Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've already talked about my little fall obsession with pumpkin. Last night, we bought two pumpkins so we could roast them and toast the seeds. And my little boy is already asking for pumpkin pie. It looks like we're going to be keeping the pumpkin patch in business this year.

Last week, my sister told me about these "amazing" pumpkin cookies she made. So good apparently, that she made two batches in two days! She sent me the recipe (via Miss Martha), and asked me to make them healthier. Challenge accepted!!! Now, I wouldn't exactly call these "healthy" cookies (they still have some sugar and white flour in them), but they are definitely loads healthier than the original version (that called for 1.5 sticks of butter!). So I cut the sugar down by about 3 times, got rid of the butter all together, and added some good fiber and omega-3 to the flour combo. I can see why my sister ate 6 in one day. I've already had 3 and I just pulled the last batch out of the oven! Yikes! These are dangerous people. Very dangerous.

Dry Ingredients:
1 c. all purpose flour
1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. ground flaxseed
1 c. rolled oats
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1 1/4 t. ginger
3/4 t. nutmeg

Wet Ingredients:
1 c. applesauce
1/2 c. greek yogurt
1/4 c. coconut oil, warmed
1 c. loose brown sugar (don't pack it!)
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. pumpkin puree
1/2 c. vanilla soy milk
1 t. vanilla extract

1 c. chopped walnuts
1 c. chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, combine all the dry ingredients & give it a stir.
3. Beat together the sugar, coconut oil & greek yogurt until well mixed. Add remainder of wet ingredients and beat to incorporate.
4. Add half the dry to the wet and mix. Add the other half and finish mixing. Finally add the chocolate chips and nuts.
5. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop large spoonfuls of dough (consistency like a very thick cake batter) onto a silpat or parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes.

Apple Pie Muffin Cookies

I don't know about you, but as soon as the weather cools off I crave bread, soup, and all things that contain pumpkin or apples. These cookies are a cross between a muffin and a cookie. I've slightly adapted the recipe from Oh She Glows.

Ingredients:
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 c. rolled oats
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. baking powder
2 t. cinnamon
2 apples, peeled & diced
1 flax egg
1/4 c. maple syrup
1 t. vanilla
1/4 c. almond milk
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine your flax egg in a small bowl and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients: flours, sugar, walnuts, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. Stir to combine. Toss in diced apples and stir again.
4. In a small bowl combine wet ingredients: flax egg, maple syrup, vanilla, almond milk & applesauce.
5. Add wet to dry and stir until combined. Spoon onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. **These cookies are very loose but don't worry, they'll be fine**
6. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Summer Veggie Ratatouille

This recipe is only slightly adapted from Oh She Glows (my favorite vegan site). It's a perfect way to use up some summer veggies from the garden. We ate it on top of a bed of spaghetti squash, but I'm sure it would be great with pasta too.

Ingredients:
1 T. evoo
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 eggplant, cubed
1 zucchini, cubed
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 c. marinara sauce
1 pt. cherry tomatoes
1 T. fresh thyme
1/2 c. fresh basil, chopped
Salt & Pepper

Directions:
1. In a large skillet, saute onion & bell pepper for 5 minutes over medium high heat.
2. Add eggplant, zucchini, and garlic. Saute for 3-4 minutes more.
3. Add marinara sauce, cover with a lid and let simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Just before serving, stir in tomatoes, herbs and season with salt & pepper to taste.

Pumpkin Waffles

I don't know about you, but whenever the weather starts to cool off a little I crave two things: soup and anything with pumpkin. These waffles are perfect for a cool autumn morning. My family gobbled them up!

Dry Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. all purpose flour
4 t. baking powder
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. ginger
1/2 t. salt
1/4 c. brown sugar

Wet Ingredients:
2 c. milk
1 c. pumpkin
4 eggs
1 t. vanilla

Directions:
1. Preheat waffle iron.
2. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients.
3. In a smaller bowl, beat wet ingredients. Add wet to dry and mix until incorporated.
4. Cook until crispy and golden brown. Serve with pure maple syrup.