Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Last week I discovered a new reader, Angelnina, and in turn discovered her blog, Angelnina's Cottage, which is awesome! She makes great Italian dishes and lots of beautiful Italian cookies! I was so excited to find her blog that I spent the whole afternoon going through it. She recently made this cake from a Cooking Light Recipe and the photo was beautiful.  I actually had everything to make it, so I made it this weekend.  It was delicious, moist, and you can't even tell that it was light. I can't believe that there are only 4 tablespoons of butter in this cake. I used regular cream cheese (instead of the 1/3 less fat that it called for) so I can't say if the lighter version of the icing is as good as the full fat one. Maybe if you've used reduced fat cream cheese you can tell me.

Frosted Pumpkin Cake


Adapted from November’s Cooking Light Magazine
and as seen on Angelnina's Cottage.



Ingredients:

Cake:

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
15 oz can pumpkin puree
Cooking spray

Frosting:

2 tbsp butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
8 oz package 1/3 less fat cream cheese
2 cups sifted powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. To prepare cake, weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuirng cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, other spices,and salt in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.

3. Combine brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 tsp vanilla in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well combined. Add eggs, 1 at a time, to sugar mixture, beat well after each addition. Add pumpkin puree; mix well. Fold in flour mixture. Spread batter into a 13×9 inch baking ban coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

4. To prepare frosting, combine 2 tbsp butter, 1/2 tsp vanilla, and cream cheese in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until combined. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating until well combined. Spread frosting evenly over top of cake.

Yields 24 servings; serving size: 1 piece

Calories 178, Fat 5.5, Protein 3 g, Carb 30 g, Fiber .09, Chol 32 mg, Iron 1.2mg, Sodium 135 mg, Calc 62 mg

Pom Royale - Featuring Pom Wonderful Pomegranate Juice

A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by Molly, a spokesperson for Pom Wonderful and was a lucky recipient of a case of complimentary Pom Wonderful Pomegranate Juice.  As a child I used to eat Pomegranates (what Nanny called Chinese Apples) all the time.  Nanny would cut it open, expose the seeds and I would bite into the red jewels and chomp on a mouthful.  I mostly liked the juice and didn't swallow the tiny seed.  After reading up on the fruit on the Pom Wonderful website, I found that there is a much easier way to remove the fruit, which I learned are called the arils.  To see a video on how to do this click here.  I also learned that there are many different ways to use the arils and the juice, not to mention the health benefits.  You can read all about it yourself on their website.  Although eating them with Nanny was always fun, I think I actually enjoy it most now in it's juiced form. 

Yesterday I celebrated my brother's birthday with my family.  Steve and I made a yummy cocktail featuring the pomegranate juice and they were a big hit.  If you don't like strong drinks this one is definitely for you, it's sweet and refreshing and goes down very easy.  This is best in a champagne glass but my parents (who aren't big drinkers) don't have champagne glasses (perhaps it would be a good gift for Christmas) so we used a wine glass.  You don't get as many bubbles but it still tastes great!

Pom Royale

Cooking Light Magazine
November 2009

Ingredients:


2 cup water
4 tablespoon sugar
2 cup pomegranate juice
8 cups Champagne or sparkling wine

Directions:

1. Make simple syrup - Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan; bring to a simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Let cool. Refrigerate.

2. Pour 2 tablespoons pomegranate juice and 1 tablespoon simple syrup into 4 Champagne glasses. Top each serving with 1/2 cup Champagne. Serve immediately.

Salute!

 

Pasta e Fagioli

Pasta Fagioli is a very easy and tasty peasant dish.  My grandmother always called it Pasta Fazoul,, I guess it's just one of those things that depend on where you are from.  Every family has their own recipe but basically they all have pasta, beans and stock.  You can make this more soupy by adding more broth and thinning it out (don't puree the beans) or you can eat it thicker, the way I like it by following the recipe below.  Giada's recipe calls for red kidney beans but I know it to be traditionally made with cannellini beans so I used both (3 cans in total).  I love the color that the kidney beans give to the dish. 

Giada's recipe is very easy and spot on.  Any changes I made were minor.  I didn't make a bouquet garni and instead just chopped the herbs and added them to the pot.  I used 4 ounces of pancetta because that's the only size package Cittero makes (Steve wanted even more). As always I used Romano cheese for topping but that's just personal preference.  In the future I will use a tip that my friend Lucy of Sweets, Savories, etc., told me.  Instead of pureeing some of the beans at the end, smash up some of the beans while they are in the can using a fork.  This makes a smoother texture.  I didn't like how the food processor chopped up the pancetta with the beans.  Thanks Lucy for a great tip!  I can't wait to try it.

Giada's Pasta e Fagioli

by Giada DeLaurentiis

See this recipe on the food network by clicking here.

Ingredients:

4 sprigs, fresh thyme
1 large sprig, rosemary
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 cup chopped onion
3 oz chopped pancetta
2 tsp minced garlic
5 3/4 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 - 14.5 ounce cans red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup elbow macaroni
freshly ground black pepper
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1.  Wrap the thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf in a piece of cheesecloth and secure closed with kitchen twine. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, pancetta, and garlic and saute until the onion is tender, about 3 minutes. Add the broth, beans, and sachet of herbs. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to medium and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 10 minutes. Discard the sachet. Puree 1 cup of the bean mixture in a blender until smooth*. Before putting the puree back into the soup, add the macaroni and boil with the lid on until it is tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Return the puree to the remaining soup in the saucepan and stir well. Season the soup with ground black pepper and red pepper flakes.

2.  Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle with some Parmesan and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil just before serving.

 

*When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

 

Pork Chops Pizziaola

In an effort to get Steve to like pork chops I pulled out this recipe by Giada DeLaurentiis, which I thought would sort of mask that it's pork.  I had no such luck with Steve even though the pork wasn't dry at all (I'm giving up on him eating pork) but I really enjoyed it.  This is very similar to the Italian Chicken with Couscous that I make all the time.   I didn't really follow Giada's recipe exactly.  I added a lot to it but I will link her original recipe since it's what gave me the idea to make it this way.  Not sure if this is really pizziaola since I changed it up so much but I didn't know what else to call it.  You see how creative I was with naming my "Italian Chicken".  Haha! Feel free to follow the recipe as Giada has written it, try some or all of my changes or as always, do it your way. 

Pork Chops Pizziaola

Adapted from Giada DeLaurentiis

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 bone in center cut pork chops

1 can petite diced tomatoes

1 onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 tsp. fresh thyme

1 tbsp. capers

10 kalamata olives, sliced

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup chicken broth

extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

Directions:

1.  Season pork on both sides with salt and pepper. Brown in olive oil until pork gets golden brown and pulls away from the pan without sticking.  Remove chops from pan and set aside.

2.  Reduce heat to medium low and add more oil (or even butter) if the pan seems dry.  Add onions, garlic and thyme.  When onions have softened turn heat up a little and add wine.  Use a wooden spoon to pick up all the browned bits that have stuck to the pan.  This is where all the flavor is.  I thought I took a picture of this but it's not there anymore!

3.  Add tomatoes, chicken broth, capers and olives and season with salt and pepper.  Put pork back into the pan with the sauce and pour in any accumulated juices.  Cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes, turning once and spooning the sauce on top.  Depending on the thickness of your pork chops you may need to cook them longer.  Cut into them to see that it's white inside (or slightly pink) or when the temperature reaches 160 degrees.  

I like to serve this (and my Italian Chicken) with pine nut couscous with the sauce spooned over it.  It's delicious!

Pumpkin Ricotta Pancakes

Last week I made some pumpkin brownies. (I didn't post them because I thought that they looked ugly.) There was about 1/2 cup or so of leftover canned pumpkin and I've been tossing around ideas for using it up. I've seen so many wonderful recipes on the blogs that I've been reading. I've seen pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pasta, pumpkin bread and cakes and of course pancakes. This morning I woke up a little late due to all the red wine I consumed last night and I was craving a diner's breakfast. You know how it is. But I knew that by the time I woke up Steve and we both showered it would be lunch time before we got to have breakfast out. I took at look in my fridge and saw a container of ricotta that I had and then and idea hit me. What if I used my cousin Tiffany's sour cream pancakes recipe and used ricotta instead? I could just add the pumpkin and see what happens and that was how this recipe was born.

The pancakes are delicious and perfect for this time of year and it's a great way to use up the leftover pumpkin since you don't really need that much to get the pumpkin flavor. If you have sour cream on hand you can use that too as that's what the original recipe calls for. If you use the ricotta it may seem a little thick so just thin it out with a little more milk. I was also easy on the cinnamon and nutmeg but I suggest using a bit more for stronger flavor. That's how it goes with experiments, right? In the recipe I'm giving you I'm going to use the amount of spices that I think would be better not what I used. I used only 1/4 tsp nutmeg and 1/2 tsp cinnamon.

Pumpkin Ricotta Pancakes

2 Cups all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 ½ cups milk (plus more if your batter is too thick)
1 cup ricotta
2 eggs
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon


Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt cinnamon and nutmeg. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, ricotta, eggs, melted butter, canned pumpkin. Pour the milk mixture into the flour and stir until combined.

Spray griddle with cooking spray and cook pancakes over medium heat(you may need to reduce the temp to low after the pan heats up so your pancakes don't get too dark). These pancakes take a little longer to bubble and cook around the edges, so be patient and don't flip them too soon.

Makes approx 20 pancakes

Spaghetti with Garlicky Marsala Mushrooms

This recipe was given to me a few years ago by Steve's mom.  It was published in Food and Wine magazine and she highly recommended it.  I finally pulled it out of my recipe box and gave it a try.  I thought it was great! I did make a few changes such as extra garlic, used fresh thyme instead of the rosemary, changed the chives for fresh parsley (as always, I use what I have) and reduced the balsamic vinegar by one tablespoon.  I was afraid it would overpower the marsala but it didn't so that was unnecessary.   I would have liked a little more marsala flavor so in the futre I will just increase that.  Come to think of it, I did use a whole pound of spaghetti so that's probably why in needed a little more sauce.  This will definitely be seen at our dinner table more often since it's so quick, easy and delicious!


Spaghetti with Garlicky Marsala Mushrooms


Recipe by Marcia Kiesel, published in Food and Wine Magazine

4 servings

Ingredients:

5 tbsp EVOO
1 lb white mushrooms, caps quartered
1 lb shitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps quartered
salt and pepper to taste
4 large garlic cloves, 2 thinly sliced and 2 minced
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
1 ½ tsp fresh rosemary
½ cup dry Marsala wine
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
6 Kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
¾ lb spaghetti
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese, plus more for serving
2 tbsp minced chives

Directions:

1. In a very large skillet, heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil. Add the white and shitake mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, cover and cook over moderately high heat for 5 minutes, stirring once. Uncover and cook over high heat, stirring once until the mushrooms are browned all over, about 3 minutes. Add the sliced garlic, shallot and rosemary and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the Marsala and cook until evaporated, about 30 seconds. Add the vinegar and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Stir in the minced garlic, olives and remaining 3 tbsp of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm.

2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the spaghetti until ad dente; drain. Return the spaghetti to the pot. Stir in the butter and mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Stir in 1/3 cup of the Parmesan. Transfer the spaghetti to bowls, sprinkle with the chives and serve, passing more Parmesan at the table.

 

Mom's Beef Stew

I know what you're thinking, Beef Stew is brown not red! Well tell that to my mom! Growing up this is what I knew beef stew to be and you know what, my friends used to request that my mom make this. It's delicious! It's so funny because like I've mention before, my mother made everything in a red sauce. Her meatloaf is red, her stuffed peppers had a red sauce, her macaroni and peas were also red and her beef stew is red. I think my mom has learned some new variations to all of these things but this is what she knew and this is what we loved! I still remember mashing up my potatoes and carrots and mixing it up in the sauce and then dipping my bread in it. That's how my dad liked to eat it and I followed suit.

My mom made hers in the pressure pot but since I'm still too chicken to use mine I made it on the stove. I think the only difference is time. If you have time cook it on the stove top (or even in a slow cooker) but if you're in a rush a pressure cooker comes in very handy! The other benefit of a pressure cooker is that you don't need to add liquid.  On the stovetop you need to make sure there is always enough liquid.  Add beef broth or water if needed.

Mom's Beef Stew

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pound stew meat (round, NOT chuck), cut the pieces in half if they are very large (bite size)
3 large potatoes, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 bag of baby carrots
2 - 8 oz cans of tomato sauce (such as delmonte)
beef broth/water
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic 
2 cubes Dorat frozen basil (2 tsps)
1 tsp dried Italian Seasoning
Salt and Pepper
olive oil

Directions:

1.  Season beef with salt and pepper. In a heavy bottomed pot (dutch oven) brown beef and garlic in oil.  Do not let garlic burn.

2.  Once beef is browned, add vegetables, season with salt, pepper, italian seasoning.  Add basil, tomato sauce and a can of water.  Add more water or beef broth until beef and veggies are more than halfway covered with liquid.  Stir to combine and cover.  Let come to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.  Let cook for 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until beef and potatoes are tender.

Serve with crusty bread.

If using a pressure cooker follow the directions that came with your pot as each one is different.