Spicy Pumpkin Soup

This is the best spicy soup ever! With a hint of pumpkin sweetness. Very spicy, but so easy to prepare. Just mix all the ingredients together.

Ingredients:

1 can (14 ounce) diced tomatoes

1 can (14 ounce) pumpkin puree

2 cups chicken broth

1 large onion, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon chile powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 heaping teaspoon dried oregano, crushed between fingertips

1 teaspoon sea or kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, seeds removed, minced, optional

1 + 1/2 pounds chicken breasts or cutlets, skin and visible fat removed

2 cans (14 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 cup corn kernels, if frozen, thawed

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

sour cream, shredded cheddar, guacamole/avocado, green onions and/or tortilla chips, for serving

Pumpkin Pancakes for breakfast!

What can be better than pancakes for breakfast?
Prepare like regular pancakes with pumpkin puree.

HALLOWEEN WEEKEND!!!

Halloween, pumpkins, spooky costumes are everywhere! And we got two adorable pumpkins. So now it is pumpkin cooking time.
Look at those beautiful pumpkins I've got!

I have 4 pumpkin dishes for this weekend:
Pumpkin Soup
Pumpkin Pancakes
Pumpkin Risotto with Seared Scallops
Pumpkin Brownies

Yesterday we made Pumpkin Risotto and Brownies. They were AMAZING! I just don't have words to describe them, the best food we made so far, the best food with pumpkin and great ideas not too difficult to prepare.


Pumpkin Risotto with Seared Scallops

Serves 6

Ingredients:
pumpkin risotto:1¼ cups pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch ground clove
¼ cup hot vegetable broth
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, divided
4 to 5 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups Arborio rice
2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese, softened
¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
salt and pepper to taste
seared scallops:2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (plus more, if needed)
18 large scallops, cleaned
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. For the risotto: Stir together the first six ingredients for the risotto into a small pot and bring to a simmer.
2. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove mixture from the heat and pour into a blender with the broth, season with salt and pepper and blend.
3. With the motor running, add ¼ cup of butter into the blender, 1 tablespoon at a time. Blend until smooth, about 3 minutes.
4. Pour the mixture into a bowl and set aside until ready to use.
5. Pour the chicken broth into a medium pot and warm over low heat.
6. Place a large pan over medium heat and melt the remaining butter and olive oil.
7. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for about 3 minutes.
8. Add the rice and sauté for 3 to 5 minute or until each grain of rice is coated in oil and there is a white dot in the center of each grain.
9. Begin adding the warm broth to the rice, one ladle full at a time, stirring frequently.
10. Each time the liquid evaporates, add another ladle of broth and continue to stir.
11. Continue to add liquid and stir until the rice is al dente, 20-25 minutes.
12. Stir in the pumpkin puree until completely combined.
13. Stir in the mascarpone and parmesan until smooth. Fold in the thyme and season with salt and pepper.
14. For the scallops: Heat the oil in a heavy bottom skillet, over medium-high heat.
15. Season each scallop with salt and pepper.
16. Sear the scallops, in batches, for 3-4 minutes on each side.

Pumpkin Brownies

Ingredients:
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped (I took dark chocolate this time)
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
For the Pumpkin Swirl
4 ounces cream cheese, softened ( I made with mascarpone)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice mix (ground cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, ground allspice, ground cloves)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Ganache
semisweet chocolate, chopped
heavy cream

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Microwave chocolate and butter in a large bowl at medium for 3-4 min or until butter is melted. While the chocolate is melting, prepare the pumpkin layer. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, pumpkin puree, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla. Beat with electric mixer well combined and smooth. Set aside.
3. Once the butter is melted, remove the bowl from the microwave and stir until chocolate is melted. Whisk in sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt. Gradually add in flour, stir until just combined.
4. Spread 3/4 the batter into prepared pan .Spoon pumpkin filing by tablespoonfuls evenly over batter. Spoon remaining brownie batter over filling. Use a knife or wooden skewer to cut through the batter several times in different directions to create a swirled pattern. Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 min - do not overbake.
5. Remove to cooling rack to cool completely. Before serving, prepare the ganache.
6. To make the ganache, pour the chopped chocolate  into a medium mixing bowl, set aside. pour the heavy cream into a microwave safe measuring cup and microwave on high for about 1 minute or until bubbles begin to form on the surface. Take care to not overheat because the cream will boil over. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and allow it to sit for about 3 min. Use a small whisk to combine the mixture into a smooth chocolate glaze. Spoon the ganache over the brownies.

Italian Weekend

Let's jump to the international cuisine themes! And the first theme - Italian cuisine! In my opinion italian food compared to other food is relatively easy to prepare. And besides, it is one of our favorites. So... let's start!
For our dinner today we had:
1. Antipasti: melon with prosciutto and crackers with soft cheese (ok, the last one probably is not italian, it was our improvisation :))
2. Entre: Pasta Penne with home-made tomato sauce
3. Dessert: Tiramisu ( of course!!!)

There is nothing to tell about today's antipasti because it is simply to put all ingredients together :)

For tomato sauce you need:

- 1 onion (medium size)

- 2 cans with tomatoes

- garlic

- salt, pepper

- oregano

After frying all ingredients in a pan, you can blender all together, but I left it that way.  I like when there are some bigger tomato pieces in a sauce. Add a cup of heavy cream to the sauce. Toss pasta into the sauce (or serve it separately) and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Buon appetito!

For tiramisu:
Beat 6 egg yolks and 1 cup sugar until light yellow color. Add 16-18 ounces of mascarpone, 0,5 cup of dark rom, 0,25 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice, vanilla extract and vanilla beam seeds.
Dip lady fingers in rom+orange juice and make a first layer in a dish. Spread raisins on top (put in microwave before). Spread mascarpone layer. Again : ladyfingers and mascarpone. Put in the fridge for a night. Shave chocolate on top! Enjoy!

First Cooking Weekend

For our first cooking session I decided to choose easy, but quite interesting recipes. For the main course it was Tilapia fillet with prosciutto and roasted vegetables, and for a dessert - Lemon Cream Napoleon cake! Although, when I read my dessert recipe instructions, I realized that the main preparations should be done a night before the dinner! Instead, i did all the preparations in the morning :) and it was fine!!
So, here is a recipe for Tilapia and vegetables (by the way, originally is should be sea bass fillet, but any white unflavored fish is good):
Cut vegetables (potatoes, carrots, butternut squash and parsnip) in small cubes, sprinkle with olive oil and roast in oven about 30-40 min. Meanwhile, cut fish in pieces and wrap each one with prosciutto. Place in a dish and bake for 15 min (depends on fish).
Sauce: melted butter, lemon juice and rosmarin. When the dish is ready, sprinkle sauce on fish and vegetables.

Here is a recipe for lemon cream Napoleon: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/lemon-cream-fillo-napoleon-recipe/index.html
It may seem like a complicated recipe, but I made it in easy way.
I made a cream the way it should be. For 3 servings (you can see size on the pic) you need: 
- zest of 1lemon
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1 tsp powdered gelatin
- 3 whole eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- salt
- 4 ounces (1 stick) butter
Cook over mid-low heat and refrigerate for at least 9 hours. 
When cream is done, spread it between puff pastry levels like on the pic! Put hot water in the unused cream to make a sauce! This is very simple!
Decorate with blackberries! 
I can tell you - lemon cream was soooo "lemony"!

We will definitely prepare these dishes one more time!!!