Pumpkin Red Thai Curry

I like my curry strong- like strong enough to punch you in the face just like they serve in Thailand. It needs to be super spicy and flavorful. None of that mild stuff. If you want something more gentle, try the recipe from Love and Lemons. My recipe is loosely based off of it. I also like to make about 10 servings at a time, so if you're not feeding lots of people, halve the recipe.

Also this is a picture of Rex eating a Turkey cake from the Dining Dog. It's the coolest pet store with food for animals and humans. I had a chai spiced yoghurt sample from there. So good.

Pumpkin Thai Curry

4 cups Kobocha + pumpkin squash purée

1 jar Red Curry paste

7 kefir lime leaves, sliced

5 cloves garlic

1 medium red onion

3 shallots

2 inch piece ginger, peeled

1 red thai chili, whole

1 can coconut milk

1/4 cup maple syrup

Splash fish sauce

4-5 cups water

Pumpkin Pie

No one in my family really likes pumpkin pie. I usually end up eating the entire pie by myself after thanksgiving, which I completely don't mind doing. This pie, however, I had to share. It was a hit with my cousins and even my mom who doesn't even like pumpkin. The recipe is from 101 Cookbooks. I knew it was going to be good since none of Heidi's recipes have failed me yet. Anyways, the recipe is unique since it calls for coconut milk and fresh spices to make the pie really special. If I had access to Penzey's spices, I would totally use their spices. Instead I used regular old pumpkin pie spice. Next time, I'll try to use the spice grinder. I also really like graham cracker crusts for pumpkin pie which you all can feel free to switch out. What really makes the recipe awesome is the fresh pumpkin purée.

Crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 tbsp honey
Pinch sea salt

Mix all of the above together and press firmly into a 9 inch pie pan. Then make the filling. No need to prebake the crust.

Filling:
1/2 cup real dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
1 1/2 cups of roasted pumpkin puree from pie pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 extra large eggs
1 cup coconut cream from can

Prejeat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Pour into pie crust and bake for 50 minutes until the center is just set. My sister, Tiffany, was in charge of taking the pie out of the oven and she pricked it with a fork, haha. So don't do that. Let pie cool before serving.

Coconut Cardamom Squash Soup

At the organic apple festival back in the fall, there was a farmstand complete with a mountain of squash. Literally all of the pumpkins and gourds. I picked out a couple I've never heard of before and decided to make soup with one pumpkin. I completely forget the name, so I've been calling it mystery squash. I saw this recipe on Love and Lemons and knew this is what the mystery squash was destined to become.

1 medium squash or pumpkin

2 cooking apples

3 leeks

1 medium yellow onion

1 head garlic

1 can coconut milk

1 inch piece ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Vegetable broth, to thin

salt + pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Slice squash in half, remove seeds, and drizzle with olive oil. Roast, cut side up, for about 30 minutes until fork tender. Let cool, then scoop out all the squash meat.

At the same time, I roast all the veggies. Peel and quarter the onion. Slice the white parts of the leek into coins. Halve and core the apples. Peel ginger. Peel garlic. Place everything on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for about 15-20 minutes until golden brown. I like to roast until the edges of the onions are black.

Once everything is cooked, place all vegetables and fruit into the blender. Add spices and thin a little with vegetable broth. Blend until completely smooth. Then add coconut milk and season with salt and pepper.

I ate my soup with some cheese ravioli with garden peach tomatoes and prosciutto on the side.

The mystery pumpkin:

Z

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

My family recently sent my younger sister a care package. It was Nick's idea really. Kelly and my mom contributed goodies from Sephora, my dad added chocolates from Germany, and I baked her cookies. Specifically pumpkin oatmeal chocolate butterscotch chip cookies. That's a mouthful! Anyways, she's living all the way out in sunny California and loved the package. We miss her lots and are so excited to have her back for Thanksgiving.

By the way, I was trying to get Rex out from under the table with the cookie though I didn't give it to him. He gets enough treats. My mom gave him a whole hot dog the other morning :) The recipe is from Taste of Home.

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup rolled oats

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

I cup pumpkin

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup butterscotch chips

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Start with all room temperature ingredients! Cream the butter and sugars together in a large mixing bowl. Then add the egg, pumpkin, and vanilla and combine with a whisk. Combine the dry ingredients in a smaller bowl and stir with a fork. Then stir the dry ingredients into the wet in 3 parts. Then stir in the chips.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls about 1-2 inches apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes until golden brown.

Pumpkin Spice Syrup

As soon as fall hits, I start making all things pumpkin. I like to go a little overboard. I've been seeing all different sorts of pumpkin spiced foods online - pumpkin peanut butter, yogurt, pasta, etc. I figure if you make this syrup you can basically turn anything pumpkin spiced. This is great for making pumpkin spice lattes (iced or hot), drizzled over pancakes or waffles, or even added to hot chocolate for some decadence. I found the recipe on The Messy Baker.

I made this for for my family right before we did an 8 mile corn maze in the dark. We had some little flashlights and the light of the moon to see. There was a food truck at the farm that served pumpkin funnel cake (topped with cinnamon sugar) and other treats. We made it through 2/3 of the maze before calling it a night so we finished up next to the bonfire with some hot chocolate. Rex decided to eat lots of corn during the adventure. We tried letting him lead us but he kept trying to go off the trail.

Pictured is the syrup plus two pumpkin spice steamers!

For the recipe you will need:

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1 tbsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/3 cup pumpkin purée

1 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract 

Add the water and sugars to a saucepan over medium heat until mixture comes to a simmer. Add the pumpkin and spices and simmer for 8 minutes gently. Don't let the mixture boil.* Then strain the mixture using a thin tea towel. Once cool, add the vanilla extract and store in the fridge. Add about 1-2 tbsp per latte.

*I let the mixture boil and then didn't strain the syrup. It becomes really thick this way and difficult to strain. If you decide to do this, you just have to add the syrup to the milk in a blender since the syrup won't dissolve completely otherwise.

Apple & Blue Cheese Pizza

More apples on pizza! I'm still not over it, almost two years after I first made the apple & cheddar pizza, which is still a favorite. I actually haven't made pizza at all in the new apartment because I lost my jar of yeast in the move. I still have not gotten around to buying yeast, so this pizza was made on a Trader Joe's dough. Not as good, but definitely good enough.

I eat a lot of blue cheese, especially on salads, and Twilly always thinks he wants it since it is cheese, but I don't think he actually likes it.

We've been here since mid-July, but I'm still getting used to my new kitchen here. For the first time ever, I'm using an electric stove! Where's the fire?? I think I'm pretty accustomed to it now, but for the first few weeks I kept turning on the wrong burners and wondering why my pan wasn't heating up. As the weather starts cooling down, I'm starting to feel more like cooking again, so I'll get more use out of this apartment's kitchen in the next few months.

Also: look what Kate found.

Apple & Blue Cheese Pizza

1 pizza dough (I used Trader Joe's this time but see this recipe for my homemade dough)
1 cup mozzarella, grated
1 small apple, thinly sliced
2 tbsp blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 white onion, sliced
honey, drizzled
pepper

Green Pancakes with Lime Butter

     As usual, I came back from work with a couple of bags of spinach and swiss chard in my bike paneers. The pancakes are a great way to use up an abundance of produce. I followed the recipe in Ottolenghi’s vegetarian cookbook, Plenty almost exactly to make these. The double batch was a hit at girl dinner and with my roommates. I was inspired to post these (finally) after I saw Laura's scallion pancakes which are also delicious. All the pictures I'm seeing of Pittsburgh online make it look like Spring is really here!!!
     I just found out my dad is going to be visiting for my birthday! We'll get to spend the week with my friend, Cate and then 2 days with my dad. He's bringing me lots of books that I can read on the beach. English books are limited here; therefore, I've been reading everything (good and bad) on our 2 shelf library.
I'm wrapping things up with an anti-smoking presentation along with some of the other volunteers.
     We're having our goodbye dinner tonight. The main dish is a special treat our friend brought from Switzerland. This was one of my favorite dinners to eat while I was studying in France called "La Raclette." The basics of it are melted cheese + fingerling potatoes. It is heaven, really. We'll miss our friends but we plan to come back to Vietnam often (perhaps for the long-term). A European trip is already being planned for next summer with my little sister (her first time in Europe--yay!). Anyone want to join?

Ingredients
Lime butter:
8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Grated zest of 1 lime
1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
1/2 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/4 tsp chile flakes

Pancake Batter:
4 cups spinach, chopped roughly if leaves are large
4 cups swiss chard, chopped roughly
3/4 cup gluten free flour
1 tbsp baking powder
2 eggs
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
2/3 cup buttermilk
6 medium green onions, finely sliced (or 3 shallots)
2 fresh green jalapenos, thinly sliced
Coconut oil for frying

Directions
Make the lime butter first so the flavors can meld together while you're frying up the pancakes. You can halve the butter recipe since there will be plenty of extra. Place the butter in a medium bowl and mix with a fork until creamy. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. It takes some time to mix the lime juice into the butter, so just keep working with the butter. Place into a small, glass container with a lid. Place in refrigerator.
To make the batter bring some water (1-2 tbsp) in a large, shallow skillet to a boil. Throw in the spinach and swiss chard and stir until just wilted.

 


Drain in a sieve and squeeze out as much water as possible. Chop finely and set aside.
Mix the flour, baking powder, cumin, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Make a well and then add the eggs, melted butter, and buttermilk in a large mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Fold in the green onions, jalapenos, and spinach with a rubber spatula.




Pour a small amount of coconut oil into a cast iron skillet and place on medium-high heat. To cook the pancakes, ladle about 1/4 cup of batter onto the skillet. When the side facing up turns bubbly and the edges start to dry out, flip over the pancake.



You want a nice golden brown on both sides. Keep them in the oven at 200 degrees for warmth and serve with a generous dollop of lime butter and a drizzle of sriracha.
The extra lime butter is great on anything. I especially liked it on bagels and toast topped with a fried egg.

Pumpkin Gnocchi with Brown Butter Sage Sauce

This is probably one of my favorite gnocchi recipes. It's super simple to make. I first made the gnocchi with a bunch of friends during a gnocchi making party I hosted. We made a lot of gnocchi that night (ricotta, sweet potato, and russet potato) with various topping (tomato sauce, brown butter sage, and olive oil). The recipe is from The Skinny Fork.

1 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 large egg
1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 pinch salt

For the brown butter:
1/2 stick butter
7-9 fresh sage leaves
1 pinch salt

Pumpkin Doughnuts

I made these last week for no apparent reason. Just because the recipe looked so good and I had a lot of pumpkin to use (as usual). The recipe is from a blog called Tessa Domestic Diva.

1/4 cup almond meal
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons chia meal mixed w/ 2 tablespoons hot water or 1 egg
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Grease 2-3 baking pans and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the flours, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, egg or chia, sugar, oil, and vanilla. Mix the flour into the wet ingredients until a sticky dough forms.
3. Place dough inside a large ziploc bag. Cut a hole in one corner of the bag and pipe some dough into a doughnut shape onto the greased baking pans. Slightly overlap the ends of the dough. I actually made my hole too small so I had to make like 3 circles on top of each other to get reasonably sized doughnuts.

4. If you want cinnamon sugar doughnuts, mix 1 tbsp cinnamon plus 3 tbsp raw cane sugar and sprinkle over doughnuts.
5. Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes until firm. Let rest for a few minutes, the place on wire racks to cool. For chocolate drizzle, melt 1/3 cup chocolate chips and add 1 tsp coconut oil. For glaze mix 1/3 cup powdered sugar with 1 tsp coconut oil and 1-2 tsp almond milk.

Cranberry Apple Tart

Before you make this tart, I just have to warn you-- it's amazing and it'll be gone before you know it! Also don't heat it up before serving. Hehe. I served it at Thanksgiving dinner for my cousin Julian's birthday and it turned into mush. Still delicious though. The recipe is from My New Roots!!! Oh and SURPRISE it's vegan and gluten free! 

For the crust:

1 cup rolled oats 

1/2 cup pecans

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

1 tsp. vanilla 

1/2 tsp sea salt

75 g whole buckwheat flour (scant 1/2 cup)

For the filling:

1 apple, sliced thin

2 cups fresh cranberries

1/2 cup maple syrup 

2 Tbsp. chia seeds

6 Tbsp. orange juice 

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

1 tsp. vanilla 

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. cardamom

zest of 1 orange

Pumpkin Roll

Thanksgiving is not a huge deal for my family. We actually used to spend it in Mexico, but these last couple of years we've been sitting down to an actual Thanksgiving meal. The first time I turkey or stuffing was in high school when we would go to my friend Amanda's house after Thanksgiving and eat all of her mom's leftovers. Gradually my family is learning to make the staple American dishes with some Vietnamese food thrown in (this year we finished up our dinner with my aunt's pho) Pumpkin roll is one of our favorites. It's my job to make it every year, and my sisters also pitch in to help. We use the Libby's pumpkin roll recipe.

Cake

• powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup raw cane sugar
• 2/3 cup pumpkin puree

Filling

• 1 package cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pumpkin Cheesecake

I just roasted my first pumpkin of the season, so it's time for endless pumpkin recipes!!! I made this for a perfectly fall dinner with our friends, Chris and Angela. We made some beef pho for them and Laura made an amazing ricotta, pear, and roasted garlic pizza. This recipe is from an old roommate (Colleen). This pie looks swirly since I forgot to add the cinnamon into the mix before pouring it into the crust. Instead, I sprinkled the cinnamon on top and used a spatula to swirl it into the batter.

The crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
pinch salt
1/2 cup coconut oil or butter, melted

Filling:
1 1/2 sticks cream cheese (2 if you want a creamier cheesecake)
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla

Pumpkin Chili

This dish was made for a Halloween feast. I am so glad I made it for dinner since I spent the day at the pharmacy gorging on lots of sugar. The chili was the perfect end to the night along with the chicken and chickpea salads that Laura contributed. It was a rainy night for trick or treating but some cute neighborhood kids did make it out to our house. This recipe is from The Kitchn, and I chose it because it included some cornmeal in the recipe which I found intriguing. Turns out, it is delicious.

1 medium pie pumpkin (3 pounds!)

3 parsnips  

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup cornmeal

2 red bell peppers, chopped

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 head garlic, minced

3-5 hot peppers, sliced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 cups vegetarian broth

1-28 ounce can diced tomatoes 

1 can garbanzo beans

1 can black beans

2 cups frozen corn

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice 

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp cumin

Several dashes Worcestershire sauce

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

It was freezing this last week, so naturally homemade cinnamon rolls had to be made. Specifically PUMPKIN CINNAMON ROLLS! The recipe I used was from Smitten Kitchen and I didn't change it much. Laura and I ate these watching a marathon of Pretty Little Liars all day. We only took minor breaks to make whatever food we were craving.

Dough
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup warm milk (or almond milk)
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
2/3 cups pumpkin puree
1 large egg

Sugar Filling
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup pumpkin butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Pumpkin Butter

Well instead of carving my pumpkin, I roasted it. I was never great at carving pumpkins anyway. My sisters always did the designing and actual carving. I probably just watched and ate lots of candy. I used a smaller pumpkin to make the pumpkin butter. Ideally you want to find a pie pumpkin which has more flesh and a higher sugar content. Normal pumpkins work too, though.

1/2 small pumpkin
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cinnamon stick
5 cloves

To roast the pumpkin: Cut a ring around the stem and remove. Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out all of the seeds and the stringy business. Place the pumpkin cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake for about 1/2 hour at 375 degrees. The pumpkin is done when you can pierce the flesh easily with a fork. Let the pumpkin cool. Then using a spoon, scoop out the flesh into a blender or food processor. Blend until it forms a smooth puree. I only used half a pumpkin since I only wanted about 1 pint of pumpkin butter. Feel free to use all of it! I used the other half to make the pumpkin snickerdoodles : )

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Our friends Kate and Mark got married this weeked! My contribution to the Pittsburgh cookie table was pumpkin snickerdoodles from A BItchin' Kitchen! They went perfectly with the Weyerbacher pumpkin beer that was served! The wedding was full of gorgeous DIY decorations and lots of great homemade food. (Kate made dozens of cottage cheese pierogies from scratch!). My only advice is to make these as soon as possible! Halloween is tomorrow : )

Cookie Dough:

3 3/4 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup cane sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 slightly heaping cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cinnamon Sugar mixture (makes extra):

1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Baked Apples for Dessert

I spent a couple weeks in a mountain village when I studied abroad in Ecuador, and one of my favorite things about living there was preparing dinner with a couple different local women. The town, Principal, was "famous" for its apples, so we ate apples all the time - people would always give me them because I was a random white girl. One night for dinner we made baked apples for dessert, and I still think it's pretty much the ideal simple dessert.

 We scooped the core out, filled it in with sugar, topped them with butter and poured sparkling wine on top. Then they're roasted in the oven (or wrapped in foil over a fire) until the apples soften. 

Principal, Ecuador - close to Cuenca

The way I've done that kind of apple dessert since then is pretty much the same, but I haven't tried the sparkling wine on top again. My favorite topping is peanut butter! I also like sprinkling cinnamon on top or smushing a marshmallow on top of the butter.

BAKED APPLES FOR DESSERT

Adapted from the kitchens of Ecuadorian ladies

Per person/apple 

1 apple

2-3 tbsp sugar

thin slice of butter

Apple Cinnamon Bread Pudding

This is a great brunch recipe! It's really easy and fast, and it looks and tastes like something special. I served it with some cream cheese frosting, which is just cream cheese, powdered sugar and a little vanilla.

APPLE CINNAMON BREAD PUDDING
Adapted from About.com Southern Food

4-5 cups day+ old bread, cut into cubes or ripped into chunks

1 tbsp cinnamon
1 apple, sliced thin
1/4 cup raisins, or mixed dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, apricots, etc.)
2 cups milk
1 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp butter
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 tbsp sugar

Preheat your oven to 350. Distribute the bread pieces, apples, raisins and cinnamon in a baking dish. In a saucepan, heat up the milk, brown sugar and butter until it's all mixed and melted. Meanwhile, mix up the eggs and vanilla. Then pour the hot milk mixture into the eggs and combine. Pour that into the baking dish and use a spatula to make sure all the bread is covered. Top with some sugar and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes. The top should be a little crispy.

Pumpkin Ginger Cookies

Cookies! Plan ahead so you can let the dough chill in the fridge for an hour or overnight.

PUMPKIN GINGER COOKIES

From Eating for England (adapted from Two Peas in Their Pod)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling the cookies

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 cup molasses

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

End of Summer Tomato Pie

I pulled up my cherry tomato plant, and this pie used up the last garden tomatoes! I really really love tomato pie - made the way my family makes it, covered in a mayo-cheese mixture in a buttery pie crust, it is probably one of the least healthy and most delicious way to enjoy tomatoes. 

END OF SUMMER TOMATO PIE

1 pie dough (I used the same pie dough that I used for the butternut squash galette because it's amazing but any savory dough will be good)

1/2 onion, sliced 

1 tsp butter

pinch salt

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 heaping cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 cup mozzarella, grated

pinch cayenne & salt & pepper

2 tbsp parmesan, grated

fresh herbs - I used sage this time but basil is traditional