Recipe For Brownies Made With Pumpkin Puree

Most quirky recipes that have pumpkin puree use it as a trade for fat or oil.  Not this bad boy.  1 1/2 sticks of butter PLUS the pumpkin.  Maybe it makes it more moist.  I am still in the midst of trying out different (odd) pumpkin puree recipes.

RECIPE FOR FUDGY PUMPKIN BROWNIES:

3/4 cup butter, melted

2 eggs

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup light brown sugar

2 T. water

2 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup half and half

1 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 9x9" pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. Add eggs, sugars, water & vanilla to cooled butter.  Whisk to combine.  Add cocoa powder and whisk until it is smooth.  Add flour and only mix until combined.  Bake about 25 min -- don't overbake.  The brownies will set up more after they cool.  Take them out of the pan with the foil to prevent drying out after taking them out of the oven.  After about 30 minutes make the ganache (really adds to brownie flavor).  Heat half and half in microwave until hot -- add chocolate chips and let it sit for a few minutes before stirring.  spread on brownies while warm. Weird and wonderful.

Two Recipes For Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins

THREE INGREDIENT CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN MUFFINS

The first "recipe" (if you can even call it that) has three ingredients.  I first ate these pumpkins at a down-home bakery and a worker let it slip that they had canned pumpkin in  them.  So after I wiped the gooey melty chocolate chips off of my fingers I googled "Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins" and found the secret:

1 box chocolate cake mix

1 15 oz can pumpkin puree or 2 cups homemade pumpkin puree

chocolate chips (I  like the really dark ones)

Mix all three ingredients (use about 1 cup of the chips to start, add more until you think "enough").  Spoon in to cupcake liners or sprayed cupcake pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes until done.

EGGLESS CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN MUFFINS

(Surprisingly good, no pumpkin taste)

But I have given up cake mixes, or any "mixes". So I had to look for a real Chocolate Pumpkin Muffin recipe.  The only problem -- I didn't have any eggs.

1.5 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup water

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 tsp vanilla

1 T. white vinegar

1.5 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray or put liners in one cupcake pan (12 cupcakes.) Mix all dry ingredients in one bowl, and all moist ingredients in another.  Then combine them, without overmixing. Add chocolate chips. Fill cupcake holders 2/3 full and bake 20-22 minutes.

"Processing" My ONE Pumpkin & A Pumpkin Bread Recipe

 

We all recall my ONE pumpkin.  I planted, oh... say around 75 plants and they produced ONE pumpkin.  My fault for not watering during a very dry summer.  I lost so much interest, that I can't even remember the three varieties of pumpkin that I planted.  I want to be a major producer of pumpkins (and by that I mean maybe 100, not an outlandish amount.) So I want to be able to tell buyers how to cook their pumpkin, if they are those kind of people.  (I come from people that decorated with pumpkins and compassionately put them out for the trash the following week.)

This method of cooking pumpkin saves you from arm strain trying to cut up a raw pumpkin, and it gives a glorious bright orange steamed puree:

First I gently washed Mr. Pumpkin and stabbed him several times with a large carving knife (you can understand why my peeps were squeamish about this.) I took out the top rack of the oven and turned it on to 400 degreees.  I lined a large cookie tray with foil and set the whole entire pumpkin on it (jabbed, but not cut up.)  It was a large pumpkin with thick walls, so I think that I left it in 90 minutes.  Until you could literally stick a fork in it and have it feel tender.  A smaller pumpkin would not take so long.  Take it out and let it cool.  Cut the cooled pumpkin in two.  Spoon out guts and seeds (a better person than I would have roasted the seeds.)  Cut away the skin.  Put chunks of cooked pumpkin in a food processor until smooth.  Try to get as much orange goo scattered around the kitchen as you possibly can. As you can see, I put two cups in each zip lock baggy (I got 12 CUPS out of my ONE pumpkin!) You can keep it for a week in the fridge, or put it in the freezer.

For my first pumpkin recipe (more to come) I made two mini traditional pumpkin breads.

The recipe makes one regular sized loaf or two minis.

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 egg

1/4 cup vegetable or sunflower oil

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 T pumpkin pie spice (I made my own, recipe below)

1 cup flour 

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

(if you want a cream cheese swirl mix 8 oz cream cheese (softened), one egg, 1/8 cup sugar, 3 T flour and swirl it in.  Don't make my mistake -- do use regular full fat cream cheese.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line pan (s) with foil.  Combine all moist ingredients in one bowl, and dry in a different bowl.  Fold in the dry until just combined. Spoon into pan (s) and bake 45-50 for the regular sized loaf pan, less for smaller.

Pumpkin Pie Spice:

• 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves

Making Basil Pesto With Almonds

 

I had a good crop of basil this year.

Despite quite a major draught.

I know freezing temps are around the corner,

so I decided to harvest most of the plants.

Most of it I am going to air dry.

When I looked at this recipe,

I thought "No problem, I have all of those ingredients".

I was picturing making a mountain of pesto.

Then I got my parmesan container out of the fridge.

Ouch.  Well, enough for two rounds of the recipe.

I have a tiny food processor, so it only held a single recipe.

Later I found a recipe that included lemon juice,

and I would probably add that the next time.

I searched for a cute jar,

then found out it only keeps 5-6 days in the fridge.

So I will probably freeze it on a sheet pan,

cut it up, and put it in a plastic ziploc in the freezer.

Healthier Version of Joanna Gaines Scalloped Potatoes

Last week I ordered the Magnolia Table Cookbook by Joanna Gaines (this is her first cookbook, not the one that just came out.)  So far I have just made these scalloped potatoes and her chocolate coco-cola cake (which was amazing.)  But I have noticed most of her recipes are not what you would call low-fat. I mean, look at her.  She doesn't have to worry about it.

So today I made the Scalloped Potatoes, and did some major tweaks to the recipe.  One of the main reasons I made S.P. is because last Friday I bought turnips at the farmers market.  Now, I know I don't like turnips, and I am pretty sure my husband doesn't like turnips -- but the farmer's wife told me to substitute them for potatoes in scalloped potatoes. I wouldn't say this makes turnips delish, but it wasn't bad.  Next time I would just use potatoes.  I remembered seeing a scalloped potato recipe in the cookbook so here goes:

SCALLOPED POTATOS OR TURNIPS

(Joanna's ingredient is on the left, mine in CAPS)

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter -- I USED 3 TABLESOONS OF SALTED BUTTER
6 russet potatoes (about 3 lbs) scrubbed, peeled, and cut into 1/4" slices
     -- I DID THE SAME THING WITH THE TURNIPS
6 garlic cloves, minced -- I USED ABOUT 3 TEASPOONS OF THE MINCED TYPE IN THE JAR
1/2 ONION CHOPPED (she did not have this)
2 Tablespoons flour -- I UPPED IT TO 3 TABLESPOONS
2 cups heavy cream -- I USED 1 CUP HALF AND HALF
1 cup whole milk -- I USED 1 CUP SKIM MILK
1 CUP PLAIN YOGURT (she did not have this)
FRESH PARSLEY (she did not have this)
8 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated -- I USED 4 OUNCES GRATED ITALIAN BLEND
     (8 oz was too much)
1/2 tsp black pepper (I USED 1 TSP MRS DASH TO BOOST THE FLAVOR)
salt to taste
2 Tablespoons minced chives -- I do have these in my herb garden so I actually used them --

 with no substitutions!

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter 9x13" baking dish.
2. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to rolling boil.  Add potatoes and simmer until tender but not falling apart -- about 8 minutes.  Longer for turnips.  Drain thoroughly and set aside.
3. In same pot throw in the chopped onion with a little olive oil, saute until tender.  Add the garlic and butter.  Increase heat to medium and whisk in the flour.  Cook, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned and fragrant.
4. Whisking constantly, slowly add the half and half, milk and yogurt.  Continue whisking until the sauce is smooth.  Add the parsley, cheese, Mrs. Dash and salt.  Wisk gently, until the cheese is melted.
5.  Arrange the potatoes (or turnips) in the prepared baking dish and pour the sauce over them.  Bake until warmed all the way through and lightly browned on top -- 25-45 minutes.  Top with chives and serve.

Cornbread Recipe FOR CHICKENS

When I saw how crazy my chickens were about cornbread, I decided to make a recipe just for them.  No sugar / no salt / no white flour / olive oil instead of veg oil / water instead of milk (just to make it cheaper.)

CORNBREAD FOR CHICKENS

2 cups cornmeal
4 tsp baking powder
2 eggs (3 if it is bantam eggs like I use)
1 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In medium bowl mix together cornmeal and baking powder.  Beat eggs with fork before adding them to the bowl.  Mix in water and olive oil.  Pour into 8x8 pan lined with parchment paper or foil.  Bake for 20-25 until done (set or lightly brown).  Cut into 2" squares.  Lift out with foil and FREEZE (I only give them one square a day, and it lasts longer as they eat it if it is still frozen.)

My two year old grandson was feeding this to them the other day.  He started to examine the cornbread and before we knew it he had taken a big bite of it!  He took several more nibbles as he fed the chickens, so apparently he thought it was people-worthy.

Quarantine Mexican Meal -- Good For Morning, Noon, or Night

We like our meat, but are trying to eat less of it.  And it looks like meat prices might be rising, due to the corona virus.  So this is a great cheap and meat-less recipe which turned out to be SO GOOD.  Yes, it is another Jamie Oliver 5-Ingredient recipe that I am trying out.  I did make a few tweaks.

ALL-DAY MEXICAN BREAKFAST  (Serves 2)

1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed
4 large eggs (we used 6 bantam eggs)
1 ripe avocado
1 lime
salsa (I substituted salsa for the fresh mixed-color chiles)

Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in 12" non-stick frying pan.  Once it is hot, crack the eggs around the outside of the pan.  Then spoon the black beans around the eggs.  Season with salt & pepper, cover and cook eggs to your liking. (Take off heat when it is done to your liking.)

Meanwhile, halve, peel and pit the avocado.  Slice it into thin wedges, dress with the lime juice.  Arrange the avocado around the pan, add your favorite salsa.  We ate it with tortilla chips (that would be ingredient #6!)

Swiss Chard Frittata Recipe -- not a vintage post

When I started this blog I vowed to keep it about vintage finds and what I do with them.  Not family, not travel, not decorating, not pets, not FOOD.  But I'm rationalizing that this is a follow up to a spring blog about incorporating vintage items into my yard.  I took a photo of the tiny Swiss Chard Bright Lights that I had just planted in a vintage washtub.   They grew up to be so STUNNING.  I really wasn't even planning on eating them, but why not?  They will just freeze in a couple weeks if I don't.

Some of the leaves are assorted colors, or have assorted colors

running through their veins.

The stems are primarily yellow, fuchsia, red.

I rolled the leaves to cut them into strips.

Chiffa...something.

The stems are used too, cut into about 1/4" lengths.

I have a friend with chickens, and I had to show off

her beautiful eggs.

It looks pretty darn close to the picture, doesn't it?

It was super yummy, here is the recipe:

 

SWEET POTATO & SWISS CHARD FRITTATA

 

6 large eggs                     1 cup 1/2 & 1/2                  1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper                  2 cups 1/2" cubed sweet potatoes

2 T olive oil                     2 cups chopped swiss chard or kale

1/2 small onion, chopped                                           2 minced garlic cloves

3 oz goat cheese, crumbled (feta or mozzarella pearls would be good)

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Saute sweet potatoes in hot olive oil for 10 minutes (recipe says to use non-stick ovenproof skillet, but I used my mom's old cast iron skillet). Cook until potatoes are tender and golden ( about 10 minutes).  Add the swiss chard, onion and garlic.  (I cheated and threw dehydrated onion in with my eggs). Saute 3 or 4 minutes until the swiss chard is wilted and onion softened.  In large bowl whip eggs, 1/2 & 1/2, S&P with fork.  Pour evenly over vegetables.  Sprinkle with cheese. (I used mozzarella pearls because my small town grocery store doesn't have goat cheese.) Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until set.  Recipe came from Country Living 9/2014.