Winter Squash Maple Nut Muffins-Eating the Alphabet

This month we have reached U, V, W.  There are only a few vegetables, fruits or grains that begin with these letters so these are some of the hardest letters in the alphabet to find something to blog about.

I checked Veggie Ventures index, and she has nothing listed for U and V.  For W there is only watercress and winter squash listed.  I am not sure that I have ever seen watercress although I have read about cucumber and watercress sandwiches in books.

That left me with winter squash.  Now technically that is a category of vegetable, not a specific vegetable, but since many winter squash varieties can be used interchangeably in recipes, I think winter squash is legal for the challenge.

I happened to have some leftover acorn squash in my fridge so went looking for something to make with it.  When I measured it, I had right at a cup and decided to look at muffin recipes on the file in my computer.

Because I had maple flavor on my mind from yesterday’s Dessert Challenge, when I found a recipe for Maple Pumpkin Muffins that called for 1 cup of pumpkin, I knew I had found the base for my muffins.
I changed the pumpkins to squash, changed the spice from pumpkin pie spice to allspice and added some walnuts for crunch.

The muffins were moist and very good with a subtle maple flavor that paired very well with the squash flavor.  Any mashed winter squash could be used in these.  They would be a slightly different flavor for each one.

Winter Squash Maple Nut Muffins
1 3/4 c. flour
1/2 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
1 T. baking powder
1 t. allspice
1/2 c. pure maple syrup
1/3 c. butter or margarine, melted
1 egg
1 c. mashed cooked winter squash or pumpkin
1/3 c. chopped walnuts or other nuts

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder and allspice.  Mix well.  In a small mixing bowl, combine maple syrup, butter or margarine and the egg.  Beat well.  Add mashed squash and stir until well blended.  Add liquid ingredients to flour mixture, stirring just until blended.  Add nuts and mix briefly.  Spoon batter into greased muffin cups, filling them about 3/4 full.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.  Let cool 5 minutes and remove from pan.  May be served warm or at room temperature.  Makes 12 muffins.

Brenda from Meal Planning Magic is planning to do this challenge next year which will be year three.  Eating the Alphabet has been a great challenge which has helped me eat a bigger variety of vegetable, fruits and grains.  If you would like to broaden your vegetable, fruit and grains horizon, I strongly suggest that you sign up and follow Meal Planning Magic to get all the details for 2014.

Check out the links below to see what other bloggers have done with the letters U, V, W.

Dilly Red Onions and a Salad Idea-Eating the Alphabet

This is a month when the 15th and the third Thursday occur on the same day, so I am posting for each of the challenges I participate in.  We are up to the letters M, N and O in the Eat the Alphabet Challenge hosted by Brenda from Meal Planning Magic.  Since I love onions, I jumped right past M and N and went to O.

I also like dill so Dilly Red Onions are "right down my alley" as they say.  Although I did use red onions because they are so pretty, regular yellow or white onions can be used, and sweet onions, such a Walla Walla Sweets, are great in this recipe.

Although they need to chill a few hours, these are very easy to make and very versatile.  Use the onions in salads, as a topping for hamburgers and sandwiches, and I love to just eat them on their own.  The onions do become a bit soft so are best eaten within a day or two.

Cut the onions into rings if you prefer.  I just find it easier to cut the onion in half.

Dilly Red Onions
1 large red onion, cut in half and sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices
1/3 c. sugar
1 t. salt
2 t. dried dill weed
1/4 c. water

Place sliced onions in a medium bowl that has a lid.  Combine sugar, salt, dill weed and water.  Mix until sugar is dissolved.  Pour over onions.  Cover and refrigerate at least 5 hours, stirring every half hour or so.  Drain onions with a slotted spoon.  Use in salads, on hamburgers and sandwich or just enjoy eating as is.

One of my favorite things to do with the onions (other than just eating them like popcorn) is to combine them with red pepper rings and sugar snap peas and serve them on a bed of lettuce with a simple dressing of mayonnaise and dill weed.

Dilly Red Onion, Red Pepper and Sugar Snap Pea Salad (ingredients for a salad for one person, increase accordingly if serving more)
1 or 2 head lettuce leaves
3 or 4 slices red pepper rings
handful of sugar snap peas
big spoon full of drained Dilly Red Onions
a couple tablespoons mayonnaise (may use sour cream or yogurt instead, if desired)
dash of dried dill weed

Arrange the lettuce leaves on a salad plate.  Combine the red pepper rings, sugar snap peas and Dilly Red Onions in a small bowl.  Mix together the mayonnaise and dash of dill weed and stir well.  Add mayonnaise to the vegetables and mix until vegetables are covered with dressing .  Fish out the red pepper rings and place on the lettuce.  Do the same things with the sugar snap peas.  Top red peppers and peas with the onions.  Makes one serving.

There is still time to join the Eating the Alphabet Challenge.  Brenda has all the details in this post.

To see what other bloggers in the challenge have made with M, N and O, check out the links below.

Now that you have been good and eaten your salad, come back later for Chocolate and Vanilla Waffle Cookies.

Linking to these great parties:

Thursday's Treasures

Fantastic Thursday

Full Plate Thursday

Tasty Thursday

Showcase Your Talent

Catch a Glimpse Party

 

Cheesy Green Bean Wontons-Eating the Alphabet

The idea for this recipe came from a post for Asparagus Pockets by Sheryl over at Lady Behind the Curtain.  She used asparagus and crescent rolls.

This month’s letters for Eating the Alphabet Recipe Challenge, hosted by Brenda over at Meal Planning Magic, are G and H.  I knew that I wanted to make something new with green beans.  When I saw Sheryl’s post, I thought “Why not green beans and why not wontons?”  Thus, this recipe for Cheesy Green Bean Wontons was born.  Thanks, Sheryl, for the inspiration.

You could, of course, use cooked asparagus here instead of green beans.  Chopped broccoli and shredded carrots are another option.  Adding some cooked, finely chopped chicken, turkey or ham could turn the wontons into a main dish.  I am adding some chopped ripe olives next time I make these.

I used well-drained, canned green beans because that is all hubby will eat, but I think that crisply cooked frozen or fresh green beans would be even better.

I think dill goes well with green beans so I used that.  If you are not a dill person use something else.  Italian herbs would be good also.

The wontons can be served as an appetizer or a side dish, with or without a dip.  I made about 36 wontons and have been eating the remaining filling on toasted Sandwich Thins.

Cheesy Green Bean Wontons
1 (12 oz.) pkg. wontons
1/2 T. olive oil
1/3 c. minced red pepper
1/3 c. finely sliced green onion
1 lg. clove garlic, minced
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, well softened (can be regular or low fat, and I used whipped cream cheese)
1 t. dried dill weed
1/2 t. garlic powder
1 (16 oz.) can cut green beans, well drained and cut into 1/4-inch pieces or 1 1/2 c. crisply cooked frozen or fresh green beans, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
olive oil

Heat olive oil in a small skillet.  Add red pepper, green onion and garlic and cook gently for about 5 minutes.  Set aside.  combine cream cheese, dill week and garlic powder.  Mix well.  Stir in pepper/onion mixture and green beans.  Mix well.  Place wontons on a foil-lines baking pan.  Place a heaping teaspoon of green bean mixture in the center of each wonton.  Moisten edges of wontons with water and bring them together to form a triangle.  When the baking pan is full, brush wontons lightly with olive oil.  Bake at 375 degrees 10-15 minutes or until the edges of the wonton’s are lightly browned, turning the wontons over at about 7 minutes.  Makes about 36 to 48 wontons.

Sharing at these great parties:

Cast Party Wednesday

Wednesday Whatsits

Work It Wednesday

Wow Me Wednesday

Show and Share Wednesday

Check out the links below to see what creations other bloggers have shared today.

Maple Mustard Roasted Carrots-Eating the Alphabet

The letters for this month’s Eating the Alphabet challenge hosted by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic is “C or D".  This is a blog hop using veggies, fruits, grains or legumes to help us find more recipes for eating healthy.  I decided that carrots would be the vegetable I would use this month.

I like cooked carrots, hubby not so much; so I usually make them just for me. Roasting is my preferred method for cooking carrots as it seems to bring out their sweetness.  The maple/mustard flavor combination is one I have used in the past so I thought I would try it with carrots.  Hubby tried them and said that they were OK which is big praise from him.  I, myself, loved them and will be making this recipe often.

Since there are just the two of us, I only made an 8x8 pan full.  If I was feeding a family, I would double the recipe.  Although I used regular carrots, peeling and cutting them up, a lb. of baby carrots could be used instead.  Cut the baby carrots so they are all about the same size if necessary.  The flavor of this recipe can be changed up some by using different flavors of mustard.

Maple Mustard Roasted Carrots
8 or so medium carrots, peeled and cut into about 1 inch chunks (enough to fill a 8x8-inch baking dish) or 1 lb. baby carrots
1 T. olive oil
3 T. pure maple syrup
1 1/2 t. Dijon mustard or mustard of your choice.

Place carrots in a greased 8x8-inch baking dish.  Drizzle with the olive oil and toss until carrots are well coated.  Place pan in a 350 degree oven.  Roast about 45 minutes, turning every 15 minutes, until carrots are crisp tender.  Combine maple syrup and mustard in a glass measuring cup and mix until very well blended.  Pour over carrots and mix well.  Roast another 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes until as tender as desired.  Makes 4 servings.

If you would like to join our eating adventure, Brenda has a information and a sign-up form in this post.