With winter just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to warm up with recipes made with November’s seasonal ingredients. check the charts above for what is in season. You will find several recipes below that incorporate seasonal produce. Fruit choices start to diminish but November’s offerings of quince, pomegranate, pears and apples work in both sweet and savory dishes.

Low Carb Pumpkin Bread

This bread is also gluten-free.

I have a bread pan that measures 12 x 6.5 inches and I prefer to use this pan when baking quick breads. Baking quick breads can be tricky because they don’t always cook right in the middle and sometimes they come out too dry. This pan spreads the dough out more and makes good-looking serving slices.

Ingredients

3 cups finely ground almond flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
1 cup sugar or 1:1 sugar substitute
6 large eggs
15 oz can pureed pumpkin
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl combine the almond flour, baking soda, salt and spices.

In a second bowl, mix the melted butter, sugar, eggs and pumpkin until smooth. Stir wet ingredients into dry.

Spray a 12×6.5 inch or a 9×5 inch or two 8×4 inch bread pans with cooking spray.

Pour the pumpkin mixture into the pan and sprinkle the top with the chopped nuts.

Use a rubber spatula to lightly press the nuts into the dough.

Bake the 12 inch pan for 45 minutes and the other pans for about an hour, or until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Remove the pan from the oven and cool the bread for ten minutes. Remove the bread to a rack to finish cooling.

Chicken Pot Roast

Serve this dish with noodles or mashed potatoes.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 small onion, diced
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 celery stalk, diced
1 small carrot, diced
3-4 lb organic chicken
Salt and pepper
Chicken stock

Directions
Heat the oven to 325°F. Heat the oil in a Dutch Oven over medium heat.

Add the garlic and vegetables and cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the thyme and bay leaf.

Place the chicken on top of the vegetables in the pan (breast-side up) and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Add enough stock to a reach a depth of 1 inch.

Cover the pan tightly with foil or a lid, then place the pot in the oven and roast for 1 ½ hours, basting occasionally with the pan juices.

Increase the oven temperature to 350°F, remove the lid and continue to bake for 20 minutes more, to allow the chicken to brown.

Remove the chicken to a cutting board. Remove the bay leaf.

With a hand-held immersion blender, puree the sauce and vegetables in the pot to create a sauce.

Adjust the seasoning and reheat the sauce. Slice the chicken and serve with the sauce.

Cauliflower Puree

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon butter
2 ounces Italian fontina cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Clean and trim the cauliflower, breaking it into medium-sized pieces.

Place in a microwave safe bowl with the cream and butter.

Microwave, uncovered, on high for six minutes.

Stir to coat the cauliflower with the cream/butter mixture. Microwave for another six minutes on high.

Remove from the microwave and put into a high-speed blender or food processor along with the cheese. Puree until smooth.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust the cream and butter to your preference. Reheat just before serving.

Bacon Wrapped Pork Chops

4 Servings

Ingredients

Pork Chops
4 boneless pork chops (about 1 ¼ lbs; 1/2-inch thick each)
4 slices bacon (not thick cut)
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper

Apple Cider Vinegar Sauce
1/4 cup onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup chicken broth
½ teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons brown sugar

Directions

Let the pork chops come to temperature for 20 minutes before cooking.

Trim the fat off of the pork chops and wrap a piece of bacon around each one, securing it with several toothpicks.

Rub each chop with a 1/2 teaspoon of oil over both sides and season both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat a deep skillet over medium heat until hot. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan.

Add the pork chops on the side with the bacon, placing them right next to each other to keep them upright.

Cook for 1 minute per side until all the bacon is brown.

Place the pork chops flat in the pan to cook the top and bottom surfaces, 3-5 minutes per side depending on the thickness.

Remove the pork to a plate and cover loosely with foil.

Add the onions and garlic to the pan and saute for 1-2 minutes or until they begin to soften.

Add the chicken broth and thyme to the pan and stir.

Add the vinegar to the pan and stir, scraping up any browned bits stuck on the bottom of the pan.

Reduce the sauce by half and add the butter and brown sugar. Cook and stir until they are incorporated into the sauce.

Place the pork back in the back in the pan and heat for a few minutes, turning the pork over after a minute or two, so they can be coated in the sauce.

Seasoned Baked Rutabaga Fries

Ingredients

1 rutabaga, peeled and sliced into very thin “fries”
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for the pan
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Kosher salt and coarse black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 °F. Use a metal sheet pan and place it in the oven while the oven preheats.

In a large Ziploc bag, mix the cornstarch with the garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, salt and pepper and shake to combine.

Place the rutabaga fries in the bag and shake to evenly coat them. Add the oil and shake again.

Arrange the fries on the hot sheet pan so they are not touching.

Bake 15 minutes and turn the fries over. Bake another 10 minutes or until the fries are brown and crispy.

If the fries are getting too dark too fast, reduce the oven temperature to 400°F.)


Posted by in Bacon, Bread, carrots, cauliflower, celery, Cheese, Chicken, Gluten Free, onion, Pork, rutabaga, Vegetables Tags: