Pumpkin cinnamon rolls

     So I've had a serious addiction this month: pumpkin-themed foods!  I remember I used to scoff at all the pumpkin-themed foods that would come out around this time of year, laughing at all the fools that would fall into such an obviously commercial ploy.  Little did I know that, a few years later, I would be one of those pumpkin-addicted fools!  It seems to be the worst it's ever been and I can't seem to stop consuming (and buying) anything and everything with pumpkin in it.  So, with that in mind, when I came across a recipe for pumpkin cinnamon rolls, it was just too amazing to resist!

Ooey Gooey delicious pumpkin cinnamon rolls

Look at all that cinnamon roll goodness!!

Pumpkin cinnamon rolls from http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2012/10/pumpkin-cinnamon-rolls-least-scary.html

Ingredients for 16 Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls:

(I used a deep 13 x 9 baking dish)
Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes 

For the dough:

1 package of dry yeast

1/4 cup very warm water (about 100-105 degrees F.)

1/2 tsp white sugar

1/2 cup pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

1/4 cup heavy cream (can sub milk, but cream is better)

1 tsp fine salt

1/4 cup melted butter

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or 1/2 tsp ground ginger and 1/4 tsp allspice)

1 large egg

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 to 4 cups all purpose flour (divided), as needed 
 (add enough flour to mixer so that dough just barely pulls away from sides, and a very soft, slightly sticky dough is formed)

*knead for at least 6-7 minutes

For the filling:

5 tbsp melted butter, brushed on rolled dough

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup of granulated sugar

2 tbsp ground cinnamon

*For the glaze:

1/4 cup room temperature cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup milk, or as needed

1/4 tsp vanilla extract, optional

*adjust glaze by adding more powdered sugar or milk to achieve desired consistency

1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds to garnish

http://youtu.be/x6-tziWozrQ

     Thank you once again Chef John for an amazingly sweet and delicious treat!  Pumpkin cinnamon rolls are just good cinnamon rolls, period.  There is not a strong pumpkiny taste, but nor does there have to be with the deliciousness of cinnamon rolls.  The only problem I had with them was that they were too good; I kept meaning to bring some in to share with my co-workers but I just kept eating them at home!  Definitely well worth the effort to make them!

Broiled Tilapia Tacos

     This was a delightful idea that came from a craving for Fish tacos.  After my craving hit, I looked around for recipes and finally settled for one from the latest addition of Cuisine at Home.  As you can see down below, the results were amazingly delicious!

The whole spread

Delicious fish tacos

Broiled Tilapia Tacos from Cuisine at home issue no. 107 September/October 2014

Makes 4 servings (8 tacos)
Total time: 45 minutes

8 corn tortillas, wrapped in foil (6-inch)

FOR THE SLAW, TOSS:
2 cups angel hair coleslaw
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup each thinly sliced red onion and radishes
3 tbsp. olive oil, divide
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice, divided
salt to taste

FOR THE SAUCE, PUREE:
1/2 cup sour cream
1 avocado
1/2 jalapeno

FOR THE TILAPIA, COMBINE:
2 tsp. each ground cumin and garlic powder
1 tsp. each dried oregano, ground coriander, and kosher salt
4 tilapia fillets (4-5oz each)

Preheat broiler to high with one rack 4-5 inches from element and another rack in center.  Place tortillas on center rack.
For the slaw, toss together coleslaw, cilantro, onion, radishes 1 tbsp. oil and 1 tbsp. lime juice; season with salt
For the sauce, puree sour cream, avocado, jalapeno, and remaining 1 tbsp lime juice in a mini food processor; season with salt
For the tilapia, combine cumin, garlic powder, oregano, coriander, and 1 tsp. salt.  Brush both sides of tilapia with remaining 2 tbsp.oil and sprinkle with spice mixture. Transfer tilapia to a baking sheet, broil on top rack until flesh is firm , 7-10 minutes.
To serve, break tilapia into chunks and divide among tortillas.  Top tacos with slaw and sauce.

The broiled tilapia

    The results were amazing and surprisingly easy!  I think this is definitely going to be a go-to recipe for me in the future.  It also made me wonder why I don't eat fish more often; I've always thought fish was difficult to cook but the Tilapia came out great and was super easy.  I made a few substitutions, since I didn't have all of the ingredients.  Instead of a (boring!) jalapeno, I used Trader Joe's hatch valley salsa (about 3 tbsp).  I also didn't have coriander, so I used curry powder instead.  I think the result was very delicious.  The only thing that confused me is the fact that the amounts of spices, lime juice, etc. is different on the ingredient list as in the instructions.  I've actually made this recipe twice now, once with the (limited) proportions named in the instructions and once with the (more generous) proportions named in the ingredient list.  Both came out delicious, so I don't think it matters too much....

Cooking with pears

     On August 4, 2014 my husband and I had the awesome opportunity to go to Alhambra Valley and pick pears with good family friends of mine, Helen and Ed Pereira.  They are part of Alhambra Valley Pears and Beef and sell their wares to farmer's markets throughout the Bay area.  If you happen to live in the Bay area, definitely check them out at the Farmer's markets in Concord, Martinez, Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek, Danville, Orinda and Moraga.  They sell pears, apples and walnuts (a small amount in late September to early October) and grass-fed beef at the Martinez market on Sunday.  Here are some pictures of Scott and our time on the farm:

From left to right: Helen, Ed and Scott.

Contemplating all of our pears and pear picking..

Action shot...

Look at all those pears!

Going home with delicious pears....

     After our (not so) hard day's work, Helen and Ed generously gave us a whole box of green Bartlett pears to take home.  We put half in the fridge to use later and put half out to ripen on the counter.  Well, although I had all these good cooking intentions for the first half, Scott and I just ended up devouring them all.  We couldn't help it!!  I am not even really the biggest fan of pears, but I could not stop eating that scrumdidlyumptious fruit.  For the second half, they ended up ripening in the fridge, so I had sixteen ripe pears to play and cook with.  Here are the recipes I made:

Pear, Brie and Honey Quesadilla

Pear, Brie, and Honey Quesadilla

Yield: 1 quesadilla

ingredients:

2 (8 inch flour) tortillas
2 ounces Brie, sliced into long 1/4-inch slices, rind removed
1 Bosc pear, thinly sliced
4-6 red onion slices
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

directions:

1. Heat a 10-inch nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat. Place 1 tortilla in the dry pan. Evenly arrange the brie slices over the flour tortilla. Next, add the pear and red onion slices. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with fresh rosemary. Place the other tortilla on top. Heat for about 3 minutes and then flip. Heat for another three minutes or until the cheese is melted.

2. Remove from pan and cut into wedges. Serve warm.

---

This delicious recipe brought to you by Two Peas & Their Pod
http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/pear-brie-and-honey-quesadilla/

Put a tortilla on a hot skillet.  Add cut up brie cheese.

Then the sliced pears.

Next come the onions.

And the honey.  Look at that delicious melting cheese...

Rosemary as the final touch.

Cover with tortilla.  Heat three minutes.  Flip.

Delciousness on a plate.

Cut and serve

  All in all, this recipe was quite delicious!  The ooey gooey meltingness of the cheese combined with the sweetness of the pears and honey... yummy!  I made this dish twice in a row which gave me the option of flavor testing.  I would definitely recommend adding a little sprinkle of salt right at the end before you put the last tortilla on top.  It really brings out the savory flavors in a dish that may otherwise be a little bit too sweet.  Also, for me at least, the rosemary wasn't necessary and seemed to be a wee bit too intense when we did bite into it.  So, only add rosemary if you like that strong intense flavor.  I was a wee bit concerned when I added the onion that it would still be raw, but it actually cooks up quite nicely.  All in all, with the few modifications, a well balanced dish.

Pear pie

  My next recipe was inspired by the pear pie that Helen and Ed served to us after our delicious dinner after spending the afternoon picking pie.  As soon as I tasted pear pie, I knew I had to make it on my own.

Fresh Pear Pie from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Fresh-Pear-Pie/Detail.aspx?evt19=1

INGREDIENTS:

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie 1/2 cup white sugar 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon lemon zest 5 cups peeled and sliced pears 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Place a baking sheet on the bottom oven rack.
2.	Combine sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, and lemon zest in mixing bowl. Roll out half the pastry and line a 9-inch pie pan.
3.	Arrange pear slices in layers in the pastry-lined pan, sprinkling the sugar mixture over each layer. Dot with butter and sprinkle with lemon juice.
4.	Roll out remaining dough for the top crust. Use your finger dipped in a small bowl of water to moisten the rim of the bottom crust. Place top crust over filling, and trim edge using kitchen shears or a sharp paring knife. Fold edge under bottom crust, pressing to seal. Flute edge. Cut slits in top crust to allow steam to escape.
5.	Bake in the preheated oven on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 35 to 40 minutes longer. Allow to cool several hours before serving. The yummy filling Topped with vanilla ice cream and blueberries  The verdict?  Quite delicious, of course!  After reading the reviews on allrecipes.com, I decided to follow people's advice and mix all of the fruit/sugar/spices etc. all together and let it sit.  This time, I actually did follow the baking time and advice, although I didn't bake it for the full 35-40 minutes afterwards.  And I most very definitely did not wait "several hours" for it to cool!  By the way, the pie is delicious with vanilla ice cream and fresh blueberries on top.      Finally, one last recipe.  This is the recipe that made me want to start cooking with pears in the first place: pear sauce.  Pear sauce is basically apple sauce but with pears.  I first had pear sauce over at Lynnelle's house and fell in love.  I asked her for the recipe, and this is what she said: Peel a bunch of pears, and core them and cut into small chunks. Add some brown sugar and cinnamon to taste (for a large pot full of pear pieces, about a cup or half-cup of sugar works. And a tablespoon full of cinnamon). Add a pinch of salt. Cook and stir over medium heat until pears start to disintegrate (about 5 - 10 minutes). Stop and take off heat before chunks have all melted away. Cool and put into plastic bags to freeze, or can them using hot-water bath method.    Which is basically what I did.  Here are the pics:

Take a washed pear....

And peel it...

Cut it in half...

And core it...

Chop it into little bits...

Put all together in a pot...

Add cinnamon, sugar and a pinch of salt...

Put over heat..

And watch it shrink...

And shrink...

And shrink (especially with a potato masher)...

Looking yummy now!

The final result... delicious over vanilla ice cream!

     So the result was very definitely delicious and has lasted a long time in the fridge.  However, I realized a few things: 

1)  I should have cut the pears way smaller.  They didn't really melt down so eventually I just mashed them with a potato masher.

2) I think I had sixteen pears originally... all that gave me two small jars of pear sauce (about one pint).

3) It is a pain in the butt to peel and core that many pears!!  Goodness me but I hate peeling!

     Most very definitely worth it in the end.... particularly delightful over vanilla ice cream.  Well, that's all for now folks.  I'm back in full on crazy work mode, so my next blog post may have to wait a while.  Until we meet again...

Nectarine-Blueberry pie

     I have had the past week off from The Tech Museum as they are closed September 2nd through September 5th for their annual cleaning.  I finagled my schedule so that I would have ten days off in a row.  Scott and I were planning on going on an extended vacation, but Scott had to "ruin" it by GETTING A NEW JOB!!  Woo woo!  For those of you who know me, you know how much this means to us.  So, this means I've been playing little Mrs.Susie Homemaker for the week while he goes to work.  This recipe was on my calendar and it looked so delicious that I just had to try it!

Nectarine-Blueberry pie

Look at all of the delicious filling!

Nectarine-Blueberry Pie from Cooking Club of America's 2014 Calendar

http://cooking.scout.com/story/1439523-nectarine-blueberry-pie

Note: Nectarines are splendid in a pie.  They require no peeling, and their flavor deepens during baking.  Here, they're combined with blueberries and lemon, and unexpected spark that made this pie a favorite with tasters.  If you'd like, offer slices with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Recipe: 

DOUGH

2 1/4 cups bleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening, chilled, cut up
1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled, cut up
5 to 7 tablespoons ice water
1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar

FILLING

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup quick-cooking or minute tapioca
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 lb. nectarines (about 6 large), sliced (1/2 inch) (6 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cups blueberries
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled, cut up

Process:

1. Process flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt in food processor 10 seconds. Add shortening; process until mixture resembles very fine crumbs. Add 1/2 cup butter; pulse 4 times (just to start blending butter into flour). Pour into large bowl. With fingertips, rapidly pinch butter into flour to form large flakes. (Mixture should be cold. If it begins to warm, refrigerate bowl 20 to 30 minutes before continuing.)

2. Combine 5 tablespoons water and vinegar. Add to flour mixture 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring flour mixture with fork and adding additional water just until dough forms. Divide dough into 2 pieces, one slightly larger than the other; shape each into 5-inch round. Cover and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours or until chilled. (Dough can be made 1 day ahead.)

3. Combine 1/2 cup of the sugar, brown sugar, tapioca, lemon peel, pumpkin pie spice and 1/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl. Add nectarines, blueberries and lemon juice; toss to combine. Let stand 15 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, arrange one oven rack in center and another one in bottom position. Place heavy rimmed baking sheet on lower rack. Heat oven to 450°F.

5. On lightly floured surface, roll larger dough round into 12-inch circle. Line 9-inch pie pan with dough; trim dough. Spoon fruit mixture into pan; dot with 2 tablespoons butter. Brush dough overhang with ice water.

6. Roll second dough round into 10-inch circle; place over fruit. Trim dough to 1/2-inch overhang; fold under edge of bottom crust. Press gently to seal; flute edge. Cut 4 slits in top crust to allow steam to escape. Brush crust with ice water; sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Place on baking sheet on lower oven rack.

7. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until crust begins to brown. Transfer pie with baking sheet to center of oven; reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake 1 hour or until crust is browned and juices bubble thickly through slits. Cool completely on wire rack, at least 6 hours.

8 servings

PER SERVING: 565 calories, 28 g total fat (12.5 g saturated fat), 5.5 g protein, 77 g carbohydrate, 40 mg cholesterol, 230 mg sodium, 4 g fiber

     My verdict?  Definitely delicious, although I may never make the pie again!  It was a pain in the patooty (especially cooking in the tiny kitchen we have).  I didn't have quick-cooking tapioca, so after a little Internet research, I used rice flour instead.  It seemed to hold up okay and do the job.  The filling was pretty much liquid when I put it in the pie but it has firmed up quite nicely.  Also, I refuse to bake with vegetable shortening, so I just used my regular pie crust recipe (see this blog http://insearchoftheperfectmacaroniandcheese.blogspot.com/2012/07/macaroni-and-cheese-olallieberry-pie.html for the recipe).  The crust was delicious but I made a mistake and added too much water so it was way stickier than usual.  I should've added more flour, but I wasn't thinking straight today.

     Speaking of not thinking straight, I also didn't notice until *right this moment* that it said you don't have to peel the nectarines!  That would've been so useful to know, as it probably took me at least thirty minutes to peel all of them, despite doing the old boiling trick (that I first mentioned in my peach cobbler post http://insearchoftheperfectmacaroniandcheese.blogspot.com/2013/09/peach-cobbler.html).  I also mixed up the times, so ended up cooking it twice as long on the 450 setting, which means it was cooked by the time I realized my mistake.  Fortunately, it wasn't too burnt!

     All in all, a delicious pie although I think next time (if there is a next time), I would use peaches instead of nectarines.  Although maybe if I used nectarines and didn't peel them...  Either way, enjoy this taste of summer!!!

Chicken and Dumplings soup

     Hello hello out there in internet-land!  I am still very much alive and occasionally cooking.  The good news: I got a full time job at The Tech Museum of Innovation.  The bad news:  With my commute, I now have twelve hour days five days a week which doesn't leave much time for cooking.  Thank goodness for husbands who can cook!  I haven't, however, been completely separated from the cooking world.  I have still been creating delicious culinary delights.  My first is one that would be ideal on a cold, rainy day like today: Chicken and dumplings soup.

     A little background: As I mentioned in my first posts, both my Mother and her mother (my maternal grandmother) were not big cooks.  My mother's grandmother (my great-grandmother) was the cook of the family, so Mom always thought the cooking "gene" skipped two generations and settled on me.  Growing up, I would ask my Mom what her favorite dish was.  She always mentioned how her grandma used to cook chicken and dumplings.  Having never had chicken and dumplings before, this idea always stayed in the back of my mind.  So, when Scott and I went down to Southern California in January for a belated Christmas visit, I knew just what I wanted to make my Mom and Aunt for dinner...

     The problem was, of course, finding a recipe.  My great-grandmother had all her recipes memorized, so didn't write any of them down.  After an online search, I found that most chicken and dumpling recipes called for the use of mixes or artificial stuff that my great-grandma wouldn't have used.  I finally settled on using The Pioneer Woman's recipe.  I have always enjoyed perusing her website and was excited to try one of her recipes.  I was not disappointed!!

Chicken and Dumplings soup... yummy!

Chicken and Dumplings 

From: The Pioneer Woman http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/12/chicken-and-dumplings/

Prep Time:

 15 Minutes

 

Cook Time:

 30 Minutes

 

Difficulty:

 Easy

 

Servings:

 8

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Butter

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1/2 cup All-purpose Flour
• 1 whole Chicken, Cut Into Pieces (cut Up Fryer)
•  Salt And Pepper
• 1/2 cup Finely Diced Carrots
• 1/2 cup Finely Diced Celery
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric
• 6 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 1/2 cup Apple Cider
• 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
•  Dumplings:
• 1-1/2 cup All-purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup Yellow Cornmeal
• 1 Tablespoon (heaping) Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1-1/2 cup Half-and-half
• 2 Tablespoons Minced Fresh Parsley (optional)
•  Salt As Needed

Preparation Instructions

Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then dredge both sides in flour.

Melt butter in a pot over medium-high heat. In two batches, brown chicken on both sides and remove to a clean plate.

In the same pot, add diced onion, carrots, and celery. Stir and cook for 3 to 4 minutes over medium-low heat. Stir in ground thyme and turmeric, then pour in chicken broth and apple cider. Stir to combine, then add browned chicken. Cover pot and simmer for 20 minutes.

While chicken is simmering, make the dough for the dumplings: sift together all dry ingredients, then add half-and-half, stirring gently to combine. Set aside.

Remove chicken from pot and set aside on a plate. Use two forks to remove chicken from the bone. Shred, then add chicken to the pot. Pour heavy cream into the pot and stir to combine.

Drop tablespoons of dumpling dough into the simmering pot. Add minced parsley if using. Cover pot halfway and continue to simmer for 15 minutes. Check seasonings; add salt if needed. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

*Adapted from Gourmet Magazine

 Katie's edit: So I made this post quite a while ago (in February), so unfortunately I don't have any additional comments to make as I don't remember anything specific about the recipe.  I do, however, remember that it was delicious and I've made it more than once.