Pumpkin Pancakes, December 5, 2017

I'd intended to make roast pork, Cuban-style, for dinner Tuesday night. However, I completely forgot, until about half an hour before I needed to start cooking, that I needed to marinate the meat. Whoopsie! Luckily, I had all the ingredients on hand for Wednesday night's planned dinner and it required no advance prep at all, so I was able simply to flip the nights.

I made a big ol' pile of pumpkin pancakes, an entire package of bacon, and an entire package of sausage patties. I also handed out Cuties to anyone who wanted them, in a nod to healthfulness. I'm so happy they're back in season! May I pause for just a moment to gripe about my local grocery not carrying Bob Evans sausage, though? Not that Jimmy Dean is horrible, but, for this Ohio girl, Bob Evans is the best. I could quit griping and submit a product request for that, lacinato kale, Italian parsley, and Goya Spanish-style chorizo (so I don't have to go to World Market every dang time I want chorizo), I suppose. Anyway, it was a mountain of food and, at the end, the only scrap that was left was a lonesome half piece of bacon. The pancakes vanished particularly rapidly, largely down Boot's gullet. I had no idea he would be so crazy about them. Personally, I thought they needed a bit more of all the seasonings and a bit more pumpkin. Next time, I'll up the amounts. You maybe should, too, but here's what I did. It was a good thing for Boot's girlfriend, who is not a big fan of pumpkin.

Pumpkin Pancakes

1 1/4 c. flour

3 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. each cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg

Pinch salt

Pinch cloves

4 eggs

1 stick butter (plus more--or oil--for cooking)

3/4 c. pumpkin purée

1 1/4 c. milk

Dash vanilla

Whisk dry ingredients together. Beat egg whites to stiff peaks. Set aside. Melt the stick of butter and gradually stir into egg yolks. mix in pumpkin, milk, & vanilla. Add to flour and mix well. Fold in egg whites. Heat a little butter or oil in a skillet or on a griddle. Drop batter by 1/4-1/3 cup measures into skillet/onto griddle, a few pancakes at a time, & cook through until lightly browned on each side. As you finish pancakes, remove them to a 250 degree oven to keep them warm. Serve with warm maple syrup. It also occurs to me that some toasted pepitas would be lovely sprinkled on top. 

Curried Pumpkin Soup, November 18, 2016

I sent Jeannene, who was in Vancouver for work all week, a text giving her 3 options for tonight's dinner. She very promptly responded that she wanted curried pumpkin soup---"Yum!" We picked her up at the airport at nearly 7 and came home to throw together supper. Along with this quick, easy, very delicious soup, I heated some brown & serve rolls and opened a jar of chunky applesauce.

Curried Pumpkin Soup

1 c. chopped onion

2 tsp. olive oil

2 1/2 tsp. curry powder

Salt and pepper

32 oz. chicken broth

15 oz. pumpkin purée (I actually used an extra half can I had left over from pancakes, too)

2 potatoes, peeled and cubed

Chopped parsley, for garnish

Sauté the onion in the oil, in a soup pot, until translucent. Add seasonings, stirring until the onions are coated. Add broth, pumpkin, and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook, partially covered, another 10 minutes. Serve garnished with parsley. Serves 4-6. 

Pumpkin Pie Pancakes, November 16, 2016

My wee boy's been a bit under the weather lately and hasn't had much of an appetite. One thing he loves is pancakes, so I made us a batch of pumpkin pie pancakes, along with some Morningstar Farms bacon & apple slices. The pancakes make a great breakfast to celebrate fall while it's still here!

Pumpkin Pie Pancakes

2 c. flour

3/4 c. sugar

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 eggs, beaten well

15 oz. pumpkin purée

12 oz. evaporated milk

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. cloves

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix the other ingredients together. Combine. Coat skillet with cooking spray and place on medium-high heat. Dollop 1/4 cupfuls of batter into skillet and spread to 4" circles. Cook until golden on both sides. Good with warm maple syrup & butter.

Red Tent Food: Pumpkin & Butternut Soup, Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake, October 13, 2015

Once a month, at the new moon, my Red Tent Temple women gather. I prepare some kind of food to nourish bodies and spirits. Last night, it being October, I made a pumpkin and squash soup and a chocolate chip zucchini cake. I added some store-bought wheat bread, some lentil crackers (we have at least 1 member who is gluten-free), and some Lucy's pumpkin cookies, also GF.

Pumpkin & Butternut Soup

1 tbsp. butter (if vegan, sub olive oil)

1 tsp. olive oil

2 onions, chopped

30 oz. pumpkin (canned)

3 lb. butternut squash cubes (I buy them pre-chopped)

6 c. vegetable stock

A couple pinches salt

A good grinding pepper

1 c. milk or half and half (skim is fine---and this can be omitted altogether)

Sour cream, croutons, and shredded parmesan for garnish

Heat butter and oil in soup pot. Cook the onions until translucent. Add all but the milk. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on medium-low for 20 minutes or so. Blend smooth, either in a blender (carefully, in batches) or with an immersion blender. Return to pot, add milk, and adjust seasonings. Heat through. Serve with garnishes. Serves 8-10. 

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 stick butter, softened

1/4 c. oil

2 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/2 c. flour

1/4 c. cocoa

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 c. buttermilk

2 medium zucchini, shredded (about 2 c.)

1 c. chocolate chips

1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix sugar, butter, oil, vanilla, and eggs. Add flour, cocoa, baking soda, and buttermilk. Fold in zucchini, chocolate, and nuts. Pour into a greased, floured 13x9 pan. Bake 35-45 minutes. Serves 16. I have not frosted this, but I think cream cheese frosting would be yummy on it. 

Pumpkin Apple Bagels, September 6, 2015

While I was readying the crockpot pulled pork after church the other week, I also fixed us some pumpkin apple bagels for lunch. We were headed out to a festival, but I thought it was a good idea to get something in our bellies beforehand so we wouldn't get hangry. These fit the bill, but they are very filling, so I really could have done with half. 

Pumpkin Apple Bagels

1/4 c. apricot jam (I love Kissell's Apricot Rosemary Spiced Jam more than I can say)

2 tsp. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

A dash of cinnamon

2 smallish apples, sliced

2 bagels (you could also do the same thing with toast or English muffins)

4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 c. canned pumpkin

1 tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

A handful of walnuts, coarsely chopped

Heat jam with lemon juice, 1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon, stirring occasionally, until bubbly. Cool, then toss with apples. Toast bagels. Beat cream cheese with pumpkin, sugar, and 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice. Spread on bagels. Top with apples and nuts. Serves 2-4. 

Welcoming Fall with Pumpkin Waffles

I always like to welcome Fall with some kind of seasonally appropriate meal for dinner. I have a convoluted (and somewhat silly---but it works) method of deciding dinner menus, involving rolling dice and counting by sevens. You may think I'm kidding, but I am absolutely not. I mean, there is still a lot of deciding I do of my own free will---it's not all up to fate. I was inspired by my mom and the method helps me plan in a way that utilizes all my cookbooks. Anyway, the dice and the sevens landed on pumpkin waffles for this year's first dinner of autumn and I was delighted! To me, this breakfast for dinner captures the essence of fall dining as well as any pot of chili. I am, of course, definitely thrilled it's chili season. But last night, we really enjoyed our waffles, me with warm maple syrup, my sweet wife with her preferred Mrs. Butterworth. I love that we are able to accommodate everyone's food particularities in our house.

Another particularity is that she loves maple bacon & maple sausage. I pretty much hate sweet and meat together. So, she is often longing for maple breakfast meat, but giving it up because I don't like it. Me, I adore pepper bacon. But, I usually defer to her preference for plain bacon because, well, who's going to complain about bacon? (unless it has maple---but I digress) So, last night, when we were strolling the meat section of our local grocery, she encouraged me to get pepper bacon and I encouraged her to get maple sausage. Then, she hit upon a brilliant solution! I can't believe we didn't think of it sooner. Get both, make enough of each for one person, and freeze the rest!

I'd intended to add fruit to the meal, so at least something would be healthy. That didn't happen. Ah, well. I got lots of good root veggies at lunch with my friend, Frank's, fabulous pork & root veggie stew with cider & curry.

Welcome Fall Pumpkin Waffles

1 c. flour

1 tbsp. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

About 1/4 tsp. nutmeg (I grate mine directly into the bowl, so I am just guessing)

2 eggs, separated

3/4 c. milk (skim is fine)

1/2 stick butter, melted (you could probably reduce this with no disruption to the recipe)

1/4 c. pumpkin (I might add more next time; I'm putting the rest of the can in oatmeal)

Cooking spray

Maple syrup (or whatever your preferred waffle topping is)

Preheat waffle iron. Mix the dry ingredients together. Whisk egg yolks with milk, butter, and pumpkin. Combine with dry ingredients. Beat egg whites to stiff peaks and fold into batter. Spray waffle iron with cooking spray. Add 1/2-3/4 c. batter per waffle & cook until browned & crisp. Makes 4 Belgian waffles. These freeze well. To re-heat, just pop them in the toaster. The recipe also happily doubles, although I would only use 3 eggs when doubling, rather than 4.