Pumpkin-Peanut Risotto

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This lovely risotto is really a perfect dish for Meatless Mondays. It has wonderful color and a flavor profile that is sure to please. The recipe was developed at the Culinary Institute of America and it is nearly foolproof to make. You must, however, be careful not to over cook the arborio rice, and make sure that the risotto is served while it is piping hot. The rice gets gummy as it cools and it does not reheat well. If you do have leftovers, plan to use them to make risotto cakes or use them as a binder in chopped or ground meat. I use canned, unseasoned puree to make this, though I'm sure the risotto would be even better made with fresh pumpkin or squash. I made no changes to the recipe, save for the addition of salt and a pinch of nutmeg. I like this well enough to incorporate it into our Easter dinner. I have yet to decide if I'll serve it as a separate course or use it as a side along with other dishes. All the ingredients needed to make the risotto can be found in any well-stocked grocery store. Here's the recipe which I first found at The Peanut Institute.

Pumpkin-Peanut Risotto...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of the Culinary Institute of America

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoons peanut oil
1/3 cup onion, finely minced
1-1/2 cups arborio rice
5-1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup peanuts, toasted
Pinch of nutmeg
Salt to taste

Directions:
1) Heat butter and peanut oil in a heavy 4-quart casserole over moderate heat. Add onion and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, until it begins to soften, being careful not to brown it.
2) Add rice to onions and stir for 1 minute, using a wooden spoon to make sure all grains are well coated. Bring the broth to a steady simmer in a saucepan on top of stove. Begin to add simmering broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently. Wait until each addition is almost completely absorbed before adding next 1/2 cup, reserving about 1/4 cup to add at end. Stir frequently to prevent sticking.
3) When rice is tender but still firm, about 18 minutes, add reserved broth, pumpkin, lemon juice and parsley. Turn off heat and immediately add butter and Parmesan and stir vigorously to combine with rice. Garnish with peanuts. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Shrimp Risotto - One Perfect Bite
Asparagus and Lemon Grass Risotto - One Perfect Bite
Risotto with Smoked Salmon Spinach and Peas - One Perfect Bite
.
Risotto all Milanese(2) - Love through the Stomach
Farro Risotto - Christine's Cuisine
Brown Rice Risotto with Roasted Tomatoes - Deliciously Organic
Lobster Risotto - In Danny's Kitchen
Mushroom Risotto - Closet Cooking
Sausage and Mushroom Risotto - Sugar Crafter
Roasted Garlic Risotto - Handle the Heat
Asparagus and Mushroom Risotto - Life's Ambrosia
Mexican Risotto - What's Cooking, Mexico
Salmon and Pea Risotto - Coconut and Lime
Mushroom and Leek Risotto - Sweet Salty Spicy
Lemon and Roasted Red Pepper Risotto - Food is Love
Tomato Risotto - Phem Fatale
Butternut Squash Risotto - So Easy, So Tasty
Turkey Mushroom Risotto - Simply Recipes
Fresh Corn Risotto - Culinary in the Desert
Barley Risotto with Mushrooms and Thyme - Kalyn's Kitchen

This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday

Pumpkin Pancakes with Orange-Caramel Syrup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...While searching for ways in which to use a small amount of leftover puree, I came across several recipes for pumpkin pancakes. I finally decided to play with one developed by Cara Eisenpress, who, along with her cohort Phoebe Lapine, created the blog Big Girls Small Kitchen. The two, both twenty-something cooks, have also written a book called Cara and Phoebe's Quarter Life Kitchen which will be in bookstores this spring. Their blog is terrific and I'm sure that their book, which features an introduction by Ina Garten, will be as well. While I've added a bit more spice and have created an orange-caramel syrup to drizzle over the finished pancakes, Cara's original recipe is solid. The changes that I made were simply to better suit the tastes of my family who love a hint of orange with their pumpkin. I must also admit that, unlike Cara, I cook my pancakes on an electric griddle. Folks would find the ones I make in a skillet most unappealing. If you plan to use the orange-caramel syrup, make it before you begin to work on the pancakes. For best taste, the pancakes and the syrup should both be served warm. I also suggest going easy with the syrup. It is very sweet and a little goes a long way. Both the pancakes and the syrup are simple to make. If you are looking for something a little different for fall and winter breakfasts, you might want to give these a try. Here are the recipes.

Pumpkin Pancakes with Orange-Caramel Syrup...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Cara Eisenpress

Ingredients:
Syrup
4 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
Pancakes
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon mace
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled, or neutral oil


Directions:
1) To make syrup: Melt butter and brown sugar together in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Add orange juice and simmer until mixture is thick and smooth. Stir in the orange zest and set aside. Keep warm.
2) To make pancakes: Combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, mace, nutmeg, and brown sugar in a medium bowl. In a separate small bowl, combine pumpkin and egg and whisk to combine. Add milk, vanilla, and butter or oil, and whisk until mixture is smooth. Pour wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and fold only until combined--a few remaining lumps will do no harm. Heat a cast iron skillet or electric griddle. Using 1/4 cup batter for each, cook until bubbles form on top and surface of pancakes is no longer shiny. Flip cook 3 minutes longer. Remove to a serving plate. Serve hot with room temperature butter and still warm syrup. Yield: 10 pancakes.

You might also like these recipes:
Mini Ricotta Cakes - Expat Cucina
Latkes - Healthy Green Kitchen
Gingerbread Waffles - Annie's Eats
Applesauce Pancakes with Spicy Apple Syrup - The English Kitchen
Sourdough Pumpkin Pancakes - Neo-Homesteading
Red Velvet Pancakes - The Sweet's Life

Quick and Creamy Pumpkin Pudding

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I've been known to joke that my house is always ready for company, except when it's not. The phone rang at one of my most "not" moments and left me with about three hours to sanitize, beautify and cook for folks we don't see often, but whose company we really enjoy. In the midst of the ensuing chaos, a plan for an easy but festive meal came together. I fell back on my three fall P's of pork, potatoes and pumpkin. Years ago, I made an icebox cake that was always well received. While I had no time to make or set the cake portion of the dessert, I could make the filling and serve it as a creamy, almost mousse-like, pudding. I think you'll really like this one. It is a novel way to serve pumpkin, but it still is in keeping with the spirit of the season. I've used whole milk and heavy cream to make the dessert, but low-fat and non-dairy products can also be used. I love to serve this with my favorite Swedish gingersnaps. A crackling fire and great coffee are also wonderful accompaniments. Here's the recipe.

Creamy Pumpkin Pudding...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2 cups cold milk, divided
1 package (8-oz.) cream cheese, softened and at room temperature
2 packages (3.4-oz. each) instant vanilla pudding
1 can (15-oz.) pumpkin puree
Spice Mix:
...1 teaspoon ground ginger
...1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
...1/4 teaspoon ground mace
...1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
...1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
1 cup whipped cream

Directions:
1) Place 1/2 cup milk in a small microwave container. Add gelatin. Allow to soften for 2 to 3 minutes. Heat in a microwave oven for about 30 seconds on high power, or until until gelatin is dissolved. Set aside.
2) Beat cream cheese in a large bowl until light and airy. Beat in dissolved gelatin, 1-1/2 cups milk, dry pudding mix, pumpkin, all of spice mix and orange zest. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes until well-blended. Fold in whipped cream. Spoon mixture into individual serving dishes. Chill for at least two hours, or until set. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Pumpkin and Chocolate Layer Cake - Baking Bites
Pumpkin Nut Bars - Eating Out Loud
Rum Spiked Pumpkin Pie - My Gourmet Connection
Spiced Pumpkin Walnut Cake - Little Corner of Mine
Pumpkin Toffee Cheesecake - The Other Side of Fifty
Raisin Pumpkin Bread - The Food Addicts
Pumpkin Roll - What's Cooking Mexico?

Pumpkin Pecan Bread with Streusel Topping

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...While spring is my favorite season, I love the aromas that drift from the fall kitchen. This bread is wonderfully fragrant and it's as tasty as its aroma promises. While it is delicious, I must warn you the bread is very sweet and that may be off-putting to some. The recipe was develop by Rebecca Rather, of Rather Sweet Bakery and Cafe, and it can be found in her The Pastry Queen cookbook. The recipe makes two loaves of bread or enough muffins to feed the third world. Properly rapped the breads stays fresh for days and it freezes beautifully. I have several loaves in the freezer waiting for meetings and coming holiday parties. It is very easy to prepare and can be made without special equipment. The bread was new to me this season and I consider it to be a wonderful addition to my fall kitchen. Here's the recipe.

Pumpkin Pecan Bread with Streusel Topping ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Rebecca Rather

Ingredients:
Bread
1-1/2 cups pecan pieces, divided use
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 (15 ounce) can pure pumpkin
1 cup water
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1-1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
Topping
1/2 cup firmly packed golden brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup toasted pecan pieces (above)

Directions:
1) To make bread: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange pecans on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast them in oven for 7 to 9 minutes, until golden brown and aromatic. Reserve 1/2 cup of toasted pecans for topping.
Grease two 9 by 5-inch pans or 36 standard-size muffin cups with butter or cooking spray.
Whisk oil and sugar in a large bowl. Add eggs, pumpkin, and water and whisk until combined. Stir in flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Gently stir in 1 cup of the pecan pieces. Divide batter evenly between two pans or fill muffin pans almost to top with batter.
2) To make the topping: Stir sugar, butter, cinnamon, and the reserved 1/2 cup of pecan pieces in a medium bowl. Sprinkle topping liberally over the loaves or the muffins before baking.
3) To bake: Bake the loaves for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Bake muffins for 30 to 35 minutes.

You might also enjoys these recipes:
Raw Apple Bread - Living the Gourmet
Apple Caraway Bread - Eclectic Recipes
Okanagan Apple Bread - One Perfect Bite
Pumpkin Apple Bread - One Perfect Bite
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread - Two Peas and Their Pod
Pumpkin Molasses Bread - Tasty Eats at Home
Walnut Topped Pumpkin Bread - LA Easy Meals
Pumpkin Bread with Raisins and Pecans - That's Not What the Recipe Says
Pumpkin Bread with Dried Cranberries - No Fear of Entertaining

Pumpkin Apple Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...One of the problems with large cans of pumpkin is that most recipes don't need the quantity they contain and you are left with puree that must be used in other recipes or trashed. Buying smaller cans was not an option for many of us last year. I live in an area where there was a problem obtaining pumpkin and we bought what we could get. Only the large cans were available. I had pumpkin left after making the yeast rolls we featured yesterday and this wonderful recipe from a 1993 issue of Gourmet Magazine was an ideal place in which to use it. The recipe comes from Rebecca's Gourmet Bakery in Cary, North Carolina, and it makes two lovely spice scented loaves of harvest bread. Since fall is rapidly approaching, I thought I'd push the season a bit and share it with you now, rather than wait for the season to officially begin. There are no tricks to making these delicious loaves as long as you don't cut the apples in too large a dice. The cake-like bread keeps extraordinarily well and is perfect for toting to meetings or other functions when you are responsible for providing cake or cookies. I know you'll like this simple spicy bread. Here's the recipe.

Pumpkin Apple Bread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Gourmet Magazine

Ingredients:
For topping
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
For bread
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 (15-oz) can solid-pack pumpkin
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2-1/4 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 Granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped (2 cups)

Directions:
1) To make the topping: Blend together flour, sugar, cinnamon, and butter in a small bowl with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Set aside.
2) To make the bread: Put a rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9 X 5 inch loaf pans. Set aside. Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice into a medium bowl. Whisk together pumpkin oil, sugar, and eggs in a large bowl. Add flour mixture, stirring until well combined. Fold in apples. Divide batter between buttered loaf pans. Sprinkle half of topping evenly over each loaf. Bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of bread comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool loaves in pans on a rack for 45 minutes, then turn out onto rack and cool completely, about 1 hour. Yield: two loaves.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread - Mom's Cooking Club
Pumpkin Bread - My Kitchen Snippets
Pumpkin Bread with Dried Cranberries - No Fear Entertaining
Pumpkin Bread with Crumb Topping - The Hungry Housewife
Toasted Pumpkin Bread Pudding - Culinary Cory
Toasted Hazelnut Streusel Pumpkin Bread - Sugar Plum

Pumpkin Yeast Rolls - Blue Monday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...While it may sound strange to those whose families live in close proximity to one another, we are spread over the globe and celebrate Thanksgiving whenever we can all get together to celebrate the feast. The Eastern contingent of the family, which includes our younger grandsons, will be joining our very full house on Tuesday. That will be the night we celebrate our family Thanksgiving. These lovely rolls, for now safely ensconced in the freezer, will be one of the things that we serve. The recipe belonged to my husband's mother who was raised in Southern Illinois. They were part of her childhood and fairly typical of the farm breads that were served in that region at the time. They were served at bridge luncheons, probably because the original recipe made dainty rolls that were only 1-inch in diameter. The smaller size doesn't work for my trenchermen, so I double the size of our rolls. This dough, by the way, would make a wonderful cinnamon bread. The pumpkin keeps the rolls moist and there is just a hint of cinnamon to confound the tongue. I use canned pumpkin puree to make these because it's easier to use than fresh puree which can be stringy. I make these rolls for sentimental reasons. Some of you might enjoy them for their novelty. Here's the recipe.

Pumpkin Yeast Rolls...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 cup lukewarm water
3 cups all-purpose flour
3-1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup pureed pumpkin
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup whole wheat flour

Directions:
1) Combine yeast, sugar and water in a large bowl. Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup all-purpose flour. Cover and let risein a warm spot until double, about 1 hour
2) Melt 2 tablespoons butter and pour into a medium bowl. Add brown sugar, salt, pumpkin, egg, maple syrup and cinnamon. Add to yeast mixture and beat until smooth. Add whole wheat flour and 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour to make a stiff dough.. Knead in pan. Cover and let rise in warm place until double in size, about 2 hours.
3) Punch dough down and turn onto a floured board. Knead briefly and roll to a sheet about 1/2-inch thick. Cut into 2-inch circles and place circles on a floured baking sheet. Cover loosely with a towel and let rise again for 1 hour.
4) Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Melt reserved 1-1/2 tablespoons butter and brush on top of rolls. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Yield: 1 dozen 2-inch rolls.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Quick Yeast Dinner Rolls - Christine's Cuisine
Honey-Oatmeal Dinner Rolls - Salad in a Jar
Buttered Rosemary Rolls - Sugar Crafter
Dinner Rolls for a Crowd - Noble Pig
Classic Dinner Rolls - Beach Lover's Kitchen
Dark Dinner Rolls - Canela and Comino

This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday

Maple Syrup World