Creamy Pumpkin Pie Bars

Thanksgiving doesn’t stop on Thursday.  We have an annual extended family gathering on the Friday night after Thanksgiving that’s just as much fun as the big day itself.  Usually we bring a dessert (probably because we’re almost always late!)  This year, I wanted to make Joy the Baker’s Pumpkin Pie Bars.

The bars have a bottom crust made with butter, flour, oats, and pecans, and this mixture is also used for a crumble topping.  The filling is a rich mixture of cream cheese, pumpkin, sugar, and spices.  The recipe has all the right ingredients so we had high expectations.  Sadly, we were disappointed.  But don’t they look pretty?

 

 

The first problem was that the bars took significantly longer than expected to bake in the oven, and it was really difficult to tell when they were done.  The recipe indicates they should be cooked until “the center no longer jiggles.”  It’s pretty hard to see the filling underneath the crumble topping, so we ended up using a toothpick to help.

The recipe also indicates that the bars should be chilled prior to cutting, but even after some time in the freezer, the center was still very soft.  It was difficult to cut them into nice bars.  After more time in the host’s refrigerator, the bars were still messy to eat.  I think this recipe would work much better as a regular cheesecake that you enjoy with a fork.

Of course, no one at the party cared that our bars weren’t up to par.  There were plenty of great desserts, including another dish of pumpkin bars which were excellent.  So I asked which recipe they used.  “Shhhh….they’re from a box mix.”

Pumpkin Cheesecake Shooters

After Thanksgiving dinner, everyone is usually way too full for dessert.  But you just can’t resist having something, right?  These Pumpkin Cheesecake Shooters from Skinnytaste give you a small taste of something sweet, and they’re also adorable!

I followed the recipe as written, and was able to make the filling ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator.  Of course, I had to try it out to make sure it was acceptable for our guests.  The pumpkin cheesecake was really good, but next time I would increase the amount of pureed pumpkin for a more intense flavor.

A few hours before serving, I piped the filling and whipped topping into the glasses using the tried-and-true Ziploc bag with the corner snipped.  We tried out a few different sized glasses including a regular shot glass, a larger cordial glass, and limoncello glasses.

 

You really don’t need to buy any special glasses; use whatever you have around.  Just remember that if you use a really narrow glass, you also have to provide spoons that can reach the bottom!

These are a fun option for Thanksgiving dinner.  And if you’re lucky enough to have a few leftover, you can feel very fancy enjoying one the next day after your turkey sandwich.  🙂

 

Chocolate Beet Cake with Beet Cream Cheese Frosting

Although my birthday always falls near Thanksgiving, we still manage to find time for birthday cake.  My request this year was for a chocolate cake with pink frosting.  This Chocolate Beet Cake with Beet Cream Cheese Frosting fit the bill perfectly!  The recipe is from Joy the Baker, and she almost rivals Smitten Kitchen for great recipes.

 

 

You might be thinking – “beets…creative!”  But you might be thinking – “beets….yuck!”  Let me assure you that you can’t taste the beets in the cake or the frosting.  They only serve to make the cake moist, and the frosting a bright pink.  It helps to roast and grate the beets a day ahead because that’s really the messy part of the project.  After that, it’s a pretty straightforward two layer cake recipe.

My Mom did the majority of the work for the cake, and had my older nephew help with the frosting.

 

Later he got to decorate the cake with sprinkles, and then it was time for his favorite part, the candles!

With his little brother already in bed, he got to be center stage to help sing and blow out the candles.  Thanks to my family, it was a fun night and a fabulous cake!

Panini Night!

My cooking club theme this month was paninis!  It was a really fun theme – we had two panini makers going to make a diverse selection of sandwiches.  We had different breads, different fillings, and even a dessert panini.  (Note: We never ever skip dessert in this club!)

Here’s the lineup:

Fig and Prosciutto Panini – the salty ham and sweet fig grilled on thick bread made a great combination
Sicilian Panini – Italian coldcuts, fresh mozzarella, roasted red peppers, and pesto grilled on crusty Italian bread; a superb replica of the sandwich served at Dave’s Fresh Pasta
Buffalo Chicken Panini – creamy buffalo chicken on toasted Pillsbury croissants; a creative and delicious way to get your ‘buffalo chicken’ fix
Greek Egg Panini – hard boiled egg, fresh baby spinach, sliced red onion, and feta cheese on whole wheat pita

And last, but not least – Paula Deen’s Sweet Dessert Paninis with banana, Nutella, marshmallows, and chocolate.  Words can’t describe it.

Here’s a few photos of the event:

 

 

 

 

 

Do you have a panini maker?  Is it gathering dust somewhere?  After Thanksgiving, drag it out and try some of these combinations!

Yellow Jasmine Rice

Were you expecting a Thanksgiving themed recipe today?  Yes, I know it’s just a few short days away.  And I’ll be enjoying our traditional favorites including an Italian sausage stuffing, turnip, and my Mom’s amazing apple pie.  With the turkey leftovers, we might try these enchiladas, or last year’s turkey soup.

But I couldn’t possibly spend a long weekend with my family without trying a few new things.  Specifically, we’re planning a chocolate cake with pink frosting for Wednesday, a new pumpkin dessert for Thanksgiving, and another new pumpkin dessert for a large family gathering on Friday.  Looks like I also need to plan some workouts!

So back to today’s recipe.  This was called the best rice ever on the Budget Bytes blog, which is a pretty bold statement.  I made just a few changes, swapping the butter for olive oil, using a vegetarian broth, and increasing the cinnamon.  I found jasmine rice in the ethnic section of my conventional grocery store, and they also have it in the bulk bins at Whole Foods.

I am not sure I could call this the best rice ever, but it is delicious and slightly addictive.  It’s colorful, fragrant, and tender.  The spices are more subtle than you might expect.  Although this might look like an Asian or Middle Eastern recipe, the flavor is really light and would complement any meal.  After you’re done with your Thanksgiving mashed potatoes, you might want to give this one a try.

 

 

 

Yellow Jasmine Rice

2 T olive oil
1 t turmeric
2 t minced garlic
1/2 t cumin
1/4 t cinnamon
2 c. jasmine rice
2 c. vegetable broth
1 c. water

Heat oil in a medium pot.  Add turmeric, garlic, cumin, and cinnamon.  Stir to mix well, and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.  Add rice, and stir to coat.  Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently, to brown rice.  Add broth and water, and cover.  Simmer gently for 20 minutes.  Turn off heat and allow rice to rest for 5-10 minutes.  Fluff and serve.

-Lightly adapted from Budget Bytes

Butternut Squash Hash

When you just can’t decide what to have for dinner, there’s always “breakfast for dinner”.  That’s how I enjoyed this butternut squash hash, although it would also be good for a weekend brunch.  Feel free to expand the recipe to use a whole squash, I just happened to have half of one leftover from another project.

This recipe takes some patience while you brown the onion and squash, but those crispy edges taste so great!  I cracked the eggs right into the same pan, mostly because I was lazy and didn’t want to take out (and then wash) another pan.  But this worked out really well, and it was a fun “breakfast for dinner” meal.

 

 

 

 

Butternut Squash Hash

1/2 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1″ cubes
1 T olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 t paprika
3-4 eggs
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese

Place butternut squash cubes in a bowl, and cover with water.  Microwave for 5-8 minutes, until starting to soften.  Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large frying pan.  Add onion, and cook for 5-10 minutes.  When squash is drained, add to frying pan.  Cook for 20-30 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Season with paprika.  The onion and squash should brown, but turn down the heat if they are burning.

When the hash is ready, make 3-4 indentations in the pan.  Spray bottom of pan with cooking spray if dry.  Crack an egg into each space.  Cover, and cook for 5 minutes.  Remove cover and sprinkle Parmesan cheese over eggs.  Replace cover and cook for 1-2 minutes more, until eggs are set.

Butternut Squash Butter

Everyone’s heard of pumpkin butter, but with so much butternut squash at my fingertips, I wanted to make butternut butter.  I used this recipe from Eat, Live, Run as a guide.  Thankfully, I also had one big assistant and one little assistant for the project!

We started by weighing the squash, because the amount of squash will drive how much of the other ingredients you need.  However, I cut way back on the sugar from the original recipe – this squash is so sweet on it’s own, you just don’t need that much.  This scale is truly an antique, but it still works.

 

My big assistant did all the peeling and slicing, and I roasted the squash in the oven.  Then my little assistant helped to measure all the other ingredients and put them in the food processor along with the roasted squash.

 

 

My big and little assistants teamed up for the most exciting part – pushing the buttons on the food processor.

 

 

The original recipe called for putting the mixture on the stove to thicken, but ours was already quite thick at this point.  I did put it on the stove to heat through, but then we were done and ready to put it in glass jars.  The little assistant got a snack of plain yogurt with a spoonful of butternut butter, which he loved!  I spread some on a piece of whole wheat toast later on, and really enjoyed this fall treat.

 

 

Butternut Squash Butter

1 (4 lb.) butternut squash, peeled and sliced thinly
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 t. vanilla
2 T lemon juice

Place butternut squash slices in a single layer on a cookie sheet and roast at 400F for 20-25 minutes.  Repeat this process until all the squash is roasted.  Place squash, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and lemon juice in a food processor and blend until smooth.  Place mixture in a pan on the stove and cook until thickened, as needed.

-Recipe adapted from Eat, Live, Run

Butternut Squash and Kale Torte

My parents recently took a drive through Rhode Island, and were stunned to see the effects of Hurricane Sandy.  There are so many tragic stories related to this storm.  They saw homes which were flooded, and a landscape redefined by sand which was moved with the power of the wind.  But less than a mile from the beach, farmers were harvesting a large quantity of butternut squash.  So they bought a bushel, which turned out to be 13 butternut squash totaling 40-45 lbs.  That’s a lot of local produce!

The first butternut squash recipe to share is this Butternut Squash and Kale Torte.  With squash, potatoes, kale, red onion, and tomato, this dish is packed with vegetables, and I loved them all.  There’s also both Provolone and Parmesan cheese.  The dish is a series of beautiful layers, and the camera does not do this justice.  The recipe does take a bit of time with all the peeling and slicing, and required about 15 extra minutes in the oven, but the end result is totally worth it.

 

Breakfast Enchiladas

I’ve been wanting to try this Breakfast Enchilada recipe for a while.  Your favorite fillings go inside the tortillas, which are then set in a mixture of eggs and cheese.  I really like breakfast casseroles, especially ones like this which you can make the night before, and then bake in the morning.

The original recipe included chopped peppers and ham, neither of which are on my list of favorite foods.  So I used onion, mushrooms, and spinach, and kept the dish vegetarian.  I also reduced the overall amount of cheese and traded in the half-and-half for skim milk to lighten things up a bit.

 

 

The end result was quite good, but I was thinking that it would be even better with some fresh tomatoes and sour cream on top.  Since I didn’t have any of that in the house, I paired an enchilada with some fresh fruit for a complete breakfast.  Keep this recipe in mind, especially if you’re having company for breakfast or brunch over the holidays.

 

 

 

Breakfast Enchiladas

1 T olive oil
1 large Vidalia onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 (8 oz.) package mushrooms, sliced
1 (10 oz.) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
6 flour tortillas
6 eggs
1 1/2 c. skim milk
2 T flour
Salt and Pepper
1 c. reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese

Heat oil in a large frying pan.  Saute onions for 15-20 minutes, until soft and beginning to brown.  Add mushrooms, and cook until mushrooms are soft.  Stir in spinach and heat through.  Remove from heat and allow to cool briefly.  Place 1/2 c. filling in each tortilla, roll, and place seam side down in a 13″x9″ baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, milk, and flour, and season generously with salt and pepper.  Pour mixture over tortillas.  Sprinkle cheese evenly over the dish.  Refrigerate overnight if desired.  Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes covered with foil.  Remove foil, and bake an additional 10-15 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to set for 5 minutes before serving.

-Adapted from Inspired Taste

Linguine with Green Beans

I’ve had so many food adventures in the last few days, and spent very little time in my kitchen.  I had a lovely visit with a friend from college who had a list of great restaurants in the area, many of them new to me.  We had a delicious dinner at My Thai Vegan Cafe, and a fantastic brunch at Sofra in Cambridge.  (Their shakshuka was so much better and more authentic than my version.) I don’t really do restaurant reviews on the blog, but it’s safe to say that I will be visiting both places again soon.  We also enjoyed dessert in the form of an espresso cannoli from Mike’s and my very own Pumpkin Cranberry Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies.  It was such a treat to enjoy good food and good conversation with the whole family, and experience some new places in my backyard.

But suddenly it was Sunday afternoon, and I was alone again, facing a busy week ahead.  I decided to make a pasta dish inspired by Giada’s Whole Wheat Linguine with Green Beans, Ricotta, and Lemon.  Frozen green beans were the best option this time of year, although I do think this recipe would be infinitely better with fresh spring green beans.  I really liked the creaminess of the ricotta cheese, the scent of the garlic, and the slight tang of the lemon juice.  The dish doesn’t have any powerful flavors, but it’s a simple, comforting bowl of pasta.  I am not sure yet how it will hold up when reheated, but I will surely find out this week.

 

 

Linguine with Green Beans

6 oz. whole wheat linguine
1 c. part skim ricotta cheese
1 T olive oil
2 t minced garlic
1 (16 oz.) package frozen green beans
2 T lemon juice
Penzey’s Pasta Sprinkle (basil, oregano, garlic, and thyme)

Cook linguine according to directions.  Drain, reserving 1 1/2 c. of pasta water.  Toss pasta with ricotta cheese.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large frying pan.  Add garlic, and cook for 1-2 minutes until just starting to brown.  Add green beans, and saute for 5-8 minutes.  Add 1 c. of reserved pasta water, and simmer for 3-5 minutes.  Add pasta/ricotta mixture, and stir to coat.  Add more pasta water if needed to thin the sauce.

Add lemon juice and several dashes of Pasta Sprinkle, or Italian seasoning.  Serve garnished with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.