Pumpkin bread

This time of year we see the image of pumpkins everywhere, on most doorsteps, Halloween decorations, and as the main ingredient to many fall and holiday recipes. Pie or sugar pumpkins are smaller than the common jack-o-lantern carving pumpkin and the best type to use when baking and cooking. With Halloween behind us, these small pumpkins will be more difficult to find, so buy them now so you can enjoy using fresh pumpkin in your holiday dishes. Canned pumpkin will always do the trick and is quite tasty, but nothing beats the flavor of fresh pumpkin!

The best way to get the "meat" out of the pumpkin is to roast it. Pre-heat the oven to 375'F, cut a sugar or pie pumpkin in half or large chunks, scoop out the guts and seeds. Save the seeds so that you can roast those for a snack or to sprinkle on a salad. Place the pumpkin halves skin side up on a foil-lined shallow baking dish, add a small amount of water, approximately 3/4 cup, and bake for 40 minutes or until tender. Allow to cool completely, remove to the skin and discard, and mash the pumpkin with a potato masher. Now you have pumpkin to create all kinds of yummy dishes.

One of my favorite pumpkin recipes is pumpkin bread, which I love anytime of year, however having access to real pumpkin makes it a real treat. It results is a super moist, fluffy, flavorful and fragrant snack or dessert. I love the smell of the kitchen when the bread is ready to come out of the oven. Kids love this bread too!

As a bonus, I don't believe this recipe tastes any differently than the gluten version. I blended in a bit of buckwheat flour to give the bread a touch of whole grain fiber. If you don't have buckwheat you can use 2 cups of your regular gluten-free flour instead of 1 1/2. Buckwheat is not wheat and is gluten-free, to learn more about buckwheat and its benefits read here.

1 1/2 cup gluten-free flour mix (I used Whole Food's 365 brand gluten-free all-purpose baking mix)
1/2 cup buckwheat flour (I use Arrowhead Mills)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon fresh ginger
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1 cup raw sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
2 cups fresh pumpkin (or canned if fresh is unavailable)

Preheat the oven to 350'F

Mix the first set of ingredients in a bowl.

Combine the sugar and the melted butter, add the eggs and pumpkin in a second bowl.

Fold the dry ingredients into the second bowl, and blend.

Pour into an 8x8 baking dish, and bake for 40 min, or a bread pan for about an hour, or until a knife comes out clean from the middle.

Asparagus gruyère quiche

After enjoying quiche for years, I finally made my very own. And it tasted like I was eating it straight from a French patisserie.

I found this recipe on epicurious.com, and after reading all the rave reviews, I decided to try it for myself. This is a recipe for a basic cheese quiche, but you can add any fillings.

This has easily become one of my new sure-fire dishes to serve for guests for breakfast/brunch, and just for the three of us for a yummy lazy weekend morning.

I cheated a bit, and used the gluten-free pie crust...shhh, don't tell anyone, but it is just so yummy.

Preheat the oven to 425'

6 large eggs
2/3 cup heavy cream or crème fraîche
1 cup milk (preferably whole)
8 ounces gruyère, emmenthal, or other Swiss-type cheese
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, and the milk until thoroughly blended. Season with the salt and pepper, then add the cheese and stir until it is blended,

I added some fresh, chopped asparagus, and added it to the bottom of the crust before pouring the egg mixture.

Turn the mixture into the pre-baked pastry, and spread out the cheese evenly over the bottom of the pastry.

Sprinkle the top with nutmeg if you've used a Swiss-type cheese, and bake in the center of the oven until the filling is golden and puffed, and is completely baked through, about 30 minutes. I actually mixed the nutmeg into the egg mixture.

To test for doneness, shake the quiche - if it is solid without a pool of uncooked filling in the center, it is done. You may also stick a sharp knife blade into the center of the filling and if it comes out clean, the quiche is baked through. Remove the quiche from the oven and serve immediately.

I think next time I will add some caramelized onion. If I was a meat eater, I would definitely add some prosciutto or chopped, crispy bacon.

Enjoy!!

Banana bread

This recipe was super easy and tastes exactly the same as when I made it with "regular" flour.

I basically used the original Fannie Farmer recipe, tweaked for gluten-freeness :)

3 ripe bananas
2 eggs
2 cups of flour (I used Pamela's baking & pancake mix, and was able to substitute 1:1, however this uses almond flour, so if you can't use nuts, Whole Foods has a gluten-free flour that also works amazingly. Pamela's can be found at most grocery stores in their organic or gluten-free section)
1/2 cup sugar (I used raw sugar)
1 t baking soda

Mix the 3 bananas in a bowl, mash well, and add the eggs and beat until light.

Sift together the flour, sugar and baking soda, and add to the first mixture.

Stir Well.

Pour into a buttered bread pan, 9 x 5.

Bake for one hour at 350'F.

Lebanese lentils and rice & tsatsiki

This is a quick and tasty side. I like having it with falafel, and tsatsiki*.

I realized I had to figure out how to make yummy lentils and rice because I am such a huge fan of it at Sultan's Market.

I have been making the following recipe, and really enjoying it. I am still working on the "perfect" falafel, so I am not ready to post that one just yet :)

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground garam masala
28 oz. vegetable broth
3/4 cup dried green lentils, rinsed, picked over
3/4 cup long-grain white rice

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and next 3 ingredients; sauté , about 3 minutes. Add broth and lentils; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Stir in rice; return to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook until liquid is absorbed and rice and lentils are tender, about 15 minutes longer.

* Tsatsiki

1/2 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup plain Greek yogurt

Toss cucumber with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a colander and drain 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, mince and mash garlic to a paste with 1/4 teaspoon salt, then whisk together with olive oil, yogurt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Squeeze out any excess water from cucumbers with your hands, then stir cucumbers into yogurt mixture. Season with salt.

Summer corn and tomato pasta

I am always on the lookout for delicious ways to combine fresh summer vegetables, from the garden, into a tasty meal. This recipe is taken from this month's Rachael Ray's Everyday magazine, with changes made to make it gluten-free. It is quick, easy and delicious and takes about the time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta.

16 oz of your favorite gluten-free pasta (such as Tinkyada)

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

3 fresh ears of corn (you can grill corn first to add a delicious roasted flavor)

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

Recipe

1. Boil the pasta in salted water according to directions on package.

2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat, add garlic and tomatoes, stirring occasionally, until heated, about 5 minutes.

3. Scrape the corn kernels off the 3 ears of roasted corn and add to the tomatoes, cook another couple of minutes. If you wish to use the raw corn, slightly turn up the heat and cook for another 5 minutes.

4. Combine the vegetables with the pasta, add the butter* and basil, toss, and serve.

*If you are dairy-free, you can omit the butter, or add a non-dairy alternative.