October and the following two months often become a slippery slope for me due to my sweet tooth and general food obsession. There’s my birthday, Halloween, Thanksgiving, holiday parties, work potlucks, and Christmas, making it incredibly hard to try and eat well.

I’m sure most people can relate so with Halloween coming up tomorrow I got to work trying to come up with a healthy snack. Well, healthier than bags of candy bars.

Then it dawned on me to make a homemade trail mix full of delightful fall flavors. You can mix and match with whatever you have on hand or enjoy. I loaded mine up with dried orange cranberries, spiced pumpkin seeds and blanched almonds.

I of course snuck in just a little bit of chocolate because Halloween wouldn’t be the same without it. But it’s dark chocolate so it’s healthy! Thank goodness for those antioxidants.

My mom always used to pack us homemade trail mix when we would go hiking and I’m sure she would love this mix. Perfect for on the go, munch on some during your next road trip, movie night or to avoid eating all the leftover Halloween candy.

Fall Trail Mix

 

Print

Yield: 4-6

Ingredients

• ¾ cup pepitas
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon allspice
• 1 cup blanched almonds
• ½ cup dried orange cranberries, or another tart dried fruit of your choosing, such as dried cherries
• ⅓ cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Toss the pepitas with the vegetable oil then spread evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the pepitas browned and crisp, about 10-15 minutes, making sure to stir every 5 minutes. Once browned, remove the pepitas from the oven then toss with the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Let the seasoned pumpkin seeds cool.
3. Toss together the cooled pumpkin seeds, almonds, orange cranberries & chocolate chips.

Notes

You can find dried orange cranberries & pumpkin spiced pepitas at your local Trader Joe's.

3.2.2802

Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

It’s apple time again! After Tuesday’s slightly involved, albeit delicious and deceptively easy, dish I wanted to share something that required minimal effort and ingredients. I’m talking three ingredients and three steps. Boom! How exciting is that? We could all use a few more minimal effort recipes in our lives.

Homemade apple chips are a great on-the-go snack. They are also enjoyable on top of salads, in spiced sweet potato and apple soup, and by themselves for Netflix marathons. Thin apple slices are lightly coated with spiced sugar then left to bake in the oven. Staying in the oven for so long on a low temperature takes a lot of the moisture out of them leaving you with a nice crunchy chip-like texture. But, they still have the taste of apple. Thus apple chips. You probably got that by now, but I figured I would point it out anyways.

They are quite addictive. However, I must share one warning with all you soon-to-be-apple-chip-makers:  they sit in the oven for a long, long time. This is not a make it in 20 minutes kind of snack. We’re talking almost 2 hours in the oven. So just make sure you read the recipe thoroughly, all four lines of it, long before you plan to actual create this treat so you aren’t disappointed or late for your Netflix marathon.

Baked Apple Chips

 

Print

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 Pink Lady apples
• 1½ teaspoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Cut each apple in half (make one cut through the apple halfway between the bottom and the stem, do not cut from the stem downward). Thinly slice the apple using a mandolin. You can core the apple, but then you won’t get the pretty stars in the middle.
3. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a large bag. Add the apple slices and shake until they are completely coated. You may have to open the bag up to separate some of the slices. Lay the apple slices evenly on the prepared baking sheet then bake for one hour.
4. Remove from the oven, flip over, then bake for another hour. When the second hour is up, remove the pan from the oven then carefully move the apple chips to a cooling rack. The apple slices will continue to fully crisp while they are cooling.

3.2.2802

Recipe adapted from All Recipes.

Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

To celebrate fall I am doing a series of four posts featuring a quintessential fall ingredient: apples! Every year Matt and I go apple picking with his parents at an orchard near their house. For us, this annual ritual signifies the official transition out of summer. In typical New England fashion, some years it is still sunny shorts-weather while other years we have three different layers on trying to stay warm. But what is always the same is the overwhelming fresh smell of apples.

Although we haven’t had a chance to go yet this year between other people’s weddings and our own exciting planning, I wanted to provide some inspired recipes for all you fall apple-pickers out there. Whether you’re an apple-picker, seasonal farmers’ market shopper or price-savvy grocery store buyer, this caramelized onion and apple dip is a mouthwatering start to the season’s freshest produce.

Caramelizing onions mellows their taste while breaking down the natural sugars leading to a browned and slightly sweetened result. True onion caramelization takes around 35-40 minutes, however I used a semi-caramelized quick version in this recipe. The end result is just as delicious.

The onions are combined with tart Pink Lady apples, creamy herb cheese, salty shredded Parmesan and Gruyere before baked until bubbly. This hot dip is addictive on warm baguette slices, salty pretzel chips or grilled pork chops.

Caramelized Onion & Apple Dip

 

Print

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 medium sweet onions, diced small
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
• 2 sweet-tart apples, such as Pink Lady, peeled and diced
• 2 ounces soft herb cheese, such as Boursin or herb goat cheese
• 1 cup shredded Gruyere
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Place a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter in the skillet then add the onions and chives. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened and have started to brown about 10-15 minutes.
3. Add the apples. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
4. Stir in the soft herb cheese then season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Evenly sprinkle the shredded cheeses over top then bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until cheeses are bubbly and browned. Remove from the oven and let sit 5 minutes before eating.

3.2.1311

Lauren Uncategorized 1 Comment

Brie is a heavenly cheese. Encased inside an edible rind, brie has a creamy and buttery texture with a mild taste. When I was younger I used to take my best friend up to New Hampshire to go skiing with me and my family. Her parents used to give us a little food-packed thank you basket every time. The sole reason I remember this is because of the brie.

Oh the brie! There was always a wheel of it and my friend and I would dive right in, no serving dishes needed.

Brie’s versatility makes it pair well with everything from turkey artichoke paninis to wedges of apple. Sweeter flavors also complement brie well because it’s so mild and you know how I feel about my sweets.

This honey walnut topped baked brie is a simple and addictive happy hour appetizer or dinner party dessert. Well, pre-dessert, actual dessert must still be involved.

Brie is already a spreadable cheese, but when you melt it into warm gooey deliciousness it becomes both spreadable and habit-forming. The honey and walnuts on top add just the right amount of sweetness, earthiness and texture to really elevate the baked brie. And doesn’t the topping make it look fancy? You can serve this baked brie on its own, but I like to serve it with warm soft bread or raisin crostini.

Honey Walnut Baked Brie

 

Print

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 wheel of brie
• ¼ cup honey
• ½ cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place the brie in a baking dish. Top with the honey and the walnuts then bake for 15 minutes.
3. Serve hot with crostini, slices of bread or crackers.

3.2.1311

Recipe slightly adapted The Food Network.

Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

Remember my Uncle Rob from the filet tailgate sandwiches with whiskey marinade? Well he is a multi-talented man. In addition to grilling up delicious tailgate eats he also harvests honey! As in he has bees in the backyard and a complete beekeeper’s suit. “Rob’s Love Nectar”- check it out! I may be afraid of the bees, but I certainly love their honey.

Recently Uncle Rob mailed me a big bottle of his honey so I decided to make a series of honey posts out of it. These sticky and sweet honey baked wings are the first of four honey installments and are definitely the best way to kick off this series.

I was am will-always-be obsessed with these wings. The marinade consists of honey, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and rice wine vinegar to create a balanced flavor profile. The honey caramelizes while the wings are baking in the oven and makes these bad boys incredibly addictive. Finger-lickin’-can’t-breathe-too-busy-eating addictive.

They are also extremely low maintenance as you can just stick them in the oven and let the magic happen. I was very nervous to break down the wings myself, but after a couple snips with a pair of kitchen shears I had the process down.

Currently Rob’s Love Nectar is only available through personal gifting, but shop local honey and support your neighboring beekeepers! Also honey pollinated from bees local to your area is said to help with seasonal allergies so that’s another reason to source your honey locally.

Sweet & Sticky Honey Baked Wings

 

Print

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
• 4 pounds chicken wings & drumettes
• 1 scallion, chopped, for garnish
• Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 9" x 13" with nonstick tin foil and set aside.
2. Combine the soy sauce, honey, vegetable oil, rice vinegar, garlic and ginger in a medium saucepan with a whisk. Bring the honey mixture to a boil then simmer on low for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Place the split chicken wings in the prepared pan. Pour the heated honey mixture over the wings then toss to coat.
4. Bake the chicken wings for about 1 hour or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F and the skin has darkened. Garnish wings with scallions and sesame seeds before serving.

Notes

To break down the wings follow the steps below:
*Clip off the wing tip at the knuckle using a pair of kitchen shears. Dispose the wing tip or save for homemade chicken stock.
*Make a small snip in the fat between the wing and the drumette so it's easier to get to the joint.
*Cut the knuckle between the wing and the drumette to separate them.
*Cut off any excess fat.

3.2.1311

Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments