Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies

October 28, 2019 by

You may be expecting a pumpkin flavored brownie reading that recipe name.  But you’d be wrong!  These are somewhere between fudgy and cakey but 100 percent chocolaty!   The pumpkin and yogurt makes them super moist and dare I say nutritious? I mean, you could probably even say the ingredients are similar to an ingredient list for muffins… so yeah, you could have a piece for breakfast.

I made these using homemade pumpkin puree but if you use some from a can I won’t call the pumpkin police on you.

CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN BROWNIES

2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
Add the pumpkin, yogurt, oil, and vanilla and stir until combined.  Stir in half the chocolate chips.
Line a 9 by 13 pan with parchment paper and spread batter in pan.  Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips on top of batter.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted has moist crumbs but no liquid.
Let cool to room temperature before cutting.

Filed Under: Brownies / Bars, Pumpkin

Oven Dried Tomatoes

October 16, 2019 by

As soon as I know frost is coming I pick all the tomatoes on our plants and our kitchen has trays sitting around with green tomatoes in varying shades of ripeness.  Not too many this year, since I handed the garden responsibility over to our 12 year nature girl and let her run with it.  (and she doesn’t love tomatoes so those weren’t a priority!)  If you are like me you’ll have a large amount ready at one time and scramble to put them all to use before they go bad.  This is the perfect solution. If you’ve ever wondered if you could make your own sun-dried tomatoes this is your answer!
A few tips: Be sparing with the salt, the long baking time will intensify the flavor and saltiness.
Use smaller tomatoes like plum size or romas if available.  Larger tomatoes like beefsteak will take a really long time to dry out.
To put them to use: Eat on toasted bread, dice up and add to scrambled eggs, to bread doughs, on pizzas, in a pesto, anywhere you want an intense tomato flavor punch!

OVEN DRIED TOMATOES

Tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
sea salt
Olive oil

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place tomatoes on it, cut side up.  Sprinkle sparingly with salt.
Bake at 250 degrees until they seem fairly dry.  Length of cook time depends on size of tomatoes, plum tomatoes take about 4 to 6 hours for me.
Let cool then pack in a jar and cover with olive oil.  Store in the refrigerator for months even.

Filed Under: Appetizers / Dips / Snacks, DIY / How to...

Caramel Apple Pie Macarons (Nut Free!)

October 1, 2019 by


These are a very slight twist to the Pumpkin Macarons with Spiced Caramel Filling I recently posted.  But I couldn’t resist.
We’re just having too much fun with macarons now that I’ve mastered nut free macarons.  Because everyone should have macarons!  Plus, today is homemade cookie day and what cookie is more of a show stopper than a macaron?!

CARAMEL APPLE PIE MACARONS
(NUT FREE)

275 grams pumpkin seeds
250 grams powdered sugar
50 grams cocoa powder, optional
210 grams egg whites, at room temperature (approx 7 large eggs)
210 grams granulated sugar

For Filling:
Apple Pie Jam (Or Trader Joe’s Apple Cider Jam)

For Spiced Caramel Frosting:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup homemade caramel sauce
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2-4 Tablespoons heavy cream
pink salt, to taste

Grind pumpkin seeds in a blender or with a food processor.  Sift with a fine mesh sifter.  If you have more than a Tablespoon or two of clumps left regrind.
Sift pumpkin seed flour with powdered sugar and cocoa powder (if chocolate shells are desired) into a large bowl.
Set aside.
Beat egg whites until frothy, then add the granulated sugar.  Continue beating to stiff peaks.
Add stiff egg whites to bowl with dry mix.  Mix together until combined.
Now comes the “macaronage” step.  Using a bowl scraper or spatula, push the mixture against the side of the bowl for several minutes.  The idea is to deflate some of the meringue.  You know it’s done when you can do the “figure 8 test”.  When the batter flows off of the spatula allowing you to make a figure 8.  If it falls off in big clumps and doesn’t “flow like lava” you need to continue the macaronage step.
Fit a pastry bag with a round tip (or do as I do.  Just use a disposable pastry bag and snip the end off, no tip.)  Fill the bag and pipe onto parchment lined trays (no silicone here!).  I usually make smaller macs, so hold your pastry bag straight and push some batter out until you make a circle about 1 1/2 inches across (or make larger ones if you desire).  Continue to fill tray, leaving a couple inches between each cookie.
Once you have a full tray tap on the counter 3-5 times.  Continue with additional trays until done.  Let rest on the counter for 15 minutes.
Bake at 250 degrees for 15 minutes (If you have convection you can bake at 275).
Add a couple minutes for larger macs.  Until you get the hang of it break one open before removing tray and make sure it isn’t liquidy inside.  Overbaking slightly is better than underbaking.  They shouldn’t be browned but you want to see little “feet” where the macs have risen up.
Let cool.

Pipe a dam of frosting on half the macs, put a small dollop of jam in the center, then top with another.

Place in covered airtight container and chill for at least 24 hours.  This allows the filling to soften the macs just a little and they will have a much chewier texture.

To make the frosting:
Beat everything together until fluffy and well combined.  Add cream to desired consistency and additional salt to desired flavor.  I like to use pink salt but sea salt works well here too.

If you want to paint the macarons just add a tiny bit of gel food coloring to a little bit of clear extract (I use lemon, again, no tree nuts in our house).  Mix to dissolve then use a pastry brush to brush a stroke of color on the tops.

Filed Under: Cookies, Macarons

Instant Pot (or not) Porcupine Balls

September 30, 2019 by

Porcupine balls are definitely in the top 10 meals that remind me of childhood.  They were my oldest sister’s favorite meal and I remember my Mom always made sure to make them for her birthday or when she was home visiting from college.  My Mom always made them using tomato soup for the sauce and while they were always good she agrees my homemade sauce just makes them so much better.  These are so good for blustery fall days.  I usually serve them with extra rice or potatoes and green beans.
I think using the instant pot makes them even better but they will be great cooked in a slow cooker or oven if you don’t have one.
And if porcupine balls isn’t a comfort food for you after you try them they just might be!


INSTANT POT (OR NOT) PORCUPINE BALLS with homemade sauce!

For the porcupine balls:
2 pounds lean ground beef (or 1 pound each ground beef and pork)
1 cup white rice
1 teaspoon celery salt (or kosher salt if you don’t have this)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 eggs

For the sauce*:
2 (16 oz) cans tomato sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons worcestershire
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all the porcupine ingredients in a large bowl until well combined.
Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup or scoop to make balls.  Place in the instant pot.
Whisk all the sauce ingredients together in same bowl and pour over the porcupine balls.
Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes and use natural pressure release for 15 minutes.

*Alternatively, you can use 2 cans tomato soup concentrate mixed with 2 cans water and 2 Tablespoons worcestershire sauce.
SLOW COOKER DIRECTIONS: Make as directed above but place in a slow cooker.  Cook on high 3-4 hours or low 6-7 hours.  I find that not all slow cookers cook at a consistent temperature across the board, so leave extra time and put on warm if they are finished early.
OVEN DIRECTIONS: Place in a large casserole with a well fitting lid (or seal well with foil).  Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes then uncover and cook an additional 15-20 minutes.

Filed Under: Beef, Instant Pot (Pressure Cooking), Slow Cooker

Pumpkin Macarons with Spiced Caramel Filling

September 25, 2019 by

It’s officially fall! And I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than fall flavored macarons.  Macarons for EVERYONE.  Even those with nut allergies!!!
My daughter loves to look through my cookbook collection and pick out things to try making with me.  Awhile back she came across a macaron recipe and asked if we cold make them without almonds (she has a severe tree nut allergy).  Now, if you know macarons you know they are a egg white and almond flour based cookie.  (Not to be confused with macaroons!) Deliciously chewy with a crisp shell, sandwiched with a yummy filling of some sorts.  They are not just any old “cookie”.   Much more challenging to make as well.  I’ve always prided myself on being able to figure out how to make things so she isn’t missing out but was unsure if I could do that in this case.  But why not try.  So after some digging on the internet and checking out an obscene amount of macaron books from the library and many many batches of attempts I present the winner.
In place of almonds I used pumpkin seeds! I’ve also had good luck with sunflower seeds and peanuts but those are for another day.  If you or a loved one has a tree nut allergy these are totally worth the trouble.  I’ve never seen a nut free macaron sold in any bakery so unless you make them you’re out of luck! There is a learning curve, and I’ll add a tutorial sometime when I have help (taking pictures with one hand while making macarons with the other just doesn’t work… I tried!)

Now, if you want another flavor just change the filling.  You can use the macaron recipe to make just about any you want.  I have tried flavoring the mac shells but it works better to flavor the filling.  Yes, pumpkin seeds will have a little more flavor than almonds do.  But I found that you really don’t notice it much with a good flavored filling.  If you want to color the shells just use a gel food dye, not liquid, and add at the beginning of the macaronage step.

PUMPKIN MACARONS WITH SPICED CARAMEL FILLING
(NUT FREE MACARONS!)
275 grams pumpkin seeds
250 grams powdered sugar
50 grams cocoa powder, optional
210 grams egg whites, at room temperature
210 grams granulated sugar

For Spiced Caramel Filling:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup homemade caramel sace
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2-4 Tablespoons heavy cream
pink salt, to taste

Grind pumpkin seeds in a blender or with a food processor.  Sift with a fine mesh sifter.  If you have more than a Tablespoon or two of clumps left regrind.
Sift pumpkin seed flour with powdered sugar and cocoa powder (if chocolate shells are desired) into a large bowl.
Set aside.
Beat egg whites until frothy, then add the granulated sugar.  Continue beating to stiff peaks.
Add stiff egg whites to bowl with dry mix.  Mix together until combined.
Now comes the “macaronage” step.  Using a bowl scraper or spatula, push the mixture against the side of the bowl for several minutes.  The idea is to deflate some of the meringue.  You know it’s done when you can do the “figure 8 test”.  When the batter flows off of the spatula allowing you to make a figure 8.  If it falls off in big clumps and doesn’t “flow like lava” you need to continue the macaronage step.
Fit a pastry bag with a round tip (or do as I do.  Just use a disposable pastry bag and snip the end off, no tip.)  Fill the bag and pipe onto parchment lined trays (no silicone here!).  I usually make smaller macs, so hold your pastry bag straight and push some batter out until you make a circle about 1 1/2 inches across (or make larger ones if you desire).  Continue to fill tray, leaving a couple inches between each cookie.
Once you have a full tray tap on the counter 3-5 times.  Continue with additional trays until done.  Let rest on the counter for 15 minutes.
Bake at 250 degrees for 15 minutes (If you have convection you can bake at 275).
Add a couple minutes for larger macs.  Until you get the hang of it break one open before removing tray and make sure it isn’t liquidy inside.  Overbaking slightly is better than underbaking.  They shouldn’t be browned but you want to see little “feet” where the macs have risen up.
Let cool.

Pipe filling on half the macs then top with another.  Place in covered airtight container and chill for at least 24 hours.  This allows the filling to soften the macs just a little and they will have a much chewier texture.

To make the filling:
Beat everything together until fluffy and well combined.  Add cream to desired consistency and additional salt to desired flavor.  I like to use pink salt but sea salt works well here too.

 

Filed Under: Cookies, Macarons

San Marzano Tomato Soup

September 18, 2019 by

So it may not “officially” be fall yet.  But it’s September and that’s close enough for me!
One of my favorite meals when I was a kid was homemade tomato soup with grilled cheese.  We usually had it the day after we made whole wheat bread, which makes the BEST grilled cheese.
This is by far the best tomato soup I’ve ever made.  Much credit goes to the San Marzano tomatoes which have just the best flavor.  If you are working with fresh tomatoes I recommend roasting them for soup like I did in this recipe. )
And of course, don’t forget the grilled cheese to go with….

SAN MARAZANO TOMATO SOUP

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
28 oz can San Marzano tomatoes
2 cups chicken stock
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
salt and pepper, to taste
Basil pesto for serving

Place a large pot over medium heat.  Add the butter, onion, and garlic and sweat until the onions are translucent.
Add the tomatoes (juice and all), stock, sugar, and paprika. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Puree with an immersion blender or blender.  Return to pot.
Add the cream, baking soda, and season with salt and pepper.  Drizzle with basil pesto and serve.

Filed Under: Soups / Stews

Freezer Street Tacos

September 6, 2019 by

Tacos may be my husband’s love language.  And since he’s such a nice guy I like keeping the freezer stocked with some of these.
They come together in no time and are great for a quick lunch.  My kids love them too so double bonus.
I usually serve them with a salsa or taco sauce.  I didn’t put amounts in the recipe since a lot of that will depend on how much you want in each taco.  You could even use just beans and cheese if you like.

I use my Instant Pot taco meat with beans, I find that the beans help hold everything together and kind of act like glue. If you don’t have an instant pot just combine some cooked ground meat with taco seasoning and refried beans. These also freeze very well and don’t get freezer burnt. The parchment helps with that as well.

I usually make a big batch of these since everyone loves them so much.  The parchment squares can be found in restaurant supply stores inexpensively, and ours even has big packs of the small street taco tortillas as well.

FREEZER STREET TACOS

corn tortillas (street taco size)
Cooked taco meat and beans
Cheese, shredded (I used a Mexican blend)
Parchment squares

Cook tortillas on a dry griddle just to warm and make more pliable.  Alternatively, you can wrap tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 15 seconds until warm and pliable.
Lay out the parchment squares and place a tortilla on each square.  Top with a little cheese, then the taco meat and beans.
Use the parchment square to fold in half and set aside.  Repeat with remaining tacos then place in freezer bags or containers and freeze.

To serve: Remove parchment square and place on a greased baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for approximately 10-12 minutes or until warmed through.

 

Filed Under: Freezer, Mexican

Creamy Pesto Dressing

July 24, 2019 by


Our basil didn’t do so well in the garden this year… maybe because I ignored the garden basically and left the 12 year old in charge of it… maybe.
Never mind, I have this basil pesto on hand in my freezer year round.  I buy the gigantic 1 pound bag of basil at our local restaurant supply store and make a huge batch.  I use it to spread on sandwiches as a condiment, on pizza crust as the sauce, in this salad dressing, or pretty much anywhere.
I pop a cube or two in the microwave for a few seconds and it’s good to go.
I never blanch my basil and the color is always super bright.  If you adore lemon as much as I do use fresh lemon juice and add the zest of the lemons in too!
You can freeze it in ice cube trays and when frozen pop into a container.  I freeze mine in cookie dough freezer trays and leave them in it.  Each cube holds about 2 Tablespoons and the big batch of pesto fits in 2 of those trays.
You can totally use a store bought pesto for the dressing, but I think homemade has so much better flavor and you have complete control over the ingredients and quality.  My youngest is very allergic to tree nuts as well and good luck finding a nut free pesto!  I actually prefer the flavor of mine without any nuts or cheese.  Just super concentrated basil flavor with a bright lemon note!

BIG BATCH BASIL PESTO

1 pound  basil leaves
2 cups olive oil
24 cloves garlic cloves
4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup lemon juice (and lemon zest if using fresh)

Pulse everything in a food processor until fairly smooth.  Freeze in ice cube trays.

CREAMY PESTO SALAD DRESSING

1/4 cup Basil Pesto
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk
salt and pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to a mason jar and mix or shake to combine.  (or whisk together in a bowl).
Chill until ready to serve.

Filed Under: Freezer, Salad / Dressings

Sourdough Pancakes and Waffles

July 18, 2019 by

If you aren’t making pancakes and waffles with your sourdough starter I don’t even know why you have a starter!  While I love baking sourdough breads and crackers these are so much better than regular pancakes and waffles.  Super fluffy and tender with a light sourdough flavor adding almost a malty taste.  They are so fluffy the waffle batter has pushed open the lid!   And if you take waffles seriously you NEED this Cuisinart Double Belgian Waffle Iron!
My starter originated from King Arthur Flour  but if you want to make your own they have recipes for that too.
I will make an obsene amount of sourdough starter just so I have enough to make a big batch of these so I can freeze some.  I usually make waffles for the freezer or I’ll bake the pancake batter in muffin tins for “pancake cupcakes“.

SOURDOUGH PANCAKES AND WAFFLES
1 1/2 cups flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups sourdough starter (fed or unfed/discard)
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 large egg
2 Tablespoons melted butter (or oil)

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
Add remaining ingredients and mix until just combined. (A Danish Dough whisk is my favorite tool for this.)
For pancakes:
Lightly grease a griddle on medium heat and when hot drop desired amount on griddle (I use a 1/4 cup ladle usually).
Flip when top is covered in bubbles and underside is golden.  Cook until second side is golden and pancakes are cooked through.
For waffles:
make batter as above and cooked in waffle iron according to appliance directions.  I suggest under filling at first because these are particularly fluffy waffles.  The batter has even pushed open the lid on mine!

 

 

Filed Under: Breakfast, Sourdough

Grilled Vegetable Salad

July 2, 2019 by

If you need a side dish recipe for the 4th of July or upcoming BBQ season this one right here is ready to knock your socks off!
I can eat this for a few days and not get sick of it.  It makes a great quick make ahead lunch or a great side dish for a main course.
Sometimes I double the amount of vegetables in it as well.  If I have fresh basil I throw some of that in too.

The vegetables can be adjusted to what you have on hand and the orzo could be swapped out for quinoa or another grain too.  Or even left out entirely if you want a grain free salad.

I adore piquillo peppers and nearly had a panic attack when the 2 stores I usually found them at stopped selling them!
When I spotted them at our local Winco supermarket I might have bought a few.. okay I cleared out the shelf and bought all 9 jars they had.
If you can’t find them you can use bell peppers instead.
I find using an indoor grill pan works great for this but if you are doing this on a big grill make sure to watch you don’t loose your cherry tomatoes down the grate!

GRILLED VEGETABLE SALAD

8 ounces whole wheat orzo

For the dressing:
3 Tablespoons olive oil
4 Tablespoons lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

For the grilled vegetables:
olive oil, for brushing
salt and pepper
2 small green zucchini
1 onion
Piquillo Peppers, about 4
2 cups broccoli florets
1 pint cherry tomatoes

Cook the orzo (or other grain) according to package directions.   Toss with dressing ingredients and let cool while you grill the vegetables.
Slice the zucchini lengthwise in 1/4 inch strips, slice the onion and broccoli in 1/4 inch slices as well.
Brush everything with olive oil and grill over medium high heat in batches.
Chop everything except the cherry tomatoes and toss with the dressed orzo.
Serve warm or chill until serving.



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Filed Under: Grilling / Smoking, Salad / Dressings, Side Dishes