Monthly Archives: October 2011

October 31, 2011 · 6:32 pm

Halloween-ish

I don’t know if you’ve noticed but there has been a serious shortage of candy corn laden concoctions or cookies in the shape of pumpkins and ghosts on here.

Lately…Halloween and I just haven’t been friends.

It wasn’t until just now when a bunch of kids SO. EXCITED. to be dressed up and getting free candy that they were literally dancing on my doorstep screaming trick or treat then SPRINTED to the next house did I remember….

Oh. Yeah.

Halloween ROCKS!

Sorry I’m not sorry about the theme cookies and candy corn thing, though.

That won’t be happening.

I just can’t do it.

Also, I really hate candy corn.

I’ve got you more than covered on everything from here to the new year, though, fear not.

There is one thing I have always love love loved about this holiday and always will!

Pumpkin.

So! For you: a thought.

Remember Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread?

Add pumpkin.

Crazy talk, right?

It is.

It’s also awesome talk.

To make up for my lack of Halloween spirit I went a little crazy with Halloween features in picnik…

This is Laura!

She is responsible for the pumpkin pull-apart nonsense.

Thanks, Laura!

The boys enjoyed it too…

Enough to grab a hunk IMMEDIATELY after it came out of the oven.

Yep…it was risk-loss-of-tastebuds good.

((Do you SEE all those spooky effects?? I am SO spirited!!)

Oh! and if I WERE to make cookies in the shape of anything…

I would want them to look like this.

That lady does it right.

So Happy Halloween!

Have a piece of candy…or 10.

Remember what it felt like to wear your dream costume, ring a doorbell and get showered with candy.

Also add pumpkin to basically everything.

‘Tis the season =)

❤ Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pull-Apart Bread

Recipe from Pull-Apart Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Bread

**Note: This recipe is not the same as the regular cinnamon sugar pull-apart bread (but just as delicious) ((also pumpkin-ified))

For the bread:

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup milk
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups bread flour

For the filling:

1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, brown 2 tablespoons of butter, letting it bubble up and turn a dark golden brown but being careful not to allow it burn (turn black).

2. Once browned, remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the milk, return to stove and heat through.

3. Allow milk and butter mixture to cool a bit (until it’s warm but not hot) then add the yeast and 1/4 cup of sugar and allow to proof (this can take up to 8 minutes, the top will look foamy and the liquid cloudy).

4. Then add the the pumpkin, salt, and 1 cup of flour. Stir until combined then add the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time and knead for 6 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic and just slightly sticky. If the dough is too moist, add extra flour 1 tablespoon at a time.

5. Move dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean towel. Allow to rise in a warm place for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size.

6. While dough is rising, brown another 2 tablespoons of butter. Also, grease and flour a 9×5 loaf pan and set aside.

7. When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and flip out onto a clean floured surface and knead with hands for 1-2 minutes. Roll dough into a 20×12 inch rectangle(approximately…don’t stress about this) Spread the brown butter evenly over the dough then evenly sprinkle the dough with the cinnamon sugar mixture and press into dough with palms of the hand.

8. Cut the rectangle into 6 strips. Lay strips on top of each other and cut each strip into 6 even squares (cut in half then each half into thirds). Stack strips vertically into the loaf pan. Cover the pan with a clean towel and let rise for 30-45 minutes.
***This part is just like the other recipe.  See this page for step by step pictures

9. In the meantime preheat an oven to 350 degrees. After rising in the pan, bake for 30-40 minutes or until top is a very deep golden brown.

8 Comments

Filed under Dessert, Uncategorized

October 30, 2011 · 9:50 am

Crab Cake Feasting

Hey guess what!

Turns out crab cakes are kinda easy to make.

Talk about fancy…pinkies out, my friends.

Wanna try?

I hope you’re not offended by canned crab.

The meat is very shredded and doesn’t produce cakes with chunks like I really wanted…

but they were tasty, so we forgave them.

They satisfied my crazy crab craving with welcome freshness from green onions, requisite old bay flavor, just enough heat from the cayenne and a satisfying panko crunch.

Let’s do this thing.

We’ll start with a bowl full of green onions which are pretty.

Savor this moment because this is the last of the pretty involved in creating these delicious/hideous lumps of brown.

Next up: Mayo and spices!

Ok that’s still pretty I lied.

Then bring on the cracker crumbles, egg and of course the crab!

Mash.

Patty into cakes, baker man.

Then coat with panko and pan fry until they’re golden brown and delicious!

Yeah. I just made a Spongebob Squarepants reference.

It won’t happen again!

…probably.

Serve em up with a drizzle of lemon, a schmear of cocktail sauce, and some chili roasted broccoli!

Which is pretty.

Enjoy a taste of the sea in this freak October snow (what the heck!?!)

❤ Ellen

Crab Cakes

Recipe slightly adapted from My Crab Cakes

  • Peanut oil or vegetable oil for pan frying
  • 1 bunch green onions, chopped
  • 2 (6 ounce) cans canned crab meat, very well drained
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard (you could use regular mustard if you wanted to)
  • 1 sleeve buttery round crackers, crushed
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (this may be a bit too much cayenne for some…just add 1/4 tsp or omit it entirely if you don’t like spicy.  we thought it added the perfect amount of heat)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning TM (or more to taste)
  • salt to taste
  • ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs..they’re the best for that satisfying crunch)
  1. Combine crab meat, green onions, egg, mayonnaise, dry mustard, crushed crackers, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, Old Bay seasoning, salt and pepper…just throw it all in a bowl and stir. Aren’t those the best recipes!?
  2.  Form into 1/2 inch thick patties. Coat the patties with panko bread crumbs.
  3. Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Cook cakes until golden brown on each side. Drain briefly on paper towels and serve hot.

Notes:

  • Daniel suggested adding shrimp next time to kick up the chunk factor.  The shredded crab tasted good but we did miss the chunks of crab.
  • I think some diced red pepper would add some much needed color.

Chili Roasted Broccoli

  • 1 head of broccoli
  • about a tablespoon of olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons chili flakes
  • salt to taste

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

2. Remove the heads of the broccoli from the stalks

3.  Toss the heads with olive oil, chili flakes and salt

4.  Spread on a cookie sheet and roast for about 10 minutes or until they start to brown

2 Comments

Filed under Main Dish, Uncategorized

October 23, 2011 · 8:20 pm

Easiest Tomato Soup EVER

There was a time when absolutely nothing could convince me to eat tomato soup.

Not even goldfish crackers.

The soup just ruined the crackers as far as I was concerned.

Red mystery substance that tasted like…not tomatoes?

Ick.

For those of you who swear by canned tomato soup…let me convert you.

I’m amazed by how easy this is.

Do you have a can of crushed tomatoes in your pantry?

If you do, then you ALSO have tomato soup!

Soup from a can that says crushed tomatoes is WAY better than the stuff from the can that says tomato soup.

For. Real.

Plus people will think you’re fancy because you MADE tomato soup.

I won’t tell if you won’t….there’s nothing fancy/difficult/gourmet about this.

It just tastes that way =)

So! Time me.  Ready. Set. GO!

First: cook up some onions

Throw in a little thyme while you’re at it!

I had some mushrooms leftover and decided that would be good too.

It was.

That’s happening every time now.

Next comes tomatoes + milk

I’m not a huge creamy soup fan but the half cup of milk gives it juuuuust the right touch

Then all you do is stir in some pesto and let it heat through.

Seriously. That’s all.

Awesome right?

Even awesome-er with hunks of bread spread with a bit of pesto, topped with Parmesan cheese, and broiled.

((I used cheddar garlic bread from Great Harvest!  Cheating? Maybe. Also delicious.))

Dunk a hunk of crusty cheesy bread in a mug full of steaming soup

Look at those chunks of mushroom, onion and tomato!

Look at that cheese!

That DEFINITELY tastes like tomato.

And it only took you like half an hour if you’re slow!!

What rainy day?

Suddenly it’s warm in here.

Enjoy!

❤ Ellen

Easiest Tomato Soup Ever

About half an onion

About 1 cup chopped mushrooms

28oz can of crushed tomatoes

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup milk or cream

3 tablespoons pesto

salt and thyme to taste

1. Saute onions with thyme in a large pot until the onions are soft and transparent

2.  Add mushrooms to the pan and cook until softened

2. Add the tomatoes, water and cream, simmer 20 minutes

3. Stir in pesto at the end

Notes:

  • You could puree the final product if you want but I prefer chunky soup
  • The crushed tomatoes, water and milk are the only necessaries here.  That could be the whole deal if you like it that way.  You could add anything you want.  Garlic?  Crushed red? A million other vegetables? Whatever.  Go crazy!  Let me know if you hit on a winner

Special thanks to our guest photographer!  The one and only Daniel. Thanks for the action shots!

6 Comments

Filed under Main Dish, Soup, Uncategorized