november fruit of the month.

from google images. no credit.

nothing screams fall and the start of the holidays to me quite like pumpkin. pumpkin lattes, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pie. *yummy* who could resist?

some awesome tidbits of pumpkin information: the pumpkin is a gourd-like squash, which makes is a fruit! and is indigenous to this part of the world. this explains why we see them all over at this time of year. pumpkins are high in carotenoids that give them their orange color and neutralize free radicals in cells, particularly in the eyes. they have lots of antioxidants such as lutein and zeaxanthin and they’re also high in lots of common nutrients such as iron, zinc, and fiber. read more here.

wanna make good use of that gourd? i found this recipe here years ago and it never fails me:

Pumpkin Cranberry Bread

This recipe uses either two standard loaf pans, or three aluminum foil loaf pans. The foil pans make it easy to give the bread as gifts.

• 1- 3 / 4 cup canned pumpkin (one small can-425g)
• 2/3 cup butter, melted (150g)
• 3 cups sugar (600g)
• 4 eggs
• 3-1/2 cups flour (455g)
• 1 tsp cinnamon (5g)
• 1 tsp nutmeg (5g)
• 1 / 2 tsp cloves (2.5g)
• 2 tsp baking soda (10g)
• 2 tsp baking powder (10g)
• 1 / 2 tsp salt (2.5g)
• 2/3 cup water (160ml)
• 1 / 2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (60g)
• 1 cup chopped fresh or dried cranberries (120g)

Preheat oven to 350F/180C degrees. Combine the eggs, pumpkin, butter, and water in a large bowl. In another bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients, plus the nuts and cranberries. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and mix with a wooden spoon by hand. Mix until the batter is combined, but don’t over mix. Grease the pans, and distribute the batter equally in the pans (should fill each about half way up). Bake for 1 hour.

 

october fruit of the month.

from google images. no credit.

and the october fruit of the month is…..the apple!!

when the fall comes around, my first thought is apple cider! there’s nothing nicer than a warm cup of apple cider on a crisp fall day 🙂 but aside for making a yummy fall beverage, the apple is a fruit with lots of benefits.  they contain many vitamins and minerals (such as vitamin c and beta-carotene) and can aid in digestive health and easing headaches, amongst other things.

got some pretty fall apples laying around? here’s a simple recipe that’ll warm the soul:

Baked Apples with Dried Fruits and Nuts

adapted from Claudia Fleming’s The Last Course

makes 6 servings

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

3 Tablespoons dried cherries, roughly chopped

2 Tablespoons sliced almonds, roughly chopped and toasted

2 Tablespoons pecans, roughly chopped and toasted

6 large, firm baking apples, cored but not peeled

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup apple cider

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Combine the brown sugar, cherries, and nuts in a small bowl.

Place the apples in a baking dish large enough to hold them all comfortably. Fill the apple cavities with the sugar mixture (When the apples bake, the mixture will melt and sink slightly, so you might want to reserve some to top the apples when you pull them out).

Break the butter into six equal pieces and place one of top of the filling of each apple.

Pour the cider into the bottom of the baking dish.

Bake apples for about 25 to 30 minutes, basting the apples every 5 to 7 minutes with cider. The apples should become tender but not mushy.

When the apples are ready, remove from the oven and carefully move to a plate or individual dishes before serving with the Calvados caramel sauce.

recipe here.

 

september veggie of the month.

from wholeliving.com

this months veggie of the month is yummy corn! maybe veggie isn’t the most accurate description; did you know that corn is actually a grain? this makes it an awesome source of fiber and counts towards one of three servings of whole grains you should be eating per day. corn is also packed with antioxidants and, as a grain, keeps you feeling fuller, longer! i, personally, like my corn on the cob – grilled please!!

second best way to eat it? in corn bread, of course! or in this case, corn muffins:

Dorie Greenspan’s Corniest Corn Muffins
Baking from My Home to Yours

Yield: 12 regular-sized muffins or 48 miniature ones

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
1 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 tablespoons corn oil (I used olive oil since it was handy)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 cup corn kernels (add up to 1/3 cup more if you’d like) – fresh, frozen or canned (in which case they should be drained and patted dry)

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular-size muffin pan or fit the molds with paper muffin cups. Alternatively, use a silicone muffin pan, which needs neither greasing nor paper cups. Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg, if you’re using it. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, melted butter, oil, egg and yolk together until well blended. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Don’t worry about being thorough – the batter will be lumpy, and that’s just the way it should be. Stir in the corn kernels. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes (12 minutes for minis), or until the tops are golden and a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold.

 

august fruit of the month.

from all over the net. there was no credit.

as yogis and yoginis, we strive to maintain a yogic diet. one that is rich in fruits and veggies. in keeping up with that, i’d like to introduce the first fruit of the month: the watermelon! it’s is almost coming to an end, but nothing says summer like a juicy slice of watermelon. did you know these gourds are 92% water? if you’d like to learn more about the watermelon, check out this quirky site.

here’s a yummy recipe from smitten kitchen:

Watermelon Lemonade
Adapted from Bubby’s

Makes enough to fill two glasses with ice cubes; we quadrupled it to fill a pitcher. We already need more.

1/4 cup (2 ounces) fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup (4 ounces) fresh watermelon puree, strained through a coarse strainer to remove seeds
3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) simple syrup*
3/4 cup (6 ounces) cold water

Stir it all together and serve over ice. Garnish it with a thin watermelon or lemon wedge, if you’re feeling fancy.