Pumpkin Maple Protein Smoothie

Posted on October 2, 2013 by skibootsinthekitchen

It’s fall, so obviously everyone is into anything pumpkin related. I thought people were going to die of excitement when Starbucks finally released their PSL (pumpkin spice latte… who knew it was being abbreviated these days?) on September 3!! Three days past August is NOT considered fall people. So now that its October and it actually IS fall, I’m jumping on the pumpkin wagon! I love getting my fix of pumpkin treats but if you’re not careful that casual PSL in the morning can run you close to 400 calories! I don’t know about you but that is way more than I’m willing to waist on a cup-o-joe! This protein smoothie is a great way to satisfy your pumpkin craving without killing your waistline (which is always an added bonus going into the holiday season!) I use Teras Whey protein powder that I purchase from Whole Foods but any kind of vanilla protein powder will do. Also be sure to use canned pumpkin puree and not canned pumpkin pie filling (there is a difference!)Pumpkin Maple Protein Smoothie by Ski Boots in the Kitchen

Ingredients:

8 oz vanilla almond milk
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/4 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 tablespoon real maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (make your own if you don’t have it)
hand full of ice cubes

Combine all the ingredients in a blender, blend until smooth. Enjoy!

Apple & Cranberry Harvest Pie

Posted on October 1, 2013 by skibootsinthekitchen

Happy October! The mornings are getting cooler, the nights are getting dark to quickly… fall is really here and I have no idea what happened to September. Since September slipped away without me noticing, I have a feeling October might go equally as fast and then… Its my favorite holiday… Thanksgiving! Which is why I’ve decided to dedicate the month of October to “Thanksgiving Menu Prep.” It’s time to pull out my collection of old Bon Appetit Thanksgiving issues, family recipes and classic Thanksgiving traditions, to find the best recipes for your Thanksgiving table. This year don’t showing up at your Thanksgiving feast with plain mashed potatoes and green bean casserole. It’s time to jazz up your menu with some fun, different and most importantly DELICIOUS dishes! This recipe for Harvest Pie from Morning Glory Farm on Martha’s Vineyard is one of my mother’s favorite holiday desserts. The flavors and spices of the pie are the definition of fall and the holiday season. The tartness of the cranberries balances the sweetness of the apples and raisins making for a truly awesome but not too sweet dessert. If you’re ready to mix up the dessert table from the plain (and over done) apple and pumpkin pies, this is your recipe! Top this pie with a dollop of fresh whipped cream or serve it a la mode. The original recipe calls for a streusel topping however, I prefer the recipe with a lattice pie crust which doesn’t overpower the fresh fruit with too much ‘stuff’. To make this pie super easy you can use Pillsbury pie dough from the dairy section of your grocery store (when in a hurry I cheat and use this… no one will ever know!), or if you’re feeling ambitious make your own dough. Streusel topping, classic crust or lattice top this pie will become your new favorite holiday dessert too! Enjoy!

Harvest Pie (Click for printer friendly version)

Prep Time	Cooking Time	Serves
30 Minutes	40-55 minutes	8-10

Ingredients:

3 cups fresh apples, diced
1 Cup fresh cranberries
½ cup golden raisins
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 ½ Tbsp. orange zest
1 ½ Tbsp. butter, melted
1/8 Cup orange juice
1/8 Cup flour
½ cup sugar
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare piecrust or streusel topping (below).
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, stirring until well blended. Pour into prepared piecrust. Top with streusel topping or lattice piecrust.
Place pie in oven and immediately reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Bake until the apples are tender and the crumb or crust is golden brown.

Pastry Dough (Makes two 9-inch piecrusts) This pastry dough freezes well and will work with any pie!

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
¼ tsp. salt
¾ cup cold vegetable shortening
3 Tbsp. cold butter, cut into small chunks
6 Tbsp. ice water

Directions:

Sift flour. Cut shortening and butter into flour with pastry blender or fingers until mixture has the consistency of small peas.
Add ice water and blend just until dough holds together.
Divide the dough into two pieces; if you are doing the streusel topping store one for later use. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and roll out into a 10-inch circle.
Place dough in pie plate and crimp as desired.

Streusel Topping:

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups white sugar
2 cups all- purpose flour
1 cup butter, melted

Directions:

Mix dry ingredients, then fold in melted butter, stirring until it clumps. Sprinkle evenly on top of pie.

Original recipes from Morning Glory Farm

Healthy Banana “Ice Cream”

Posted on September 25, 2013 by skibootsinthekitchen

Last weekend was the autumnal equinox which means bye, bye summer, welcome autumn, fall, bright colored leaves, pumpkins and… snow? Yup that’s right it was snowing in the mountains today! Big fluffy flakes, which we are all hoping means its going to be a great ski year. I am still trying to hold on to a few last pieces of summer and nothing says summer like ice cream. Unfortunately, I have a slight intolerance to classic ice cream, which is a HUGE bummer, because its so unbelievably delicious. Then I found out you can make “ice cream” from frozen bananas and my whole life changed. I wish that I was brilliant enough to come up with this idea because it actually is brilliant. It’s creamy, thick, and tastes like real ice cream, you’d never know it was just frozen whipped bananas. Yup that’s it- ONE ingredient. Which means its vegan, dairy free, sugar free, low calorie but it tastes like the full fat, total guilty pleasure stuff… I promise! This recipe falls into my favorite category of should I eat it for “breakfast or dessert?” It’s so healthy you could eat if for breakfast sprinkled with your favorite granola or put a scoop on pie, peach crumble or chocolate cake for an unbelievable topping. Add your favorite ingredients to make it your own: peanut butter, chocolate chips, Nutella, maple syrup, almond butter, even a few strawberries and you’ve got a totally different treat! All those ripe bananas you’ve been saving for banana bread but haven’t gotten around to it- this recipe requires less time, effort and is more delicious! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 frozen bananas

Optional:

3-4 Tablespoons peanut butter, almond butter or Nutella
1/2 Cup chocolate chips
3 Tablespoons Maple syrup or honey
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 Cup frozen strawberries

Directions:

Slice bananas (like you would for cereal- pictured above) and freeze for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight, on a flat cookie sheet, baking dish or Tupperware.
Place bananas in a food processor with desired ingredients (peanut butter, syrup, strawberries etc). I did peanut butter chocolate chip! Add bananas and 3-4 Tablespoons peanut butter (depending on how much you love peanut butter add more or less) and pulse until fully combined, use a spoon or spatula to break up large chunks of frozen banana.
Once mixed, stir in chocolate chips at the last minute with a spoon (otherwise the food processor will chop them up.)
Scoop into bowls and top with chocolate sauce, sprinkles, pretzels or your favorite ice cream sunday toppings or put a scoop on pie, cake or another delicious dessert and enjoy!
If your bananas don’t seem to be mixing as easily as you’d like, add 2-3 tablespoons of almond milk or soy milk which will speed up the mixing process.
Looking for more ideas to mix with your banana ice cream? Dark chocolate chunks and sea salt, strawberry banana, peanut butter and honey, Nutella banana, 2 teaspoons mint extract and dark chocolate chunks… mint chip! the options are endless… get creative!

In a Pickle: Classic Dill or Spicy Garlic?

Posted on September 15, 2013 by skibootsinthekitchen

It has been an unusual couple of weeks here in Utah- It has rained almost everyday consistently for more than a week. Rainy weather = movie days and new kitchen experiments. I have a bizarre love for pickles. Mostly dill pickles, but I’m also not picky when it comes to pickles, I love them all. I also love weird combinations of pickles- If you’ve never tried a pickle and peanut butter sandwich, you’re seriously missing out (I know your intrigued now…so just try it.) Fall is harvest time for the mini pickling cucumbers, so I decided to attempt my first ever pickling adventure. It’s easy to find the mini cucumbers at the farmers markets or local market… but the hardest part? Figuring out which kind of delicious pickle to make! So I decided to test out two different recipes- the Classic Dill and the Spicy Garlic Dill. Both turned out amazing! If you love the classics go for the Dill but if your looking to spicy things up, the spicy garlic packs a punch- or go my route and make both! Fresh pickles all winter long- what could be better? Spicy Garlic Dill Pickles

Ingredients:

8-12 small pickling cucumbers (kirby) (approximately 3 pounds)
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups filtered water
2 tablespoons pickling salt (or Kosher Sea Salt)
8 garlic cloves, peeled
4 teaspoons dill seed
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
4 half pint mason jars

Directions:

Wash mason jars with hot soapy water or disinfect by putting them through the dishwasher or boiling water bath prior to canning for shelf storage. (you don’t need to do this if you plan on keeping the in the refrigerator.
Wash and dry cucumbers. Cut off ends and depending on your preference, cut into chips, spears or leave whole. I used my mandolin with the ruffle edge blade to cut my cumbers into ruffled chips!
Combine vinegar, water and salt in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. (If you don’t have pickling salt be sure to use Kosher sea salt- table salt does not work for pickling).
Combine dill seeds, pepper corns and chili flakes together in a bowl. Divide mixture and garlic equally among the 4 mason jars. Pack cut cumbers as tightly as you can into the jars without crushing them.
Pour brine into the jars leaving 1/4″ of room at the top of the jar. Remove any air bubbles by tapping the side of the jars. Wipe the rims of the jars and apply lids and bands.
If processing jars for shelf stability, lower jars into your processing pot. When water returns to a boil, set a timer for 10 minutes. When time is up, remove jars from canning pot and allow them to cool. When jars are cool enough to handle, check seals.
If you choose not to process your jars, let them cool before putting them into the refrigerator. Do note that your jars may seal during the cooling process. However, without the boiling water bath process, that doesn’t mean they’re shelf stable. Still refrigerate.
Allow pickles to marinate for at least one week in the fridge before eating. Enjoy! Classic Dill Pickles

Ingredients:

8-12 small pickling cucumbers (kirby) (about 3pounds)
2 cups white vinegar
2 cups water
2 tablespoons pickling salt
4 heads fresh dill or 4 teaspoons dill seeds
4 small cloves garlic
4 half pint mason jars

Directions:

Use the same processes as above to clean mason jars. Combine vinegar, water and salt in sauce pan, bringing to a boil. Divide dill, garlic and pickles equally between the 4 jars. Follow steps 5-8 above.
Enjoy!

Sweet & Savory Tomato Jam

Posted on September 9, 2013 by skibootsinthekitchen

It has been a very busy end of the summer with lots of travel to see friends and family for weddings and vacations! I just returned from 4 beautiful days on the Vineyard and I’m only home for a week before I’m off traveling again! I realized I haven’t been in my kitchen much at all this month. I tested out this recipe in Utah over Labor Day weekend and it was so fantastic when I arrived home last weekend I robbed my mother of all her tomatoes from her CSA to make a batch for her to keep! Fresh, plump tomatoes are one of the sweetest rewards of Fall. Heirlooms, beefsteak or cherry- you can’t go wrong – they are all so delicious and in season! With the Farmers market bursting at the seams with fresh tomatoes I’ve been looking for new and different recipes to enjoy them! The classic Caprese salad is always a delicious treat however, I usually max out after eating it three nights in a row. This tomato jam is the perfect balance of sweet and savory- I love spreading it on a French baguette with some goat cheese or a delicious creamy cheese like St. Andrea or Brie. It also pairs perfectly with pork tenderloin, beef and is great for jazzing up fish or chicken. There is nothing better than preserving fresh produce and pulling it out of the cupboard in the dead of winter when you’re craving a little taste of summer! It also makes a really great house warming or birthday gift… but this recipe only makes 1 1/2 pints of jam so it better be a very special (and lucky) someone because once you try it you’ll have a very hard time giving it away! Enjoy!

Sweet & Savory Tomato Jam (Original recipe from Food52) Makes 1 1/2 pints

3 1/2 pounds tomatoes, coarsely chopped (red or yellow or mixture of both)
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup cider vinegar
juice of 1 lemon

Directions:

Put all ingredients in a 2-quart pot. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until thickened to a jam-like consistency, about 3 hours.
Transfer to 3 sterilized 1/2 pint glass jars and store in refrigerator or use a hot-water canning bath for 15 minutes for long-term storage. (See here for canning 101 basics).

Here are a few other delicious and inspiring tomato recipes I am dying to try!

Almond Crisped Peaches

Posted on September 2, 2013 by skibootsinthekitchen

Holy smokes- its September. I actually have no idea where my summer went. But September means a lot of great things: kids are back in school, fall foliage, peach season and most importantly…Football season! The peaches are in full swing in Utah and they are so delicious! This recipe is a fun and healthy spin on the classic peach crumble or crisp. The individual peach halves make a beautiful presentation if you are entertaining. The crunchy almond crisp topping is light enough that it allows the sweetness of the fresh peaches to shine through – so you’re actually enjoying the peach instead of a lot of sugar. Crunchy sweet perfection. Originally, I topped the dessert with ice cream- turns out, it doesn’t need it, they are amazing au natural! And… They are gluten free! Come to think of it a dollop of plain yogurt on these peaches would make a delicious breakfast…drool.This recipe calls for such basic and simple ingredients you’re bound to have some variation on hand at all times- which makes this a perfect last minute sweet treat! Sub peaches for plums, nectarines, apples or pears. Switch up the almonds for your favorite nut- the options are endless! I’ve eaten (and made) many different kinds of peach deserts but this one might be my new favorite and definitely the easiest! Enjoy!

Almond-Crisped Peaches (Original recipe from Smitten Kitchen)

Ingredients:

4 ripe peaches, halved and pitted
1/3 cup whole almonds (roasted or raw)
1/4 cup turbinado sugar (raw sugar)
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
pinch of sea salt (optional)
3 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place peaches cut side up in a baking dish.
In a food processor, combine almonds and sugar until coarsely ground (till only a few pebbles remain).
Add oats, cinnamon and salt if adding them, and butter, pulsing until they are blended.
Scoop almond mixture into the center of each peach and press flat to coat the whole top of the peach.
Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour (baking time will depend on peach size) till the top is brown and the fruit is soft enough to cut with fork or spoon.
Serve warm with fresh whipped cream, ice cream or with a drizzle of fresh maple syrup. Enjoy!

If you don’t have a food processor, use finely chopped almonds and combine them with other dry ingredients. Melt the butter and mix with dry ingredients until thoroughly combined. Scoop mixture into peaches as directed above.

Caesar Potato Salad with Sugar Snap Peas

Posted on August 19, 2013 by skibootsinthekitchen

Why do I always feel like I need a weekend to recover from my weekend? Busy weekends make for exhausting Mondays! We just took an amazing long weekend in Napa! It was so much fun and we drank so much wine… we took advantage of the fact that you can start wine tasting at 10am! I can’t wait to share some of my favorite wineries and pictures with you! A few of the wineries were pulling in their first grapes for harvest while we were there. Did you know the wineries pick all the grapes by hand? Hard work! I will have an exciting wine Wednesday for you this week! Check out some our amazing views in St Helena! This recipe for Caesar potato salad with sugar snap peas is one of my favorite ‘old school’ recipes from a June 2009 Bon Appetit It’s a classic! I am not a huge fan of heavy mayonnaise based potato salads in the summer (or ever) especially when its hot! This is a wonderful light option, with the crispy crunch from the sugar snap peas and radish its a fantastic side with steak, burgers, chicken- It will become your new BBQ staple! I also wanted an excuse to use my new mandolin- It makes slicing and cutting so simple! You can use a sharp knife or the side of a cheese grater to slice the radishes but a mandolin makes it a breeze! Caesar Potato Salad with Sugar Snap Peas

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds unpeeled assorted fingerling potatoes or baby potatoes (such as white-skinned, red skinned and purple), cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
8 ounces trimmed sugar snap peas
1 bunch radishes, trimmed, sliced
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, pressed or finely chopped
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Steam potatoes on steamer rack set in large pot over boiling water until almost tender, about 10 minutes. Add sugar snap peas and steam until peas are crisp-tender and potatoes are just fork tender, about 1 minute longer. Transfer vegetables to large bowl. Cool slightly. Add radishes and onion. (I usually steam the peas separately so I can run them under cold water after steaming. This stops the peas from over cooking and keeps them bright green and crisp- either method works!)
Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and garlic together in a small bowl. Whisk in Parmesan. Season with salt and lots of pepper.
Add dressing to potato mixture; toss to coat.
Season with more salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Recipe from Bon Appatit, June 2009

Beet Dip with Goat Cheese (plus vote for my next recipe!)

Posted on August 6, 2013 by skibootsinthekitchen

I might have a slight obsession with beets. They are just so delicious! I’ve been making beet chips (with classic hummus – pictured below), beet salads (with arugula, goat cheese and balsamic glaze- below) and now one of my new favorites… Beet hummus dip. I’ve brought my daily beet intake to a new level with this dip. Its super simple, very flavorful and a refreshing change to the usual hummus or spinach dip. Sprinkle a little goat cheese on top for a creamy texture and awesome flavor – its a winner! Serve it up with pita chips, veggie sticks, rice crackers or spread it on your sandwich, the options are endless! (Warning- you will enjoy this beet hummus so much you’ll most likely eat the whole bowl of dip, which will cause you to pee pink- don’t worry its a totally natural sign of a beet lover.)

Check out my poll below- I’d love to hear from you! what do you want to see more of from Ski Boots in the Kitchen?

Beet Dip with Goat Cheese (Click for printer friendly version)

Ingredients:

4-5 medium size beets, peeled and roasted
2 Tablespoons Tahini
1 lemon, juiced
1 large garlic clove, chopped
salt and pepper to taste (about 1 teaspoon of salt and 10 turns of fresh pepper- add more or less to your liking)
1 small log of goat cheese (or large depending on your love of goat cheese!)

Directions:

To roast beets, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash beets to remove any dirt, remove greens and stems from the beets so all the remains is the blub. To peel the beets prior to roasting use a vegetable peeler (or you can do this afterwards with your hands or paring knife- either way your hands will get pink unless you wear rubber gloves). Place beets on a large piece of foil and drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Make a little foil packet by sealing the top and sides by rolling the foil over itself. Roast for 25-30min or until you can easily pierce the beets with a fork.
Combine beets, Tahini, chopped garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth, scraping down the sides of your food processor (the Tahini gets stuck on the sides and bottom very easily). Add more lemon juice or a drizzle of olive oil until the dip reaches a desirable consistency (this is totally personal- add less liquid if you like your hummus thick and chunky or more liquid for it to be a bit thinner).
Scoop dip into a bowl, crumble desired amount of goat cheese on top and serve with favorite chips! Enjoy!

Quinoa, Kale & Corn Salad with Cranberries and Feta

Posted on August 2, 2013 by skibootsinthekitchen

Where did the week go?! It’s Friday, It’s August and I feel like my summer has been in a vacuum! There have been so many fun things going on this summer including getting married, going to other friends weddings, concerts, camping, cooking… time flies when your enjoying life! Each time I go to the farmers market the produce gets a little more plump, ripe and delicious for new recipes! Yesterday was scorching hot and the last thing I wanted was a warm lunch. This quinoa salad is a perfect cold side for lunch, dinner or afternoon snack! The sweetness of the cranberries and corn balance the tartness of the feta and kale for the perfect mix of summer flavors. Enjoy the weekend!

Quinoa, Kale & Corn Salad with Cranberries & Feta by Ski Boots in the Kitchen (Serves 4 to 6)

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked quinoa
4 cups chopped kale
2 ears of corn, kernels cut off
1/2 a small red onion, chopped
1/3 cup toasted almond slivers
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup crumbed feta cheese
1/4 cup good olive oil (plus extra for sauteing)
1 lime, juiced
Freshly cracked salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a medium saute pan, drizzle olive oil to coat the bottom (two turns around the pan)
Saute red onion and corn until the onion is translucent and tender. Add kale. cook until kale begins to wilt and turns bright green- about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat, set aside and allow it to cool.
In a large bowl, add cooked quinoa, kale, corn and onion saute, toasted almonds, and cranberries. Drizzle 1/4 cup of olive oil and juice of 1 lime over the ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Add Feta cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss once more and refrigerate for 1 hour or serve immediately. Enjoy!

(This is the color of the finished kale, corn and onion saute)

Zucchini Bread with Honey Butter

Posted on July 28, 2013 by skibootsinthekitchen

Happy Monday! I hope you had a wonderful weekend doing whatever it is that you love. I spent my weekend camping, relaxing, and making enough zucchini bread to feed a small country. One of our friends harvested a huge zucchini from his garden and gave it to me- It was one of the largest zucchinis I’ve seen!Unfortunately, once zucchinis get that size they are not as tender and delicious to cook with but they are still great for making zucchini bread. Morning Glory Farm on Martha’s Vineyard is notorious for their zucchini bread and since I was having a small case of FOMO (fear of missing out) after seeing all my friends and family enjoying a beach picnic OTV, I pulled out my comfort cookbook and made some zucchini bread, which allowed me to briefly pretend I was on the Island. I normally enjoy my zucchini bread plain or with a little cream cheese but the idea to make honey butter came to me and I thought zucchini bread and honey butter would make an amazing combination. I was right. Turns out honey butter is good on EVERYTHING! I took some of the honey butter and made french toast with it this morning. I used a little in the pan to cook the french toast. I topped it with some fresh peaches and some more honey butter instead of maple syrup… It was heavenly. I love this recipe for zucchini bread because its light, simple and totally delicious! The hardest part about this recipe is waiting for it to cool down before enjoying it!!

Zucchini Bread with Honey Butter (Click for printer friendly version)

Preparation time: 25 minutes | Cooking time: 1 hour | Servings: 2 Loaves

Ingredients:

2 to 2 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (if using a very large zucchini remove the large seeds before shredding it.)
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray two 9″x5″ bread pans with nonstick spray.
In a large mixing bowl, combine zucchini, oil, eggs and vanilla. Mix thoroughly.
Beat sugar into mix until it is thoroughly creamed.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients.
Once liquids and sugar are well mixed, add dry ingredients. Mix until batter is well blended and even in texture. The batter should be smooth, outside the zucchini shreds.
Pour batter evenly into pans
Bake for approximately 1 hour or until bread is brown and springs back when gently pressed in the middle.

Honey Butter by Ski Boots in the Kitchen

Ingredients:

2 sticks of butter
1/4 cup of honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Place butter in microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 15-20 seconds, so the butter is very soft but not melted.
Add honey and vanilla.
Using an electric hand mixer or kitchenaid mixer beat on low speed until thoroughly combined.
Using a rubber spatula scoop butter onto a large piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap and roll into a log.
Refrigerate for 2 hours. Serve on zucchini bread, french toast, pancakes or just about anything! Enjoy!