Scallion Pancakes, Sweet Potato Mash, Veggie Pizza, Noodle Casserole, Chocolate Bacon and Avocado Breakfast Wrap

Today we clear out the backlog that's been building up, and I've got some interesting dishes today.

To start off, scallion pancakes.  Make a dough with 2C flour and 1C boiling water, let rest for an hour or so, and divide into 4 balls.  For each ball, roll into a large flat pancake, spread with sesame oil.  Roll up the pancake into a long tube, then twist the tube into a cinnamon-roll-looking-thing, then re-roll out into a pancake.  Again brush with sesame oil, then sprinkle with green onions.  Roll into a long roll, then into the cinnamon roll, then roll out again, then fry in a pan on each side until golden brown.  Slice, then dip in equal parts soy sauce and rice vinegar with ginger and sugar to taste.  A tasty appetizer that can make an attractive setting.  Via http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/04/extra-flaky-scallion-pancakes-recipe.html

Next we have an easy sweet potato, bourbon and walnut mash.  Combine 4 pounds boiled sweet potatoes, 4T butter, 1/2C milk, 1/4C maple syrup, 4T bourbon, 2t cinnamon, 1t allspice, 1t nutmeg and 1C roasted walnuts.  Blend with an immersion blender, and it makes for a fantastic side with tons of flavor.  Via http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Bourbon-Walnut-Sweet-Potato-Mash-240406

For an easy dinner with whatever's in the fridge, look no further.  On either a pita or tortilla, spread some tomato sauce, then layer whatever you've got in the fridge.  I sauteed eggplant and zucchini in olive oil and balsamic and added those.  Then, add mozzarella and bake until the cheese is melty and golden brown.  Healthy and easy.

A quick casserole that, while not necessarily healthy, will feed a lot of people.  Combine 4 cut up chicken breasts, 2C milk, 2C condensed cream of celery soup, 1C cheese (fake, cheddar, whatever!), 2 onions, 4+ cups of pasta and herbs to taste in a casserole dish.  Let sit in the freezer overnight, then bake at 350 for an hour.  I also added carrots and some random other stuff I had left in the fridge.  Via http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/tracis-chicken-noodle-casserole/Detail.aspx

Next up, a decadent treat.  Bake bacon on cooling racks at 375 for 8 minutes, then blot well.  Flip, then sprinkle with an even mixture of brown sugar, chili powder and black pepper.  Bake for another 8 minutes (or until crispy and the sugar has caramelized), then let cool.  Finally, brush with nutella.  Extremely decedent, unique and has all sorts of flavors going on.  I brought it into the office and it was split half loved it, half weren't crazy about it.  Via http://www.bellalimento.com/2011/02/05/sweet-spicy-bacon-coated-with-nutella/

Any my attempt at an artistic shot of the ingredients...

And finally, a quick, delicious breakfast.  Put a tortilla in a dry pan, add some shredded mozzarella, heat till it melts, then add half an avocado and a scrambled egg.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Tasty, filling, and delicious!

Curried Carrot Soup, English Muffin Bread and BBQ Chicken Pizza

Today we've got an awesome soup, bread the brings back memories of years past and a tasty variation of pizza.

To start off, a curried carrot soup that masquerades as a healthy soup, is absolutely delicious and has a healthy kick.  To make, saute 1 chopped onion in a bit of oil or butter in a large soup pot.  When nicely softened and translucent, add 2lb chopped carrots, 1 peeled and chopped potato (or sweet potato), 4C stock (I like 'Better than Bouillon' in a pinch), 1.5+T curry powder, a 1+inch piece of fresh peeled and sliced ginger, and plenty of salt and pepper to taste.  Then, simmer for 25 minutes or until everything is nice and soft.  Blend with an immersion blender (ones with plastic tips might melt; I recommended metal ended ones) and add cream cheese or cream to taste (I added a full 8oz package of cream cheese).  Blend really well so that it becomes a creamy solution, and you have one gourmet, easily freezable, absolute delicious soup that has a nice healthy kick.  Experiment with different curries for totally different flavors; the one I used I picked up at a market in Vietnam.  Based on http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/curried-carrot-soup/Detail.aspx

Next up, a very easy bread that, when toasted, tastes exactly like a fresh English muffin, which I had all the time when I was younger.  To make, combine 3C flour (AP or bread), 1/2T white sugar, 1t salt, 1/8t baking powder, 1C milk, 1/4C water and 2 1/4t activated yeast in a bowl and mix.  Kneed for a minute or two or until well combined, then put in a greased loaf pan and sprinkle with cornmeal.  All it needs is a toasting and some butter, and you've got one delicious snack.  Also freezes well sliced.  Via http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/grandmas-english-muffin-bread/Detail.aspx

Finally, a suggestion for the Neapolitan pizza dough recipe I posted a while back.  Boil and shred some chicken thighs and mix with BBQ sauce.  Spread BBQ sauce on the pizza (all the way to the edge gives the crust awesome flavor), then sprinkle the shredded chicken, cilantro, lots of red onion, green onion and mozzarella cheese.  Yum!

Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce, African Peanut Stew, Ricotta and Olive Stuffed Bread, Orange Beets, Stuffed Chicken Breast and Spicy Boozy Mousse

Today we have a larger collection of recipes.  The first two make great dinners for a couple nights, and the rest combine to make an amazing night's dinner.  Stick with me till the end; I finish with an incredible dessert.

First up today, we have a Beef and Cabbage Stir-Fry with a Peanut Sauce, which makes for a decently healthy dinner, and makes it quite simple to eat half a cabbage.  To make, saute 3 cloves garlic and 1lb thinly sliced steak in a bit of hot oil until barely pink.  Then, saute 1 small head cabbage, thinly sliced cabbage in a bit of oil with a bit of water until it wilts, then add the cooked steak back in.  Whisk 1/4C peanut butter, 1/3C orange juice, 3T soy sauce, 1T rice vinegar and 2t sugar together and pour over everything, and serve topped with peanuts.  Makes a good dinner that's quite simple, healthy and tasty; but this is the weakest of this batch of recipes.  Via http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/beef_cabbage_stir_fry_with_peanut_sauce.html

Next up is an absolutely awesome African Peanut Stew.  Saute 2-3lbs of chicken thighs and/or legs, 1 sliced large onion, a 3-inch piece of minced ginger and 6-8 minced garlic cloves in a pan with a bit of oil, in stages if necessary.  Add 2-3 lbs chunked sweet potatoes, 1qt chicken stock, 1 15oz can crushed tomatoes, 1C peanut butter1C peanuts, 1T coriander, 1t cayenne pepper to the chicken and onion in a stock pot, and simmer for ~90 minutes, or until the meat shreds easily and the potatoes are tender.  Shred the chicken well and add salt and pepper to taste; there should be a nice peppery taste.  Add in 1/5-1/2C cilantro, and serve.  Also quite good cold.  Another way that this soup is very good is blended; I took a portion of the soup and pureed it with an immersion blender, and it turned into an extremely creamy and complex soup that was just awesome.  Via http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/african_chicken_peanut_stew/

Next up we have the first course of an awesome dinner; a Ricotta and Olive stuffed Bolso bread.  To make the dough, combine 3+C flour (half all purpose, half bread) with 1T proofed yeast, 1 1/4C milk, 1T honey, 2t salt, 2t melted butter, 1t ground oregano, 1/2t basil and 1/2t crushed rosemary, and kneed until smooth and well combined.  Let rise for at least an hour, or until doubled.  Meanwhile, make the filling.  Combine 1 egg, 1/3C grated cheddar, 1/3C sliced green olives, 1/2lb ricotta cheese, 1/4t salt, 1t dried oregano, 2 cloves minced garlic, 2+T finely chopped sun-dried tomato and 1/2C grated Parmesan.  Once the dough has risen, roll out into a large square on semolina flour, and spread the filling down the center third.  Using kitchen shears, cut diagonal slits down each edge (with the same number on each edge) that are ~1/2'' wide.  Fold a flap up at the top and bottom, then alternate sides, braiding the sliced dough to form what you see in the picture.  Brush with egg wash (an egg beaten with a bit of water), then bake on a stone at 350 for ~45 minutes.  Makes a bread that is great cold or warm, and makes a quite attractive loaf.

The freshly made loaf

And the cut loaf, showing the filling

Next up, a simple recipe for roasted beets.  Wrap cleaned and trimmed beats in tin foil, and bake at 375 for about an hour.  Unwrap, then peel immediately under running cold water (the outside will get cool enough to handle while under the tap, and the inside will stay hot.  Beets suck to peel before baking).  Then, slice 75% of the way down in slices, spread the wings and drizzle with orange juice and orange zest that has been reduced by half.  Beets are naturally sweet, and adding the juice just accentuates the natural flavors.  Via http://www.lemonsandlavender.com/2011/02/hasselback-style-roasted-beets-with.html

Next up, we have a spinach stuffed, bacon wrapped chicken breast which, besides being quite large and impressive looking, are quite tasty.  Start off by thoroughly flattening 3-4 chicken breasts with a meat hammer.  The thinner you can get them the better (I may have used a regular hammer to help; I suggest a layer or two of plastic wrap over the chicken while you beat it.  Prepare the filling by combining 1 package chopped frozen spinach with 2/3C ricotta, 1/2C shredded pepper-jack cheese, 4 cloves minced garlic, 2T lemon juice, black pepper, salt and 2/3C sliced and sauteed mushroom caps.  Fill the flattened chicken with the mixture, then wrap with 3 pieces of bacon to secure and place in a baking dish.  Bake for 35 minutes at 375, then broil for 5-10 minutes to crisp the bacon.  Make sure not to overcook it, as overcooked chicken gets dry.  Consider pouring some white wine in the bottom of the baking dish to add moisture and flavor to the oven as it cooks.  They end up being quite large, and exceedingly tasty.  Via http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/spinach-stuffed-chicken-breast/Detail.aspx

The wrapped chicken

And cut open revealing the deliciousness within

Finally, a absolutely jaw-droppingly amazing mousse that has the consistency of rich custard and the flavor of a decadent spiced dark chocolate bar.  To make, combine 2 eggs, 3/4C milk, 3T dark rum, 1T maple syrup, 1/2+t cinnamon and a pinch chili powder in a bowl and mix well with an immersion blender.  Melt 6oz good chocolate (I used dark Ghirardelli chips) and add in 3T strong brewed coffee, then slowly pour that into the other ingredients while running the blender.  Continue blending for a bit until nice and frothy, then distribute into ramekins and chill for at least a couple hours.  Absolutely amazing; I have no other words for it.  Via http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/dessert/recipe-spicy-boozey-mousse-041125

So there you have it, enough for dinners for at least a week and enough for a nice dinner party.  Enjoy!

Potato Leak Soup, Swedish Meatballs and Hot-Chocolate Cookies

Today, we have a very simple and delicious Potato Leak soup, some Swedish meatballs that are just fantastic, and a cookie recipe with a bit of a kick!

First up, we have Potato Leak soup.  Now, the main things you need to make the soup are, not surprisingly, potatoes and leaks.  Depending how much soup you want, use about a 1:1 ratio of potatoes to leaks, and remember that only the white and light-green tender parts of the leak should be used (make sure to thoroughly clean the leak, I recommend halving it lengthwise and flipping through the layers under the faucet.  Crunchies are no fun).  Roughly cube the potatoes, and boil them along with the lightly sauted leaks in just enough water to cover them for about 30 minutes, or until tender.  At this point you can add pretty much whatever you want (or nothing) to change the flavor, but at minimum some salt and pepper.  I also added a couple strips of bacon, milk, oregano, basil and thyme.  Blend either with an immersion blender or standard blender, and enjoy!  Quick, easy and filling.

via http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/soup/the-perfection-of-simplicity-potato-leek-soup-076790

Next up we have a more involved recipe for Swedish meatballs.  One side of my family has a large Norwegian influence, and I remember having these at family gatherings, so they sold a special place in my heart.  Also, one of the main flavors is Cardamom, which also is in many things from my childhood.  To make the balls, combine 1 large grated (on a cheese grater) and sauteed onion with 5 slices of bread that have been well soaked in 3/4C milk and pulverized/shredded/broken into small pieces, 2 eggs, some combination of 2.5lb ground beef/pork, 2t salt, 1t nutmeg, 1t cardamom and 2t pepper until well mixed.  Make into smallish balls and set aside while you make them all.  Then, working in batches in a largeish saute pan, brown them on all sides in butter, starting out with 6T and adding more as needed on medium heat, so as to not burn the butter.  Once all the balls are browned and you've added whatever butter is necessary to top it off, add 1/3 cup flour and stir constantly until it's reached a coffee with cream color (make a roux).  Once it has reached an appropriate color, add 1 quart hot beef stock slowly.  The roux will stiffen and sputter when you first add stock, but will settle down (see pictures).  Add the meatballs to the pan in batches and let simmer for about 10 minutes covered to finish cooking them, and serve.  They melt in your mouth with delicious flavors; I recommend eating with toothpicks.
via http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/swedish_meatballs/

The meatballs after sauteing and before boiling

The sauce right after adding some stock - note the apparent chunkiness

...that dissolves into a creamy sauce

...with a tasty end product

Finally, we have some intensely chocolate cookies that have a bit of a kick.  To make the batter, combine  2 1/4C flour, 1/2+Cocoa powder, 2t cream of tarter, 1t baking soda, 1/2t salt, 2 sticks melted butter, 1 1/2C sugar, 2 eggs, 2t cinnamon and 1/2t chili powder.  Make into small balls, roll in a mixture of 1/4C sugar and 1/2t chili powder, then bake at 400 for about 10 minutes.  This is a different take on the chocolate cookie, and I am a huge fan of it.
via http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/mexican-hot-chocolate-cookies

Brandy Snaps, Brunch Bread, Chocolate Bean Bread and Meatballs

Today we've got a fancy cookie, a bacon, tomato and cheese bread, a delicious chocolate cake/bread that has garbanzo beans instead of flour and meatballs.

To start off, we have Brandy Snap cookies, which are sugar shells filled with a brandy-infused whipped cream.  To make, combine 1 stick butter, 1/2C molasses, 1/4C sugar and 1/4C brown sugar in over medium heat (I used a cast-iron pan) stirring constantly until melted and combined, then allow to bubble for a minute or two, then turn off the heat.  Stir in 3/4C flour, 1/4t ground ginger, 1/8t salt and 1T+ brandy until just combined.
Drop about 1T dollops onto a Silpat (silicone baking sheet) to bake in a 325 degree oven.  I could only fit 6 cookies onto a half-sheet (13x18) pan, as they spread out a LOT, so dollop carefully.  Bake for ~15 minutes or until done (it took a couple tries for me to get the timing right; if you under-bake them, they end up soft and don't hold their shape, so can't be filled effectively), take out of the oven and let sit for about 2 minutes, then mold over the handle of a whisk or other small-ish round implement (I used a thin French rolling pin).  If you baked them correctly, they should harden quite quickly to a hard brittle sugar tube.  I tried putting them on a cooling rack for a minute or so before molding it, but they ended up cooling too quickly.  Putting them back onto the hot pan will re-soften them.  Make the cooked shortly before they are to be eaten and keep in a dry place, as you would any molded sugar.
To make the filling, blend 2C whipping cream, 1-2oz brandy and 1/3C sugar until it forms stiff peaks.  Fill the cookies with a pastry bag or zip-lock with the corner cut off very shortly before eating, and enjoy!  I estimate that you have at most 2 hours after filling before the cookies start dissolving, so unless you have a spoon handy, make shortly before eating.  Also, make sure that they aren't on any liquid (like melted whip cream), or the bottoms will disappear.  Incredibly delicious, not overly decadent, and fantastic looking.  Via http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/11/brandy-snaps/


Next up is a bread that's filled with bacon, cheese and tomatoey goodness!  To start off, make at least 6 strips of bacon and crumble well.  Then, combine 3C flour, 1T sugar, 1C water and 2 1/4T proofed yeast and kneed until smooth.  Add in 1T of reserved bacon grease, the bacon, 2T tomato paste, 2+ oz grated Monterrey Jack cheese and 1/2t salt and kneed until well combined.  Let rise for about an hour, or until doubled.  Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes, and you end up with a delicious and soft bread that's great on it's own, or as part of a dish (try removing some of the middle of a buttered slice and cooking it in a skillet with an egg in the void).  Also, to make a more tender crust, spray the oven with a water sprayer well a few times while cooking to maintain high humidity in the oven.  Via http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/01/bread-baking-tomato-cheese-and-bacon-bread.html














This is an extremely fudgy and chocolaty cake that's made with garbanzo beans, so you can pretend that it's good for you!  To make, combine 1 15oz can Garbanzos (drained and rinsed), 3 eggs and 1t vanilla in a food processor for about a minute.  Add in 5+oz melted chocolate chips, 1/2C sugar, 1/2t baking powder, 1/2t salt, 1t melted butter and 2T cocoa powder, and blend for an additional minute or so, until well blended and with a pudding-like consistency.  Bake at 350 for about an hour, or until a knife comes out clean.  The result is a really fudgey, decadent cake that is high in protein and not too bad for you (and you can't taste the beans at all). Via http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/01/chocolate-and-chickpeas-garbonzo-beans-cake-healthier-baking.html

Finally, a quick note on meatballs.  Our office had a competition a couple months ago, so I tried my hand (for the first time) making meatballs, and I think they turned out absolutely delicious.  I decided against going with just one recipe, so I just mixed together things that looked good.  For the balls themselves, I used unmeasured amounts of ground beef, seasoned breadcrumbs, caramelized onion, garlic, egg, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, Romano cheese, parsley, toasted onion powder, ranch dressing seasoning, apple cider vinegar and olive oil.  These were balled and browned in a pan, then glazed and baked.  For the glaze, I combined and reduced brown sugar, flour, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, raspberry jam and white wine.  They turned out really tasty, and took second in the office (to someone whose wife is a professional chef).  The picture is exceedingly unflattering, but the taste is what matters!

Pumpkin Pie and Cake, Pecan Pie, Carrot Cake, Honey Whole Wheat Bread and Spaghetti Squash

Alrighty, I've had my list of recipes to post building up for quite a while, but have been practicing my procrastination techniques instead of putting them up like a good little cook. Good news on the procrastination front at least, as I'm close to pro-level! Anyway, I figured that I would end the year on a good note, and today I've got a couple holiday and seasonal recipes as well as some standards tacked on at the end.

To start with, a pumpkin pie based on a recipe by Paula Deen (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/pumpkin-pie-recipe/index.html). Anything made with canned pumpkin gets a really nice and creamy texture, but the addition of cream cheese in this makes it nearly cheesecake-like in consistency.

I made a crust for this the same way that I made the torte crust in a previous post, but instead of must making a basic torte crust shape, I chilled the dough, rolled in into a circularish shape, chilled again, then pushed into a pie pan. Remember to fold the edges back under the crust, then press down with a fork or other design to make the crust more uniform (because mine was totally circular... right?). Pre-bake the crust at 350 for 15-20 minutes with something weighing down the middle of the crust so it doesn't poof too much.

For the filling, combine a softened 8oz package light cream cheese , 2C canned pumpkin, 1C sugar, 1/4t salt, 2 eggs, 1C milk, 1/2 stick melted butter, 1t vanilla, 1t cinnamon, and 1/2t ginger with beaters until smooth and creamy, then pour into a crust. I had leftover filling, and put the remainder in ramekins to bake and have individual pies (with or without mini-crusts). Bake your dish(es) at 350 for 50 minutes, or until the edges of the crust are golden brown. Utterly delicious.

Next up is a pumpkin cake, which is great for larger groups of people or pot-lucks, as it's in a 9x13 pan and travels quite well. To start, combine 1 box yellow cake mix except 1 cup with 1/2C melted margarine and one egg, and press into the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Then, combine a 15oz can pumpkin, 3 eggs, 2t cinnamon, 1/2C brown sugar, 1/2C white sugar and a 5oz can evaporated milk well, and pour over the base layer in the pan. To make the toping, mix together the reserved yellow cake mix, 1/2C sugar, and 1/4C melted margarine, then crumble that over the top, and bake at 325 for an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes. I got rave reviews from this, and it was quite tasty.

Continuing the holiday trend is a chocolate bourbon pecan pie. Now, I made this a month ago so don't remember precisely how I made it, but this is the best re-creation I can come up with. It doesn't use any high-fructose corn syrup like most pecan pies, only sugar. So, again start with a crust pushed into a pan. To make the filling, combine 3 eggs, 1/2C melted butter, 1C brown sugar, 1/4C white sugar, 1T flour, 1T milk, 2t vanilla extract, 2+T bourbon (I used Makers Mark) and 2/3C chopped pecans. Line the bottom of the crust with ~2/3C of good dark chocolate chips (like Ghirardelli), then pour the filling over them. Finish the top with whole pecans, and bake at 400 for 10 minutes, then turn down the temperature to 350 and bake for another 30-40 minutes. The pie will poof up while it bakes, and will then settle back down once it comes out of the oven. Utterly delicious, and feel free to modify any ingredients based on what you like.

I also had leftover filling for this pie, so put it in a ramekin with leftover crust and made a personal pie. Awesome present to myself the next night.

Moving on, we have a carrot cake from The Tassajara Bread Book. It has carrots in it, which means you can almost justify it as being healthy. It's not. Rather, it's extremely rich, excellently spiced and makes an awesome dessert. To make, combine 1C white sugar, 1C brown sugar, 4 eggs, 2/3C melted butter and 2/3C canola oil. Then, mix in 2 C flour, 1+T cinnamon, 2t allspice, 2t freshly grated nutmeg and 1C chopped walnuts. Finally, mix in 3C grated carrots and 1C raisins and divide into 2 piled 9 inch pans. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes, and serve with cream cheese icing. Delicious.

Growing up, there was a bakery my family went to that gave kids honey whole wheat bread sticks when they came in. These bread sticks amazing; sweet, soft, wheaty and delicious. I was looking for a good recipe for a standard whole wheat bread loaf I could use for my breakfast toast, and I think I found a recipe that is almost identical to those bread sticks, and so moist and tasty. Ok, enough adjectives, on to the recipe. Combine 3C warm water, 2t yeast and 1/3C honey, and let sit a couple minutes. Then, add 3C whole wheat flour, 3C bread flour, 3T melted butter, 1T salt, a drizzle of canola oil and a couple tablespoons of sugar, combine and kneed until smooth and a good consistency. Add up to a couple cups of bread flour as you kneed to adjust the consistency to a nice level. Let rise for a couple hours until doubled, divide into 2 loaf pans, let rise another couple hours until the pans are filled, then bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until golden on top. I may or may not have eaten a third of a loaf as soon as it came out of the oven. Oops.

Finally, a quick tip. Spaghetti squash is awesome. Furthermore, it makes a really quick easy dinner. Cook the squash by cutting it in half and cooking at 375 for 40 minutes, then scrape out the flesh, and add hummus and any veggies you may have. Hummus makes a remarkably good sauce, much like a pesto.

Baking Bonanza and Easy Gourmet

So, being that it is the beginning of the holiday season, I decided to do a couple recipes with a holiday theme. I also got an awesome new bread cookbook from my Aunt Trish full of amazing-looking recipes (The Tassajara Bread Book), so I just had to start making them.

To start off, a Pumpkin sweet bread that is just awesome. To make, combine 1 15 oz can pureed pumpkin, 1.5C brown sugar, 1 stick butter and 3 eggs, and stir until creamy. Add to that 3.5C flour, 2T baking powder (yes, tablespoon), 1t cinnamon, 1/2t salt and 1/2t nutmeg, and stir till well combined. Fold in 2C chocolate chips and bake in 2 loaf pans at 350 for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. The bread is creamy, pumpkin-y, chocolaty and really delicious.

Next up is a new take on gingerbread (from the new cookbook) . It has ground mustard in it, and is more cake-y and less cardboard-y than traditional gingerbread (though you can't really build houses out of it), and comes out quite moist and not that unhealthy. To make, combine 2.25C whole wheat flour, 1.5t baking powder, 1/2t salt, 1/2t baking soda, 1/2t cloves, 1t ground mustard, 1t cinnamon and 1t powdered ginger. In a separate bowl, combine 1 stick melted butter, 1C molasses, 1 egg and 1C hot water, then add that mixture to the dry mix and stir thoroughly (it ends up looking a bit runny), then bake at 350 in a 9x9 pan for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. It's got a really good flavor, and would be great with a bit of whipped cream on top.

Sticking with the healthier theme, I found (in the new cookbook) a really good base wheat muffin recipe, to which I added festival spices (one of the half dozen modifications they recommend) to make it more appropriate for the season. To make the base, combine 2C whole wheat flour, 2t baking powder, 1/2t salt, 1 beaten egg, 1/4C oil, 1/3C honey (or molasses) and 1.5C milk with as few strokes as possible (it's fine if it's still lumpy; the muffins will turn out just fine). Then, bake at 400 for 15 minutes or (can you guess?) until a toothpick comes out clean. I added 1/2t cinnamon, 1/2t nutmeg, 1/4t allspice and 1/4t ginger to the dry ingredients as well. The muffins taste quite good, and would make a great breakfast with some yogurt or just as a snack.

Finally, a random meal suggestion. Making pork chops (or steak) in a frying pan makes them fricken' awesome. Take a pork chop and salt and pepper each side, then place in a very hot, dry non-stick fry pan. It will initially stick to the bottom, and you will know when it's time to turn by when it releases itself. Flip over and repeat, but just before it finishes, add a couple drams of red wine and simmer the wine down with the pork chop so you end up with the flavor wonderfully infused; the pork chop comes out tender and moist. Top with some caramelized onions that were made with a drizzle of red wine, and you're getting gourmet. Add some green beans and red potatoes from a farmers market and you're in business!