Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 heaping teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice*
• 1 cup (180g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 and 1/4 cups (305g) pumpkin puree (canned or fresh)
• 1/3 cup (67g) light or dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 3 Tablespoons (45ml) canola or vegetable oil
• 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) whole milk*

Directions:

In a large bowl, toss the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and chocolate chips together until combined. Set aside.

I like to mix the wet ingredients in a blender. This guarantees a smoother batter and breaks down the pumpkin. This is especially necessary if you are using fresh pumpkin puree. Add the pumpkin, brown sugar, egg, oil, and whole milk to a blender and blend on high for 45 seconds until combined. Alternatively, you may whisk by hand or use a hand mixer. Blender is best.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk by hand gently to combine the ingredients. The batter is extremely thick. Do not thin it out. Whisk until *just* combined, no more. A few lumps may remain. Taste the batter. If you want to add more spices, go ahead. I usually add more cinnamon.

Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Coat generously with butter. Once hot, drop about 1/4 cup of batter on the griddle. Cook until the edges look dry and bubbles begin to form on the sides, about 1 minute. Flip and cook on the other side until cooked through, about 2 more minutes. Coat griddle/skillet again with butter for each pancake or batch of pancakes.

Keep pancakes warm in a preheated 200F degree oven until all pancakes are cooked. Serve immediately with your favorite pancake toppings. Pancakes taste best right after they are made. Pancakes freeze well, up to 2 months.

*Courtesy of:  http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2014/08/21/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-pancakes/

Italian Egg Drop Soup

Ingredients:

• 6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 1/3 cups whole-wheat medium pasta shells or other small pasta (4 ounces)
• 1 7-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
• 1 bunch scallions, sliced, whites and greens divided
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 3 cups chopped arugula, any tough stems removed
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 
  

Directions:

1. Combine broth, water, pasta, chickpeas, scallion whites and nutmeg in a Dutch oven; cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Uncover and boil for half as long as directed by the pasta package, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Stir in arugula and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to low. While stirring the soup constantly, slowly add eggs; cook for 2 minutes. (The cooked egg will look like feathery strands.) Season with pepper and stir in the scallion greens and lemon juice. Ladle into 6 bowls and top with Parmesan.

*Courtesy of:  http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/italian_egg_drop_soup.html

Chilaquiles Verdes

Ingredients:

• 3pounds tomatillos in the husk
• 1large red onion cut in 1/2-inch slices
• 2jalapeños
• 8cloves of garlic, unpeeled
• 1handful of cilantro leaves
• 1lime
• 1heaping spoonful of crema or sour cream
• 1quart chicken stock (preferably homemade)
• 2boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 12corn tortillas
• 1cup (or more if you like) queso fresco in large crumbles (1/2- to 1-inch pieces), or shredded monterrey jack
• 1/2cup crumbled cotija cheese
• Cilantro leaves, for garnish
• Salt and olive oil, as needed
• 
  

Directions:

1. Lay tomatillos, onions, jalapeños, and garlic on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
2. Place the baking sheet under the broiler, until the veggies are wilted and blistered, about 10 minutes (time will vary based on the heat of your broiler). Remove the veggies and let them cool until you are able to handle them.
3. Remove the husks from the tomatillos, squeeze the garlic from the cloves, and remove the stem from the jalapeños. Throw the roasted veggies into a blender, along with any juices that accumulated on the baking tray. Add the cilantro leaves, the juice of the lime, and the crema. Purée until the mixture is very smooth. Taste and make any needed adjustments (more salt, acid, etc).
4. While the veggies are still in the oven, bring the chicken broth to a gentle simmer in a dutch oven. Add the chicken breasts and allow them to simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Move the chicken to a cutting board and use two forks to shred it. Return the chicken and any juices to the pot.
5. Add the tomatillo purée to the chicken broth, taste for seasoning (note the sauce should be tangy, almost sour, so add another squeeze of lime if necessary), and bring to a simmer. Cover and let the mixture simmer for about 20 minutes.
6. Cut the tortillas into quarters. If your tortillas are fresh, dry them out in the oven or toaster oven. If they're stale and dried out, add them right to the pot. Stir the mixture and let simmer for another 10 minutes. The tortillas will cause the sauce to thicken.
7. Uncover and stir in the queso fresco or sprinkle with the monterrey jack. Cover the pot again, allowing the cheese to melt. Uncover, sprinkle with cotija and cilantro, and serve.
8. Note: The chilaquiles are just as good -- maybe better -- the next day. A fried egg on top wouldn't hurt either!
9. *Courtesy of: https://food52.com/recipes/21285-chilaquiles-verdes
10. 
    

Mattonella (Pine Nut Semifreddo with Chocolate Sauce)

For the semifreddo:

• 2egg whites
• 1/3cup (140 grams) sugar
• 1/3cup (about 90 milliliters) water
• 1 1/4cups (10 ounces or 300 milliliters) fresh cream, whipped
• 2ounces (60 grams) pine nuts

For the chocolate sauce:

• 3 1/2ounces (100 grams) dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/4cup (60 milliliters) fresh cream

Directions:

For the chocolate sauce:

1. First make an Italian meringue: Make a sugar syrup by combining the sugar and water in a saucepan and heating it to about 220º F (105º C). Meanwhile, whip the egg whites to soft peaks. When the syrup reaches 250º F (120º C), pour the sugar syrup immediately down the side of the bowl into the egg whites and continue whipping them to stiff peaks. Whip until the bowl feels cool to the touch and the mixture is fluffy and thick, usually 7 minutes (but it can take between 6 and 10 minutes).
2. Gently fold the whipped cream and pine nuts through the Italian meringue.
3. Pour the mixture into a loaf tin lined with plastic wrap and freeze for at least five hours or until firm. (Note: The semifreddo won't be rock solid; it will still be quite soft and fluffy, but you'll want to be able to unmold and slice it.)
4. For the chocolate sauce: Heat the cream in a metal or glass bowl over a pot of simmering water (a double boiler). When it's hot, stir in the chopped chocolate, then take it immediately off the heat. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the sauce is smooth.
5. Serve mattonella in slices drizzled with chocolate sauce.

• • 
    

Lavender Honey Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp lavender honey 
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/3 -1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 -1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large garlic clove, finely minced
• 1/2 tsp coarse Dijon mustard

Combine all ingredients in a jar. Cap, tighten the lid and shake well. Taste and adjust honey.  Serve at room temperature. 

Rosewater, Raspberry and White Chocolate Vacherin:

Ingredients:

For the Meringue Layers:

5 eggs

1 tbsp rosewater

280g icing sugar

For the Filling:

500ml whipping cream

250g raspberries (could also use strawberries)

2 tbsp raspberry jam

rosewater to taste (about a 1 tbsp)

150g white chocolate

For the Pretty:

The petals of 2 food grade roses (some snipped fine, but the smaller petals left whole).

100g raspberries

Directions:

Meringue:

Preheat oven to about 130 Celsius

Beat the eggs white until stiff

Beat in half of the sugar 1tsp at a time

Beat in the rosewater 1tsp at a time

Fold in the remaining sugar

Line two baking sheets with baking paper.

Pipe the meringue mixture into the shape of 4 discs of about 17cm diameter onto a lined baking sheet (two per baking sheet). To make this easier you can trace the circles of this diameter onto the baking paper first and use this as your guide when you pipe.

Place both baking sheets into the oven for about and hour and fifteen minutes (until the centre of the disc is firm to the touch and the discs move easily off the paper). Rotate the position of the sheets half way through.

While the discs are cooling on a wire rack, melt the chocolate over a double boiler.

Once the chocolate has melted use the end of a spoon to dribble it over the tops of the discs (and to stick any broken bits back together).

The Pretty Part One:

Choose one of the meringue discs to be the top of your vacherin and scatter some of rose petals and some of the raspberries over the top of the white chocolate while it is still melted. (Remember to keep some petals and raspberries for the sides). Use the end of teaspoon to dribble a fine stream of white chocolate over the top of the scattered rose petals and raspberries and leave to set.

Raspberry, Rosewater Cream:

Whip the cream with the jam until slightly thickened.

Beat in rosewater 1 tsp at a time until it tastes rosy and lovely (I used about a tb sp)

Bash up the raspberries a bit (to release some of their colour) and fold them into the cream.

Constructing the Tower:

Choose a disc to be your base and place this onto your serving dish (you won’t want to move the meringue cake once it’s constructed). Spread a third of the cream on top, followed by a disc and then some more cream etc. (until you top the tower with your already decorated top meringue disc).

I only used 4 discs but they are so light you could easily go higher.

Pretty Part Two: Final Touches:

Place the remaining raspberries and petals around the sides of the vacherin (using the cream to hold them in place).

Now apologise to the world for creating something so monstrously pretty, tie your hair back with a pink ribbon and get stuck in.

Serve the cake within an hour of constructing it.

*Courtesy of:  https://thephilosophyofdelight.wordpress.com/2013/04/29/rosewater-raspberry-and-white-chocolate-vacherin-meringue-cake/

Make-Ahead Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oatmeal

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups water
• 1 cup steel cut oats
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 medium apple, cored and diced (I used Honeycrisp)
• 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1-2 tbsp honey

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a medium pot over high heat, bring water to a boil.
2. Once water is boiling, add oats, salt, apple, flaxseed, cinnamon and maple syrup. Boil for about two minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent overflow.
3. After two minutes, remove pan from heat. The oatmeal should stop boiling. Stir in vanilla. Cover pot and allow mixture to sit overnight.
4. In the morning, heat pot over medium heat to warm through. Top with additional cinnamon and maple syrup, if desired.