Homemade Pumpkin Paprika Spätzle

Ingredients:

for the spätzle:
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree*
1/2 tablespoon butter
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
pinch salt


to serve:
1 medium onion, cut into half moons
8 oz button mushroom, sliced
butter


Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a medium bowl using a hand mixer, mix together the eggs, pumpkin and butter until smooth. Add the flour and spices and mix until a thick, if slightly sticky batter forms.

Meanwhile, saute the onions and mushroom in butter until softened.

Place a handful of dough in a spätzle maker or a ricer with inchangable plates, using the medium plate. I used a ricer virtually identical to this one that I purchased from Aldi.

Squeeze the dough over the boiling water and cut off the noodles by running a knife along the bottom of maker when the spätzle is between 1/4-1/2 inch long. Cook until they float to the top. Use a slotted spoon or spider to scoop them out and add the mushrooms and onions. Repeat for remaining dough. Saute the spätzle until they are lightly browned. Salt and pepper and serve.

*I made this by roasting one small sugar pumpkin for about 40 minutes at 350.

My thoughts:

I'm on a mission to use up all of the pumpkins from the four volunteer pumpkins I ended up growing this year. I've been trying to think of savory pumpkin recipes all week. One suggestion that came up was gnocchi which I enjoy but for some reason, I can never shape it right. Then I thought, why not make spätzle?

I had never made spätzle before but I had bought this ricer a long time ago with the idea that I could probably use it as a spätzle maker. It's been languishing in the cabinet ever since. As it turns out, it does make a good spätzle maker! It took a lot of arm strength but it was worth it when I was rewarded with super tasty fresh pumpkin spätzle! I amazed myself. It was really quick too--I served with some pickled red cabbage with apples (from Aldi) and some bauernwurst I bought at a local German sausage maker-- and the whole dinner only took about 20 minutes. The paprika added a nice hint of spice and finishing them in the pan with the mushrooms and onions made for a great vegetarian side dish.

Autumn Spiced Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients:

seeds from 2 small sugar pumpkins
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons canola oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 225. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, stir all ingredients together to coat the seeds in spices and oil.  Arrange on the baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes, stir, bake for 15 minutes, stir, bake for 15 minutes. Turn the oven up to 350 for 10 minutes or until the seeds are very crispy.

Cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

My thoughts:

After I roasted the volunteer pumpkins from my yard to make the Afghan inspired pumpkin dish and the Italian sausage pumpkin pasta, I was left with a ton of seeds. My husband very nicely cleaned all the guts off them and then they sat in the fridge for a few days. My first thought was to make spicy seeds but he suggested using some warm baking type spices and since he cleaned the seeds, I went with it. 

Long-time readers know I don't eat pumpkin pie because I find the combo of pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spices beyond repulsive but I do like all the spices and actual pumpkin, separately. So I thought it was a little funny to make basically pumpkin pie spice pumpkin seeds (with a bit of allspice, ginger, and cardamom added). If you like all those spices, these are the seeds for you! Try them as a garnish on salads or soup or as a snack. 

Old Bay Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookies

Ingredients:
1 2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon Old Bay
2/3 cup toffee bits
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips



Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line 2-3 cookie sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Set aside.

In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy using a stand or electric hand mixer. Add the eggs and vanilla and combine thoroughly. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until a very thick dough forms.

Fold in the chips and toffee.

Form cookies by dropping 1 heaping tablespoon of dough two inches apart (I like this cookie scoop that holds 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough).


Flatten slightly then bake until light brown on the bottom, about 12-13 minutes.

Slide them out on the parchment paper onto a wire rack and allow them to cool 1-2 minutes on the parchment or Silpat on the wire rack before removing the parchment/Silpat and allowing them to cool directly on the wire rack.

Cool completely before storing in air-tight containers.

My thoughts:

One day my mom made something (deviled eggs? potato salad? I can't quite recall) and asked me what the secret ingredient was after I tried it. The secret ingredient was, of course, Old Bay. I told her Old Bay doesn't count as a secret ingredient in Baltimore because it is in everything.


If you are not from here, it sounds like an exaggeration but it really isn't. It's on fries, in dip, on crab laden soft pretzels, in shrimp salad, in crab imperial and of course, steamed crabs and crab cakes. I've made grits with it (served with Old Bay seasoned soft crabs), fried catfish dredged in it, made Thanksgiving for two with it, used it to season Chex Mix, made po'boys, jazzed up cauliflower, spiced hollandaise and so much more over the years.

It's a lot but we love it. Most of the uses of Old Bay are savory but it isn't unheard of to have it in something sweet. I've had Old Bay caramels, Old Bay chocolates and Old Bay toffee. I've eaten Old Bay caramel popcorn on the boardwalk in Ocean City. It struck me the other day that I have yet had it in a cookie.


That seemed wrong to me. The spices were very good with buttery caramel. I didn't want to have to make my own caramel but  I had some toffee bits I picked up at Hershey Park last weekend which provided a similar flavor and of course I added a lot of dark chocolate. The result? A cookie that tastes like a regular chocolate-toffee cookie for a minute but then a sharp, spicy note hits. It's really lovely. If you like spicy-sweet-salty combos, this may be your new favorite cookie.

If you are a hardcore Old Bay lover, feel free to add some more to the dough.

Crispy Thai Inspired Chicken Nuggets

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CrispyCreations #CrispiestChicken #CollectiveBias​

Ingredients:

2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tablespoons lemongrass stir-in paste (or one stalk finely minced fresh lemongrass)
juice and zest of one lime
1 jalapeño, sliced 3 cloves garlic, sliced 3 tablespoons nam pla (Thai fish sauce)
2/3 cup Argo® Corn Starch
2/3 cup flour
pinch sea salt
corn oil (for frying)
sweet chili sauce (for dipping)


Directions:

Place the chicken thighs, lemongrass, lime zest and juice,  jalapeño, garlic and fish sauce in a large resealable bag. Squish the bag around to evenly distribute all ingredients. Refrigerate 2-5 hrs.

Heat 1 1/2 inches of corn oil in a deep skillet. Meanwhile, whisk together the Argo® Corn Starch, flour, and salt. Dredge each nugget in the corn starch mixture. Fry until golden brown and fully cooked, about 6 minutes.

Drain on paper towel-lined plates. Serve with sweet chili sauce.

My thoughts:

I admit I have a secret fondness for chicken nuggets and sweet and sour sauce from a certain fast food establishment. Something about them really hits the spot at 2am. These days, however, I'm trying to cut back on my random takeout consumption and getting back in the groove of cooking most of my meals at home. That doesn't mean that my chicken nugget cravings have gone away though! Luckily, chicken nuggets are one of the easiest takeout fakeouts you can make. Since I was making these at home, I dialed up the flavor in the nuggets themselves vs. relying on a savory dipping sauce. Marinating them just a few hours in pungent fish sauce and lime juice infuses each nugget with a ton of flavor. Chicken thighs are moister than breasts and make for a juicy, succulent chicken nugget. The real secret ingredient, however, is Argo® Corn Starch​. I've long used it as a thickener in baked goods and sauces, and as a coating in a stir-fry but it really makes for the crispiest chicken you can imagine. Argo® Corn Starch​ is very fine and sticks to the chicken (without needing extra binding like eggs!) creating a light, airy crust that shatters when you bite into it while still sealing in the juices of the chicken. Argo® Corn Starch​ also helps the chicken to brown quickly and evenly which means your nuggets are always the perfect golden-brown of your dreams. It was so difficult not to eat the whole bowl! Who needs fast food nuggets when you can make this at home so easily?

Check out  Argo® Corn Starch's website for more recipe ideas using my secret ingredient. You too, can make the #CrispiestChicken. Remember, Argo® Corn Starch has over 100 years of quality and trust over multiple generations so you can count on it in all your recipes.

Hot Cocoa Brownies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, sliced
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup hot cocoa or hot chocolate mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chunks
1/4 cup dehydrated vanilla mini marshmallows

additional chocolate chunks and dehydrated marshmallows to garnish (optional)



Directions:

Preheat oven to 325. Butter and flour an 8x8 inch baking pan. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a small pan.

In a medium bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the sugars, cocoa powder, and hot chocolate mix. Stream in the hot butter and beat until well mixed. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg. Beat in the flour until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks and mini marshmallows.

Bake 30 minutes or until a toothpick or the tip of a dull knife inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Immediately sprinkle with additional chocolate chunks and marshmallows if desired, gently pressing down to anchor them in the brownies. Cool completely on a wire rack prior to slicing.

My thoughts:

Is it hot chocolate weather yet where you are? It's still pretty warm here but the calendar tells me it's fall. I'm actually not a huge hot beverage person, I love slushy and other cold drinks 1000x more, but I do like hot chocolate. Maybe it's the marshmallows.

My husband bought an industrial-sized tub of Galaxy hot chocolate/hot cocoa mix last year which was tasty but then he found a fancy super dark hot chocolate for me which I love. This leaves me with a huge amount of hot chocolate mix to get through. Luckily it's pretty good in baking! It already has some dehydrated milk in it so it makes things really taste like hot chocolate, not just regular chocolate. I have dehydrated marshmallows I bought in bulk at an old fashioned candy store but I've recently seen them in regular grocery stores so they hopefully won't be difficult to find. If not, I'm sure you could dig them out of packets of hot chocolate with marshmallow mix if you'd like. You're using the powder anyway!

This recipe makes a brownie that is slighly chewy thanks to the marshmallows, creamy yet very chocolatey thanks to the mix and the chocolate chunks. It's a brownie that will appeal to both brownie purists and those who want something just a little different.

Pumpkin, Fennel and Italian Sausage Pasta

Ingredients:

1 bulb fennel, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 cubanelle pepper, diced
1 lb hot Italian sausage (casings removed if necessary)
1/4 cup (loose) chopped Italian parsley
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon fennel pollen
2 cup roasted pumpkin*
12 oz cooked small pasta (I used creste di galli)
1/2-2/3 cup cooked pasta water
salt
freshly ground black pepper


Directions:

In a large skillet, saute the fennel, onion, and pepper until the onion is translucent. Add the sausage and parsley and saute until the sausage is nearly cooked though. Stir in the spices and pumpkin and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the pumpkin is warmed through and the sausage is fully cooked. Stir in some pasta water to loosen up the mixture. Stir in pasta. Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan and additional parsley if desired.


Yield: 6 meal-sized portions



*from 1 sugar pumpkin, halved and roasted for 45 minutes at 350.

My thoughts:

My volunteer pumpkin plant produced four pumpkins that didn't get nibbled on when we were on vacation. I made an Afghan-inspired dish with the first pumpkin that grew and when I was roasting that pumpkin, I roasted a second to speed up the next recipe. Then I was left with a bunch of pumpkin pulp. Loathing pumpkin pie and not being much of a muffin fan I really didn't know what to do with it. So many savory recipes called for cubed pumpkin but all I had was already pretty smooth.

We hadn't had pasta in a long time so I looked up pumpkin pasta recipes. So many called for a ton of heavy cream and that seemed so heavy and unappealing. Why not just thin the pumpkin out with a little starchy pasta water? It surprisingly (?)  worked! It really did turn the pumpkin into a sort of sauce that coated the pasta. The pumpkin melded so well with the sweet fennel and the hot Italian sausage I bought from the local Italian store. I love it when experiments really work!  The meal was super flavorful and filling without being over the top rich. No heavy cream needed!

Note: the leftovers reheated really well in the oven, covered in foil, for about 30 minutes at 350.

Afghan Inspired Roasted Pumpkin with Spiced Beef and Mint-Kefir Sauces

Ingredients:

for the pumpkin:
1 3-4 lb sugar pumpkin (aka pie pumpkin)
olive oil

for the sauce:
2-3 tablespoons minced fresh mint
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup plain Lifeway whole milk kefir
salt

for the meat sauce:
1 onion, diced
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 1/3 lb lean ground beef
8 oz canned tomato sauce (not puree, not paste)
2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste (or make your own with fresh ginger and garlic)
8 oz water
salt
freshly ground black pepper



Direction:

Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Set aside.

Cut the pumpkin in half vertically. Remove seeds and loose pulp (save the seeds for roasting!).  Lightly oil the pumpkin inside and out and place it cut-side down on the sheet.

Bake for 40 minutes or until a knife easily pieces the flesh. In a small bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.


Meanwhile, saute the onion until translucent. Add the spices and saute for 1 minute. Add the ground beef and brown, breaking up any large pieces. Add the tomato sauce, garlic ginger paste and water and simmer until the liquid reduces by half.

To serve: halve each pumpkin halve and fill with meat. Drizzle with sauce.

Serves 4.

My thoughts:

If you follow me on Instagram, you've probably seen me post the backstory to this pumpkin. Yes, my pumpkin has a backstory. We've never had luck growing vegetables in our yard, despite have excellent luck with various fruit trees and bushes, so we gave up planting anything. This year, nature had other plans because one morning I realized that we had a mysterious squash plant growing near my back door. It grew bigger and bigger and finally, it fruited and it was clear it was a pumpkin! Not only that but it was clearly a sugar pumpkin made for eating. What should I make?

Long-time readers also know I hate pumpkin pie so that was out. So what else could I do? I got a few good suggestions on Twitter and decided to take one from a fellow Baltimore blogger and make kaddo, an Afghan pumpkin dish. I'd had a sweet pumpkin appetizer at Baltimore stalwart The Helmand that had sugared pumpkin and a creamy yogurt sauce. I think it's pretty much their signature dish, every time the restaurant comes up in conversation somone mentions it. Anyway, I started to google recipes and realized that there is another version out there that adds a meat sauce to the mix. This sounded perfect because my pumpkins are a little bigger than app size and the addition of meat would make it into a more filling meal. I dug a little deeper into the recipe and really couldn't find any real connection to an Afghan dish actually served in Afghanistan. All of the recipes seemed to come back to a restaurant named Helmand in San Francisco, or a restaurant in Cambridge, MA also named Helmand (note to Afghan restaurants, maybe a new name is in order). Even blogs specializing in Afghan recipes admitted they didn't eat the dish while in Afghanistan but at one of these restaurants. So, I'm not entirely convinced kaddo bourani is some authentic Afghan dish. It does use a lot of the same flavors as other meat-based Afghan dishes and there are recipes for sweetened pumpkin so my guess is that some chef combined the two, added yogurt (a familiar addition in Afghan cuisine) and created a new dish. If you know more, please email me! I'm very interested.

So I checked out the menus of the various Helmand restaurants and came up with this recipe. It's almost like making sloppy joes, to be honest, so it is quite quick. The pumpkin takes a while but honestly, that requires no hands-on time so you really could make this on a weeknight and really impress someone.

After cracking the meat sauce, I moved on the yogurt sauce. Since I wanted to make this quick, I wanted to make the simplest sauce possible. I love doogh, a salty yogurt drink that is popular in Afganistan. It's often flavored with mint which reminded me of the sauce you pour over the meat and pumpkin and I wondered if I could just use that but is a little tricky to find in local stores.

I had heard about the Lifeway Kefir blogger contest. Kefir reminds me a lot of doogh, they are both lightly bubbly and of course yogurt-based but Lifeway Kefir is sold at Safeway, Giant, and Shoprite locally and I wouldn't have to track down doogh or make my own. Doogh isn't traditionally used as a sauce anyway, normally you thin out yogurt so using kefir which is already the consistency of thin yogurt was perfect. Less work, great yogurt flavor, and ton of probiotics? Sign me up.

The whole dish really came together. A lot of recipes I found online had you heavily sugaring the pumpkin and baking it for a very long time but I didn't find that either was needed. Sugar pumpkins are quite sweet naturally (it's in the name!) and truly don't need a long roasting time or sugar for them to provide the necessary sweet contrast in the dish. The meat sauce is deeply flavored and is complemented by the rich, minty sauce. The presentation is quite impressive too! I served this for an everyday meal but it would be perfect for a dinner party. You can easily double the recipe.

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