Good Kitchen Karma

Today I finally took some action to reverse my bad kitchen karma. I've been sick the last couple days, and just generally through the pregnancy the tidiness of the kitchen has sometimes been questionable (shame, shame, I know). I've decided that the best way to reverse bad kitchen karma is to flush it down the disposal and bake something tasty. Today's treat: Pumpkin Bread with Ginger Frosting. I highly recommend trying the ginger frosting--we were inspired by Da Vinci Bakery and concocted this recipe with the help of the Joy of Cooking and a couple handy tasting fingers. It came out pretty tasty, actually.


Good karma, for two.

If you're not GF, it should be easy to find a good pumpkin bread recipe. If you are, this bread recipe comes out soft and tall. The frosting is pretty sweet, so you probably don't need the chocolate chips and raisins. But only you know what you need...

Pumpkin Bread
Susan Singley

350°

1 cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup cooked pumpkin
½ cup salad oil
2 eggs

2 cups regular rice flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup raisins (optional)
1 cup chocolate chips (optional)
½ cup chopped nuts (optional)
¼ cup water
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Combine the sugar, brown sugar, cooked pumpkin, salad oil and eggs. Mix well.

In a separate bowl, combine rice flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon. Mix well.

Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture. Mix thoroughly.

Add raisins, chocolate chips, nuts, and water.

Bake in two small loaf pans at 350° for 60 to 70 minutes. Muffins estimate: 30-40 minutes. Use your best judgment.

Ginger Frosting

Here are some measurements for guidelines, but they're not exact. You will have to taste it (darn) and decide how thick you want it. Add more powdered sugar and/or butter, or milk for the right consistency.

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
2 Tablespoons butter, softened

2 Tablespoons milk
a shake of salt
fresh finely grated ginger or powdered ginger, to taste. Note: powdered ginger is strong!
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Combine the powdered sugar and butter in a medium bowl and beat together until smooth.

Add milk, salt, and ginger, and beat until smooth.

Add more sugar, butter, and ginger until you like the flavor and consistency.

Enjoy over a nice slice of pumpkin bread or over top of a muffin. Now that's good karma.

Diana's Sneaky Sugar Cookies

Perfect for Halloween, and any cookie occasion, really. My friend Diana modified this recipe from Kraft Foods with a little inspiration from Jessica Seinfeld's new book. I still need to see how this works gluten free...


Some things you don't have to sneak.

DIANA'S SNEAKY SUGAR COOKIES

1pkg (8oz) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened (I use low fat)
3/4 cup (1and a 1/2sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2tsp. Vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda

***my secret ingredient****1/2 cup pureed sweet potatoes (not yams--see below)

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Beat cream cheese, butter, granulated sugar,
vanilla ***and sweet potato puree*** in large bowl with electric mixer
on medium speed until well blended.
Add flour and baking soda: mix well.
Roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness on lightly floured surface. Cut into
assorted shapes using 3-in. cookie cutters. Place on greased baking
sheets.
Bake 10 to 12 min. or until edges begin to brown. Transfer cookies to
wire rack; cool completely before icing.

For the icing I just used a store bought kind and whipped it up with
about a 1/2 cup of carrot puree--that could use some improvement. (The rest of us thought it was great. The carrots gave the icing a light orange color.)

Sweet potatoes are white or yellowish in color and have a firmer flesh than the orange yams we see at Thanksgiving. In case you were wondering.

Salmon en Papillote

Speaking of fancy recipes, here is one that sounds much more fancy and tricky than it actually is. I recently shared it at a recipe exchange, and worry that without clearer instructions, it will go untried by most of the recipients. In case any of those lovely ladies catch this, there are slightly more detailed instructions here.

Salmon en Papillote (parchment purses)

I didn't have fresh dill or fennel, and this was still good. The salmon comes out moist and flavorful.

4-6-ounces salmon steaks
4 golden potatoes, peeled, diced
1 large yellow onion, sliced
3 carrots, peeled, sliced

diced celery (optional)
1 cup chopped fennel bulb (leeks would also wo
1 tbsp dry basil
1 tbsp lemon zest
4 sprigs fresh dill
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper

1. Skin, rinse, and set aside salmon until ready to use.
2. Cut four squares of parchment paper, about 14 inches square. Set aside until ready to use.
3. Divide ingredients equally between the 4 parchment papers.
4. Drizzle each with about 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil.
5. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Fold parchment over on itself covering the salmon, forming a triangle.
7. Beginning at either the left or the right side of the parchment paper where it is creased, fold the paper edges over on itself until you reach the other side (make a purse—it comes out in a crescent shape)
8. Place on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.
9. Remove, place each pouch on a separate plate, cut open and serve.

Cooking Fancy Foods

Maybe it's just me, but there is something so fulfilling about cooking foods or recipes that sound really fancy or exotic. Sometimes it really is an accomplishment; other times it's just satisfying to unravel a recipe that seemed so daunting beforehand. It's like joining some elite club, the club of people who know how to poach chicken or how to make a New York style cheesecake. I am definitely no master at anything and very much still a student. But that's what I find so exciting--I can be an eternal student in the art of food and still make a delicious meal for my family.


The art of New York style cheesecake still eludes me.

You Can Always Make Brownies

Ghirardelli. Need I say more? Here's an excellent choose your own adventure recipe. You can use it to make the cookies, which sound delightful, or to make brownies, or rich little cupcakes. And of course, you can always use good old fashioned chocolate chips of your choice (Western Family, anyone?) I especially like this as a gluten-free recipe--it's not coarse or gritty, at least as brownies and cupcakes. It's not as cake-like as Bob's Red Mill Mix, but a lot richer and a little cheaper.



Ghirardelli Ultimate Double Chocolate Cookies
1 bag (11.5 oz) Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips (For a sweeter dough or batter try semi-sweet or other dark chocolate. I think this is better for brownies, personally.)
6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour OR rice flour (go GF!)
a little xanthan gum (Optional GF ingredient. I believe the ratio guideline for xanthan gum and rice flour is 1 teaspoon to 1 cup flour, so you can use your best judgment. It's probably fine without xanthan as well.)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 bag (12 oz) Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (optional)
1 cup (4 oz) chopped walnuts (optional)

In double boiler or heat-proof mixing bowl over hot water, melt the bittersweet chocolate chips and butter.
In large mixing bowl with electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar until thick (note: for brownies, mix less). Stir in the chocolate mixture.
In small bowl, stir together flour and baking powder; stir into chocolate mixture.
Gently mix in chocolate chips and walnuts, if using.
FOR COOKIES: On a plastic wrap, form dough into two logs, each 2 inches in diameter and about 8 inches long. Wrap tightly; refrigerate at least 1 hour or until firm. (Dough can also be frozen; thaw in refrigerator before proceeding with recipe.)
Preheat oven to 375. Unwrap dough; with sharp knife, cut into 3/4-inch slices. Place slices 1 1/2 inches apart on greased or parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until shiny crust forms on top but interior is still soft.
Cook on baking sheet. Enjoy the moment of timeless pleasure.
FOR BROWNIES or CUPCAKES: Pour batter into a pan or muffin tin. Bake at 375 for about 40minutes (time will vary depending on type of pan and your oven; I'd start with 25 minutes, then add any additional time you need after that). A knife or cake tester inserted in the center should come out with crumbs, not wet batter.
Let cool completely before serving.

Gluten-free Waffles

These came out very tasty and were very easy to make. It's one of the recipes from www.gluten.net.
Gluten-free Waffles
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1 cups gluten-free flour blend or rice flour
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup oil
2/3 cups milk
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1. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
2. Add eggs, oil and milk to dry ingredients and mix just until smooth.
3. Pour batter into preheated, oil-sprayed waffle iron.
4. Cook until waffle iron light turns off (3 to 5 minutes).

Makes ten (4-inch square) waffles.

Three Tempting Tomato Soups

Summer favorite: fresh tomatoes.

This first soup is from Whitney. It's warm and delicious and great with crackers or bread.

Tomato Basil Soup

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2 c. sliced leeks
4 oz. butter
3 qt. beef broth
2 cans whole tomatoes, diced
1/3 c. red wine vinegar
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. white wine
0.25 c. cornstarch
1 c. firmly packed fresh basil leaves
1 star anise
0 Cooked rice (optional)
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Drain tomatoes and set aside juice for later. Saute together the
leeks and the butter until soft. Add the broth, diced tomatoes,
vinegar, sugar and wine. Cover partially and simmer for 25 minutes.

Optional: Add cooked rice in whatever amount suits your fancy. I like
adding cooked, rather than uncooked rice, because I always end up
adding too much uncooked rice and it turns into more of a casserole
than a soup. You may not need cornstarch, or at least not the full
amount if you add rice.

Mix together the cornstarch and the juice from the tomatoes and add
to the soup mixture. Bring back to a simmer and add the basil and
star anise. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Note: This is the closest recipe I've come to the tomato rice soup at
Pyrenees. I've substituted onions for leeks and it tastes good as
well. I've never used the star anise, because I always forget to buy it.

Joy of Cooking, from which this recipe comes, describes the Fresh Tomato Soup as "A simple, clean-tasting soup." For a zestier soup, make Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup. This soup reminds me of the Tomato Basil soup at Zupa's in Utah.

Fresh Tomato Soup/Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup
Joy of Cooking
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2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion coarsely chopped
3 pounds ripe tomatoes peeled, seeded, and chopped, with juices
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream (for Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup)
1 Tablespoon pesto sauce (for Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup)
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1. Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium-low heat.
2. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until tender but not browned, 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Stir in the tomatoes and their juices.
4. Simmer until the tomatoes are covered in their own liquid, about 25 minutes.
5. Puree until smooth, either in a blender or using a hand blender (be careful either way--the soup is hot).
6. Return to the pot and stir in the salt and pepper.
Serve hot or cold.
For Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup:
7. Stir in the heavy cream and pesto sauce. Gently heat through and serve immediately.