Day 22-31 Days of Samhuinn Cooking-Nutty Quinoa with Apples and Mushrooms

Nutty Quinoa with Apples and Mushrooms

2 1/2 cups broth-garlic or vegetable or, if using dried mushrooms, use the remains of the water used to reconstitute them and top off to make 2 cups total)
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1 cup mushrooms-(porcini, chanterelles, woodear, etc.-your choice)
1/4 cup apple, chopped
1/4 cup nuts of your choice (walnuts or hazelnuts work quite well)
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
olive oil
1/2 tsp. thyme leaves
pinch of sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

If using dried mushrooms, soak in warm water until they are soft.
In a large saucepan, saute shallot and garlic in a bit of oil until soft.
Drain liquid into a bowl or large measuring cup, add garlic or vegetable broth to mushroom *broth* until you hit 2 cups.
Pour liquid into large saucepan add quinoa and chopped mushrooms and bring to a slow boil.

Cook for 5 minutes. Add nuts, apples and 1/2 cup of broth and cook another 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. 
Remove from heat, stir in nuts and thyme.  Cover and let sit 5 minutes.

Serves 4





~Stephanie Lowell-Libby

31 Days of Samhuinn Cooking!

Day 20-31 Days of Samhuinn Cooking-Pixie's Poulet avec Gruyère et Pommes

Today's recipe is a combined effort with my darling daughter.  Our efforts to find a boneless pork roast locally was not successful so we had to hold off another pork dinner for the girl.  We did find some chicken breasts so while I made a batch of my pumpkin risotto today and Pixie worked on apples for her choice of an apple and cranberry pie we were tossing out ideas for what to add as a dish with our risotto.  I was lamenting the lack of brie for another yummy round of my favorite chicken stuffed with brie and apples so Pixie suggested the apple-smoked Gruyère we have in the fridge and this is the delicious yet simple end result.  Food coma commencing in 3...2...1...

(the name is my nod to her currently learning French)

Pixie's Poulet avec Gruyère et Pommes

3 boneless chicken breasts
1 apple, fine chop
1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsp fresh thyme leaves
salt and pepper, to taste
olive oil

Preheat oven to 375*. 
Flatten chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap until 1/4in to 1/2in thick.
Lay chicken out on parchment lined baking sheet.  Mix garlic and thyme with cheese.
Salt and pepper each breast and then layer apple and Gruyère, both divided equally.
Drizzle lightly with olive oil and bake about 25 min (depending on thickness) until done.

serves 3


~Stephanie Lowell-Libby

31 Days of Samhuinn Cooking!

Day 18-31 Days of Samhuinn Cooking-Hazelnut Crusted Pork Loin Stuffed with Apples

This is the Happy Birthday Pixie Jane!!!!  edition of 31 Days of Samhuinn Cooking.  My beloved cancer-surviving daughter is 12 years old today!  So in her honor I prepared the meal of her choice, the main course being the following.


Hazelnut Crusted Pork Loin Stuffed with Apples

1 5lb boneless pork roast

3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup hazelnuts, fine chop
1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
2 TB fresh rosemary
olive oil

1 apple, peeled and chopped
1 small red onion, fine chop
1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1 TB olive oil
1 TB fresh thyme
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground ginger
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350*.  Slice roast on side lengthwise until about 3/4in from opposite end and open (like a book).  cover in plastic wrap and pound the pork roast until about 3/4in thick. remove plastic and place roast in roasting pan.

Over medium-high heat, saute onion and apple in olive oil until soft.  Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup bread crumbs, thyme, coriander, ginger, salt and pepper. Let cool.

In a food processor, chop up hazelnuts, rosemary and garlic cloves to a fine meal. Add breadcrumbs and blend with enough olive oil to bind the mixture.

Spoon apple/onion mixture to one half of the pork, wrap up and tie off with kitchen string (or take skewers to hold closed). Cover all sides in hazelnut paste.

Cook according to roast size, about 20 min per pound.

31 Days of Samhuinn Cooking!

Day 17-31 Days of Samhuinn Cooking-Nut-crusted Chicken Stuffed with Apple and Brie

I found something like these in the freezer section and loved the idea of them.  Not one for prepackaged foods and their high sodium content I decided to give my own recipe a go.  I love the pure taste of apple and brie and hate the thought of muddying it up with other flavors, however I thought the thyme would go in nicely so I added a small amount.  The egg bath can be mixed with a bit of milk or water but i love the added apple flavor which mixes so nicely with the nutty crust.  


Nut-crusted Chicken Stuffed with Apple and Brie

4 chicken breast halves
4oz brie, room temperature
1 apple, peeled and chopped
1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves


1 egg
2 TB apple cider

1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts or walnuts, chopped fine
salt and pepper, to taste

olive oil

Preheat oven to 400*F
Pound out each breast half until 1/4in thick. 
In a bowl add brie, apple and thyme and mix well. divide into 4 equal parts and spoon onto one end of the chicken breast and roll up, tucking in sides.

beat one egg and thin with apple cider.  In a separate dish blend breadcrumbs, nuts and salt and pepper.
Carefully roll stuffed breast into egg mixture and then in breadcrumb mixture and secure with a toothpick before placing on greased baking sheet.

Drizzle breasts lightly with some olive oil and bake for 25-30 min or until done.

Serves 4

31 Days of Samhuinn Cooking!

Day 16-31 Days of Samhuinn Cooking-Spiced Apple Cider Waffles

We celebrated this month of Samhuinn with a day out in the glorious Autumn air.  We were treated to autumn zephyrs through the cemetery and blasts of falling leave-scented air through the apple orchard.  This morning I was inspired to break out my new to me waffle maker and try something with our harvest from yesterday's outing.  The stevia was surprisingly good with the finished product, I had no hint of aftertaste and Pixie is currently devouring her second full sized waffle with hums and sighs of delight.  So all in all a good day for kitchen alchemy!

Spiced Apple Cider Waffles

2 cups white whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup stevia
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cups apple cider (fresh is even better)
1 apple, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup olive oil (or melted butter)
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground allspice
pinch of salt (or low/no salt)


Mix flour, baking powder, stevia, spices and stir until combined. 
Add eggs, oil and apple cider and stir until well blended. 
Add in chopped apples and stir until just combined.
Pour into a hot and greased waffle maker and cook until the steam stops pouring out. 
Amount is dependent on griddle size.  I coat the bottom with batter until it just hits the edges and then close and allow to cook.

serve with butter, maple syrup or warm cider syrup.  Ours never made it that far, we ate them as soon as they cooled enough to eat!

makes 4-5 belgian waffles

~Stephanie Lowell-Libby

31 Days of Samhuinn Cooking!

Day 3-31 Days of Samhuinn Cooking-Mama Moon's Pork Chops Stuffed with Apple, Pepper & Gorgonzola

Back in the day I was known as "Mama Moon" on the internet....I was a stay at home mum raising chickens, a small Pixie, gardens full of goodies and living in tune with nature and the seasons. Gods I miss that part of my life! This recipe is one of the dishes I came up with during an obsessive love with blue cheese (that a stomach virus killed a few years back. ;0) )

Mama Moon's Pork Chops Stuffed with Apple, Pepper & Gorgonzola

2 Tb Olive oil
6 large boneless porkchops, at least one inch thick
3-4 Tb butter
2 apples, peeled, cored & chopped
1 large sweet red bell pepper, roasted, cored and seeded & chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced*
2c. gorgonzola, crumbled

To butterfly chops: Slice horizontally through the center about 3/4 of the the chop with a sharp knife leaving the end attached creating a butterfly shape when opened.
At medium high heat add olive oil and chops, then reduce to medium cooking for 5-7 min each side or until done. Set aside.
Still at medium heat, saute the chopped apples, peppers & minced garlic in the butter until tender. Remove from heat and add cheese. Stir slowly until cheese has melted and coated the apples to form a thick, creamy sauce.
Stuff each chop with 1/4 of apple cheese mixture and serve hot.

Serves 6

an option to garlic is to use garlic-infused oil in place of the olive oil.