Sometimes you just gotta bake. 

Sometimes you crave something a little out of the ordinary. 

Sometimes that means going outside of your comfort zone.

New recipes. Savory recipes. Considerably less sugar than you are used to baking with.

These things happen. Some people do it all the time. Weirdos.

But just when you think things couldn’t get anymore uncomfortable, you surprise yourself. (Oh hai Lively Run!!)

New Recipes quickly become Favorite New Recipes. Savory Recipes morph into Savory-Sassy Recipes. And considerably less sugar translates into making the best use of the best fall ingredients/parle-ing with your manager at work. You win, Darlin’ Clementine!

If you are looking for something a little heartier as this FREEZING weather blows through town, I would suggest whipping up either one of these recipes. Both are subtle, strong, and sustaining. And both go great with a homemade soup! Enjoy!

Butternut Squash-Feta Muffins

Recipe adapted from 101 Cookbooks

Note: These muffins are SUPER easy to make…just don’t be intimidated by all the chopping involved. I would suggest prepping your squash or pumpkin the day before you bake, just to save time. 

I used butternut squash for this recipe, but you can also use pumpkin. I also made the mistake of baking them in mini muffin tins…6 mini muffins = 1 large muffin right? Right?

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups cubed pumpkin or butternut squash, 1/2-inch cubes

salt and pepper to taste
1 large handful of baby spinach, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped parsley or cilantro
3 tablespoons sunflower seeds kernels
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

 1/2 cup cubed feta

2 teaspoons mustard
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup milk
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt

Toss squash with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake at 400 degrees, 15-25 minutes until cubes are cooked through. 

Mix two thirds of the squash with the spinach, parsley, sunflower seeds, parmesan, mustard, and two thirds of the feta. In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs and milk and add to the squash mixture. Add in the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper to taste. 

Spoon batter into greased muffin tins, filling three fourths full. Top batter with remaining squash and feta. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes until the feta browns slightly and muffins are set. Let cool on cooling rack (just be careful when you flip them! When I did this, all of the yummy bits on top fell right off). Enjoy with a hearty soup or bring them into share with sugar-phobic co-workers. 

Sweet Potato Spoon Bread

Recipe adapted from Serious Eats

Note: This was my first adventure into spoon bread territory (thanks for the urging Forty-One Things!), and I cannot wait to visit again. Any baked good that is rich, fluffy and capable of being eaten with a fork or a spoon is worth a recipe that is missing a step (Click the link above, you’ll understand). Alot of this I just kind of made up myself/forgot to add things here or there…but I learned that spoon bread is your friend and that it will forgive you when you wing it. 

• 3 large red-fleshed sweet potatoes
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• 4 large shallots, sliced thinly
• 6 ounces fresh goat cheese
• 3/4 cup white whole-wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup boiling water
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Prick sweet potatoes, wrap in aluminum foil, and bake in oven at 350 degrees until potatoes are soft (about 1-1 1/2 hours). Let cool until you can handle them comfortably. Scoop out the flesh and transfer to a bowl. 

Heat a little butter in a skillet and cook the shallots until they are golden brown and caramelized. Set aside. 

Combine the sweet potato flesh, flour, onion powder, salt and pepper. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and add to flour mixture. Stir in water. 

Pour batter into a buttered casserole dish. Dot with crumbled goat cheese and caramelized onions (You can also stir the onions into the batter, unless of course you, um, forget or something. But they add a nice little crunch if you put them on top!). Bake in the oven at 425 degrees for 35-45 minutes until the goat cheese browns and the bread is set. Serve warm and enjoy your foray into Spoon Bread country!

PS— A certain barefoot sass-pot may be broadening her culinary skills…stay tuned!