Winter Squash Sweet Bread

             

It's a great feeling to be able to use up some of my frozen winter squash in a good sweet bread recipe. That I picked and baked the squash feels even better. I used Cinderella squash in this recipe, which makes two loaves of bread and uses two types of flour. The squash bread is moist and hearty and is really delicious along with a cold glass of milk. 

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground allspice 
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups frozen cooked winter squash, thawed

In a large bowl, combine the flours, sugar, baking soda, allspice, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, oil, and vanilla, then stir in the squash. Stir this mixture into the dry ingredients just until moistened.

Pour into two greased 8”x4” loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. You can freeze any leftover bread.

                                           

Allspice Substitute

What is allspice you ask?  Today, it was an ingredient I needed, but didn't have, in my quite awesome spice collection.  So, I headed to the Google machine to find a substitute.  Could I have gone to the grocery store to buy some allspice?  Yes.  Did I feel like going to the grocery store on a Sunday afternoon?  No.

Contained in this short blog post is what I found:

Equal parts cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves.  Yep, that's it.

Unless of course you favor one of these 3 spices over the other...then just play with the amounts to suit yourself.  There you go!

Zesty Marinade for Meat & Vegetables

This marinade is jam packed with zesty flavor. In the photo is grilled flank steak & sliced red bell pepper strips that were marinated for 24 hours and charcoal grilled. Give the marinade a try on pork, chicken, or other veggies as well. What are you waiting for--fire up your grill!

Ingredients:

¼ cup brown sugar

½ cup lime juice

¼ cup cilantro, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons onion, chopped

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ cup oil

¼ cup soy sauce

½ cup worcheshire sauce

Whisk together all ingredients and pour over meat or veggies you'd like to marinate. Cover the dish and marinate for 12-24 hours.

Dad's Pho (Vietnamese Soup)

I'm hooked on this stuff! It warms the soul and will cure what ails you! It just makes you feel soooo good. I found a Pho restaurant in town and wanted to make it myself. Pho has the magical qualities of homemade chicken soup with a Vietnamese twist.  Fortunately for me, my dad had his own recipe and this is what I am sharing with you today.

1 onion, peeled and quartered

8 garlic cloves, halved

1” piece of fresh ginger, sliced

2 3” cinnamon sticks

2 star anise pods

4 whole cloves

8 cups chicken or vegetable stock

3 tablespoons soy sauce

½ lb (8oz) rice noodles

6 green onions, sliced (green and white parts)

Condiments:

1 lime, cut into wedges

fresh cilantro

fresh basil

shredded cabbage

fresh bean sprouts

srirachi chili paste

In a large stock pot, heat the first six ingredients over medium-low heat until the onion is softened.  Add the broth and soy sauce.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cover for 25 minutes.  Strain the liquid to remove the first 6 ingredients.

Prepare the noodles as directed.  Divide the noodles and green onions into two large, or four medium, bowls.  Bring the broth to a boil.  Pour the hot broth over the noodles.

Serve the soup with the condiments on a separate platter.  Add your favorite condiments to the soup.  You'll need a fork and a spoon, unless you are at home, in which case you can just drink the soup out of the bowl.  (:

Thin slices of beef or chicken, or shrimp, can be added to Pho.  If you do add these ingredients try some hoisin sauce to dip the meat into or to add to the soup.

Instant Chocolate Cake in a Mug

It worked! I found this recipe in a magazine and I just had to see how it turned out. Not the best photo but it was delicious, just like regular cake.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup flour
5 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
dash vanilla extract
dash salt

Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. Pour mixture into a large, microwave safe mug and cook for a few minutes in the microwave until it puffs up (it will then go back down). Wait until for 2 minutes. Voila! You have a mini chocolate cake in a mug. Grab the frosting and a candle.

Dad's Tiramisu (A Short Cut Version)

My dad and I made this version of tiramisu together a couple of Thanksgivings ago. Tiramisu is a wickedly delicious Italian dessert. Have a salad for dinner but THIS for dessert!

½ cup strong coffee, cooled
6 tablespoons Kahlua (coffee liqueur)
8 oz mascarpone cheese (softened)
8 oz cream cheese (softened)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
24 ladyfingers (the Alessi brand, which are more firm than the cake type)
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa

Combine coffee and 3 tablespoons Kahlua in an 8 x 8 baking dish.

In a large bowl, beat with a mixer the 2 cheeses until smooth. Add 3 (additional) tablespoons Kahlua and the sugars to the cheese mixture. Mix until blended.

Dip the lady fingers into the coffee/Kahlua mixture and transfer quickly into the 8 x 8 baking dish.

Spread ½ of the cheese mixture on top of the ladyfingers. Sprinkle with ½ the unsweetened cocoa. Repeat with another layer of dipped ladyfingers. Add the remaining cheese mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining unsweetened cocoa.

Cover and chill at least two hours.

Pico de Gallo

This salsa tastes so fresh and is packed with flavor. You can mix pico de gallo with mashed avocados to make guacamole, spoon it over fish or chicken before baking, or use it as a salsa for tortilla chips. Isn't it beautiful? 

3 large roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 white onion, chopped
1/2 large (5") jalapeno, seeded and minced
1/8 cup lime juice
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon (maybe more) Kosher salt

Mix everything in a medium bowl and refrigerate to chill if using as salsa.

Make Your Own Mojo: Garlic-Citrus Marinade

Until a friend of mine who lives in the South introduced me to mojo, I'd never heard of it. You may have seen it in your grocery store where it's bottled and marketed as a marinade. In Cuban cooking, mojo is a sauce made with olive oil, large amounts of garlic, and a citrus juice and in Puerto Rican cooking, cilantro is often added. Sour orange, lemon, or lime juice, or some combination thereof, can be used in mojo. Use equal amounts of fresh orange & fresh lime juice to make a substitute for sour orange juice. I use this homemade fresh lime juice version to marinate pork tenderloin. Mojo adds massive flavor and can also be used to marinate chicken, beef, or fish. 

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
16 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 1/3 cups freshly squeezed lime juice
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, minced

Heat a sauce pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook for about 5 minutes, until it's a light golden color. Be careful, it cooks fast. Add the lime juice and stir, slowly bringing it to a boil. Remove pan from heat and add the salt, pepper, and cilantro. 

Put your meat of choice in a 13" x 9" baking dish lined with parchment paper. Let the mojo cool, then pour it over the meat to be cooked. Put the covered baking dish in the fridge overnight. 

Goat Cheese & Prosciutto Stuffed Sweet Peppers

This recipe makes pretty, red appetizers that you can pick up and eat in one or two bites. These sweet cherry peppers are found in the grocery store. This appetizer has a great crunch with a nice blend of flavors and textures, and goat cheese and prosciutto make a great combo on just about anything.

Ingredients:
2 slices prosciutto
4 oz. goat cheese
1 rib celery, cut into 1/2" pieces
8 sweet cherry peppers, tops removed, seeded, rinsed, and dried

Spread each slice of prosciutto with a thin layer of goat cheese. This is easier to do if the goat cheese is a bit soft. Cut each slice of prosciutto into four pieces, then wrap a piece of celery inside each piece. Stuff a prosciutto slice into each sweet cherry pepper.  Appetizer, anyone?

Cheesy Stuffed Mushrooms

This dish makes a great appetizer and everyone loves it.

Ingredients:

24 medium mushrooms, about 1 pound
6 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, or 2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 (3-ounce) package low-fat cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves, or 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
1 cup dry bread crumbs 

Remove stems from mushrooms. Chop enough stems to make 1 cup. 

Melt 2 tablespoons margarine in a medium saucepan. Brush mushroom cap tops with margarine and put them top side down in a shallow baking pan. Brush undersides of caps with margarine. Heat the remaining margarine in same saucepan. Add the chopped mushroom stems, onion, and garlic, and cook until tender. Stir in cream cheese. Add Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, and bread crumbs. Mix thoroughly. 

Spoon about 1 tablespoon stuffing mixture into each mushroom cap. Bake at 425 until heated through.

Tip: To make ahead, prepare, but don't bake. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Then bake as directed.