Pumpkin

BBQ Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

categories: Posts, Recipes, Snacks

BBQ Pumpkin Seeds

My favorite brand of mixed nuts is Al-Rifai – a Lebanese company with branches in Jordan. I usually buy myself a few kilos at the airport before my outbound flight home. There’s really no comparison between salted or roasted mixed nuts here in the U.S. and the ones Al-Rifai has to offer. They’re roasted to perfection and the bag never lasts as long as I want it to. Once I get started, I really can’t stop myself from devouring 4 or more servings.

I’ve had roasted mixed nuts here at home. But they’re just not the same. Al-Rifai has some sort of delicious secret ingredients they use to make their mixed nuts irresistible. You won’t believe me until you try it. So the next time you find yourself in Lebanon, Jordan or any of Al-Rifai’s other branches, do not pass up the opportunity to get a mixed bag of nuts. (more…)

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Pumpkin Jam

categories: Breakfast, Desserts, Posts, Recipes

Pumpkin Butter_2

Can we talk about Pumpkins for a minute? From the day after Labor Day through Halloween you can’t escape pumpkins. They’re everywhere – the grocery stores, the malls, the 7-11, people’s porches – everywhere. Come the beginning of November and magically we’ve transformed from pumpkin everything to Christmas two months early. It’s not to say I didn’t enjoy pumpkins during the season with my pumpkin spice coffee creamer, pumpkin cheesecake and a day trip to the Pumpkin Farm. I’m all about enjoying what every season has to offer. What I do find frustrating is when on November 8, I’m looking to make a from-scratch pumpkin recipe, I get to my local grocery store and there are literally no pumpkins in sight. What is a girl to do?! I may or may not have had a slight panic attack and called none other than my mother (because as we all know, moms have the answers to everything). Lucky for me, she reminded me that there’s a nursery not too far from home that had a ton of pumpkins left. In that moment I was saved from having to use canned pumpkin puree for my homemade pumpkin jam. (more…)

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Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake

categories: Desserts, Posts, Recipes

  pumpkin pecan cheesecake_4

The leaves have turned, it’s gotten pretty chilly and not to mention we had some snow flurries over the weekend. It can only mean one thing; Thanksgiving is right around the corner.

While some only remember to be thankful around the winter Holidays, I’ve been keeping up with counting my blessings year-round. And this year, I have so much to be thankful for. In Arabic, we say  Hamdellah [الحمد لله] which means Thank God, My list may be a bit long, but some of the major things I’m thankful for are: (more…)

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Lazy Pumpkin Brownies

categories: Desserts, Posts, Recipes

 

To be a cook, is not about making everything from scratch, it’s about being smart with your ingredients. Some may call it cheating, faking, you name it. But really, isn’t it about mixing together the right ingredients to create a masterpiece? Plus, if we weren’t meant to use pre-packaged food, why would they sell them in the grocery stores and make them so easily accessible and cheap? Why would I spend more time making something that could essentially take me ¼ of the time if I used pre-packaged kits. Well, if you’re the decision maker in your kitchen it’s your prerogative. But don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. I bring you Lazy Pumpkin Brownies. (more…)

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October BBQ

categories: Posts, Recipes

Who says you can’t BBQ in October? This weekend was perfect for a BBQ – sunny and 70ish. I decided to have some people over for a low-key cookout.

Did I mention that I don’t have a grill?

That’s alright. I made due without it. I used our Foreman-like Grill to cook the burgers, but for everything else we (or should I say I) used the oven and stovetop as a substitute. I boiled the hot dogs and the corn and made a baked chicken and shrimp with lemon and garlic sauce. I also attempted to cut the frying calories out by baking the fries. They turned out delicious and perfectly crispy.

But the hit of the afternoon (at least in my opinion) was the spinach artichoke dip. You can’t have a BBQ without chips and dip. So to complement the store-bought salsa and chips, I decided it would be a good idea to make my own dip. Adapted from Eat Yourself Skinny.

 

 

Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe

Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) package of fat-free cream cheese, softened or whipped
1/4 cup Low Fat Mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated Low Fat Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup grated Low Fat Romano cheese
2 cloves Garlic, peeled and minced
Garlic Salt
1/2 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 package cup frozen chopped Spinach, thawed and drained
1/4 cup shredded Low Fat Mozzarella cheese
 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Lightly grease a small baking dish.
Mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese, mozzarella cheese, minced garlic, garlic salt. 
Stir in artichoke hearts and spinach.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned.

 

I also pitched in on the dessert front and made some pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting – all from scratch.

 

Pumpkin Cupcakes and Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 eggs, beaten until frothy
1 cup mashed cooked or canned pumpkin
3/4 cup milk
Icing
1/4 cup butter
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
1 pound confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
 

Directions

Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a bowl.
In a separate bowl, mix butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs.
Add butter and sugar mixture to flour mixture.
Blend in mashed pumpkin.
Spoon batter into cupcake cups.
Bake at 375° for 25 minutes.
Frost with cream cheese frosting
Icing
Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl, beat well until smooth

Pumpkin and Spice and Everything Nice

categories: Breakfast, Posts, Recipes

September is the beginning of fall-inspired foods. Most of us wait all year for this season, when Starbucks rolls out with its Pumpkin Spice Latte (now available at your local Starbucks).

Fall is here. This time of year, I’m obsessed with all things pumpkin – cookies, cakes, pies, coffee, creamer, etc. If it has pumpkin, I’m having it. Let’s not forget childhood trips to the pumpkin patch. The rule was, if you can carry it, you can have it. Although you might think I have outgrown such activities, think again. Now that I have a a few nephews, I have an excuse to get back out there, ride the hay rides and get my face painted. I’m only doing it for the kids, right?

Nostalgia in our minds, what better way to celebrate the beginning of the season than with homemade Choco-Pumpkin Pancakes!

 

Choco-Pumpkin Pancakes

Ingredients

Bisquick mix  (as directed)
1/2-1 cup Canned Pumpkin
2 tablespoons Sugar
Extra Milk
1/3 – 2/3 cup(s) Chocolate Chips
 

Directions

Whisk batter, pumpkin, sugar, milk together. Add chocolate chips and mix well.
Pour into greased skillet
Optional: serve with whipped cream sprinkle pumpkin spice
 

 

I also discovered a great way to make homemade Pumpkin Spice Lattes!

Basically, make your espresso as you usually would. Before adding the milk, add 1 teaspoon organic canned pumpkin and a few sprinkles of pumpkin spice. Stir well. Add steamed/heated milk. Top with fat-free whipped cream and pumpkin spice.