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Butternut Squash and Apple Parfait

January 8, 2022 Colleen Stem
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I have a thing for squash and apples. I roast them together all the time. It is a combination that I never get sick of. I go savory mostly but once in a while I’ll go the slightly sweeter route. This is one of those times. And I also opted to make it seem fancier then my average eating situation (eating with fingers of baking sheet) and added a few steps, and made parfaits out of them. (Parfaits are fancy right?) The result is amazing and maybe even more delicious then ever before. That’s saying something.

Basically what these parfaits consists of is layers of creamy pureed roasted butternut squash and slightly chunky cinnamon applesauce topped with oats and walnuts. That might not sound fancy or even that spectacular but you know when you underestimate something but once you experience it you are very much surprised by how fantastic it really is? Well if you are doubting me then that is what will happen here because this parfait situation even surprised me at how much I loved it.

So if you are in need of a breakfast, lunch, snack, or dessert that will satisfy all of your hunger needs then you should most definitely try this out. It is simple and easy to make, super healthy, can be made ahead or time, and looks cute. (Did I just call a parfait cute? Yes, yes I did.) And again, super freaking delicious of course.

Now to the parfaits!

The stuff. Butternut squash, a couple of big apples, old fashion oats, walnuts, maple syrup, cinnamon, and almond milk.

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For the squash you need to roast it so do that. Place on a baking sheet and roast until tender. Once cooked transfer to a blender or jar (if using stick blender) , add in milk or water and blend until smooth. Add in maple to taste.

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For apples. Core and chop apples into small pieces and place into a pot with water. Cook on medium heat until apples completely break down. Then either transfer to a blender or use as stick blender and blend until slightly smooth but still a bit chunky. Stir in some cinnamon.

And toast up the oats and walnuts, in the oven, just for 5-8 minutes.

Now assemble. You can do this while the stuff is still warm or wait until it is cold. Delicious either way.

So basically all you do is layer a bit of the squash and then apple a few times in a bowl or jar then top with toasted oats and walnuts. Simple as that.

Ans then you eat it. Or wait and eat it later. Or do what I did and assemble a few jars for the week but then eat all of them in one day. I couldn't stop myself. It was just too freaking good.

-C


Butternut Squash and Apple parfait

makes 2-3 parfaits

  • 3 cups cubed butternut squash

  • 2 large apples (I used Macs)

  • 1/2-3/4 cups plant milk (or water)

  • 1-2 teaspoons maple syrup (optional)

  • 1-2 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1/2 cup old fashion oats

  • 1/4 cup walnut pieces

  • 1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 425.

Place cubed squash on a lined baking sheet and stick into hot oven and roast until fork tender.

While squash is roasting grab apples, cut and remove core and seeds, chop into smaller pieces and place into a pot with enough water to submerge the apple. Place on medium heat, stirring every few minutes, and cook until the apple starts to break down. If the water evaporates, add in more. When apples are soft and falling apart remove from heat and let cool a few minutes then either transfer to a blender or using a stick blender, blend until less chunky, but not completely smooth. You could also just smash it use with a fork. Add in a teaspoon or so of cinnamon and mix.

Once squash is roasted , remove from a pan and place either in a blender, or a jar or bowl if using a hand blender, add in 1/2 cup milk or water, and blend until smooth. If it seems really thick still, add in more liquid. Also add in maple to taste.

While oven is still hot, place oats and walnuts on baking sheet and place in oven for 5-8 minutes or unit walnuts and oats are toasted.

To assemble parfaits grab a bowl or jar and layer in a bit of squash then apple a few times. Top with some toasted oats and walnuts and sprinkle with more cinnamon and drizzle more maple if you want.

Eat warm or cold. Store left overs in fridge for up to a week.

Tags Butternut Squash and Apple Parfait, fruit, squash, walnuts, oats, apples, plant based, dairy free, vega, sugat free, sugar free, healthy, snack, easy, simple, dessert, make ahead, breakfast, gluten free, food
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Peach Walnut Blondies

July 3, 2021 Colleen Stem
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I have been on a peach kick for a couple weeks because they are just so good! Is it just me or are they better then they have ever been this year? I have eaten at least one a day (sometimes 2) for at least the past 2 weeks and not once have I gotten a grainy, mealy one. Just sweet ass juicy peachy goodness. Dang do I love a good peach!

Since the peaches are so good, it made sense to bake them into something and that something was blondies. A cakey cookie bar thing that is really easy to make, everyone loves, and highlights that goodness of the peaches. I tossed in some walnuts because why not, and as soon as the heat wave broke and I dared turn on the oven, I popped the batch in. Two days later and they are pretty much gone. And will I make them again, for sure yes, but only while the peaches are still good.

So you should probably make them while the peaches are good. Hurry up!

To the peach walnut blondie!

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The stuff. A nice ripe peach and some walnuts. Flour, baking powder, and salt. Melted plant butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and some aquafaba.

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Start with dicing up the peach and chopping up the walnuts into smaller pieces.

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Next grab the aquafaba and dump into bowl with the brown sugar. Beat with an electric beater on high for about 2 minutes until mixture is a light brown and somewhat fluffy.

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Add in all the dry and the melted butter and gently fold it in until completely incorporated.

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Lastly fold in the diced up peach and walnuts.

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Dump and smooth batter into a well greased and lined square baking pan and place into preheated oven to bake.

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Once the blondies are golden brown and tester poked into the middle comes out clean, remove from oven and let cool.

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Cut into pieces and then, you know, eat them.

Get at those peaches while you can!

-C


Peach Walnut Blondies

makes a 8x8 (you can use a little larger square) pan

  • 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

  • 1/3 cup aquafaba(liquid from a can of chickpeas)

  • 1/2 cup plant based butter melted

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 medium peach (about 3/4 cup diced)

  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350

Dice up the peach into small pieces and if the walnut pieces are whole or halved,, chop them into smaller pieces.

Dump the aquafaba and brown sugar into a large bowl and beat with an electric beater for around 2 minutes or until the mixture is a light brown and somewhat fluffy. Mix dry ingredients together in smaller bowl then gently fold the melted butter and dry mixture into the beaten sugar ans aqufaba. Once completely incorporated, fold in the diced peach and walnuts.

Grease and parchment line a 8x8 (or a little large) pan and dump blondie batter in and spread and level to the pan. Place into oven ad bake for about 30-33 minutes (if using a large sized pan, reduce cooking time by a few minutes) or until top is a nice golden brow and a tester poked into the middle comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes. Once cooled enough pop out of pan and coniunute to cool all the way.. Cut into pieces and eat.

Store uneaten blondies in a airtight container at room enrapture for 2-3 days but best stored in fridge or freezer when it is hot out. Plus they are amazing cold!

Tags Peach Walnut Blondies, peaches, stone fruit, plant based, Brownes, snack cake, walnuts, vegan, dairy free, summer, nuts, snack, dessert, easy, aquafaba
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Broccoli Pesto

May 22, 2021 Colleen Stem
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I have been eating a shit ton of broccoli the past couple of weeks and I am not even close to made about it. How could I be when broccoli is probably my favorite ( at least in the top 3) vegetable. It is broccoli season and eating broccoli is what we are doing.

Now Pesto. You probably think of basil when hear the word but in this pesto there is no basil, just the broccoli. Blanched just enough so it is not raw, blend up with walnuts (because I just don’t like pine nuts enough to spend $25 a pound and walnuts are far better), along with lemon juice, nutritional yeast for that cheesey flavor, and a little olive oil. Well friends, it is just about the pest freaking pesto I have ever had. Even the mr was super into it.

So if you like broccoli you will love love love this pesto and so you should definitely make it and then eat it. I used half of it for the mr’s pasta dinner, and them well, I ate the other half, dipping carrots and pieces of broccoli into it HA.

Now to the pesto.

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The stuff. Broccoli, toasted walnuts, national yeast, a couple cloves garlic,, juice of a lemon, olive oil, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper.

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Cut or break apart broccoli into small florets.

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Bring a pot of water to a boil and dump in the broccoli. Cook for about a minutes.

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Transfer the broccoli wit ha slotted spoon to a big bowl if ice water to shock from cooking anymore and to stay ice and green.

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While the water is still boiling, toss the garlic into it for a minute then remove. This just removes some of the rawness of the garlic. You can skip it if you want. Once it cools off a little, remove skin and chop into small chunks.

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Now make it all into pesto. Grab food processor and add in the garlic and walnuts. Pulse until crumbly. Add I the broccoli (stained from water), the juice of the lemon, the national yeast, a spinch of salt and pepper, and the red pepper flakes. Press start. While it’s going, stream in a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Stop the processor , scrap down sides, then pulse of start it up again until you a good pesto consistency.

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And that is it. The best broccoli pesto.

-C


Broccoli Pesto

Makes about 2 cups. Good for pound of pasta

  • 2 1/2 cups broccoli florets (like 3 crowns)

  • 1/2 cup toasted walnuts

  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

  • 2 cloves garlic

  • juice if a lemon

  • 2=4 tablespoons olive oil

  • salt and pepper

  • teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Start placing a large pot of water in the stove and bring it to a boil. Also get a large bowl of cooled water and place it in the freezer.

While water is boiling, break apart the broccoli florets into small pieces. Once water is boiling, place the broccoli into water and let cook for about 1 minute. Grab bowl of water from freezer. After the minute transfer the broccoli to the bowl of ice water with a slotted spoon. Toss the around. And while the water is still boiling, toss the whole cloves of garlic in for about a minute. This helps mellow out the rawness. Remove with slotted spoon.

Grab food processor. Add in the walnuts and the garlic (skin removed and cut into small chunks) and pulse until crumbly. Stain broccoli from water then add to processor along with the juice of the lemon, the nutritional yeast, a pinch of salt and pepper, and the red pepper flakes. Pulse for a minute, scrap down the sides, turn to on and stream in a few tablespoons of olive oil. Stop if needed to scrap down side. Keep processing until pesto is lightly crumby, but smooth consistency. Taste for salt. Add more if needed.

Scoop from processor into a jar with a lid

Eat however you eat pesto. Lasts for about a week in fridge.

In Vegetables, Vegan, sauce, pesto Tags Broccoli Pesto, pesto, broccoli, vegan, plant based, nutritional yeast, spring, easy, walnuts, grain free, dairy free, dinner, spread, condiment
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Sweet Potato Steaks on Arugula and Kale with Pea Avocado Cream

April 10, 2021 Colleen Stem
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All I want to do is eat fists fulls of arugula. Ok, maybe that is not all I want to do, but it is something that I have been doing a lot. I have always really like arugula but as of right now, it is my top choice green!

Anyway, big green salads are all I want to eat because it is spring and all and greens are the best in the spring. But I still am eating a lot of roots and will be eating them for a few more weeks unit winter farm share dies down. And because it is the end of the season, the choice of roots is dwindling and we basically get a bucket of carrots, beets, and sweet potatoes. Lots of sweet potatoes, which by the way, I am not made about. And greens, We get lots of greens!

So my new favorite salad comes to fruition. Thick cut sweet potato steaks on a bed of fresh spring arugula and kale toped with a thick creamy avocado pea situation and some toasted walnuts for flair and crunch. I mean, is your mouth watering and your tummy grumbling yet?

Mine is but that is just how it always is.

Now to the steaks and salad!

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The stuff. A sweet potato, some arugula and tender kale, peas (frozen and thawed) half an avocado, some toasted walnuts, a lemon, and salt and pepper.

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Start by cutting the sweet potato into thick steaks. 4-5 same thickness slices if you may.

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And no roast up the sweet potato steaks. Just place hem onto a baking sheet and pop them into a hot oven. Bake for 2-30 minutes, flipping over after 15-20 minutes. Once tender, remove from oven and set aside.

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While sweet potatoes are baking, make pea avocado cream. Place peas and avocado into a blender or cup if using a hand blender along with the juice of the lemon and about a tablespoon of water. And a small pinch of salt. Blend until smooth. Add more water a tablespoon at a time until you get a thick but pourable constancy.

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Now rough chop the kale and toss together with the arugula and place in a large salad bowl

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Place the sweet potato steaks on top of the greens. Note here that the sweet potato steaks can be hot, warm, or cold. The are good all the ways.

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Then top it all with the pea avocado cream. Toss on the toasted walnuts and add some more black pepper and that be that. Grab a fork and a knife if you wish and get to it.

So much goodness in the mouth!

-C


Sweet Potato Steaks on Arugula and Kale with Pea Avocado Cream

serves 1-2

  • 1 medium sweet potato

  • 1/2 cup frozen (and thawed) green peas

  • 1/2 of an avocado

  • a small lemon

  • 2 large handfuls of fresh arugula

  • 4-5 leaves of tender kale

  • 1/4 cup toasted walnuts

  • around 1/4 cup cold water

  • salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450. Wash sweet potato and cut into 4-5 equal thickness slices. Place cut pieces on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper and pop into oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes, flipping after 15 or until the sweet potato is tender. Remove from oven and let cool a bit.

While sweet potato is baking off, make pea avocado cream. Place the peas and avocado into a blender or cup if using a hand blender, add in the juice of the lemon and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth. Add in a tablespoon or two (or more) to thin out until it is still thick but pourable. Also rough chop the kale and mix together with the arugula in a big salad bowl.

Once sweet potato steaks have baked and cooled off a little bit (you can eat them hot or cold so whatever temperature you want), place them on top of the greens then top with the pea avocado cream, sprinkle on toasted walnuts, more black pepper, and maybe a squeeze of more lemon if you have it.

Then grab a fork and knife and start eating.

In Vegan, Vegetables, winter, Spring, salad Tags Sweet Potato Steaks on Arugula and Kale with Pea Avocado Cream, Arugula, kale, sweet potato steaks, vegan, grain free, dairy free, gluten free, plant based, dinner, salad, roots, winter, spring, avocado, peas, walnuts, easy, heathy, quick, delicious, yummy
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Roasted Cauliflower with Capers, Pomegranate, and Walnuts

January 16, 2021 Colleen Stem
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We have been eating a lot of cauliflower the past couple weeks. Cauliflower because who doesn't love it? But also because I froze a shit ton of it and found the stash in the deep freezer.

This is just a little something something that I have thrown together a few times and really enjoy. Basically a roasted cauliflower salad with yummy things and those yummy things are pomegranate arils, capers, and walnuts. It is fast, simple, and super delicious. A very satisfying and healthy salad situation. Perfect for winter.

Now to the cauliflower and stuff.

The stuff. Cauliflower (use fresh or frozen) pomegranate arils, capers, walnuts, a lemon, a splash of olive oil, and salt and pepper. There should also be a clove of garlic…where did it go?

Chop cauliflower into bite sized pieces.

Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and place into a preheated oven.

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Rough chop walnuts and mince garlic while cauliflower is roasting.

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Once the cauliflower is nice and roasted, pull pan out and toss on the garlic, walnuts, and capers, and pop the pan back into the oven for a few more minutes to slightly cook the garlic and toast up the walnuts.

And then you pull it out of the oven, dump it all into a big bowl, toss in the pomegranate arils, squeeze some lemon on top, and add pepper and a pinch of salt if you need it.

That is it. Now eat it.

-C


Roasted Cauliflower with Capers, Pomegranate and Walnuts

  • small head of cauliflower (or a lb of frozen)

  • 1/2 cup pomegranate arils

  • 2 tablespoons capers

  • a handful of walnuts

  • olive oil

  • a clove of garlic

  • salt and peper

  • juice from half a lemon

Preheat oven to 450

Chop cauliflower into bit size pieces and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and then place in oven and roast until nice and brown, usually about 25 minutes.

While roasting, roughy chop walnuts and mince garlic.

Once cauliflower is roasted, remove pan form oven and toss in the minced garlic, chopped walnuts, and the capers. Pop back into oven for about 5 more minutes just to slightly cook the garlic and toast and warm up the walnuts and capers. After those 5 minutes, remove the baking sheet and transfer everything into a bowl. Add in the pomegranate arils, squeeze in the juice of the lemon , and season with salt and pepper.

Then eat it.

In Nuts, fruit, salad, seeds, sheet pan, Vegan, Vegetables Tags sheet pan salad, pomegranates, cauliflower, capers, walnuts, vegan, healthy, simple, easy, winter, fresh, frozen
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