Recipe of the week: Pumpkin Crisp

Nothing says fall like pumpkin, it seems like all the stores have pumpkin stuff right now.  I am not a fan of pumpkin pie, I don't like the texture, but I do like the flavor.  I made this the other day and it was delicious.  I used a cake mix from Trader Joe's because it has less junk in it than others.  Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!

Pumpkin Crisp

1 15 oz can of pumpkin
2 eggs
1 cup evaporated milk
3/4 cup of sugar (I used raw)
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 butter or white cake mix
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 stick of butter melted

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl until eggs are incorporated.  Pour into a 9X13 pan that you have sprayed with cooking spray.  Sprinkle cake mix over the top so it's evenly distributed.  Top with the chopped nuts.  Drizzle butter over the top and bake for about 45 minutes or until the knife comes out clean.  Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.  Enjoy!

Recipe of the week: Lemon Basil Brussels Sprouts

I feel as though I'm finally starting to come out of my funk, the proof is I've cooked 4 out of the last 5 days!  A few months ago my friend and I had lunch and PF Chang's and they'd recently put "lemon scented Brussels sprouts" on the menu, we both loved them.  This is my attempt at duplicating their recipe.  I used my food processor for this so if you don't have one, you'll have to slice everything.  Lots of people don't like Brussels sprouts, I'm not one of them.  This is going to become a regular recipe at my house.  Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!

Lemon Basil Brussels Sprouts

1 lb Brussels sprouts
1 lemon (for zest and juice)
1 one inch piece of ginger peeled & grated
3 green onions
1 Tbsp Thai basil (or regular basil if you can't find Thai)
1 clove garlic
olive oil
1 tsp salt
pepper

Using the slicing blade on the food processor, slice the Brussels sprouts and onion.  Transfer vegetables to a bowl and add the zest of the lemon, ginger, and salt.  Toss with the juice from the lemon.  In a large skillet heat about 1 Tbsp of olive oil, add garlic cook for about 2 minutes then add vegetable mixture.  Cook for about 6 to 7 minutes (half way through add the basil), add fresh ground pepper and more salt if needed.  Enjoy!

Recipe of the week: Autumn Fruit Crisp

Fall is my favorite season and this has all the wonderful flavors of fall and will make your house smell amazing!  You need a large deep dish pan for this (I used a super stone pan I got a long time ago from Pampered Chef.)   Thanksgiving is just around the corner and this is a great alternative to pie.  Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!  (This is the recipe I submitted to Whole Foods but I'm not sure it made it, seems like there was a glitch with their system.)

6-7 cups sliced granny smith apples (about 3 large, I peeled half and left the peel on the other half)
4 cups sliced bartlett pears
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped cranberries
2 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
4 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 cup  organic rolled oats (not quick cooking)
1/2  cup whole wheat flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  
In a large bowl combine apples, pears and cranberries, toss with lemon juice and granulated sugar.  For the topping, in a medium bowl combine the oats, flour, brown sugar and spices.  Cut in butter until the texture resembles coarse crumbs.  Stir in the walnuts.  Place 1/2 of the fruit in a large baking dish, sprinkle 1/2 of the topping over fruit.  Top with the remainder of the fruit and the the rest of the topping.  Bake crisp at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until fruit is tender and the topping is golden.  Serve with vanilla ice cream, frozen yogurt or whipped cream.  Serves 8.