Polenta-Pine Nut Cookies

These delicious little cookies make a great energy-delivering snack and can be adjusted for the sweet tooth in you. They were very easy to make and introduced me to crystallized ginger, which I'm going to start using all over the place!

I'm still eating these
Pine nut cookies - who'd have thought?
Packed with energy

Ingredients:

• Nonstick Spray
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp canola oil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
• 1 1/3 c unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2/3 c polenta
• 3/4 c pine nuts
• 1 Tbsp chopped lemon zest
• 1/2 c minced crystallized ginger (optional)
• Sugar to sprinkle on top.

Preparation time is only 15 minutes, with 15 minutes for baking (more for the two batches that this yields).

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking tray with foil, and spray it generously with nonstick spray.
2. Break the eggs into a medium-sized bowl, and beat until smooth. Stir in the salt, maple syrup, oil, and optional vanilla.
3. Sprinkle in the flour, polenta, pine nuts, lemon zest, and optional ginger. Mix with a wooden spoon until completely blended.
4. Wet your hands, and pick up a small piece of dough, about 2 teaspoons' worth. Roll it into a ball about 1 inch in diameter, then flatten it into a small circle. Place on the prepared baking tray, patting it down to about 1/8 of an inch thick.
5. Bake in the center of the oven for 15 minutes, or until the cookies turn golden brown around the edges and on the bottoms. If you like the cookies sweeter, sprinkle them with additional sugar as soon as they come out of the oven. It will melt into the tops of the cookies to form a sweet crust.
6. Cool on a rack for at least 15 minutes before eating. (I didn't. I ate one ONE minute after it came out!)

Recipe from Mollie Katzen's Sunlight Cafe.

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Butternut Squash Soup

This recipe was a lot of fun to make, though I found it to take a very long time. I have leftovers though, and it is a warm, colorful and tasty winter dish.

Hearty, delicious
One of my favorite colors
I have leftovers!

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp ghee (you can use butter, but the ghee is so nutty in flavor!)
• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• 1 medium onion, loosely diced
• 2 large garlic cloves, smashed
• 1-inch knob of fresh ginger, washed and finely chopped
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves (I used whole)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup coconut milk or half-and-half
• Freshly ground pepper to taste

Before attempting to peel the butternut squash, it is best to cook it slightly so that a regular vegetable peeler may be used. Cut in half and put on a plate in the microwave for two minutes and that should do the trick!

1. Melt 1 Tbsp ghee over medium-high heat in a large, deep saute pan.
2. Add squash, sweet potato, and then onion. Saute, stirring very little at first, then more frequently, for 7 - 8 minutes or until all ingredients turn golden brown.
3. 
   
   
   
4. Reduce heat to low and add garlic. Continue cooking until vegetables are a rich caramel color, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
5. In a separate soup pot, add 1 tbsp ghee, the ginger, and the rest of the spices. Saute until fragrant.
6. Add water and vegetables to soup pot. Bring to a low boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes, partially covered, until squash is tender.
7. Let cool just a bit, and puree in a blender until smooth.
8. Return to soup pot. Pour in enough coconut milk so that the mixture flows easily, yet is thick and hearty. Add pepper to taste. Heat through and serve.

Recipe from YogaJournal, February 2009.