Pumpkin Bread

We're celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow morning at Jack and Wyatt's school and since I'm in charge of dessert I made a fresh batch of Breakfast Cookies and a better-than-Starbucks Pumpkin bread that is a true crowd pleaser. The recipe comes from my very close family friend in Ohio.  Thanks Heidi!

Recipe after the jump...

Here's the recipe:

2 1/2 cups flour
3 cups sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
3/4 cups vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups canned pumpkin
Optional: 1 cup chopped nuts

Directions:
Sift the dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl (or with a mixmaster) mix the eggs, oil, and water.  Gradually add the dry ingredients to form a smooth batter.  Scrape down the sides after each addition. Add the pumpkin and vanilla and mix well.  Fold in the nuts.  Pour into 2 greased loaf pans or bake in a bundt pan as a cake.  Bake at 325 for 1 hour and fifteen minutes or until firm. Allow to cool for fifteen minutes and turn onto a cooling rack. 

*Note: if you're using a dark metal loaf pan, you might want to shorten cooking time a little, maybe 5 minutes.

This recipe freezes well.  Allow to fully cool before freezing.

PC: Yours Truly
 

Breakfast Cookies

My former sorority sister Lauren should be voted Mom of the Year.  She's a hard-working entrepreneur, dedicated Mom, social chair for other Mom's, and also a healthy chef for her beautiful daughter Bryn and her friends.  Her most recent playdate featured Breakfast Cookies that were devoured by the kids and adults alike in about one minute flat. They're so good that it's hard to believe they're nutritious.  It's no surprise since everything she does is extraordinary. 

Recipe after the jump:

Here's the recipe from Weelicious:

Yields: 30 cookies

3 bananas (preferably ripe or spotty bananas)

2 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup pitted and chopped dried dates

1/4 cup oil (Lauren uses sunflower oil)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup any of the following: raisins, craisins, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or chocolate chips*

1/4 tsp salt

*I use a mix of raisins, craisins and sunflower seeds; Lauren uses raisins, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mash the bananas in a bowl until runny and mix in the remaining ingredients.  Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes.  Using a mini ice cream scoop or tablespoon, place the batter onto a silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes.  Cool and serve.

To make into bars, place the dough in a greased 7" x 11" dish and bake for 35-40 minutes. Allow to cool.  Cut into bars or squares. 

To freeze: allow cookies to cool ompletely after baking and then place them into a Ziploc bag, label, and freeze for up to 3 months.

PC: Yummly.com

Apple Cake with Toffee Crust

With Thanksgiving around the corner I thought I'd be a good Samaritan and repost my favorite dessert of all time:

Apple Cake with Toffee Crust

 It's one of those cakes that puts you on the radar as a serious baker.  Time to cross off 'dessert' on your Thanksgiving to-do list.  I have you covered. 

P.S. I don't bother with the caramelized apples for topping.  I think the cake with the toffee sauce and ice cream is more than enough.

P.P.S If you don't have a tube pan use a bundt pan.

The recipe:
Servings: 10-12
Active time: 3 hours 45 minutes with cooling

Cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 large Granny Smith apples—peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Toffee Sauce: 
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon brandy (I don't use this)

Caramelized Apples: (I don't make these)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 large Granny Smith apples—peeled, cored and cut into 8 wedges each
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons water
Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 325°. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform tube pan. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the salt and baking soda. In a large bowl, whisk the oil with the granulated sugar. Whisk in the eggs one at a time. Add the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Fold in the diced apples with a rubber spatula. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the lower third of the oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool slightly.

2) Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the butter, cream and brown sugar and bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring. Remove the toffee glaze from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

3) Place the warm cake (still in its pan) on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the hot glaze over the cake and let it seep into the cake, poking lightly with a toothpick. Let the cake cool completely, about 2 hours. Invert the cake onto a plate, and invert again onto another plate, right side up.

4) In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Using a moistened pastry brush, wash down any sugar crystals on the side of the pan. Cook without stirring until a medium-amber caramel forms, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and quickly but carefully stir in the cream and butter. Simmer the sauce over moderate heat for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat and stir in the brandy. Pour the toffee sauce into a pitcher.

5) In a large skillet, melt the butter and the brown sugar. Add the apples and cinnamon and cook over moderately high heat, turning the apples once or twice, until they are tender and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add the water to dissolve the caramel in the skillet, then transfer the caramelized apples to a plate.

6) Slice the cake and serve with the caramelized apples, toffee sauce and vanilla ice cream.

*Make Ahead: The unmolded cake can be stored in an airtight container overnight at room temperature. The toffee sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week; reheat gently before serving. The apples can be made up to 2 hours ahead and kept at room temperature.

Recipe: Food & Wine

Martha, Martha, Martha!

I'm always in the market (literally and figuratively) for a mind-blowing taco recipe.  And after discovering this bad boy from Martha Stewart (you go girl!), I took myself out indefinitely.  

Pair this meal with an ice cold beer and thank me later.  

Bean and Fish Tacos

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

1 Vidalia onion, thinly sliced into rings

2 limes, 1 juiced and 1 cut into wedges

Coarse salt

1/3 cup finely chopped scallions (about 6)

3 tablespoons finely chopped jalapeno chiles (about 2)

3/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, plus sprigs for serving

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

3/4 pound meaty fish fillets, such as mahimahi (I used halibut)

2 cups cooked beans, plus 1/4 cup cooking liquid (I used canned cannellini beans)

8 to 12 corn tortillas, toasted briefly over an open flame and wrapped in a cloth, for serving

4 ounces cotija or ricotta salata cheese, crumbled (3/4 cup), for serving (I used cojita)

4 radishes, thinly sliced, for serving (I didn't use radishes)

1 head romaine lettuce, trimmed and shredded (2 cups), for serving

Directions:

1) Preheat broiler with rack 8 inches from heat source. Toss onion with lime juice and a pinch of salt. Let stand at least 10 minutes and up to 1 hour.

2) Meanwhile, mix scallions, jalapenos, chopped cilantro, a pinch of salt, and 2 tablespoons oil. Transfer 1/2 cup to a small bowl (set remaining mixture aside), and stir in remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Rub all over fish.

3) Reheat beans and their liquid. When hot, stir in 3 tablespoons reserved scallion-cilantro mixture. Remove from heat; cover.

4) Broil fish, flipping when scallions and cilantro begin to brown, about 6 minutes. Continue to cook until opaque throughout, about 4 minutes more.

5) Serve beans and fish with tortillas, remaining scallion-cilantro mixture, lime wedges, onions, cheese, radishes, and lettuce.

PC and recipe: MarthaStewart.com

Forrest Gump

They say the key to a man's heart is through his stomach.  And since I know it holds true for my husband, I thought it would be only fitting to celebrate my best guy friend's birthday by making him a special home-cooked meal. I included all of his favorites-a hearty Fall soup (pumpkin), lots of good bread (butter Parmesan toasts), something shockingly unfancy but tasty: sundried tomato and feta meatloaf, carbs: Greek potatoes, and his all-time favorite dessert from Joe's Stone Crab (his home away from home): Peanut Butter Pie.  I could go on and on about Peanut Butter Pie just like Bubba and his shrimp but I know we don't have all day so I'll leave you with these two words: Make it.

Ingredients:

Hot Fudge Sauce:
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 tsp table salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Peanut Butter Pie
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, plus 2 tbsp divided
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter, at room temperature
1 cup heavy whipping cream, plus whipped cream, for garnish, optional
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 oz shaved milk chocolate
chopped peanuts, optional

Other:
1 9" baked chocolate or graham cracker pie crust
Optional: 1/2 cup chopped peanuts

Directions:
Sauce:  Add the cream, brown sugar, corn syrup, cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla extract to a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the chopped chocolate. Stir continuously until the chocolate is melted and the sauce has thickened, roughly 3 to 4 minutes. Let the sauce cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Pie: In a large bowl combine the cream cheese, 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar and the peanut butter until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until thick and light. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract. Continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture. Pour the batter into the pie shell, sprinkle with the shaved milk chocolate (and chopped peanuts if desired) and freeze for 4 hours.  When ready to serve, drizzle each piece with the hot fudge sauce.

PC: FoodNetwork.com, Recipe courtesy of the Neely's

There's No Place like Home

After a recent night out at RPM, one of Chicago's hottest Italian eateries, I had to recreate their eggplant parm at home since I haven't been able to get it out of my head.  Lucky for me, my Mother-in-Law has a recipe in her arsenal that will knock your socks off and even though it's a lot of work (frying tens of eggplant slices and making fresh sauce) the payoff is worth every second of your precious time.  Best of all, you'll now have a foolproof recipe that tastes authentic and is better than a night out on the town. (Sorry RPM).

  I pair it with my favorite spicy caesar salad, a nice bottle of cab, and my most forgiving sweatpants.

Eggplant Parmesan with Crispy Breadcrumb Topping:

Ingredients:

3 tbsp EVOO, plus 2 cups for frying

1 onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, very finely chopped

Two 28-ounce cans whole, peeled Italian tomatoes, drained

Kosher salt/freshly ground pepper

8 small eggplants (1/2 lb each) cut lengthwise 1/2" thick

3 tbsp coarsely chopped basil

1 lb lightly salted fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced and torn into small pieces

1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

3 tbsp dry bread crumbs

1. In a large skillet, heat the 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderate heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Using your hands, crush the whole tomatoes into the skillet. Bring to a simmer and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is very thick, about 25 minutes. Transfer the tomato sauce to a food processor and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Meanwhile, in a very large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of olive oil. Season the eggplant slices with salt and pepper. Working in several batches, cook the eggplant over moderately high heat, turning once, until golden on both sides, about 8 minutes per batch; add more olive oil to the skillet between batches. Drain the eggplant slices on paper towels.
3. Preheat the oven to 400°. Spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce in a 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Arrange one-third of the fried eggplant slices in the baking dish and sprinkle all over with 1 tablespoon of the chopped basil. Top with one-third of the torn mozzarella and sprinkle with 1/3 cup of the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Repeat this layering twice. Sprinkle the bread crumbs all over the top of the eggplant Parmesan. Bake in the upper third of the oven for about 45 minutes, until the top of the eggplant Parmesan is golden and the tomato sauce is bubbling. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Spicy Caesar Salad

Ingredients:

1/2 baguette, sliced 1/3" thick

1/4 cup EVOO, plus more for brushing

1/2 cup mayonnaise

4 oil-packed anchovy fillets, drained and chopped

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

1 tsp dijon mustard

freshly ground pepper

6 slices lean bacon (3 oz)

1 1/2 lbs romaine lettuce, torn into large bite-size pieces

1 long red chile, seeded and thinly sliced crosswise

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Spread the baguette slices on a baking sheet and lightly brush both sides with olive oil.  Bake for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown.  Let the toasts cool, then break into large pieces.

2) Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the mayo, anchovies, lemon juice, garlic, and mustard and blend until smooth.  With the processor on, slowly pour in the 1/4 cup olive oil.  Season the dressing with pepper.

3) In a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until browned and crisp, about 3 minutes per side.  Drain and slice crosswise 1" thick.

4) In a large bowl, toss the romaine with the sliced chile, croutons, and the bacon.  Add the dressing and toss.  Sprinkle with Parmesan over the salad, toss again and serve right away.

Make ahead: The dressing can be refrigerated overnight.

PC: Foodandwine.com