Cheesy Pumpkin Dip
This is a pretty way to serve dips this time of year. The dip bakes inside the pumpkin- and the pumpkin bakes, too. It is served hot. Fun for Halloween, Thanksgiving, watching football games or just movie night with the family.
It really is simple and could be filled with any number of combinations of cheesy goodness. I have included the recipe I used in the picture. I also included my recipe for Spinach and Artichoke Dip, to give you another option.
You could also add a hot cheese sauce and serve like fondue, with long forks and pieces of bread.
You get a pie pumpkin, about 2-3 lbs. Cut off the top to make a lid and scoop out the seeds, like you would if you were making a Jack-o-Lantern. Wipe off the outside and then just fill it up with the dip mixture. Put the lid back on, bake for an hour, and you are good to go. The fun part is scraping some of the cooked pumpkin in with the cheese dip. More detailed directions follow.
So here is the recipe for making the cheesy filled pumpkin. I think it is simple enough to serve anytime, not just on a holiday. Enjoy!!
“Pumpkin” Cheese Dip
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut off top of pumpkin. Cut in at an angle, so top will fit like a lid and not fall in. Set top aside. Scoop out seeds and clean out any stringy bits*. Set pumpkin on a baking sheet. Combine cheese filling of your choice and place inside the pumpkin. Place the top of the pumpkin back on the pumpkin, and place in oven. Bake for 1 hour. Remove pumpkin and place on heat proof dish. I used a glass pie plate. Remove lid. Serve with crusty bread or crackers.
Smoky Cheese Dip
8 oz. cream cheese, cubed
4 oz. extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
8 oz. bacon, cooked and crumbled
½ c. sour cream
¼ c. mayo
¼ c. chopped parsley
½ t. each cumin and smoked paprika
Pinch of nutmeg
½ c. hulled pumpkin seeds
In medium bowl, stir together all ingredients, except the seeds. Place this mixture in the pumpkin when ready to bake. Don’t add the pumpkin seeds until right before serving. Stir them in a little, if you like.
Another nice choice…….
Spinach and Artichoke Dip
1 (12-14 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
8 oz. cream cheese, cubed
4 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
½ c. diced onion
¼ c. Italian dressing
Dash of hot sauce
In medium bowl, combine dip ingredients, stirring to combine. Place in pumpkin when ready to bake.
* You can rinse off the seeds, lightly salt them and toast them, if you like. Then serve with the pumpkin dip. If you aren’t interested in eating them- please put them outside for the birds to eat.
Appetizer Mini Meat Muffins
These muffins came about after a friend asked me if I could make a meat muffin. Something savory, rather than sweet. I had already made corn muffins that weren’t sweet, so it wasn’t a stretch to make other muffins that were also savory.
As I was playing around with the recipe I had some of my students try them in a recent cooking class. Everyone liked them. One woman suggested serving them with marinara sauce for dipping. I love that idea. I always wanted some sort of sauce to dip them in.
A nice bonus about these muffins is that they contain a fair amount of veggies. I declined to call them veggie muffins, though. I think calling them meat muffins or pizza muffins will get a few more people to try them. You can easily change up the seasonings, too. Maybe curry powder or even adding some fresh herbs. You can also use breakfast sausage. I used Italian sausage.
I did some looking around online and found several recipes that interested me. The recipe I ended up with is a combination of a couple of those recipes with some extras of my own. I hope you will give them a try. They freeze well, too. So you can make a batch, freeze them, and just take out at needed.
So here is the recipe.
Mini Meat Muffins – Pizza Version
3 eggs
¼ c. oil
1 c. milk
1 c. minced fresh broccoli, I pulsed in a food processor
½ c. grated carrot
½ c. minced green onion or shredded zucchini – either works
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 c. cooked, minced sausage- I used Italian sausage
¼ c. chopped pepperoni
1-2 T. pizza seasoning
1 T. tomato paste – I used 2 t. of tomato powder, but tomato paste is easier to find
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
½ t. salt
1½ c. flour: all purpose, spelt or whole wheat
extra cheese and pepperoni, if desired
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 48 mini muffin tins. Set aside. In medium bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients. Stir in cheese, sausage, pepperoni, pizza seasoning and tomato paste. Stir in remaining ingredients and use a cookie scoop to put batter in the prepared pans. Fill them pretty full, as they don’t rise much. You can top with a little more cheese or pepperoni, if you like. Bake 12-14 minutes, or until muffins spring back when pressed lightly in the middle. Serve warm or cold. Makes about 48.
Caponata
I was thinking of making caponata with some fresh eggplants I had just gotten. Someone once asked me what it was, and I said kind of like salsa- only with Italian ingredients. Not sure if that sums it up, but Caponata is a mix of several vegetables with some seasonings.
Caponata can be served cold, at room temperature or hot. I enjoy it as an appetizer served with crusty bread but I also add it to marinara sauce, top pizza with it or add it to vegetable stock with some cannelini beans for a great vegetarian soup. While my version does not contain capers- I sometimes add them. They marry well with the other flavors in this dish.
This is one of those vegetarian dishes that everyone seems to love. The version here is vegan- but you could add a few curls of Parmesan on the top.
Caponata
2 small eggplants, unpeeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces, about 5-6 cups
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 c. olive oil, or a little more
4 celery ribs, sliced
2 sweet peppers, seeded and chopped
1 heaping tablespoon chopped garlic
3 tomatoes, chopped- or 1 (14.5) can diced tomatoes- undrained
1 c. sliced black olives
3-4 T. red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste*
Soak eggplant in salted water for at least 15 minutes. Rinse, drain and pat dry. Set aside. Meanwhile in skillet cook onion in 2 tablespoons of the oil until tender. Add the celery and cook until the celery is tender-crisp. Place mixture in a mixing bowl and set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons more of the oil and cook the peppers until tender. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Add the tomatoes and cook 1 minute longer. Add this mixture to onion mixture and return skillet to the heat. Add remaining oil to skillet and cook eggplant until golden brown and tender. You may have to do this in 2 batches. Add remaining ingredients to bowl while eggplant is cooking. When eggplant is done add it to the bowl and mix well., Season to taste. Serve with crusty breads cold, hot or at room temperature. Serves 10-12.
* While I don’t have any herbs listed in the ingredients I often add oregano and basil or an Italian or Tuscan seasoning blend. I also like to add capers.
Classic Carrot Cake
I can’t remember the first time I had carrot cake. I do know that I loved it. Carrot cake is a timeless dessert that never goes out of style.
It is a simple cake, but full of flavor from cinnamon, vanilla and three cups of shredded carrots. The carrots add both flavor and moisture to the cake. Plus, with all those carrots, it’s like dessert and a veggie all in one. Practically health food.
It seems like a long time since I baked a carrot cake. Too long. Since a dear friend gave me carrots a few days ago, it seemed like the right time to bake one.
I baked the cakes this morning. I only made one recipe, but instead of baking the cake in one 9×13-inch pan, I used two (8×8 -inch) pans. Baking time was about 5 minutes less. Once the cakes cooled down, I frosted them with cream cheese frosting – recipe follows. Now I have two carrot cakes. One to share with a neighbor and one to freeze for another time.
So here is the recipe. I hope you love it as much as I do.
Classic Carrot Cake
4 eggs
2 c. sugar
1½ c. oil
3 c. shredded carrots
2 t. vanilla
2 c. flour
2 t. each baking soda and cinnamon
1 t. salt
1 c. nuts
1 c. raisins, optional
Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9×13-inch pan. Beat together eggs sugar and oil until smooth. Stir in carrots. Combine flour with dry ingredients and beat in. Stir in nuts and raisins and pour into prepared pan. Bake 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Dust with powdered sugar or frost with cream cheese frosting.
Frosting recipe:
8 oz. Cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1 stick butter, room temperature
Beat all together until fluffy. Frost cake and refrigerate until ready to eat.
Zucchini Bread Pudding
I had some extra zucchini bread and wanted to do something different with it. I ended up making this zucchini bread pudding. It came out even better than I thought it would. Rich, not too sweet. A simple, classic dessert.
I felt it needed some sort of topping or sauce. I made a vanilla caramel sauce to dress it up a little. It worked great. Ice cream or whipped cream would have worked, too.
I guess I should really call it a zucchini bread bread pudding. After all, it is bread pudding made from zucchini bread. My spell check hates it when I type the same word twice, so zucchini bread pudding it is.
I know this would also work with other quick breads, like pumpkin or banana bread.
So here is the recipe- for the bread pudding, the zucchini bread and the caramel sauce.
Zucchini Bread Pudding
6-8 cups cubed zucchini bread- recipe follows
8 oz. cream cheese- cubed
2 c. half and half
3 eggs
1 T. vanilla
1 t. cinnamon
Vanilla Caramel sauce- recipe follows
Butter a 2-quart casserole. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place half the cubed zucchini bread in the prepared pan. Add half the cubed cream cheese, scattering over the bread. Repeat with remaining bread and cheese. In bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, beating until well mixed. Pour over the zucchini bread mixture. Place casserole in oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until bread pudding is set. Allow bread pudding to cool a little before serving. Serve with the vanilla caramel sauce or top with ice cream or whipped cream. Serves 8.
While often served warm, this bread pudding is tasty served chilled, too. Heck, I just had some for breakfast.
Zucchini Bread
3 c. flour
3 eggs
2 c. sugar
2 c. shredded zucchini
1 c. oil
1 c. chopped nuts or raisins
½ c. sour cream or strained yogurt
1 t. each vanilla, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and baking soda
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 2 (9×5 inch) loaf pans. Set aside. Place flour in large bowl. Beat eggs and add with remaining ingredients to flour, mixing well and scraping bowl. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until browned and toothpick in center emerges clean. Cool in pans on wire rack. Freezes well. Makes 2.
Vanilla Caramel Sauce
1 c. sugar
¼ c. water
4 T. butter
2 t. vanilla
¼ c. half and half
Pinch of salt
Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the remaining ingredients. Stir until smooth.
Green Tomato Sweet Relish
This sweet relish is a great way to preserve those last of the season tomatoes. It is every bit as good as relishes made from cucumbers.
Someone asked me for the recipe- so here it is.
Green Tomato Sweet Relish
6 pounds green tomatoes, about 22 medium
2-3 medium onions
2 medium sweet red peppers
1 sweet green pepper
1 large rib celery
1 3/4 c. white or cider vinegar ( 5% acidity)
1 2/3 c. sugar
3 T. canning salt
1 1/2 t. celery seeds
1/2 t. each cinnamon, cloves, allspice and turmeric
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
Wash trim and quarter vegetables. Put vegetables through food grinder using medium blade or pulse in food processor to chop finely. Drain, discarding liquid. Wash jars in hot, soapy water. Rinse and set aside. Combine vinegar with remaining ingredients in large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add vegetables and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Continue simmering while packing hot jars, one at a time. Fill to within 1/2 -inch from top of jar. Wipe rims and place on lids. Process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Makes 5-6 pint jars.
Green Tomato Pickles
The garden season is winding down around here. A number of friends have posted pictures of their last ripe tomatoes of the year. That is a sad time. But, don’t forget about those green tomatoes. You can make fried green tomatoes, which are great. You can also make these pickles. That way, you can enjoy those home grown tomatoes a little longer.
The recipe is pretty simple. I sometimes add a teaspoon of red pepper flakes to each jar for a spicy version. The hardest part is waiting. Once the tomatoes are canned, you have to give them 4-6 weeks for the pickling to finish. Trust me, it is worth the wait. While the recipe calls for using quart jars, you can use pints. Process for the same time as the quart jars. I like to use pints for the green cherry tomatoes.
Just because your ripe tomatoes are done for the year, harvest those green ones and get a little something more from your garden.
Green Tomato Dill Pickles – Kosher Style
Green tomatoes
6 ribs celery, cut in 2-inch pieces
6 Sweet green peppers
6 cloves Garlic, peeled
2 quarts water
1 quart vinegar- 5% acidity- you can use white or cider vinegar
1 cup canning or pickling salt
Dill, optional
Use small firm green tomatoes. Pack into hot, clean canning jars. Add to each quart jar a clove of garlic, 1 piece of celery, and 1 green pepper cut into fourths. Make a brine of the water, vinegar, and the salt. Boil with the dill for 5 minutes. Pour the hot brine over the pickles to within 1/2 inch of the top of the jar. Put on cap, screw band firmly tight. Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. These pickles will be ready for use in 4- 6 weeks. Yield: About 6 quarts. Source: NCHFP
Corn and Bean Wraps
If you are looking for a different filling for your wraps, you should try this recipe. The filling is a combination of cabbage, corn, beans, green onions and Cajun seasoning. The veggies are all mixed together and served warm, wrapped in a tortilla.
Shredded cabbage is wilted down in oil. I just cut up fresh cabbage, but you could use cole slaw mix, if you like. Once the cabbage is tender, the rest of the ingredients are added. It could not be easier.
This also might be a way to get your family to eat more veggies. We do like to eat things that are rolled up, wrapped up or stuffed.
I used fresh sweet corn, but you can use frozen corn. I freeze local sweet corn every year to enjoy throughout the year.
So here is the recipe. The ingredients may seem humble, but put together, they really are something special.
Corn and Bean Wraps
1 lb. shredded cabbage or cole slaw mix
oil
1 c. corn, fresh or frozen
1 c. sliced green onions
1 T. Creole seasoning
1 (15 oz.) can beans, drained – I like black beans or kidney beans
1/3 c. mayonnaise
6 (8 inch) flour tortillas
Sauté cabbage, covered, in oil until wilted. Add remaining ingredients (except mayo) and cook until heated through. Remove from heat and stir in mayo. Spoon mixture down center of tortillas and roll up. Serves 6.
Chocolate Beet Cake
When I say beet cake, a lot of people give me a funny look. First, there are the beet haters, and you know who you are. The people who just don’t like the taste of beets. I get that, beets are an acquired taste.
Then there are the people who like beets, but could never picture them in a cake. I bake cakes with carrots in them, zucchini and even parsnips. Adding beets to a cake is not so far off. The beets add a subtle red color to the cake, but they also add moistness. The end result is a cake that is full of flavor and has a wonderful, moist texture.
Truth is, I don’t really taste the beets in the cake much at all. I taste the chocolate. So here is the chocolate beet cake recipe. I hope you enjoy it.
Chocolate Beet Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3 large eggs, beaten
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons oil
1½ cups grated cooked beets
2 teaspoons vanilla
Powdered sugar, optional, or cream cheese frosting- recipe below
Preheat oven to 350°. Combine flour, soda, salt, sugar and cocoa in a bowl; set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs and oil. Beat in vanilla and continue beating until well blended. Slowly beat in dry ingredients until well mixed; stir in beets. Pour into a greased and floured 9×13-inch baking pan. Bake at 350° for 25 to 35 minutes, or until cake bounces back when touched lightly with finger. Cool in pan on a rack. Frost cooled cake, or dust with powdered sugar.
Frosting recipe:
8 oz. Cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. powdered sugar- or more to taste
1 stick butter, room temperature
Beat all together until fluffy. Frost cake and refrigerate until ready to eat.
Pickled Mushrooms and Peppers
This dish combines two of my favorites- mushrooms and peppers. They are cooked together in an herb-rich brine, then allowed to chill in the brine, absorbing even more flavor. Think of it like a fresh pickle.
Once finished, the marinated veggies will keep for several weeks in the fridge.
This is a great dish to have on hand. You can serve it as an appetizer, with cheese and crackers, or as part of an antipasto tray. I have been known to eat them right out of the container as a snack.
You can also serve it on a bed of lettuce, as a salad, using some of the brine as the dressing. I sometimes double the brine ingredients, just so I have extra “liquid” to use as a dressing.
I kept it fairly mild, but you can add hot sauce for a spicier version, if you prefer.
I know 2 pounds of mushrooms sounds like an awful lot. It really isn’t. The mushrooms cook down a lot.
Pickled Mushrooms with Peppers
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 lbs. fresh mushrooms, stems removed
2 sweet peppers, seeded and diced
Combine the vinegar, water, oil, sugar, onion, parsley, basil, garlic, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil. Stir in the mushrooms and red bell pepper; return mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until the mushrooms are tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Transfer to a covered container and store in refrigerator at least 4 hours before serving.
