Pumpkin Pancakes with Maple Mascarpone (Gluten-Free)

Makes: 8 large pancakes

What You Need

• 1½ cups old-fashioned oats or oat flour
• ½ cup gluten-free flour (or whole wheat flour)
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 eggs
• 2½ tablespoons maple syrup
• ½ cup pumpkin puree
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• ½ cup mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese)
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• ¼ cup pecans

What To Do

1. Make oat flour by placing 1½ cup oats in a food processor and processing until finely ground.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients: 1½ cups oat flour, ½ cup gluten-free or whole-wheat flour, ¼ cup cornstarch, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ginger, and ¼ teaspoon ground cloves.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 eggs, 2 ½ tablespoons maple syrup, ½ cup pumpkin puree, and 1 cup milk. Pour into the dry ingredients, then add 2 tablespoons melted butter and stir to combine. The batter should be thick but just pourable. If not pourable, add a small bit of milk to lighten the batter and stir again.
4. Lightly grease a skillet with butter and wipe off any extra grease with a paper towel. Heat the skillet to medium heat. Pour the batter into small circles and fry the pancakes until the bubbles pop on the top. Then flip and heat until cooked through and lightly browned.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup mascarpone cheese with 2 tablespoons maple syrup. Chop ¼ cup pecans.
6. Serve the pancakes with maple mascarpone and chopped pecans.

Parmesan Herb Baked Eggs

Make ahead tip: Mince the shallot and chop the herbs the night before for a quicker assembly.

Makes: 4

What You Need

• 1 large shallot
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (chopped)
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (chopped)
• 2 tablespoons butter, divided
• ½ teaspoon oil
• 8 eggs
• ¼ cup milk (or cream)
• ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt
• Fresh ground black pepper

What To Do

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Mince the shallot. Remove the leaves from the thyme and rosemary, then finely chop them.
3. In a small saucepan, heat ½ tablespoon butter and ½ tablespoon olive oil at medium high. Add the shallot and saute until soft and fragrant, about 3 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the herbs and salt, and stir to combine.
4. In the bottom of each of 4 ramekins, place a small pat of butter (about 1 teaspoon). Set the ramekins on baking sheet and place the tray in oven for a few minutes until butter is melted.
5. Remove ramekins from oven, add 1 tablespoon of milk to each, and crack 2 eggs into each ramekin without breaking the yolk. Sprinkle the herb mixture over the top of each ramekin and return to the oven. Bake for about 7 minutes.
6. Turn up the heat to the high broil setting and broil the eggs for another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the oven when egg whites are just set and yolks are still soft. Top each with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese; season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Let stand for about 5 minutes until the cheese is melted.

Glühwein (Hot Mulled Wine)

Makes: 2-3

What You Need 

• 1 bottle of dry red wine (750 ml)
• one lemon
• 2 sticks of cinnamon
• 3 cloves
• 3 tablespoons of sugar
• some cardamom (or ginger)

What To Do

 Heat the red wine in a pot (don't boil).Cut the lemon into slices and add to the wine. Then add the cinnamon, cloves, sugar and a little cardamom (to taste). Heat everything for about 5 minutes - do not boil - and let stand for about an hour. Before serving, reheat and strain. Serve in prewarmed glasses or mugs.

Asian chicken salad

Makes: 1 portion

What You Need

• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• zest and juice ½ lime (about 1 tbsp)
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 100g bag mixed salad leaves
• large handful coriander, roughly chopped
• ¼ red onion, thinly sliced
• ½ chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced
• ¼ cucumber, halved lengthways, sliced

What To Do

1. Cover the chicken with cold water, bring to the boil, then cook for 10 mins. Remove from the pan and tear into shreds. Stir together the fish sauce, lime zest, juice and sugar until sugar dissolves.
2. Place the leaves and coriander in a container, then top with the chicken, onion, chilli and cucumber. Place the dressing in a separate container and toss through the salad when ready to eat.

Enjoy your quick and healthy lunch!

Chocolate Banana Bread

For a more decadent bread, add 1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips to the batter before baking. However, we found the bread to be lightly sweet and rich enough without the chocolate chips.

Makes: 1 loaf

What You Need

• ½ cup walnuts
• 3 to 4 very ripe bananas (1 cup total)
• ½ cup butter
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

What To Do

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
2. Chop ½ cup walnuts.
3. Mash 3 to 4 bananas in the bottom of a large bowl, enough for 1 cup. Melt ½ cup butter, then whisk it into the bananas along with ¾ cup brown sugar, 1 egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
4. Add 1 teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 cup all-purpose flour, and
5. /2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder to the bowl and stir together with a spoon.
6. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and top with chopped walnuts.
7. Bake 55 to 65 minutes, until a tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and invert it onto a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. The bread keeps up to 4 days at room temperature wrapped in foil.

Chipotle Black Bean Stuffed Delicata Squash

Makes: 4
What You Need
4 delicata squash
¼ cup olive oil
1 can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
2 cloves minced garlic (optional)
1 tablespoon honey (optional)
2½ cups cooked brown rice
1½ cups salsa
1 15 oz. can of black beans (or 1½ cups cooked)
1½ cups frozen or canned corn kernels
3 green onions
1½ teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 to 1½ cups Mexican blend shredded cheese
Hot sauce (optional)
Fresh cilantro
Sour cream (optional)

What To Do
Start the brown rice (or, make it beforehand and heat it slightly prior to serving). We’ve found in our rice cooker it takes about 40 minutes to cook, but on the stove can take up to 1 hour. Since the filling is added after the squash is roasted, you can roast the squash while cooking the rice.
Preheat to 450F.
Wash the squash, then cut it in half and scoop out the seeds.
Rub each squash half with ½ tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. OR — Optional: Make a chipotle marinade for the squash. (This step can easily be skipped in favor of rubbing with olive oil.) Dice 2 cloves garlic and 1 chipotle chili; combine with 2 tablespoons of adobo sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, and ¼ cup olive oil (we used a mortar and pestle), then rub on both sides of the squash.
Place the squash halves cut side down on a baking sheet lined with parchament paper, and bake for about 25 minutes, until tender when poked with a fork.
Meanwhile, when the rice finishes, thinly slice the green onions. Chop the cilantro. Drain and rinse 1 can beans (if using canned).
In a large bowl, mix together 2½ cups cooked brown rice, 1 ½ cups salsa, 1½ cups black beans, 1½ cups frozen or canned corn kernels, 3 green onions, 2 tablespoons adobo sauce, 1½ teaspoons cumin, 2 teaspoons chili powder ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ½ cup shredded cheese. Taste, and adjust seasonings if desired.
When the squash are done, fill each half with the filling mixture. If desired, top with a few dashes hot sauce. Cover with shredded cheese. Place back in the oven for a few minutes until the cheese melts. Top with chopped cilantro and serve, with sour cream if desired.

Oatmeal Muffins [Gluten Free]

Makes: 12
What You Need
2½ cups oats (or oat flour)
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup milk
1 egg
2½ tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup walnuts

What To Do
Preheat the oven to 350F.
To make the oat flour, place 2½ cups flour in a food processor and process until very fine.
In a medium bowl, whisk together 2½ cups oat flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Add 1 cup milk, 1 egg, 2½ tablespoons honey, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. If desired, stir in ½ cup chopped walnuts.
Grease a muffin tin. Pour in the batter to make 12 portions.
Bake for 25 minutes until puffed and golden.