Butternut Squash and Chickpea Curry - Meeru Dhalwala

Well, hello!  It's been a while since I've posted.  Nice to be back.  Nothing wrong in my world--just needed a blog break, I guess.

Noticed this recipe in yesterday's Wall Street Journal.  I had all the ingredients on hand minus the scallions (green onions out here in Arizona) which would have finished the dish off nicely but can't say I missed them. This is such a treat!  Spicy, sweet, great texture.  The recipe notes to bake the dish for 20 minutes--I left mine in for 35 minutes plus another 5 minutes with the chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans).  Perfect.  Everyone had seconds--give it a try!

Butternut Squash and Chickpea Curry

Total Time: 35 minutes Serves: 4-6

¼ cup butter

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 tablespoon ground cumin

10 cloves

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

¼ cup light brown sugar

2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into ¾-inch cubes

½ cup tomato purée

½ cup Greek-style yogurt (optional)

3 cups cooked chickpeas

Cooked basmati rice, for serving

¼ cup thinly sliced scallions

1. Move oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Set a medium pot over medium-low heat. Add butter and cook until melted and foam subsides, about 2 minutes. Stir in turmeric, cumin, cloves, salt, cayenne and sugar and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Stir in tomato purée and squash until well combined. Transfer pot's contents to a large casserole dish and bake on middle rack of oven until squash is browned and easily pierced with a sharp knife, about 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, season yogurt, if using, with salt.

4. Remove casserole from oven. Stir in chickpeas until well combined. Return to oven and roast, uncovered, until chickpeas are heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Serve over basmati rice. Garnish with scallions and a dollop of yogurt, if using.

CHICKEN POT PIE - Ann Romney

Have you ever made chicken pot pie?  I have not.  I don't typically make pie crust, rolls, biscuits, that type of thing.  But I wanted to take a one-pot dish to my sister for dinner and found this recipe in Ann Romney's new cookbook The Romney Family Table.  This is perfect comfort food.  The timing was just right after two days of solid rain here in the Valley of the Sun--highly unusual.

Admittedly, I cheated with the biscuit topping and used Bisquick--I didn't even roll out the dough but chose to use the drop biscuit style instead.  No one complained.

The only tweaking I did was to add more carrots and celery. And I used a combination of butter and olive oil to sauté the veggies.  Everyone loved it! And leftover turkey would be just as good, too.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Chicken Pot Pie

4 cups chicken broth                                             Salt and pepper to taste

1 chicken bouillon cube                                        1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 sticks of butter                                             1/4 cup heavy cream

2 onions, finely chopped                                       1 (9 oz) package frozen peas

2 large carrots, sliced in rounds  (add 2 more)      6 chicken breasts, cooked, and cut into chunks

1 rib of celery, sliced (add 1 more)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Heat the chicken broth and bouillon cube in saucepan until cube is dissolved.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onions, carrots, and celery and sauté until tender.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 2-3 minutes or until blended.  Stir in the hot chicken broth.  Add the heavy cream, frozen peas, and cooked chicken.  Stir to combine.  Spoon mixture into 9x13 baking dish.  Bake 20 minutes.  Top with uncooked biscuits and continue to  bake 12-15 minutes or until the biscuit topping is golden brown.

Homemade Biscuits

2 cups flour                                    1/2 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons baking powder           1/2 cup butter

2 teaspoons sugar                          1 cup buttermilk

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.  Work in butter with pastry cutter or hands until mixture is crumbly.  Stir in buttermilk until just blended.  Roll out about 1 1/2 inches thick and cut out with a 3-inch round cookie cutter.  Place biscuits on top of chicken mixture and continue baking 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Biscuits can also be baked separately: Place on greased cookie sheet and bake at 450 degrees 10-12 minutes

CREAM OF ZUCCHINI SOUP

Finally making soup! Found this recipe and doctored it up a bit.  Easy and good flavor, nothing fancy--even better the second and third day.  Side note: Boy, do I love my Staub pumpkin pot.  It sits atop my stove from late September through November looking so pretty and autumnal (love that word).

Ingredients
2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil or both (I used both)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 chopped zucchini squash
2 cups chicken stock/broth
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup half and half cream
Shredded Cheddar cheese to top (optional)

Sauté chopped onion in butter/olive oil until soft and transparent.  Add chopped zucchini and sauté for 5 minutes.  Add chicken broth and bring to boil; simmer for 15 minutes until zucchini is tender.  Add seasonings.  Puree mixture until smooth (do it in batches if hot) and return to saucepan.  Add half and half cream adjusting seasonings to taste (I added a smidgen more of pepper and nutmeg).  Reheat but do not boil.  Optional:  add shredded Cheddar cheese to top individual bowls.  (I did not add the cheese but I'm sure it is delicious.)

HOMEMADE TRUFFLE POPCORN

First--our family loves homemade popcorn.  For years I've been using the Whirley Pop by Wabash Valley Farms and love it.  Just drizzle a little oil such as olive oil or grapeseed oil.  Sometimes I use a chili or vanilla bean infused olive oil--sometimes I use both. Then I add a little kosher salt in the pan, 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels and heat it up.  Takes 3-4 minutes for a full pot of popcorn.

In order to get the yummy salt to fill the little kernels requires a little something to make the salt stick. Love this Trader Joe's Coconut Oil Spray--zero calories!  I spray the freshly popped popcorn with the spray and toss on the salt.

Now, on to the truffle salt.  World Market (aka Cost Plus) carries a reasonably priced truffle salt -- about $12.99 instead of $30. The trick with truffle salt is to add a tiny pinch because the flavor and the fragrance is very strong! So, I add the kosher salt and then a pinch of the truffle salt when I want a savory, earthy flavor--love it.  Give it a try!

BREAKFAST SMOOTHIE

Another great treat from my friend, Ashley.  How she ever came to think of peanut butter mixed in with all this is beyond me, but it is delicious.

Serves 2

1 cup Greek yogurt
1 1/2 cups frozen berries
2 tablespoons of peanut butter or almond butter
2 tablespoons of flaxseed
1 cup of water

Mix in blender - drink up!

POPCORN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

A fun twist to chocolate chip cookies--the neighbor kids loved the addition of the popcorn (I used microwave buttered popcorn).  I divided the batter and added chocolate chips to one batch and white chocolate chips to the other.  Both were a hit.

Slightly adapted from Joy the Baker (who slightly adapted Smitten Kitchen's recipe).

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate (or white chocolate chips)

coarse sea salt for sprinkling

Microwave a bag of your favorite buttered popcorn.  Piece through the popcorn to remove any unpopped kernels.  Set aside to cool.  You’ll need about 4 cups of popcorn.

Place a rack in the center and upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar.  Cream until butter is pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Beat in egg and vanilla extract for one more minute.  Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and beat on low until just combined.  Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and use a spatula to fold in the popcorn.  It might seem like a disproportionate amount of popcorn considering the cookie batter.  Keep folding.  The popcorn will break down a bit as it’s folded in.  Fold in chocolate.

Scoop dough by the heaping tablespoonful onto the prepared baking sheet.  Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with coarse sea salt.  Bake for 10 to 13 minutes or until the edges and tops are golden brown.  Remove from the oven, allow to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. 

GRANOLA COOKIES

                      Not a chocolate chip in sight and these cookies were still delish.  Enjoy!

Adapted from Pioneer Woman Cooks

Preheat oven at 375 degrees

3 sticks of butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups whole wheat flour

4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup quick cook oats
3 cups granola - mine came from the bins at Sprouts (love those bins)
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 cup dried cherries, chopped
1 1/2 cups apricots, chopped

Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, mix well. Next add flour, baking soda, and salt. Add in oatmeal and granola. Fold in pecans, cherries, and apricots.

Use small to medium sized cookie scoop and drop onto cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 12 minutes. Makes 5 dozen yummy cookies.

KATHLEEN'S CRAB CAKES with Remoulade

I love crab cakes, don't you?  And these are super easy to make.  Serve atop a bed of greens or on a toasted english muffin--just perfect.  Don't know why you couldn't substitute canned salmon for the crab.  It's on my list to try so I will let you know.  This recipe came from my friend, Kathleen.  Not sure  the origination but knowing Kathleen, I'm sure she tweaked it a bit.

Ingredients

·         Crab cakes:

·         2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

·         1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

·         1 1/2 tablespoons canola-based mayonnaise 

·         1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind

·         1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

·         1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

·         1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

·         1 large egg 

·         1/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

·         1 pound lump crabmeat, drained and shell pieces removed – Costco sells a pound of lump crab meat for a great price and it doesn’t have any shell pieces to remove

·         1 tablespoon olive oil

Preparation

1.     1. To prepare crab cakes, combine first 8 ingredients. Add panko and crab, tossing gently to combine. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes. 

2.     2. Fill a 1/3-cup dry measuring cup with crab mixture. Invert onto work surface; gently pat into a 3/4-inch-thick patty. Repeat procedure with remaining crab mixture, forming 8 cakes.

3.     3. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 crab cakes to pan; cook 4 minutes or until bottoms are golden. Carefully turn cakes; cook 4 minutes or until bottoms are golden and crab cakes are thoroughly heated. Remove cakes from pan; keep warm. Wipe pan dry with paper towels. Heat remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in pan. Repeat procedure with remaining 4 crab cakes.

    Remoulade:

·         1/4 cup canola-based mayonnaise

·         1 tablespoon chopped shallots

·         1 1/2 tablespoons capers, drained and chopped

·         2 teaspoons Creole mustard

·         1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

·         1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

·         1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

To prepare rémoulade, combine 1/4 cup mayonnaise and remaining ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Serve with crab cakes.

OR, do what I did and combine a bit of these two ready-made goodies to taste.  Excellent.  

MINESTRONE with SPINACH

My friend, Jennifer, directed me to Aesthetic Nest a while ago, and although I don't knit, sew, or crochet, I can appreciate the talent of this lovely blogger.  Yesterday morning, I popped over to see what Aesthetic Nest was doing and found this soup recipe.  It has been cold here in the low desert, and I had most of the ingredients including spinach fresh from the garden.  With a slight tweak, I've adapted the recipe to suit what I had in my pantry.  I am so glad that I doubled the recipe--it is delicious!

Minestrone with Spinach - adapted from Aesthetic Nest

• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 T olive oil
• 5 cups (40 oz) chicken stock
• 1 lb diced tomatoes with their juice
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 large carrot sliced about ¼” thick
• 4-5 large handfuls of spinach leaves 
• 1 14.5 oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 T Herbs de Provence
• 1/2 T sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 c. macaroni or shells (I used wheat shells)
• 2T balsamic
• Salt and pepper
• 2 T coarsely chopped fresh parsley
• Grated parmesan

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until translucent, 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, carrot, zucchini, herbs, sugar and bay leaf.

Cover partially and simmer until the carrots are tender, at least 20 minutes. Add the pasta and cook, uncovered, until al dente, 8-10 minutes more. Add the spinach and stir it until it is wilted.

Add the beans and simmer until they are warmed through. Add the balsamic vinegar. Season to taste with freshly ground salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh parsley and parmesan.

SWEET POTATO, APPLE, and GINGER SOUP - Amy Traverso

Another perfect autumn recipe from The Apple Lover's Cookbook by Amy Traverso.  And that gorgeous pumpkin pot by Staub sits atop my stove from mid-September through November 30.

Makes 6 cups

1 pound sweet potatoes (445 g) peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1/2 pound (227 g) baby-cut carrots
1 large apple (about 8 ounces) any apple, although sweet is ideal--unpeeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch pieces
5 tablespoons (75 ml) olive oil, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 to 2 inch piece ginger, peeled and cut into medium chunks
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 bay leaf
4 cups (945 ml) reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup (120 ml) fresh apple cider

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  In a medium bowl, toss the potato, carrots, and apple with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper.  Arrange on a foil-lined sheet pan (I used a silpat) and roast until tender, about 30 minutes.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the pot and set over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, ginger, garlic, bay leaf, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook until the onions just begin to turn golden, 8 to 10 minutes.  Add the roasted vegetables, broth, and cider, stir, and bring to a simmer.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf from the pot and use an immersion blender or regular blender to puree the soup until smooth.  If using a regular blender, process the soup in three batches to avoid splattering hot liquid.  Return the pureed soup to the pot, taste for seasoning, and serve.

APPLE BROWNIES - Amy Traverso

How did I miss this cookbook? This was published a year ago and I love apples!  The Apple Lover's Cookbook  by Amy Traverso is a gem.  And this recipe is one of the best ever--if you like apples, cinnamon, and walnuts, and of course you do. Thanks to Sunday of Ciao Domenica for mentioning this gorgeous book.

 Ingredients
1 cup (145 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
8 tablespoons (1 stick; 113 g) salted butter, melted and coole, plus more for greasing pan
1 cup (210 g) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup (60 g) chopped walnuts
2 large firm-sweet apples (about 1 pound total) --I used Honey Crisp--peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Directions
1. Preheat ove to 350 degrees and set a rack to the middle position.  Generously butter the baking dish (11 x 7) and set aside.

2.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.  Set aside.  In the bowl of a standing mixer at high speed or using a hand-held mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, and egg until pale, about 2 minutes.  Add the walnuts and apples and stir by hand until evenly combined.  Add the flour mixture and stir until combined, another 30 seconds.

3.  Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake until golden brown and lightly firm to the touch, 40 to 50 minutes.  Let cool on a rack for 30 minutes, then cut into 12 bars and transfer to serving platter.

Note:  Instead of chopping apples into 1/2 cubes, I chopped them into 1 inch.  So, this turned out to be apple cake instead of apple brownies.  Next time, I will cut into the 1/2 inch pieces which should make it more brownie-like.

PUMPKIN CAKE

From Taste of Home

Every weekend in the fall I want to make apple and pumpkin recipes.  This pumpkin cake won last week.  This weekend it is apple brownies so stay tuned.

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 1-2/3 cups sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ICING:
• 1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Directions

• In a bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until well blended.
• Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt;
• gradually add to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Pour into an
• ungreased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for
• 25-30 minutes or until set. Cool completely.
• For icing, beat the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, butter and
• vanilla in a small bowl. Add enough milk to achieve spreading
• consistency. Spread over bars. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 2
• dozen.

PUMPKIN GINGER SOUP and TOMATILLO SALSA

My darling friend, Ashley, brought me a jar of her pumpkin ginger soup and tomatillo salsa. Both were excellent so I knew you would want the recipes.  The pumpkin soup had a nice burn from the ginger and although the twins next door (they are now nine years old!) didn't try the soup, they loved the salsa.

PUMPKIN GINGER SOUP 
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon peeled and diced fresh ginger
1/4 cup diced carrots
1/4 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced onion
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
3 1/2 cups vegetable stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup raw, hulled pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

In a medium saucepan, heat butter over medium-high heat.  Add ginger, carrots, celery, onion, and saute until vegetables begin to soften, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.  Add pumpkin and stir well.  Add vegetable stock and bring to a boil.  Add salt, pepper, cinnamon, and cayenne.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes.

Transfer to a blender or food processor and puree the mixture until smooth.  Strain the soup back into the saucepan and add the cream.  Keep warm.

Put the raw pepitas in a medium non-stick skillet and toast over medium-high heat, stirring until the seeds are fragrant, light brown, and begin to pop, about 3 minutes.

To serve, ladle the warm soup into serving bowls and garnish with toasted pepitas.

TOMATILLO SALSA
2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and diced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
8 tomatillos, husked and diced
1 cup diced red, yellow, or orange bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

To prepare the salsa, combine all the ingredients in a non-reactive bowl.  Let stand at least 1 hour and not more than 3 hours before serving to allow flavors to blend.  That's it!

Both recipes are from Seasonal Southwest Cooking by Barbara Pool Fenzl.

TRADER JOE'S ARGENTINIAN RED SHRIMP with LINGUINE

I'm so sorry if you don't have a Trader Joe's nearby.  Truly.  And I am hoping you can find this sweet lobster-like shrimp if you don't have a TJ's--it's worth the search.  My friend, Ashley, grabbed several bags when she spied these because apparently it is only available a few times a year. Lucky me--she gave me a bag.

I had lots of pasta so concocted a recipe using what I had in the pantry.  But grilled and served with vegetables would work well, too.

INGREDIENTS
Serves 4

Bag of Trader Joe's Argentinian Red Shrimp (frozen)
8 oz Linguine
4 cloves of garlic, minced or crushed
1/2 to 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
Olive oil (I used garlic infused olive oil)
Fresh parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS


Forgive me, I didn't measure much in this recipe, but I know you will turn all these ingredients into a lovely dish.

While pasta is boiling, drizzle olive oil in a skillet and add crushed garlic cloves and red pepper flakes.  Cook the garlic for a few minutes and then add the frozen shrimp sprinkling with salt and pepper.  Cook until shrimp is pink and curled (about the same amount of time it takes to cook the pasta).

Drain the pasta saving 1 cup of pasta water.  Add pasta water to the shrimp, stir, and then add the linguine.  Peel fresh parmesan strip over the shrimp and linguine. Serve with fresh parmesan.

Really, this is so yummy and easy.  Do make it!  From start to finish it took less than 30 minutes.

CHOCOLATE BANANA BREAD

That is lovely chocolate you see darkening the rim of the bread.

My friend, Judith, sent me this recipe as one of her favs and she has excellent taste.  This is one of the best dessert breads I have ever tasted. But admittedly,  I'm not sure I have ever had "bad" dessert bread. And I had just ground some whole wheat flour so I added a bit reducing the amount of the all-purpose flour.  Didn't even notice. 

Judith found this on: http://www.joyofbaking.com a site I will be visiting more often.

Chocolate Banana Bread:

1/2 cup (55 grams) walnuts or pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

1 3/4 cups (230 grams) all-purpose flour

1/4 cup (30 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder (regular or Dutch-processed), sifted

1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar

1 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 ripe bananas (approximately 1 pound or 454 grams), mashed well (about 1-1/2 cups)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup (85 grams) white, dark, or milk chocolate chips

A sprinkling of turbinado or demerara sugar

Perfect with hot, milky, peppermint tea

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place oven rack to middle position.  Butter and flour (or spray with a non stick vegetable/flour spray) the bottom and sides of a  9 x 5 x 3 inch (23 x 13 x 8 cm) loaf pan
Place the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 - 10 minutes or until lightly toasted.  Let cool and then chop coarsely.  


In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

In a medium-sized bowl combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla.  With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet ingredients (banana mixture) into the dry ingredients until just combined and batter is thick and chunky. Fold in the nuts and chocolate chips. Scrape batter into prepared pan and sprinkle the top of the bread with coarse brown sugar (optional, but I say "do it"). Bake until the bread has risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 to 65 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool and then remove the bread from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature. Can be covered and stored for a few days, or frozen for longer storage.

Makes 1 - 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf.

SPICED PECAN PUMPKIN BREAD - Williams Sonoma (cheating)

Yes, I cheated. Pumpkin bread not from scratch.  But don't you ever walk into your pantry or open up your cupboard and find the yummy quick bread mix that you bought, stashed away, forgot about, and then discover it's about to expire?  Maybe that's just me.  You all are probably super organized. I noticed the bread mix in the nick of time.  And then, as I rummaged around for a bread pan, discovered that I also bought a darling bread pan (on sale) for making this specific bread. A year ago.  What is wrong with my brain? Don't answer.

So, this morning I made this yummy bread adding in a handful of chocolate chips that were lonely in its 3/4 empty bag--nice to get rid of a few things on my pantry shelf.  And within 20 minutes my house was a divine atmosphere of pumpkin, pecans, and a hint of chocolate.  If you've ever wondered about Williams-Sonomas quick bread mixes, let me tell you they are excellent.

APPLE SHARLOTKA - Smitten Kitchen

I had a bin with some Granny Smiths that needed eating up.  So, even though I have posted several apple cake recipes (and loved them all) this one caught my eye.  Not too many ingredients, not too many steps.  Score.  


It is pretty but plain, not too sweet.  But ice cream doesn't seem fitting.  A dollop of Greek yogurt (really, we seem to put it on a lot of various goodies) and maybe a drizzle of agave syrup over the yogurt.  Perfect. Probably great for breakfast, too. 

Apple Sharlotka - Smitten Kitchen

Butter or nonstick spray, for greasing pan
6 large, tart apples, such as Granny Smiths
3 large eggs
1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour
Ground cinnamon, to finish
Powdered sugar, also to finish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Butter the paper and the sides of the pan. Peel, halve and core your apples, then chop them into medium-sized chunks. (I cut each half into four “strips” then sliced them fairly thinly — about 1/4-inch — in the other direction.) Pile the cut apples directly in the prepared pan. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, using an electric mixer or whisk, beat eggs with sugar until thick and ribbons form on the surface of the beaten eggs. Beat in vanilla, then stir in flour with a spoon until just combined. The batter will be very thick.

Pour over apples in pan, using a spoon or spatula to spread the batter so that it covers all exposed apples. (Updated to clarify: Spread the batter and press it down into the apple pile. The top of the batter should end up level with the top of the apples.) Bake in preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a tester comes out free of batter. Cool in pan for 10 minutes on rack, then flip out onto another rack, peel off the parchment paper, and flip it back onto a serving platter. Dust lightly with ground cinnamon.

Serve warm or cooled, dusted with powdered sugar.