The Gourmand Blog

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Pumpkin-Stuffed Pepper Hors d'Oeuvres

This recipe is easy and fun to prepare, and they make great, warm hors d'oeuvres for holiday parties! PUMPKIN-STUFFED PEPPER HORS D'OEUVRES Ingredients: equivalent of two small sugar pumpkins 1 bag small peppers 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar 1/4 bag of fresh spinach or baby kale 1 tbsp coconut oil 1/2 onion (peeled and chopped) 2 garlic cloves (peeled and chopped) salt and pepper to taste Directions: Preheat oven to 400ºF Cut sugar pumpkins in half, fill large, oven-safe dish with 1/2 inch of water and place pumpkins face-down in the dish Cook for 45 min or until tops of pumpkins are browned, remove dish from oven and place pumpkins on a cooling rack or cutting board to cool (out of the hot water) CHange oven temperature to 350ºF Heat coconut oil in nonstick skillet and sautée chopped onion and garlic Use an ice cream scoop or large spoon to scoop pumpkin from the pumpkin skins and place the pumpkin meat into a large bowl add onion/garlic mixture

Buttermilk Brioche French Toast and Buttermilk Syrup

This recipe makes the perfect summer brunch entrée for a small group of family and friends — easy prep and great to prepare together! BUTTERMILK BRIOCHE FRENCH TOAST Ingredients: 1 1/2 Organic Valley buttermilk 4 large eggs 2 tbsp white sugar 1 tbsp brown sugar 1/4 tsp salt 4 tbsp unsalted butter As many slices of Trader Joe's Sliced French Brioche needed to use up mixture (we bought two loaves) Directions: Preheat oven to 200ºF (this is for keeping cooked pieces warm) Mix buttermilk, eggs, salt and sugar Pour into cookie sheet, then place a layer of brioche to soak up the mixture — flip occasionally until bread absorbs without disintegrating (probably about 10–15 min) Heat 2 tbsp butter in nonstick skillet and use slotted spatula to transfer brioche to the skillet; cook until golden brown (approx. 3 min total), then transfer to baking pan in over to keep warm Repeat steps 1–4 until all the mixture is used up, or until you run out of bread BUTTERMI

Danish Æbelskivers

Æ bel skivers (pronounced able-skeevers ) are originally from Denmark, and are often referred to as puff pancakes . I've been making them for special holidays and any other time my kids talk me into making them. Fill them with jams or fresh fruit or even chocolate! Prep your pan You'll need a pan specific to making æ b elskivers ( here's one from Williams-Sonoma). I use coconut oil to grease the pan. You can use about a teaspoon per well, this way they won't stick. Add batter and fillings Add 2 tablespoons of batter to each well. If you are adding any fillings to your æ belskivers, put the filling on top of the 2 tablespoons of batter and top with an additional 1 tablespoon of batter. I sometimes put chocolate chips inside and that is very popular with my family. Cook and flip Cook your æ belskivers in the pan until they begin to bubble in the center and are lightly browned on the bottom, approximately 3 minutes. Use two wooden skewers or chop

Healthy Pitaya Bowl

While visiting our fave food and health influencer Maddie Castellano in Hawaii for the holidays, we learned of Kahuku Farms phenomenal Liliko'i Butter and were inspired to make this simple recipe! Not only does KF sell organic products made straight from their harvests, but they also have the best farm-to-table dishes around — if you're ever in Oahu it's an absolute must. (serves 2–3) For the pitaya bowl: 2 pouches frozen pitaya 1.5 cup frozen mangoes 1 banana (frozen works great as well) 3/4 cup soy milk (more or less, depending on desired smoothie bowl consistency) For the toppings: 1 sliced banana 1/2 cup granola (with almonds) Kahuku Farms liliko'i butter, to taste — order online today! Honey, to taste Directions: 1. In a heavy-duty blender or food processor, combine pitaya, banana, mangoes and soy milk and blend until smooth. If the consistency is too thick, add in milk a little at a time. 2. Slice a banana, then p our

Mary Berry's Almond Galette

Catching up on old episodes of the Great British Baking Show and gave this recipe a try 🙌 It's one of the tastiest desserts we've baked in ages — perfect for small holiday parties and family dinners! (serves 4–8) For the pastry: 1 box of ready-made butter puff pastry For the filling: ½ cup butter ½ cup sugar 1 full egg 1 egg yolk 1 tsp almond extract ½ cup almond flour ¼ cup sliced almonds 1 egg beaten to glaze (for egg wash) Directions (from http://www.pbs.org/food/recipes/marys-galette/) 1. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Roll out half the pastry on a lightly floured worktop until slightly thinner than a pound coin. Cut out a round about 9 inches in diameter. Set on the lined baking sheet and cover with clingfilm. Roll out the rest of the pastry in the same way and cut a second round. Set this on top of the clingfilm, then cover the whole lot with clingfilm. Chill while makin

Vegan "Not-So" Cheese

This is on par with any Nacho Cheese you've ever had — kids love it, too! 1 1/2 C. raw cashews 1 cup water 1/2-3/4 C. drained jalapeños (I use mezata pickled tamed jalapeño peppers) 3 cloves fresh garlic 1 red bell pepper 1 T. arrowroot powder 2 T onion powder salt to taste blend in blender add more or less jalapeños to taste Warm up in small saucepan Serve with chips