Random Recipe: Pumpkin Honey Beer Bread

Posted by random olio

First time ever. I completely missed posting a blog yesterday. Blame it on pregnancy brain. Alas. I do have a great recipe to share with you today. You can see I am continuing my pumpkin theme. I cannot get enough, and since pumpkin eventually gives away to peppermint and egg nog, well, you have to take advantage while fall is upon us. Can you believe that Costco already has their peppermint pretzels? It is not even Halloween yet and we can already purchase favorite treats for Christmas. Will we soon be able to purchase Christmas treats in July?

This recipe is a must try. It is, dare I said it? (Moist!) Yummy, and the perfect treat. Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. We actually had it for dinner last night with tomato soup. It is worth trying this fall.

Pumpkin Honey Beer Bread

2 cups sugar

1 cup canola oil

2/3 cup beer (at room temperature)

1/4 cup honey

4 large eggs

1 (15-oz.) can pumpkin

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons table salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Shortening (to grease pan)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Beat first 4 ingredients at medium speed with electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add pumpkin, and beat at low speed just until blended.

2. Whisk together flour and next 4 ingredients in a medium bowl until well blended. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, and beat at low speed just until blended. Divide batter between 2 greased (with unsalted butter) and floured 9 x 5 loaf pans.

3. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes to 1 hour or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool bread in pans on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool until you’re ready to devour it!

Random recipe: Pumpkin Mac ‘n’ Cheese

Posted by random olio

I am on a pumpkin trend. Last week I shared these Flourless Pumpkin Muffins with Chocolate Chips. This week we tried a savory dish for dinner: Pumpkin Mac ‘n’ Cheese. It was good — depending on how much you like pumpkin. I like pumpkin but if we made this recipe again we would tweak it. We would put in less pumpkin and more cheese. The sauce could have been a bit creamier, so I think we would have played with the sauce a bit more.

The breadcrumbs on top softened the heavier pumpkin flavor — the breadcrumbs are a must!

Pumpkin Mac ‘n’ Cheese

INGREDIENTS
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
12 oz. dried whole wheat elbow macaroni
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 2 quart baking dish with 1 Tablespoon of the butter. Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain well and return to the pot.
While macaroni cooks, melt remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until combined. Whisk in milk, salt, and black pepper. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add pumpkin and cheddar cheese. Cook and stir until creamy, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Pour sauce over macaroni and stir to coat. Transfer macaroni to the prepared baking dish. In a small bowl, stir together breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and oil. Spread evenly over pasta. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and macaroni is heated through.

Serve and enjoy this pumpkin goodness.

Random Recipe: Flourless Pumpkin Muffins with Mini Chocolate Chips

Posted by random olio

It is that time of year again. I loath the thought of putting away my flip-flops, and yet I savor the idea of all the pumpkin recipes I want to make in the coming weeks. That and the occasional Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte. As you can see — I love pumpkin in the fall. If I have to give up my flip-flops, pumpkin might be the only thing to sway me.

These muffins are kind of dense because they do not have flour and instead have oats, making them a bit heavy. The pumpkin flavor is good, but you have to decide if flavor/texture/weight is more important than having a healthy-good-for-you option. You pick which is more important to you, but if you want a good flavored, healthy option then this is a recipe you should try.

Flourless Pumpkin Muffins w/Mini Chocolate Chips

Ingredients (for 12 muffins)

2 and 1/4 cup oats
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons almond butter
1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chocolate chips (we used minis)

Instructions

Heat the oven to 350°F and then line a muffin tin for 12 muffins.
Place of all of the ingredients except the chocolate chips into a blender or a food processor and blend for about 30 seconds, or until smooth.
Gently stir the chocolate chips into the batter. Pour the batter equally into the muffin tin. Bake in the oven for 20-22 minutes.
Allow to cool for at least 10-15 minutes before shoving them in your mouth.

Random Recipe: Apple Fries

Posted by random olio

Apples and bananas have been fruits that my pregnant belly has been wanting. Over the summer in the earlier part of my pregnancy I wanted berries (specifically blackberries and raspberries). Now that we are easing into fall and berries are no longer local, I have wanted apples. Over the holiday weekend we decided to try this Apple Fries recipe. They were definitely delicious, but in my opinion have two flaws. They take too much time to make than they are worth AND they made the house smell for days. That does not mean it will happen to you, but currently our range does not actually ventilate outside and thus the smell permeated throughout our house. We had to open windows and light candles for a few days to get rid of the apple fry smell.

Apple Fries with Vanilla Whipped Cream

Adapted from The Veg Life

Canola Oil (high-heat oil)
2 large Granny Smith Apples, peeled and sliced into wedges
¼ cup Cornstarch

Cinnamon Sugar Topping:

¼ cup sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Dip:

½ cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Instructions:

Mix the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and set aside.
Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of your pan on high heat.
Toss apple wedges in cornstarch, coating both sides.
Place just enough of the coated apple wedges into the hot oil to make a single layer and fry on each side for 2 to 3 minutes. They should be just golden brown. Repeat with the rest of the apple wedges.
Transfer the cooked apples onto a cookie sheet lined with paper towels and drain for a few minutes.
Toss in the cinnamon sugar mixture and serve.
Whip the heavy cream and vanilla to use as a dip. Yum!

Random recipe: Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

Posted by random olio

Lately (maybe it is the pregnancy) I have been craving pasta. I might need more carbs as this baby grows inside me. This week we decided we would try a new pasta option. We are both for the most part fans of butternut squash. This dish felt on the heavier side, a thicker sauce, and maybe it is my desire these days for everything to have salt, but I wanted to add flake salt before eating. Definitely worth trying and fairly easy to make. But what do I know? Chris is the chef.

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

1 pound of pasta
Extra virgin olive oil
1 shallot, diced
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons milk (or more if needed)
10 oz pureed butternut squash (we cheated and bought frozen)
1 cup of Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, grated
A few tablespoons of roughly chopped fresh thyme
Salt and pepper

Bring a large pot to a boil over medium-high heat and dump in your pasta. Cook accordingly.

While pasta is boiling, add chopped shallot and about 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add a dash of salt and pepper. Saute about three minutes or until nice and tender. Add in one more drizzle of olive oil. Next, whisk in your flour and cook for about a minute. Then, whisk in your milk. Whisk everything together and then add in the pureed squash. Continue whisking over medium-high heat until the sauce thickens. Whisk in shredded Cheddar and grated Parmesan cheese along with the thyme. Add more milk if it gets too thick and keep whisking!

Drain the water from your cooked pasta and pour the squash mixture over the top of the pasta. Serve immediately. Garnish with extra Parmesan and thyme if you’d like.

Your family will love it…butternut squash and all.