Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

It is the season where just about everything turns into a pumpkin flavour. As much as we love or loathe the pumpkin inspired spirit I do prefer to bake with it and the pumpkin loaves have out number the banana ones in my kitchen. I know I have posted a Pumpkin Loaf recipe before however this recipe is slightly different. Dense... moist and full of flavour with just a hint of chocolate.  


Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

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1 3/4 (200g) of all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon British mixed spice

1 tablespoon ground flax seed

2 tablespoons wheatgerm
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs

1/2 cup (100g) caster sugar

1/2 cup (100g) dark brown sugar, packed

1 1/2 cups (340g) pumpkin puree - fresh or canned

1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil 

1/4 cup (60ml) orange juice 

2/3 cup (120g) dark semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Prepare a 9x5 inch loaf pan with a non stick cooking spray or baking parchment paper or butter and flour the loaf pan.

In a large bowl mix the flour, baking soda, spices, salt, ground flax seed, and wheatgerm together. Set aside. 

In another large bowl whisk the eggs, caster sugar, and brown sugar until combined. Whisk in the pumpkin, vegetable oil and orange juice. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently mix together until just blended. Do not overmix a few lumps are fine. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.  

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, place on the rack in the middle of the oven, and bake for about 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. If you are worried that the top might brown too much you may loosely cover with foil halfway through the cooking time to prevent the top from possibly browning too much.  

Allow the bread to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Once cool remove and slice. 

Notes: You may want to add 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon cloves instead of the 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice. 

Feeling a bit better. Have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

Food Photo of the Day ~ Noodle Soup

When one has been fighting a cold like I have this past week; noodle soup is a comforting thing. Carrots, green onions, cubed herbed pork and rice noodles all nestled in a vegetable broth. How soothing! 

- JD  

Lorraine Pascale's ~ Fast, Fresh and Easy Food

I have wanted a cookbook by Lorraine Pascale for the longest time. While in England I came across this well designed and organized book of hers. 100 fast, fresh and easy recipes that are accessible and tasty. I made the sweetcorn rice from the book and it had an understated clean taste that was easy to digest. A positive side dish for virtually any meal.

This cookbook is divided into 10 segments or should I say chapters. Each chapter is presented with an inspirational quote and introduction. The one for Cakes + Puds is very fitting: "Everything in moderation... including moderation." - Julia Child. There is something for everyone here. Classics with a spin, simple sides, succulent mains, kitchen staples, and scrumptious afters. Most of the ingredients are accessible and recipes are quick and easy. You will want to make them again and again. Lorraine Pascale takes the guess work out of meal planning by making it quicker and providing a side with the main. She has also provided a handy note at the top the ingredient list for each recipe which states time from start to finish, how many it serves and the equipment you will need. Also recipes are designed with a time plan so that everything, main and side, may be served up together. So many recipes... Crispy Crunch Chicken Strips, Gingerbread Pancakes, Peri Peri Chicken, Chicken, Apple & Cider Casserole, Warm Salmon & Lentils, Spicy Bean Burgers, Walnut Cake, and Peanut Butter Squares! 

This cookbook is inspirational and will satisfy most culinary palates and also is a great addition to one's cookbook collection. 

There is foie gras and then there is this recipe for a vegetarian 'faux gras'. It is a bit different and seems decadent. Which I find very appealing and hope you do to.  

Vegetarian mushroom & port 'faux gras' with tarragon & chestnuts
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Time from start to finish: 20 minutes (+ ideally 6 hours in fridge)
Serves: 4
Equipment: Medium frying pan, food processor, 4 x 175ml ramekins

Oil
25g butter
2 shallots
3 garlic cloves
500g chestnut mushrooms
4 tablespoons port (optional)
2 sprigs of fresh tarragon
100g cooked chestnuts (available vac packed or tinned from supermarket)
300g cream cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Your favourite bread, crackers or breadsticks, to serve

+ Put a drizzle of oil and the butter in a medium frying pan over a low heat.

+ Peel and finely chop the shallots and garlic and add to the pan. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring now and again, until soft and slightly golden.

+ Finely slice the mushrooms. Add them to the pan along with the port, if using, and season with salt and pepper. Turn up the heat to medium and cook for 8 minutes, or until the mushrooms have softened and all their liquid has evaporated.

+ Meanwhile, pick the leaves from one sprig of tarragon, divide the other sprig into four smaller pieces and then roughly chop the chestnuts.

+ Tip the cooked mushroom mixture into a food processor with chestnuts, individual leaves of tarragon and the cream cheese. Blitz for a few minutes until really smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Have a taste of it and adjust the seasoning if necessary. 

+ Divide between the ramekins, smooth their tops and place a tarragon sprig on top of each to decorate. Arrange them in a small tray or plate, cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. You can also serve these straight away, but their texture will be much softer and flavour not so intense. Serve with your favourite bread, crackers, or breadsticks. 

Keep it simple. Here is the sweetcorn rice dish I made from the cookbook. Fresh, tasty and so delicious! 



Hope everyone is having a great week so far! - JD 

Malty Maple Cornbread

Just like scones, no two cornbread recipes are alike. I made this flavour of cornbread from the Beer cookbook. It had a sweet malty flavour and the texture was buttery, moist and yet crumbly. The only addition I made was placing grated cheese on top before the bread went into the oven to bake. When baked the cornbread had the perfect bubbly cheesy crust on top. You don't have to add cheese however cheese, porter, and maple syrup need I say more! 

Malty Maple Cornbread

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makes 9 servings

1 cup coarse ground cornmeal

1 cup dark ale or porter

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 large eggs

1/4 melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Grease 9x9-inch pan. Combine cornmeal, porter and maple syrup in a small bowl.

2. Sift flour, salt and baking powder into a large bowl. Add cornmeal mixture, eggs and melted butter. Stir until well blended.

3. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted into centre comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Cut into squares. 

Notes: I slightly greased the pan and then lined the pan with baking parchment. I used porter not a dark ale so the flavour was a bit more robust. Second slices were had however there were leftovers and after a few days the flavour did not mellow it seemed to intensify. 

The sun has retreated today. Overcast skies and a chill is in the air. Winter will soon be here. Have a great weekend everyone! - JD  

Seoul Fried Chicken

This past weekend we had a chance to try the very sought after Seoul Fried Chicken. There have been many positive things said about this eatery and their menu items that we could not resist. 

Pictured is a half order of their Korean Barbeque, SFC BBQ, and a half order of Original, SFC OG. The Original was not greasy or too salty. A nice seasoned crunch gave way to the tender chicken. The Korean BBQ had the perfect amount of tang and spice. For those who like heat this ones for you. Both are very good! 

Also, this is their combo 5pc Chicken Set: Any single chicken flavour... I chose, Onion Lover with sweet hot mustard sauce and topped with shredded green onion, a side of kimchi, a corn fritter and a beverage. The corn fritters are sweet, the kimchi hot and spicy and the mustard sauce gave just enough heat to tantalize the taste buds! Seoul Fried Chicken is an absolute delight for which one should try and share.

Hope everyone is having a good week. Plenty of sunshine here! - JD     

Cooking with Beer

This is a kitschy cookbook that makes me think of Homer Simpson... I wonder why? The recipes are straightforward which look and sound quite edible and may be enjoyed anytime of the year providing one has beer on hand. This book covers everything from appetizers, meat (beef, lamb, pork and poultry), seafood, sides and soups. It is 47 pages and comes with a metric conversion chart. Some recipes to note are the Malty Maple Cornbread, Polenta Triangles with Amber Ale, Cheddar Leek Strata, and the Wisconsin Edam and Beer Spread. What more can be said about such a cookbook that is presented in such a way. 

Beer Cheese Dip

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Makes about 3 cups

2 cups grated (shredded) Cheddar cheese

2 packages (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 packet (1 ounce) Hidden Valley the Original Ranch© Salad Dressing & Seasoning mix 

1/2 to 3/4 cup beer

Chopped green onion

Additional Cheddar cheese

In a medium bowl, combine Cheddar cheese, cream cheese and salad dressing & seasoning mix. Gradually stir in beer until mixture is to desired consistency. Garnish with green onion and additional Cheddar cheese. Serve with pretzels or assorted fresh vegetables, if desired.

Notes: I have looked around E-town for the Hidden Valley Ranch Salad dressing and seasoning mix and have discovered none. I chalk it up to being an American product. Therefore a substitution of something comparable will have to be used. 

Vegetable-Barley Pilaf

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Makes 4 servings

3/4 cup chopped onions

3/4 cup chopped celery

3/4 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1 cup beer

3/4 cup sliced yellow summer squash

1/2 cup quick cooking barley

1/2 cup sliced carrots

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves

1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray or oil. Add onion, celery and mushrooms; cook and stir over medium heat until vegetables are tender.

2. Stir in beer, squash, barley, carrots, parsley, basil, bouillon granules and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; simmer 10 to 12 minutes or until barley and vegetables are tender. 

Have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

Godinton House

During our visit to England we managed to go to Godinton House. For those that are not familiar with Godinton House, it is a lovely English country manor house, situated in Kent, with lots of history and vast grounds. After our guided tour we made our way to the tea room where we all enjoyed a round of cream teas. The scones were absolutely divine! I highly recommend a tour and the cream tea.

To find out more about Godinton House click *here*

- JD 

Mustard, Seasonings and Gravy Mix

During the summer break we hopped the pond to England and brought back these culinary goodies we all enjoy. Some of the usual suspects made it home with us. What is great about these souvenirs is that they are edible! The only things missing from the photo are the Marks & Spencer's Lime Pickle and their Earl Grey tea, the one in the purple box. We had a lovely time and will enjoy these in the months to come.

Hope everyone is having a good week. Seems like summer is making a reappearance as the temperatures are swinging back to the warmer side. - JD    

The Heinz Tomato Ketchup Cookbook

Ketchup is sweet and tangy and by 1905 Heinz was producing more than 5 million bottles worldwide and in just 2 years that production had more than double. As of, 2012, there are more than 650 million bottles of Heinz Tomato Ketchup being sold every year around the world. For more than 130 years ketchup has been the condiment of choice in countries such as Canada, Australia, South America, India, Japan, Indonesia, New Zealand South Africa, the United Kingdom and of course America... being dubbed "America's favourite ketchup." Not to bad for a company, who in 1869 produced only horseradish. No wonder by 1898 Heinz proudly proclaims that there is no other condiment more universally popular than ketchup!  Heinz uses the word "tomato" in the name because at the time of it's introduction, ketchup sauces based on other ingredients were commonly used.  

This small coffee table-ish style cookbook is an ode to ketchup and condiment connoisseurs every where. There are a handful of recipes amongst it's 85 pages. Some a surprise like Wild Mushroom Diablo, Breakfast Tomato and Potato Waffles, and Greek Lamb Turnovers with Fresh Oregano and some less so like recipes for Barbeque Sauce, Meatballs, and Sweet and Sour Pork. This cookbook covers recipes from starters, soups and salads, brunch, lunch, seafood, poultry and meat, vegetarian and bakery... which only has 3 "bread" like recipes. It is a cute book for the ketchup-ly inclined. 

Coconut, Chile, and Squash Soup

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Serves 4 to 6 

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 shallots, sliced

2 green onions, sliced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed (optional)

3/4-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely diced

1 Thai chile, seeded and finely diced

1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

1 cup vegetable broth

1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce

3 tablespoons Heinz Tomato Ketchup

1 3/4 cups unsweetened coconut milk

Handful of fresh cilantro

Zest and juice of 1 lime

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and the shallots, onions, garlic, ginger, and chile. Cook gently for 5 to 6 minutes until soft, and then toss in the butternut squash and stir around for a couple of minutes.

Add the broth, fish sauce, ketchup, and coconut milk and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Roughly chop the cilantro, reserving a little for garnish, and add it to the soup together with the lime zest and juice.

Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool enough to puree into a smooth soup. Reheat when ready to serve and garnish with the remaining cilantro. 

Sweet Chile Dip

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4 tablespoons Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon mint sauce

1 tablespoon Heinz Tomato Ketchup

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 red chile, seeded and very finely diced

Pinch sugar

Salt and freshly ground pepper 

Combine all the ingredients in a suitable dish, cover and chill in the fridge.  

Have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

Leftovers #34 ~ Pasta Bake

Reminiscent of lasagne without all the layers. Depending on how much pasta sauce you have leftover; it can be easily made into this pasta bake. Boil pasta noodles of your choice until tender or cook according to the package. I chose serpentini pasta. I cooked the whole 500g (1.1 lb) bag as I had a fair amount of sauce; when cooked, drain and placed into a large bowl add the leftover pasta meat sauce and stir to combine. Get a large oven proof baking dish and place some of the sauced pasta mixture inside the dish. Grate mozzarella cheese over top and spoon the rest of the mixture over it. Grate more mozzarella over the top and bake in a preheated 350ºF oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the cheese has melted somewhat. Shut the oven off and set the broil onto high and let the cheese bubble and slightly brown. Using oven mitts carefully remove from the oven and serve. 

Notes: if a bit short on sauce add some Passata tomato sauce to extend the sauce. Try using a different cheese. Add chopped fresh tomatoes and veggies. 

Hope everyone's week has been a good one. Just getting back into the swing of things after a much needed break and the start of school. Have a great weekend everyone! 
- JD