Pumpkin & Tahini Pie with Chocolate Pie Crust by: GRANT MELTON

• PREP TIME1 hour
• COOK TIME1 hour
• SERVES8-12

Ingredientst

• For the Chocolate Pie Crust
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

• For the Pumpkin & Tahini Pie
• 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup tahini, plus more for serving
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground clove
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2/3 cup whole milk
• Whipped cream, for serving

Directions

1. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch chunks and place into the freezer along with the 1/3 cup of water to keep chill.
2. Place the flour, cocoa powder, sugar and salt into a food processor and pulse to combine. Add in the chilled butter and pulse 5-6 times until the butter breaks down into pea-sized pieces. With the food processor running, stream in the water. The dough should look a bit crumbly at first but become damp enough that when pressed together with your fingers, it holds its shape.
3. Remove the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap. Using the plastic wrap to assist you, press the dough into a disk. Wrap tightly and chill for at least one hour.
4. When ready to bake, dust a work surface with flour. Roll the dough into a 12-inch round. It should be large enough so that there is at least a 1-inch border surrounding a 9-inch pie pan when inverted over top of the dough. Use a paring knife to trim the dough of any excess. Place the dough into the pie pan leaving the extra dough to hang over the sides. Tuck the edges under the dough and crimp the sides. Let the dough chill in the fridge while you make the filling.
5. Preheat oven to 425°F.
6. Place the pumpkin puree, tahini, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, clove and nutmeg into a food processor. Turn the food processor on and puree until the ingredients are well combined. Remove the top, scrape down the sides and let the food processor run once more. This time, slowly stream in the milk. Once all the milk has been incorporated and the pie filling has become creamy and smooth, pour the mixture into the pie crust.
7. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Lower the heat to 350°F and continue to bake for 35 minutes more. Remove from oven and let cool on a cooling rack until completely cool.
8. Once the pie is completely cool, slice the pie and serve each portion with a dollop of whipped cream and a drizzle of tahini.

Directions

1. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch chunks and place into the freezer along with the 1/3 cup of water to keep chill.
2. Place the flour, cocoa powder, sugar and salt into a food processor and pulse to combine. Add in the chilled butter and pulse 5-6 times until the butter breaks down into pea-sized pieces. With the food processor running, stream in the water. The dough should look a bit crumbly at first but become damp enough that when pressed together with your fingers, it holds its shape.
3. Remove the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap. Using the plastic wrap to assist you, press the dough into a disk. Wrap tightly and chill for at least one hour.
4. When ready to bake, dust a work surface with flour. Roll the dough into a 12-inch round. It should be large enough so that there is at least a 1-inch border surrounding a 9-inch pie pan when inverted over top of the dough. Use a paring knife to trim the dough of any excess. Place the dough into the pie pan leaving the extra dough to hang over the sides. Tuck the edges under the dough and crimp the sides. Let the dough chill in the fridge while you make the filling.
5. Preheat oven to 425°F.
6. Place the pumpkin puree, tahini, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, clove and nutmeg into a food processor. Turn the food processor on and puree until the ingredients are well combined. Remove the top, scrape down the sides and let the food processor run once more. This time, slowly stream in the milk. Once all the milk has been incorporated and the pie filling has become creamy and smooth, pour the mixture into the pie crust.
7. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Lower the heat to 350°F and continue to bake for 35 minutes more. Remove from oven and let cool on a cooling rack until completely cool.
8. Once the pie is completely cool, slice the pie and serve each portion with a dollop of whipped cream and a drizzle of tahini.

Miso-y Charred Carrot Soup

by Emma Laperruque

September 17, 2018

4 Comments 

5.0 / 1 rating

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Author Notes: An easy-as-heck soup to keep on repeat all fall and winter. Roast root vegetables (in this case, carrots) with celery and onion. Then blend the charred results with water and lots of mellow white miso. That’s it. —Emma Laperruque

Or, whatever-vegetable soup. This formula is so easy and riffable, I’m going to keep it on repeat all fall and winter long, swapping out carrots and swapping in...parsnips? Sure thing. Rutabagas? Yes please. Sweet potatoes? Get at me. Just keep the ratio the same (2 root veg: 1 onion: 1 celery)—and don’t forget to burn the vegetables. You know, on purpose.

Serves: about 9 cups
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 hrs 15 min

• 2pounds carrots, peeled and chopped into 1-inch chunks
• 1pound celery, chopped into 1-inch chunks
• 1pound yellow onions, halved, peeled, and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 3tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 1 1/2teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 1/4cup mellow white miso, divided

1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Line two sheet trays with silicone mats or parchment.
2. Add the carrots to one tray. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss with your hands. Add the celery and onion to another tray. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Toss with your hands.
3. Stick both trays in the oven and roast for about 1 hour total. Every 20 minutes, rotate the trays and stir vegetables to encourage even cooking.
4. When the vegetables are done remove both trays from the oven. Add about half of each tray to a blender. Add 2 tablespoons miso and 4 1/2 cups water. Blend until completely smooth, then pour into a large pot on the stove. Repeat with the remaining vegetables, remaining 2 tablespoons miso, and another 4 1/2 cups water—blended until smooth, poured into the pot.
5. Season the soup with salt, if necessary. Thin with more water, if necessary, depending on how thick you like your soup. Warm over medium-low heat, stirring often, until it’s the temperature you like to eat your soup. Pour into a bowl and serve.

Eggplant Lasagna....

  Heck yes I will.. Looks hard, but it's not.
Preheat oven to 375
Add into plastic ziploc bag :
3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumb
2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons dried oregano
In another bag add:
2 eggs , 2 Tablespoons water, & beat together.Then add:
2 med. eggplant, sliced into 1/4 inch slices.
Let eggplant soak up egg mixture, then toss into bread bag and coat each piece of eggplant completely.
Place eggplant slices on foil lined cookie sheet, and bake for 20 mins, turning half way through so each side browns.Let cool slightly.

In a blender mix up the items below.
3 1/2 cups canned tomatoes
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup chopped fresh basil, or 1/4 cup dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
Spread 3/4 cup tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9x9 pan, arrange half of eggplant on top of sauce. Cover with 1/2 cup sauce, and 1/2 cup cheese,
Repeat eggplant, sauce, and cheese.
Cover and bake for 30 mins. remove foil, and bake 15 more mins.

Barefoot Contessa's Amazing Coconut Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 extra-large eggs at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 14 ounces sweetened, shredded coconut

For the frosting:

• 1 pound cream cheese at room temperature
• 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 1/2 pounds confectioners' sugar, sifted

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In 3 parts, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold in 7 ounces of coconut.

Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Fill each liner to the top with batter. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove to a baking rack and cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on low speed, cream together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla and almond extracts. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth.

Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with the remaining coconut.

Jalapeno poppers. http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/

• 20 whole Fresh Jalapenos, 2-3 Inches In Size
• 2 cubes Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 pound Thin(regular) Bacon, Sliced Into Thirds

Preparation Instructions

If you have them, slip on some latex gloves for the pepper prep… Cut jalapenos in half, length-wise. With a spoon, remove the seeds and white membrane (the source of the heat; leave a little if you like things HOT). Smear softened cream cheese into each jalapeno half. Wrap jalapeno with bacon pieces (1/3 slice). Secure by sticking toothpick through the middle. (At this point, you can freeze them, uncooked, in a Ziploc bag for later use).
Bake on a pan with a rack in a 375-degree oven for 20-25 minutes. You don’t want the bacon to shrink so much it starts to the squeeze the jalapeno. If, after 20 minutes, the bacon doesn’t look brown enough, just turn on the broiler for a couple of minutes to finish it off. These are best when the jalapeno still has a bit of bite to it.
Serve immediately, or they’re also great at room temperature.
You’ll love these so much, you’re gonna come out of your skin. Or something like that.

Whole Wheat Pita Pockets

Thanks to http://tammysrecipes.com/whole_wheat_pita_pockets for this great recipe, and to Sweet Lil Ali for telling me about homemade pitas:)

Whole Wheat Pita Pockets 

Picture: 

Description: 

Soft whole wheat round breads with a pocket inside!

Yield: 

8 whole pita pockets (or 16 halves)

Ingredients: 

1 1/4 cup warm water (110-115 degrees)
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup gluten*
1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast

Instructions: 

1. In a large bowl, combine first 4 ingredients. Add the gluten and 1 cup of the flour, along with the yeast, and stir to mix. Add remaining flour and knead to make a soft dough. (Add additional flour if necessary during kneading.)

Alternately, if you have a bread machine, you can put the ingredients in the pan in the order listed and use the dough cycle. Skip to step 3 if using your bread machine! :)

2. Put your dough into a bowl, lightly oil the top, and cover. Set in a warm place to rise, until almost double (about an hour). I like to turn my oven on for a minute or two, then turn it off, and let the dough rise in there, since our house is cool.

3. Punch dough down and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Using a sharp knife, cut dough into 8 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball into a 6- or 7-inch circle.

4. As you roll the rounds, set them aside on a lightly floured countertop or table, and cover loosely with a towel. Let rise for about 25-35 minutes, until slightly puffy. (The rounds will still be thin though! :D)

5. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place 2 rounds, side-by-side, onto a wire rack, such as is used for cooling things. Place rack in the middle of the oven. Bake for 4-5 minutes, until puffy and just slightly browned. (If bread is too browned, it will be dry and not pliable.)

6. Remove rack from oven and immediately wrap/layer pita breads in a damp towel, to soften. Continue baking the remaining breads, layering them between damp towels as soon as they're baked. Allow breads to completely cool.

7. Cut pita breads in half, or split the top edge, and fill as desired. :)

8. Store pitas in a plastic zipper bag in the fridge for a few days, or place in the freezer for longer storage. To re-warm pitas, wrap them in a damp towel and then wrap in foil. Place in a warm (200-250 degree) oven for about 20 minutes.

Additional Notes: 

*May use whole wheat bread flour in place of the whole wheat flour and gluten.

Preparation Time: 

30-45 minutes (faster using bread machine!)

Cooking Time: 

4-5 minutes

Tammy's Review: 

These are a deliciously soft, hearty whole wheat pita bread! Joshua and I prefer this whole wheat version of pita bread, which is heartier and healthier than the regular pita pockets. (Though I must say, the regular ones are really super good, too!!)

Pita pockets are surprisingly easy to make, and these homemade ones are so much better than the typical ones in your grocery store.

First, the flavor. Truly, nothing beats fresh-from-the-oven homemade bread when it comes to flavor, and these pita breads are no exception. When they're still warm from baking, I love to eat them just plain!

Secondly, the texture and durability. These pockets are soft inside, but hold together very well. Provided that you haven't over-baked them (4 minutes is great in our oven; 5 minutes is almost too long!), they will open without cracking. The edges don't split. The pocket inside is HUGE. You can stuff them or fill them or do whatever you want with them, because they aren't really fragile.

I have never really enjoyed pita pockets from the store, because they seemed to fall apart so easily, and not much filling would fit inside... so it felt like I was eating mostly bread. The store-bought ones I've had were also drier and not nearly so soft and pliable as my homemade ones. There is really no comparison between homemade pita pockets and the cheap ones from the store!! :)

As a side note, my children loved watching these bake in the oven. After a minute or two, the round flat pita breads start to puff up, and you can see them quickly expanding into a round ball of air! When they come out of the oven, they are like balls! After a few minutes of cooling between damp towels, the pitas flatten into soft breads with a big pocket inside. :)

Chayote Squash