More Pumpkin Things

• How did it get to be nearly Thanksgiving?  I started this post, or at least the initial inspiration for this post, a year ago when it was just a few weeks away from Thanksgiving 2018.  And here we are.  A mere two-ish weeks away from Thanksgiving 2019.
• So, before everything turns to the Peppermint Things, I am going to sneak in a Pumpkin Thing.  And a Granola Thing, because in the years I've been writing this blog, how have I not shared a granola recipe???  It's so gloriously adaptable.  Make it your way and you have no excuse to skip breakfast.  It's healthy-ish.  Add milk and you've got a lovely cereal.  Add yogurt, a drizzle of honey, and some fruit and you have a Breakfast of Champions.  
• You can easily half this recipe as I initially made it to take to the neighborhood produce exchange that I never made it to.  Or just keep the amounts as is and gift everyone at your Thanksgiving dinner to a take home treat.
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Pumpkin Granola
Makes about 11 cups
Adapted from Nekisia Davis' Olive Oil & Maple Granola

6 cups rolled oats

1 cup pepitas

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup sliced almonds

1 1/2 cups unsweetened, shredded coconut

1 1/4 cup maple syrup

1 cup canola oil

1 cups packed dark brown sugar

1 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

Kosher salt, a generous pinch

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, add rolled oats, pepitas, sunflower seeds, almonds, and coconut.  Mix well.  Gradually add maple syrup and canola oil.  Mix well to incorporate liquids into dry ingredients.  Once mixed, add brown sugar, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin pie spice (or your own combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and ginger).  Add salt to taste.

Split granola mixture between two parchment lined cookie sheets and bake on separate racks in oven.  Bake for 50-60 minutes.  Halfway through bake time, be sure to turn granola and rotate cookie sheets.  Remove from oven when granola is golden brown.  Allow to cool completely before storing in airtight containers.  Will last for at least two weeks.

Muddle and Twist

Who wants cake?  Or should I ask, 'who wouldn't want cake?' because I can't imagine someone turning down a slice of cake. The home cook-centric site, Food52, opened a challenge called Recipe Off-Roading where taking liberties with the recipes and/or ingredients was encouraged.  Four of Food52's  most popular recipes were chosen for the challenge--Marcella Hazan's Four Ingredient Tomato Sauce, Martha Stewart's One Pan Pasta, Food52's co-founder, Amanda Hesser's Peach Tart, and New York City restaurant Maialino's Olive Oil Cake.  Cooks signed up naming which of the four recipes they were taking off road.  I chose Maialino's Olive Oil Cake.  I LOVE olive oil cake.  It's an easy recipe that doesn't require a mixer and comes together quickly. 

After tossing ideas around with a friend about what to change, I decided to change the flavor profile just a bit.  The Maialino's cake uses Grand Marnier, I used bourbon and muddled bitters, giving the cake the hint of an Old Fashioned.  My favorite quality of a good olive oil cake is how it improves over time.  While it's great on the day baked, go back a day or two later and it's amazing.  The bourbon and bitters really came through on the second day.  I also made the recipe in standard muffins and minis--a way to indulge without feeling guilty. 

Be sure to check out the article showcasing all 71 off-road variations--including mine!  If you haven't made an olive oil cake yet, get yourself in the kitchen soon!   

Bourbon Old Fashioned Olive Oil Muffins
Makes about 24 standard muffins

• 2cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2cups sugar
• 1 1/2teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2teaspoon baking powder
• 2sugar cubes
• 8dashes Angostura Bitters
• 3eggs, large
• 1 1/3cups olive oil
• 1 1/4cups milk
• 1tablespoon grated orange zest
• 1/4cup orange juice
• 1/4cup bourbon
  
  Powdered sugar for dusting, optional

• Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. With a mortar and pestle, muddle 8 dashes of bitters with 2 sugar cubes. In a large bowl, add sugar cubes, flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Mix well and set aside.  In a medium bowl, add olive oil, milk, bourbon, orange juice, orange zest, and eggs. Whisk well to make sure all ingredients are thoroughly mixed together. Line two 12-muffins tins with paper liners or grease and flour pans. (Non-stick cooking spray with flour works well too.  Gradually add wet ingredients to dry, mixing batter with a wooden spoon. Once all wet and dry ingredients are well-mixed, spoon batter into each muffin well to 2/3 full.  Bake for 30-35 minutes. Start checking at 30 minutes. The tops may not crack like a cake will, but do check for the tops turning golden to light golden brown. Also check for doneness by inserting a toothpick or cake tester into centers of each. It will come out clean if done.  Allow muffins to cool in pans for 20-25 minutes before turning out. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

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Do You Hear It?

The vague sound of a brass section coming down the street?  That's the sound of the bandwagon I'm about to jump on.  For what, you ask?  A soup that sounds totally unassuming as you're reading through the ingredients list.  And while it looks good in the photos, you're thinking, 'but it's just soup'.

But it's not just soup.  I suppose the first thing I should do is stop calling it 'soup' and start calling it 'stew.'  #thestew, to be accurate.  The hashtag currently has 3,108 posts attached to it on Instagram.  I believe it is totally deserving of each and every one of them.  New York Times Food/Bon Appetit writer, Alison Roman, first wrote about the stew in November.  I'm here to tell you it's delicious.  It's easy.  It's hearty without being overly filling.  We've had a couple of rainy, cold, and grey days here in Los Angeles (it's Winter, after all) and it was the perfect kind of weather for this stew.

You may have caught Alison on the 'Today Show' last week on one of their food segments.  I missed the original NYT article, but happily caught her appearance.  You can see it here.  Watch it, then run to the kitchen and make #thestew.  I'll be looking for your post on Instagram tomorrow night.

Alison Roman's Spiced Chickpea Stew with Coconut Milk that I riffed slightly.

Serves 2

2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 yellow onion, minced
1 inch piece of ginger (peeled and grated)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp tumeric
1 15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can coconut milk, full fat
1 cup vegetable broth
1-1 1/2 cups kale, torn from stalk
cilantro, for serving
2 tbsp yogurt
salt and pepper

In a pot over medium heat, add olive oil, garlic, ginger, and onion.  Saute until onion turns translucent and edges begin to brown.  Add garbanzo beans, red pepper flakes, and tumeric.  Allow garbanzo beans to get a little brown on them--8 to 10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Set aside about a quarter cup for garnish.  Add vegetable broth and coconut milk.  Stir all ingredients and smash chickpeas as much as possible.  Turn heat to simmer, stirring occasionally.  Let cook for 30-35 minutes.  You'll see the stew thicken around the 30 minute mark.  Add kale, stir, and cook until softened, but still bright green.   Ladle into bowls, garnish with cilantro, reserved chickpeas, and a dollop of yogurt.

The original recipe calls for mint, not cilantro, but I'm not a mint fan.  Feel free to use it if you are.  Also, the kale can be substituted with spinach, collard greens, Swiss chard, or any other leafy green you like.  Add more red pepper flakes if you want to take the spicy up a notch or two.  The original recipe also calls for serving with lavosh or pita.  I found it to be unnecessary, but if you want to sop up all the stewy bits...go to town!

In other news, I want to wish you all an amazing and abundant 2019.  And it will be.