Apple Butter Cake

Faith and I made a trip to the apple orchard last weekend and we came home with a large jar of their apple butter. We all like apple butter during the season, but honestly we eat it a few times and then we are done with it. I guess we really prefer fruit jam on our toast and biscuits (and PB sammies), but like the "idea" of apple butter. I found a cake recipe that uses that wonderful butter to suffuse wonderful spicy flavor into a moist delicious cake. Oh Yum! The recipe (found at allrecipes.com) called for pecans in the streusel, but because of my son's nut allergies, I used an equal amount of old-fashioned oatmeal -- just for some texture. As it turned out he turned his nose up at the oatmeal -- give me a break! The rest of enjoyed it, however, with a dollop of whipped cream on top.

Apple Butter Cake 

 serves 15-20

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1 cup packed brown sugar 

1 t. ground cinnamon 

1/2 t. ground nutmeg

1/2 cup chopped pecans (I used old-fashioned oatmeal) 

2 cups all-purpose flour 

1 t. baking powder 

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt 

1/2 cup butter, softened 

1 cup white sugar 

3/4 cup apple butter 

1 t. vanilla extract 

2 eggs

1/2 cup whole bran cereal or wheat germ (I used wheat germ) 

1 cup sour cream 

  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray or grease 9x13 inch pan. 

Prepare the topping by mixing together the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and chopped pecans (oatmeal). 

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 

Blend together butter and sugar; add eggs and beat well. Add apple butter, vanilla, wheat germ or bran cereal. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with sour cream; mix well after each addition.

 Spread 1/2 batter into pan, sprinkle 1/2 the topping over top. Spread remaining batter and top with remaining topping. 

Bake for 40 minutes until tests done with a toothpick.

Source: modified from allrecipes.com

Grilled Chicken with Caprese Salsa

This was a fabulous, simple dish. I should make it a Summer Supper, but I hesitate to relegate it to "summer only." If you grill at all during the other three months, this dish would be wonderful to have all year long. Cherry, or grape, tomatoes are available at the grocer all year, so why not? All of my children enjoyed it and it was super simple to make. I found the recipe here, but only (roughly) used the salsa recipe. I marinated the chicken in balsamic and olive oil, with a little salt and pepper -- just for a short while.

Grilled Chicken with Caprese Salsa

serves 6

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6 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts (if you have large chicken breasts, slice them in half lengthwise for two better proportioned pieces)

1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar (regular can be used but it will color the chicken dark)

1/4 cup light tasting olive oil

salt and pepper

2 cups halved cherry tomatoes (or quartered if using large grape tomatoes) 

2 cups fresh mozzarella cubes (I used one large ball and diced it in 1/2 inch cubes) 

1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh basil leaves 

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar (I used regular for the salsa because I think it has a richer flavor) 

1-2 garlic cloves, minced (to taste -- I like less)

1 t. kosher salt 

1/2 t. pepper

Mix together the first measures of vinegar and oil. Place chicken in a glass or ceramic dish (or disposable zipper bag) and pour mixture over chicken. Salt and pepper each side. Let sit for 30 minutes or so to marinate.

When ready to grill, preheat grill.

Meanwhile, mix together all salsa ingredients. Let sit at room temperature for a short while (if you make ahead, chill until 30 minutes before serving). 

Grill chicken until done throughout and remove from grill. Serve hot chicken with salsa on top.

Serving suggestions: Roasted corn, sliced watermelon or bing cherries

Frozen Key Lime Pie

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I stepped out the back door this morning to let the dog out, and the air felt cool, light, and oh-so-slightly fall-like. I could breathe. Oh my goodness, I think my lethargy this past summer might have something to do with lower oxygen levels in my blood -- for the humidity all summer long I felt like I could hardly breathe.

Anyway, when I got that breath of fresh, cool air this morning, I realized there were some yummy summer recipes that I had not yet shared with you, one of which being this wonderful Frozen Key Lime Pie. I, myself, am not big on Key Lime Pie, but I tell you, I could have eaten this entire pie by myself, it was that good. The recipes comes from my new, favorite ice cream cookbook, A Passion for Ice Cream.

One thing I like about this cookbook is it not only offers great ice cream recipes, but it offers recipes using those great ice creams. This recipe, however, does not use ice cream -- it's made to be just this pie. The crust is made with sugar cone crumbs (yum!), and it is topped with a macadamia nut whipped cream, which we unfortunately had to do without because of my son's tree nut/peanut allergy (I'm sure it's wonderful, however and I have included the measure of nuts in the ingredients in case you want to use them). If you don't use the nut cream you could top the pie with some grated lime peel, or just leave is clean like I did.

Note: I used Rose's lime juice instead of key lime juice as neither key limes nor their juice are available at any of my local grocers.

Frozen Key Lime Pie

serves 8-10

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12 sugar cones, broken up

6 T. butter, melted

6 large egg yolks

2 large eggs

1 1/4 cup sugar

1 cup Key Lime juice (I substituted Rose's lime juice available either in the juice aisle or with bar mixers)

1/8 t. salt

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Whipped topping

3/4 c. whipping cream

1 T. sugar

1/4 t. vanilla

2/3 cup macadamia nuts, toasted and roughly chopped (optional)

Place sugar cones in processor and grind them to fine crumbs. Add butter and pulse until combined. Press the crumbs in the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Place in the freezer.

In a medium saucepan, whisk together egg yolks, eggs and sugar. Whisk in lime juice and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a heat-resistant spatula or wooden spoon, until thick, about 8 minutes. (The curd is done when you can briefly see the bottom of the pan as you stir.) Pour curd into a bowl set inside an ice bath and cool. 

When curd is cool, whip the 1 cup whipping cream until soft peaks form. Fold cream into curd. Pour into shell and freeze for at least four hours or until firm.

To serve: whip cream with sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Fold in nuts if using. Spread over pie and serve.

To make ahead: cover pie tightly and freeze for up to 2 days. Whipped cream can be made up to three hours ahead and placed on pie at serving time. (I found that the cream tasted just as good on the leftover pie after it had frozen, so this is your choice -- frozen cream or soft cream).

Modified from A Passion for Ice Cream

Arnold Palmer Ice

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The summer is getting mightily long in the tooth isn't it? I don't know if that phrase applies to anything other than people and farm animals, but I think it does here. This summer has gotten very old. No rain and extended heat and humidity makes for very grumpy people, and we're all pretty grumpy. Each morning I wake up with less and less energy. Hence my absence here -- I don't even have the energy to blog.

This recipe, however, requires very little energy, and it's cold and sweet and very tasty. I personally can not enjoy it because of all that lemon juice, but I have it on good authority (my husband and all the kids) that it's really very good. I've made it several times this summer. The recipe comes from A Passion for Ice Cream. which we have really enjoyed this year, and is based on Arnold Palmer, the beverage. The author, Luchetti, includes some blueberries and raspberries in the recipe for serving on top, but my guys like it straight up -- it's just like lemon ice, but with a little tea mixed in. Yum. I modified the recipe just a bit because I thought it would be too tart and my guys said it was perfect.

Arnold Palmer Ice

serves 6

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3 cups water, divided

1 T. English Breakfast tea leaves or other black tea (I use two Barry's Gold tea bags)

1/2 cup plus 1 T. sugar

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (alternately I used Italian Volcano Lemon Juice once, but used less of it because it's pretty strong)

pinch kosher salt

fresh blueberries and rasperries, if desired

In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water to boil. Turn off heat, add tea, cover and steep for five minutes. Strain tea (or remove tea bags), stir in sugar and let cool to room temp.

Stir in lemon juice and remaining water and salt. Refrigerate until cold.

Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions. If desired, freeze until scoopable, about 2 hours. If you freeze for longer than two hours, you'll get a harder, icier product which you can scrape with a fork to serve.

If desired, serve with berries spooned over the top.

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Summer Supper #7

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I apologize for being such a poor blog host lately. I'm here, and I am still cooking, but I'm feeling rather lazy about posting recipes. I'll blame the heat; everyone else does! ;-)

I hope that you tried one of the red or green margaritas. Really, you must. On Sunday evening, I tried a variation of the strawberry by substituting a whole diced peach for the strawberries. Oh my goodness, it was really so very good -- and a whole serving of fruit. Yay!

Today's Summer Supper is what my husband calls the epitome of a good summer dinner. It's rather light (as in not a large quantity of food) but very tasty, with a little bit of grilling and some wonderful summer flavors.

I will warn you, it's a hot dog. "Yuck," you say. "I don't eat hot dogs." Well, I don't normally serve hot dogs for dinner, but the right kind can be quite a treat. I use good hot dogs (Nathan's or Hebrew National Beef almost exclusively) which you will pay a buck or two more for than pork dogs, but they are worth it. I have served this dish twice to my family and I think they would eat these dogs every week. They are really, really good. Try them.

I served them with a side of fresh fruit -- some watermelon or a bowl of diced fresh fruit, and some chips for ease of homemade potato salad. It's an easy meal and won't fill you too much.

Avocado Hot Dogs

 serves 8

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8 good beef hot dogs

8 hot dogs buns (I prefer split top)

2 ripe avocados, peeled and diced

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered or diced finely if they are large

a handful or cilantro, minced

2 T. finely diced red onion

1 clove garlic, minced

a few squirts of lime juice

a dash or two of salt

ketchup and mustard, if desired

Preheat the grill. 

In the meantime combine the avocado, tomatoes, cilantro, onion and garlic. Add a few squirts of lime juice (the plastic green lime kind is fine) and a dash or two of salt. Stir gently to combine and taste. Adjust lime juice or salt if needed.

Grill hot dogs until hot and with grill marks.

Place hot dogs in buns. Top with mustard or ketchup if desired and Avocado Relish.

Serve with cubed or diced watermelon or fresh fruit salad, and some chips or potato salad.

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Red and Green...Margaritas

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I don't know what it is about a Margarita that makes it such a quintessential summer drink. I guess the frostiness and the fruitiness -- I almost never want one in the winter. This summer my husband and I have been enjoying red and green -- he goes for the tartness of the lime margarita and I enjoy a strawberry -- with just a hint of tang. They are so easy to prepare -- it just takes a minute and you have a cool fresh drink in your glass. The basic ingredients are Rose's lime juice, silver tequila, and triple sec or orange liqueur.  Add five strawberries for the strawberry version. Just keep the ingredients on-hand and you'll always have the makings of a frozen summer beverage.

The key to the quick fixings and quick clean-up for me is the use of an immersion blender. You can certainly use a standard blender, but the immersion blender and the cup that comes with it is really all you need. It makes it super fast to make (less than 15 seconds of blending) and super fast clean up -- just drop the blade end and the blender cup in soapy dishwater.

One Minute Frozen Margarita (Optional Strawberry)

serves one

2 ounces Silver Tequila

1.5 ounces triple sec or orange liqueur

2 ounces Rose's lime juice

Fill the immersion blender cup (or standard blender) with 1 cup crushed ice. Add alcohol and lime juice. Using the immersion blender (or standard blender) blend for about 15 seconds until ice is completely blended (may take longer in a standard blender).

For strawberry version, reduce lime juice to1/2 ounce and add 5 whole large strawberries (washed and leaves removed) and 2 T. simple syrup.

Pour into margarita glass. If salt or sugar (for strawberry variety) is desired, rub edge of glass with a juicy lime slice, and dip glass upside down in a dish of coarse salt or sugar.

Simple Syrup: 1cup sugar, 1 cup water: In a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil; simmer until the sugar is dissolved, a couple minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Store int he fridge for up to a month and use in other cold beverages like iced tea.

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Summer Supper #6

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This is the kind of dish I would order from any restaurant menu. I love summer vegetables, and if you pair them with bacon for flavor and pasta for a little filler, they make a great summer supper dish. I saw this recipe at MyRecipes.com, but switched it up a little in terms of pasta shape and variety of summer vegetable. You could really use a multitude of vegetables for this recipes -- whatever is growing in the garden, available at the farm market, or just needs to be used from the veggie drawer of the fridge.

All the kids enjoyed this dish (much to my surprise) and I can't wait to try it again. I modified the recipe to my taste, but feel free to substitute the veggies for what's available to you. I could not find cavatappi at my store, so I used Roman Rigatoni ( a curved variety of rigatoni) but would look for cavatappi in the future -- I love that shape.

Pasta with Bacon and Summer Vegetables

serves 4-6

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1 lb. uncooked cavatappi 

8 slices bacon, chopped 

2 T.  olive oil 

1 cup chopped red or green onion

3 cloves garlic, crushed or minced

1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices 

3/4 cup yellow pepper, sliced thin and cut in bite-size sticks

1 cup edamame

1 1/2 cups sugar snap peas, ends trimmed and strings removed

1 1/2 cups quartered grape tomatoes

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Parmesan cheese (or up to 1 cup, to taste)

1/4 cup small fresh basil leaves 

salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

While pasta cooks, cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon from pan with a slotted spoon, reserving drippings in pan; add oil to drippings. Add onion and garlic to pan; sauté 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add zucchini and peppers; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in edamame, tomatoes, and sugar snaps; cook 5 minutes or until tomatoes soften, stirring occasionally. 

Add hot pasta to vegetable mixture; toss. Cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Add 1/4 cup cheese, basil, salt, and pepper; toss to combine. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Source: modified from myrecipes.com

Serving suggestion: Serve with some crusty bread and a bowl of fresh fruit salad, or served with some grilled chicken breast for a heartier meal.

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Summer Supper #4

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I am experimenting with some of the apps we "spoke" about in my last post, and I'll let you know what I think of them in a few days. In the meantime...

...today's summer supper recipe was a really big hit with my entire family (except Peach who said it was spicy -- and it was), but I really loved it the most. I could have eaten it until it came out my ears. Luckily, it's low in fat so I practically did! This is not really a summer supper in that it's not made on the grill, nor needs seasonal ingredients, but it is very light and I just know my family would leave the table unsatisfied in the winter when you just feel like you need a stouter fare. Paired with some yummy Asian Broccoli, this meal was very satisfying on a summer night, and I can't wait to have it again.

The recipe came from Taste of Home Cooking and the only change I made was to use all white turkey instead of chicken. It was very tasty. If you have little ones who don't like it spicy, like Peach, you can cut back on the Sriracha, or prepare a small quantity in a separate pan without the Sriracha.

Spicy Asian Lettuce Wraps

serves 4 to 6

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2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons ginger root, peeled and grated
1 1/2 lbs. ground chicken (or turkey)
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Sriracha
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 small can water chestnuts, chopped
1/3 cup chopped peanuts
1-2 heads butter lettuce

Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan, add onion and saute about 2 minutes, then add garlic and ginger root and saute another minute. Add ground chicken (turkey) to frying pan and break apart, then add soy sauce and Sriracha. Cook until the chicken (turkey) is brown and crumbling apart about 5 minutes.

While chicken (turkey) cooks, wash and chop cilantro. Remove the core end from lettuce and separate leaves. Chop peanuts and put in small bowl to serve at the table. When turkey is done, add chopped water chestnuts and chopped cilantro and cook 1-2 minutes more.

To serve: place turkey mixture on lettuce leaf, sprinkle with peanuts, and fold the leaf closed to make it easy to grab and eat. 

Source: Taste of Home Cooking

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Summer Bulgur Salad

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This is the kind of food that I could eat all summer long, every single day. Simple food, simple and healthy ingredients. I love bulgur, and it's high and fiber and low in fat. It cooks quickly and adds a nutty flavor and great texture to this sunny salad -- bright with lemon, parsley and mint, tomato and cucumber. Yum.

Summer Bulgur Salad

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2 cups bulgur, cooked according to directions
zest of one lemon
juice of one lemon or 1/4 cup
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup sliced green onions
4 diced Roma tomatoes
1 cup peeled and chopped cucumbers (more or less to taste -- I probably used 1/2 English cucumber and didn't measure)
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Cook bulgur according to package directions. When done cooking, dump in a large bowl.

While the bulgur cooks, mix lemon juice, minced garlic, and olive oil. 

Add dressing to cooked bulgur and zest lemon directly into bulgur.

When bulgur has cooled somewhat -- almost to room temp., add parsley, mint, onions, tomatoes and  cucumber. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper and serve at room temp.

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Summer Supper #2

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My second summer supper of the season is Chicken Fajitas and Peppercorn. Chicken Fajitas are a favorite in our house, but they always seem to require a lot of work. Like with tacos, I always feel obliged to offer a huge array of toppings, plus a side of rice and refritos, and then, suddenly, it's a big deal. For this meal, I simplified my toppings and sides, and every one was happy with them just the way I served them. I started the meat marinating in the afternoon, but my chicken breasts were frozen, so they thawed in the marinade on the counter. The marinade is really only a few ingredients, so it was not a big deal to get them started. The Peppercorn is a quick and easy side for grilled meat, but was wonderful on top of the meat inside a warm corn (or flour) tortilla. Topped with sour cream, a little jarred salsa and paired with some fresh fruit -- it was a completely satisfying and easy summer supper.

Easy Chicken Fajitas and Peppercorn

serves 4 

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Fajitas:

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice
2 cloves garlic minced
1-2 t. cumin
2 T. fresh minced cilantro, if desired
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
4  boneless, skinless chicken breasts
corn or flour tortillas
sour cream
your favorite jarred salsa




Mix together olive oil, lime juice and spices. Place chicken breasts in plastic zipper bag and pour marinade over. Seal and let marinade for several hours (in the fridge unless chicken is frozen).

At dinner time, preheat grill. Drain off marinade and discard. Grill chicken until done. Let sit for 5 minutes and then slice thinly crosswise. Keep warm until ready to serve.


Serve on warm corn or flour tortillas with sour cream, peppercorn and salsa, if desired.




Peppercorn


1 T. olive or canola oil
12 oz. bag frozen corn
1 red or orange pepper, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
6 green onions, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 t. cumin
salt and pepper to taste
Lime (optional)

Heat large skillet over medium high heat. Heat oil in skillet. Add corn and peppers and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until corn is hot and peppers are tender. Add green onions, garlic and cumin and stir, cooking until corn is cooked through. Salt and pepper to taste. Squeeze a half a lime over corn (if desired) and serve.


Serve this meal with some orange wedges, fresh berries or sliced watermelon for an easy and healthy summer supper.

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Winter Grapefruit Salad

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This recipe is one of those that you might have seen pictured in your mother's, or grandmother's, copy of the red and white checked Better Homes & gardens.  It's homey and old-fashioned, and in this day of exotic fruits available at every grocery store, probably forgotten. But, I love this kind of salad, for its simpleness of preparation and of flavor. In the dead of winter, with not much but citrus, apples, and pears to be found in the produce department (at least that are reliably good), I thoroughly enjoy a salad like this with breakfast for dinner, or Sunday brunch.

 Winter Grapefruit Salad

serves 6

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3-4 large grapefruits

12 maraschino cherries, halved and drained on paper towels

2-6 T. sugar, depending on tartness

dash salt

Wash grapefruits and dry with a paper towel. Cut the top and bottom of one grapefruit off, close to the flesh. Place grapefruit on one flat side and being careful to not waste the flesh by cutting off too big a piece, slice the peel off from top to bottom going all the way around, a bit at a time.

 

Place grapefruit on its side and slice between the flesh and the membrane, removing each triangular piece of grapefruit, going all the way around until all the flesh is removed. Place pieces in a bowl and then squeeze the remaining membranes releasing all the juice into the bowl as well.

Repeat with remaining grapefruits. Add maraschino cherries. Taste a piece of grapefruit to determine how much sugar is necessary and sugar to taste. Add salt. Toss and refrigerate until serving time.

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Asian Pear and Poppy Seed Green Salad

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It always takes me a few months to adjust to the change in seasonal foods available. We enjoy so much fresh fruit in the summer -- melon, berries, peaches -- that when it disappears, or becomes scarce, it almost seems like there is no fresh fruit available at all. I recently started embracing the available fruits and now I'm on a winter fruit kick. I love pears, and the Asian Pear really makes a great accompaniment to a green salad. Paired with some crunchy Romaine lettuce, sugar coated nuts, chopped dates and some sliced red onion, as well as my favorite garlicky poppy seed dressing, it makes a great winter salad. The Asian pear is sweet, juicy and crisp, the dates are sweet, as are the nuts. The red onion adds some spice, as does the dressing. Some Blue or Gorgonzola cheese sprinkled on top would be awesome, too, if you have it on-hand,

Asian Pear and Poppy Seed Green Salad

serves 6

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two heads Romaine lettuce,  cut in bite-size dice and washed

1 Asian pear (two if they are smallish), diced in a 1/2-inch dice

several slices of red onion, quartered and separated

1/4 c. sugared mixed nuts (homemade or something like a honey roasted nut), chopped in large pieces

1/4 c. chopped dates
3 T. Gorgonzola or Blue cheese crumbles (optional)

Combine salad ingredients and drizzle with dressing to taste; toss.

Dressing
1 ½ t. minced garlic
½ t. kosher salt
2 ¾ T. sugar 
1 ½ T. spicy golden mustard 
3 T. white balsamic vinegar
1/3 c. corn oil
1/8 t. black pepper
1 1/8 t. shallots, minced
1 1/8 t. poppy seeds

Mix all ingredients in a jar.
Shake for a minute to completely blend.

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Carpe Diem -- Hot Pumpkin Pie Milk

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Seasonal eating does not just mean eating fruits and vegetables that are available locally and seasonally. That's healthy seasonal eating.

Seasonal eating in a broader sense means eating those yummy foods that are only available at certain times of the year, like Trader Joe's Joe Joes, and Peeps, and Pumpkin Pie ice cream.

We created a treat this year with Pumpkin Pie ice cream based on a recipe I saw for Pumpkin Pie lattes made with Pumpkin Pie ice cream. My kids loved them made with just milk and so we are drinking our way through the grocer's ice cream freezer of Velvet Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream. Yum!

Hot Pumpkin Pie Milk

1/2 mug filled with milk

a large scoop pumpkin pie ice cream

whipping cream

cinnamon or nutmeg

Place ice cream in mug with milk. Heat in microwave for 90 seconds or until as hot as desired (alternately you can place milk and ice cream in a saucepan and heat on the stove until steaming). Top with whipped cream and a sprinkling of cinnamon or nutmeg.

To enjoy the Pumpkin Pie Latte, fill the mug halfway with coffee and proceed with ice cream the same as with the milk.

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Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Frosting

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Wow, is this a food blog? I have been a little preoccupied with life the last two weeks and neglected this place. Not that I haven't been cooking, just don't have time to talk about cooking. One of the kids had my photo files open yesterday and I saw this backlog of photos that have never been posted here. Gotta get on that.

These yummy cinnamon rolls are where I left off last, I think. I made them a few weekends ago for Sunday breakfast and they were a huge hit. Huge. They are yummy like regular cinnamon rolls, but with the added flavor and moistness of pumpkin in the dough.

I have a confession of sorts to make. I don't make cinnamon rolls for my family. My mother-in-law makes cinnamon rolls and my husband goes so gaga over her rolls that I gave up a long time ago trying to make rolls that beat, or even match, hers. I make this Cinnamon Bun bread, which is really good but not quite close enough to real cinnamon rolls to make a comparison. But these, these rolls are good enough to keep them wanting, and it's not grandma's rolls they're wanting.

The dough is soft, but not gooey on the inside, and the frosting...much better than plain old butter frosting. I used the bread flour, as the recipe instructs, and I do think it makes them a little different than all-purpose flour. But if you don't purchase bread flour, go ahead and try them with all-purpose. I have a feeling the pumpkin contributes a lot to that texture, and certainly flavor. I doubled the recipe to get a big plan of thick rolls, because I knew my gang would devour them as written and there wouldn't even be enough. I also modified a few of the ingredients, including the spices because I don't buy pumpkin pie spice -- if you keep the basics in your spice cabinet, you don't need mixes. I also omitted the spice from the frosting because I didn't think it needed it, at all, but add it back if you like.

The recipe comes from The Girl Who Ate Everything.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Frosting
makes 12 rolls

2/3 c. milk

1/4 c. butter

1 c. canned pumpkin

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 t. nutmeg, preferably freshly ground

2 t. cinnamon
1 t. ginger
1/4 t. cloves

1 t. salt

2 eggs, beaten

1 T. dry yeast

4 c. bread flour (you can use regular all purpose flour but bread flour makes them lighter)

1 c. brown sugar, packed

1 T. cinnamon

1/3 c. softened butter

Caramel Frosting

1/2 c. butter

1 c. brown sugar, packed

1/4 c. milk

1/2 t. vanilla

1 dash salt

1 -1/2 cup sifted confectioners' sugar

In small saucepan, or in the microwave, heat milk and 1/4 c. butter just until warm and butter is almost melted, stirring constantly. In large mixer bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, spices, and salt. Add milk mixture and beat with electric mixer until well mixed. Beat in egg and yeast.

Add half of the flour to pumpkin mixture. Beat mixture on low speed 5 minutes, scraping sides of bowl frequently. Add remaining flour and mix thoroughly (dough will be very soft). A dough hook can be used for easier mixing. Turn into lightly greased bowl, then grease surface of dough lightly.

Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down. Turn dough onto a floured surface. Knead a few turns to form a smooth dough, sprinkling with enough additional flour to make dough easy enough to handle. Roll dough into 24 x 10 inch rectangle.

In a bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Spread softened butter over surface of dough surface of dough. Sprinkle with brown sugar mixture. Beginning with long side of dough, roll up jellyroll style. Pinch seam to seal. With sharp knife, cut roll in half. Cut each half in quarters, and then cut each quarter into thirds for 12 2-inch rolls. Place rolls, cut side up, in greased 13x9 inch square baking pan.



Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, 30 to 45 minutes.

Bake rolls at 350 degrees about 30-35 minutes or until golden.



Remove from pan to waxed paper-lined wire rack.



Cool 10 to 15 minutes. Drizzle with Caramel frosting. Makes 12 rolls.

Caramel Frosting:

In small saucepan, heat butter until melted. Stir in brown sugar and milk.

Stir in brown sugar and milk. Cook over medium low heat 1 minute.

Transfer to small mixer bowl and cool mixture. Stir in vanilla, salt, and confectioners' sugar. Beat with electric mixer until well blended. If necessary, add more confectioners' sugar for desired consistency.

Spread over rolls and serve.

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Pumpkin Quick Bread -- Plain and Simple

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Most of the time when I'm in the kitchen, plain and simple is not what I'm after. I like food a little bit jazzy, mildly complex. But some things just must be plain and simple, especially when children are involved. Most kids don't like mildly complex food, they like it straightforward, no chunks, no je ne sais quoi.

This pumpkin bread is just that. It's not my personal favorite, as my personal favorite is loaded with chunks, but my kids love it. I made it with some butternut squash that was left from dinner Sunday, so mine is a little less pumpkin in color, but the flavors are all there. Yum!

Pumpkin Quick Bread
1 loaf

2 cups flour
2 t. baking powder
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. soda
1 t. ginger
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. cloves
1 cup pumpkin
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 t. vanilla
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)


Preheat oven to 350. Grease 3 x 5 loaf pan.

Mix dry ingredients. Mix together pumpkin, buttermilk and vanilla. Beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Alternately beat in flour mixture and pumpkin mixture at low speed until blended. Stir in nuts (optional). Pour batter into pan. Bake for about 60 minutes (toothpick test). Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan.

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Dill Pickle Potato Salad

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In the summer, I love potato salad. I could easily eat it several times a week, but I do get a little bored with the same couple recipes. I went looking the other day for a new recipe and found this yummy version studded with chopped dill pickles -- yum! It had a great dressing -- tangy from mustard and pickle juice, paired with the hard-boiled eggs, scallions, red onion and the pieces of dill pickle -- it was unbeatable and great with hamburgers.

The recipe is a take on Tyler Florence's Potato Salad, but modified a little. His is pretty dressing-heavy and though I like the dressing, I don't think it needs quite that much. I also don't really like capers, so I cut them out. I also use Idaho potatoes, because I prefer the texture, but use what you like (or have on-hand).

I have a great tip for stirring potato salads that keeps them from breaking up too much. After adding the potatoes to the dressing (or vice versa) in a large bowl, pour all of the potatoes and dressing into another large bowl. Pour potatoes and dressing back and fourth several times until potatoes are thoroughly dressed, taking care to be gentle with potatoes. Another tip: I reserve a little of the dressing until serving time because I find that warm potatoes really soak up the dressing and sometimes leave the salad dry.

Get everything diced up while your potatoes are cooking.

Dill Pickle Potato Salad
serves 6-8

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2 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced in a large dice (like you would for mashed potatoes)
2 large eggs
Kosher salt
1/3 cup sliced scallions, white and green
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise (I use light)
3 T. Dijon mustard
1/4 cup finely chopped dill pickles plus 3 T. juice
1/3 cup finely diced red onion
2 T. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 T. minced fresh dill
2 T. lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper

Place potatoes in cool water and boil until tender. At the same time boil the eggs, drain off hot water and fill pan with cold water. Drain the potatoes in a colander and let them cool.

Reserve some scallion greens for garnish. Meanwhile, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, pickles and their juice, onion, remaining scallions, parsley, and lemon juice in a bowl large enough to hold the potatoes. Remove about 1/2 cup of dressing from the bowl and reserve. Peel the cool eggs, cut them and add them to the bowl. Stick a fork into the potatoes and lift them one at a time out of the colander. Break up the potatoes by hand into rough chunks, add them to the bowl. Pour potatoes and dressing back and forth between two large bowls until thoroughly dressed. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve. When ready to serve, add reserved dressing and stir very gently.

Source: modified from Tyler Florence

Chipotle Beef Stew -- Summer Version

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A few months ago I shared with you this yummy spicy beef stew recipe which we thoroughly enjoyed pretty much the way the recipe was written. But trying to serve this dish in the middle of the summer was not as easy. Winter squash is apparently only available in the winter around here. I made a snap decision at the grocery store, bought some very large sweet potatoes and then decided to prepare them on the grill -- making this a summer-friendly meal. The stew cooked on the stovetop, keeping the kitchen fairly cool (as opposed to heating the oven), and the potatoes and corn roasted on the grill.

My family enjoyed the flavor and texture of the sweet potato much more so than the squash (which is saying something because they really raved over this dish originally), and I really enjoyed preparing much of it outdoors.

I am re-posting the recipe with my summer changes. I altered the method of cooking the stew only slightly, braising the meat first and then cooking the stew on the stovetop, as well as using sweet potato halves instead of squash halves for the boats. If you would like to serve roasted corn with this dish, you can find the recipe here.

Chipotle Beef Stew and Sweet Potato Boats

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2 T. olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. beef for stew
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. balsamic vinegar
1 chipotle pepper minced and 1 T. adobo sauce
1 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. ground black pepper
3 large sweet potatoes, halved

1 medium tomato, chopped
1 small ripe avocado, cut into cubes, optional
1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro leaves

Heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat and braise beef until browned. Season with salt and pepper as beef cooks. Add water, tomato paste, sugar, vinegar, chipotle pepper, cumin. Cook stew over medium low heat for 2 hours, or until beef is tender and sauce is slightly thickened. Add water if necessary to keep sauce from cooking up.

Halfway through stew's cooking time, cut sweet potatoes lengthwise in half. Brush cut sides with olive oil. Place sweet potatoes on a preheated grill over low heat and cook for 30 to 40 minutes until tender when poked with a fork.

Place each sweet potato half onto serving plate. Top with equal amounts of beef mixture. Top with tomato and avocado, and sour cream, if desired. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Source: modified from the Food Network

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Key Lime Pie

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I must have seen a Key Lime Pie recently...I don't remember where or when, but I couldn't get it out of my head. It's not a pie I usually choose to make or eat, but I have had a hankerin'.

This was a very easy recipe, though not a true-blue Key Lime Pie. First there's the issue of Key limes. I can't get them in Ohio, so regular limes are what I used, but honestly, I don't know if I could tell the difference -- Key Limes are supposedly a little stronger and more acidic. Then there is the issue of egg substitute, which I almost didn't use at the last minute, but it was good -- very good. I'll probably try another recipe or two just to see what I think, but this pie was so easy and so good that another recipe would have to be five stars to replace this one.

I did replace the Cool Whip that was called for in the original recipe with whipped cream -- I just can't use Cool Whip even it it cuts out fat. You could also top it with meringue, but I like whipped cream (meringue would be lower in fat than cream, and taste better than Cool Whip). Mine turned out softer than the photo at myrecipes, but it was plenty firm to cut and serve. I also made my own crust. Use a low-fat, pre-made crust if you want to retain more of the reduce-fat qualities in the original recipe.

Key Lime Pie
serves 6-8

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1 can fat-free sweetened condensed milk (14-oz.)
¾ cup egg substitute
½ cup fresh lime juice
2 t. grated lime rind (about 2 limes)
1 graham cracker crust (ready made or see below)
1 cup whipping cream
¼ can powdered sugar

Process first 4 ingredients in a mixer until smooth. Pour mixture into piecrust.

Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden. Let pie cool completely, then chill if desired (I did). At serving time, top with whipped cream. Garnish, if desired (with shreds of lime peel),

Whipped Cream: whip whipping cream at high speed with powdered sugar until soft peaks hold.
Graham cracker crust: mix 1 1/2 finely crushed graham cracker crumbs with 1/3 c. melted butter and 1/4 c. sugar. Mix thoroughly. Press in a 9-inch pie pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 9 minutes. Cool completely.

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Strawberry Coffee Cake

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Yes, it's berry season! Between freezer jam, berries in salads, shortcakes, and new dessert recipes we are certainly getting our share of berries these days.

On Sunday, I tried this recipe for Strawberry Coffee Cake for brunch and it was a huge hit. It's a soft, moist, buttery cake with a layer of strawberry filling in the middle. And while it doesn't look like much strawberry, the filling packs a big flavor punch. I found the recipe at Joy the Baker who used a 10 x 10 pan to bake her cake. I don't own a 10 x 10 and I was in a bit of hurry Sunday morning before Mass, so I didn't want to put it in a 9 x 9 and bake it longer. I decided to use a 9 x 13, and while using a larger pan thinned the filling out a little, it was not enough to affect the flavor or texture. I baked it for 45 minutes instead of the 55 - 60 minutes and it was perfectly done, but not dry. It was a little bit difficult to spread the strawberry filling, as well as the top layer of cake batter because I was spreading it a little farther, but I did my best and fortunately streusel, like charity, covers a multitude of sins.

Joy's cake looks different from mine, and other than the glaze drizzle and the pan size I followed the instructions, so I can't figure out why. But, who cares? It was delicious! I would even serve this cake for dessert. I've modified the instructions for a 9 x 13, but you can find the original recipe at Joy the Baker for using a 10 x 10.

Strawberry Coffee Cake
serves 12

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1 heaping cup sliced strawberries
⅓ cup sugar
2 T. cornstarch
2 t. water
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
½ t. salt
8 oz sour cream
1 t. vanilla extract

Topping:
3 T. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
½ cup all-purpose flour
3½ T. sugar

Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
a few t. milk


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Make the strawberry mixture:

Combine strawberries, 1/3 cup sugar, water and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly until the sauce is thickened and strawberries are soft and somewhat broken down. Set aside to cool.

Make the topping:

Combine all the topping ingredients in a bowl and rub together with your fingertips until crumbly. Set aside.

Grease and flour a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, knocking out excess flour, and set aside.

To make the coffee cake:

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla extract, and almond extract if you’re using it.

Add one cup flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Add sour cream and then remaining cup flour. Beat just until combined.

Spoon 2/3 of the batter into the prepared pan. Spread the cooled strawberry mixture over the batter. Spoon the remaining batter onto the strawberries and spread evenly. Top with streusel topping and bake in the upper third of the oven. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Cool for 15 to 30 minutes. Stir powdered sugar and a little milk together until you have a glaze that runs thickly from the spoon. Drizzle over top of cake.

Source: Joy the Baker

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