TOO MANY PUMPKINS! A friend of a friend had a fall wedding and left my friend, the maid of honor, with dozens of pumpkin gourd favors left by guests. She decorated her home with them and wondered what to do with them. I didn’t actually believe I’d do anything with them, but I shocked myself by actually following through.

I found a basic mini-pumpkin soup recipe and modified the hell out of it. I basically used the recipe to get the skinny on cooking the pumpkin and the order in which to do things. I eliminated the italian herbs and parmesan and instead aimed toward a ginger-flavored soup, lightened with whipping cream. I also toasted the pumpkin seeds in oil and salt to use as a garnish. YUM!

Also, the product of the day is The Ginger People’s Minced Ginger. I’ve moved at least twice with this jar of ginger, which means I’ve had it at least 4 years and it’s still delicious, spicy and wonderful for flavoring asian dishes and, well, this particular soup. It’s exceptionally strong, so a little goes a LONG way. I’m finally running out and will definitely be buying a new jar!

This super-simple glaze adds a really unique kick to pork chops or chicken. To make the glaze, I mixed 3 tbsp honey with 1 tbsp water and chopped up 3 chipotle peppers (seeds removed). That’s it. Seriously.

I made it with Near East brand Curry Rice, one of my favorite quick-side-dish brands. With a wide variety of rice, couscous and pasta flavors that are all far more flavorful than the more mass-market brands like Knorr and Lipton, Near East makes it super easy to keep your side dishes intriguing and flavorful without being too heavy on the salt.

CONFESSION: I kind of love Hamburger Helper. Hamburger Helper, Chicken Helper, Tuna Helper… I kind of love them all.

Personally, I think the helper line of products made simply per the package directions is bland, over-salted, boring and virtually inedible. It is, however, a brilliant springboard for creativity. By adding your own vegetables (absolutely necessary) herbs and spices (but please, no more salt—there’s more than enough already!) you can make a delicious meal that no one will believe is a ‘Helper.

A favorite in our house is the Chili Cheese variety, perfect for a chili craving when the proper time just isn’t available to make a proper batch of chili. As I always do with Hamburger Helper, I make it according to package directions, except I cook my hamburger meat with a generous amount of onion, garlic and, in this case, Penzey’s Salt-Free Chili Powder.

I also add chopped red and green bell peppers, one diced jalapeño or poblano pepper (seeds removed), a can of no-salt-added diced tomatoes, a healthy dose of frozen white corn — you can use regular corn, but the sweetness of the white corn is incomparable — and even more chili powder to taste.

When it’s done, I top it with freshly diced onions and a dollop of sour cream. It can’t compare to a really good batch of chili that’s been simmering all day, but it certainly is a great substitute for dealing with that chili craving on a work night!

Oh dear Garlic Press, how do I love thee. I’ve used a number of garlic presses over the years, and this has been hands down my favorite. No, I never used OXO’s garlic press, even though America’s Test Kitchen rated it the best. Usually I go with their recommendations without question because, well, they’re usually right. But when something’s not broke, and when I love and rely on something as much as I do my trusty chrome and blue enameled friend, I just can’t make the switch.

You need a garlic press. You do. Polaner Garlic (or any jarred minced garlic) is great in a pinch, so be sure to keep a jar on hand, but there’s nothing quite like the real thing. And please please please, stop trying to flavor everything with garlic powder and garlic salt. It has its place, for sure, but it’s just not the same. Most premade sauces have more than enough salt and sodium, so stick with the fresh stuff to maximize flavor.

I know, I know, crushing your own garlic is too big a pain in the ass. What if you didn’t have to peel it first? That’s where freshly peeled garlic in the produce department comes in. It’s easy to get at Asian and Italian markets, and they probably have some at a store near you.

Without peeled garlic, I’m not sure I’d make the effort all the time, but the cloves are generally all large, making it quicker to crush (as opposed to a bunch of teensy tiny cloves).

Seriously, check your produce department and if they don’t have it, demand it.

Well, here it is, the inaugural post to my new food blog. I’m opening the site with a favorite special breakfast recipe adapted from a recipe by The Parish House Inn B&B in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The quiche pictured included sautéed spinach, red peppers and onions with some provolone cheese and pork sausage, but the recipe behind the cut was also outstanding! That’s the best part — you can add ANYTHING to this super simple recipe.

The secret? My beloved Reduced Fat Bisquick.

This also settles great overnight and the slices make a great quick breakfast for busy mornings. Read the rest of this entry »

This is one dinner with SOUL! I love making soul food once in awhile, and this dinner was a true test of the term “non-perishable food item”. After doing inventory of my pantry, in the back I found two cans of crabmeat that were at least 3–5 years old. Scary stuff, but still worth a shot, I thought.

I prefer kale to collard and mustard greens, but they’re all quite good. I just used a recipe in my trusty How to Cook Everything book and it was a huge success.

The crabcake recipe was improvised with stuff I had around the house and it was absolutely incredible; extremely flavorful and even better the next day.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cans crabmeat (lump is best, but I just used regular crabmeat)
• 2 eggs
• 4 tbsp mayonnaise (I used half regular and half chipotle mayo)
• Creole seasoning (I like Zatarain’s)
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 small onion, diced fine
  1/2 bell pepper, diced fine

Butter & EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

Whisk together the eggs, mayo, and seasoning. Then add in breadcrumbs and let them soak for a bit. Next, drain the crabmeat and add the meat. Mix it all together and toss in the fridge or freezer.

Sauté the onions and peppers until soft. Mix into the crabmeat mixture, then toss back in the freezer for at least 10 minutes, the fridge for half an hour. This will make the cakes more solid and easier to form.

Add butter (about 2 tickmarks worth… can’t remember how much each tickmark is) to pan and melt. Form the first patty, about 3-3.5″ across, and place in the pan. Fry over medium heat about 4 minutes each side, adding more butter as it gets soaked up. Keeping the heat at medium should let the cakes cook through without charring the crust.

This favorite recipe is modified from a pretty well-known basic recipe using Lipton Onion Soup Mix, but it’s an easy winner when you want a comforting stew and you didn’t prepare things ahead of time.

I served this over some mashed purple potatoes acquired at the Oak Park Farmer’s Market. The result is a bit strange-looking but really delicious. Purple potatoes have a really delicious, rich, earthy flavor that are a great contrast to your average mashed potatoes.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb Pork Steaks, Country Ribs, or Pork Chops, chunked
• 1/2 onion, sliced ; 3–4 cloves garlic, crushed or sliced
• 1 envelope Onion Mushroom Soup Mix (or any variety of Onion soup mix)
• 1 cup water
• 2 tbsp Tomato Paste (I prefer Amoré Double-Concentrated Tomato Paste in a tube… you won’t waste half a can of tomato paste ever again!)
• Baby carrots, frozen corn, frozen peas, vegetables as desired

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Sauté onion & garlic in olive oil. Add pork chunks and brown on all sides. Add all remaining ingredients. Simmer on low until vegetables are tender and meat is cooked through, about 15–25 minutes.

I like serving this over mashed potatoes, but you can also cut up potatoes and add them to the stew as well.

Awhile back a woman on Freecycle was giving away “a bunch” of Patak’s curry pastes. Why not, I said, that stuff’s expensive! So I picked up all 7 jars and they have lived at the back of my pantry because I’ve been, simply, afraid.

After nearly 6 months I finally decided it was time to step up. Oh, some yummy Garam Masala and pakistani peppers from Penzey’s helped a lot. So I put the curry paste together with some diced tomatoes, chicken, onion, baby carrots and sweet potatoes and *POOF!*

I’m no longer scared of curry paste. Well, maybe a little, but this was outstanding.

Even better, I served this with bread made from my favorite bread machine mix, Classic Hearth Brand Hawaiian Royal Sweet Bread Mix. The sweetness of the bread paired perfectly with the spiciness of the curry. An accidentally brilliant combination for sure!

It’s no secret that I love prepared ethnic sauces, but Iron Chef’s line of Asian sauces is far and away the most tasty and restaurant-quality that I use for Asian sauces. Any combo of meat and vegetables can be quickly thrown together and tossed over rice for a quick and awesome meal. Last night’s was a bottle of Thai Sweet Pepper & Garlic that I bought in the clearance bin at Dominicks for $2 awhile ago, and what a find!!

I took onions, cabbage and green peppers and tossed it all with sliced chicken breasts and served it over jasmine rice. Super quick and really fresh, and it just took a few minutes of prep!