Monthly Archives: October 2016

Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Apple Cider Glaze

18 Tuesday Oct 2016

Posted by in Dessert, Quick and Easy, Vegetarian

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Soft Pumpkin Cookies With Apple Cider Glaze

I was in the mood for a cookie this weekend and was inspired by the flavors of fall, so this is what I came up with!  The cookies are incredibly soft, almost cake-like, and the apple cider glaze adds a nice hit of sweetness.  I hope you enjoy these as much as my nephews did!

Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Apple Cider Glaze
Yield:  3 to 4 dozen cookies
Time:  15 minutes prep, 15 minutes baking per batch

For the pumpkin cookies:
2½ cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. salt
1½ cups sugar
½ butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup of canned 100% pure pumpkin
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the apple cider glaze:
1¾ to 2½ cups confectioner’s sugar
1 tbsp. melted butter
¾ tsp. vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
¼ cup apple cider

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.  Grease a baking sheet and set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.
  3. In a larger mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar.  Stir in the egg, vanilla, and puréed pumpkin.
  4. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and stir until well blended.  Drop heaping teaspoons of batter onto the greased baking sheet.
  5. Bake at 350°F for about 15 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are golden brown and the tops of the cookies spring back when pressed gently.  Cool at room temperature.
  6. Whisk together all of the glaze ingredients.  Start by using only 1¾ cups of the confectioner’s sugar, gradually adding more until you get the desired consistency.  The glaze should be just runny enough that it’ll spill down the sides of the cookies.  Top each cookie with about half of a tablespoon of glaze.  Allow cookies to fully set (30+ minutes at room temperature) before wrapping them up.

PFD to Print Recipe for Soft Pumpkin Cookes With Apple Cider Glaze

Cookie recipe inspired by:  https://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/32364/old-fashioned-soft-pumpkin-cookies

Chicken Enchiladas

03 Monday Oct 2016

Posted by in Dinner

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Chicken Enchiladas

For me, there’s no better comfort food than enchiladas!  This recipe is sort of slimmed down (especially compared to the restaurant version), so eat up without the guilt!

Chicken Enchiladas
Yield: 4 servings (8 enchiladas total)
Time: 30 minutes prep, 15 minutes cooking, 45 minutes total

1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 white onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
½ tsp. cumin
1½ tsp. chili powder
4½ oz. can diced green chilies
3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped
¾ cup frozen corn (or fresh)
1 cup cubed or shredded cooked chicken
15 oz. small white beans
19 oz. can mild red enchilada sauce*
4 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
8 medium sized tortillas

For garnish (optional):
2 avocados
juice of ¼ to ½ a lime
pinch of salt
½ cup sour cream
1 bunch scallions, chopped
salsa

  1. Preheat your oven to 375ºF.  Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.  Set aside.
  2. In a large sauté pan, combine the peppers, onion, garlic, and EVOO.  Cook over medium heat until the veggies are slightly softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the cumin, chili powder, green chilies, and chipotle peppers with adobo sauce.  Continue to cook over medium heat for another 2-3 minutes.
  3. Stir in the corn, chicken, and white beans.  Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally for the next 5-10 minutes as you prepare the tortillas.
  4. Place the entire stack of 8 tortillas on a plate and microwave for 30 seconds to soften.
  5. Pour roughly 4 tbsp. of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.  Spread evenly so the entire surface is covered in a thin layer of sauce.  Pour about ¼ of the remaining sauce into a shallow bowl.  Dip both sides of a tortilla into the sauce, then fill the tortilla with the prepared veggies/chicken mixture by placing a generous line of filling along the middle of the tortilla, extending all the way to the edges.  Wrap the sides of the tortilla up to form the enchilada, and place it seam-side down in the prepared baking dish.  Repeat with remaining tortillas, using all of the filling.
  6. Once all of the tortillas are filled and in the baking dish, drizzle the remaining enchilada sauce over the top, spreading evenly.  Cover with the shredded cheddar cheese.  Heat at 375ºF for 15 minutes, until the cheese is hot and bubbly.
  7. Meanwhile, prepare a quick guacamole for garnish:  mash the two avocados together with the lime juice and salt.
  8. Garnish with guacamole, sour cream, scallions, and/or salsa.  Enjoy!!

Chicken Enchiladas
* I prefer to use mild enchilada sauce because I add enough heat with hot salsa, green chilies, and adobo peppers!  Feel free to use medium or hot enchilada sauce to kick up the heat even more!

Enchiladas are traditionally served with rice and beans, but I found that these were filling enough that I didn’t need to add the extra calories!

PDF to Print Recipe for Chicken Enchiladas