Spiced Pumpkin Bread - Family Recipe

Every year around this time I am both sad and happy. Sad because as much as I hate to accept it, summer days and long nights are leaving us, and strolling in is my favorite but shortest time of the year, Fall!  Fall is beautiful, with its beautiful colours, blue sunny skies but a crispness in the air, it brings the perfect temperature the world should be.  Unfortunately its even shorter then summer.

One of the things I love about this time of year is the food that comes with it, really its the beginning of elastic waist pants season if you ask me.  Thanksgiving brings turkey and the beginning of baking season, and in the fall months there is one go to that never fails in this house and that's my Spiced Pumpkin Bread.  Amazing with a cold cup of milk or a warm cup of milk, tea, coffee, whatever comforts you, this bread will make you feel very cozy inside and unlike most baking, its fail proof.  Hope you enjoy it.

Ingredients (makes 1 loaf)
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp of baking soda
1 cup of pumpkin puree or you can use the real thing by scooping a pumpkin and blending the insides minus the seeds.
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp of ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp of cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground all spice (your clove flavour is in here)
Optional - 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a loaf pan.
In a medium bowl sift the following ingredients: flour, salt, sugar and baking soda.
In a large bowl, combine the following ingredients: pumpkin, oil, eggs, water, nutmeg, cinnamon and all spice.
Add the flour mixture from the medium bowl, to the wet mixture in the large bowl. Stir until combined and if using nuts, add them now.
Pour batter into the loaf pan and bake until an inserted toothpick in the centre comes out clean, about 50 mins but of course with different ovens these days you will need to keep an eye on it.
Remove from pan and let cool for 10 minutes then serve.  (we can never wait the 10 mins :)

**Note** If you are thinking of saving yourself a dirty bowl, don't skip the process where wet and dry ingredients are mixed separately and then put together.  Baking is a science and for some reason this is important.  I did this once and it just didn't come out the same. the texture was totally off and in this bread moist texture is the best part**

Babe's Chicken Caccitore

My husband is my biggest fan when it comes to my cooking, maybe that's because he's my husband but I think my version of chicken caccitore which happens to be his fave hence the name "Babe's Chicken Caccitore is really really good.  Its quick and easy to make and you can make it for basically $10.00.  We get a dinner out of it and the next day with the left over ragu, we use whatever pasta we have and poof! another meal.

I usually make this meal with a bed of mash potatoes because the mash soaks up the sauce and its just the most amazing thing.  In this picture I made it with fettuccine from the get go because our daughter requested it, but you can do it with whatever you think works well, on some days though no side dish at all can be replaced with some tasty crusty bread for dipping and you are good to go. The great thing about this dish is you can't mess up the chicken by under or overcooking because of the cooking process.  The natural fat that is in the chicken thighs will ensure your chicken will always be juicy.  If you opt to use any other part of the chicken, I recommend you add a box of chicken stock or you will have no sauce but just dehydrated tomato and veggies and dry chicken. If you don't have a cast iron skillet, invest in one since you need to transfer this into the oven.  Hope you enjoy it.

Ingredients

2 tbs of olive oil
Chicken Thighs (pack of 4 or pack of 8) there will be enough sauce for both amounts
1 can of diced tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 red pepper sliced or chopped
1/2 a zucchini chopped into cubes
2 cups cremini mushrooms cut in halves
1 cup of black olives (pit in or out)
3 tbs of fresh oregano coarsely chopped (you can use dry but fresh is best)
3 tbs of basil  coarsely chopped (again dry is ok but fresh is best)
Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. In a cast iron skillet over medium/high heat, add olive oil.  Add chicken thighs once oil is hot and brown chicken on both sides, about 3 mins each side.  Once the chicken skin is brown and achieved a crisp, add the garlic and reduce the heat to medium so the garlic does not burn. Salt and pepper to taste.

Now, add your can of tomatoes including the water in the can followed by all of the other ingredients excluding the oregano and basil. I usually layer mushrooms, peppers, zucchini then the black olives, let it bubble for 7 minutes.  Just before adding the skillet to the oven, salt and pepper again to taste and add the oregano and basil.

Before going in the oven

Place the skillet in the oven on the middle rack at 325, I suggest you put a cookie sheet on the rack below it since there will be alot of sizzling and popping and if it hits the bottom element it will smoke. Let it cook in the oven for 30 mins.  Then remove and serve.  Because you have seared, poached and baked the chicken in all this goodness it will be so juicy and tasteful you cant go wrong.  Add a little Parmesan or Romano cheese on top if you like and Bon Appetite.

Your skillet will be filled to the rim with this beautiful sauce, great to use next day over another pasta

Suggested Serving

Mushroom Soup

Milestones is one of our favorite restaurants, especially when my husband and I have date night.  A couple of years ago we decided to go out for dinner and we orderd a mushroom soup that was on the menu.  This wasn't your old run of the mill cream of mushroom, instead it was this plate of beautiful rich  brown that I have ever seen.  Skeptical I barely put the spoon to my lips, when all of a sudden my taste buds started freaking out, it was absolutely delicious.  I must have taken a long time to eat it because I tried to identify everything I was tasting in hopes that I could recreate it at home.  I tried about a week later, to be pleasantly surprised that I have a pretty good palette, I got the colour right, the texture and it tasted pretty damn close if not better. (Hey I'm biased)  Here is my recipe.

(I will add a picture of this dish next time I make it.)

Paula’s Mushroom Soup (not cream of mushroom)

2 Portobello Mushrooms
10 Cremini mushrooms
1 large red onion
1 full head of garlic
3 large Potatoes
Olive oil
Beef broth
Lemon zest and juice of ½ lemon
Salt
Black pepper

In a large bowl, toss whole mushrooms, garlic with skin on, and onion (cut into quarters) add olive oil, salt and black pepper and roast at 375F for about 30 mins. Roasting the mushrooms brings out their beautiful juices and bold earthy flavours.

In a large pot add 1 box of beef broth, and 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Add cubed potatoes and cook until tender.  

Once roasted items are done, add to broth pot.  Make sure to remove the garlic from the skin before adding it to the pot. Let cook for 15 mins so the flavours blend.

Using a hand held mixer, blend all the items in the pot and then add salt and black pepper to taste.  The black pepper should be used enough that it is a distinct flavour in the soup.  Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil , lemon rind and lemon juice.  Simmer over low heat for another 20mins.  Serve with homemade crouton sticks. (see recipe)

Crouton Sticks

French baquette, garlic clove (unpeeled) olive oil, rosemary

In a bowl mix olive oil, and rosemary (dried or fresh)

But the baguette into round slices  and brush with olive oil/rosemary mixture then place on middle oven rack and toast until brown (about 350 ) keep an eye  on them.  Once toasted remove from oven and while still hot rub bread slices with the garlic clove (believe it or not the bread will get alot of garlic flavor)

Place a couple of slices on top of your soup before serving.