Pumpkin Carrot Lentil Soup

Weekend meal scheduling is not my forte. Breakfast at 11, dinner at 7, and a lunch snack somewhere in between. Maybe it's the fact I only pack lunches for work days, leaving me scrounging for something resembling a lunch during the day when I'm at home.

I made this soup a few weekends ago completely from my pantry and fridge. It's really amazing how easily something great can be pulled together when you stock your pantry with staples.

Pumpkin Carrot Lentil Soup

Ingredients

• 4 C veggie stock, separated
• 1 C green lentils, rinsed
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 1/2 C pumpkin puree
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 14 oz full fat coconut milk
• 1/2 tsp salt, to taste

Toppings, Optional

• Coconut milk crema
• Toasted pumpkin seeds
• Fresh chopped cilantro
• Sriracha
• Croutons

Method

1. In a large pot, bring the veggie stock to a full boil, then add the green lentils and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for about 10-15 minutes until softened.
2. Add the carrots and cook until tender.
3. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until your desired texture is reached. Be careful to avoid splashing the hot liquid onto yourself!
4. Taste the soup, adjust any seasonings, and add toppings as desired before serving.

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Pumpkin Pie Custard

I've been slacking and not keeping up with this blog. Pure laziness on my part, especially since I've got a small backlog of recipes to get up.

I made pumpkin custards for Thanksgiving dessert; basically crustless pumpkin pie. The filling is, after all, the part that we all scrape out from the crust. So not only is this an easier way to get more of the good stuff we all love, it's a lot easier to whip up not having to worry about a crust. These specifically were a bit hit, not only due to the lack of crust, but the allspice adds an unique flavor to the mix. I'll probably make this again in years to come!

It is crucial you bake these in a water bath in order for them to look nice! I baked one separately as a test; the custard will crack and pull apart from the sides without the water. Tastes just as great, but is definitely not as nice a presentation for your friends and family.

Pumpkin Pie Custard

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 3/4 C heavy cream
• 3/4 C milk
• 1/2 C sugar
• 1/3 C brown sugar, packed
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp salt

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 6-8 ramekins with oil. Place ramekins in a large oven safe roasting pan with deep sides; this is for a water bath.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until foamy. Add in remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
3. Fill each ramekin about 3/4 to the top. Fill the pan with hot water, then place in the oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the custard is just set. It will jiggle slightly, but this is fine. Let cool completely before serving.

These custards are so quick to make, you might find yourself making multiple batches this season. Enjoy!

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Cinnamon Pumpkin Steamer

People seem to be going a bit crazy this fall, hitting the pumpkin pretty hard. I'm not going to lie, I love the idea of pumpkin-ified recipes this time of year too. This recipe was inspired by a recipe I've had tucked away for a couple years from The Kitchn, but I keep coming back to it not only because it makes for a delicious, hot drink for chilly mornings, but it's a great use for the leftover spoonfuls of pumpkin from the can.

I use my at home method for foamy milk for this recipe which works nicely. Alternatively, you can heat on the stovetop, which will not yield the same foam, or with a steaming wand.

Cinnamon Pumpkin Steamer

Adapted from The Kitchn

Ingredients

• 1 C milk (non-dairy for vegetarian/vegan)
• 2 tbsp pumpkin puree
• 1 tbsp sugar, or to taste
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender, blending until well combined and foamy.
2. Pour into a microwave safe measuring cup and microwave for 60-90 seconds, or until desired temperature. Serve hot.

Serves 1

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Kabocha Muffins

Kabocha = Japanese pumpkin

It's one of my favorite Japanese dishes: delicious, tender, sweet pumpkin simmered in dashi stock with some sugar and perhaps some soy thrown in. I always had big portions of the stuff at "home" in Japan. And let's not forget the oh so delicious tempura fried variety over a bowl of rice. Kabocha is still my favorite part in ten-don and I will gladly trade it for my shrimp. Yum.

I found some kabocha seeds at a local Japanese grocery store, planted them, and now have several pumpkins to consume. So far I've gone through one (as they are supposed to "ripen" for a few months after harvesting) and tried a few recipes.

You can find kabocha at your local grocery store in the fall. If it's not available, you can substitute any kind of cooked fall squash with equally tasty results.

Kabocha Muffins

Ingredients

• 55g butter, softened
• 55g brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 180g kabocha, cooked and mashed
• 110g buttermilk
• 110g whole wheat pastry flour
• 15g baking powder

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line or grease a muffin tin and set aside.
2. In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add in the egg and pumpkin and stir until combined. Stir in the buttermilk.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the flour and baking powder, then fold into the wet ingredients until just blended.
4. Scoop batter into muffin tin about 2/3 of the way up. Bake for 17 minutes until golden and cooked through.
5. Turn out onto a rack to cool.

Makes 12 muffins.

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Capturing Summer

It's something I've been wondering for a while now, well, at least since the first signs of fall a couple weeks ago--how can I make summer last as long as possible? Is it through farmer's market produce? Fresh brewed sun tea? The perfect cheeseburger?


I tried these methods, but sadly it just isn't working for me. I suppose the incoming rain and cooling temperatures are just going to require a change in mindset. It's the season for soups, stews, perhaps endless cookies and...pumpkin lattes?

I ran across a recipe for these [pumpkin spice lattes] a few days back and can't get enough! I've never tried the "authentic" Starbucks one, but its like drinking a mild pumpkin pie, and super easy to make with a bit of canned pumpkin. An espresso machine whips this up in a hurry (just steam the ingredients), otherwise the method listed on the site works just as well.

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soup and sandwich dinner

It's fall and butternut squash is in season. What better way to prepare it than roast it, then make it into a soup?? I was really inspired to make soup after seeing Thai Spiced Pumpkin Soup on 101 cookbooks. The recipe does call for acorn squash, but I used butternut since I had it on hand and it tastes great!

Pair that with a grilled cheese sandwich, enhanced with cheese, apple, and bacon and you've got a seriously good meal.

This recipe comes from Tyler Florence, another one of my favorite Food Network chefs. If you are tired of eating the same old, I have nothing else to eat so grilled cheese will do, sandwich, be sure to give this one a try!

(Not your ordinary) Grilled Cheese

2 slices of bread
green apple, sliced thin
2 pieces of bacon, cooked until crisp
white cheddar cheese, sliced
dijon mustard
butter

1. Heat a griddle over medium heat.
2. To assemble the sandwich, spread a layer of dijon mustard on one slice of bread. Layer the cheese, apple, and bacon on top, then add the other slice of bread. Butter the bread and place onto the griddle, butter side down. Be sure to butter the other side of the sandwich at this time.
3. Cook the sandwich until golden brown, flip, and cook the other side until golden as well.

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Pumpkin Chip Muffin Loaf

I was looking for a recipe with canned pumpkin so I could use up my leftovers from the pumpkin cookies I made. I finally settled on this recipe, but I wasn't entirely set on making cupcakes, mostly because I didn't have the cream cheese for the frosting but also because I wanted a coffeehouse-style baked item. (Side note: I really like the search function on allrecipes which allows you to search by ingredients you want and/or don't want...perfect when you need to use something left in your fridge!)


I followed the recipe exactly, using approximately 1 cup of regular sized chocolate chips. I poured into a loaf pan and baked for about an hour.

This makes a wonderful afternoon sweet snack, perfect with tea or coffee.

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Pumpkin Cookies

I originally tried these at work when a coworker brought some in. I've never eaten anything like them before--soft like a biscuit or muffin, but with the sweetness of a cookie. I had to ask for the recipe. When I got it, I modified it a bit, using a different icing, subbing half the sugar for brown, and adding a bit of salt and vanilla. But in the end, I'm not sure those changes made that much of a difference because these are so good as is.

I did a search for other pumpkin cookie recipes and found a ton of them, each very similar. So apparently I've been out of the loop on this one.



Pumpkin Cookies

1 stick butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking powder

3 tbsp butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
3 tbsp milk
2 tsp vanilla (or try 2-3 tsp maple syrup for variety)

1. Cream the butter and sugar. Add the pumpkin and egg and beat until well combined.
2. Add all the dry ingredients and blend, careful not to overmix.
3. Drop the cookies onto a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, depending on size. I take mine out when they are a bit firm to the touch on the top, but soft underneath.
4. To make the frosting, combine the last 4 ingredients and whisk until all lumps are gone. Frost the cookies after cooled.
   

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Pumpkin and Yogurt Corn Muffins

You know what it's like when you've let the dishes pile up in the sink, the bathroom get too dirty, or the laundry become a bit too daunting? Yeah, I have neglected this blog for a couple weeks now which means I've got several things to post today.

I found this mini corn muffin recipe on justbento a few weeks ago and thought it sounded really tasty. Plus, I had some leftover yogurt I needed to use up. Unfortunately, I over baked the muffins and they were practically inedible :( If baked properly, I recommend serving them with some maple butter--mix together softened/melted butter with maple syrup and allow to refirm.

Pumpkin and Yogurt Corn Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup minus 2 tbsp flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice mix
• 3 tbsp raw cane sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3 tbsp canola oil
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/3 cup lowfat plain yogurt

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a mini muffin tin.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients. Add the wet to the dry and mix until just blended.
3. Spoon into muffin tins and bake for 20 minutes or so. Be sure not to overbake or they will be dry!

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