Happy Halloween Fruit Pumpkin

!!!!! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!

Spinach-Artichoke Mini Lasagnas

Oh boy, these were crazy good!! Yummy, filling, hearty, flavorful....yeah, we liked them a lot!! My adventurous son ate three of these little lasagnas. I had quite a few left over (this recipe does make 24 mini-lasagnas!!!), so, I've been sending them to school with my son in his lunch box. I found the recipe in this month's issue of Vegetarian Times. The recipe comes from their reader recipe contest.....these little lasagnas won first prize. Once you make them, you will see why!!!

Oh! And if you want to add some meat, I think a couple links of Italian chicken sausage (cooked and crumbled) would really add a lot of deliciousness to the lasagnas. 

*Please note that I could not find Amore Herb Paste (and I looked all over Whole Foods for it)....so, I substituted 2 tsp dried basil and 2 tsp dried oregano in its place.

Here is the recipe verbatim from Vegetarian Times:

1 16oz pk frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 15oz can water-packed artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 16oz container Ricotta
12 oz shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (3 cups)
1/2 cup Parmesan
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 Tbs Amore Herb Paste, divided* <I used 2 tsp of dried basil and oregano, each>
1/4 cup red wine
1 25oz jar good marinara sauce
72 refrigerated or thawed frozen dumpling or wonton wrappers

1. Stir together spinach, artichoke hearts, Ricotta, 2 cups mozzarella, Parmesan, egg and 2 Tbl. herb paste <or 1 tsp dried basil and 1 tsp dried oregano> in a large bowl. Set aside.

2. Bring wine to a boil in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Boil until reduced by half. Stir in  remaining 1 Tbl herb paste <or remaining 1 tsp dried basil and 1 tsp dried oregano> then marinara sauce, and bring to just a simmer. Remove from heat.

3. Preheat oven to 375F, and coat two 12 cup muffin pans with cooking spray <I used olive oil and I coated the pans generously>. Press 1 wonton wrapper into bottom of each muffin cup. Spoon 2 Tbl cheese mixture into wonton wrapper. Top with 1 1/2 tsp sauce. Repeat layering wonton wrapper, cheese mixture, and sauce. Top with wonton wrapper, and crimp or turn down edges as you would a pie. Spread 1 Tbl sauce over top. Sprinkle lasagnas with remaining 1 cup mozzarella.

4. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until cheese on top is melted and bubbling. Cool 5 minutes before un-molding and serving.

The Oh She Glows Classic Glo Bar

Okay, I know I have already told you I am obsessed with Angela Liddon's The Oh She Glows Cookbook- OBSESSED!!! I am working my way through her whole book.....every recipe is to die for (and even if you aren't vegan/vegetarian you will definitely agree).  The number one recipe I cannot get enough of is Angela's Classic Glo Bar - oh, have mercy these bars have become a staple in my busy life.  Oh, Classic Glo Bars, How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count the Ways..... I always have all the ingredients on hand, they are no-bake and extremely quick to throw together, they satisfy my sweet tooth above and beyond, they are chock-full of healthy ingredients, and number one - they are DELICIOUS!!!!!!!! I have made them about four times in the last three weeks. Yum, yum, yum, heaven, heaven, heaven!! I had to share! Please try them for yourself and please buy this vegan-genius' cookbook- stat!!!

Here is her recipe verbatim from her book:

1½ cups gluten-free rolled oats
1¼ cups rice crisp cereal
¼ cup hemp seeds
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 Tbl sesame seeds
2 Tbl chia seeds
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp fine-grain sea salt
½ cup plus 1 tbsp brown rice syrup
¼ cup roasted peanut butter or almond butter
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
¼ cup mini non-dairy chocolate chips (such as Enjoy Life brand) (optional)

Directions:
1. Line a 9-inch (2.5-L) square cake pan with two pieces of parchment paper (one going each way).
2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, rice crisp cereal, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut, sesame seeds, chia seeds, cinnamon, and salt and mix.
3. In a small saucepan, stir together the brown rice syrup and peanut butter until well combined. Cook over medium to heat until the mixture softens and bubbles slightly, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
4. Pour the peanut butter mixture over the oat mixture, using a spatula to scrape every last bit out of the pan. Stir well with a large metal spoon until all of the oats and cereal are coated in the wet mixture. (The resulting mixture will be very thick and difficult to stir. If you get tired, just picture me making five hundred of these bars in a row, and you’ll feel better!) If using the chocolate chips, allow the mixture to cool slightly before folding in the chips. This will prevent them from melting.
5. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan, spreading it out into an even layer. Lightly wet your hands and press down on the mixture to even it out. Use a pastry roller to compact the mixture firmly and evenly. This helps the bars hold together better. Press down on the edges with your fingers to even out.
6. Place the pan in the freezer, uncovered, and chill for 10 minutes, or until firm.
7. Lift the oat square out of the pan, using the parchment paper as handles, and place it on a cutting board. With a pizza roller (or a serrated knife), slice the square into 6 rows and then slice them in half to make 12 bars total.
8. Wrap the bars individually in plastic wrap or foil and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Alternatively, you can store them in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Tip: To make the bars nut-free, substitute sunflower seed butter for the peanut butter. Look for lightly sweetened sunflower seed butter, such as by Sunbutter, because unsweetened sunflower seed butter can have a bitter aftertaste.

Vegetarian Moroccan Stew

My friend, Keli, shared this scrumptious recipe with me. She found it on Allrecipes.com.  I have to say the dried apricots are the sole ingredient that convinced me to try this.....I love a recipe with a unique addition. It added a hint of sweetness and another dimension of flavor. Even though this stew is vegetarian, I don't think even the most carnivorous man will miss the meat.  Tons of flavor, loads of spices, hearty & filling- this stew has it all! Oh, and did I mention that my entire home smelled incredible as this cooked? 'Nough said - make this this week!

Here is the recipe straight from allrecipes.com (Please note this recipe made a TON!!!! If you have a big family, perfect! If you are just cooking for two, you might want to half this) :

 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon  
 1 teaspoon ground cumin  
 1 teaspoon kosher salt  
 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger  
 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves  
 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg  
 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric  
 1/8 teaspoon curry powder   
 1 tablespoon butter
 1 sweet onion, chopped
 2 cups finely shredded kale <I used spinach>
 4 (14 ounce) cans organic vegetable broth
 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained <I used fire roasted tomatoes>
 3 large potatoes, peeled and diced <I only used 2 medium>
 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced  <I only used 1 medium>
 4 large carrots, chopped <I only used 2>
 1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots <I chopped these super tiny>
 1 tablespoon honey
 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, to taste
 
Combine cinnamon, cumin, salt, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, turmeric, and curry powder in a large bowl. 

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion in the butter until soft and just beginning to brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in kale and spice mixture; cook until kale begins to wilt and spices are fragrant, about 2 minutes. 

Pour the vegetable broth into the pot. Stir garbanzo beans, tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, lentils, apricots, and honey, into the broth; bring to boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until vegetables and lentils are cooked and tender, about 30 minutes. Season stew with black pepper.