Recipes

Spiced Apple Cider

November 30, 2016 by Holly Yzquierdo 2 Comments

I’m willing myself to get in full-on holiday mode. I haven’t pulled out the decorations yet but Thanksgiving has come and gone. It’s time to get into the Christmas spirit and this Spiced Apple Cider will do the trick.

One area that I typically neglect during the holidays, is the drink category. I usually think about food but not beverages. This year I started drinking cider in October. I’m not sure why but during the evenings I craved warm sips of the holidays and apple cider is a great, non-caffeinated option.

Since I started drinking apple cider so early in the season I had to mix it up a bit. This Apple Cider Recipe is perfect for special occasions and holiday parties. It takes an average cider up a level and makes your guests feel the holiday spirit. Go ahead and turn on Elf or Miracle on 34th Street.

It may just be me but this might taste even better if you are wearing your favorite flannel jammies.

If you’re serving this at a party, I recommend getting clear glasses, mugs or jars so your guests can see the deep honey color of the cider. If it’s just you and your family just go for your favorite big mug.

Spiced Apple Cider

Prepare to experience your favorite Christmas memories rushing back as you sip this delicious Spiced Apple Cider. This simple cider recipe will make your home smell like the holidays. If you make it, tag me on Instagram so I can see your photos!

Spiced Apple Cider

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Author: Holly Yzquierdo

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

4 Cups of Apple Cider
Half of a small orange
Half a cinnamon Stick
2 Tbsp of brown sugar
½ tsp of whole allspice berries
½ tsp of whole cloves
¼ tsp of black peppercorn
A tiny pinch of nutmeg

Instructions

Heat 4 cups of apple cider in a small pot with brown sugar on medium heat, stir until the sugar dissolves.
Add in the orange, cinnamon stick (half), whole allspice berries, whole cloves, whole black peppercorn, the pinch of nutmeg and give it a stir.
Decrease the heat and cover with a lid, simmer for about 15 minutes.
Strain into jars or mugs. I recommend using a cheesecloth or coffee filters to strain the other ingredients from the liquid

“Beefy” Lentil and Veggie Soup

October 26, 2016 by Holly Yzquierdo 7 Comments

I was craving a savory, hearty soup. I knew what I wanted. I wanted Beef Stew without the beef. Armed with my favorite veggies and determination, I got a delicious, vegan soup with a nod to the traditional beef stew.

How can you make a beefless stew? I used my favorite beef substitution, lentils.

For me, lentils are down right magical. They make great tacos, taste wonderful plain or seasoned, cook quickly and are easy to prepare. I’m a huge lentil fan!

The first time I made this Lentil and Veggie Soup I did it quickly in my Instant Pot with Massel beef flavored broth (but it’s actually called concentrated liquid stock). I was blown away by how good it was. My husband took all the leftovers to work (which was slightly devastating) because it was so good.

I knew I had to recreate it for my friends who didn’t have an Instant Pot and wanted to cook it on the stove. I also wanted to season it with only spices instead of a ready made broth. This soup is delicious with my Dry Broth Mix but that doesn’t lend a “beefy” flavor that I was wanting. I came up with something a little different, and I didn’t even use nutritional yeast.

“Beefy” Lentil and Veggie Soup

I’ve made this a few times now and I’ve used different potatoes each time. I always find it difficult to estimate potato sizes for recipes. I’ve made it with 2 huge potatoes and with 6 small potatoes. The important thing is to think about serving size. If you were going to serve potatoes as a side dish, how many of your potatoes (whatever size you have) would you need. This soup needs 3-4 side dish serving sizes (or 2 main dish serving sizes) of potatoes.

You could add more veggies to this soup. I make it this way because these are the veggies I usually have available. If you want to try something else I recommend celery and green beans.

If you are making this in your Instant Pot, you’ll add all the ingredients as directed, then cook on manual with high pressure for 15 minutes. Allow it to release pressure naturally. Stove top directions follow below.

Yield: 6+ servings

"Beefy" Lentil and Veggie Soup

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup diced onions
6 small potatoes, diced (see note above)
3 large carrots, sliced
3 cups chopped broccoli
1 cup dry lentils
2 quarts of water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf

Instructions

Add all of the chopped veggies to a large pot on medium heat. I like to do this as I'm cutting them but if you pre-cut them you can do it all at once.
Add the dry lentils, careful to sort them for debris. I found a stick in mine.
Add the water and all of the seasonings and cover with a lid.
Bring to a simmer and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.
Check soup, make sure the carrots and potatoes are soft.
Remove the bay leaf and serve.

Notes

If you are making this in your Instant Pot, you'll add all the ingredients as directed, then cook on manual with high pressure for 15 minutes. Allow it to release pressure naturally. Stove top directions follow below.

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Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins

September 14, 2016 by Holly Yzquierdo 16 Comments

Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference between my breakfasts and desserts! I usually like a sweet breakfast and these Pumpkin Muffins makes them perfect for the morning.

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I’ve always had a sweet tooth. When I was a kid I’d often get donuts or sugary cereal for breakfast. I clearly remember going to the donut shop and getting a long John and a can of coke. Even when I make a savory breakfast, like my Breakfast Hash, I’ll want something sweet to follow.

I created these Pumpkin Muffins because I’m yearning for the cooler temperatures of fall. I didn’t want them to be super sweet and only appropriate for dessert. I wanted these Pumpkin Muffins to be a bit heartier and suitable for breakfast, even for people without a sweet tooth like me.

With or Without Chocolate Chips

With chocolate chips the Pumpkin Muffins are a decadent dessert. Without chocolate chips they are a delicious breakfast that pairs well with fruit and a cup of coffee (for the grown ups).

My husband is not a fan of chocolate so I’ll often scoop out half of the batter then pour chocolate chips into the remaining batter so we are both happy.

Allergy-Friendly

Like most of my recipes, these muffins are allergy-friendly. They are gluten-free, dairy-free and nut-free. I use a gluten-free flour blend from Jewel’s Bakery (but you can use your favorite gluten-free blend) and dairy-free chocolate chips. I also use a peanut butter substitute. It has the look and feel of peanut butter and tastes comparable considering there are not nuts. It’s perfect for families with a peanut allergy.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins

We’ve been enjoying these muffins for breakfast, after school snacks and desserts. You can’t really go wrong with these Pumpkin Muffins!

Pumpkin Muffins

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

Author: Holly Yzquierdo

Recipe type: Muffins

Serves: 12

Ingredients

½ cup Peanut Butter alternative (or peanut butter if you don't have an allergy)
1 15 oz can of pumpkin
½ cup plant-based milk
½ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1½ cups gluten-free flour blend
½ cup chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Measure out ½ cup peanut butter alternative into a microwave safe bowl and microwave it for 20 seconds.
Pour in the 15 oz can of pumpkin and plant-based milk, stir very well.
Dump in the sugar and vanilla then stir again.
Sprinkle all of the spices, salt, and baking soda into the batter.
Pour in the gluten-free flour blend and mix everything together. After everything is mixed together you may add chocolate chips if desired.
Spray cooking oil into muffin pan and scoop batter into muffin cups.
Bake for 30 minutes (you can test at 25) but allow to cool for 10 minutes at least.

Yogurt and Granola

September 7, 2016 by Holly Yzquierdo 10 Comments

My youngest son does not like cereal. Every morning I have to figure out something he will eat. He prefers a mound of fruit. While a bowl full of fruit isn’t bad I want him to have something that will stick with him a little longer Yogurt and Granola are two of his favorites!

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My son loves fruit. Before he lost one of his front teeth, he would easily eat 5+ apples per day. His missing tooth has slowed him down some, but not much. I end up cutting up a lot of fruit for him now which means he can eat it faster than ever.

As much as he loves a big bowl of fruit for breakfast, I feel like he needs something a little more complex. Thankfully he loves the granola. I love it too.

Yogurt and Granola

This isn’t an actual recipe, it’s more of a “put all of this together” type of thing.

I use dairy-free yogurt, fresh fruit and granola for an easy breakfast, snack or dessert.

I like to start with granola in the bottom of the bowl, then add yogurt, then fruit. I repeat layers until I’m satisfied.

You can mix and match granola flavors, yogurt flavors and different types of fruit so you always have something interesting to try.

If you have food allergies, carefully inspect all the labels. Gerb’s has a great allergy-safe product (unfortunately it has honey). Bob’s Red Mill has great vegan granola (but it’s not gluten-free).

I have to put the granola away in the pantry every time or I’ll make little pit stops all day long munching on it. I’ll often dip a piece of fruit in SunButter then roll it in the granola.

I also put granola on dairy-free ice cream! What can I say, I’m a sucker for this stuff.

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Instant Pot Black Beans and Rice

August 10, 2016 by Holly Yzquierdo 125 Comments

If you’ve been here for a while you know I’m all about easy recipes. I think this Instant Pot Black Beans and Rice recipe is my new favorite. Why? Because you can cook black beans and brown rice together in the Instant Pot! No soaking or precooking. It turns out great, like magic.

I’ve always been a fan of quick and easy meals. Years ago, when I was a stay at home mom I would still stick to simple meals. I had my hands full with kids, the house, and everything that comes with that role.

Now I work full time, still have to handle all the “mom stuff” and cooking can easily take a back seat to getting a little down time.

That is one of the main reasons I love my Instant Pot. It makes life easier for me. You may love your slow cooker, I used to use mine a lot more. Which ever you choose, having tools that make life more efficient and that set you up to be successful in your goals is a good investment.

Instant Pot Black Beans and Rice

This recipe is pretty simple. I wanted it to be a blank canvas so I could add difference spices and flavors. Before you skip over this no-fuss meal give it a try.

It took a few tries to get the beans and rice ready at the same time but this totally worked for us. If you want something with a slightly more complex flavor try my Instant Pot Mexican Casserole!