Author: Jolene Truckenbrod

Carrot Cake with Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting
from Crystal Williams

Cake Ingredients:

• 2-3/4 c. chopped walnuts (3/4 c. for the cake)
• 2-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. ground allspice
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1-1/2 c. sugar
• ½ c. packed light brown sugar
• 1-1/4 c. vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs
• ½ c. smooth applesauce
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• 2 c. grated carrots (about 4 medium)

Frosting Ingredients: 

• 1 4-inch piece ginger
• 1 Tbsp. fresh orange juice
• ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 2 – 8 oz. packages cream cheese at room temperature
• 1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
• 3 c. confectioners’ sugar sifted

Serves 8 to 10

Make the cake:

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees.
2. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray line the bottoms with parchment paper.
3. Spread the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted; about 5 minutes. Let cool, then finely chop.
4. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and salt into a medium bowl.
5. Beat the granulated sugar, brown sugar and vegetable oil in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium high and add the eggs, one at a time; beat until light and smooth, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low; add the applesauce, orange zest and vanilla and beat until just smooth. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Add the carrots and ¾ cup walnuts and beat until just combined.
6. Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool 10 minutes in the pans, then remove to the rack to cool completely; remove the parchment. (Cakes can be made a day ahead; let cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap.)

Make the frosting:

1. Peel the ginger and grate onto a piece a piece of cheesecloth. Wrap in the cheesecloth and squeeze the juice into a small bowl (you should get about 1 tablespoon). Add the orange juice and vanilla.
2. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in the juice mixture. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar. Increase the speed to high and beat until smooth, about 2 more minutes.

Assemble:

1. Place 1 cake layer on a plate. Spread with 1 cup frosting, then top with the second cake layer. Cover the top and sides with the remaining frosting. Press the remaining walnuts into the sides of the cake.
2. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

Butternut Squash Soup with Tortellini
from Jill Siegmund

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs butternut squash
• 2 14-oz. cans vegetable broth
• Pinch ground red pepper
• 1 Tbsp. butter or margarine
• 1 9-oz. package refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
• 1 Tbsp. molasses

Directions:

1. Peel squash. Halve lengthwise. Remove seeds and discard. Cut squash into ¾ inch pieces.
2. In a large saucepan combine ½ cup water, squash, vegetable broth and red pepper. Cook, covered, over medium heat for 20 minutes or until squash is tender.
3. Transfer one-fourth of the squash mixture to a blender container or food processor bowl. Cover and blend or process until smooth. Repeat with remaining portions, one at a time, until all the mixture is blended. Or blend the whole batch with an immersion blender.
4. Return blended mixture to the saucepan. Bring just to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Add butter; stir until just melted.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the ravioli according to package directions; drain. Ladle hot soup into bowls. Divide cooked ravioli among the bowls. Drizzle with molasses.

Makes 5 side-dish servings (about 6 ½ cups)

Maple Roasted Carrots with Harissa Yogurt
from Teri Ternes

Ingredients:

• Carrots
• Maple Syrup
• Pistachios
• Parsley
• Lemon Zest
• Spicy Harissa Yogurt Sauce [1C Greek or Arab yogurt, 1T extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 tsp juice of fresh lemon, 2 tsp harissa sauce, 1 clove garlic crushed, sea salt to taste. Blend ingredients, chill.]

Thank you for sending in your fall recipes as part of the Fall Food Challenge!  We’ve received 12 recipes so far!  Please send in your recipes using cole crops (ex. cabbage, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, broccoli) for next week.  Here are two of the fall recipes you can try out:

Stuffed Squash
from Kathleen Jurecki

Ingredients:

• 2 whole carnival or acorn squash cut in half
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 1/2 cups baby bella mushrooms chopped
• 1 cup honey crisp apples peeled + chopped in small pieces
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 2 tsp fresh rosemary chopped finely
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, gruyere or mozzarella all work great!)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment + spray with olive oil to prevent squash from sticking.
3. Slice squash in half, scoop out seeds and place flat on sheet sprayed with olive oil.
4. Bake the squash for 20 minutes, until it is tender when pierced with a fork.
5. While the squash cooks – heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan. Sauté turkey in olive oil for 10-15 minutes until brown.
6. While the turkey is cooking, chop mushrooms, apples + herbs.
7. Add in chopped mushrooms, apples, chicken stock, and spices to the pan with the cooked turkey. Sauté for an additional 5 min.
8. When the squash is done, remove from the oven + scoop out most of the cooked center, leaving a little bit of filling in the acorn squash.
9. Add the squash filling to the turkey/mushroom/apple mixture in the pan+ stir until completely mixed in.
10. Scoop the turkey/squash mixture back into the squash + top with cheese of choice.
11. Bake at 450 for 5-10 minutes until cheese melts. Optional: broil for 2-3 minutes so the cheese gets crispy.

Note from Kathleen: Base recipe is from www.thecleaneatingcouple.com and I often modify based on ingredients I have at the time. The stuffed squash pictured above also has frozen mixed veggies and pinto beans in the filling.

Autumn Squash Soup
from Laura Nolan

Ingredients:

• 1 small yellow onion, diced (about 3/4 cup)
• 2 lbs chopped butternut squash (about 6 heaping)
• 3-4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 2 apples seeded and cut up
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• Dash of nutmeg
• Dash all spice
• Dash ginger
• 1 can pumpkin puree
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar, more to taste
• Salt to taste
• Heavy cream
• Optional Pumpkin seeds to top

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients together in either cooking blender (my favorite choice), electric pressure cooker – 10 minutes on high pressure and let natural release, or cook for 4-6 hours in crockpot.
2. Once all ingredients are soft and finished cooking, pour into blender to purée or use immersion blender to purée.
3. Mix in cream if desired and top with seeds.
4. Skip cream for paleo and vegan. Sub swerve brown sugar and remove apples for keto.

Note from Laura: This is a copycat recipe from Panera. I changed out apples for apple juice to add more fiber and less sugar.

Thank you for sending in your squash recipes as part of the Fall Food Challenge!  Keep ’em coming and send in your recipes using root veggies for next week!  Here are two of the squash recipes you can try out:

Apple Squash Bake
from Barb Tomashek-Ditter

Roasted Winter Squash Seeds:

• 1 cup winter squash seeds
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp Lawry’s season salt

1. Add all ingredients EXCEPT coconut milk to slow cooker and combine.
2. Cook for 6-8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high or until the squash is tender and mashes with a fork.
3. Remove and discard sage.
4. Stir in coconut milk.
5. Transfer soup in 2 batches to a blender and puree until smooth (being careful not to fill the blender too full with the hot liquid).
6. Serve warm with roasted seeds on top.

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. After removing the seeds from the squash, rinse with water, and remove any strings or bits of squash. Pat dry, and place in bowl.
4. Stir the olive oil, and salt into the seeds until evenly coated.
5. Spread out in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet.
6. Bake for 15 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and cool on the baking sheet before serving.