Faux Pumpkin Cheesecake

I don't know what it is about pumpkin.  Do we naturally crave this orange veggie because of some vitamin our bodies are lacking with the absence of the sun's warm rays?  Not sure, but, once again, I find myself making an assortment of pumpkin dishes from gnocchi to soup and beyond.  While this pie is never meant to replace a true, made by grandma pumpkin pie, it's for those of us who want to cut back on sugar and calories once in a while.

Don't let the word "tofu" scare you away.  You'll hardly notice and your belly will thank you.

Faux Pumpkin Cheesecake

1/4 cup oat bran

2 cups canned pumpkin

1 pkg firm tofu

1 cup egg whites

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup almond (or regular) flour

1 Tbsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp ground cloves

pinch of allspice

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  For the "crust" I sprayed an 8 x 8 glass pan with butter spray, then sprinkled the oat bran evenly over that.

Mix all the remaining ingredients in your food processor until well blended.  Pour cheesecake mixture into a glass pan.  It will be rather thick, so smooth to the edges.  Set the cake pan into a larger pan and pour hot water to within 2 inches of the top of the cake pan.  Bake for about 45 minutes.  Cool and refrigerate a few hours before serving.   Yummy!  Even better the next day.

Time Tested Pumpkin Bread

Sometimes I think I was a pioneer woman  in a past life, who created meals from nothing and stretched a can of pumpkin to its limits.  Of course, pumpkin was probably not in a can yet!   Did you know that from a small can of pumpkin puree you could makes pumpkin biscotti, pumpkin bread and a batch of pumpkin gnocchi?  This is how I spent the last few days.

pumpkin biscotti

Also, during my weekend baking blitz I finished making a large batch of limoncello for the holidays.  Hope it lasts until then!  Next, came two batches of "cold cure" chicken soup for the hubby.    
After that, I blanched an overabundance of brussel sprouts to freeze for later use.  Buying in bulk is not smart for empty nesters!

batch #1

batch #2 without kale

brussel sprouts for an army!

I also prepared a pot of pinto beans for salad toppers and nibbling, plus some quinoa to eat as a snack.  No, I haven't gone mad, just on another eating plan which is mostly beans, grains, fruits and vegetables.  I'll keep you posted on the process and outcome.

For now, try this pumpkin bread recipe.  I've made this for years and at times given loaves away as Christmas gifts.  This loaf will not last much longer as you can see masculine hands scooping it up before I had a chance to photograph it.

Pumpkin Bread

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup fresh cooked or canned pumpkin puree

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp each of salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon

1/4 tsp ginger

1 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)

1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugars, pumpkin, oil and eggs.   Beat until well blended.  Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices.  Add to the sugar mixture and stir.  Stir in the raisins, nuts and water.  Prepare a 9x5x3 loaf pan by spraying with  pan spray or rubbing with oil.  Bake for about 65-70 minutes or until done and golden brown.  Cool and slice.  These freeze well, especially if you use the smaller tin loaf pans.  Just remember to reduce the cooking time if you use those!

Pumpkin Gnocchi Perfection - Pasta of the Month

This is one awesome recipe I can't take credit for.  Well, maybe just a little.  My talented son, Jeremy, was the chef who whipped this up for his jetlagged and weary parents.  We had just returned from our vacation in Hawaii bearing gifts of Kona coffee and cookies and welcomed the chance to see him and his lovely girlfriend, Leilani.

My son can make a gourmet meal from literally nothing or a few items he may find lurking in the pantry or refrigerator.  He's had the "restaurant background" from his past waiter jobs, and puts his expertise into action over my stovetop.  Guaranteed, he would be a worthy contender on that food network show where they give you 3-4 unrelated ingredients and you must transform them into something edible!

So, the pastas of the month for January is (drumroll, please) Pumpkin Gnocchi ala J.D.

Ingredients:

3 Italian sausage links, removed from casing and crumbled

4 garlic cloves, minced

olive oil, about 1-2 Tbsp

1 acorn squash, roasted and cubed

heavy cream , 1/8 - 1/4 cup

parmesan cheese, handful

pumpkin gnocchi, 1 package = four adult servings.  Or you can use plain gnocchi or even make your own.

pinenuts for garnish

In a large skillet, brown the sausage in the oil and remove when done.  Add the garlic and acorn squash and saute for a few minutes.  Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil (for the gnocchi).  Cook the gnocchi according to direction.  They are done when they rise to the surface (not very long). 

To the skillet, add the sausage back in and then the heavy cream, stirring.  Add the gnocchi and parmesan.  Mix and plate, garnishing with the pine nuts.  A simple dish with earthy goodness!  Thanks, my wonderful son!

a closeup of perfection

Pumpkin Soup - A Bobby Flay Throwdown!

After looking for that "perfect" pumpkin soup recipe, I stumbled upon this one adapted from the Mesa Grill Cookbook by Bobby Flay.  My lonely fairytale pumpkin sat idly by while I cooked and created without it.  As luck would have it, my pantry produced the exact ingredients I needed to make this version of Fall goodness.

So, with the help from Mr Flay and a few minor changes I came up with the best pumpkin soup I've had in a long time.  What's nice about it is that you can literally "throw" it together in a matter of minutes.  This would make an excellent start to your holiday meal because you can make it, refrigerate and reheat it a day or two later.  And it will be better leftover!

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken broth

3 cups pumpkin puree

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp fresh nutmeg, grated

2 TBSP honey

3 Tbsp maple syrup

1  tsp minced chipotle pepper in adobe (canned)

1/2 cup fat free half & half (you have to cut back somewhere)

salt and pepper to taste

garnish with rosemary, garlic flavored rustic croutons and a little parmesan cheese.

In a large pot, boil the broth.  Add the pumpkin and the rest of the ingredients except for the half and half and the garnish.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for about 30 minutes.  During the last 5 minutes, stir in the half and half. Then garnish and serve.  Serves at least 4 adults.

Are You Ready for Thanksgiving?

Are you ready to give thanks?  I am...I have much to be thankful for this time of year and actually every day of the year.  I have my wonderful family, friends, and my health!  It's not all about "the turkey" or the shopping experience on black Friday, which I'm proud to say I've NEVER  participated in!

This year we go to Grandma and Grandpa's home for the Thanksgiving meal.  I would have liked to have it here (with my new kitchen remodel, and all), but it's easier for everyone to come together at my mom and dad's.  Besides, I don't want anything to happen to the stuffing making process!   My dad does it right!  In my world, it's the best.  In my husband's mind, his mom's stuffing is the best..that's what he grew up with. 

For our first Thanksgiving as newlyweds, I called his mother to get the "recipe" for this stuffing.  I wanted to carry on his traditional stuffing recipe.   Let's just say , it was a major fiasco!  (It's definitely a story for the book.)  I still have those instructions on an index card!

My "task" is to make the mashed potatoes, maybe some rolls and the appetizers.  I'll probably be fixing pears with caramelized onions on puff pastry sprinkled with a bit of fontina cheese.  It's simple but tastes as though you've spent alot of time in the kitchen...NOT!  Whatever you decide to make, enjoy the moments and the people that God has put into your life, for a reason, and by all means, you should start with the pumpkin pie!  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

This is a remake appetizer with a few "twists" in the future!

Ingredients:

2 T butter
1 c onion, thinly sliced
1 pear, peeled and thinly sliced and cut
1 T fresh thyme, minced
1 puff pastry sheet
1/4 - 1/2 cup Parmesan, fontina or Gorgonzola would be good

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Thaw and unwrap pastry.  Cut into 16 squares and then cut again diagonally, making 32 triangles.  Place them on a sheet pan.  In a frying pan, melt the butter and add the onions.   Cook until caramelized or barely browned.  Add the cut up pears and half of the thyme.  Cook for about 10 more minutes.  Set aside to cool a bit.   Spoon a small amount of pear/onion mixture onto each triangle.  Sprinkle with remaining thyme and cheese.  Bake for around 15-20 minutes.  Cool slightly and serve. 

Pumpkin Ginger Pie Bars

Is anyone out there tired of pumpkin yet? I'm not. It's really too bad that pumpkin is so prevalent in the fall months and all but disappears the rest of the year. You can always get your hands on canned pumpkin so there's no excuse to go without.

Another flavor that grows on you (you either love it or hate it) is ginger. Many Asian meals will have some ginger for the main spice. While I don't cook many Asian recipes because of all the slicing and dicing, etc, I love to sprinkle ginger into baked goods such as cakes, cookies and these pumpkin ginger bars. I savor the spicy sweetness and heat that comes through with every bite. So, if you want the flavors of pumpkin pie with chunks of ginger, try this one. It's super easy too.

Ingredients:

1/2 c butter, softened

3/4 c brown sugar, light or dark

3/4 cup pumpkin, canned

1/2 tsp maple flavoring

1/2 c chopped crystallized ginger

1 cup flour

1 tsp ginger, ground

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

Set oven at 350 degrees. Spray (or butter) a 9 by 9 inch baking pan. Cream butter and sugar, add the pumpkin and maple flavoring, beating well. Add the remaining ingredients and pour into the pan. Bake for around 20 minutes. Cool completely. IMPORTANT HINT: You will be tempted to try these as soon as they have cooled, but put them in the refrigerator for a few hours for the best result. The flavors will really come through. You won't be sorry for the wait!

Pumpkin Gnocchi - Pasta of the month

November's pasta of the month is a "first" for me. I've had pumpkin ravioli several times , however, I didn't want to be too ambitious on my initial attempt. I have made a vow to myself to try many culinary "firsts". One will be homemade tortillas; another will be my quest for the lasagna I was served in Costa Rica, of all places. I have been gathering different recipes on a good hearty bolognese sauce. After the perfection of the best sauce I will construct the remainder of the lasagna. Hopefully by Christmas I should have a lasagna equal to the best!

Until then, I tried pumpkin gnocchi which proved to be extremely easy. Of course the appearance wasn't the best but the taste was not bad for the first attempt! I served them with a brown butter sage sauce which is a nice compliment to the subtle pumpkin flavored chewy goodness of the gnocchi.

The ingredients are probably in your pantry right now, so why not give it a try!

1 (15 oz) can of pumpkin puree

2 3/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste.

Mix all the above to a good consistency which is neither sticky nor loose. You may need to add extra flour. Then divide into about 6 pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 1 inch in diameter using a lightly floured surface. Slice the rope into 1 inch pieces. I only used half this recipe to cook enough for 2 hungry adults with leftovers. Refrigerate or freeze the rest for later use. To cook the gnocchi, place them in a large pot of lightly salted water. Bring water to a slow boil, add the gnocchi and cook until they rise to the top. Serve with the sauce of your choice. Very simple but elegant. Your family will think you were in the kitchen all day!

This recipe guide was found on Foodista.com

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Breakfast bars

The original recipe for these breakfast/snack bars called for banana chips on top. Somehow the chips were not very appetizing so I had no problem removing them. I also substituted so many ingredients that suddenly it became "my own original"!

I replaced the butter with pumpkin puree and used egg beaters instead of real eggs. (watching that cholesterol). All in all, the finished product was actually quite good and very simple if you're in a hurry. Superfiberalicious!

Ingredients:

2 c rolled oats

3/4 c brown sugar

3/4 c peanut butter

1/3 c pumpkin puree

1/2 c egg product or 2 eggs

2 T oat bran

1/4 c mini chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp five spice powder (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray an 8 inch square baking pan with cooking spray.

Mix together in a large bowl the oats and brown sugar. Add the peanut butter, eggs, pumpkin puree, oat bran, vanilla and five spice. Add chips and mix well. Put into pan, spread evenly while pressing down. Bake for 25 minutes, cool and cut into squares. These can be wrapped individually and frozen but they get eaten too quickly around here! Makes about 10-12.