Spicy Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin isn't just for desserts!  I made this up, completely, after not being satisfied with any pumpkin soup recipes I found.

It has some flavors of both Southwestern and Asian cuisine, which (surprisingly) pair together nicely.  I would have loved to add some red curry paste if I'd only had it.  It pulls together very quickly.

Having a cold, my sense of taste is kinda crappy, so I was told I overseasoned this.  Take measurements with a grain of salt.

Also, it can easily be made vegetarian/vegan if you switch out the chicken stock for vegetable stock and the butter for olive oil/an oil of your choice.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 T. butter
2 small onions, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1-inch knob of ginger, minced
1 t. chili powder
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. paprika
1 t. thyme
3 cups pumpkin puree
2-3 cups chicken stock (depending on how thin you want your soup)
1/2 cup coconut milk
Salt to taste

Instructions:

Heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  When butter bubbles and foams, place onions, garlic, and ginger in the pan.  Saute until onions are cooked through and slightly caramelized, about 10 minutes.

Add in the spices and herbs and allow to cook for a few minutes more.

Add in the pumpkin and chicken stock, bringing it to a simmer.  Allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes.

That chunk is some frozen puree.

If you prefer, pour your soup into a blender and puree.  I didn't only because I'm ill and didn't want to clean yet another thing :D.

Accompanying meal will be posted tomorrow.

About 10 minutes before serving, reheat your soup (if you've let it sit) and add the coconut milk.  Salt to taste.  Simmer and serve hot!

Pumpkin Puree

Just an alert, ladies.  Apparently when you drop below 20% body fat, your hormones can get all out of whack and cause lady problems.

Thank goodness it's fall, and I'll be gaining winter weight anyway.

Speaking of fall, I love October.  Why do I love October?

Pumpkins.

Now, people.  Pumpkins are not just for carving.  Or, what people seem to do here, just setting out on your porch as decorations.

Pumpkins are for eating.

I get sad watching the untouched pumpkins just sit and rot at all the houses in the area.  I want to steal them and put them to use in delicious desserts and soups and meals.  Make tasty snacks of their pepitas.  Feast on their delicious flesh.

Don't buy canned pumpkin puree.   Just make your own.  I got about 16 cups (that's almost 4 liters, Europeans/anyone NOT in 'Murica) out of a single pumpkin.

It was a huge pumpkin, yes.  But ONE.  That I bought for $2, because apparently pumpkins are sold dirt cheap here since no one uses them as food.

Excuse my pale and sickly appearance.  I was tired and not feeling 100%.

So how do you do this?

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F, and prepare 1-2 baking sheets with oil/cooking spray (depends on how big your pumpkin is).

Take your pumpkin.  Cut out the top, like you would prepping it to carve.

Cut it in half.

Scoop out the guts/seeds (save the seeds to make tasty snacks!).

Some people proceed to cut it into smaller pieces, but I don't.  I find it easier to roast two halves.

Spray/brush cut sides of the pumpkin halves with olive oil.  Place cut-side down on prepared baking sheets.

Bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes (mine took about an hour), or until a fork easily pierces the skin.  Allow to cool.

Scoop flesh out of the skin and place in batches in a blender/food processor.  Puree.

This is half the pumpkin's puree.

I then pour mine into little freezer bags, in 2 cup portions, and freeze most of it for later use.

The possibilities are endless!

Szechuan Eggplant

From everything I've ever seen, Szechuan means hot.  You are warned.

I had Szechuan eggplant hotpot at a Chinese/Thai/Japanese fusion restaurant in Maryland last spring.  It was delicious, saucy, and spicy (but not spicy enough, no matter how much I tell them to make it HOT).  I HAD to find a recipe for making it at home (especially since going gluten-free), and I did.

This is the basic recipe.  When I have it on my plate, I end up adding more heat with Szechuan peppercorns and more Sriracha.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound of ground pork
2 T. soy sauce
Ground black pepper

Sauce:
2 T. sesame oil
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. brown sugar
3 T. chili-garlic paste (usually, I use Sambal Oelek, but I ran out the other day, so I used Sriracha)
1 T. rice wine (I did not have this, and used white wine.  I have also heard gin delivers a very similar flavor.)

1-2 large eggplants, sliced into fat sticks
1-2 bell peppers (red and green), optional
1-inch knob of ginger, sliced into matchsticks
1 T. cornstarch dissolved in 1 T. water
Half a head of garlic, minced

Instructions:

Look how cheap ground pork is!!!!

Place ground pork, 2 T. soy sauce, and black pepper in a small bowl to marinate.  Allow to sit in fridge for at least 1 hour.

Mix together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.  Set aside.

Heat a wok over medium-high heat.  Add pork mixture, ginger, and garlic.  Stir-fry until browned.

Add in bell peppers and eggplant.  Stir-fry for a few minutes to brown the eggplant.

Throw in the sauce mixture and bring to a simmer.  Turn heat down to medium and allow stir-fry mixture to cook until the eggplant is cooked through, 5-10 minutes.  Stir frequently.

I put a lid over it so the eggplant would cook more evenly.

Add in the cornstarch and water mixture, bring to a boil, and allow the mixture to thicken.

Serve immediately over rice/quinoa, or all alone if you like!  I was so hungry, I didn't take a great picture...but it was delicious!

If you like heat...I suggest investing in some Szechuan peppercorns.  I prefer it with about a teaspoon of them added to the recipe, but a lot of people don't like how hot it gets, so I just add them after.

Spicy Chicken and Tofu Veggie Stir-Fry, and a Mini-Rant

Uggggh, I wrote this up last week and never got around to posting it. >.<

Sorry, readers!

Mini-Rant!

Can we, in the food world, stop labeling everything that might have a mere smidgen of vegetable, fruit, or whole grain in it as "healthy"?

People are deceived by the word healthy.  They take it to mean that the food item is nutritious, or--the even bigger fallacy--that the food is now magically light and will help them lose weight.

Your choco-vanilla-caramel-glazed-pound-cake-with-3-sticks-of-butter-and-half-a-pound-of-sugar may have an apple or a zucchini in it, but, please, people, don't play coy.  It's not "healthy".  Sure, there might be a few more vitamins added, or some fiber, but COME ON.  It's still 400+ calories a slice and loaded with carbs and fats (which, no, are not inherently bad, but I digress).

When your pie or crumble contains a few hefty cups of sugar, it's no longer light, no matter how much fruit you put in it or how many antioxidants are in those berries.

I feel like people get duped by all the hefty mislabeling of food already--can we not contribute?  Let's just call a spade a spade and stop trying to fool ourselves that a buttery, sugary dessert can be eaten in large quantities with no consequences to our health and waistline.

The secret is not throwing a healthy food item into your baked goods--the secret is self-control and moderation.

/Mini-Rant

On with food!

It's stir-fry week.  Why?  I have a lot of random veggies, cheaper meats, and don't want to spend much time cooking.

Stir-fries are fantastic because it's so easy to use whatever meat or vegetables you have on hand.  And it's quick and a lot of food for very little money!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb. chicken breast, in bite-sized pieces (I only had 1 chicken breast, so I also used about 300 g. firm tofu)
2-inch knob of ginger, cut into matchsticks
1 T. cornstarch
2 eggs, whisked

1/2 lb. bacon (I used a bit less...about 5 slices), chopped

1 small head of broccoli florets, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch of scallions, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

1 T. chili-garlic paste, such as Sambal Oelek
2 T. brown sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce

Instructions:

Toss chicken, tofu (if using), ginger, cornstarch, and eggs in a bowl and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the chili paste, soy sauce, and brown sugar.  Set aside.

Chop all vegetables, set aside.

Chop bacon.  Yup, set aside.

A secret of stir-fries: Place everything in order before you cook!  

Heat a wok or a large, deep skillet over high heat (woks are really better for this).  Toss in the bacon and cook for 4-5 minutes, until well-browned and fat has rendered out.

Add the chicken mixture.  Cook until browned and mostly cooked-through.  ALWAYS STIRRING.

Add the peppers and scallions.  Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the broccoli, and cook for another few minutes.  ALWAYS STIRRING.

Add the sauce.  Turn the heat down to medium-high heat (closer to medium, really), bring to a simmer, stir frequently, and cook until the vegetables are cooked and the sauce thickens up.

Remove from heat and serve, over rice if desired!  I didn't have rice, so I cooked up some quinoa in chicken broth, water, and a bit of soy sauce.

Enjoy!

Of Texas and October

Good day, everyone!

I have been absent a couple of weeks, I apologize.  I went on a trip to visit my grandparents in west Texas, and ended up getting stuck there longer (apparently, leaving Texas while it's raining is nearly impossible!).  Had a great trip, saw some family, managed to get glutened almost every day(death), BUT I kept up my running and made it to 3 miles by the end of the trip!  With no more foot injury!  It still aches after a long run, but it feels like that muscle-fatigue-ache rather than oh-no-I-am-dying-please-amputate-my-foot-pain.

I went to a meetup of geeky women yesterday (from meetup.com) and I think I have met some great new people, and I was even (possibly) invited to do the Color Run in Montreal in a couple of weeks.  So excited!  They're also doing some amazing-sounding scavenger hunt in Montreal for Halloween, so I am totally in for that.  You know, since Charles doesn't really seem up for making plans :P.  Silly grown-ups, Halloween isn't JUST for kids!

As for recipes, right now, I don't think I have anything on tap.  I haven't been cooking a whole lot, clearly, so I will get on making some delicious foodstuffs for you all to make!

Happy October, everyone!  Fall is setting in nicely, and *gasp* I can put up my Halloween decorations now!!

Grilled Chicken Marinated in Cumin, Lemon, and Mint

Can I just say how great it feels to be running again after months of not doing it?  It's wonderful!  But now I'm out of shape, so...working on that.

Here is a really simple, light, and tasty chicken recipe for your summer/fall transition.

Ingredients:

Juice and zest of 1 lemon.

1 pound bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed

5-6 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup mint leaves, finely minced

1 t. paprika (preferably hot)

1 t. cumin

2 T. olive oil

Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

Whisk together lemon juice, zest, half of the garlic, half of the mint, and all the spices in a bowl.  Pour into a container or Ziploc bag for marinating.  Marinate at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or longer in the fridge.

Preheat your grill on high heat.  Place chicken on the grill (discard marinade) and cook about 5-6 minutes on each side (or until done through).

Place on a platter and allow to rest for 5 minutes.  Sprinkle with remaining garlic and mint.  

Margarita Pork Chops with Crispy Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

3 pork chops, flattened to about 1 inch thick

1/4 cup tequila
1/4 cup lime juice (about 2 limes' worth)
Juice of 1 orange
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 T. your favorite spice rub (mine was leftover from this recipe)
2 chipotles in adobo (adjust to your tastes), minced
1 T. honey

Instructions:

Mix together marinade spices in a large bowl or ziploc bag.  Add pork chops, coat, and allow to sit for 8 hours or more, shaking up the marinade/chops a couple of times to evenly distribute again.

Heat a grill over high heat.  Add pork chops and sear (for those perfect grill marks!) for 6 minutes.  Turn down the heat to medium and continue cooking for another 6-15 minutes (depending on how thick your chops are, mine took FOREVER) until almost done throughout.

Allow to rest for 10 minutes, tented with foil.

Serve hot with your choice of sauce (I used salsa verde and Sriracha!) and enjoy!

The recipe for the quinoa salad can be found here.  I follow it exactly, no changes except perhaps adding a few more veggies!  Very versatile and refreshing.