Pumpkin Pie with Hazelnut Crust

As with most years, the holiday season always seems to sneak up on me. We get so busy with day to day tasks, that I always seem to have unaccomplished projects or loose ends to tie up when the new year finally comes around. This year however, instead of rushing through, I want to make the most of every moment. There will never be enough time to do everything or see everyone, so the only thing I can do is be present in all the activities I do find time for. I have so much to be thankful for in my life, that when I sit down to think about it I become overwhelmed with happy thoughts and a very full feeling. Taking it all in, one day at a time, will remind me of all the positive things in my life and to celebrate each of them.

Pumpkin pie was always my favorite dessert on Thanksgiving and still is. Then I realized I don't even have a recipe for pumpkin pie on my blog yet. I think the reason for this was because I've been waiting until inspiration struck. There are already so many great version of pumpkin pie out there, I wanted something different to share. So even though I posted about a pumpkin hazelnut bread recently, I just couldn't help myself to combine the two together again.

This pie however, is something amazing! And will probably end up being made every year. The best part (besides how tasty it is), it's vegan, gluten free, and low in sugar. I know how hard it can be to accommodate everyone at the table, so this might be a good option if you're looking to make only one or two desserts for the table this year, but still have dietary restrictions to maintain. The filling is smooth and creamy and full of pumpkin flavor with slight hints of cinnamon and spice. For those of you who fear pie dough, this is a pat in the pan style crust, which means no rolling or chilling! It's super easy and stays together nicely.

The most important part in making this pie is to allow it to cool completely before cutting into it. The filling needs time to rest to hold its shape. You can make it the night before and you'll already be on top of your Thanksgiving game, just add any garnish right before serving. Also, using fresh spices and grinding them yourself will lead to a better spice flavor. At the very least, make sure the spices you use are fresh and haven't been sitting on your shelf since last year.

Elsewhere: Over on the Whole Living blog I have another recipe perfect for any last minute Thanksgiving vegetarian menu items you may be looking for, Roasted Delicata Squash & amp; Garlicky Kale with Parsley-Sage Dressing. I've been eating versions of it this whole month, it's so delicious. Enjoy your holiday! I'd love to know what you all are making this year too, anything special or different than usual?

Pumpkin Pie with Hazelnut Crust
makes one 9-inch pie

crust
1 3/4 cup + 1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup coconut butter, melted
pinch of salt

pie filling
2 cups pumpkin puree
2/3 cup pure maple syrup or brown sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch or arrowroot
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
3/4 cup coconut milk

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

For the crust
Place the 1 3/4 cups hazelnuts into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times, then grind the nuts up to a coarse meal. Should take about 3-4 minutes. You don't want to blend too far or you'll end up with hazelnut butter.

Place the hazelnut meal into a medium bowl, add to it the almond flour, coconut butter, and a pinch of salt, blend until everything is well incorporated.

Dump the nut mixture out into a 9-inch pie pan and start pressing, from the center out, with your fingers, until you have an even crust all the way around, set aside.

For the filling
In a large bowl combine the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, cornstarch, vanilla, salt, and spices. Stir in the coconut milk until no white streaks are left behind. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the prepared pie crust.

Bake the pie in the center of the oven for about 1 hour (check after 50 minutes) or until the sides are completely set and the center jiggles only slightly when shaken lightly. Allow the pie to cool completely before cutting into. Pie can be made the night before and stored in the refrigerator. Right before serving coarsely chop the remaining hazelnuts and use for garnish. You can also top with whipped cream or creme fraiche, unless of coarse you're vegan.

Granola Bars

Tomorrow we leave for our work trip/mini vacation to San Francisco. Which means this entire week has brought with it some rather interesting meals as we cleaned out the fridge before leaving (strawberries with broccoli and spring onions all wrapped up in a peanut butter smeared whole wheat tortilla... anyone? It was actually pretty good). Luckily we had lots of left overs after a bbq we had on the 4th to tie us over as well. So although I still need to pack and get a few miscellaneous things together, I thought I'd share a granola bar recipe with you first.

I had two lonely bananas staring back at me this morning, getting more brown speckles on them as each day passed and I knew they definitely wouldn't be pretty by the time we returned. So I figured I'd make a batch of granola bars. I made these bars a couple weeks ago when we were up on Mt. Rainier for a weekend retreat and because they were so good I figured I'd make them again.

I wrote about finding the perfect granola bar recipe over a year ago and since then I have tested and tried many, many, different variations. Some were pretty great, others not so much. The bars I'm sharing today are very similar, but use mashed banana in place of the honey, which makes them sugar free, unless of coarse you add in the chocolate chips. & nbsp;

They are soft and chewy and they don't fall apart when you eat them. I think they are an exceptional little bar to have around for snacking. They're also great for long road trips where you're sitting a long ways, or those times when you have a busy day/weekend ahead and you need something to sustain you through the end without being loaded with sugar.

I've actually made the recipe for these bars below very adaptable to your flavor preference, giving basic guide-lines to an amount for each ingredient and options to follow. The only one I would be careful on is the 1/4 cup seeds. I used a 1/4 cup mix of sunflower, sesame, and poppy seed, you could use all sunflower, but you probably wouldn't want to use an entire 1/4 cup of smaller seeds like poppy. But really have fun with the flavors. Try a tropical bar using cashew butter, macadamia nuts, dried mango, dried papaya, and coconut.

Granola Bars

loosely adapted from Anja's Food 4 Thought

makes 8-10 bars

2 ripe bananas

1/2 cup nut butter (peanut, almond, cashew), preferably all natural

1/2 cup roughly chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachio, cashew, pecan, macadamia)

1/4 cup seeds (sunflower, sesame, poppy, chia) & nbsp;

1 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup dried fruit (cranberry, cherry, apricots, papaya, mango, raisin, strawberry, blueberry)

1/4 cup chocolate chips or cocao nibs, optional

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, optional

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, optional

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment. I haven't made these without parchment because I think they would really stick without it. Plus it makes for really easy clean up anyways.

In a large bowl mash the bananas with the back of a fork. Stir in the nut butter until everything is well combined.

Add the oats, chopped nuts, seeds, dried fruit, chocolate, cinnamon, and coconut if using. Stir well until everything is well combined. The batter will be very, very wet and you'll wonder if this will even bake, it will.

Spread the batter evenly into your prepared baking pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. The top should be slightly browned and give a little when pressed. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars, this is important. Store wrapped tightly in a container or in the fridge.

Asian Cabbage Salad

These days walks to the post office or down to the beach start with layers upon layers of clothing and a briskness in each step. The sky is a faded blue and barely streaked with a few white clouds, the air feels clean, crisp, and cold. There are still trees holding tightly to their leaves, all shades of deep red, brilliant orange, bright yellow and even a few green ones still left; knowing that the first strong wind and rain storm to pass through is coming soon and will tear them from their worn out branches.

As I was preparing this salad, it reminded me exactly of my walks from these recent days. Studded with orange form the carrots, reds and greens from the peppers, and yellow green from the cabbage. Even though I usually crave warming foods this season, this salad was welcome if only for it's beautiful colors. It even tasted of the crispness in the air, if you can image.

It's not very often that I make salads with an Asian inspired dressing, but cabbage seems to beg to be dressed with all things sesame, soy, and vinegar. It comes together pretty quickly once everything has been chopped and if you have a food processor it makes the task of shredding even quicker.

This salad is still great the next day, but it's not quite as pretty because the cabbage begins to soak up lots of the dressing and sort of slumps over. I would however recommend giving it at least 30 minutes to really soak in the dressing before serving if you can.

Asian Cabbage Salad
Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics
serves 6-8

4 cups grated savoy or napa cabbage
2 cups peeled and grated carrots (about 2 large carrots)
4-5 fresh green and red chilis (use mild and hot varieties), seeded and minced
1 cup diced shallots
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
roughly chopped peanuts or almonds for topping(optional)

dressing
2 tablespoons vegetable or other neutral oil
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
3 tablespoons rice vinegar, or more to taste
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon mirin or dry sherry
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey or sugar, or to taste
pinch of salt

Place the cabbage, carrots, peppers, shallots, garlic, and cilantro in a large bowl (make sure it's large enough that you can toss everything without spilling everywhere).

In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour over the cabbage mixture and toss thoroughly. Taste and and more salt or vinegar if needed. Serve or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Simple Chocolate Cake

I've read more books so far this year, then I feel I have in a long time. When I was younger I used to go through the scholastic reading newsletter that came every month at my school and barely be able to contain myself for the books I would soon receive. When they came, I devoured them. Summer always seemed to involve a long reading list and if I remember right, I had to keep track of each one and the time I spent for credit that would lead to a prize or reward of some kind for my efforts.

These days I feel lucky if I get the chance to read more than a few pages before slowly nodding off to sleep each night. But this Summer I found time, or at least I made the time. The funny thing is that three of the books just so happened to be food memoirs that I finally got to catch up on.

The first was Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, where I instantly wanted a plot of my own land to live off (and which may or may not have given me the canning bug this year). I was inspired to make things like my own cheese and yogurt, so far only the later has happened and with surprisingly good results.

Then I moved on to The Sweet Life In Paris by David Lebovitz. This book had me laughing out loud and even reading sections to my husband, who got a kick out of it as well. Recipes for apple tarte tatin, crepes, brownies that the French went nuts over, and of course a recipe for a perfectly simple, but oh so delicious, chocolate cake, which is what I'm sharing with you today. More on that though in a minute.

My most recent read, was A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg of Orangette. Another one that was hard to put down. When she described even the most simple moments where food was involved, I felt like I was there eating right alongside. She also has a chocolate cake that I want to try next. But what I first enjoyed was a big plate of roasted eggplant ratatouille because I just can't seem to get enough eggplant this year. It was delicious.

So I've been a busy reader this summer, but more than any marks or points I can mark down on my check list, I have good food to eat, share, and enjoy. I think that is better than possibly any of the prizes I received as a little girl and ones I want to keep and share. What have you been reading this Summer? I'd love recommendations!

This is my idea of a perfect chocolate cake. No frosting, a slight direction into the brownie category, rich chocolaty flavor, and simple to make. David mentions that the cake is often made a day or two ahead of time so the flavor has time to develop. Ours lasted exactly into day two and I can say it really was a bit tastier. Odd how that works. The cake puffs up real high when first pulled from the oven, but quickly flattens and sinks down when cooling. I made mine in an 8-inch spring-form pan rather than a 9-inch loaf pan and it made for easy removal.

Chocolate Cake
Adapted from The Sweet Life In Paris by David Lebovitz
serves 8-10

9 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup cane sugar
4 eggs at room temperature, separated
2 tablespoons spelt flour or plain flour
pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Butter an 8-inch spring-form pan or alternatively use a 9-inch loaf pan, buttered and lined with parchment.

Place the chocolate and butter in a double broiler, melt until smooth. Remove from the heat, stir in 1/2 the sugar, the egg yolks, and the flour.

Whisk the egg whites with the salt. Keep whipping until soft droopy peaks form. Whip in the remaining sugar gradually until whites are smooth and hold their shape.

Using a rubber spatula, fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Then fold in the remaining whites just until the mixture is smooth and no white streaks remain.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center feels slightly firm. Don't over bake. Let cool before serving. Keeps for 3 days wrapped or covered and frozen for up to 1 month.

Cherry Almond Meal Muffins

Ahh, it feels so good to finally be home from our little trip to San Francisco. In the coarse of five days our car racked up more miles than we've probably driven this whole year, so it feels good to be back home, sleeping in our own bed, and getting back into the swing of things.

Thank you to everyone who sent along their favorite places to eat and areas we should see. I'm sad to say that apart from the Fisherman's Wharf area, where we were for two very long days and the room we slept in every night, we didn't manage to get out as much as we had hoped. Next time we plan to schedule in more free days.

Whenever I travel, even if it's not far from home, I always take back something about the trip that seems to get lost in my day to day life. I don't mean souvenirs and such so much as feelings and moments or ideas about how to simplify my life even more.

What I took away from this trip was something unexpected. Even though my husband and I were very busy the whole weekend, we pretty much ate every meal together. I don't mean together as, in the same room, but really together without distractions. It was a subtle thing and made me realize that when we're at home this doesn't happen as often as it should because we both get so busy with our work for the day.

I dislike eating breakfast while answering morning emails, but I'm guilty of this act more often then I care to admit. I always feel I have so much to do in the day and multitasking is the only way it will get done. The truth, I realized, is that most people do not need their emails answered right that second and over all I work more efficiently if I've had a moment to sit quietly in the morning with my food and take in the day before rushing to my computer.

We have a giant beautiful re-claimed wood table my dad and husband built together and although it's most often used as a second office area, since we've been home, I've made a point to pull up a chair and use it as it was meant to be used. And these cherry almond meal muffins make slow paced mornings that much more pleasurable.

If you've read this blog for some time or looked through my archives you're probably well aware that I'm not gluten intolerant. However, I've found almond flour is really great to work with and makes gluten free baking an easy place start without needing a long list of other ingredients. It has such a great flavor and distinguishably different taste from wheat flour. It's loaded with protein and healthy fats and makes for one filling little muffin. This recipe is pretty straight forward. When I was looking into almond flour recipes I found this ratio seemed to be pretty universal across the web so I went with it, using a light olive oil in place of other oils or butter and adding in some fresh cherries from the market.

Cherry Almond Meal Muffins
makes 6 large muffins

2 cups almond flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup fresh sweet cherries, pitted and halved

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.

Whisk together the almond flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Add in the honey and oil and beat until well combined.

Add the dry mixture to the wet, stirring just until combined. Carefully fold in the cherries.

Pour batter into the muffin tin, filling to the top if you want a nice muffin dome. Bake for 25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool on a wire rack at least 5 minutes and serve warm.

Store tightly covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I probably only realized my love for brussels sprouts a few years ago. Like many, my youth brought mushy, boiled sprouts that never received a second thought, until they day I tasted them roasted.

This totally changed the game for me and now I eat my fill this time of year. But while I normally roast them in a high temperature oven, they would often still be missing a certain flavor or texture I was looking for. Then about a week ago I saw a technique on The Kitchn that has you actually broil them quickly instead. It made total sence and I couldn't wait to try.

Tossed with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper, then thrown into a hot cast iron skillet before a quick roast under the broiler; it couldn't be any simpler. They turned out charred and smoky on the outside, with a perfectly cooked, but not mushy, inside. I went back for more. Even though this post is less of a recipe and more of a technique, I urge you to find yourself with a full bag of brussels sprouts and about 10 minutes of your time, because that's about all the time you'll need for this simple and healthy side dish.

A squeeze of lemon is all you really need to jazz them up a bit, but Parmesan is a nice touch if you do dairy too. I like to keep them on the side because I don't want the lemon juice to soften up the crispy outsides of the sprouts too soon.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts
adapted from The Kitchn
serves 4 as a side

1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed and outer leaves removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
lemon wedges for serving
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)

Place your oven rack at the very top and turn on the broiler and set a large cast iron skillet over high heat.

Cut the prepared brussels sprouts in half lengthwise, place in a large bowl and toss with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. When your cast iron pan is hot enough to where a water droplet evaporates on contact, pour all the brussels sprouts in and quickly flip them all over so their cut side is down. It's ok if they don't all fit just get them all in there and don't stir them around once they're set.

Place the skillet in the oven and broil for 3 minutes. The outer leaves should have started to darken and turn crispy. Keep them in for several minutes longer, about 5-7 minutes in total cooking time.

Serve immediately alongside lemon wedges and Parmesan cheese if using.

I was recently invited by Guilt Taste to participate in reviewing some of their beautiful gourmet products. & nbsp;The first shipment was their Chef's Garden box from Farmer Jones Farm. It arrived on my doorstep late last week and after bringing it inside I headed straight to the kitchen to open what was inside. Carefully wrapped in insulated bubble wrap with a cold pack was a beautiful assortment of seasonal vegetables and herbs. I just about & nbsp;squealed & nbsp;with delight when I discovered the colorful little edible flowers (I guess the sight of flowers this time of year is exciting, considering most of what's outside right now around here is brown and dying). After carefully taking stock of what all was in there I had my mind set on making a healthy seasonal appetizer.

Everyone loves a two-bite sized appetizer, but most of the time they're a little on the unhealthy side, especially when it comes to twice baked potatoes. I decided to resolve that by adding a little & nbsp;protein & nbsp;(in the form of white beans) and spinach to the potato filling and seasoning it all with spices and fresh herbs. The result is so good you won't even miss the cream, butter, or cheese. & nbsp;

These are simple to make and don't really take much time to make aside from filling them, but they can be assembled a day ahead and quickly re-heated the next day to save yourself some time. It will seem like a lot of spinach when your done chopping, but once it cooks down it all fits in nicely. I had a little leftover, but I just nibbled that up myself. In fact, I could have eaten just the filling by itself, and decided you could make a lazy version of this as a meal and instead of filling the potatoes, just mash everything up together, maybe add more beans and seasoning and call it dinner.

Mini Twice Baked Potatoes with & nbsp;Spinach & amp; White Bean Filling
makes 24 small potatoes

24 small potatoes, scrubbed and washed well

2 tablespoons olive oil diveded

4 ounces spinach, washed and dried

1/2 cup cooked white beans

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

pinch of cayenne (optional)

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano

Preheat the oven to 425˚F. & nbsp;

Toss the potatoes in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Place on a baking sheet, pierce each with a fork, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender when pierced. Let cool for about 10 minutes or until you can handle them without burning yourself.

Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, use a small spoon to hallow out the middle. Make sure to leave enough of the side so the potatoes maintain their structure. Transfer insides to a bowl and set aside.

Thinly slice the spinach into strips. The easiest way to do this is to stack each leaf on top of one another and slice with a sharp knife. In a large skillet, heat up the last of the olive oil. Gently cook the garlic for a minute, then add the beans, cooked potato flesh, cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne, if using. Cook while mashing everything together with the back of a fork or a potato masher. Once everything is well mashed and incorporated stir in the spinach. Cook until spinach just begins to wilt. Turn off the heat and stir in the fresh oregano.

Take the hallowed out potato halves and fill them with the spinach mixture. I started this process trying to be really careful with a fork, but soon found it was much easier to really fill each potato if I held it in my hand and used my other hand to grab a bit of the filling and pack it down in. & nbsp;

At this point you can either pop them right back into the oven for about 8 minutes to warm up again or you can place them in the & nbsp;refrigerator until your ready to heat and serve. If cooking later, turn your oven back up to 425˚F and heat for 8-10 minutes. & nbsp;

Some tasty topping ideas would be sliced green onion, Greek yogurt, sour cream, & nbsp;caramelized & nbsp;shallots, chives, or more fresh herbs, and cheese. & nbsp;

* Full Disclosure: & nbsp;Guilt Taste graciously provided me the spinach, & nbsp;potatoes, garlic and oregano for this recipe. & nbsp;I was not paid and all photo's, text, and opinions are my own. & nbsp;

Almond Ginger Granola with Blueberries

Do you ever go through food phases? I totally went through a granola phase for awhile. Then all of a sudden one day that ended and I haven't made a single batch of granola for about a year... until now.

It's not that I traded in my tasty homemade batches for convenient store bought versions. I just stopped eating and/or craving it for some reason. Then one beautiful late August weekend we decided to go camping with some friends of ours and they just so happened to bring along a nice large batch of granola. It was beyond delicious and I found myself shoveling handfuls into my mouth and wondering why (and how) I had gone so long without.

Fast forward to last week and I finally managed to get a recipe from my friend, which resulted in me making a large batch of the stuff on Monday, so that I'd have something healthy and delicious to snack on while flying to the east coast. In fact, I'm probably munching on some right now as your reading this and it's good, very good : )

I've made lots of changes to the original recipe and many of the changes are actually ones my friend made too. Substituting the peanut butter and peanuts for almond butter and raw almonds was the main change. I love that the ratio of nuts to oats makes this a great snacking granola, but definitely serve it with yogurt or milk too. I'm bringing it along on the plane, but I'm curious, what kinds of snacks do you travel with?

Almond Ginger Granola with Blueberries
inspired by the kitchn
about 8 cups granola

3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
2 cups whole raw almonds
1/2 cup hulled raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup honey
3/4 cup almond butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup dried blueberries

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, wheat germ, salt, cinnamon, and ginger.

In a small saucepan, warm the honey until very runny. & nbsp; Turn off the heat, stir in the almond butter and vanilla until smooth.

Pour the honey mixture over the oat mixture. Pour in the oil, and stir thoroughly until everything gets wet.

Spread the oat mixture evenly on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes, stirring twice while baking. Transfer the granola to a large bowl and add the dried blueberries, tossing to combine. Store at room temperature tightly covered.

Lemon-Herb Seasoned Popcorn

I have mixed feelings about popcorn. I'm honestly not really a big fan of it (gasp!), but Scott absolutely loves the stuff. I'll eat a handful of it every once in awhile, usually if we're watching a movie (for nostalgic purpose) and always on the savory side. I really dislike sweet popcorn and don't even get me started on the stale cheese, butter, and carmel corn that come pre-packaged on the shelves around the holidays, I'll pass, thank you very much. I really want to like it, especially since it can be a healthy and quick snack, but it just never settles right in my stomach and I end up feeling a little sick sometimes even if I just eat that one handful.

So why am I posting a popcorn recipe you may wonder? Well, I've been getting really into making my own spice blends lately and thought this one I whipped up would fun to share because it's so & nbsp;versatile & nbsp;and can be used on things other than popcorn too. Also, & nbsp;I've joined in on The Food Matters Project put on by Kate of Cookie+Kate and Sarah from 20 Something Cupcakes & nbsp;and seasoned popcorn was the recipe Kate choose for this week. You can read more about the project on their about page & nbsp;and anyone can join in or follow along as we cook our way through & nbsp;The Food Matters Cookbook by & nbsp;Mark Bittman.

Now back to the popcorn. We have never owned a microwave and we are totally fine with that because even if we did own one, we would never use it. This means that popcorn has always been cooked right on the stove top & nbsp;in a hot, lidded pot with a bit of oil. Seeing that I don't really eat popcorn, Scott has always been the popcorn popper and he's pretty darn good at it. He does it all without measuring and manages to never burn it. So while he made the popcorn I got the spice blend ready and before we(he) knew it, it was snack time.

Lemon-Herb Seasoned Popcorn
For the full recipe please visit Cookie+Kate & nbsp;and to view all recipes visit The Food Matters Project

The seasoning salt is the perfect thing to sprinkle over roasted veggies, but if you mix it with a little olive oil and a clove of minced garlic it becomes a great dipping sauce for bread, add in a bit of lemon juice and it makes a great spiced up salad dressing. This is why I'm loving spice blends so much, because you can spin off it so many new directions.

lemon-herb seasoning salt & nbsp;
1/4 cup sea salt
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
3 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

popcorn
2-3 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
1/2 cup popping corn
2 tablespoons melted butter or olive oil for serving, optional
lemon-herb seasoning salt, to taste

Combine all the ingredients for the seasoning salt in a small bowl or container. Store tightly covered for approximately 2-3 months. Makes about 1/3 cup.

Heat the oil, plus 2-3 corn kernels, in a large heavy pot with a lid over medium heat. Listen for the kernels to pop, then add in the rest and cover. While covered hold the pot over the heat and shake in a circular motion to let the oil coat the kernels. Set it back over the heat, but only for about 20 seconds so all the kernels have a chance to heat up. Then when they start popping hold the lid on tight and shake over the heat again until you hear the last of the kernels pop, about 5 minutes.

Place the popped popcorn in a serving bowl. If using butter or oil, melt it in the same pot you used to cook the popcorn. Pour over the popcorn and sprinkle with desired amount of the seasoning salt. Serve & nbsp;immediately.

Chipotle Delicata Squash Soup

I thought I'd sneak in one more Fallish type soup before winter officially settles in and heartier stews and chiles start taking their place. Rich, creamy squash soups kind of waver on that line of hearty and filling like a stew though anyways, so I'll probably still be making this one through winter until we run out of squash. Or get tried of it, which ever comes first.

I really love winter squash combined with chiles and all things spicy. I typically go for that flavor combination over squash that's been sweetened with brown sugar and cinnamon, it's just too sweet for me. I had my mind set on using chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, a favorite of mine for when I want to add a distinct smoky flavor to things with a spicy kick to it too. It worked out perfectly, and the best part is how simple the recipe is and how few ingredients are needed. I love when that happens.

The soup is super creamy with just enough spice to it, where you know it's there, but your mouth isn't overwhelmed with heat. It's so rich and velvety and feels like there's cream in it, but that's the beauty of pureed squash.

I was originally going to make this using butternut squash, but when my csa box arrived and inside was a few delicata squash, plans changed. It happens, but I figured it would still turn out just as delicious. I'm sure most winter squash would work too, try butternut or kabocha. You should be able to find chipotle chiles in adobo sauce in any ethnic aisle of your grocery store. They come in a can and since there are always way more in there than I ever use in one recipe, I end up freezing the rest to use later. I also just found out you can keep them stored, tightly covered, in the fridge for about 3 months too.

Chipotle Delicata Squash Soup
serves 4-6

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 3/4 - 2 pounds delicata squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed into 1/2-inch pieces
5 cups vegetable broth
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Once hot add the oil and onion. Cook stirring frequently until the onion starts turning golden and caramelizing. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer.

Add the squash and vegetable broth and bring everything to a gentle boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until the squash has softened. Stir in the chipotle chile, cumin, and salt. Cook for another 5 minutes.

If you have an immersion blender use it to puree the soup until completely smooth. Otherwise, use a blender and puree the soup in batches. Hot soup will explode out of a blender if filled too high, trust me. Taste and season with salt if needed. Serve hot with a handful of roasted squash seeds and a dollop of Greek yogurt or cashew cream if you're vegan.

Store any leftover soup tightly covered in the fridge for a couple days and re-warm before eating.

Shredded Brussels Sprout & Tangerine Salad

It's the end of & nbsp;February, which also means the official end of winter (although unfortunately maybe not winter weather), so today & nbsp;I'm sharing one last seasonal salad with you. I meant to get this recipe to you yesterday, but seeing as our usual morning csa delivery didn't arrive until around 6pm last night, the brussels sprouts I knew the box would contain, didn't arrive in time before I had a chance to prepare and photograph this salad.

All weekend I was thinking about these brussels sprouts and how & nbsp;I would savor them & nbsp;because & nbsp;I knew this would probably be the last bunch until next season. & nbsp;I thought a light salad, something that would ease its way into spring with a crisp freshness and touch of brightness, would be a good option. Something raw to enter a soon-to-be season of young fresh veggies, but still hanging onto the citrus of winter.

Truth be told, I also needed to think of a recipe I knew would be relatively quick to prepare. In the previous weeks I've been up to my ears in projects and exciting new things we're working on for our shop. I'm not usually a pro thirty minute meal or less kinda person, but I can appreciate a quick whole food recipe when I need one, especially when I can't stand to eat another sandwich or plate of leftovers.

I had picked up a bag of whole wheat Israeli couscous out of curiosity. I'd never cooked with this little bead shaped grain before and the fact that I saw it would take less than 15 minutes to cook, might also be why it made its way into my cart that day. I added it to the shredded brussels sprouts for some extra heft. My favorite part of this salad is when you get a sweet squirt of tangerine juice when taking a bite, also the unexpected but so delicious taste of basil.

This was another recipe that started out as something from The Food Matters Project, as you can see I'm not very good at following recipes, but at least I still used brussels sprouts! This weeks pick was by Marcia and to view a complete list of others who participated you can visit the website.

Shredded Brussels Sprout & amp; Tangerine Salad / serves 4

I really think any grain (quinoa, millet, barley, farro) would work here in place of the couscous. You can segment the tangerines if you like too, & nbsp;I kept it simple and didn't bother.

1/2 cup dry whole wheat Israeli couscous or 1 cup other cooked grain of choice
1/2 & nbsp;lb. brussels sprouts
1/4 of a red onion, thinly sliced
handful of fresh basil, chiffonade (about 1/4 cup)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
a couple big pinches salt, plus more to taste
3 tangerines
1/4 cup toasted walnuts

Bring a small saucepan filled with 1 cup water to a boil. Stir in couscous and cook at a simmer for 8 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, using a & nbsp;mandolin & nbsp;or sharp knife, slice the brussels sprouts as thinly as you can and place them in a large mixing bowl. Add in the red onion, basil, and couscous and give everything a good toss.

In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, and salt. Pour over the brussels sprout mixture and toss until everything is thoroughly dressed, seasoning with salt to taste. Add in the tangerines, then just before serving, top with walnuts.

Pumpkin Hazelnut Bread

It's already a week into November and the little orange pie pumpkins I bought just before Halloween needed to be taken care of. Because I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to do with the puree, I decided to cut them in half, place them in a 9x13 baking dish with a small amount of water and bake them until their flesh became soft enough to scoop out. No salt, no oil, just a little water to get things steaming and soft.

I'm one of those people who is probably a little on the extreme side when it comes to wastefulness. I can't stand it when I have to toss something when it's gone bad. I insist to my husband that there is still at least a whole spoonful left in the peanut butter jar if you just scrape the sides. I reuse and re-purpose things the best that I can. So when it came time to scrape out these pumpkins, I was in there and getting every last bit. I saved the seeds and roasted them too. The only thing that went off to compost was the skin, but I was fine with that.

Have you ever roasted your own pie pumpkins? They have the most beautiful brightly colored orange flesh, nothing like what you get from a can. I'd recommend giving it a long go in a food processor to get all the strands fully chopped up and smooth. Nobody likes stringy things in their baked goods or soup.

I probably was able to get about 5-6 cups worth of pumpkin puree from just one pumpkin. I decided on making a batch of pumpkin ginger cookies first. They turned out alright. I remembered I'm not really a cakey type cookie person and whenever you use something like pumpkin puree, applesauce, or banana puree in any kind of cookie, they always end up on the cakey side. Then I saw a jar of hazelnuts and decided to try out a pumpkin bread with roasted hazelnuts. The resulting taste is strongly hazelnut with hints of spice, in a bread that's slightly sweet with a nice crumb. The only change I latter thought to make was adding a handful of shaved chocolate to the batter. I simply cannot resist hazelnuts and chocolate together.

You can definitely use 1 cup of canned pumpkin puree if you would like. *If you want to roast your own, cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out the center, seeds and all. Place the two halves, cut side down, into a baking dish large enough to hold them. Pour in enough water to come up about 1/4-inch. Place in a preheated 350˚F oven and bake for about 35-45 minutes or until you can pierce the flesh easily with a knife. Time will vary depending on how large your pumpkins are. Cool, scoop out flesh and run through a food processor until completely smooth.

Pumpkin Hazelnut Bread
Adapted from Simply Recipes
makes 1 loaf

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons toasted hazelnuts, divided
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon all spice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup pumpkin puree *see above notes for making your own
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Grease or line with parchment a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

Place 1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts in a food processor and process until ground into a flour. Don't blend too far or you will get hazelnut butter.

In a large bowl sift together the hazelnut flour, pastry flour, salt, baking soda, and spices.

In a large bowl combine the pumpkin puree, oil, and sugar. Add in the eggs and water, mixing well. Add the dry mixture to the wet, mixing until everything is just combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons roughly chopped hazelnuts and pop in the oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes in pan, then remove and cool on wire rack before cutting.