Early this week I got to video chat with all three of my London girls at the same time. It was delightful! And also far too rare. Still, a delight. However, they assure me they’re coming to visit in April. Now that I’ve post it here on the internet, it had better come true. Anyway, they got together to have a vegan feast, and while I can’t participate in person, I can in spirit. So, for my girls here is a recipe for vegan curried butternut squash soup. 

Actually, this recipe is all about friends for me. I got this recipe from my friend Emily, who is the one who got me started cooking and experimenting with yummy vegetable dishes. And then at work my colleagues were talking about vegetarian dishes since my boss has recently decided to go off meat. They were even talking about curried butternut squash soup! All signs pointed to it being time for me to finally publish this recipe – a tiny way to recognize many of the lovely friends in my life. Hope this tasty recipe will be enjoyed by them – and hopefully by you and anyone you share it with.

Now I know you might be thinking, Mariel this is a vegan recipe. Is it really that good? Is it really going to be something I’ll want to eat? Let alone share with my friends?! I promise you it is. I sometimes have a nose crinkle at the word vegan, but this recipe is legit and doesn’t feel like going without.

In fact, this recipe is a good one for this time of year. It’s warm, a bit spicy, and not too heavy. Perfect for chilly winter evenings and next day lunches that brighten up your workday. Also, between Thanksgiving and Christmas it’s so easy to eat hearty foods and lots of sweets. Sometimes I need a break between all the cookies, mulled wine, and heavy roasts. This soup is it. It’ll make you feel cozy on a cold day. It’s a good way to eat some vegetables. It makes a lot. And if you need a bit of heft it’s great for dipping bread into it. I’m telling you, perfect winter meal to share with friends.

Adapted from All Recipes.

Messy level: If you have an immersion blender this is hardly messy at all! There’s very little prep and everything is poured into one pot. Fairly easy, and not too much clean up. It’s nearly easy enough for a weeknight dinner.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

1 hour 15 mins

Total time

1 hour 25 mins

 

Author: Cooking is Messy

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1, 2 pound butternut squash
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, plus a little more for greasing
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ cup coconut milk, plus more for garnish
• 2 tablespoons agave
• cilantro leaves, chopped for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C
2. Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and discard.
3. Place the squash on a baking sheet, skin side down. Lightly brush the butternut squash flesh with some coconut oil. If desired, season with extra curry powder.
4. Bake the squash in the oven for about 45 minutes, or until fork tender.
5. When the squash is 30 minutes into baking, melt the coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat
6. Add the onion and garlic to the pot. Cook until softened and starting to brown, about 15 minutes.
7. Using a spoon, scoop the baked squash flesh out of the skin and into the pot. Also add in the vegetable broth, curry powder, salt, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Turn heat to low and let simmer for 10 minutes.
8. Turn off the heat. Stir in the coconut milk and agave.
9. Using an immersion blender (or transfer soup to a blender), pulse until soup is smooth.
10. Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle a little bit of extra coconut milk on top and sprinkle with cilantro leaves, if desired.

3.5.3226

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Tomorrow is Thanksgiving! This recipe for nutella pumpkin muffins needs to be out there before pumpkin season is over!!! I think technically, pumpkin season can go through Christmas. However, we all know the season of pumpkin-flavored-everything really goes from October until Thanksgiving. After Thursday, it will be all about gingerbread and hot chocolate. Also, I used Halloween muffin wrappers so it’s about time I post this recipe. So let’s get to it. 

This recipe is moist, delicious, and because it’s called “muffins” you can have them for breakfast. Between you and me though, it’s pretty close to dessert. More specifically, it’s these muffins are like pumpkin pie in bread form. Bread with a delicious, and might I say, gorgeous swirl of Nutella baked into the top. What isn’t made better by a swirl of Nutella on top? Pretty much everything is better with Nutella.

If you make these muffins early during pumpkin spice season, they’re a great way to dip your toe into autumnal flavors. But if you make them now, they can be the start of holiday indulgence. Maybe you can refrain from all the parties, and treats, and sweets that come with the holiday season.  I for one, cannot. I love festive treats to add some cheer to cold winter days. These nutella pumpkin muffins can be a new addition to your holiday repertoire. Add this to your day-after Thanksgiving breakfast, for cozy weekends in, or to bring to the office as a holiday treat. So yummy, and everyone will love them!

Insider tip: this recipe plus this one for pumpkin biscotti together use a whole can of pumpkin puree. I love that there won’t be any wasted puree languishing in my fridge.

Adapted from Inside BruCrew Life.

Messy level: Not so messy at all. The most difficult part, as with all muffins, is neatly pouring the batter into the muffin wrappers. Also, nutella by nature doesn’t want to be drizzled and pourable so sometimes it unhelpfully splats about. All in all, nothing to complain about.

Nutella Pumpkin Muffins

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

22 mins

Total time

37 mins

 

Author: Adapted by Cooking is Messy

Serves: 18

Ingredients

• 1 cup/ 225 grams pumpkin puree
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup/ 118 ml vegetable oil
• 1 cup/ 225 grams sugar
• 2¼/ 280 grams cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ginger
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup/ 240 ml milk
• ½ cup/ 150 grams Nutella spread

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line a muffin tin with wrappers or spray with non-stick spray.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin, eggs, oil, and sugar
3. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Pour the flour mixture and milk in to the pumpkin mixture. Stir gently until smooth.
4. Spoon the muffin batter into your prepared tin. Fill wrappers ¾ full.
5. Place the Nutella in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 20-30 seconds. Stir until it's thinned enough to be gently drizzled.
6. Spoon small dollops of Nutella in the center of each muffin. Use a toothpick artfully swirl a design on top.
7. Bake the muffins for 20-22 minutes.
8. Let cool for 2-5 minutes in the tin. Then remove from tin and let cool completely.
9. Serve!

3.5.3218

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I’ve been a bad blogger lately and largely because I’ve been focusing on work. I know that sounds really fake and ridiculous, but it’s kind of true. School started and I’m back in the classroom and on trips across DC and I come home tired and too lazy to write. I’m sorry friends! However, it’s October and it’s pumpkin season. I couldn’t stay silent any longer because there’s so much yummy stuff to do with pumpkin. For example, this recipe for pumpkin biscotti.

So, a few weeks ago I made pumpkin nutella muffins (a recipe I’ll post eventually!) and I had a little bit of pumpkin leftover in the can. I never know what to do with remaining puree. It’s so little! Throw it away? Keep in my fridge hoping I’ll use it, then eventually throw it away? But then, I found this recipe from King Arthur Flour that needed only half a cup of pumpkin. I scraped the can that had been languishing in my fridge and came up with exactly half a cup. Whew!  No need for waste and I was going to get some yummy biscotti.

I had only made biscotti twice before and so when these came out of the oven the second time, I had some fear. Did I really know what biscotti should be like? Were they too crunchy? Can biscotti be too crunchy?! But they tasted good so I wasn’t too concerned.

Then the next morning I had some with my coffee and oh-em-gee friends these pumpkin biscotti were SO. MUCH. BETTER. They soak up the coffee and soften slightly so you can easily bite into them while still holding their shape. They don’t get squishy, fall apart, and plop into your coffee. And somehow, the coffee enhanced the pumpkin and cinnamon flavors. These became my before-work treat for about a week. Who doesn’t want a reason to have a cookie for breakfast? This recipe is a win.

Adapted from King Arthur Flour.

Messy level: The recipe is really easy to assemble with minimal dishes. What also keeps this recipe neat is that all the biscotti can be baked on one tray at the same time. Can’t often say that for a cookie recipe, so it’s a reason to like making biscotti.

Pumpkin Biscotti

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

70 mins

Total time

1 hour 20 mins

 

Author: Adapted from King Arthur Flour

Recipe type: cookie

Serves: ~30 biscotti

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons/ 56 grams butter, softened
• ⅔ cup/ 130 grams sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• ½ cup/ 113 grams pumpkin puree
• 2 cups/ 240 grams all-purpose flour

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt. Beat until smooth and creamy.
4. Beat in the egg and pumpkin puree. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
5. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add in the flour. Mix until just combined.
6. In the bowl, gather the dough into a loose ball. Divide the dough in half and place onto the baking sheet. Give yourself space, the dough is sticky and you'll be reshaping it on the baking sheet.
7. Shape each half of the dough into a long flat rectangular log, about 10"x2.5".
8. Bake the logs on the baking sheet for 25 minutes.
9. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F/160°C.
10. After 5 minutes, use a sharp serrated knife to cut the log crosswise into ¾" pieces. Do your best to cut straight up and down so the biscotti will stand upright during the second bake.
11. Arrange the biscotti on the baking sheet so they are standing on their bottom edge and there is a little space between each cookie.
12. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the edges start to turn golden.
13. Turn off the oven, crack open the door, and let the biscotti cool completely inside the oven.
14. Serve plain, with coffee, or even with nutella.

3.5.3208

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I know. I know.The last thing you need less than a week after Thanksgiving is a pumpkin pie recipe. Am I right? It’s something you needed before Thanksgiving. And I’m sorry, I should have posted it earlier. But better late than never. And besides, this cream cheese swirl pumpkin pie is so delicious it’s worth having just so you know it exists. Plus, my family and friends really enjoyed this pie over Thanksgiving that I thought I had to share it because maybe you’d enjoy it too. First, I made this pie the Tuesday before Thanksgiving for a “friendsgiving” I organized at with my colleagues at work. Everyone brought in food and I brought in this pumpkin pie and an apple pie. We watched the parade (from 2013, it’s on YouTube) and we traced our hands and made hand turkeys. And everyone was happy and chatting and together. It felt like Thanksgiving.  It was a warm and fuzzy feeling. And on top of that the entire pie was eaten and a couple of people asked me for the recipe. That’s a win in my book.

Then, I had this pie again as part of the official Thanksgiving meal. Aaron, Katy, and Boden came from Zurich and we all worked together chopping, pealing, cleaning, shopping, and cooking together. Katy and I made this pumpkin pie together and again I felt warm fuzzies. It was nice to spend time with my sister-in-law and put together something delicious. And she wanted the recipe too.

So not only does this pie make people happy and bring them together, but it also tastes delicious and people want to make it themselves. It’s rich from the cream cheese, but also surprisingly still pretty light. The crust is a flavorful spicy mix of gingersnap-graham cracker crust, which I love. Ordinarily I grind up the cookies using the food processor. Since we spent Thanksgiving at a rental house I didn’t have the food processor so instead, I made a pouch out of aluminium foil and smashed the cookies with with a can of edamame. Don’t let equipment get in the way, anyone cane make a cookie crust.

A few more words of advice. Your pie will probably come out lighter in color than mine. My tart tin is slightly rubbish and very thin therefore it often cooks things too quickly. So, rest assured yours might come out more beautifully. Also, with the cream cheese as you dollop it onto the pie you might feel disheartened that it doesn’t look pretty. Don’t fret. The cream cheese will rise a bit during cooking and will create a gorgeous swirly dotted pattern regardless of what it looks like when you pop it in the oven.

I know pumpkin-season is pretty much over, but I really do love this pie. I hope you can find a reason to share it with friends and family this holiday season. And maybe they’ll ask you for the recipe too. All right, now I’m all done talking about Thanksgiving food. Tomorrow is December, that means I can move on to Christmas right?

Adapted (barely) from the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook. I love everything from Smitten Kitchen and this cookbook is awesome – a perfect holiday gift for the cook in your life.

Messy level: Assembly and baking is so easy, but honestly this requires a lot of dishes. You need to make three separate things and then combine them. That equals dishes. Also, put your pie tin on a cookie sheet then assemble your pie! This will help make sure you don’t spill or make a mess as you put the pie in the oven.

Cream Cheese Swirl Pumpkin Pie

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

1 hour

 

Author: Adapted slightly by Cooking is Messy from Smitten Kitchen

Serves: 10

Ingredients

Crust

• 4 oz/115 grams gingersnap cookies
• 3 oz/ 85 grams/ about 5 sheets graham crackers (or digestive biscuits)
• 4 tablespoons/ 55 grams butter, melted

Cream Cheese Batter

• 4 ounces/115 grams softened cream cheese
• 3 tablespoons/ 40 grams sugar
• 1 egg yolk (don't throw out the white, you'll need it later)

Pumpkin Batter

• 1 egg
• 1 egg white (see I told you you'd use it)
• 1¼ cups/300 grams pumpkin puree (you can use a whole 15 oz can if you really want to, but your pie will be VERY full)
• ¼ cup/ 50 grams sugar
• ¼ cup/ 50 grams brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon cloves
• sprinkle of grated nutmeg
• 1 cup/ 235 ml heavy cream

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F/220°C.
2. Using a food processor, grind the gingersnaps and graham crackers until broken up into fine crumbs. It's ok if there a few pea sized lumps - just not too many.
3. Pour the melted butter into the food processor and pulse until all the cookie crumbs are moistened. [Alternatively put the cookies in a plastic bag and smash with a rolling pin. Then transfer the crumbs to a bowl then stir in the melted butter until it is all moistened.]
4. Pour this cookie mixture into a 9" tart pan. (I've also had success with a deep 8" cake pan. It's also best if the pan has a removable bottom but that's not 100% necessary) Press the cookie mixture into the bottom and sides of the pan. Press firmly so it all becomes compact. Use the bottom and sides of a drinking glass or measuring cup to help you really press the cookie crumbs into the corners and up the sides.
5. Set the pie crust to the side.
6. Now for the cream cheese, in a small bowl mix together the cream cheese, sugar, and egg yolk. Give your arm a work out and really mix until smooth and a little bit drippy. [Sometimes when I've done it this has been thick and not very pourable, that's ok it will still work fine]
7. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg and egg white.
8. Add the pumpkin, sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. Stir until everything is combined.
9. Slowly pour the heavy cream into the pumpkin mixture. Whisk until everything is smooth.
10. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the pie crust.
11. Take a fork and dollop the cream cheese mixture randomly into the pumpkin mixture.
12. Using the tines of the fork gently swirl it about to create a beautiful pattern. Don't worry if it doesn't immediately look beautiful. While swirling, be careful not to stab the bottom of the pie crust with your fork.
13. Bake for 10 minutes.
14. Lower the heat to 350°F/180°C and bake for a further 30 minutes. Check the pie and if a fork or toothpick comes out clean your done! If not, bake for an additional 5-10 minutes.

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This year is my third time hosting Thanksgiving. So far I really enjoy it. I like the planning, the preparation, and the cooking. But last year I made something I thought I was going to hate: mushroom and leek stuffing. The thing is, Thanksgiving isn’t about me. It’s about the people around the table and I want to make sure everyone gets something they like. Last year my guests requested stuffing, but I made it, because as my mother taught me – hosting is about making your guests happy and comfortable. I decided since I was making something I didn’t like I would go all out and add mushrooms, which I hate and Ryan loves. So, mushroom and leek stuffing was on the table. Here’s the thing though: it was flipping delicious. 

In general, I am still not a convert to mushrooms or to stuffing, but this recipe is a game changer. All the flavors and textures combine to make something I can eat straight from the pan by the spoonful. You get all the lovely umami flavor from the mushrooms without much of the chewy texture I dislike. You get the perfect mix of crunchy and soft bread bits. Look at that photo above! That crusty bread/leek/mushroom bite is making my mouth water as I write this. Also leeks just have a great flavor.

Once you have you Thanksgiving menu settled, and everyone’s favorites are included, I think the next thing to organize is timing. How will you get everything cooked in time? This is especially important if, like me, you only have one oven. This recipe can be made most of the way through a day or two before, which is super helpful. Then on the day you stir an egg mixture then bake. You can do that in the morning before the turkey gets going or you can do it when the turkey is out of the oven and resting. How sweet is that?

Seriously, for a non-mushroom lover like me this recipe is amazing. I think you might enjoy it too. Plus, it can easily be made vegetarian. I used chicken stock but feel free to use vegetable stock instead. With just one week to go, what will you be eating on turkey day?

Adapted from Martha Stewart.

Messy level: Not very messy, although slightly labor intensive, which can lead to mess. You’ll have to cook the mushrooms in batches which can lead to spills. Also you need to do a lot of chopping, cleaning, and mixing. For me, that means sometimes things fly out of the bowl. It’s not hard to do, just takes a little planning.

Mushroom and Leek Stuffing

 

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Prep time

45 mins

Cook time

60 mins

Total time

1 hour 45 mins

 

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1 stick/ 113 grams butter, divided - plus a little more for greasing
• 1 white onion finely chopped
• 1 leek (white & pale green part only) halved lengthwise then thinly slices [be sure to clean leek thoroughly]
• 1½ teaspoons salt, divided
• pepper
• leaves from 8 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1½ pounds/ 680 grams mixed mushrooms cleaned and thinly sliced [I used a mix of button, chestnut and shiitake mushrooms]
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 2½ cups / 590 ml chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 1 pound/ 450 grams of rustic bread cut into 1" cubes (makes about 8 cups)
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten

Instructions

1. Before getting started clean and chop your leeks and mushrooms and chop your bread. This is the most time consuming part! Please do it before you get started.
2. If you're going to bake this right away preheat oven to 375°F/190°C and grease a 10x14" casserole dish (or at least one that can hold 2½ quarts) with butter.
3. In a large skillet on medium heat melt 2 tablespoons (28 grams) of butter.
4. Once the butter is melted add the onion, leak, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until everything is softened - about 8 minutes. Stir in thyme leaves and then remove from the pan and set aside.
5. Return pan to the burner and raise the heat to medium-high. Melt 2 more tablespoons (28 grams) of butter.
6. Add half the mushrooms and ½ teaspoon of salt to the pan. Saute for 4 minutes or until slightly softened. Drain off any excess liquid and then add the cooked mushrooms to the set aside onions and leeks.
7. Add 2 more tablespoons (28 grams) butter, and remaining mushrooms and remaining ½ teaspoon of salt to the pan. Cook in the same way, for 4 minutes or until softened. Once done drain off excess liquid and transfer mushrooms to that set aside plate.
8. Return the pan to the burner on medium-high heat and pour in the wine. Bring to a boil and let it bubble until reduced by half.
9. Add in the broth, stir and bring to a simmer.
10. Meanwhile, put your bread cubes in a large heat-safe bowl.
11. Pour the broth mixture over the bread. Mix until evenly absorbed.
12. If you are cooking it now, gently fold in the mushroom mixture, pecans, and beaten eggs. [If you are making this ahead of time and aren't cooking it right away then follow the recipe to this point but DO NOT ADD the eggs. Then, cover the bowl and put in the fridge. When ready to cook, take the bowl out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Stir in the eggs right before you're ready to bake.]
13. Season with a little pepper.
14. Pour the whole thing into your prepared pan.
15. Cover with aluminium foil and bake for 30 minutes.
16. Uncover the dish and dot with remaining 2 tablespoons of butter (28 grams). Bake for an additional 30 minutes or until the top is golden and crisp.
17. Let cool slightly before serving

3.4.3177

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For most of us our Thanksgiving menus are probably pretty standard. You know, turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, lots of pie, and so on. This year will be my third time hosting Thanksgiving and I will be cooking a lot of the same things I did the last two years. The only difference is I make sure to check with new guests to make sure the one thing they love most will be on the table.

But I got to thinking about changing up Thanksgiving menus after listening to the podcast Gravy. This podcast is made by the Southern Foodways Alliance, which tells stories about the American South through food. In the episode called “Coming Out Meatless,” part of the episode was about a young man who became a vegetarian and when he went home for Thanksgiving there was only one dish he could eat. And it got me thinking, what would I cook if I were to make a vegetarian Thanksgiving? What I came up with was squash stuffed with lentils. 

Once while eating at Eataly in New York I had acorn squash stuffed with lentils and it was the best vegetarian meal I have ever had. I don’t remember all the details about this dish, but I still remember the happy satisfied feeling I felt after the meal. And I think that’s what you really want on Thanksgiving. You want everyone at your table to end the meal feeling happy, satisfied, and very full.

This recipe is great for that full feeling because anything stuffed gives a sense of abundance. It’s easy to pile the squash high with the lentil salad – and even better you can have it spilling out of the squash to make the meal look plentiful. I think it’s also a good vegetarian main dish because you have filling proteins from the lentils, a bit of healthy fats and a nice crunch from the pecans, and just a subtle sweetness from the squash and cranberries.

Thanksgiving isn’t just about eating a lot, it’s also about connecting to the people you love. Sure, you could order a cheese pizza for the vegetarian at your table and they’d be full, but I imagine that would make them feel left out. I think this recipe for squash stuffed with lentils is great because it uses some of the same seasonal ingredients (squash and cranberries) and herbs (thyme) that you’ll have elsewhere on the table. Food is a great way to bring people together and this recipe will fit in nicely with whatever else is on your Thanksgiving menu.

The squash I used for this recipe is called a harlequin squash. I think in the US it might be called a carnival squash. I did some research to try to confirm this but I was unable to find any sentence that explicitly said this. However, on US websites about squash the photos that looked like the one above were labeled carnival squash and I couldn’t find anything on a US website called harlequin squash. Is anyone out there a squash expert that could confirm this? If so, please write it in the comments.

Anyway you can also use an acorn squash for this recipe. In fact, use any squash you like but I think acorn or harlequin/carnival are the best because they look like personal sized portions when cut in half. Do what feels right to you and it’ll be delicious.

Anyway I think this recipe is so delicious that even the omnivores at the table will want some. What will be on your Thanksgiving table? Are you trying anything new this year?Write it in the comments. I’d love to know!

Adapted from Lentils.ca

Messy level: Not very messy at all. The biggest challenge is cutting the squash but that’s hardly messy. I think the only danger is spilling the lentils when pouring them into the squash. And that’s not worth worrying about.

Squash stuffed with Lentils

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

1 hour 10 mins

 

Serves: 6 squash halves

Ingredients

• 3 harlequin/carnival or acorn squashes
• olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 cup green lentils
• 3 cups vegetable stock (or water, but stock has more flavor)
• 2 garlic cloves
• ¾ cup dried cranberries
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• leaves from 4-6 sprigs thyme
• 1 tablespoon of butter

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C.
2. Cut the top of the squashes off. Cut the squashes in half and scoop out the seeds. Discard the seeds.
3. Cut off a bit of the back of the squash so that it will sit flat on a baking sheet.
4. Place the squash on a baking sheet. Drizzle the squash with olive oil, salt, pepper, and the garlic powder. (You can use more than ½ teaspoon garlic powder if you like!)
5. Roast squash in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until fork tender.
6. Meanwhile, start cooking the lentils. Wash the lentils and pick out any debris you might find.
7. Place the two garlic cloves on your cutting board. Take a chef's knife and put it flat (so the blade is parallel to the cutting board) on top of the garlic cloves. Use the heel of your hand to hit the knife and smash the garlic.
8. In a large sauce pan combine the stock, lentils and crushed garlic. Bring the stock to a boil then cover the pan and lower the heat so the liquid simmers. Cook until lentils are tender, this can take between 20-40 minutes. It's ok to lift the lid from time to time and test the lentils to see if they are soft and tender. Once cooked drain off any excess liquid and scoop out the crushed garlic.
9. In a large bowl mix the lentils, cranberries, pecans, and thyme. Stir in the butter too.
10. Taste and season with salt and pepper to your taste.
11. Once the squash is cooked, spoon the lentil salad into the squash. Fill until slightly overflowing.
12. Serve!

3.3.3077

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Up until a few weeks ago I had been living under the impression that making your own pumpkin puree was hard. Like, so wildly hard that there was no reason to ever attempt it. Have you ever made pumpkin puree from scratch? I just didn’t see the reason to do it, and this coming from someone who has made her own butter. And then I was talking to one of my colleagues from work and everything changed.

We were talking about what we were going to make for the upcoming cake sale (where I made pumpkin butterscotch cookies), and we got to talking about cooking with pumpkin. She said she’d made a pumpkin pie once and that she had made her own puree. I was gobsmacked. And then we had a conversation that went something like this:

Me: What?! You made the pumpkin puree?!

Her: Yeah, how else do you do it?

Me: Get it from a can!

And then we both looked at each other slightly confused. At least, that’s how I remember it.

Needless to say, after this conversation I felt a little silly. Why was I so dependent on a can? Where had I learned that making my own pumpkin puree would be so hard? Now I was determined to try it out for myself.

What I learned is, the hardest part of making your own pumpkin puree is ensuring that you don’t get attached to your pumpkin. I went to Waitrose with my friend Sarah and picked out what I thought was fine pumpkin. She pointed out it was ugly looking on one side. I said, “It’s fine, we’re going to eat it.” And then I got home and told Ryan I bought a pumpkin. He got excited and asked if we were going to carve it. “No,” I said, “we’re going to eat it.” A word of advice to you my friend: don’t name it, don’t carve it, don’t get attached to your pumpkin!

Even though I wasn’t carving the pumpkin, preparing the pumpkin for cooking starts much the same way. You slice off the top and then scoop out the insides. I cut the pumpkin in half before scooping out the insides. Save the seeds if you’re into that. Then cut your pumpkin in quarters and put on a roasting pan to then cook the slices in the oven. Put the slices in the oven plain – no seasoning or oil. This is so you have the purest pumpkin puree, which I think is really the reason to make this yourself. Sure, opening a can is easier but by making this yourself you’re getting the freshest ingredients with no unknown or unnecessary additives.

When choosing a pumpkin buy one on the smaller side. Save that big impressive gigantic pumpkin for carving. My research said that big pumpkins result in less flavor and a less pleasant texture. This guy here weighed 1.2 kg (2.64 pounds) and resulted in 393 grams (about 1 3/4 cups) of puree. This is probably just slightly less than what you’d get in a can from the super market. The end result was really tasty (because yes, I ate some plain with a spoon). It’s smooth, but less perfectly smooth than a can. I credit that with magical additives used in the canning factory plus also my food processor is mediocre.

What I like best about making my own pumpkin puree is how excited I am to use it. I am itching to make a pumpkin pie and I think I’ll be especially proud when the finish product is extra homemade.

Adapted from the Pioneer Woman.

Messy level: I am giving this four spoons only because I hate, hate, hate cleaning the food processor. It’s so many pieces and such a pain! Also, it’s a little messy in peeling the pumpkin. Some pieces of skin just peeled off, and some fought back a little. It was annoying, but it was a good excuse to taste test what was stuck to my hands.

How to Make Pumpkin Puree

 

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Prep time

25 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour 10 mins

 

Serves: 1¾ cup

Ingredients

• 1 smallish pumpkin (or more depending on desired final amount)
• water, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
2. Cut the top of the pumpkin off near the stem. About 1" of the top cut off is fine.
3. Cut the pumpkin in half.
4. Use a spoon to scoop out all the seeds and inner gunk. You can throw this away or set the seeds aside to roast if you like that.
5. Cut the cleaned pumpkin in half again so you have 4 pumpkin quarters.
6. Put the pumpkin quarters on to a roasting pan.
7. Roast the pumpkin for 45 minutes or until you can easily stick a fork into the flesh.
8. Remove the pumpkin from the oven and let cool until you can safely handle them.
9. Use a knife, a peeler, or your hands to remove the pumpkin skin. It will mostly come off easily, and where it's difficult just use a peeler.
10. Put the pumpkin flesh into a food processor and blend until smooth. If you notice your pumpkin is too dry then you can add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until you have your desired consistency. (I added 2 tablespoons of water) If you're finding your pumpkin is too wet you can strain off some of that liquid after you're done with the food processor.
11. Transfer your pumpkin puree to a bowl if you're going to use immediately or store in an air tight container in the refrigerator if you'll be using it later.

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Just over a week ago my coworker organized a cake sale to raise money for Mind. The idea was that the Explainer team would bring in treats (homemade or store bought) and then donate some money to the cause. Mind is a lovely charity that provides advice and support for people experience mental health problems and they work to promote awareness and understanding in society. And my colleagues and I are big fans of sweets, we will eat pretty much anything, so it’s a great idea to put our love for food towards a good cause. 

Since it’s autumn, I’m pumpkin crazy  and was originally going to make pumpkin bread. But then when I was in Baltimore I bought some sprinkles called “micro leaves” in autumn colors and I just had to use them. So it was going to be pumpkin and it was going to be cookies. In case you don’t have awesome colorful sprinkles you can easily do this recipe without the sprinkles – but I do think they add a nice flair.

People made all kinds of things for the cake sale though. There was cheesecake, an apple tart, brownies, cookies, savory pastries, and so much more. It was the best day of work ever. Usually where there are sweets on the table everything is gone before my first break. This day there were cakes all day. ALL DAY! And more kept appearing throughout the day. Best, sugariest, day ever. Even better we raised £170 for Mind. Yay team.

I was really pleased with these cookies because they have all the spicy warm flavors of pumpkin spice and they are so soft and cake like. I was also really pleased because at the end of the day I went home with an empty tin. Always a sign of a good treat.

This recipe is adapted from Two Peas in Their Pods. In that recipe they use cinnamon chips. I’d never heard of cinnamon chips. What’s even in those?! According to Hershey’s website it is chocolate (I assume white chocolate) and cinnamon flavoring. But I couldn’t find those but what I did find was butterscotch chips. Yum. They are so crazy sweet with a slight toffee flavor. It’s a nice addition to the cinnamon and nutmeg you put into the batter.

The other thing is the original recipe covered the cookies in cinnamon sugar – I used sprinkles instead. But I think if you don’t have sprinkles try out the cinnamon sugar. Just mix 1/4 cup sugar with 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. Roll dough into balls, roll through sugar mix, and put on the try to bake.

I found this batter extremely sticky so I put it in the fridge for 1 hour. I like this because it makes the batter easier to work with and it gives the cookies a thicker chewier texture which I like. If you’re pressed for time you can bake it right away but you’ll likely get a flatter crisper cookie (and messy fingers).

Finally, just to come back to the reason why I made these cookies – for the cake sale to raise money for Mind. If you, or someone you know needs support with mental health please consider reaching out to Mind. Click on the link for their website, or call 0300 123 3393, or text 86463. Mind works with people in the UK and I’m familiar with them because of the cake sale. I’m not  familiar with resources in the US, but if you know of good resources and things worth sharing please write them in the comments below. Anyway thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy these cookies!

Adapted from Two Peas in Their Pods.

Messy level: Making these cookies is similar to any other cookie recipe – add dry ingredients to wet and there you go. But this recipe is pretty sticky so you’ll get messy as you form the cookies. All in all, pretty easy. 

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

12 mins

Total time

27 mins

 

Serves: 2 dozen

Ingredients

• 2½ cups/ 312 grams all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¾ cup/ 170 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ½ cup/ 100 grams granulated sugar
• ½ cup/ 110 grams packed brown sugar
• ¾ cup/ 175 grams pumpkin puree
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup/ 170 grams butterscotch chips
• colorful sprinkles, optional

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices.
2. Using an electric mixer on medium, cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. This takes about 3-5 minutes.
3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla and mix on low speed until combined.
4. Stop the mixture and slowly fold in the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
5. Gently fold in the butterscotch chips.
6. Put the batter in the fridge and let it chill for 1 hour or up to overnight.
7. About 10-15 minutes before the batter is ready to come out of the fridge preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
8. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
9. Shape dough into balls about 1 inches in diameter. Flatten slightly and sprinkle with colorful sprinkles if using.
10. Place the dough balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet.
11. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookies are just brown around the edges.
12. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 1-2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely (if you can resist).

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Today I’m back in my hometown of Baltimore, Maryland to be a bridesmaid in my friend Emily’s wedding. Emily is one of my oldest and best friends, and she’s also a big reason I became interested in cooking. When I moved to New York, Emily was already living there. She participated in a CSA (community supported agriculture) and every week would get big bag fulls of vegetables. We’d get together once a week and have a family dinner together using whatever vegetables she had. Together we stir fried, roasted, and boiled all kinds of veggies and sometimes our creations came out well and sometimes they didn’t. Those weekly dinners got me more interested in cooking (and also in vegetables), so today’s post about how to roast and prepare a butternut squash is dedicated to Emily. 

During the fall it’s socially acceptable to go squash crazy and eat them in in soups, sandwiches, stir fries, and even in drinks (I love you pumpkin spice latte). The mixture of hearty and slightly sweet makes squash one of my favorite food groups to eat and cook. However, for all of squash’s glory, I think they can be kind of intimidating. They are big, dense, and difficult to cut. No one wants to slice a finger trying to prepare dinner.

But it actually doesn’t have to be so hard. Just a few steps and a few simple tools, along with some patience and you’ll be the squash master in no time. Yes, the squash master. All you really need is a fork, a vegetable peeler, and a strong large chef’s knife. Oh, and I guess a cutting board. A spoon is helpful when it comes to scooping out the seeds, but the fork and knife together work fine too if you don’t want to dirty an additional utensil.

Ok, so first what you do is take your butternut squash and wash it. Even though you’ll be peeling off the skin it’s good to wash it because once you start peeling, your peeler will touch the dirty skin and then touch the dirty inner flesh. Now take your fork and stab the squash all over. You don’t need to make it crazy full of holes, but enough holes throughout. Then just pop the squash in the microwave and heat it for 2 minutes on high. This is just to cook it just a smidge and soften it up so preparation is easier later.

Side note, while I’m thinking about it, this preparation would work for other squashes that fit in your microwave. I’ve done it with acorn squashes before. I’ve never worked with a whole pumpkin, so I’m not sure about that – however pumpkins are less dense and therefore maybe easier to cut. But I’m getting off topic.

Take the butternut squash out of the microwave and let it cool until you can handle it. Use your knife and cut the ends off of the squash then peel it. From here you just want to cut it into uniform sized cubes, and you can do that whatever way you like best. For me, I like to cut the butternut squash in “half” at the point where it bulbs out. That way I have one half with seeds and one without. For the half without seeds, I’ll cut 1″ thick rounds, and then cut those rounds into 9 pieces, like a tic-tac-toe board. Then for the seeded half, I’ll cut it in half again, scrape out the seeds using my fork and knife (or a spoon if you like). From there I’ll cut long strips, then cut those strips into chunks. If these directions are confusing DON’T WORRY! Just cut your butternut squash into equal-ish pieces. I recommend about a 1″ cube or thickness. This way everything will cook evenly and you have nice big biteable chunks.

From here, you want to heat your oven to a high heat. Throw the squash cubes into a roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the squash until fork tender – and that’s it. It’s pretty easy! If you want to step it up a notch, like the recipe shown at the picture in the top, here’s an easy add on. Roughly chop some sage and pecans and toast them in a dry frying pan until fragrant. When the butternut squash is ready just mix in the sage and pecans and you have a super delicious side dish. Job done ya’ll. Now you’re ready to be squash master.

Adapted from Torey Avey.

Messy level: Two spoons. Preparing and roasting a butternut squash is pretty easy and neat. The added sage and pecans creates just one extra dish. For not a lot of work and very few dishes, you’ll have a great side perfect for the season or for Thanksgiving.

How to Roast & Prepare a Butternut Squash

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

55 mins

 

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash, about 3 pounds but really any size will do
• 1½ tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2-3 tablespoons roughly chopped sage leaves
• ½ cup roughly chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F/230°C.
2. Stab the butternut squash all over with a fork.
3. Put the squash in the microwave for 2 minutes on high heat.
4. Remove the squash from the microwave and let cool until you can handle it.
5. Once you can handle it, cut the ends of the butternut squash, peel the squash, and remove the seeds, and cut the flesh into 1" chunks. (For more details on how to do this see the post's text)
6. Put the squash in a roasting pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
7. Sprinkle the squash with the salt and pepper. Stir so all the squash is evenly coated with the seasonings.
8. Roast in the oven for 30-45 minutes or until the squash is fork-tender.
9. Meanwhile, in the last ½ tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet. Add in the sage and pecans. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the sage wilts a bit and the pecans start to smell fragrant. This takes just a few minutes.
10. Once the squash is done cooking stir in the sage and pecans.
11. Serve!

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No, not dog food – it’s puppy chow! And it’s seasonally on trend – it’s pumpkin puppy chow. Or muddy buddies. It’s not so important to me what you call it. And if you’ve never had it before it’s a delicious sweet snack. Plus, it’s beyond easy to make and when it’s done you’ll want to eat it by the fistful. 

I think because of backyard barbecues summer is billed as the time of year when people get together to eat. But, actually in my experience I get together more with people during autumn. Summer everyone’s busy trying to get outside or going on holiday. Autumn, the weather starts to get cold, it gets darker earlier, and people are home and invite each other over to stay inside to hang out. And when you’re hanging out indoors, you’re going to snack.

A big tub of puppy chow reminds me of lots of autumn get-togethers with family and friends. It reminds me of my Titi Lisa who often brought it to family gatherings like Thanksgiving or Christmas. Or it reminds me of my friend Jess who would bring it for the annual cabin weekend trip that we had with our friends every October. And last Sunday, Ryan and I went to our friends Adam and Angie’s house to watch American football, and I thought yeah it would be delicious here too.

In the US puppy chow is made with Chex cereal. Here in the UK, I used a similar cereal called Shreddies. I found the Shreddies to be a little more thick, crunchy, with a stronger wheat flavor, yet still just as good. So you start with something fairly healthy like wheat cereal, and then you cover it in chocolate, pumpkin, spices, and powdered sugar. It’s incredible. In addition to being crazy simple, this recipe makes a ton so you can share it with everyone you know.

And my recommendation is definitely to share it. These are best eaten the day you make them. Although they last, I find the longer they sit then the more likely the cereal is to lose its crunch. But they’ll go quick, because as I said it’s so easy to eat these by the fistful. Finally, if you’re interested in other puppy chow versions check out the puppy chow archives from Sally’s Baking Addiction. She has some great flavor combinations.

Adapted from Land O’Lakes.

Messy level: It is possible to do this neatly. It really is. However, I’m going to give it a high spoon rating just because there’s so much room for mess. You have to pour the chocolate over the cereal and then mix it until everything is coated – and sometimes everything means you and your hands. Then you transfer this all to a bag and coat it with powdered sugar. That can also get everywhere. If you’re patient and careful it’s a one spoon recipe, if you’re tired and in a rush it can be three spoons messy no problem.

Pumpkin Puppy Chow

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

15 mins

 

Ingredients

• ½ cup/ 115 grams butter
• 12 oz/ 340 grams chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate, but you could use semi sweet too)
• ½ cup /115 grams pumpkin puree
• 1 13.5oz box / about 9 cups/about 1 500 gram box of square rice cereal like Chex or Shreddies
• 2½ - 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 large resealable plastic food bag (about 1 gallon size or larger)
• *Alternatively you could use 2½ teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice instead of the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.

Instructions

1. Melt the butter and chocolate in a medium sized saucepan over low heat. Stir regularly until the mixture is smooth.
2. Add the pumpkin puree and continue heating. Stir constantly until it is smooth. Remove the pan from the heat.
3. Put the cereal in a very large bowl or tub. Pour the chocolate mixture over the cereal. Stir until everything is coated.
4. Transfer the chocolate coated cereal to the plastic bag. Pour 2½ cups of the powdered sugar into the bag. Close the bag and shake until the powder evenly coats the cereal. If you feel like the cereal isn't sufficiently coated then add the last ½ cup of powdered sugar.
5. Pour into a serving bowl and share with friends.

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