Pumpkin Bread

This is a lovely fall recipe my mother-in-law shared from years ago. I modified it to fit the ingredients I typically use for baking, and it turned out delicious. It makes quite a lot (two 9x5 loaves), so I made some muffins and mini-loaves to share with friends  (be sure to reduce cooking time significantly) in addition to two small loaves for the freezer.

Ingredients
2.5 cups sugar
1 cup Butter Grapeseed Oil (click here to order) or other oil
(I might try coconut oil next time)
4 eggs, beaten
2.5-3 cups cooked winter squash or pumpkin*
2 cups pastry wheat flour
1.5 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 t soda
2 t salt
1 t baking powder
1 t nutmeg
1 t allspice
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t cloves
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup walnut pieces

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. With a mixer cream sugar and oil together.
3. Add eggs and pumpkin--mix well.
4. Sift together dry ingredients and add to mix slowly.*
5. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts by hand.
6. Pour into two well greased and floured 9x5 inch loaf pans.
7. Bake 1.5 hours or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
8. Let stand 10 minutes.
9. Remove from pan to cool.
10. Enjoy!

* I had pumpkin in the freezer, so it was plenty moist. If you find the batter is a bit dry, add water a little at the time to make it pourable. The original recipe calls for canned pumpkin and 2/3 cup of water, but I found I didn't need the water.

Summer Slaw

I can't believe it's been almost a month since my last post...not much cooking on the home front here, which is why I have 4 heads of cabbage in my fridge! I put together the following slaw and ate it over leftover cornbread. Super yummy--and I think it will be even better tomorrow.

2 T balsamic vinegar
1 T apple cider vinegar
1 T honey
1 T dijon mustard
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 head of white/green cabbage, shredded
1/2 head red cabbage, shredded
a whole bunch of carrots, shredded
1 apple (not so much a summer fruit, but I can afford 1 this time of year every other week!), shredded
1/4 cup cranberries (optional, but kid friendly at our house!)
1/4 cup walnuts (optional)

I mixed my vinaigrette first (vinegars through oil) in a glass jar with tight fitting lid (put it all in, shake it all up) and let it sit while I shredded the other ingredients. Put it all together in a bowl and mix well. It makes a good bit, so it's a nice thing to prepare and eat for several days. Enjoy!

Bean Salad with Fennel

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: None!
Yield: 6 servings
 
Ingredients
2 15oz cans of garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed
1½ cups fresh sliced fennel bulb
12 cherry tomatoes, quartered
4 TBS finely minced onion
2 cloves garlic, pressed
4 TBS fresh lemon juice (or juice from one lemon)
3 TBS chopped fresh parsley
3 TBS chopped walnuts
Olive oil to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh lettuce greens, washed

Tools/Equipment
Can opener
Colander
Sharp knife and cutting board
Garlic press
Lemon juicer
Salad spinner

Directions
1.    Mix all ingredients to salt and pepper together.
2.    Serve over lettuce greens.
3.    This salad gets better as it sets, so if you have time, prepare it in advance.
4.    Enjoy!

Variations
Try a different kind of bean—azuki, black beans, kidney beans, soy beans, white beans—mix several different kinds
Add a little vinegar (balsamic, rice wine, red wine) for a twang
Grate a little carrot to add more color

Quinoa Salad with Kale

I had the pleasant surprise of kale from around the corner show up in my refrigerator today, and I was already planning to make this cool quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) salad, so I threw the kale in with it. It's a nice spring dish to get me through this seasonal transition.

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 cups water
1 bunch of kale leaves pulled away from stems and torn into bit size pieces
3 carrots, shredded
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
1 cup frozen green peas or shelled edamame
1/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 2 lemons
1/4-1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 Tablespoon Dijon style mustard
1 teaspoon local honey
salt and pepper to taste

Place rinsed quinoa and water in a saucepan with tight fitting lid and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and set timer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, shred carrots in a food processor, cut onion, and place in large bowl.
Make vinaigrette by mixing together last  6 ingredients in a jar with tight fitting lid and let sit.
Heat 1-2 Tablespoons of water in a skillet with tight fitting lid on medium heat. When water begins to steam, place kale in skillet, cover, and cook for about 1.5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
When timer goes off for the quinoa, put the frozen green peas (or edamame) in the pot on top of quinoa to defrost. Replace lid and remove from heat.
Let quinoa cool and peas/edamame defrost, then combine with carrots, onion, and kale. Add vinaigrette and mix thoroughly. Eat immediately or chill and serve later over salad greens with walnuts sprinkled on top.