Get ready to fall in love with this delightful roasted side dish, where:

• Natural sweetness meets nuttiness.
• Aromatic rosemary takes center stage.
• A hint of cayenne pepper adds a subtle kick.
• Smoky paprika finish ties it all together.

Not only are these butternut squash steaks vegan, gluten-free, whole30 and paleo friendly, but are a delicious addition to creamy roasted butternut and carrot soup or curried autumn salad.

What is Winter Squash?

Behold the beloved Winter squash. Because they have seeds and develop from a flower, they fall in the fruit category! The humble butternut squash is a delicious example of winter squash that is typically harvested in the fall. They come in all shapes and sizes from round to oblong and a vast array of colors. The flavors of different winter squash types can vary widely, offering super sweetness, buttery richness, nuttiness, savory notes, and more.

Butternut squash is a particularly excellent choice for air frying, thanks to its shape, size, and flavor profile. Additionally, its thicker skin and rind contribute to a longer shelf life compared to summer squash.

What Does Butternut Squash Taste Like?

Have you ever savored the flavor of butternut squash? It boasts a naturally sweet and nutty taste. In addition, you are going to love the velvety and creamy texture when it's roasted, incorporated into pumpkin risotto, or layered in our vegetarian lasagna. Butternut squash shines in recipes where you desire a delightful combination of mild sweetness and savory goodness."

Shape and Color

Butternut squash has a rather amusing shape, resembling a long, pear-like figure. Usually, it features a rounded bottom and an elongated neck. An average fully grown butternut squash measures between 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm) in length and approximately 3 to 5 inches at its widest point.

When selecting butternut squash for air frying, opt for a smaller size that can fit in the air fryer in a single batch. Smaller squashes are often sweeter and more manageable for this cooking method.

How to Choose the Best Butternut Squash

You could wait for a sweet little grandma to venture into the produce section and have her pick out the perfect squash for you. But if you are low on time, here are some quick tips on how to select the best butternut squash:

Inspect the Skin: Look for butternut squash with smooth, unblemished skin. Avoid squash with cuts, bruises, or soft spots, as they may indicate over ripeness or damage. You will know if it has gone bad if you can see mold.

Check for Firmness: A ripe butternut squash should feel firm and heavy for its size. Gently press your fingernail against the skin; it should not give in easily. If it feels soft or spongy, it may be overripe.

Examine the Color: Choose a squash with a consistent, matte beige or tan color. While some variations in color are normal, avoid squash with greenish or moldy patches.

Inspect the Stem: The stem at the top of the squash should be dry and firmly attached. A green or moist stem may indicate that the squash is not fully ripe.

Size Matters: Select a size that suits your cooking technique.

Look for a Uniform Shape: A butternut squash with a consistent shape, meaning a well-defined neck and bulbous end, is easier to work with when preparing it.

Consider the Weight: Pick up the squash and feel its weight. It should feel heavy for its size, indicating that it's dense and has a good amount of flesh inside.

Seasonal Timing: Butternut squash is typically in season during the fall and early winter months. Buying during this time can often result in the best flavor and quality.

Simple Ingredients

1. Butternut Squash - Opt for a smaller size to fit perfectly in the air fryer. Alternatively, you can use acorn, kabocha, or other sweet winter squash varieties for equally delightful results.
2. Olive Oil - Use olive oil or your preferred light-flavored oil to prevent sticking in the air fryer basket and to achieve that beautifully bronzed exterior.
3. Rosemary - We've incorporated 3 small sprigs of fresh rosemary as the star aromatic ingredient. If needed, you can substitute with 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary.
4. Paprika - Particularly, smoked paprika imparts a bold, woodsy flavor to the dish.
5. Garlic Powder or Garlic Salt - Feel free to use what you have on hand for a touch of savory goodness. Fresh cracked pepper is also a tasty addition.
6. Cayenne Pepper - Add just a dash for a subtle kick of heat. This ingredient is optional. If you're a fan of spicy flavors, consider drizzling your roasted air-fried squash with a bit of garlic chili oil.

How to Cut Butternut Squash Steaks?

Ready for some fantastic news? Our time-saving air frying recipe eliminates the need for peeling or dicing butternut squash. After air frying, the peel slips off easily. You can technically eat the peel but it's a bit tougher than kabocha skin. Therefore, most of us prefer to remove it before eating.

Less peeling, cutting, and chopping mean fewer opportunities for kitchen accidents. We're quite fond of all ten of our fingers, and we're sure you are too!

Here are some tips to ensure safe and efficient cutting:

• Sharpen your chef's knife or butcher's knife. Did you know that dull knives are more likely to cause accidents? The concept is simple: more pressure is needed with a dull knife, increasing the risk of slipping and cutting yourself. Keep your knives sharp for safety.
• Keep your cutting board steady and secure on the kitchen counter. If it tends to move, place a lightly damp cloth underneath to provide traction.
• If you'd like, microwave the whole butternut squash for 2 minutes before cutting. While not mandatory, it can make the cutting process easier.

• Leave the skin on the butternut squash. Begin at the thinner neck side and slice the squash into approximately 1 to 1.5-inch (2.5 to 3.8 cm) steaks.

• When you reach the bulbous section of the butternut squash, cut it in half and remove the seeds. You can save these seeds to make roasted pumpkin seeds.
• Continue cutting the remaining squash into slices.

Seasoning and Air Frying

• Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (204°C).
• Lightly brush each side of the butternut squash steak with olive oil.

• Sprinkle on paprika, garlic salt, pepper, rosemary, and a touch of cayenne pepper for a hint of heat. If you're planning for a gathering, you can refrigerate it at this stage for up to a week.

•  Arrange the seasoned squash in your air fryer basket or tray and air fry for about 25-30 minutes or until it's fork tender. Start checking them at the 20 minute mark for doneness.

Recipe Tips

• Opt for a smaller squash. If it's too large, you can either cut it into smaller wedges or cook it in batches.
• Consider microwaving the whole butternut squash for 2 minutes before slicing. It's not mandatory but can make slicing easier.
• Make sure to season both sides of the squash generously.
• Allow a bit of space between the slices in the air fryer to ensure proper air circulation and even cooking. Avoid overlapping just like what we do with our air fryer baby carrot recipe!
• The cooking time for air frying butternut squash depends on the thickness of your steaks. Thinner slices require less time, while thicker ones need more.
• Keep in mind that cooking times may also vary depending on the type or brand of air fryer you use. We used a Cosori Air Fryer Toaster Oven (32QT/32L) for this recipe.

Substitutions and Variations

• Get creative with your spice and herb choices.
• Enhance the flavor with a drizzle of curry sauce on top of the roasted butternut squash.
• For extra sweetness, consider adding a sprinkle of brown sugar or a drizzle of maple syrup at the end of the cooking process to avoid mess and prevent overbrowning.

How to Serve

• Enjoy these Rosemary Air Fryer Butternut Squash Steaks piping hot as a delectable side dish. They're also perfect for advance preparation-simply reheat them in the air fryer for a few minutes before serving to maintain their delightful crispiness. Consider adding a sprig of fresh rosemary as a garnish for an elegant touch.
• Get adventurous and try them in butternut squash tacos. It's a delightful combination of slight sweetness and a hint of heat - a true yum!
• Elevate your quinoa harvest salad or autumn salad by adding these squash steaks.
• Air fryer butternut squash make a fabulous side dish for Thanksgiving or any autumn meal.
• They're a spectacular addition to curries and soups or can serve as an alternative to kabocha in our vegan truffle pasta recipe.
• Don't forget about those sweet winter squash seeds. Try our air fryer pumpkin seed recipe for a deliciously crunchy topping on soups, salads, or simply as a late-night healthy keto snack.

How to Store?

Cooked butternut squash can be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 3 days or frozen for as long as 3 months. When reheating, you have a couple of options: microwave for 1 to 2 minutes until it's toasty warm or air fry at 400°F or bake at 350°F until it reaches that delightful, toasty warmth.

Types of Winter Squashes

Winter squash can be divided into 2 categories.

1. Savory winter squash is lightly naturally sweet but also delicious in savory recipes. Examples include butternut, acorn, spaghetti, Hubbard and kabocha. A kabocha or acorn squash has a similar taste profile to butternut squash. These can be used as an exchange in this air fryer recipe.
2. Sweet winter squash is much sweeter and many of these are used for desserts like our pumpkin empanadas. Some examples include sugar pumpkin, delicata and golden nugget squash. You may also use these in this air fryer recipe, if you prefer a sweeter side dish.

Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ's)

Autumn Meal Ideas

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Rosemary Air Fryer Butternut Squash Steaks

Discover the perfect autumn side dish - easy spicy Rosemary Air Fryer Butternut Squash Steaks! No peeling, vegan, gluten free and ready in 30 minutes.

Course Sides

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 137kcal

Author HWC Magazine

Equipment

• air fryer We used a Cosori toaster oven style air fryer (32 quart sized)

Ingredients

• 2 pounds butternut squash unpeeled and sliced into 1 to 1.5 inch (2.5to 3.8 cm) steaks. Remove seeds and pulp.
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1.5 teaspoon paprika (We used a smokey paprika)
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt or to taste - if on a low salt diet, exchange with garlic powder.
• 2 to 3 sprigs rosemary
  fresh minced or 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary
• pepper to taste
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste for desired heat (optional)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F ( 204 degrees C).
• To make the butternut squash easier to slice, you can microwave it whole on full power for 2 minutes. The step is optional but it does make it easier.
• Leave the skin on the butternut squash. Begin slicing at the thinner neck side and slice the squash into approximately 1 to 1.5-inch (2.5 to 3.8 cm) steaks. When you reach the bulbous section of the butternut squash, cut it in half and remove the seeds.  Continue cutting the remaining squash into half moon slices.
• Lightly brush each side of the butternut squash steak with olive oil. Season with paprika, garlic salt, pepper, rosemary, and a touch of cayenne pepper for a hint of heat on both sides.
• Spray your air fryer tray with a little oil to prevent sticking. Lay out the cut and seasoned butternut squash in a flat layer. Do not overlap. (Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to make a second batch.)
• Air fry for about 25 to 30 minutes or until fork tender, turning the steaks halfway in the cooking process. Start checking for doneness at the 15 to 20 minute mark.
• Enjoy! (You can make this dish up to 3 days in advance and then just reheat to serve)

Video

Notes

Recipe Tips

• Choose a smaller squash. If it's too large, you can either cut it into smaller wedges or cook it in batches.
• Consider microwaving the whole butternut squash for 2 minutes before slicing. It's not mandatory but can make slicing easier.
• Make sure to season both sides of the squash generously.
• Allow a bit of space between the slices in the air fryer to ensure proper air circulation and even cooking. Avoid overlapping!
• The cooking time for air frying butternut squash depends on the thickness of your steaks. Thinner slices require less time, while thicker ones need more.
• Keep in mind that cooking times may also vary depending on the type or brand of air fryer you use.

Storage

Roasted squash can be refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 3 days or frozen for us to 3 days. It can be reheated in the microwave, air fryer or oven just until toasty warm. 

If you are prepping for a holiday gathering, you can slice and season butternut squash steaks up to a week in advance and then air fry on the day of your gathering. 

Oven Directions

No air fryer - No problem! 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and bake rosemary butternut squash steaks for 40 to 45 minutes or until fork tender. 

Nutrition

Serving: 2slices | Calories: 137kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 10mg | Potassium: 810mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 24474IU | Vitamin C: 48mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Rosemary Air Fryer Butternut Squash Steaks appeared first on Healthy World Cuisine

The warm espresso starts to melt the gelato or ice cream and creates this creamy pumpkin spice latte goodness on top. We can't wait to share with you the best recipe hacks for keeping homemade no-churn ice cream soft and scoopable and not icy.  So, let's get started!

Affogato, pronounced as "AH-FOH-GAH-TOE", is an Italian word meaning drowned or poached. Sometimes it is also referred to as affogato al caffè which translates to drowned in coffee. Literally, your pumpkin ice cream is poached in a bath of warm espresso or coffee.

Aroma - Flavor - Texture

Go ahead and dip your spoon in this amazing affogato dessert. Grab a dollop of the creamy pumpkin ice cream along with the strong espresso.  First, you will enjoy the cool temperature of the vegan ice cream. As it starts to melt in your mouth, you will then taste the sweetness and spice. Finally, you will enjoy a robust caffeine kick!

The aroma, flavor, texture, and temperature combinations are addicting. We must warn you right now that you are going to crave this every day.

Autumn Dessert with Perks

• Vegan no churn ice cream that is creamy, smooth, easy to scoop and is NOT icy!
• Dairy free and gluten free
• Perfect amount of warming spice for an autumn day
• Can be made in advance
• Just a few pantry ingredients so really can make this any time of the year - even in summer.
• Can be made with leftover roasted butternut squash, pie pumpkin or any sweet winter squash puree.
• Delicious Italian dessert to serve after a Thanksgiving feast or any meal.

Ingredients

Full Fat Coconut Cream -Use a good quality product. Our favorite brand is Arroy - D. It gives you the smoothest and creamiest texture as it only has coconut in the ingredients. Do not use coconut milk, or any off-brand coconut creams as these will not work. (We only used Thai Kitchen as that is what they had at the market. However, we prefer Arroy - D as it takes less time to whip up.) Refrigerate the coconut cream overnight and do not shake the can. You only use the coconut cream solids to make a fluffy Homemade Coconut Whipped Cream that will be folded into the pumpkin mixture.

Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk is dairy free. Great product if lactose gives you tummy woes or if you want to keep your pumpkin spice ice cream or coconut rice pudding vegan. However, you may exchange with a regular sweetened condensed milk if dairy is not an issue.

Pure Pumpkin Puree - the plain pumpkin canned version WITHOUT any spices. You do not want to choose pumpkin pie mix as we will be adding our own mix of spices in the recipe.

Vanilla - extract but can also use vanilla paste or 2-inch real vanilla bean

Spices - pumpkin pie spice, cardamom, and extra cinnamon

Alcohol - we used vodka. You can't taste it, but it is the secret ingredient hack for keeping homemade no churn ice cream soft and creamy. If you plan on serving dairy free pumpkin ice cream to children, you can just skip it. Feel free to try other alcohol flavorings like Frangelico, amaretto, or your favorites.

Espresso Shot - We have a Nespresso maker and that that thing goes everywhere with us. Road trips near and far. Whether we are enjoying an iced triple layer Bumblebee Coffee or café latte she does not disappoint. However, if you do not have an espresso maker, you can use strong brewed coffee, instant espresso in hot water or French pressed coffee to make an affogato. Like in our Tiramisu recipe, espresso delivers a big caffeine kick. If you are serving late in the evening, you can serve a decaffeinated espresso or decaf coffee shot instead.

Step By Steps

This is just an overview of the process. Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full recipe.

• Refrigerate coconut cream overnight. Carefully scoop out ONLY the coconut cream solids from the can. Be careful to not let any of the coconut water into a bowl. Beat until light and fluffy.
• In a separate bowl, add the canned plain pumpkin, sweetened condensed coconut milk, vanilla, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, cardamom, and vodka (or alcohol of choice) and blend well.

• Carefully fold the whipped coconut cream into the prepared pumpkin mixture.
• Transfer to a freezer safe container and cover. Freeze for about 4 to 6 hours.

• Make espresso coffee shots!

• Scoop dairy free pumpkin ice cream into little cups.
• Pour espresso over vegan pumpkin ice cream, garnish and serve immediately.

Hacks for Making NO-Churn Ice Cream Softer

Have you ever made or tried homemade no churn ice cream but then were disappointed because it was icy and hard? Great news - we have cracked the code! Not only is this pumpkin ice cream dairy free, but it is also creamy, easy to scoop and not icy. Here are some of our favorite hacks for making the best softer scoopable ice cream at home.

1. Add alcohol. As you know alcohol does not freeze. All you need is about 1 tablespoon. We added plain vodka as we wanted the pumpkin spice flavors to shine through. However, you could add up to 3 tablespoons of your favorite flavored alcohol like Frangelico, Grand Marnier, amaretto or whatever your favorites are. However, it is best that the alcohol proof stays around 40% or less.

• Sugar does not freeze completely. We are not talking about imitation sugar but the real deal (glucose and fructose). We used sweetened condensed coconut milk to avoid the tummy woes with lactose.

Do you remember learning about molecules in science class? The reason why sugar does not freeze completely is because water has a lot of molecules, and it is easily for them to bind - so they bind first and freeze first. However, the sugar molecules are left with less options to bind to and therefore do not freeze completely.

• Fat - Full fat coconut cream is what we used in our dairy free pumpkin ice cream. Fat also does not freeze well. We make a Homemade Coconut Whipped Topping with chilled canned coconut cream. We use ONLY the coconut solids in the can - being very careful not to add any of the coconut water.

Fun Toppings

Pumpkin affogato is delicious served plain. If you want to take this coffee and cream Italian dessert to the next level, try these delicious topping ideas.

• Try a dollop of non-dairy whipped topping or coffee sauce.
• Candied pecans or toasted nuts of choice.
• Grated dark chocolate. If you can't find vegan chocolate, try our quick and easy homemade chocolate we used on top of our Spicy Chai Coconut Jelly desserts.
• Sprinkle of cinnamon
• Crushed biscotti or cookies
• Drizzle of your favorite liquor
• Sea salt
• Crumbled Spiced Coffee Cake on top
• Vegan caramel or chocolate sauce

How to Serve and Eat Affogato?

There really is no wrong or right way to serve affogato to guests but here are some guidelines.

1. Choose a cup or glass that can handle both hot and cold liquids and can hold about 2 scoops of ice cream and a shot or two of espresso.
2. Clear glass cups are nice so you can watch as the espresso being poured into the glass but not required. Some people use coffee mugs, margarita glasses, martini glasses or vintage glass dessert cups like us.
3. Freeze glasses or coffee mugs with ice cream for a few minutes before serving. This helps keep your ice cream cold, so it does not melt so fast when the espresso is added.
4. Don't pour extremely hot brewed espresso right over the ice cream as everything will melt immediately. Well, you can but it is best to let the espresso shot cool down a little bit, so it is still warm but not boiling hot. Then, pour it over the scoops of ice cream.
5. You can serve the dairy free pumpkin ice cream in a cup with a shot of espresso on the side. Then, everyone can make their own affogato at the table.
6. Take that concept one step further and set up an affogato dessert bar and let everyone add their own toppings just the way they like it.
7. Provide both long spoons and straws for your guests so they can enjoy every last drop.
8. First, we like to use a spoon to get a bite of both the vegan pumpkin ice cream and espresso with every bite. After everything is melted you can drink directly from the cup or use a straw.

Expert Tips

• Use a quality full fat coconut cream. It is preferable not to use a brand that has fillers or anything other than coconut in the ingredients.
• Refrigerate the coconut cream overnight in the refrigerator
• Chill the beaters and the bowl before whipping coconut cream.
• Use only the coconut cream solids and not the coconut water in the can.
• Fold in the coconut cream into the pumpkin mixture carefully so that it stays creamy.
• Allow the dairy free pumpkin ice cream to sit out at room temperature for about 15 minutes before scooping into bowls just like we do with our Mocha Banana Ice Cream or No-Churn Dairy Free Mango Swirl Ice Cream.
• The ratio of ice cream or gelato to espresso is roughly 2 scoops to 2 ounces (or 2 espresso shots).
• Do not try to change out the ingredient to try to make this healthier. For example, using maple syrup instead of sweetened condensed milk or using coconut milk instead of coconut cream. We have already done that it is an epic failure. Your ice cream will not be creamy but will freeze whole and you can't even scoop it out. 

How to Make Espresso or Strong Coffee?

There are many ways to achieve this.

• First you can use a proper espresso maker with coffee bean grinder.
• Portable espresso maker like a Nespresso machine. That is what we used.
• Extra strong regular coffee made the standard way but with half the water.
• Moka pot brews coffee by passing boiling water pressurized by steam through ground coffee.
• Instant espresso mixed with boiled water. If you have any leftover instant espresso, you can make a batch of our Chocolate Espresso Fig Balls.
• Make espresso in a French Press (coffee brewing device) by adding about 2 tablespoons of ground coffee beans for every cup of water.
• Feel free to make decaffeinated espresso or coffee for your guests if desired.

Can You Make an Affogato in Advance?

You certainly can! That is why this dairy free pumpkin ice cream affogato is such a great dessert when you are entertaining. Here is what you do.

1. Make a batch of pumpkin cinnamon ice cream the day before so it has time to firm up.
2. You can even scoop the ice cream into your serving dishes and cover them and place them in the freezer.
3. Then, when you are ready to serve dessert all you need to do is brew your espresso and have your toppings ready to go.
4. Take the prepared glasses of pumpkin gelato ice cream out of the freezer and serve with a shot of espresso. Let your guests pour their own warm espresso over the top and add their favorite toppings.

Variations

1. Life is busy. We totally get it. If you do not have time to make non-dairy ice cream at home, purchase one of the many pre-made lactose free or vegan options at the grocery store.
2. In addition, there are also many plant-based gelato brands at the market. In case you are wondering, gelato is like ice cream but contains more milk than cream. Many of the vegan gelato brands use oat milk or almond milk instead of dairy.
3. Our healthy lychee, raspberry and blueberry sorbets are made with just fruit and sugar. They are not generally used in an affogato with coffee.  However, they are delicious with a drizzle of Italian sparkling wine in the summer.
4. If you want to make this coconut affogato dessert for children, hold the vodka in the pumpkin ice cream. In addition, you can serve it with hot chocolate or hot apple cider instead of espresso or coffee.
5. Pumpkin pie ice cream is delicious all on its own without a shot of espresso or coffee for an anytime treat.

Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ's)

More Vegan Dessert Recipes

Easy Microwave Chocolate Pudding

No Bake Cranberry Bliss Balls

Dark Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Velvety Vegan Chocolate Mousse

Did You Like Our Recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and/or a review in the comments section below. Your feedback is always appreciated! Follow us for more delicious recipes on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook! Don't forget to sign up for our email list for more free recipes.

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Dairy Free Pumpkin Ice Cream Affogato

Dairy Free Pumpkin Ice Cream Affogato is an unforgettable Italian coffee dessert. Warm espresso is poured over no-churn vegan pumpkin pie ice cream.

Course Desserts

Cuisine Italian

Diet Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Freeze time 4 hours hours

Total Time 4 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 287kcal

Author HWC Magazine

Ingredients

Dairy Free Pumpkin Ice Cream

• 13.66 ounces coconut cream canned - full fat (403 ml) - chilled overnight in the refrigerator
• 11.25 ounces sweetened condensed coconut milk (320 grams)
• 1 cup pumpkin puree plain pumpkin - do not use pumpkin pie puree with the added spices
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste (or 2 inches real vanilla bean)
• 1.5 teaspoons pumpkin spice dried ground
• ½ teaspoon cardamom dried ground (optional but delicious)
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon vodka or other alcohol of choice - keeps the ice cream smooth and creamy.

Affogato

• 8 scoops dairy free pumpkin ice cream 2 scoops for each serving
• 8 ounces espresso shots 2 ounce espresso shot for each serving (or strong coffee)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Place the coconut cream in the refrigerator overnight. Do not shake.
• Make Coconut Whipped Cream - Gently open the lid to the refrigerated coconut cream being very careful to not shake or stir. Place only the coconut solids into a bowl and whip with beaters until light and fluffy like whipped cream. Set aside. (Do not use any of the coconut water in the ice cream recipe as this will make the ice cream icy. You can use the left over coconut water in smoothies or other recipes.)
• Prepare Pumpkin Mixture - In a separate bowl add pumpkin puree, sweetened condensed coconut milk, vanilla, pumpkin spice, cardamom, cinnamon and vodka. Mix well.
• Carefully fold the coconut whipped cream into prepared pumpkin mixture.
• Pour the pumpkin mixture into a pan or plastic container. Cover and freeze for 4 to 6 hours.
• Remove dairy free pumpkin ice cream from the freezer. Place 2 scoops of vegan no churn ice cream into each glass. Place dessert cups with ice cream in the freezer for just a couple of minutes to chill while you brew your espresso.
• Make 2 shots of espresso or strong coffee for each serving. Allow the espresso to cool just a tiny bit so it is warm but not boiling hot.
• Pour the espresso shots over the pumpkin ice cream. Garnish with all your favorite toppings like whipped coconut cream, chopped candied pecans, crushed cookies, grated vegan dark chocolate, drizzle of your favorite liquor or whatever your little heart desires. Serve with long spoons and a straw, if desired, and enjoy!

Video

Notes

The dairy free pumpkin ice cream recipe makes enough for 8 + servings. The espresso for the affogato makes 4 servings. You will have extra ice cream leftover. 

Recipe Tips

• Use a quality full fat coconut cream. It is preferable not to use a brand that has fillers or anything other than coconut in the ingredients.
• Refrigerate the coconut cream overnight in the refrigerator
• Chill the beaters and the bowl before whipping coconut cream.
• Use only the coconut cream solids and not the coconut water in the can.
• Fold in the coconut cream into the pumpkin mixture carefully so that it stays creamy and fluffy.
• Allow the dairy free pumpkin ice cream to sit out at room temperature for about 15 minutes before scooping into cups. Run your ice cream scooper under warm water for a few minutes to make it easier to scoop.
• The ratio of ice cream or gelato to espresso is roughly 2 scoops to 2 ounces (or 2 espresso shots).
• The purpose of vodka is make a creamy smooth ice cream. If serving pumpkin ice cream to children - please omit. 
• Leftover dairy free pumpkin ice cream is best enjoyed fresh but it can be kept frozen up to one week. 
• If you do not have an espresso maker, you can use extra strong coffee. 

How to make a fun Candied pecan topping 

On the stove top, add about ⅛ cup coconut sugar and ½ cup of pecans, sprinkle of sugar and heat until the sugar melts. Remove from pan and place on a waxed paper lined dish until cools. Sprinkle on top of affogato treats and enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 287kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 114mg | Potassium: 328mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 556IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 170mg | Iron: 0.2mg

The post Dairy Free Pumpkin Ice Cream Affogato appeared first on Healthy World Cuisine

Ingredients and Substitutions

Apples - We chose the Gala apple because they are sweet, crunchy, and happened to be on sale.  You can also use Granny Smith, Fuji, Tango, Honey Crisp, or any apple that is crunchy, sweet and holds its texture during the cooking process. Try to avoid the soft apples like Macintosh, unless you like your baked apples mushy.

Got extra apples? Make a batch of Instant Pot Apple Cider either spiked or plain. We will leave that up to you.

Oatmeal - Cinnamon spiced air fryer baked oats baked inside an apple is like taking a bite of a delicious apple crisp. We chose to use gluten-free instant oats. However, you can also use regular old fashion oats.

Date Paste - is a delicious way to sweeten baked apples. We like to make our own and you can learn How to Make Jujube Paste and Medjool Date Paste in our Ultimate Guide or use store-bought. Alternatively, feel free to swap date paste with maple syrup or brown sugar to keep it vegan.

Coconut Oil - Keeping it vegan with virgin unrefined coconut oil. Alternatively, you can swap with a little butter or margarine.

Spices - Cinnamon and nutmeg are warming and delicious. You could also add a little pumpkin spice or all spice as well.

Pecans - We had a few pecan nuts over from making a batch of Healthy Pumpkin Muffins. However, walnuts, almonds, cashews, pine nuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, etc. are all delicious in air fryer baked apples. Feel free to leave them out if your family does not like nuts.

Lemon juice - optional but is used to prevent browning or oxidation of the apples after cored. Also, it adds a little sparkle to the flavor profile of the stuffed apples.

Step by Step

Here is a quick overview of the steps to make our air fryer baked apples. Please read our recipe with tips and a video below for the full recipe.

• Make the Oatmeal pecan filling. In a medium bowl add the coconut oil and date paste. Microwave for just about 30 seconds to soften.
• Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, dried oats, chopped pecans and raisins. Stir well and set aside.

• Choose your medium size apples that will stand upright while baking. Cut off the top off the apple with a knife. We used a melon scooper to remove the seeds and core. Drizzle with a little lemon to prevent browning.
• Stuff the apples with the oatmeal pecan apple filling. Air fry stuffed baked apples at 350 degrees F (176 degrees C) for about 15 minutes or until a knife can pierce the baked apple easily.

More EASY Apple Recipes

Apple Pie Pot Stickers

Meat Lover's Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash

Apple Pecan Spring Roll Mooncakes

Chewy Caramel Apple Pie Cookies

Quinoa Harvest Salad

Did You Like Our Recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and/or a review in the comments section below. Your feedback is always appreciated! Follow us for more delicious recipes on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook! Don't forget to sign up for our email list for more free recipes.

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Air Fryer Baked Apples

Warm cinnamon spiced Air Fryer Baked Apples stuffed with pecans, gluten-free oats and sweetened with date paste for a healthy easy vegan dessert.

Course Desserts

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 270kcal

Author HWC Magazine

Equipment

• air fryer We used the Cosori toaster oven style air fryer
• melon baller scoop

Ingredients

Filling

• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• ¼ cup date paste
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon dried ground
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg dried ground - optional
• ⅓ cup oatmeal dried plain ( we used gluten free instant oats or can use old fashion oats)
• 2 tablespoons pecans chopped
• 1 tablespoon raisins optional

Apples

• 4 medium apples whole
• 1 tablespoon Lemon juice (to prevent your apples from browning or oxidizing)
  
• spray oil to prevent sticking
• 4 tablespoon Coconut whipped cream as a garnish (optional) - or regular whipped cream, ice cream or a dollop of yogurt.

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat air fryer to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C)
• Assemble the filling. In a medium microwavable bowl, add coconut oil and date paste. Microwave for approximately 20 to 30 seconds on high power just to soften. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, dried oatmeal, chopped pecans and raisins and stir until incorporated. Set aside.
• Prepare apples. Wash, cut a circle around the stem and core apples. Be careful not to puncture the sides or poke holes on the bottom of the apple. (Hint: Use a melon baller to remove the seeds and core) Drizzle the inside of the apple with lemon juice to prevent browning. Repeat this process with the remaining apples.
• Scoop the oatmeal date nut filling into each prepared apple. Be sure to pack the filling with your fingers or a spoon so there are no gaps.
• Line your air fryer basket or air fryer baking tray with either parchment paper or aluminum foil and spray with oil. (Makes clean up faster and prevents sticking) Place your stuffed apples in the lined air fryer basket or air fryer baking tray. Leave space between each apple so the air fryer can work its convection magic. (If you have a toaster oven style air fryer, place the tray in the middle section so that the apples and filling are not touching the cooking elements.
• Air fry baked apples for approximately 15 to 18 minutes or until you can easily pierce a knife into the apple. The goal is to have a "crisp but tender apple". If you like your apples softer, continue to cook for a few minutes longer to your desired tenderness.
• Top with coconut cream whipped topping or topping of choice, dust with a little ground cinnamon. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Recipe Tips

• Line your air fryer basket or baking tray with either parchment paper or aluminum foil to reduce cleanup time.
• Spray the parchment or aluminum foil with a little spray oil to prevent sticking.
• Microwave your coconut oil and date paste for just about 20 to 30 seconds to soften. This makes it easier to stir the cinnamon spice oats filling mixture.
• Pack the pecan date oatmeal stuffing mixture well into the cavity of the apple. Press it down with your fingers or a spoon. This makes sure there are no gaps.
• Do not let your apples touch in the air fryer. Make sure there is space between each so that the convection oven can do its thing.
• If you have a toaster oven style air fryer, place the apples in the middle tray. Make sure the tops of the apple are not touching any of the cooking elements.
• Air fry at a 350 degrees F (176 degrees C) not at 400 degrees F! This is very important as the filling will burn before your apples have a chance to cook through. We have already tested this theory for you.

Oven Baking Option

No air fryer or convection oven? No problem. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) Bake stuffed apples for approximately 35 to 45 minutes or until the apple pierces easily with a knife.  

Nutrition

Serving: 1apple | Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 327mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 104IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Air Fryer Baked Apples appeared first on Healthy World Cuisine

Just because you need to watch your carbohydrates or follow a diabetic diet, does not mean that you need to miss out on all the holiday food and festivities. Our Asian Fusion menu is delicious, ketogenic diet friendly, and perfect for any special gathering. 

Do they celebrate Thanksgiving in China?

The world has become a very international place and giving "thanks" brings all of us together.

The Chinese word for Thanksgiving Day is 感恩节 (Gǎn'ēn jié).

• 感恩 (Gǎn'ēn) means to feel gratitude or to feel thankful. 
• 节 (jié) translates to holiday.
•  快乐 (kuàilè) translates to happy.

So, if you put it all together, Happy Thanksgiving Day is 感恩节快乐! (gǎn'ēn jié kuàilè)!

Thanksgiving is not recognized as a national holiday in China or Hong Kong. However, many Chinese have lived in the US or Canada, visited or have friends living there. Many of our Chinese friends love to join in on the Thanksgiving food and festivities too, in their own special way.

Holiday Asian-Fusion Menu

A Chinese Thanksgiving is a delicious Asian fusion meal. It's a melting pot of Asian and Western flavors combined into one. If they are living in the US or Canada, they may enjoy a whole baked turkey with Chinese spices and sauces. On the other hand, if they are without an oven, they may opt for a quick and easy stir fry or Spicy Sichuan Hot Pot instead.

In addition, many may enjoy Homemade Chinese Dumplings, French Canadian Meat Stuffing made with sticky rice, instead of bread, or even a Peking duck with pancakes as a part of the Thanksgiving meal.

Healthier Alternatives

How many of you were planning on wearing your FAT Trousers (pants) on Thanksgiving Day? You probably already know this but the average weight gain during the holidays is about 10 pounds. Crazy, right?

Wouldn't it be better to eat in moderation and enjoy the foods you enjoy all whilst enjoying the holiday season? Many of the traditional Thanksgiving recipes are very HIGH in CARBOHYDRATES. Today, we want to share with you several Asian Keto Recipes that are a little lighter and healthier to enjoy. All the flavor but low in carbohydrates. If you want to learn more, be sure to checkout our post, "What is a Ketogenic Diet?"

If you are ready to take on the challenge, come and join us for a full menu of Asian Keto Recipes for a healthier Chinese Thanksgiving.

Appetizers

You are going to love these easy Chinese style appetizers. Bold in flavors but lightened up. As you know, Asian recipes have that blend of savory, spicy and sweet flavors that we all love. If a recipe requires sugar, just replace with your diabetic friendly sugar alternative of choice to lightly sweeten.

Chinese Eggplant with Garlic Sauce (Air Fryer Method)

Chinese Eggplant with Garlic Sauce is a copycat recipe from Hong Kong's Crystal Jade restaurant made with delicious air fried Asian aubergines and topped with a simple garlic sauce. Ready in 20 minutes!

Get this recipe

Asian Tofu Vegetable Pancakes

Savory vegan, gluten-free Asian Tofu Vegetable Pancakes - a healthy dim sum recipe with 16g of protein per serving. Fun appetizer for Chinese New Year! (Makes approximately 5 to 6 pancakes)

Get this recipe

Air Fryer Ribs (Chinese Style Garlic Ribs)

Delicious finger-licking Chinese-Style Garlic Ribs (Suàn xiāng páigǔ - 蒜香排骨) are super tender pork, air fryer ribs with the perfect little chew.

Get this recipe

Mains

If you have an oven you can try our roasted keto Thanksgiving turkey or whole chicken recipes. However, you can also opt to make a delicious Hot Pot and use ingredients traditionally served at thanksgiving that are sliced super thin. Try slices of low carb turkey breast, shaved Brussel sprouts, mushrooms, etc. for this Asian fusion menu plan.

Roasted Turmeric Spiced Turkey Breast

Roasted Turmeric Spiced Turkey Breast is a succulent bone in turkey breast cooked with turmeric, cardamom, spices and a very fun twist for a holiday gathering.

Get this recipe

Herbed Butter Roast Chicken with Potatoes and Carrots

Discover the ultimate Herbed Butter Roast Chicken one pan recipe! Juicy, crispy and packed with flavor, served with potatoes and carrots.

Get this recipe

Spicy Sichuan Hot Pot [Mild Broth Recipe Included]

Spicy Sichuan Hot Pot is made with a delicious Chinese spicy broth that simmers away while your guests can cook their own thin slices of meats, vegetables, noodles and anything they desire. Fun interactive communal dinner idea!

Get this recipe

Sides

Here is your chance to take the usual fat laden green bean casserole topped with fried onions and serve something light and bright instead. Asian keto recipes are fast and easy and utilize low carbohydrate vegetables.

Garlicky Sesame Stir Fried Green Beans

Garlicky Sesame Stir Fried Green Beans are a quick and easy vegan side dish that is an explosion of flavor with just a handful of ingredients.

Get this recipe

Layered High Sesame Asian Salad

Layered High Sesame Asian Salad is piled high with healthy extra long thin vegetables and a rocking tamari ginger dressing.

Get this recipe

Skinny Spaghetti Squash Egg Roll Ups

Skinny Spaghetti Squash Egg Roll Ups are a low carb anytime snack made with roasted spaghetti squash, vegetables wrapped up in a thin egg pancake with a spicy dipping sauce.  

Get this recipe

Wood Ear Mushroom Vegan Stir Fry

Wood Ear Mushroom Vegan Stir Fry is crunchy, spicy and easy to prepare Chinese recipe that is super healthy and delicious too.

Get this recipe

Desserts

It is just not Thanksgiving without a sweet ending to the holiday meal. Try these lighter keto diet options. Substitute honey or sugar with a diabetic sweetener alternative of choice.

Chinese Pear Dessert Soup

Chinese Pear Dessert Soup is sweet, spiced and works fabulous to calm a cough.

Get this recipe

Spicy Chai Coconut Jelly

Silky smooth Spicy Chai Coconut Jelly is a light and creamy Asian pudding dessert.

Get this recipe

Tranquil Lemon Ginger Tea Recipe

Tranquil Lemon Ginger Tea is the perfect delicious detox tea to help balance your digestive system, boost your immunity and help relieve stress.

Get this recipe

We hope you enjoyed these 13 delicious ways to enjoy an Asian Thanksgiving. Who said this needs to be served at Thanksgiving? Try these recipes for a Keto Christmas or any time you are hosting a special occasion.

LOW CARB Chinese Recipes

Did You Like Our Recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and/or a review in the comments section below. Your feedback is always appreciated! Follow us for more delicious recipes on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook! Don't forget to sign up for our email list for more free recipes.

Wishing all of you a safe holiday from our family at Healthy World Cuisine to yours!

The post Asian Keto Recipes for Chinese Thanksgiving appeared first on Healthy World Cuisine

Have you even been excited to take that first slice of apple pie and then you ask yourself…"? Why is my apple pie watery?"

We have a fool proof way to prevent the "watery apple pie syndrome" and step by step easy instructions on how to make a lattice crust like a pro. Whether you decide to make Easy Pumpkin Empanadas or a homemade apple pie for Thanksgiving or the holidays, you are ready to go.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Apples - the key ingredient. We are very partial to Granny Smith apples as they are crispy, tart, and sweet. However, this year we made our apple pie in a deep-dish pie dish.  We ran out of Granny Smith apples so swapped in a few Gala apples. If you add a couple different types of apple to your pie, it takes the flavor to a whole new level.

We love apples that are firm and not mushy. Honey Crisp, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious and Jazz apples work nice. McIntosh apples are just too mealy and soft. If you have extra apples, be sure to try our Instant Pot Apple Cider or Air Fryer Baked Apples.

Homemade vs store bought pie crust - Homemade pie crusts are THE BEST. However, in a pinch and with time limitations we are all about cutting corners. Refrigerated store bought pie crusts are a time saver and some of them are quite good. We have included the directions on how to make pie crust from scratch but if you decide to use a store-bought crust, we won't tell a soul. Pssst... sometimes we use store bought crust to make our Beef Empanadas too.

Brown Sugar - is the perfect sweetener. We used dark brown sugar as that is what we had on hand. You can also use light brown sugar. Brown sugar, unlike regular granulated sugar, has molasses. This addition gives the apple pie a more complex flavor note.

We do not like our desserts overly sweet.  Grandma's old fashion apple pie has only 1 cup brown sugar for a huge number of sliced apples. We love the little sweet and tart flavors.

Fresh Lemon helps prevent browning and compliments the sweet and tart flavors in an apple cinnamon pie. In a pinch, you can also use lime or lemon concentrate in a bottle.

How to Make a Lattice Crust

• Make two homemade pie crust (bottom crust and one for the lattice top) or bring two store bought refrigerated pie crusts to room temperature. Peel and slice apples.
• Sprinkle apples with lemon juice to prevent oxidation
• Add cinnamon, brown sugar, nutmeg, flour, and vanilla to sliced apples.
• Toss to combine.

• Add butter and apples to large frying pan and cook just until the water is evaporated but apples are still al dente. We use this same process for our Apple Pie Pot Stickers and it works well.
• The sauce for Grandma's apple pie should be thick and clinging to the apples.
• Roll out one pie dough and place on the bottom of pie pan.
• Transfer the cooked seasoned apples to the raw pie dough in the pie pan.

• Level out the apples in the pie crust so it cooks evenly.
• Roll out the second pie crust to a circle a little larger than the diameter of the pan.
• Make 1-inch slices or about 15 even slices of pie dough.
• Starting with the largest length slice, place the pie dough slices in a row about 1-2 inches apart, vertically, using about 6 to 7 slices of pie dough slices. Start in the middle where the pie is the largest in length and work your way out to the ends. If you use about every other slice, you can keep your lattice crust even.

• Next. lift every other slice of the pie dough slices and fold up halfway on the pie.
• Then, lay the first pie dough slice horizontally up closest to the center of the pie.
• Lay the vertical pie slices back down. Now, choose the pie dough slices that have a pie dough slice across it up and fold these vertical upwards towards the center of the pie. Lay another piece of pie dough horizontally. Repeat this process until you have created a basket weave for one half of the apple pie.
• Turn the pie that does not have the lattice weave completed towards you. Repeat this process on the other side. Do not worry it you do not get your apple pie crust design perfect. After all, it's a homemade pie and it will still taste delicious.

• Pinch the edges of the lattice to the underside pie dough and pinch tightly all around the pie. Cut off extra dough if needed.
• Optional, pinch the crust to make a cute edging to the pie.
• Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with a little granulated sugar, if desired.
• Bake until golden and bubbly.

How to Prevent a Watery Apple Pie?

As everyone is patiently waiting for that first slice of pie to be cut, don't disappoint the crew with a watery pie. The secret hack for preventing a watery apple pie is to pan fry the seasoned apples in butter first before baking. 

Once the raw apples have been seasoned with cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, vanilla, and flour, cook them just until the water has evaporated, the apples are still al dente, and the sauce is thick. This process takes about 10 minutes.

Baking Hacks!

• Start your oven off at 425 degrees F (218 degrees C) for the first 10-15 minutes. This ensures that the crust gets extra flaky when the fat in the pie dough starts to melt. Then, decrease temperature down to 350 degrees F (176 Degrees C) to complete the baking process.
• Line a baking tray and place under the pie pans! Don't forget this step or you will have a mess on your hands. When the filling starts to bubble over in your oven, you can thank us later. We also line a baking sheet when making our Mini Chicken Pot Pies as the juice always finds a way out.
• If your edges of the pie crust start to get too brown, take a thin sheet of aluminum foil and carefully wrap it around the edges of the cinnamon pie.
• Brush egg wash on your lattice crust to make sure it gets golden brown during the baking process.

Standard Size vs Deep Dish

• Grandma's Apple Pie recipe is for a standard sized pie dish - not a deep-dish pie dish. If using a deep-dish pie plate, you will need more apples, spices, and flour. You may even need to adjust the size of your crust diameter.
• A regular pie plate uses about 4 pounds of apples. Whereas a deep-dish pie plate needs about 5 pounds or 2 cups more of sliced apples. The baking time will also need to be increased for a deep dish pie.
• The standard sized pie pan is approximately 9 inches in diameter (22 cm) and 1.25 inches (3 cm) deep. However, a deep-dish pie pan is 9 inches in diameter but are between 1.5 to 2 inches (5cm) deep. Depending on where you are located around the world this can differ.
• 5 pounds of apples is about 20 small apples, 15 medium sided apples or 10 large apples. Of course, this is also contingent on how well you peel and reduce waste when prepping your apples for the pie.
• Depending on where you are living, the size and types of apples can really differ.

Everything Apples

• Use a peeler so that you can keep waste down to a minimum.
• Apples cook down. Make sure that you add enough apples to the pie crust, so it is mounded up a little.  No one likes a concave pie.
• Peel and slice apples. Do not cut into chunks as this can cause the pie to cook unevenly.  It might end up lopsided and after all that work, you don't want that. Nice slices so it has layers and layers of apples.
• Use a mixture of different types of apples that are firm to produce a more interesting flavor profile.
• Don't use too much sugar. The sweet and tart flavor of Grandma's apple pie is why this is an award winning recipe.

Award Winning Recipe

Whether you like your apple pie ala mode (with ice cream) or for breakfast with a cup of coffee or tea, Grandma's apple pie is sure to please. Heck why not!  This lattice apple pie recipe has been in our family for as long as we can remember. We hope this award-winning recipe by grandma (AKA mom) will be loved by your family and friends too. This apple pie slice is for you!

Frequently asked questions (FAQ's)

More Delicious Delicious Desserts

Chewy Caramel Apple Pie Cookies

Apple Pecan Spring Roll Mooncakes

Homemade Snowy Moon Cakes

Chinese Pear Dessert Soup

Cherry Plum Fruit Crumble

Did You Like Our Recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and/or a review in the comments section below. Your feedback is always appreciated! Follow us for more delicious recipes on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook! Don't forget to sign up for our email list for more free recipes.

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Grandma's Apple Pie

Our Grandma's Apple Pie with a flaky lattice crust is made with delicious layers of sautéed apple cinnamon filling for the perfect award-winning recipe.

Course Desserts

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Calories 400kcal

Author HWC Magazine

Equipment

• pie plate
• oven

Ingredients

Lattice Crust (makes 2 crusts top and bottom) or use a store bought refrigerated pie crusts

• 2.5 cups flour
  and extra for rolling
• 1 cup butter
  (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, very-cold, cut into ½ inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 teaspoon sugar
  or sugar alternative
• 6-8 tablespoon ice water
  

Apple Pie Filling

• 8-10 granny apples
  large, peeled, core removed and sliced. We also used some gala apples too.
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  to prevent apples from oxidizing and turning the apples brow
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  
• 1 cup brown sugar or sugar alternative
  
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• 3 tablespoons flour
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
  
• 2 tablespoons butter
  
• 1 egg
  beaten
• 1 teaspoon sugar or sugar alternative - optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Pre-heat oven to 425 F.

Homemade Crust - if using a store bought skip and proceed to apple filling

• In a food processor or with a pastry dough knife blend flour and butter until crumbly. Then add salt, sugar and ice water until dough comes to a ball.
• Remove dough from food processor or bowl and shape into one ball and then split the ball into 2 equal pieces. Place one ½ of the dough in the refrigerator to rest.
  
• Clean and flour your working surface. Flatten ½ dough into a disk and roll out the dough with a rolling-pin so that it is about 2 inches larger in diameter than your pie pan.
  
• Roll gently your pie crust onto your rolling-pin and lower gently over your pie pan. Gently allow the edges to comes to the bottom of the pan so that there is no gaps around the edges or bottom. Set aside.
  

Apple Filling

• Wash and peel and remove the core and slice apples.
  
• As soon as possible to prevent oxidation place the lemon juice on apples.
  
• Add brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and flour to apples and mix well. In a large frying pan, add the butter and cook the mixed apples until the moisture is evaporated and the sauce around the apples is thick and not watery. The apples should be slightly softened but not all the way cooked through. (About 10 minutes)
  

Create the lattice crust (see step by step photos above in post)

• Place one rolled out pie crust dough on the bottom of pie plate . Press flat on to the bottom and sides.
• Add the cooked prepared apples on top of the bottom crust in the pie pan.
• Take the other half of the dough out of fridge and place on floured surface and roll out dough to 1-2 inches larger in diameter than pie pan.
  
• Measure and cut dough for crust lengthwise into strips about ½ to 1 inches (or about 15 slices)
• Using every other one of the dough strips, lay dough about 1 inch apart on top of apple pie.
• Start at one end. Carefully pick up every other dough strip and lay it back upon itself. Insert a dough strip horizontal to the vertical strips. Continue the process with the remaining strips. Make a weave so it looks like a basket.
• With your thumb and index finger pinch the lattice crust to the rim of crust. Trim off excess crust but leave about a ¾ inch overhang.
  
• Fold the edge of the top piece of dough over and under the edge of the bottom piece of dough, pressing together. Flute edges using thumb and forefinger.
  

Prepare for Baking

• Brush pie crust with beaten egg wash and sprinkle with a little granulated sugar.
• Place pie on top of a lined baking sheet to prevent a mess in your oven!!!
• Place pie (on the baking sheet) in the oven initially at 425 F (218 degrees C) for ten minutes and then reduce heat to 350 F ( 176 degrees C) for 50 minutes or until crust is golden brown and apple pie is bubbly.

  Check on your pie at the 40 minute mark. BEFORE, your pie crust edges become too brown, cut a little piece of aluminum foil on the edges to prevent over browning. 9 times out of 10 we end up doing this.
• Serve apple pie warm with a dollop of ice cream or whipped topping (Also great cold as a quick breakfast with a cup of coffee or tea. I have not idea why I would know about that....hmmm) - smiling

Notes

Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Baking Hacks!

• Start your oven off at 425 degrees F (218 degrees C) for the first 10-15 minutes. This ensures that the crust gets extra flaky when the fat in the pie dough starts to melt. Then, decrease temperature down to 350 degrees F (176 Degrees C) to complete the baking process.
• Line a baking tray and place under the pie pans! Don't forget this step or you will have a mess on your hands. When the filling starts to bubble over in your oven, you can thank us later.
• If your edges of the pie crust start to get too brown, take a thin sheet of aluminum foil and carefully wrap it around the edges of the cinnamon pie.
• Brush egg wash on your lattice crust to make sure it gets golden brown during the baking process.
• This recipe is for a standard sized pie - not a deep-dish pie. If using a deep-dish pie plate, you will need more apples, spices, and flour. You may even need to adjust the size of your crust diameter.
• A regular pie plate uses about 4 pounds of apples. Whereas a deep-dish pie plate needs about 5 pounds or 2 cups more of sliced apples. The baking time will also need to be increased for a deep dish pie.
• The standard sized pie pan is approximately 9 inches in diameter (22 cm) and 1.25 inches (3 cm) deep. However, a deep-dish pie pan is 9 inches in diameter but are between 1.5 to 2 inches (5cm) deep. Depending on where you are located around the world this can differ.
• 5 pounds of apples is about 20 small apples, 15 medium sided apples or 10 large apples. Of course, this is also contingent on how well you peel and reduce waste when prepping your apples for the pie.
• Depending on where you are living around the world, the size and types of apples can really differ.
• Use a peeler so that you can keep waste down to a minimum.
• Apples cook down. Make sure that you add enough apples to the pie crust, so it is mounded up a little. No one likes a concave pie.
• Peel and slice apples. Do not cut into chunks as this can cause the pie to cook unevenly. It might end up lopsided and after all that work, you don't want that. Nice slices so it has layers and layers of apples.
• Use a mixture of different types of apples that are firm to produce a more interesting flavor profile.

Storage

An apple pie can sit out on the counter at room temperature for up to 2 days, if left whole and is covered, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Once cut into, it should be stored in the refrigerator covered for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2-3 months.

Reheating Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C) Place previously baked apple pie in oven covered in aluminum foil for about 20 to 25 minutes or until toasty warm.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 400kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 353mg | Potassium: 175mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 618IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Grandma's Apple Pie appeared first on Healthy World Cuisine

Cozy Fall Vibes

There is nothing better than wrapping your cold little fingers around a mug of hot spiced apple cider to put a smile on your face. Naturally sweet with a little tongue-numbing anise, warming cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger is just what you need to thaw out in the cooler weather. Happily; gluten-free, dairy free and vegan just like our Air Fryer Baked Apples recipe. You can skip the fall aroma candles as this mulled apple cider is going to make your home smell amazing!

Whether you are looking for a little something special for the holidays, hayrides, campfires or just a lazy weekend afternoon, this quintessential apple cider drink recipe and some of our fall favorite recipes are sure to please.

If you can't get out to the cider mill and apple orchards this autumn, no worries. We'll show you step by step and with video illustrating how to make old fashion apple cider in the instant pot (pressure cooker) right at home. All you need to do is dump everything in the instant pot, set it and forget it! The instant pot does all the work.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Spices - Fresh and whole spices are always best. However, you can also use ground spices for this cider recipe too. We used fresh ginger, cinnamon twills, star anise, dried ground allspice and nutmeg in this recipe. If you can't find whole star anise, you can substitute with ground Chinese Five Spice Powder and reduce some of the other spices to taste. Five Spice powder's main ingredient is star anise along with cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns and fennel seeds.

Another delicious idea is to exchange all the spices in this mulled cider recipe with a dried ground pumpkin spice mix or pumpkin spice syrup instead.

Apples - We like to use an assortment of apples to make the cider sweet, tart and have depth of flavor.

• Sweet apples - Gala, Fuji, Jazz, honey Crips, golden delicious and Ambrosia all work well.
• Tart apples - Granny Smith, Goldrush, Crispin (Mutsu) and McIntosh are some examples.

Oranges - you can use a navel orange or mandarin orange. However, you MUST remove the peel. Otherwise, the orange peel will make the apple cider bitter while it is cooking on high temperature in the instant pot.

Sweetener of Choice - We love using no-refined sweeteners like maple syrup or honey. However, you can also use brown sugar, keto sugar alternatives, rock sugar or even date paste. If you are feeling a bit under the weather, try adding a little honey to help with sore throats and you may enjoy our Whiskey Honey Lemon Cough Syrup.

Pomegranate seeds - Completely optional but love that little kick from this delicious superfood. Did you know that pomegranates can have up to three times more antioxidants than green tea? So, why not add a few to garnish with too.

Step by Step Instructions

Learning how to make our instant pot apple cider recipe is super easy.  These dump and go recipes are some of our favorites, especially when you are super busy or during the holiday season.

1. Slice or roughly chop apples

2. Remove the orange peel from the oranges and roughly chop. It is important to also remove the pith (the white part next to the rind) from oranges as when this cooks, the pith can become bitter.

3 & 4. Place the prepared apples and oranges in the instant pot. Peel and add about 1 inch knob of fresh ginger too.

5 - 8. Add star anise, cinnamon, maple syrup or sweetener of choice, cloves, and nutmeg to the instant pot. Add enough water to cover the apples. You can use either whole spices or dried ground spices. We really like using fresh ginger especially during the cold and flu season.

9 & 10. We love that extra antioxidant sweet and sour boost from fresh pomegranate seeds - Totally optional but delicious. Seal and set your instant pot/pressure cooker to high for 15 minutes and let it naturally release for about 10-15 minutes and then carefully release.

11 & 12. Remove any whole spices and then mash the spiced apple mixture.

13 & 14. Strain and enjoy!

Equipment

Instant Pot - We used a 6-quart instant pot, and it makes approximately 6 to 8 servings of spiced apple cider. If you do not have an instant pot, no worries, we have you covered with quick and easy stove top and crockpot (slow cooker) instructions in the recipe card below.

Potato Masher - or a spatula to break up the apples

Colander and Fine Mesh Strainer or cheesecloth

Cooking Tips

• The best method for straining apple cider is to first pour your apple cider mixture through a regular colander to grab the big portions of fruit.  You can pitch that, as it's the apple skins and things you don't want.
• Then, we take the strained cider juice and little by little add it through a fine meshed strainer to give you a clearer beverage. You could also use a cheesecloth if this is something that you have at home. After you are done with the second straining, don't throw out the apple pulp (sauce). We love adding apple sauce to Chewy Caramel Apple Pie Cookies, pancakes, and muffins to give them extra spice and keep them moist. This is one of our favorite perks of making apple cider from scratch.
• Adjust the amount of sweetener up or down as desired. If you like it sweeter, add more. On the other hand, if you like it less sweet, add less.
• Are you out of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves? No worries!  Substitute with ground all spice as ALL of these spices are in the dried ground all spice blend.

Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ's)

Delicious Autumn Treats

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Instant Pot Apple Cider

Our easy homemade Instant Pot Apple Cider is sweet and spicy with just the right amount of heat. Delicious served hot or cold, spiked, or non-alcoholic. Bursting with fresh apples, oranges, pomegranate, and mulled with warming spices for an immunity boosting fall drink.

Course Beverages

Cuisine American

Diet Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Natural Release Instant Pot 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 6 cups

Calories 153kcal

Author HWC Magazine

Equipment

• Instant Pot
• Potato Masher or spatula
• Colander
• Fine mesh strainer or cheese cloth

Ingredients

• 6 to 8 medium apples about 2.5 to 3 pounds - we used a mixture of Gala and Granny Smith.
• 2 medium oranges
• 1 knob ginger fresh - 1 inch knob (or¼ teaspoon dried ground)
• ⅓ cup maple syrup (or brown sugar, honey, dried dates, or sugar alternative of choice)
• 4 whole cinnamon twill sticks or 1 tablespoon dried ground cinnamon
• 3 Star Anise (or ½ teaspoon of 5 spice powder)
• ½ cup pomegranate seeds (arils) or up to 1 cup. optional fresh seeds from whole pomegranate (reserve some for garnish)
• ½ teaspoon dried ground cloves use ¼ to ½ teaspoon dried ground depending on your preference. Can also use 3 to 6 whole cloves
• ½ teaspoon dried ground nutmeg (or ½ whole nutmeg)
• Water enough water to cover apples and oranges or about 6 cups.
• rum, whiskey, Fireball or alcoholic beverage of choice optional (if the adults in your crew are starting to whine about weekend leaf removal add as needed)
• cinnamon twills, slices of apples, oranges, star anise and pomegranate seeds. Optional Garnishes

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Slice apples in quarters. Remove the apple core and seeds and roughly chop. You could even just roughly chop and leave the seeds and the core, if you do not plan on using the apple puree for any other recipes.
• Remove the orange peel from the oranges and roughly chop. It is important to also remove the pith (the white part next to the rind) from oranges as when this cooks, the pith can become bitter.
• Place the prepared apples and oranges in the instant pot. In addition, add the fresh or dried ginger, maple syrup or sweetener of choice, cinnamon twills or ground cinnamon, Star Anise or 5 Spice powder, pomegranate seeds, cloves, nutmeg, and enough water to cover the apples. (Pomegranate seeds are optional)
• Seal and set your instant pot (pressure cooker) on high pressure for 15 minutes and let it naturally release for about 10-15 minutes and then carefully release. You can also just leave it naturally release completely if you wish. Please note that it can take up to 30 minutes for the temperature of the instant pot to pressurize.
• Remove any whole spices and then mash the spiced apple mixture.
• The best method for straining apple cider is to first pour your apple cider mixture through a regular colander to grab the big portions off fruit.  You can pitch the parts of fruit that the colander caught as it is mostly the apple skins and things you do not want.
• Then, we take the strained prized spiced cider juice and little by little add it through a fine meshed strainer (or cheesecloth) and strain to give you a clearer beverage. Check out our video to see how we did this.
• Enjoy mulled apple cider hot or iced. We like to garnish with apple slices, orange slices, cinnamon sticks, star anise and pomegranate seeds. For the adults, add a shot of your favorite whiskey, rum, fireball, or favorite alcoholic drink as desired.

Video

Notes

Storage

Homemade instant pot apple cider can be stored for up 5 days in the refrigerator or up to 2 months in the freezer.

What to do with the apple pulp?

After you are done with the second straining, don’t throw out the apple pulp (sauce). We love adding apple sauce to breads, pancakes, and muffins to give them extra spice and keep them moist

Crockpot (Slow Cooker) Apple Cider Directions

Add all ingredients to the slow cooker with the lid and set on low for 3 hours or high for 1.5 hours.

Stove Top Directions

After you place all the ingredients into a large pot on the stove top, put on a lid and put on high heat until it reaches a gentle boil.  Then, turn down the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 hours or until the apples are fall apart soft.

Other Suggestions

Choose a mixture sweet and sour apple for the best results.

Adjust the amount of sweetener up or down as desired. If you like it sweeter, add more. On the other hand, if you like it less sweet, add less. 

Are you out of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves? No worries!  Substitute with ground all spice as ALL of these spices are in the dried ground all spice blend.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 153kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 26mg | Potassium: 319mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 200IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Instant Pot Apple Cider appeared first on Healthy World Cuisine

30 Minute Hot Appetizer

There is something magical about cutting into that crispy layered buttery crust. The slow ooze of cheese, olives, roasted red peppers and artichokes is just begging for a cracker. When you pull out that slice of creamy cheesy goodness on to a plate, everyone will come running.

This holiday Mediterranean Brie En Croute is a toasty hot appetizer and huge crowd pleaser. The French word "en croute" means anything baked in a pastry crust. A fun little appetizer to be served with crackers, fruits and a little glass of Blood Orange Ginger Spritz or a vino of choice.  With your first bite of the flaky crust, creamy brie and Mediterranean flavors, it will have your guests fighting for the last piece.

Savory Baked Brie in Puff Pastry: World's Easiest Appetizer

Whether you are making a charcuterie board for a crowd or just and easy snack for your family, everyone is going to love this melt in your mouth cheese pulling masterpiece. Using store bought puff pastry, makes this recipe a breeze. If you can cut up a few ingredients, open up a box of pre-made puff pastry and wheel of cheese, you have all the skills needed to make this easy appetizer.

History of Brie Cheese

Can you take a wild guess where brie cheese originated? Bingo! You got that right--France. Many places sell brie, but the real deal comes from only comes from France. French Brie cheese originally comes from the Seine-et-Marne in Northern France.

Brie is made from raw cow's milk and is a soft cheese with an edible rind. It's creamy, with subtle tones of mushrooms and butter. Simply delicious and irresistible.

Store Bought Puff Pastry Recipe Ideas

Everything in moderation is our healthy motto. However, there are times when store bought pastry dough really does save the day. Having a box in your freezer, can turn a boring curry into delicious Turkey Curry Puffs or a boring hamburger into Beef and Cheddar Puff Pastry Wheels. Both of these recipes are loved by kids. You can even sneak in vegetables and they will never even know. Shhhh… we won't tell.

Do you have unexpected guests or need a dessert to pass? Whip up a Berry and Peach Pudding tart or Blueberry Buckle Almond Tarts to delight your guests.

What You Will Need to Make Baked Brie en Croute

Did you know that you can stuff anything your little heart desires into a Savory baked brie en croute? We decided to take our flavors to the Mediterranean. Feel free to add extras or exclude things you do not have.

• Brie Wheel - 8 ounces

• Puff Pastry - We used one sheet of pre-made puff pastry. However, if you are willing and able you can always make it from scratch.

• Olives - We choose kalamata and green Spanish Manzanilla olives pimento stuffed.

• Roasted red peppers or sun-dried tomatoes in oil

• Artichokes

• Extra Virgin Olive oil

• Italian herbs and garlic - We used Mie Radici's Sicilian Spice Mix

How to Thaw Puff Pastry?

There are 2 easy options for thawing puff pastry.

1. Remove pastry sheet from the box and the internal packaging and thaw at room temperature for about 15 minutes or until easily unfolds without tearing. Do not leave out of freezer for longer than 40 minutes or the pastry dough will be difficult to work with.
2. Alternatively, you can also microwave your puff pastry dough after wrapping in a towel for 15 seconds and turn and heat for another 15 seconds, after you remove pastry sheet from the box and internal packaging. If still unable to unfold, microwave for another 5 seconds as needed. Do not overheat or your pastry dough will be very difficult to work with.

Do You Need take the Brie Rind off Before Baking?

That is completely up to you. We do not mind the brie rind, so we leave it on. However, if you dislike the rind, you can scrape it off before baking. However, it leaves the cheese more difficult to stuff. Alternatively, we would just place the Mediterranean stuffing items on top of the brie cheese wheel before wrapping with the puff pastry dough.

How to Make Savory Baked Brie?

• Thaw frozen puff pastry sheets.

• Make the Mediterranean Salsa with chopped olives, red roasted peppers, artichokes, Italian spices, garlic, olive oil and pepper.

• Roll out your pre-made puff pastry dough into about ⅛ inch thick. We used one full sheet of puff pastry.

• Cut your brie wheel in half lengthwise.

• Add your Mediterranean salsa to one half of the brie wheel with cheese side up and rind side down. Place the other half of the brie cheese wheel on top of Mediterranean salsa with the cheese side down and the rind side up. If you do not like rind, please shave off first BEFORE starting this procedure. Then, just add the toppings right on top of the brie wheel instead of cutting in half.

• Place your puff pastry on a lined baking sheet or grease your sheet pan.

• Put your stuffed brie wheel in the middle of the puff pastry dough.

• Brush egg wash along the edges of the puff pastry dough.

• Pull up the opposite edges of the pastry dough and pinch close. Repeat on the other side. Then, rustically pull and wrap the puff pastry dough around the wheel. Twist and pinch at the top to seal. It does not need to be perfect. As a matter of fact, it is even more artistic if it's a little messy. You are going for that modern abstract look.

• If you want to go full on Salvador Dali, get yourself a fork and gently carve designs in the pastry dough, being careful to not fully penetrate the dough. However, this step is completely optional.

• Brush egg wash all over the exterior of the Savory Baked Brie in Puff Pastry.

• Bake at 400 degrees F (204 degrees C) Bake 20-30 minutes or until golden brown. If the decorative top of the pastry dough starts to brown faster than the rest of the brie en croute, put a little aluminum foil over the little section while the rest of the pastry dough gets deliciously golden brown. Sometimes your brie can slightly leak out of the sides, if this happens do not worry. Ours did not but we made sure that our puff pastry was at least ⅛ thick all around.

• Let rest for at least 15 minutes but best to wait 45 minutes if you can hold out.

What to Serve with Savory Bake Brie en Croute?

This delicious appetizer is the perfect centerpiece for a pretty charcuterie board. No matter what the season or the occasion, a Savory Baked Brie in Puff Pastry in the middle of the tray is always the right decision.

We know it may sound sort of odd with carbs on carbs, but brie en croute is delicious served with crackers or toasted crostini's too. Fresh seasonal fruits are one of favorites.  As it is currently winter, fresh pears, pomegranates and grapes were the perfect fit. Maybe if it was the spring or summer, we would serve it with fresh berries, cherries or even slices of cantaloupe wrapped in prosciutto. Cured sliced meats, fresh basil, tomato slices and healthy Stove Top Rosemary Party Nuts would also be a nice addition.

Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ's)

More Easy Appetizer Recipes

How to Make Bruschetta Bread

Top 10 Dishes for New Year's Eve

Curried Tuna Roll Ups

Baked Cheesy Salami Wrapped Jalapeños

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Savory Baked Brie in Puff Pastry

Savory BakedBrie in Puff Pastry is an easy Mediterranean cheese appetizer stuffed with olives, roasted red peppers and artichokes en croute and baked until golden.

Course Appetizers/ Snacks

Cuisine Mediterranean

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 542kcal

Author HWC Magazine

Equipment

• baking sheet
• Rolling Pin

Ingredients

• 8 ounces puff pastry dough thawed approximately 12 in x 12 inch sheet
• 4 tablespoon olives mixture of pitted kalamata and Spanish green sliced (drained well and patted dry)
• 2 tablespoon roasted red peppers
  chopped (drained well and patted dry)
• 2 tablespoon artichokes hearts chopped (drained well and patted dry)
• 1 teaspoon Olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Sicilian Spice Mix or mixture of dried Italian spices (basil, oregano, thyme) mix and garlic powder
• 8 oz brie cheese
  wheel
• 1 egg beaten

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400°F or 204°C .
• Take the puff pastry out of the freezer and out of the external and internal packaging to thaw for about 10 to 30 minutes. Do not leave out longer than 40 minutes at room temperature or it becomes extremely difficult to work with. Alternatively, you can microwave your pre-made frozen puff pastry sheets. Wrap with a towel and microwave for 15 seconds each side to soften. Add an extra 5 seconds as needed to be able to open the puff pastry dough without it cracking.
• Roughly chop your olives (we used kalamata and Spanish green olives), roasted red peppers and artichokes. Drain well and dab with toweling to remove extra moisture. Feel free to add fresh herbs, sun dried tomatoes in oil or anything you desire. (Alternatively, you can put them in the food processor and let them do a quick one second blend to roughly chop.) Add a dash of Sicilian Spice Mix or a mixture of dried Italian herbs (like basil, oregano, thyme and garlic powder) and olive oil and mix. Set aside
• Cut your brie wheel in half horizontally so you have 2 disks.
• Roll out your puff pastry slightly so it is about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick. We used one entire sheet of a puff pastry and it was about 12 inches x 12 inches (30 cm x 30 cm) in size. You can trim if you wish. Your goal is to make your puff pastry just big enough to fit around the puff pastry and tie at the top. Set aside.
• Add your Mediterranean salsa to one half of the brie wheel with cheese side up and rind side down. Place the other half of the brie cheese wheel on top of Mediterranean salsa with the cheese side down and the rind side up. (If you do not like rind, please shave off first BEFORE starting this procedure. Then, just add the toppings right on top of the brie wheel instead of cutting in half. )
• Place your puff pasty dough on a lined or greased baking sheet. Lay the Mediterranean stuffed wheel of brie on top of the puff pastry in the middle.
• Brush egg wash along the edges of the puff pastry dough to help seal.
• Take two edges of the puff pastry and close and squeeze. Take the other 2 edges of the puff pasty together and squeeze. Twist the ends to seal well at the top. It does not need to be perfect. As a matter of fact, it is even more artistic if it's a little messy. (Watch the video for a great visual on how to do this)
• If desired, use a fork and gently carve designs in the pastry dough, being careful to not fully penetrate the dough. However, this step is completely optional.
• Brush egg wash all over the exterior of the Savory Baked Brie in Puff Pastry.
• Bake at 400° F (204°C) Bake 20-30 minutes or until golden brown. If the decorative top of the pastry dough starts to brown faster than the rest of the brie en croute, put a little aluminum foil over the little section while the rest of the pastry dough gets deliciously golden brown. Sometimes your brie can slightly leak out of the sides, if this happens do not worry. Ours did not but we made sure that our puff pastry was at least ⅛ thick all around.
• Let rest for at least 15 minutes but best to wait 45 minutes if you can hold out.
• Serve with crackers, toasted crostini, fresh seasonal fruits, cured meats, nuts or whatever you desire. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Feel free to stuff any Mediterranean topping you enjoy like different kinds of olives, capers, artichokes, etc. 

Place your brie wheel in the middle of the your puff pastry sheet and once you get all your toppings on top of the brie pull up the sides of the puff pastry dough to test/estimate how much dough you need to trim off. 

What to serve with Savory Baked Brie in Puff Pastry?

This delicious appetizer is the perfect centerpiece for a pretty charcuterie board. No matter what the season or the occasion, a Savory Baked Brie in Puff Pastry in the middle of the tray is always the right decision.

We know it may sound sort of odd with carbs on carbs, but brie en croute is delicious served with crackers or toasted crostini’s too. Fresh seasonal fruits are one of favorites.  As it is currently winter, fresh pears, pomegranates and grapes were the perfect fit. Maybe if it was the spring or summer, we would serve it with fresh berries, cherries or even slices of cantaloupe wrapped in prosciutto. Cured sliced meats, fresh basil, tomato slices and healthy Stove Top Rosemary Party Nuts would also be a nice addition.

Can you reheat brie in puff pastry?

To reheat, preheat oven to 350 degrees F or 176 degrees C. Wrap your leftover Baked Brie in Puff Pastry in aluminum foil and reheat in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until the brie is melty and the puff pastry is warm and crisp.  

What temperature should you bake puff pastry?

Puff pastry needs to bake in a very hot oven, at least 400°F or 204°C to help it puff up and turn golden brown.

Can you prepare savory brie in puff pastry in advance?

You can assemble your brie en croute up to 24 hours in advance covered in a sealed container in the refrigerator. However, please wait to brush with egg wash until just ready to bake.

Why do I need to wait to cut into a baked brie in puff pastry?

You need to wait at least 15 minutes to cut into your brie en croute but its best to wait for 45 minutes. If it’s too hot, the brie will just come spilling out all over the plate in a huge mess. Holding off allows the creamy silky brie to stay in its molten shape for a controlled slow delicious melt.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 542kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 766mg | Potassium: 147mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 465IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 123mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Savory Baked Brie in Puff Pastry appeared first on Healthy World Cuisine

How to Make Holiday Muffins?

• In a large bowl combine your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger and cinnamon) and set aside.

• Then, in your mixing bowl add your wet ingredients (date paste, eggs, almond milk, vanilla and coconut oil) and mix until well incorporated.
• Now, slowly add your dry ingredients to the wet ingredients with a mixer.
• Last not but least, add your delicious holiday cranberry sauce and orange zest.

• Place in muffin cup and bake at 400 degrees F (204 degrees C) for about 14- 16 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean and slightly golden on the top.
• Remove from the oven and dust with a little orange zest if desired. Let rest in your tins for 5 minutes and then move to a wire rack to cool.

More delicious Bread and Muffin Recipes

Healthy Pumpkin Muffins (Dairy-free and Sugar Free)

Hong Zao Bread (Chinese Date Bread)

Grab n Go Chai Breakfast Biscuit

Baked Matcha Lemon Glazed Donuts

No Bake Cranberry Bliss Balls

Did You Like Our Recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and/or a review in the comments section below. Your feedback is always appreciated! Follow us for more delicious recipes on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook! Don't forget to sign up for our email list for more free recipes.

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Cranberry Sauce Muffins

Cranberry Sauce Muffins are an easy healthy breakfast or snack solution for your leftover cranberry sauce. Super moist, dairy free and sweetened with date paste and have the spice of the holidays.

Course Breakfast and Brunch

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 12 muffins

Calories 198kcal

Author HWC Magazine

Equipment

• muffin or cupcake tin
• mixer
• cupcake liners

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour all-purpose
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ginger dried ground
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon dried ground
• ¾ cup date paste instructions below
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup almond milk or dairy alternative of choice
• ¼ cup coconut oil melted or oil of choice
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup cranberry sauce leftover cranberry sauce (We used a honey sweetened cranberry sauce - see notes below)
• 1 tablespoon orange zest and extra for garnish
• ¼ cup old fashion oats dried (optional for garlish)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 204 Celsius (400 degrees F)
• Place cupcake/muffin liners in the cupcake tin or spray cupcake tin with oil to prevent sticking. (We always have better luck with the cupcake liners)
• In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and mix together. Set aside.
• In another bowl combine date paste and eggs and mix with blender. Add almond milk or dairy of choice, coconut oil and vanilla and mix well.
• Slowly add the dry mixture into the wet mixture. Do not over mix! It's okay if the batter is slightly lumpy.
• Fold in cranberry sauce and orange zest. If you would like to add fun add ins like mini chocolate chips, nuts, raisins, etc., go ahead and do this now.
• Scoop muffin mixture into lined muffin tins. We use an ice cream scooper. Fill almost to the top. This recipe will make 12 large muffins with big muffin tops.
• Garnish with a dried oatmeal flakes as desired
• Bake for 14-16 minutes. Muffins will be done when they are slightly golden on top and a toothpick comes out clean. (As everyone's oven is always just a little different, we suggest you set your timer for about 12minutes and then check on them. Add more time as needed.) Allow to rest for 5minutes in the muffin tin. Remove the muffins from the muffin tin and rest on a wire rack.
• Grate a little orange zest on top for garnish, if desired and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Once cooled, baked cranberry sauce muffins can be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to a week and frozen for up to 2 months.

Feel free to add fun add ins like mini chocolate chips, nuts or raisins right before baking. 

How to make muffins light and fluffy?

Make sure your ingredients such as eggs, date paste and coconut oil (melted) are at room temperature first. This ensures that the ingredients combine well, and this makes for a lighter and fluffy muffin. Most importantly DO NOT OVER MIX your muffin batter! Small little lumps are okay. If you over mix your muffin batter, it will activate the glutens and make your muffins tough.

How to know when your muffins are done baking?

Muffins will be done when they have a lightly golden top and a toothpick comes out clean without any batter on it. As every oven heats a little differently, we always set our timer for about 3 minutes less than the instructions. Then, start to check the muffins and add more time as needed. You can always bake a little longer, but you can’t fix over baked muffins. If you touch the top of the muffins, they should spring back.

How to make extra-large muffins with big muffin tops?

The muffin tops are the best. We could not agree more. In order to get a large muffin with a big muffin top, fill your muffin tins almost to the top with your muffin batter. Muffins will rise high in the oven for a big muffin top.

Honey Sweetened Cranberry Sauce Recipe

• Fresh Cranberries - 12 oz
• Juice of 1 fresh orange
• Orange zest - 1 tablespoon
• Cinnamon - 1 teaspoon
• Honey ⅓ cup +2 tablespoons
• Salt - ¼ teaspoon

Making your own cranberry sauce is as simple as putting everything into a saucepan and letting it come up to boil and once the cranberries start to pop and let out their juices, it is ready. Just as simple as that!

How to make Homemade Date Paste

In order to make homemade date paste, you will need 2 cups of pitted dates (medjool dates are our favorite), soaked in hot water for about 15 minutes an then drain. Blitz dates in a food processor until smooth with a few spoons of the water used to soak the dates. Learn how to make date paste today, so you have it for all of your holiday baking. You can also by pre-made date paste at the markets as well.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 198kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 247mg | Potassium: 147mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 49IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Cranberry Sauce Muffins (Date Sweetened) appeared first on Healthy World Cuisine

12 Fabulous Reasons to Love Our Quinoa Harvest Salad

We bet you can't stop at just one bite. Imagine this powerful bite landing on your taste buds:

Roasted butternut squash quinoa salad has the crunch of the roasted pepitas, sweetness of the gala apples and dried cranberries, nuttiness of the quinoa, fresh spinach, warming spices and a pop of fresh lemon from the dressing. We bet this one bite will have you craving for more.

Feed Your Body What it is Craving

Have you ever found the perfect recipe for what your inner body craves? I am not talking about chocolate or a glass of wine, although that would be quite nice. I am referring to nourishing your inner body and soul with what it "really" needs. This delicious warm quinoa salad with roasted vegetables has lots of spices to warm your heart, strengthen your inner soul and to keep your qi flowing smoothly.

Nourish your Body with Spleen Qi Warming Foods

During the change of seasons and if your body is out of balance, it is more prone to health issues. According to NIH, they suggest strengthening your Spleen Qi by eliminating hard-to-digest foods like raw or cold foods while simultaneously eating more foods that tonify the Spleen like warming vegetables, proteins, spices and grains.

Butternut squash, quinoa, cinnamon and turmeric are all warming foods according to Eastern Medicine. In our article, Introducing the Five Energies of Foods, you can learn about cold, hot, warm, cool and neutral properties of food. 

Why your Spleen Qi Dislikes Cold Foods

According to Eastern Medicine, if you eat lots of raw or cold foods, your spleen cannot work as effectively to get that nourishment out of the food and into a product that can nourish your body. If your body is already compromised, it has to spend extra energy warming up the food that you just ate to get nourishment from it. Now, you are in a vicious cycle.

Break this cycle by eating easy to digest warm foods like soups, stews and warm grains, warm curried autumn salads, vegetables and read our Feed Your Spleen; Nourish Your Body article. Our easy Quinoa Harvest Salad is the perfect spleen qi loving salad.

Fall Quinoa Salad Ingredients

• Quinoa - We used red quinoa.  However, you can also use white, black or mixed.  If desired, you can also exchange quinoa with brown rice.
• Butternut squash - naturally sweet and delicious when roasted. Feel free to substitute with kabocha, acorn or even pumpkin.
• Apples - Gala apples were used for this recipe. The goal is to just lightly roast. You want them still slightly crisp but sweeter from the roasting process. Other firmer apples like granny smith, fuji or honey crisp also work well in our quinoa harvest salad.
• Fresh chopped spinach - we add this to the hot quinoa, butternut squash and apples and it slightly wilts for the perfect warm salad. Feel free to use other greens like kale, swiss chard or other greens of choice.
• Dried cranberries - These are so good in the recipe and bring a sweet and sour addition to this warmed harvest festive salad.
• Easy roasted pepitas (AKA pumpkin seeds) - roasting the pumpkin seeds in the oven and salting lightly add that delicious crunch to this salad. Feel free to add any toasted nuts or seeds as desired. Pecans, almonds and sunflower seeds are all delicious.
• Warming spices - cinnamon, cumin and turmeric bring a whole new dimension of flavor to this fall harvest quinoa salad.
• Lemon juice - in the dressingbrightens this recipe right up. We also suggest you place just a little on the apples after slicing and right before baking so they do not oxidize.
• EVOO - extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.

How to Cook Quinoa

Did you know that quinoa is actually a seed, even though it is sometimes referred to as an ancient grain? It is naturally gluten-free. There are many different types of quinoa such as white, red and black. We choose to use red quinoa for our quinoa harvest salad as that is what was on sale. (smiling)

One very important thing to note is that quinoa has a natural coating of saponin. This a chemical that helps repel microbes while the seed of quinoa is in its growing stage and it must be washed off BEFORE cooking or it can cause gastrointestinal distress.

Step 1 - wash the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer really well until it runs clear. We use agitation and rub the seeds between our fingers under the water for at least 5 minutes. Quinoa seeds are really small. We use a rice strainer for this, and it works quite well. (There is nothing more frustrating than using a regular strainer and then having to manually pluck out the grains of quinoa out with a knife.) Been there- Done That!

Step 2 - read your package directions as these are golden rule. We used Simple Truth Organic Red Quinoa and cooked according to the package directions. The water to grain ratio is 2 cups water to 1 cup dried quinoa.

Step 3 - Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 15 - 20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork.  This quinoa recipe yielded 3 cups of cooked quinoa. When the quinoa is cooked perfectly, it will be tender, and you can see these tiny spirals separating and curling around the quinoa seeds.

How to Chop a Butternut Squash Safely?

This butternut squash and apple salad only uses one half of a butternut squash. If you are looking for other delicious recipes to use the other half, be sure to try our Roasted Butternut and Carrot Ginger Soup, Butternut Squash Vegetarian Lasagna and Spicy Rosemary Butternut Squash.

Guess what? It is best to keep all 10 fingers!  If the thought of chopping up a butternut squash causes anxiety, you can buy pre-cut butternut squash at the market or use frozen chopped butternut squash for this recipe instead.

How to Make Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad

Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ's)

What to Serve with Quinoa Salad?

This is a fantastic Thanksgiving side dish. Be sure to try with our Roasted Turmeric Spiced Turkey Breast.

We always like something naturally sweet with our pork. How about you? Be sure to try our quinoa salad along with our Rosemary Herbed Pork Chops with Shallot Wine Sauce.

We enjoy our Quinoa Harvest Salad for easy make ahead lunches and as a healthy alternative breakfast option too.

More Delicious Warm Salad Recipes

Best Vegan Warm Swiss Chard Lentil Salad

Sautéed Greens and Breakfast Salad

Thai Grilled Watermelon Salad

Authentic Thai Fish Salad

Stir Fried Romaine Lettuce

Did You Like Our Recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and/or a review in the comments section below. Your feedback is always appreciated! Follow us for more delicious recipes on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook! Don't forget to sign up for our email list for more free recipes.

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Quinoa Harvest Salad

Quinoa Harvest Salad with roasted butternut squash and apples tossed in red quinoa, spinach, dried cranberries, easy roasted pepitas with a spiced warming autumn dressing.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Calories 188kcal

Author HWC Magazine

Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked quinoa cooked per instructions (can use red, white, black or mixed)
• 4 tablespoon olive oil (divided - 2 tablespoons for roasting butternut squash and apples and 2 tablespoons for making the dressing)
• 1.5 cups butternut squash chopped into cubes (½ butternut squash)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric dried ground (divided - ½ teaspoon for roasting butternut squash and apples and ½ teaspoon for making the dressing)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon dried ground (divided - ½ teaspoon for roasting butternut squash and apples and ½ teaspoon for making the dressing)
• 1 teaspoon cumin dried ground (divided - ½ teaspoon for roasting butternut squash and apples and ½ teaspoon for making the dressing)
• 2 large apples chopped (gala, fuji, granny smith or any firm apple works well)
• 1.5 cups spinach chopped
• ⅓ cup dried cranberries
• ⅓ cup easy roasted pepitas
• 3 tablespoon lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
• Peel and chop butternut squash and apples. Keep butternut and apples separate as you will add these items separately at different times in the baking process. Drizzle a little of the lemon juice on the apples to prevent oxidations.
• Toss butternut squash with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, ½teaspoon of turmeric, ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, ½ teaspoon of cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Place prepared butternut squash on a lined baking sheet in a single layer. Place in oven. Set timer for 15 minutes.
• Prepare 1 cup of quinoa per package instructions. Make sure you wash your quinoa super well and until the water runs clear BEFORE cooking.Very important step! Set aside and keep warm. Will yield approximately 3 cups of cooked quinoa. If you have already cooked quinoa, reheat in the microwave before adding to the salad.
• Next, add the chopped apples in with the butternut squash. Toss and layer flat and continue baking for about 5 - 8 minutes more or until the butternut squash is fork tender. Remove from oven.
• In the meantime, make your spiced autumn salad dressing. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice, ½ teaspoon of turmeric, ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, ½ teaspoon of cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
• Prepare the easy roasted pepitas. You can do this in the oven or take 2 minutes and toast them in a pan on the stove top. Salt to taste. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, add the cooked warm quinoa, roasted warm butternut squash and apples, chopped spinach, dried cranberries and prepared spiced autumn salad dressing and toss. If serving immediately, toss in the roasted pepitas. If making in advance, hold the easy roasted pepitas until serving so they stay nice and crunchy.
• Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Storage

• Quinoa Harvest Salad can be made in advance and stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen up to 2 months.

How to Chop and Cube a Butternut Squash Safely

• Using your sharpest knife, cut your butternut squash in half, lengthwise. We used a clever. Did you know that a dull knife is twice is likely to cause injury than a sharp knife? Only use your hands-on top of the knife. Keep your hands off the actual squash. Sometimes, it is helpful to put the edge of the knife into the squash. Then, bang the squash down on to the cutting board to cut all the way through.
• Use a spoon and scoop and discard the seeds.
• We use a peeler to peel the butternut squash.
• Place the flat cut side of the butternut squash on the board. Cut the squash into slices and then into long slices. Finally, cut into cubes. Please check out our video in the recipe card for a demonstration.
• If the thought of chopping up a fresh butternut squash is too much for you, you can purchase butternut squash already pre-chopped in the fresh section of your grocery or use frozen butternut cubes for this recipe.

How to Cook Quinoa

One very important thing to note is that quinoa has a natural coating of saponin. This a chemical that helps repel microbes while the seed of quinoa is in its growing stage and it must be washed off BEFORE cooking or it can cause gastrointestinal distress.

Step 1 – wash the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer really well until it runs clear. We use agitation and rub the seeds between our fingers under the water for at least 5 minutes. Quinoa seeds are really small. We use a rice strainer for this, and it works quite well. (There is nothing more frustrating than using a regular strainer and then having to manually pluck out the grains of quinoa out with a knife.) Been there- Done That!

Step 2 – read your package directions as these are golden rule. We used Simple Truth Organic Red Quinoa and cooked according to the package directions. The water to grain ratio is 2 cups water to 1 cup dried quinoa.

Step 3 – Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 15 – 20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork.  This quinoa recipe yielded 3 cups of cooked quinoa. When the quinoa is cooked perfectly, it will be tender, and you can see these tiny spirals separating and curling around the quinoa seeds.

Recipe Exchanges and Substitutions

If you do not like quinoa, this recipe is also delicious with brown rice.

We used easy roasted pepitas (AKA pumpkin seeds) for this fall harvest quinoa salad. However, feel free to use pecans, almonds or sunflower seeds.

Butternut squash is delicious but can exchange with acorn squash, kabocha squash or even pumpkin.

If you do not have dried cranberries, this recipe is also delicious with raisins.

Spinach can be replaced with kale or other greens of choice.

We used gala apples for this recipe but can use any firm apple such as fuji, granny smith or apple of choice.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 188kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 20mg | Potassium: 287mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2678IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Quinoa Harvest Salad appeared first on Healthy World Cuisine

Can You Guess What the SECRET Dressing Ingredient Is?

We bet if you look in your spice cabinet right now, you have it. This special ingredient makes regular Thanksgiving dressing go from ho hum boring to Oh my goodness, please give me seconds or maybe thirds. Are you ready?

Drum roll please…

Fresh Ground Black Pepper and LOTS of it!

When I say a lot of freshly ground pepper, I mean a really BIG punch! This old fashion meat stuffing (dressing) has 3 full teaspoons of pepper in it. You heard me right "3 teaspoons of black pepper".

Of course, you don't have to put the full 3 teaspoons of pepper in it if you don't want to. However, then is would not be Grandpa's Secret Stuffing, it would be just plain old boring run of the mill ground beef dressing. What sets this stuffing apart from many others is that it comes with a big pack of flavor from the aromatics and a big punch from the freshly ground pepper.

10 Reasons to Love Our French Canadian Meat Dressing Recipe

1. This meat stuffing gets a little crispy on the outside and is tender and delicious on the inside, especially when prepared in muffin tins. (AKA MEAT MUFFINS - Perfect individual servings for any holiday dinner gathering)
2. Recipe can be prepared in advance of guest's arrival or even baked in advance and then reheated. It keeps it's texture and flavor.
3. Can be served as stuffing inside a turkey or outside as a side of dressing.
4. Dressing can be baked in a single baking dish for easy transport or in muffin tins to allow for more crispy bits on the ends. The little browned crispy bits are our favorite part of this simple oven baked dressing.
5. The BEST darn dressing ever! Tried and true family recipe that has been passed on from generation to generation.
6. Hearty enough to be served as a main dish with a side salad and vegetable.
7. Gluten free, dairy free and egg free. However, you can use plain regular bread if no issues with gluten.
8. Easy on the wallet (budget friendly) with just a handful of easy to find ingredients.
9. Super flavorful with a big punch of freshly ground pepper to warm you up.
10. Perfect side dish along with our Spicy Rosemary Butternut Squash, Balsamic Roasted Fennel and Carrots and our Autumn Kale Salad for Thanksgiving dinner or any autumn meal.

Why Do We Call This Grandpa's Secret Stuffing?

We call it "Grandpa's" stuffing as all the grandkids, just love this recipe - and grandpa was the only one who made this each holiday. My father (a descendant of immigrants from Quebec) had never shared this recipe and it had never been written down until 2011 [when we first posted this recipe]. However, over a cup of coffee and some persuasion he started to share his secret stuffing recipe with me. This French-Canadian meat dressing recipe was passed on to him by watching his mother and grandmother in the kitchen. If you love traditional French-Canadian recipes, be sure to try Grandma's Chicken and Sliders.

We are certain grandpa (dad) is smiling down at us from heaven.  He would be proud to share a little of his French-Canadian family tradition on to the world. His rich family history and stories will always be dear to our hearts.

Grandpa's stuffing has been a celebrated family tradition in our family for many years. Thanksgiving would simply not be Thanksgiving, unless there was Grandpa's ground beef Thanksgiving stuffing was on the dinner table.

What's the Difference Between Turkey Dressing and Stuffing?

According to Food and Wine, the main difference is in the method that they are cooked.

Stuffing is usually made with bread and assortment of ingredients and aromatics that is actually stuffed into the cavity of the turkey and then baked inside the turkey.

Dressing is a side dish. It is also made with bread and other ingredients that is baked in a separate dish outside the turkey or other poultry cavity.

The best part of this French-Canadian meat dressing recipe is that it can be made as a traditional old fashion meat stuffing for inside the bird or as a side dish as a dressing. This dressing is also fantastic as a side dish for our Savory Herb Roasted Whole Chicken or stuffed inside a duck or pheasant.

Don't Forget the Giblets!

Where are all of our French-Canadian friends? You already know that this ground beef Thanksgiving dressing or stuffing usually is made with the chopped up fried turkey giblets along with the ground beef. Turkey giblets are those parts is parts bag that is usually found inside the cavity of the bird when you get it from the store. The giblet package usually has the heart, liver, gizzard and neck of the bird. Waste not want not is the motto of our ancestors.

Will you be making this dressing recipe for children? If so, hold the giblets. As the years went by and more and more grandchildren filled grandpa's home, he left out these little ingredients to make the kids happy.

Recipe Exchanges and Substitutions

1. We like to use lean beef with 90% to 92% lean beef and 8% to 10% fat as we do not like all that extra fat. In addition, if it is lean, you can save a step of draining the beef after it is cooked. A little fat left in is a good thing as it makes it moist and gives it the crispy edges that everyone craves.
2. Feel free to use regular bread instead of gluten-free, if no gluten intolerances. It's a great way to use up that day-old bread.

Meat Stuffing Ingredients

• Ground beef (90-92%. Lean and 8-10% fat). You may also choose to cook up the turkey giblets. They are quite good. However, if you have small children, you may want to skip the giblets.
• Aromatics - celery, onion and garlic. Well, of course garlic!!!
• Freshly ground black pepper and lots of it! If you are making this for small children, you may want to scale back a little on the black pepper, so it is not too spicy for them. Season along the way. Be sure to check out our video below and watch us season throughout the cooking process.
• Olive oil
• Chicken broth
• Bread- gluten free or regular. We used white but use whatever you have on hand.

How to Make Homemade Turkey Dressing?

Here is an overview:

(See recipe card below for full instructions)

Sauté the aromatics until translucent and then add the ground beef and cook until brown. Season with salt and ground pepper. Lots of pepper!

Soak bread in chicken broth and then squeeze out excess and break into pieces. Mix the cooked meat mixture and bread mixture and place in a greased casserole pan or muffin tins. We love using the muffin tins as it gives you more crispy edges to our French Canadian Meat Dressing Recipe.

Drizzle with a little olive oil to help with the browning and bake between 40 - 50 minutes depending on the mode of cooking process.

If you want to make stuffing do all the steps above, except instead of placing the stuffing in a separate dish to bake, place in the cavity of the turkey or bird of choice and bake. The baking time for a stuffed bird, will depend on weight of the turkey. 

Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ's)

More Thanksgiving Recipe Ideas

Roasted Turmeric Spiced Turkey

Spicy Rosemary Butternut Squash

Autumn Kale Salad

Roasted Butternut and Carrot Ginger Soup

Grandma's Apple Pie

Gluten-Free Herbs de Provence

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French Canadian Meat Dressing Recipe

French Canadian Meat Dressing Recipe is Grandpa’s SECRET Thanksgiving turkey stuffing made with ground beef, gluten-free bread, aromatics, lots of fresh ground pepper.

Course Sides

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 12

Calories 227kcal

Author HWC Magazine

Equipment

• Muffin Tin or Casserole Dish

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon olive oil
  (reserve 1 tablespoon for drizzling on top before baking)
• 1 onion chopped
  
• 3 stalks celery
  chopped
• 4 cloves garlic peeled and minced
  
• 1.5 pounds ground beef
  we like to use 90 - 92% lean and 8-10% fat
• 3 teaspoon pepper
  
• 2 cups chicken broth
  gluten free
• 10 slices bread
  gluten free (or regular bread if no gluten allergies)
• salt to taste

Garnishes

• parsley to garnish (optional)
• carrot julienned slices to garnish (optional)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F ( 176 degrees Celsius)
• Place 1 tablespoon of olive oil in sauce pan and add chopped onions, celery and garlic until slightly translucent- add a little salt and pepper. (Reserve the other 1 tablespoon of olive oil right before baking)
• Add ground beef and add some more salt and pepper and cook until beef is browned. Take off burner and set aside to cool.
• In the meantime in a separate bowl place about 2 cups of chicken broth. Place the slices of bread into the chicken broth and squeeze water out. Place squeezed out bread into a clean bowl and pull apart bread into small pieces.
• Add cooled ground beef mixture to bread.  Salt and add the rest of the pepper and mix.
• Grease an oven proof muffin tin or casserole dish and place stuffing mixture inside. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil on top. Bake UNCOVERED in the oven!

  If you like crispy edges, place your dressing in a greased muffin pan and bake for about 40 to 45 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and slightly crispy.

  If you prefer to bake your dressing in a casserole dish, bake in the oven for about 50 - 60 minutes or until the top is slightly golden brown.

  You can also stuff a turkey (or other poultry of choice) with our prepared French Canadian Meat Dressing Recipe. Just prepare your poultry and stuff the dressing in the inner cavity. Bake according to the required time needed for the weight of the turkey, goose, duck, chicken or pheasant.
• If desired, garnish with parsley and little julienned carrot slices before serving.
• Serve hot and bring on the holiday cheer!

Video

Notes

Do not cover the dressing while it is baking, or it will prevent the dressing from getting the little crispy browned edges that we all love.

Dressing can be made 24 hours in advance and then baked just before your guests arrive. Leftovers can be refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 3 days or frozen up to 2 months.

We really love those crispy edges to the dressing so we like using cupcake or muffin tins to bake the dressing. In addition, these little MEAT MUFFINS, are super cute to serve as a side dish for any holiday or fall or winter gathering. 

If desired, feel free to chop up the turkey giblets and fry up with the ground beef. For all of our French-Canadian friends out there, you know this ground beef Thanksgiving dressing or stuffing usually is made with the chopped up fried turkey giblets along with the ground beef. Turkey giblets are those parts is parts bag that is usually found inside the cavity of the bird when you get it from the store. The giblet package usually has the heart, liver, gizzard and neck of the bird. Waste not want not is the motto of our ancestors. However, if you have kids like we do, we skipped adding these to the dressing recipe. 

Recipe Exchanges and Substitutions

• We like to use lean beef with 90% to 92% lean beef and 8% to 10% fat as we do not like all that extra fat. In addition, if it is lean, you can save a step of draining the beef after it is cooked. A little fat left in is a good thing as it makes it moist and gives it the crispy edges that everyone craves.
• Feel free to use regular bread instead of gluten-free, if no gluten intolerances. It’s a great way to use up that day-old bread.
• This dressing recipe is very black pepper forward. Reduce amount as needed for your spice and heat level. 
• If you want to make this recipe vegan, exchange the ground beef with chopped mushrooms and vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Chanterelle mushrooms are so delicious. 

Do you have to cook the stuffing before putting into the turkey?

The ground beef, giblets, vegetables and aromatics should all be fully cooked before stuffing the cavity of the turkey or other poultry. This is to prevent any illness. A stuffed turkey takes longer to cook than an unstuffed turkey. A stuffed turkey takes too much time to cook the internal stuffing to the temperature required for safe consumption. If you baked your turkey long enough to cook the stuffing to the proper safe temperature if would be dry.  No one likes dry turkey. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 227kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 311mg | Potassium: 277mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 45IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 2mg

The post French Canadian Meat Dressing Recipe appeared first on Healthy World Cuisine