long grain or brown rice.

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One-Pot Lamb, Lentils and Chickpeas Stew

February 1, 2017 By

A woman’s place is everywhere.

Therefore, we need all the help and stamina we can get to gallop through the day and win our battles. Lentils and Chickpeas are a source of ginormous energy and taste darn good when slow cooked with savory ingredients. I like to combine them with ground lamb, tomatoes, potatoes, cumin and a pinch of smoked paprika for an easy, all-inclusive, one-pot family dish. POW!

One Pot Lamb and Lentils Stew
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Servings Prep Time
8 people 25 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Servings Prep Time
8 people 25 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
One Pot Lamb and Lentils Stew
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
8 people 25 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Servings Prep Time
8 people 25 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium carrot diced
  • 1 medium celery stalk diced
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 pound lean ground lamb you can also use small cubes
  • 3 tbsp sherry vinegar
  • 1/4 cup red wine
  • 1 pound black lentils, rinsed
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 cup canned tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme chopped
  • 1 cup peeled and cubed potatoes
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 salt and pepper
  • 3 tbsp chopped parsley
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan and add the carrot, celery and onion. Cover and cook for until softened, which should take just a couple minutes. Then add the garlic and lamb and cook, stirring and crumbling the ground lamb or turning the lamb chunks as needed, until browned on the outside but still pink on the inside, about 5 minutes. Add the vinegar and wine and cook for 5 minutes or until the liquid evaporates.
  2. Add the lentils, chickpeas, cumin and paprika and cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes.
  3. Stir in the tomato paste, tomatoes, thyme, potatoes, chicken stock and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper and cook on medium heat for 45 minutes, or until the lentils are soft but not mushy, sorta like cooking pasta until it’s al dente. Stir with a wooden spoon from time to time.
  4. Remove and discard the bay leaves, season with salt and pepper and serve sprinkled with the parsley.
Recipe Notes

Add some sliced avocado and fresh spinach for extra green power. Leftovers are outstanding spooned on flat bread—we call it lamb pizza.

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