Christmas Thumbprints

My Christmas baking has officially begun... I usually start with thumbprints ~ my very favorite Christmas (or anytime ;o) cookie! I tried two new cookie recipes this season (see one of the recipes below and the other one will be posted soon).  Good luck with your baking!

Cinnamon Cookies with Almond Flour

It's all about moderation, right ~ and it just wouldn't be Christmas without trays of homemade cookies! Although it's hardly possible to use strictly healthy ingredients when making homemade cookies, at least you can use high quality products without any preservatives or additives. This chewy cookies are a bit healthier than traditional cookies because they include almond flour, instead of white flour. Happy baking ~ and let the Christmas cheer begin!

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups almond meal/flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup pure cane sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Cinnamon sugar

1. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in bowl; set aside.
2. Mix butter and sugars by hand (or mixer) until creamy; add egg and vanilla and continue mixing until well blended.
3. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or until firm enough to roll into balls.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
5. Remove dough from refrigerator. Shape dough into small balls; roll in cinnamon sugar to coat; and place onto prepared baking sheets, at least 1 inch apart.
6. Bake 10 minutes (without opening oven), or until nicely-browned. After cooling for a few minutes, move to cooling rack.

Red Lentil and Kale Soup

Yum ~ I love the aroma of soup simmering on the stove on a cold wintry day. Many of my soup recipes on this blog include lots of vegetables, which means a lot of slicing and dicing. This recipe includes fewer ~ carrots, celery, parsnips, kale and tomatoes. It's a quick and easy recipe ~ and both healthy and tasty ;o)

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

• 2 cups carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 cups celery, chopped
• 2 cups parsnips, peeled and diced
• 1/2 leek, thinly sliced
• 2 quarts low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1-14.5 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 cup red lentils
• 2 teaspoons orignial Mrs. Dash
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 8 ounces baby kale (grab a bag that includes a bit of red cabbage, if available)

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, parsnips, and leeks; cook about 5 minutes or until soft.
2. Add broth, tomatoes, lentils, and seasonings; increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover with lid and simmer about 30 minutes or until lentils are soft. Stir in baby kale and cook a few minutes. Remove bay leaves before serving. And enjoy ;o)

Spinach and Roasted Butternut Squash Strata

This is a great dish to serve for a Holiday brunch. You'll love the taste of the cinnamon raisin bread and sweet fontina cheese. You can prepare it the night before; refrigerate; and then bring to room temperature before baking. 

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 2 cups packed fresh baby spinach, stems removed
• 10 large eggs
• 3 cups half-and-half
• 8 slices cinnamon raisin bread, cubed
• 1/2 leek, finely sliced (about 1/2 cup)
• 8 ounces fontina cheese
• 2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray 9" by 13" casserole dish with cooking spray.
2. Add about 1" of water to small saucepan and bring to a boil; add spinach and cover saucepan; cook a few minutes, just until spinach begins to wilt. Drain using cold water; remove excess water with paper towel; and chop spinach.
3. Whisk together eggs and half-and-half in a large bowl; fold in bread, leeks, spinach, and 3/4 of cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 30 minutes.
4. Toss squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Spread squash (single layer) on baking sheet covered with aluminum foil. Season with salt and pepper; roast in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until tender. Remove from oven; reduce heat to 325 degrees. 
5. Add squash to egg mixture and stir until combined.
6. Pour egg mixture into prepared casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese. Bake about 45 minutes. Increase temperature to 350 degrees and cook an additional 10 minutes. Let cool about 10 minutes before cutting.

Quiche with Butternut Squash, Mushrooms, Spinach and Sweet Cheddar Cheese

This savory quiche includes butternut squash, mushrooms, spinach and sweet cheddar... an ideal brunch recipe to serve at your holiday gathering ;o)

Ingredients:

• 9" pie crust (see Pie Crust 101 for recipe)
• 1 cup butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2" pieces
• 1 cup mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 2-1/2 tablespoons olive oil, separated
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup spinach, roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 cups almond milk (or other milk of choice), separated
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 6 large eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus additional to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper, plus additional to taste
• 8 ounces sweet cheddar (and/or other cheddar), shredded

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place butternut squash and mushrooms in a small bowl. Toss vegetables with about 1-1/2 tablespoons of olive oil; place veggies on baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Roast in preheated oven for 20 minutes.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute about 2 minutes; add spinach and continue sauteing an additional 2 minutes, season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. In a small jar with lid, add about 1/4 cup milk and flour; shake until flour is dissolved. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, flour and milk mixture, along with the rest of the milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; add cheese and stir until combined.  Fold in spinach mixture, mushrooms and squash until fully incorporated.
5. Pour egg mixture into prepared pie shell and bake about 45 minutes, or until set in center. Cool 10 minutes before cutting.