Hearty Vegetable Cassoulet

October 9, 2015October 9, 2015 / ktbuchs87

Cassoulet. It just sounds fancy doesn’t it? But then again, most French words sound fancy. In fact, this dish is probably as far from fancy as you can get. A cassoulet is a slow-cooked casserole that started out as a peasant meal. Basically, all the scraps of meat, bones, and vegetables were placed into a clay baking dish and cooked over low heat for a long time to make a delicious cross between a casserole and a hearty stew.

Over the years, chefs and restaurants got a hold of it and “elevated” it to make it good enough to be put on expensive menus. The truth was that not much needed to be changed to make a delicious dish because sometimes the simplest things are the tastiest.

I made this cassoulet a little different than the traditional dish because I didn’t include any meat. It is still a very rich dish that is great for the cooler nights we’ve been having. You can also add meat if you wanted or mushrooms if you wanted to keep it vegetarian but add a “meaty” component.

This dish can be made ahead of time and then just popped in the oven when it’s time for dinner. It tastes like you have spent all day cooking it, but we can just keep that our little secret! So impress your friends and family with a tasty and fancy cassoulet that is as simple as could be.

Hearty Vegetable Cassoulet

1 tsp olive oil
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 cup onion, diced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp marjoram
1 tsp rosemary
1/2 cup dry red wine (I used a malbec, but you can use whatever you have on hand)
1 cup carrots, peeled and diced into rounds
3/4 cup celery, sliced
1 can diced tomatoes (I used fire-roasted)
1 tbsp molasses (you could use maple syrup too)
1 tbsp spicy brown mustard
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 and heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add in the onions, garlic, thyme, marjoram, and rosemary. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes
Add the 1/2 cup wine and bring to a slow simmer. Cover the dish and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove cover and stir in the vegetables and simmer for another 10 minutes. Add in the rest of the ingredients and return to a simmer.
Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to your taste. Transfer the whole things to a 9 x 13 casserole dish and cover with aluminum foil. Cook in the oven for 45 minutes.

See? It really is a simple meal. After cooking in the oven for 45 minutes, you’re left with a meal that is stick to your ribs good and is loaded with good for you vegetables and legumes. If you want to do this meal with meat, I would use chunks of beef because they will handle the long cook time well. Just make sure to brown them before adding them into the dish.

Oh, and Adam wants me to make sure to tell you to serve this with bread. But then again he wants me to serve bread with every meal…

Have a great Friday everyone and I will see you on Monday!

DIY Wednesday: Cream Cheese Frosting

October 7, 2015 / ktbuchs87

My birthday is on Halloween. I think because I was born right in the middle of fall, the love of all things fall is sort of woven into my genes. Usually for my birthday, my mom would make spice cake or carrot cake and one year I think she made a hummingbird cake…. but I could be wrong about that one. Anyway, the cakes that she made would beg for cream cheese frosting and that was just fine with me.

I love cream cheese frosting. Most other frostings are WAY too sweet and I can only take a few bites before I start to get nauseated. But cream cheese frosting? Skip the cake and get me a spoon. It’s a little sweet, a little tangy, and all delicious.

I haven’t had cream cheese frosting in years because it’s basically cream cheese, butter, and sugar. Since I don’t do dairy or refined sugar anymore, cream cheese frosting isn’t really at the top of my list of things to eat. With fall baking underway, I thought it would be a good time to try recreating this frosting without any dairy or refined sugar. Lucky for me, it wasn’t that hard to do! Just a few ingredients, a little planning ahead, and you have a delicious cream cheese frosting that is ready to top carrot cake or any other fall favorite.

Oh, and if you think it’s easier to just grab a tub of cream cheese frosting at the store? Think again. Not only is it full of chemicals, sugar, and preservatives, but it doesn’t actually contain any cream cheese…. Explain that one to me! Do yourself a favor and make this simple, dairy-free frosting without the high price and chemicals.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight
2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 more if you like a tangier frosting
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup water
3 tbsp coconut butter NOT coconut oil

Drain and rinse the soaked cashews and place in a blender or food processor. Add the lemon juice, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Pulse a few times until the cashews are broken up into little pieces.
Add the water and blend the cashews until you have a smooth cream. Add the coconut butter and blend to combine everything. Taste and see if you need to add more sweet or more tang.
You can use the frosting right away or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. If you do store it in the fridge, take it out 20 minutes before you want to use it to let it warm up a bit.

To test out the frosting, I made some carrot cake cookies. Because if you have frosting you have to have cookies right? I just threw some things together and the cookies actually turned out pretty good. I’m going to tweak them a bit and then put them on the blog so you can enjoy your homemade frosting!

I’ll have a new recipe for you on Friday and then Monday I hope to do a recap of the awesome wedding weekend! It was a great time and I am so happy for the new Mr. and Mrs. Meyers!

DIY Wednesday: Squash Apple Butter

September 30, 2015September 30, 2015 / ktbuchs87

I certainly did not invent apple butter, although that would be pretty awesome if I did. I’m also certainly not the first to put a recipe for apple butter on their blog. But I’m putting a little spin on the typical apple butter today for your DIY post of the week.

I actually had never really tried apple butter until I met Adam. His grandma sent us home from a visit once with some apple butter and it was delicious. It was smoother and creamier than applesauce and that was what I loved about it. It’s funny that Adam was technically the one to introduce me to apple butter since the man doesn’t like cooked apples! I know, he’s weird.

Anyway, most apple butter is made with a TON of sugar. Besides adding sweetness, it helps preserve the apple butter. That’s fine for some, but since I don’t do refined or much added sugar, I wanted to try an apple butter that didn’t use sugar. To me, cooked apples are already fairly sweet. Plus if you add in spices like cinnamon it ups the sweet factor. I also wanted to do something to make my apple butter even smoother. Pureed squash is really smooth and creamy plus it tends to lean toward the sweet side. And squash is just awesome in general so I thought why not add it into my apple butter.

Luckily it worked out and I ended up with a fall hybrid butter that is perfect on toast, in oatmeal, on pancakes, or on a peanut butter sandwich. It is so easy to make your own apple butter and it will cost a lot less than buying it from the apple orchard or specialty shops. So if you have a plethora of apples hanging around and want to try something a little different than your typical apple butter, give this squash apple butter a try!

Squash Apple Butter

5 to 6 large apples of different varieties, I used a mix of sweet and tart like granny smith and gala.
2 cups diced butternut squash, you could also try pumpkin or delicata
2 tsp lemon juice
2 to 3 cinnamon sticks, optional
2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg, optional
1 tsp ground cloves, optional
1 tsp ground cinnamon, optional

Place sliced apples, cubed squash, and cinnamon sticks if you are using them into a slow cooker. You want to make sure you fill the cooker almost to the top leaving just a little space.
Cook on high for 4 hours. If your apples and squash start sticking, you can use a little water. Don’t use too much because you don’t want a watery butter.
After 4 hours, the apples and squash should be fairly soft. Remove the cinnamon sticks and smash everything else with a potato masher or fork and transfer the whole thing to a blender. You could also use an immersion blender. Puree the apples and squash until super smooth. This is important to make sure you have a smooth and creamy butter.
Return the puree to the slow cooker and cook on high for another hour. At the end stir in the lemon juice and any spices you want.
Allow the whole mixture to cool before you transfer to jars or other airtight containers. Store in the fridge.

I have really liked swirling this into my oatmeal in the morning. The whole thing just reminds me of fall and that makes me happy!

In other news, my little sister is getting married this weekend ( 😀 😀 😀 😀 ) and I am just a tad busy helping her with that! While I have plenty of new recipes to share with you, my Friday post will be a round-up of my favorite fall recipes around the blog world. I hope you have a great Wednesday and see you soon!

My Review of: Fall FoMo No More from House Vegan

September 28, 2015September 28, 2015 / ktbuchs87

I think that I may have found someone who loves fall just as much, maybe a little more, than I do. If you have followed me for any length of time, you know that this is my favorite season. From my love of pumpkins and all things squash to it being my birthday and wedding anniversary time of year, it just doesn’t get any better than fall.

Hannah Teson pretty much feels that exact same way about fall. So much so that she decided to write a book about it! Fall FoMo No More is an ebook for those of you who love everything about fall and want to get the most out of this season. Not only are there amazing and delicious autumn recipes, there is a whole section of the book that is dedicated to helping you plan out fall activities. From Halloween to Thanksgiving, Hannah helps you organize your fall so that you can get the most enjoyment from this time of year. She has a fall shopping list, a cooking and cleaning schedule, fun fall activities, and so much more that make planning your fall activities a breeze.

And then there are the recipes, my favorite part! I was given the opportunity to help Hannah test out a few of her recipes and I can tell you with the highest confidence that they are absolutely delicious. The even more surprising part for some of you, they’re all vegan! She has apple cider donuts, chickpeas and dumplings, onion dip, and of course, all the pumpkin things. If you aren’t drooling just looking at the list of recipes in her ebook, then you might need to get your taste buds checked!

My Review of: Fall FoMo from House Vegan | Life Healthfully Lived

Pumpkin Pie Almond Milk from Fall FoMo

Trust me when I say that you don’t want to miss out on this awesome ebook. Hannah put so much time, dedication, and pure love of fall into this book and it absolutely shines through. I’m so happy to be able to share her hard work with you guys and applaud her for the amazing job she has done!

If you want to grab your own copy, you can head over to her blog House Vegan and get the link for the download. It will be the best $5.99 that you have ever spent, especially if you love fall! You can also check out two of the recipes from the book and see just how tasty your fall could be if you buy this ebook! I loved her pumpkin almond milk and the chili con cashew queso just screams sweaters, football, and fun.

Chili Con Cashew Queso from Fall FoMo

What fall things are you guys looking forward to? I would have to say apple picking, making everything with pumpkin, and fall clothes are at the top of my list this year! I hope that you have a great Monday and I’ll see you guys on Wednesday!

Arepas with Chipotle Sausage Crumbles & Cilantro Sauce

September 25, 2015January 22, 2016 / ktbuchs87

The day is here my friends. I’m finally putting up the recipe for the delicious arepas that I have been making. Don’t know what an arepa is? Think of it as the Colombian version of a sandwich, kind of like a pita. It’s a bun made out of pre-cooked corn meal and then sliced halfway through and stuffed with tasty fillings. Arepas are eaten for any meal depending on what you fill them with. The filling can be as simple as cheese to as elaborate as what I created because I love all the things.

I started obsessing over arepas after I saw them on some Food Network show, I can’t remember which one. They looked delicious and I was intrigued by how simple it looked to make them. Then Juli over at PaleOMG started posting pictures of the arepas she would get from a food truck in her city. They looked amazing and I was so jealous that she could get these delicacies out of a truck.

Finally after mooning over arepas for months, I decided to see what it would take to actually make them. There are plenty of recipes for them and they really are easy to make. You just need the right flour. It has to be pre-cooked corn flour or these won’t turn out. If you have a large Latin section at your grocery store or better yet an actual Latin grocery store, you can probably find this flour pretty easy. If you can’t you can get it from Amazon and it is fairly inexpensive.

For the filling, I decided to make sausage crumbles out of oatmeal. Hang with me on this one. I saw this idea on a blog awhile ago and while I was skeptical, I gave it a try. It totally had the taste and texture of sausage crumbles. It’s the spices you use that really make a difference. I used the same method from the blog and just changed up the seasonings. I also included a cilantro sauce that I made by just switching the basil with cilantro from my dressing recipe.

It might look like this will take forever to make, but it all comes together pretty easily. So if you want to get in on the awesomeness that is arepas, try out my version!

For the Arepas:

2 cups pre-cooked corn meal sometimes called harina de maiz (I used this brand)
2 1/2 cups water
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp salt

Measure out the water and pour into a large bowl with the coconut oil. Set aside. Mix together the cornmeal and salt.
Slowly add the cornmeal and salt to the water, using your hand to combine the two and keep lumps from forming. Once all the cornmeal is in the water, keep using your hands and mix everything together well. It will seem like you have too much water and that the dough is too runny. Don’t worry it will thicken up.
Place a damp paper towel over the dough and let it rest for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat.
After the 10 minutes is up, remove the paper towel and portion out the dough into about 6 to 8 balls. Roll each portion into a ball and then slightly flatten it out so it roughly resembles a hockey puck. You don’t want them too small and thick because you will be cutting these and stuffing them.
Heat a large skillet, no oil, over medium heat and cook each side of the arepas for about 2 minutes to seal the dough. Place them back on the baking sheet after you’re done. Once you have sealed all the arepas, place them in the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes. They are done when you can tap them and it sounds hollow inside.
Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before you slice them. When you’re ready to fill them, slice only halfway through so it forms a little pocket. Stuff them and then your face!

For the Chipotle Sausage Crumbles:

1/2 cup steel cut oats
1 cup water
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 to 2 tsp chipotle powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
juice of half a lime

Add oats, water, and tomato paste in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover the pot, lower to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
Uncover the oats and add in all the seasonings and lime juice. Mix to combine and cook for another 5 minutes. You want most of the water to cook out so you are left with a very thick mixture that resembles cooked ground meat.
Alternatively, if you want to use ground beef, turkey, or chicken you can cook it as usual and just use the seasonings listed here to flavor it.

For the Cilantro Sauce:

I just used my basil dressing and substituted cilantro in for the basil.

Yes, it looks like a lot for one meal but once you get the hang of it, it gets a lot easier. You can fill the arepas with whatever you want. Along with the chipotle sausage crumbles, I spread some guacamole on the arepas and made a corn and tomato salsa. You can also try shredded pork, refried beans, rice, or sauteed vegetables. Seriously, give this recipe a try and I promise you won’t regret it!