Hi friends! 

Who loves chocolate? Well we sure do! For this month’s theme, In Love With Chocolate, we decided to incorporate chocolate into every recipe! Both sweet and savory, these recipes are sure to feed your chocolate cravings! 

Check out the links to our Youtube videos below and the attached recipe packet. 

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Dark Chocolate and Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates 

These stuffed dates make a perfect appetizer or sweet snack. Chewy dates, stuffed with goat cheese and dark chocolate, and topped with cayenne maple syrup, are salty and sweet, with a little kick of spice. This recipe is super customizable as the amount of chocolate, salt and cayenne can be altered based on personal preference. 

Chocolate Sweet Potato Drop Biscuits 

These wholesome biscuits are a fun way to add a touch of chocolate to your meal without overpowering sweetness. They are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and also a great way to sneak in a vegetable. If you can find it, use whole wheat pastry flour for softer texture. These biscuits can also easily be made vegan by using non-dairy milk. In case of a nut allergy, the nuts can be omitted. 

Butternut Squash Enchiladas with Quick Mole Sauce 

A traditional Mexican dish that has a delightful secret you may not have known, there is chocolate in the sauce! This dish features a spicy, sweet mole sauce that is easy to make. The flavor is balanced well by the simple, sweet squash and complemented by the salty cheese. Make this dish your own by adding more veggies to the filling or customize the toppings. Whatever you do, you will be sure to enjoy it! 

Black Bean Chili with Cocoa & Roasted Potatoes 

This chili is plentiful in vitamin C, fiber, protein, and satisfying flavors. It’s quick and easy to make. With red peppers, chili powder, and a generous amount of cocoa powder, this chili has just the right amount of spices and plant-based ingredients to fill you up and delight you with its chocolate flavor.

Mocha Granola 

Calling all coffee and chocolate lovers! This mocha granola is a great way to start your morning or give you a boost in the afternoon. Oats are gluten-free and you can use pumpkin seeds if you are navigating nut allergies. For a vegan version, use maple syrup or agave as the sweetener, and vegan chocolate chunks at the end. For those who enjoy a bit of spice, the “Spiced Mocha” version offers a nice flavor kick, and an antiinflammatory boost as well! 

Chocolate Carrot Cake 

This is a fluffy, moist, and rich chocolate carrot cake. It is topped with a creamy frosting made from cashews with a hint of orange flavor. Unlike traditional carrot cake, this recipe includes an addition of cocoa powder, espresso powder, and chopped dark chocolate that all add richness and depth of flavor. The almond milk can be substituted for cow’s milk in this recipe. To boost fiber content, half of the flour is whole wheat. 

Thank you for your continued support during these unprecedented times. If you are interested in donating to SPU Community Kitchen to help us continue to serve our community for years to come, please visit give.spu.edu. Select “other” as the designation and then enter “Community Kitchen.”

Check back in April for our next Kitchen event! 

Happy 2021! Thank you for joining us again online and in our home kitchens. We are still so thankful to have the ability to adapt and continue to connect with our community virtually. January’s theme is “Everyday Food as Medicine.” These recipes, handpicked and adapted by our team, are full of vitamins to help your body stand strong against illnesses. 

Each recipe features something different, read the descriptions and watch the videos to learn more!

Want more Community Kitchen content? Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or get our Email updates. 

Chickpea and Kale Tuscan-Style Soup

This soup is filled with fresh vegetables, hearty beans, and savory herbs. It contains vitamin A from the kale which supports a healthy immune system, and the fiber from the beans promotes a healthy gut. It’s simple to make and relatively quick to prepare. An ideal pairing for this soup is a slice of crusty, whole-grain bread and a sprinkle of cheese. 

Glowing Carrot Tumeric Soup

This soup is loaded with vitamin A, sweetness, and warming flavors. It’s quick and easy to make. With turmeric, ginger root, and a touch of cayenne pepper, this soup has just the right amount of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory substances to boost your immune system and so it is perfect for the winter months. You can find turmeric root in the produce department of some grocery stores or, if you cannot find it, you can use turmeric powder instead. 

Winter Citrus Salad

In winter we don’t always think of salads, but this seasonal dish is full of fresh flavor and is so easy to put together. The three different types of citrus are sweet against the white wine vinegar in the dressing. Chia seeds are a great alternative to poppy seeds in summer dressings and they are full of inflammation-fighting omega-3 fatty acids. Immune-boosting vitamin C from the fruit is sure to fight against winter sickness. 

Apple and Orange Streusel Bars

These chewy and flaky layered bars are the perfect balance of freshness and warm spices, layering buttery shortbread rust, tart apples, and cinnamon streusel. With apples and oranges this recipe is a great source of vitaminA as well as a little vitamin C. Adding vitamin A or C to the diet is one way to boost immunity. This recipe can easily be made vegan by substituting butter with vegan butter. Try using half whole wheat flour for added nutrients. The bars are delicious on their own or warmed, next to a scoop of vanilla ice cream. 

Warm Dates with Almonds and Lime Zest

Take simple dates up a notch by trying this dessert. Heating the dates translate their naturally sweet flavor almost into caramel, and their soft texture is perfectly paired with the crunchy almonds inside. Olive oil and almonds provide vitamin E, an important antioxidant for the immune system. Make sure to let your family and friends trying this dish know that there are almonds inside, not pits! 

For more information, check out the links below!
Blog: https://spucommunitykitchen.home.blog
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spukitchen/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spukitchen
Website: https://spu.edu/academics/college-of-arts-sciences/family-consumer-sciences/community-kitchen

Hello Community Kitchen friends!

We are so pleased to share with you this month’s dishes, which are just in time for Thanksgiving and other holiday festivities. You will find below a description of each dish and the link to the YouTube video of each.

Jalapeño Poppers – An awesome appetizer, that is simple, spicy, and cheesy! Sure, to be a hit at any at-home party. https://youtu.be/Om2PBL2L06U

Lentil Shepard’s Pie – Look no further for comfort food! This dish is warm, flavorful, and hearty, perfect for any winter day. https://youtu.be/mcuEsVrr5ss

Mushroom Sage Stuffing – Fresh herbs, spices, and artisan bread? This stuffing is unlike others you’ve had before and definitely a showstopper at the dinner table. This recipe pairs well with gravy or our own cranberry sauce! https://youtu.be/IPYJE9nvaPI

Maple-Roasted Brussel Sprouts – Crispy and caramelized Brussel sprouts are a fresh fall take on a controversial vegetable. Let us change your mind by giving these a try, and maybe add the optional bacon for a savory kick.https://youtu.be/Gb0DtOZqx00

Great Great Grandma Croft’s Cranberry Sauce – Just like this recipe, this recipe gets sweeter over time. Make this side ahead and always feel prepared when you need a sweet addition or eat it by itself! One of our Community Kitchen member’s family favorites, that you can add to your own family traditions. https://youtu.be/pzrElgbaoko

Pumpkin Scones with Spiced GlazeFill your home with the smells of fall. This recipe is the perfect ending or beginning to your day. Featuring delicious, moist scones, with a sweet, spiced glaze round it all out. https://youtu.be/th5rpikmt94

Thank you all for joining us once again in our homes. We hope you have a blessed holiday season with your loved ones. Please share with us how these recipes go! We will see you next year for more delicious recipes!

We Hope You Enjoy Some of Our Favorite Things!

Hello, and thank you for joining us for our first ever virtual kitchen! Our theme this October is “Tried and True: Recipes to Get You Through Being at Home.” 

This month we grew as a team and got to see a unique side of each member, their most trusted recipes. 

Below you will find descriptions of the dishes and links to watch it being prepared on our YouTube page. 

Greak Pasta Salad

This Mediterranean-inspired dish is perfect as a main or a side, or leftovers. It can be easily dressed up or down, and is full of calcium, vitamin A, and those healthy fats!

Quinoa with Roasted Veggies and Feta

A hearty dish that is perfect for anytime of the day, is what you’ll see here. This video highlights how to use quinoa and some quick tips, as well as some fantastic flavors.

Lentil Bolognese:

Are you looking for a plant-based take on an Italian classic, that is high in fiber and packed with protein? Well, look no further, our Lentil Bolognese has just that and is inexpensive to make. 

One-pot Vegetarian Pumpkin Chili

A very easy dish to prepare, that is also bursting with warm flavors is what you’ll see here. There is less mess with this one-pot recipe and it is sure to be favorite in your home. 

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos

Sweet, tangy, and hearty, these tacos are sure to satisfy. It’s easy to customize it with your favorite toppings and enjoy. 

Pumpkin Bread

The perfect fall dessert is here! Soft, fluffy, and plant-based? Round out the end of your day, or cozy up with a slice of this and a warm drink, whatever you choose, it’s sure to be delicious. 

Thank you again for watching or cooking with us! Here you can find a link to our recipe packet, so you can cook these at home too!

If you would like to donate to the Community Kitchen, feel free to use this link: give.spu.edu Here, you can select the “other” option, and write in Community Kitchen. 

Join us in November for more food and fun! Be sure you are following us @spukitchen on Instagram and Facebook for more updates!

The everchanging times that we are living in have prompted us to re-envision our Community Kitchen and shift the program to an online space. We are still committed to facilitating community around food and inspiring you to cook using easy, nutritious, and seasonal recipes. 

Starting in October, the Community Kitchen Team will release our first virtual Kitchen, featuring homemade demonstration videos of tried and true recipes. We will invite you into our homes virtually so you can see all that’s needed to cook up delicious food is desire and some good recipes – no fancy equipment or advanced skills are required. 

We are thrilled to continue providing inspiration and resources for you – our community –  and we hope that you join us from your kitchen on the evening of October 14th! 

Check out our social media channels for more updates: 

FB: https://www.facebook.com/spukitchen 

IG: @spukitchen

Email: spukitchen@spu.edu