Red Lentil Burgers on Prudy's Whole Wheat Buns and Quinoa-Black Bean Salad with Cumin and Lemon

I made another trip to the health food store and had to get more red lentils (along with quinoa, bulgur, millet, etc. I love the bulk aisle!). I used all the ones I bought last time in my 2 favorite Red Lentil Soups and Red Lentil Wraps. I spotted this recipe for Red Lentil Burgers a few months ago when I read the book- Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way we Feed Our Children by Ann Cooper and Lisa M. Holmes. This is a really interesting book about schools, lunch programs, and how it is possible to feed our children better. Anyway, at the end of the book it has a bunch of fun recipes and this was one that I bookmarked. It was a little time consuming, but with planning ahead, it all worked out. The recipe said to form it into 8 patties, but I made smaller ones that could fit on the buns, so I got about 18 patties. We ate the leftovers with rice and veggies the next day.
Once again, Prudy's buns were the base for these burgers, get the recipe HERE or HERE. I have praised these buns before and will do it again. They are fast, flavorful, and simple to throw together. I doubled the recipe, because quite a few of us like to eat them plain. Yes, they are that good. This time I brushed the tops with skim milk and sprinkled a few sesame seeds on top.
I had some leftover cooked quinoa and so I added a couple fresh veggies, some beans, and a little fresh lemon juice and cumin. I served it cold and it was delicious!
A perfect vegetarian meal!
I thought it was really funny that my kids were in the background of these photos on the trampoline. Luckily, I got some good light, before it got too dark.

Red Lentil Burgers on Prudy's Whole Wheat Buns

1 pd (1 1/2 cups) red lentils

5 cups salted water

1 cup minced onion (1 large)

1/2 cup minced carrot (1 large)

2 tsp minced garlic (2 cloves)

2 cups chopped crimini mushrooms

1 Tbls chopped fresh oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

3/4 cup panko crumbs

4 1/2 tsps lemon juice

10 oz tofu, pureed in blender

1. In a large pot, boil the lentils in salted water until tender. Drain and cool.

2. In a large skillet, saute the onion, carrot, and garlic in 1 tsp olive oil. until tender, about 2 minutes.

3. Add the mushrooms, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook until mushrooms are tender and liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Allow to cool.

4. Add the panko crumbs, lemon juice, pureed tofu and lentils and mix to combine. Transfer to a

large bowl. Chill for 30 minutes and then shape into 8 patties.

5. Pan-fry in olive oil in a large skillet until each side is crisp and golden. Finish in a 350 degree oven if necessary to heat through.

Quinoa-Black Bean Salad with Cumin and Lemon by Mary Ann

2 cups cooked quinoa

1/2 small zucchini, diced

1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed

1-2 tsp fresh lemon juice, to taste

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cumin

salt and pepper, to taste

Combine quinoa, zucchini, bell pepper, and beans in a bowl. Mix well. Season with lemon juice and spices to taste. Chill and serve, or enjoy immediately.

Come back tomorrow to see my Operation Baking GALS Round-up and 3 great cookies!

Pecan-Topped Pumpkin Bread

This is one of my favorite pumpkin bread recipes. Cooking Light always reworks a few recipes for readers and this was one that they redid last year around the holidays. I tried it then and have made it multiple times since. It is fast, moist, and delicious.
This time, my bread was done at the 50 minute mark, so you might want to check it a little early. It also makes two loaves, so it is perfect for dropping off at a neighbor or friend's house- that's what we did!

Pecan-Topped Pumpkin Bread from Cooking Light

3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (about 15 ounces) ( I used 1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour)

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup egg substitute

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk

2 large eggs

2/3 cup water

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin

Cooking spray

1/3 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 6 ingredients (through allspice) in a bowl. Place sugar, egg substitute, oil, buttermilk, and eggs in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until well blended. Add 2/3 cup water and pumpkin, beating at low speed until blended. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, beating at low speed just until combined. Spoon batter into 2 (9 x 5-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle pecans evenly over batter. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.

Coming Tomorrow- Red Lentil Burgers and Quinoa-Black Bean Salad

Spaghetti Squash and Quinoa Bake

First of all, let me ask- How do you like my new look? I absolutely love it!
I have been wanting to change the look of my blog for awhile now, to make it more personal, but wasn't sure how to go about it. Then I saw a couple of really cute designs- Aggie's Kitchen got a lift, Engineer Baker got a new look, and I also noticed Clumbsy Cookie was looking spiffy. We all owe it to Hannah Craner over at Craner Design Studio .
Hannah is great to work with and super talented, as you can see. I sent her an email and she responded almost immediately. She envisioned exactly what I wanted and was finished within 2 weeks. The first draft that she sent me was so good (here it is), that I said I love it! And I do! So, if your blog needs a facelift or a little spice, contact Hannah and I am sure you will be pleased with her work. I know I am more than pleased.
Now on to the food. This might just be one of the tastiest things I have ever eaten. Alexa's blog, Artsy-Foodie is wonderful. I want to live at her house because everything she creates look so fabulously wonderful. I seriously want to make everything I see over there. Since I now know that I like winter squash of all types (Thank you Butternut Squash Risotto, I am forever in your debt), I couldn't resist trying her Spaghetti Squash and Quinoa Bake. A recent trip to the health food store meant I had a supply of quinoa and well, everything else is readily available. The only problem is the sun. It goes down too early and my pictures just don't do this dish justice! Go check out Alexa's POST, so you can see why I was so drawn to make this beautiful dinner. I used mostly red quinoa, and had so much fun cooking my spaghetti squash.
For instructions on how to cook the squash go HERE. I personally had fun poking my squash all over with a long skewer. The best thing about this bake is how wonderfully the flavors meld together. I loved it! The dill was the perfect herb to just top the whole thing off.
I am definitely going to be making this one again!

Spaghetti Squash and Quinoa Bake from Alexa of Artsy-Foodie
(serves 8) or 4 if you like it as much as we did!
4 cups of cooked spaghetti squash (1 large)
16oz lowfat cottage cheese
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon mild pepper, chopped fine ( I used a jalepeno, seeded and membranes removed)
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups cooked quinoa (for instructions on how to cook quinoa go Here)
1/2 cup egg whites
4 large eggs, beaten
1 cup shredded cheese (mexican blend)
2 teaspoon dry dill
Preheat oven 375F
Pre-oil a deep ceramic baking dish (large lasagna dish).
Heat the oil in a pan over medium flame. Add the pepper and onion. Saute, stirring often, until caramelized (about 10-15 minutes).
Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. Transfer to the pre-oiled dish and bake for 1 hour 20 minutes or until the bake is set and the top is golden. If you would like to reduce the cooking time to an hour, use two deep pie dishes instead of the large lasagna dish.

Up next- Pecan-Topped Pumpkin Bread

Chicken Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce and my Mom's Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Certain things are just really hard to photograph, like little kids and dinner. I don't like taking pictures of casseroles or certain types of foods because the photo just doesn't do justice to how good the dish tastes. At least you know these 2 taste better than they look. Plus the darkness is really coming too early.

Anyway, on to the food. I saw the recipe for Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce on Clara's blog, I heart food 4 thought. I thought they sounded interesting and I am always looking for ways to use pumpkin besides dessert. Don't get me wrong, I love pumpkin desserts, but I think pumpkin is really versatile.

My mom has a really quick chicken enchilada recipe that everyone in our family loves and I had a ton of cooked chicken in the fridge, not to mention pumpkin, so I made these both on the same night. I knew I would like the pumpkin sauce, but wanted to give some of the pickier eaters a little variety, plus they both rewarm well, so more leftovers for everybody.

I added some shredded zucchini and black beans to the enchiladas with pumpkin sauce to up the veggie value because I love beans and shredded zucchini pretty much melts into anything (I always use it is spaghetti sauce, etc). I was a little bit skeptical of the pumpkin sauce because it was a little thin, but it cooked up beautifully. So, ignore the pics and make some enchiladas!

Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce from Everyday Food: Good Food Fast, found on I heart food 4 thought

1/2 rotisserie chicken, skin removed, shredded

1 small zucchini, shredded

1 1 /2 cups black beans, rinsed and drained

6 scallions, thinly sliced

1-15oz can pumpkin puree

4 garlic cloves, peeled

1 jalapeno chile (remove ribs and seeds for less heat if desired)

1 tsp chili powder

8 corn tortillas

1-1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese

Preheat oven 425F
In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, zucchini, black beans, and scallions. Season generously with salt and pepper, set aside.
In a blender, puree the pumpkin, garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, 2-1/2 cups water, 2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper until smooth. Pour 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of an 8-inch square or other baking dish.
Lay the tortillas on a work surface; mound the chicken mixture on half of each tortilla, dividing evenly. Roll up each tortilla into a tight log; place seam side down in the baking dish.

Pour the remaining sauce on top; sprinkle with cheese. Place dish on baking sheet; bake until cheese is golden and sauce is bubbling, about 25-30 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

my Mom's Chicken Enchilada Casserole

2 cups cooked, shredded or cubed

1 10-oz can cream of chicken soup

1 small can evaporated milk

1 or 2 4.5-oz cans, chopped green chiles (depending on how hot you want it)

salt and pepper

corn tortillas ( I also make these with flour tortillas, which my hubby prefers)

shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, combine chicken, cream of chicken soup, evaporated milk, and green chiles. Spoon 1 cup of the sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish. Layer corn tortillas on top. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Continue layering sauce, tortillas, and cheese, until the casserole dish is full. I usually end with tortillas on top and then sprinkle a little cheese on the very top. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until bubbly and warmed through. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Coming up next- Artsy-Foodie's Spaghetti Squash and Quinoa Bake

Weekly Lunchbox-Blueberry Bites, Butterballs, Breadstick Mummy Dogs, Ham and Cheese Roll-ups, and Tuna-Garbanzo Salad

Welcome to another edition of our Weekly Lunchbox. We took last week off because the kids had a couple of 4 day weekends, but now we are back in business. First up are Blueberry Bites. The recipe for these cookies came in a little insert to a magazine and they looked perfect for the lunchbox. I filled some with strawberry jam, but I had leftover Raspberry Cream in the fridge from some cookies a little while ago so I used some of that as filling too. Since I was making cookies anyway, I got out the Butterballs that I didn't bake from a couple weeks ago and baked them up too. I used some of the ganache filling for both cookies and filled some of the butterballs with raspberry cream as well. Lots of choices for the lunchbox!
Next up were the Breadstick Mummy Dogs that I saw over at Picky Palate. I personally don't eat hot dogs, but my kids (and hubby) love them on occasion. I thought these were super cute and the leftovers made it to the lunchbox.
Then a simple tuna and garbanzo salad and some little roll-ups.
Enjoy!

Blueberry Bites by Gale Gand
1/2 cup unsalted butter, (1 stick) cut into pieces
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup strawberry jam
1 pint blueberries
1. Combine butter and brown sugar with hand-mixer or paddle attachment of stand mixer. Add salt, flours, and cornstarch, and mix just until dough comes together.
2. Using your hands, roll dough into a 1-inch thick log on a lightly floured surface. Cut off about 24 equal pieces and roll each into a ball.
3. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Place dough balls in nonstick mini-muffin tins. Bake until golden but not brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven.
4. While cookies are still hot, make a depression in the center of each by pressing a 1/2 teaspoon measure or the tip of a wooden spoon handle into the top. Lett cool in muffin tins, then carefully remove.
5. Fill depression with a small portion of the strawberry jam and fresh blueberries. Serve cookies the same day they are filled.

Breadstick Mummy Dogs adapted from Picky Palate
1 roll/pkg Pillsbury Breadstick dough (12 count)
12 hot dogs
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Unroll all 12 breadsticks from package. Stretch breadstick out as long as you can get it to go and wrap around 1 hot dog starting from the top of the hot dog. Leave a small space towards the top of the hotdog to make mustard eyes. Continue wrapping all dogs then place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
2. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes. Use mustard or ketchup for the eyes.

Tuna-Garbanzo Salad by Mary Ann

1 6-oz can albacore tuna

1 15-oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

2 ribs celery, chopped

3-4 small tomatoes, chopped

a little less than 1/3 cup light balsamic vinagrette

dehydrated onion flakes

salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well. Serve with crackers.

Ham and Cheese Roll-ups by Mary Ann

1 pkg. Pillsbury reduced fat cresent rolls

8 pieces of ham or other lunchmeat

8 thin slices of cheese

baby spinach leaves (optional)

mustard (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Unroll cresent dough and separate into 8 sections. Squeeze a a small amount of mustard on the wide end of the dough. If using spinach, place a leaf or 2 over the mustard. Roll 1 piece of cheese up in the ham and place on top of the spinach. Roll the cresent up as you normally would and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until golden.

Coming Tomorrow- Enchiladas in Pumpkin Sauce and my mom's Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Banana Cupcakes with Macadamia Nut Struesel and Buttermilk-Banana Pancakes with Pomegranate Syrup

Here are some great ways to use up those overripe bananas. It seems to happen every so often, you buy too many bananas and there they are, looking at you, in their sad, black peel. I actually get excited whenever I see them turning brown because I know that means I can make something yummy soon.
We were taking dinner to someone and I needed a quick treat. I grabbed a cake mix and came up with these banana cupcakes with a delicious struesel.
I have also been on a pancake kick lately. These pancakes were delicious and easy. A great breakfast and the syrup topped them off perfectly! If you have those quicky ripening bananas, put them to good use!

Banana Cupcakes with Macadamia Nut Struesel by Mary Ann

1 box white cake mix

2 large ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup water

2 egg whites

2 Tbls greek yogurt

struesel:

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup oats

1/4 cup madacamia nuts, chopped

1 Tbls cold butter, cut into 4 pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, bananas, water, egg whites and greek yogurt. You can use an electric mixer or mix with a wooden spoon. Spoon cake mixture into cupcake liners (24).

In a small bowl, mix struesel ingredients with your fingers, until it comes together. Sprinkle struesel on top of the cupcakes and bake for 18-23 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes in the pan and remove to a wire rack.

Buttermilk-Banana Pancakes with Pomegranate Syrup from Cooking Light

Pancakes:1 cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 (1-ounce) package uncooked instant farina (such as Cream of Wheat)

1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 cup mashed banana (about 2 large)

Syrup:

1/2 cup pomegranate juice

1/2 cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons pomegranate juice

2 teaspoons cornstarch

To prepare pancakes, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and the next 6 ingredients (through farina) in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Combine buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and egg; add to flour mixture, stirring until smooth. Fold in banana.
Spoon 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto a hot nonstick griddle. Turn when tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked.
To prepare syrup, combine 1/2 cup juice and syrup in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Combine 2 tablespoons juice and cornstarch in a bowl; add to pan. Cook 1 minute or until thickened; remove from heat. Serve with pancakes.

Up next- Weekly Lunchbox!

TWD- Rugelach

Happy Election Day! If you have voted, good for you, if not, get out there and let your voice be heard! Now onto our cookie.....
Grace of Piggy's Cooking Journal chose this week's Tuesday's with Dorie recipe-Rugelach, so if you want the recipe, go to her blog or BUY THE BEST BAKING BOOK OUT THERE! Sorry for that little outburst.
These cookies were fairly simple. I threw the dough together (3 ingredients) and let it sit in the fridge overnight. Next time I will be sure to make perfectly round disks :)
The I rolled it out the next day. I didn't have to let it sit or hit it will the rolling pin like Dorie said. It wasn't super easy to roll, but it worked. My circle wasn't perfectly round but I was still able to get pretty nice cresent shaped cookies.
I used peach preserves, mini chocolate chips and pecans. The biggest problem was trying to get a picture with natural light. Now that it gets dark earlier, I was in a pinch. Plus it was a cloudy day. So I took them out and put them on the rail. I don't like winter!
These were tasty- we split a couple and gave the rest away. Go see what everyone else came up with by visiting the Tuesdays with Dorie Blogroll.

Come back tomorrow for Banana Cupcakes with Macadamia Nut Struesel and Banana Pancakes with Pomegranate Syrup!

Cooking Light Night-Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Pasta

CB came up with the beautiful logo at the beginning of this post. She started a Cooking Light Night, and I thought it was a great idea. Since I use Cooking Light all the time, I decided I would start calling some of these posts, Cooking Light Night. This is a wonderful dish that I showed my sister a couple of years ago. I wasn't sure of my love of winter squash at that point, but now that I know, watch out! I have been buying squash of all kinds and this was a very delicious dish. The only thing I changed was that I used turkey bacon, because I always do. I usually use whole wheat pasta in all my pasta dishes, but I used mini penne in this one because that is what it called for and I figured there was enough good stuff in this dish for it to be okay. This was the first time I have made a roux with absolutely no fat at all and I was a little skeptical about how it would turn out, but it was delicious with the cheese melted in.

This dish also used cooking spray to roast the squash and it turned out beautifully. I love the color of it. The provolone, bacon, squash, and rosemary, all really played off each other in this dish. It was a definite favorite for me. (Could I use the phrase "this dish" a few more times?)

Try this one- it is GOOD!

Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Pasta from Cooking Light March 2004

Mini penne pasta works well in this dish since it's about the same size as the squash. You can also use elbow macaroni, shell pasta, or orecchiette.

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash

Cooking spray

6 slices turkey bacon, raw

1 cup thinly sliced shallots

8 ounces uncooked mini penne (tube-shaped pasta)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk

3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded sharp provolone cheese

1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425°.
Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, rosemary, and pepper. Place squash on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with salt mixture. Bake at 425° for 45 minutes or until tender and lightly browned. Increase oven temperature to 450°.
Cook the bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 1/2 teaspoons drippings in pan; crumble bacon. Increase heat to medium-high. Add shallots to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until tender. Combine squash mixture, bacon, and shallots; set aside.
Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well.
Combine flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add provolone, stirring until cheese melts. Add pasta to cheese mixture, tossing well to combine. Spoon pasta mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray; top with squash mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until cheese melts and begins to brown.

Up Next- Tuesday's with Dorie- Rugelach!

Chicken N Dumplings, Fried Okra, Sauteed Spinach with Mushrooms, and Kale Chips

The other night we had some dinner guests. One was from Georgia and the other was from Texas. My husband who is also from Georgia, decided we should have Chicken N Dumplings and Fried Okra. He wanted to treat these boys to some southern food and from the way they devoured it and from what they said- it had been awhile. I already posted the super easy Chicken N Dumplings recipe that my very good friend Miss Betsy showed me how to make, about a month before we moved from Georgia. They are my husband's favorite and so, I have been making them every couple of months. The recipe can be found HERE. I also decided to make Kale Chips, which I blogged about a couple months ago. I could eat those all day, salty and crispy- HERE is the recipe. We also had fried okra (It disappeared quickly) and I served up some Sauteed Spinach with Mushrooms -HEREand HERE are a couple of variations of this recipe that I have previously posted. The Chicken N Dumplings don't really take a good picture, but if you are familiar with them, you will appreciate their appearance. I know my hubby does! We finished the whole meal with Banana Pudding Pie, a twist on a Southern favorite. Check it out, above! Did I mention we had some very happy dinner guests??!!

Fried Okra from Emeril

1 pound okra

Buttermilk

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

Essence, recipe follows

Oil, for frying

Salt and pepper
With a sharp knife, slice the okra into 1-inch slices. Season the okra with salt and pepper. Marinate the okra in buttermilk. Marinate for 30 minutes and drain. Place 1 quart of oil in a saucepan. Heat the oil. In a shallow dish, mix the flour and cornmeal together. Season the flour with Essence. Dredge the okra in the seasoned flour/cornmeal mixture, coating the okra completely. Fry the okra in the hot oil until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Fry the okra in batches. Remove the okra from the oil and drain on a paper-lined plate. Season with salt and pepper.
Emeril's Essence Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly

You Want Pies with That? Fashion Edition, Southern Style- Banana Pudding Pie

I know absolutely nothing about Fashion.

So when I saw that this month's theme was Fashion, for You Want Pies with That?, I was stumped. The only thing I could think of was taking a dessert/pie that could represent " a little black dress" (traditional, familiar, standard, etc- you see where I am going with this, right?) and adding a little pizzazz to it. We had some visitors over for dinner and I was doing a Southern Meal, so looking through one of my Southern Living cookbooks, I found this twist on Banana Pudding. Banana Pudding is a traditional southern dessert that is usually vanilla custard, layered with sliced bananas and Vanilla Wafers and topped with meringue. This "twist" is turning Banana Pudding into a pie, by adding a Nilla Wafer crust and layering the pudding ingredients in the pie. Sorry if you think this is lame, but it was the best I could come up with! And if it makes you feel any better, the pie was delicious!

This was a hit with our visitors and hopefully fits as a Fashion Statement- taking a simple, traditional dessert and turning it into a "fashionable" pie!

Banana Pudding Pie from Southern Living

Prep: 20 min.; Bake: 24 min.; Cool: 1 hr., 30 min.; Chill: 4 hr.

Hang on to your egg yolks--you'll be using them in the

*Vanilla Cream Filling

1 (12-oz.) box vanilla wafers, divided

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 large bananas, sliced

Meringue

4 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar

1. Set aside 30 vanilla wafers; pulse remaining vanilla wafers in a food processor 8 to 10 times or until coarsely crushed. (Yield should be about 2 1/2 cups.) Stir together crushed vanilla wafers and butter until blended. Firmly press on bottom, up sides, and onto lip of a 9-inch pieplate.
2. Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack, and let cool 30 minutes or until completely cool.
3. Arrange banana slices evenly over bottom of crust. Prepare *Vanilla Cream Filling, and spread half of hot filling over bananas; top with 20 vanilla wafers. Spread remaining hot filling over vanilla wafers. (Filling will be about 1/4 inch higher than top edge of crust.)
4. Beat egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy. Add sugar, 1 Tbsp. at a time, beating until stiff peaks form and sugar dissolves. Spread meringue evenly over hot filling, sealing the edges.
5. Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, and let cool 1 hour on a wire rack or until completely cool. Coarsely crush remaining 10 vanilla wafers, and sprinkle evenly over top of pie. Chill 4 hours.

*Vanilla Cream Filling

Prep: 5 min., Cook: 10 min.

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

4 egg yolks

2 cups milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Whisk together first 5 ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, 8 to 10 minutes or until it reaches the thickness of chilled pudding. (Mixture will just begin to bubble and will be thick enough to hold soft peaks when whisk is lifted.) Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla. Use immediately.

Coming Tomorrow- Cooking Light Night--Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Pasta

Polenta Rounds with Turkey Sausage and Vegetables in Marinara

I love polenta. I love that you can buy it in a little tube at the grocery store and it is ready to go. I had some leftover turkey sausage in my fridge and some leftover marinara, so I bought some polenta and came up with this dish. Full of veggies, with just a little meat- it was delicious and with all those colors almost to pretty to eat. But, we did eat it and it was good! Happy November!

Polenta Rounds with Turkey Sausage and Vegetables in Marinara by Mary Ann

1 tube refrigerated polenta, sliced into 1/2-1 inch rounds

4 white mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 4-oz link sweet turkey sausage (I use Jenny-O)

1/2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced

1/2 medium yellow or summer squash, thinly sliced

1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped

3 oz baby spinach

marinara sauce

Squeeze turkey sausage out of casing, into a warm electric skillet. Crumble with a wooden spoon and add mushrooms, zucchini, summer squash, and yellow bell pepper. Saute for 5-7 minutes, until sausage is cooked through and veggies are tender. Stir in spinach, just until wilted. Transfer to a bowl and cover to keep warm.

Spray electric skillet with cooking spray. Layer polenta rounds in skillet and cook until warmed and browned, 2-3 minutes on each side.

Warm marinara sauce and ladle some on a plate. Arrange 3 polenta slices in marinara and spoon sausage-veggie mixture over top of polenta. Serve and enjoy!

Tomorrow- You Want Pies with That? Fashion Edition- Banana Pudding Pie and a Southern Dinner to go along with it- Chicken N Dumplings, Fried Okra.....

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

I saw these little cuties on The Food Librarian yesterday. The recipe is from Martha Stewart and was also on an episode of Everyday Baking. They looked so good, that I ran downstairs and mixed them up really quickly. You don't have to use a mixer and they are nice and spicy. The recipe originally calls for this to be made in a 9-inch pan, but cupcakes are so much cuter! I used 1 cup of whole wheat flour and you couldn't even tell.
I made 12 regular size cupcakes and 12 minis. The mini's took about 15 minutes to bake and the others took about 25 minutes. Here is a yummy, easy treat to start off a new month!

Pumpkin Spice Cake from The Food Librarian
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (You can use 1 cup of whole wheat flour here)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice (or 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/8 teaspoon each allspice and cloves)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
One (15-ounce) can solid-pack pumpkin puree
*Honey Frosting
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin-pie spice. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, butter, and pumpkin puree until combined. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture, and mix gently until smooth.
Turn batter into prepared pan, and smooth top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool cake 10 minutes in pan, then turn out of pan, and cool completely, right side up, on a rack.
Spread top of cooled cake with Honey Frosting. Cut cake into squares to serve.

*Honey Frosting
Makes 2 cups.
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 (8-ounce) regular or reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup honey
Directions
In a medium bowl, whisk all ingredients until smooth.