Pumpkin Biscuits

After the great Pumpkin Loaf Debacle, I needed to prove that I can make something with pumpkin. That I too, can be a versatile blogger. The reasoning behind this? Dee over at Deelicious Sweets must have seen something in my cooking in order to award me with the extremely prestigious Versatile Blogger award!

I personally, think she's crazy.  But I also think she's fairly awesome, so I'll go along with the whole thing! Part  of receiving the award is to share some interesting, but mostly unknown, facts about myself. So here it goes!

1.  Potato Chips and Crackers with Cheese are tied for favourite snackage 
2. I'm not a fan of scary gory movies, just scary is ok
3. I love to read, so sue me!
4. I prefer hard liquor over beer
5. I have a little sister
6. For my upcoming wedding, one of my groomsmen is a girl
7. When I finish school, I will have at least 3 degrees. 

And that's it folks! Those are some fun and somewhat interesting tidbits about me! And now, I get the joy of passing this extremely awesome award along to a few fellow bloggers. And who better but....

1. Backseat Gourmet by Cheryl - The first blog I every followed and grew from! She seems to cook everything! 
2. Girl Cooks World by Cate - She cooks the world! How more versatile can one get?
3. Family Fresh Cooking by Marla - The first recipe I saw of hers was a Banana Blueberry Shake with Goatsmilk... I dig it!
4. Flourtrader by Tina - So many tasty recipes and a darn nice fellow blogger!
5. Healthful Pursuit by Leanne - You had better be versatile if your cooking glutton, dairy, yeast free recipes!
6. Pip and Ebby by... Pip and Ebby - The recipes these gals come up with are always diverse! Award well deserved!

Make sure you check out these blogs, as they are all fantastic! 

So to prove my versatility, I went ahead and made these pumpkin biscuits! They aren't too shabby, but they didn't really have the pumpkin flavour I was hoping for. They just tasted like biscuits! Can my award get taken away for that? However, I figure when I try to make these again, I'll include some spices like cinnamon and allspice to help bring out the pumpkin flavour! The colour of these sure are nice though! And I got impatient and hungry and took mine out of the oven a bit too soon, so they look a little flat. But a few extra minutes does the trick! Enjoy!

And let me know if you try them with spices!

Pumpkin Biscuits

Butter - 1/2 cup

Cinnamon - 1 tsp

Allspice - 1 tsp

Brown Sugar - 1 tsp

Egg Yolk - 1

Pumpkin Puree - 1 Cup

Flour (self-rising) - 2 1/2 cups

Milk to Brush

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with wax paper. 

Cream the butter together with the cinnamon, allspice and brown sugar. Add the egg yolk and beat until fluffy. 

Add the pumpkin puree and stir into the mixture with a wooden spoon. Gradually add the flour until a doughy ball. 

Flour a surface lightly, then kneed the dough at least 15 times (the dough should be just a little sticky still). 

Get out a rolling pin, and flatten the dough until it is about 3-4cm thick. Take a drinking glass and "cut" holes in the dough with it. Set the dough circles onto the baking sheet. 

Collect the dough and repeat the process until all the dough is used up. Brush the top of the biscuits with milk. 

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden and rising. Serve with butter hot from the oven! 

The Pumpkin Loaf Debacle

I know this is the perfect season to boast about pumpkin recipes. Pumpkin pies, shakes, cakes, bakes... the whole pumpkin arsenal has been unleashed as cooks show the versatile nature of this particular squash. Awesome! I have no problem with pumpkins what so ever, and I've always been intrigued with how people use them for cooking instead of just sitting on doorsteps or tabletops.

I have one solid pumpkin recipes that I had been saving up since last season. Pumpkin Loaf! I actually got this recipe from a friend's banana bread recipe, which had a note in the side column about converting it to a pumpkin loaf.

The opportunity to make this dish presented itself last Sunday as I had friends come over to continue watching The Walking Dead (Hurray!). There's usually a cup of tea involved afterwards, and I figured that a pumpkin loaf would be the perfect side snack.

So after a very quick assembling of the recipe, I popped it into the oven for an hour, and had it out right when my guests arrived. And here is where the debacle begins... The loaf was definitely not cooked. An hour in the oven, and it wasn't even loaf formed, and you could taste that it just wasn't completely cooked through. Disappointing, but not the end of the world. I put the pan back in the oven for another half hour. STILL not coming out right. It didn't have the same raw taste as the first try, but it still was waaay too moist. However... the bottom (or the top) of the loaf was starting to get pretty dark.

And it didn't occur to me, until today, that the ingredient that I forgot to add.... was flour. It makes all the difference. So when you make this recipe (because you really should) make sure you check that you have all the ingredients. Let me know how it tastes!


Pumpkin Loaf


Butter- 1 cup
Sugar - 2 cups
Eggs - 4
Pumpkin Puree - 1 (796ml) tin
Cinnamon - 3 tsps
Allspice - 1 tsp
Flour - 2 1/2 cups
Salt - pinch
Baking Soda - 2 tsps

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two bread pans with butter and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the butter and sugar until it becomes creamy. Add the eggs and beat well.  Add the pumpkin puree, cinnamon and allspice. Stir in the mixture. Add the remaining ingredients (including flour!) and stir to combine.

Pour half the mixture into one loaf pan, and half into the other. Bake for about 50-60 minutes. Hopefully yours will go better than mine. Enjoy!

Hashbrown Crusted Quiche with Bacon

Finally a weekend where I'm not pressed to do anything! I finished a week of exams and paper writing, and I have a week off before the next pressing ones come along. I will absolutely be getting started on those early, but it's nice to have them not breathing down your neck. 

So with a weekend with no pressing needs, I turned off the alarm clock to sneak in that extra hour of sleep. After a long glorious hot shower, it was all about getting some breakfast on the go. So after a quick bowl of yogurt to tide me over, I got started on some brunch!

I've never been a huge quiche fan... they always had just too much egg, like an over-sized omelette. But this recipe caught my eye. I love having hashbrowns and eggs in the morning, and bacon is just an extra treat as well! This was a beautiful sounding recipe, and when I look at the photos over at Life Tastes Like Food, it was a done deal. It's a beautiful blog with excellent recipes and pictures. Go check that one out!!!

The hashbrown crust adds some good crunch to this recipe and helps enhance the rest of the flavours going on. Not only is it great fresh, but the leftovers aren't half bad either! This quiche undeniably improved It does have a little bit of a cooking time (about an hour), but it is SO worth it! The house just fills with wonderful smells that drive you absolutely crazy!

Hashbrown Crusted Quiche with Bacon

Hashbrowns - 3 cups, shredded, thawed
Butter - 3 tbsp, melted
Eggs - 3, beaten
Half and Half - 1/2 cup
Milk - 1/2 cup
Bacon - 1/2 cup (about 4-6 slices), chopped
Green Onion - 1/4-1/2 cup
Cheddar Cheese - 1 cup

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Press the thawed hashbrowns into some paper towel to soak up excess moisture. In a bowl, stir together the hashbrowns and melted butter. Press into either a 9" pie pan, or a casserole dish. Make sure they are packed tightly  into the bottom and along the sides of the pan.

Back for about 20-25 minutes, or until the hashbrowns are browned and edges are getting crispy.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and mix together. When the hashbrown crust is cooked, pour the egg mixture over the top. Make sure to spread it out evenly over the top, then place back in the oven. Lower the temperature however, to 325 degrees F and bake for about 30 minutes.

Serve with some hot sauce and ketchup. SO GOOD!

Charred Cabbage Salad

I finally got those okonomiyaki photos up! It's a good thing that I really enjoyed making/eating it! It was the perfect excuse to make it again! You should check out the recipe HERE.

Being stuck on my own though, means I had an awfully lot of cabbage left over. And as much as I like okonomiyaki, I do like to spruce it up a bit. So, after a quick scour of the Internet, I came across this brilliant recipe! It was the perfect use for cabbage and so tasty! It's basically a caesar salad made with cabbage...but dang it's still tasty! And because it IS cabbage and not just lettuce, it's like eating a brand new dish.  The exoticism of this dish is basically the grilling of the cabbage, which goes along perfect when firing up the bbq during these fall days.

When I came across this recipe at the blog Use Real Butter, I knew it would be a good blog to read due to her use of the word flummoxed in her opening sentence. Why don't more people use this word? It had me...flabbergasted (I can use big words too!). Jennifer has some amazing photography and has some great blog entries, I definitely recommend that you give it a look at! And if this recipe is anything to judge, she has some great recipes as well!


Charred Cabbage Salad

Savoy Cabbage - 1 head
Garlic - 2 cloves, minced
Salt and Pepper - Pinch
Lime Juice - 1 tbsp
Worcestershire Sauce - 1 tsp
Dijon Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Olive Oil - 1/4 cup
Parmesan Cheese - 1 1/2 cups
Bacon - 4-6 slices, diced

Preheat the bbq, and set around medium. Cut the cabbage into quarters and trim off the outer leaves. Place the quarters on the bbq and leave for about five minutes, then flip to another side. You want the cabbage slightly charred, but not burnt. When both sides are lightly browned, set aside and place in a bowl.

Start heating a large frying pan at medium high heat, and add the bacon strips. Cook until browned, then place on paper towel to drain off excess oil.

Mash together the salt and garlic and place in a small cup or bowl. Add the remaining ingredients except for the bacon and Parmesan cheese and stir together. Pour the dressing over the cabbage, then add the bacon and Parmesan cheese. Toss all together and serve!

Hawkeye's Dead Ribs

This post is all about television, and how it caused the idea of having ribs for dinner to come about.

Last night was the season premiere of The Walking Dead, probably the greatest zombie television show/movie to be made. Originally a graphic novel created by Robert Kirkman, this series is all about a group of people all trying to survive a zombie apocalypse. The make-up, the acting, the story, the tension... it all captivates me! And not just the television show, but the graphic novels are an entity all on their own. They follow a completely different and yet still captivating story line than TV show. Definitely worth reading! So what better meal to eat when thinking about zombies, but a big rack of greasy ribs? Especially when you rip them apart with your bare hands.... muhaha.

The other television show that got me thinking all about ribs is an older show that I still enjoy watching. M*A*S*H, for those that have been living in a box the last 50 years, was a show that was produced in the early 1970's that followed the adventures of a group of doctors and nurses that ran a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War. There was one episode called "Adam's Ribs" that was always a favourite of mine. Hawkeye, the main character, starts to get sick of the food served daily in the army, and starts to dream of his favourite ribs place back home. The description of these ribs drove me crazy! The whole episode is basically Hawkeye drooling over how great these ribs tasted! His obsession became my own, and I simply had to get myself some.

Because the ribs were described so well, and because they originated from Chicago, I had to base it off of a Chicago style recipe. So I came across this Ribs Recipe, which was actually made for 10 racks and served 30 people... so the recipe is my own adaptation. I should also mention, that somehow, my ribs cooked extremely fast on the BBQ, so if you have a good way to slow cook your ribs, I suggest you go for it! I hope you like them.


Hawkeye's Dead Ribs

Ribs - 1 Rack

For the Rub
Cayenne Pepper - 1 tsp
Paprika - 1 tsp
Brown Sugar - 1 tsp
Garlic Powder - 1 tsp
Celery Salt - 1/2 tsp
Ground Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Thyme - 1/2 tsp

For the BBQ Sauce
Ketchup - 1/2 cup
Apple Cider Vinegar - 2 tbsp
Orange Juice - 1/2 cup
Worcestershire - 1 tsp
Brown Sugar - 1 tsp
Hoisin Sauce - 1 tbsp
Dijon Mustard - 1 tbsp
Garlic - 3 cloves, minced
Tabasco Sauce - dash

Mix together the rub in a small bowl then apply to the rack of ribs. Rub...the rub into the ribs on both sides, pressing it in. Set aside for half an hour. At the same time, place the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and mix to form the bbq sauce.

Turn on the bbq and set on the lowest heat. Place the ribs on the bbq in indirect heat. I would suggest the shelf above the grill if possible. Mop on the bbq sauce and cook for about a half hour. Flip the ribs at this time and once again mop with the bbq sauce. Continuously check the ribs every 5-10 minutes, as soon as they start to get browned, turn off the heat. Make sure the ribs are cooked through. Remove from the bbq and mop with the bbq sauce and then serve. I hope you like them!

Roasted Red Pepper Eggs and Grits

Not only did I discover a perfect recipe to go along with some grits, but I found an excellent new blog to follow.

I... am a starving student. Not only am I trying to pay for rent, utilities, groceries, tuition and textbooks, I am also trying to put money aside for my wedding next summer. So basically my pantries have become bare and boring, and I've often been in a scramble to find just what I'm having for dinner

Enter the food blog Budget Bytes. Beth's blog pretty much rocks my socks. It's the perfect blog for those that are shopping on a budget. She breaks down how much the recipe would cost to make, including a list of ingredients, and then how much each serving would cost. Brilliant Beth! And these aren't recipes like Grilled Cheese or Tomato Soup in order to make things cheap. Beth makes some brilliant recipes such as Chorizo Sweet Potato Enchiladas and Coffee Rubbed Pork Roast.

This blog has already become one of my favourites, and I definitely suggest that you take a look at it! The recipe that caught my eye, was her Salsa Poached Eggs and Grits. Beautiful photography and a delicious recipe, I knew I was hooked. And the fact that I had almost all the ingredients in my kitchen boosted it into the weekly dinner plans. It's a delicious recipe, lots of flavours and textures going on! I hope you like it!


Roasted Red Pepper Eggs and Grits

Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Onion - 1, diced
Garlic - 2 cloves, minced
Roasted Red Peppers - 1 15oz can (About 2 small red peppers) - diced
Tomato Paste - 4 tbsps
Jalapenos - 2, diced
Water - 1/2 cup
Salt and pepper - pinch
Cumin - 1/2tsp
Eggs - 2-4
Grits - 3/4 cups
Butter -2 tbsps
                                                                                    Green Onion - 1, diced

In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and wait until it's soft and translucent, about 5-10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for one more minute.

Add the roasted red peppers, the tomato paste, jalapenos, water, cumin and the salt and pepper to taste. Stir everything together and let it come to a simmer over medium heat. Make indentations in the sauce with the back of a wooden spoon. Crack an egg into each spot. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Let it simmer while making the grits.

In a small pot, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add the grits and some healthy pinches of salt. Reduce the heat to low, place a lid on the pot and let cook for about 5 minutes. Once thickened, stir in the butter. Place the lid back on until ready to serve.

When the eggs are completely poached, spoon some grits into a bowl. Add the sauce and place an egg right on top. Finish off with a few green onions sprinkled over it. Enjoy!

Stuffed Zucchini

It's definitely zucchini season! My garden however, hasn't done quite the job I was hoping that it would. Last year we had so much success with potatoes and zucchini. We had enough of both to last for a good long while. This year however, the potato plants never really got going, and the zucchini only produced a couple of vegetables, but nothing in the same abundance as last year.

I blame the hornets, for building their nest underneath the shed door, and totally inhibiting my ability to do any sort of yard work this year! Fighting for the lawnmower was tough enough, the last thing I wanted to do was go searching for gardening gloves and a trowel!

And even though this is a good fall day kind of dish, all I got was rain, rain and more rain. The coldness is coming! I can feel it! However, there was definitely some seasonal warmth in this dish. If you want to know what the taste of a nice fall day is, you have to give this one a try!

After last years awesome zucchini season, I had planned lots of exciting recipes in store to prepare. This recipe was one of many that I had set aside for future considerations. It's the perfect recipe for using up only the very best of the zucchini you may come across! The original recipe comes from Kayotic Kitchen, and is totally worth visiting! She has some beautiful step-by-step photos to go along wit hit as well. Bacon is listed as optional, but for me there is no option. Bacon is a must have. After eating it, I totally support that statement. I really hope you like it!

Stuffed Zucchini

Zucchini - 1, halved lengthwise
Onion - 1, diced
Tomato - 1/2, diced
Sour Cream - 1 tbsp
Salt - pinch
Curry Powder - 1/2 tsp
Thyme - 1/2 tsp
Bacon - 4 slices, chopped
Parmesan Cheese

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise. Spoon out and reserve the innards, leaving about a 1/2 inch shell.

Heat a small frying pan over medium high heat and add about 1 tbsp of butter. Once melted, add the onion and saute until translucent. At the same time, start cooking the bacon in another frying pan over medium heat.  Once the onions are soft and browning, dd the curry powder and salt and give a good stir. Transfer to a bowl along with the zucchini pulp, tomato, sour cream and thyme. When the bacon is done cooking, chop into bite sized pieces and also add to the bowl.

In a large greased baking dish, lay down the zucchini boats. Spoon in the mixture until stuffed. Sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese and place in the oven. Goat cheese or a sharp cheddar would also be good to have crumbled on top! Cook for about 20-30 minutes until the top is golden brown and the zucchini softened. Season with some salt and pepper to taste.

Mango Banana Lassi

It has been a fantastic Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend. I had the two giant dinners, and I truly am stuffed to the gills. Why must I take that extra bite every single time? Why do I have to help myself to pie?

I guess more importantly, why is it that we can sit around a kitchen table, enjoying the time with family and friends, and eating way more food than we need? There are always piles of leftovers, which while enjoyed, eventually become mundane. I won't harp about it, but it doesn't hurt to remember those that are less fortunate than yourself. This year, all I did was add some non-perishable food items to the food bank pile at the grocery store. It's easy and costs a few bucks, and really, what's the harm? You can always find other ways to make others thankful. That's all I'll say about that!

Now, after all that food eaten the last couple of days, I needed something a bit more relaxing and easy going on the belly. So this quick Mango Lassi is the way to go. While the mango I had was getting very ripe, this dish is also a sort of ode to summer, as fall is definitely well underway here. This is a great drink to sit and relax with, and sooth the expanded stomach.


Mango Banana Lassi

Mango- 1, roughly chopped
Banana -1
Yogurt - 1 cup (I used French Vanilla, but Plain would probably be a better recommendation)
Honey -1-2 tbsp
Ice - 5-6 cubes

Throw all the ingredients in a blender and mix to combine. Make sure that the ice is broken down completely. Enjoy!

Pan Bagnat

The Rugby World Cup is now over. Canada, crushed by New Zealand's All Blacks, slipped into fourth place and unfortunately out of the tournament. Tonga also managed to come from behind by defeating France, moving up over Canada in the tourney list and making sure that they qualify for the next Rugby World Cup in four years. Canada unfortunately, now has to defeat the United States in order to qualify again. CURSES!

However, I enjoyed watching Canada in the series while it lasted. For those that haven't ever seen a rugby game, it's definitely worth it! And because I got intrigued about Tonga after their match and wrote about one of their unique dishes, the Mango 'Otai, I decided to write something about France as well.

Pan Bagnat is a sandwich that reflects the fresh ingredients that are available in Nice, France. This location (although I've never been to it myself) is geographically located in Southern France, but still near to the border of Italy. I can only imagine all the fresh ingredients that would be available! This recipe highlights olive oil and tomatoes especially!

This isn't just a sandwich, it's a sandwich that has so many flavours and textures going on, it's kind of exciting! I practically devoured this sandwich, not even noticing I was at the end until only a few bites remained. Before I launch into the actual recipe, may I suggest that a crunchy bun would be the best to hold in all the flavours! I love this one! I hope you try it!


Pan Bagnat

Baguette - 1

Tomato -1 large, sliced
Red Onion - 1, cut into small slices
Basil - 1 tbsp or some small leaves
Red Wine Vinegar - a few healthy splashes
Garlic - 2 cloves, minced
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Hard Boiled Egg - 1, sliced
Mozzarella Cheese - a few thin slices
Turkey Deli Meat - a few slices
Dijon Mustard

If you don't already have a hard boiled egg, start boiling water at this point.

In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, red onion, basil, garlic and red wine vinegar. Give them a stir together and set aside. It would be best if it could sit for about 5-10 minutes to let the flavours mix together.

Cut the baguette in half lengthwise. Hollow out the inside of the bun, leaving a thin layer. Reserve the bread crumbs for later. Drizzle olive oil on the inside, just lightly so the bread doesn't get soggy. Spread Dijon Mustard on the one side of the bun.

Fill the cavity with the tomato mixture. Add the bread crumbs, hard boiled egg, turkey meat and mozza cheese. Season with salt and pepper, close the bun and press tightly together. You may even want it to sit for a few minutes to soak up the tomato juices, but only if you can wait that long! Ahh... Such a sweet sweet sandwich. I really do hope you like it!

Pulled Pork Pizza

Time to finish off this pulled pork! It sure made a lot of leftovers and a lot of deliciousness! I actually wasn't even going to blog about this pizza, it was just going to be a quick meal that I threw together at the last minute and be done with it.

But eating it.... eating it changed my mind completely. Totally blog worthy! I don't really know what the magical quality of this recipe was, but I have the feeling that the red onions brought the whole thing together. There is just a beautiful sweetness that ties this whole thing together. So if you have leftover pulled pork... bust out a red onions and make a pizza. Totally worth it!

I should also mention that sometimes making a pizza without tomato sauce can be one of the greatest decisions ever. Simple brushing on some olive oil and sprinkling on some basil do wonders to a pizza.


Pulled Pork Pizza

Pizza Dough - Click for Recipe
Pulled Pork - 2 handfuls
Olive Oil - 1-2 tbsps
Basil - sprinkle
Red Onion - 1, chopped
Red Pepper - 1, chopped
Mozzarella Cheese - 1 cup, shredded
Jalapenos - 1, sliced
BBQ Sauce - a few drizzles (I used Red Bull)

Prepare the pizza dough ahead of time. When ready to assemble the pizza, brush on the olive oil and sprinkle some of the basil on. Add half the cheese and spread over the top. Add the vegetables, pulled pork and cover with the remaining cheese. Drizzle on some of the BBQ sauce, and place back in the over for about 20-30 minutes or until the crust is hardened and golden and the cheese is melted.

Vietnamese Banh Mi Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Banh Mi is a Vietnamese Sub, and it's definitely one of my favourites. When I eventually became sick of getting the same meal at the fiance's favourite Vietnamese restaurant, I had to branch out and find some new dishes to sample. Trying this one, was both the most amazing and horrible thing in my life. Amazing because this sandwich is so full of fresh amazing flavours, horrible because it made another difficult decision on what to order at the restaurant! Maybe even more horrible when I think it's a good idea to order both the soup AND the sandwich, both full meals in their own right!

I had all that leftover pulled pork just sitting in my fridge from the Korean BBQ tacos, so I wanted a good recipe to make use of it all. Enter Closet Cooking. One of my favourite blogs for all day twists on everyday household recipes. The author Kevin just makes enough of a twist of a recipe to make it exciting and new. I had actually read about this recipe along time ago, but had forgotten all about it until I began search for pulled pork dishes.

So two of my favourite combinations become one, and I am a happy...happy man.


Vietnamese Banh Mi Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Pulled Pork
Bun - baguette/submarine style
Mayonnaise - 2 tbsps
Carrots - julienned
Cucumber - 1/2 - shredded or cut into thin slices
Cilantro - a healthy sprig
Jalapenoes - 3-4, sliced
Sriracha Hot Sauce - optional

Cut the bun in half, spread on the mayonnaise. Assemble the remaining ingredients. Squeeze the bun closed and enjoy!