Pumpkin Cup-Muffins

'Tis the season for everything pumpkin, and-- thankfully-- Hannaford (and all other known grocers) have finally stocked up. I grabbed two cans the first day I saw them, and I plan on stockpiling soon.

I decided to revisit my cup-muffin recipe (a cupcake-like muffin/muffin-like cupcake) with this canned nectar from the Autumn gods, and I was not disappointed.

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I started with a sugar-free white cake mix, a can of pumpkin puree, and a little water. I mixed the three ingredients together, adding water as needed. The end result was a mixture about the thickness of, say, creamy mashed potatoes or squash. (When I eventually 'poured' it into cupcake papers in my muffin pan, I had to use my finger to gingerly coax it out of the ladle.) I added chopped walnuts and some cinnamon and nutmeg. I didn't measure, of course, but I would recommend a tablespoon or two, depending on how deep your love of cinnamon and nutmeg runs. Mine needed to run a little deeper on this recipe, so next time I will ere on the side of excess.

I plopped (really a more accurate term than 'poured') my batter into cupcake liners until all of the available muffin wells were full to the top of the wrappers. I threw a few unsalted sunflower seeds on top (I find killer seeds at Trader Joes) for added crunch and flavor. I baked them according to the temperature and time listed on the box; the temperature was fine, but because the pumpkin is so wonderfully moist, they needed to bake substantially longer. I let mine go an extra ten minutes, and they're still ridiculously moist. On the one hand, that enhances their deliciousness; they have a sticky top, as though coated in a glaze. On the other hand, they are messy to eat. That said, I would suggest baking them until they meet your specifications.

Dear me, these are heavenly. The flavor of the white cake still comes through, but the pumpkin is undeniable. With the added texture of walnuts and the earthiness of the sunflower seeds, these cup-muffins are, by far, one of my favorite desserts/snacks. And I don't feel the least bit guilty eating them-- with or without fork in hand!

Indian Samosas

This is the blog you've all been waiting for! Or, well, this is the blog I've been waiting to write, and I hope enjoy it.

A ubiquitous Indian staple is the samosa. A samosa is a pocket of dough filled with vegetables or meat (and Indian spices, of course) that is fried and served with chutney or a sauce of some kind. Like the other Indian dishes I've attempted, samosas are more about technique than they are about prescribed fillings and flavors.

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I've wanted to make samosas for a while because I know they are something Ram misses from home. I also love anything I can eat with my hands, and samosas are perfect finger food. Besides those two suitable reasons, I also wanted to make samosas because they seemed hard to do, and I like a culinary challenge. I am sharing my strategy for making samosas and hope they'll seem more user-friendly for all of us.

Samosas have a couple components (dough and filling) and several steps. They are time-consuming, but the good news is, you can prepare the components ahead of time and finish them pretty quickly if you're, say, not graced with a few hours of dinner prep.

Step one of making samosas is to make the dough. I put about 3/4 of a cup of all-purpose flour into a mixing bowl and added a tablespoon of canola oil. I then added water slowly, mixing with a fork just until all of the flour was combined and formed a ball in the bottom of the bowl. When that happened, I turned the dough ball out onto a floured surface. (You might notice that my samosas look like they're made with whole wheat flour. That's because I ran out of all-purpose and had to knead on whole wheat. I noticed no problems with this regarding consistency or end product, so feel free to use whatever flour you like.) I kneaded the dough for about four minutes, forming a stiff ball. I left it to set for thirty minutes.

Step two for me was making the filling. After researching samosa fillings, which can range from veggie to ground meat, I decided to use one of my favorite foods: mashed potato. I boiled one large, peeled russet potato (they were on sale at Hannaford this week!) until the flesh was easy to pierce with a fork. I drained them fairly well, then dumped them into a mixing bowl. I added some frozen peas (a traditional Indian samosa filling) and mashed the peas and potatoes with my fabulous masher. I wanted to add spices, but I didn't want to add raw spices; I find raw Indian spices to be grainy and not as delicious as when they are processed somehow. Most Indian cooks fry their spices in oil, often grinding them themselves, too. But you know me: I've got to cut out the oil whenever possible. So I put half a teaspoon each of garlic powder, black pepper, red chili powder, and masala*, along with a quarter teaspoon of ginger paste (because that stuff is potent!) into a small frying pan with a few tablespoons of water. I let the spices cook into the liquid over low heat, until it was the consistency of a gravy. I let it simmer for just a minute, then added it directly to the mashed potatoes. I stirred it all together, and the aroma was fantastic. If you've ever stepped into an Indian grocery store, you know the smell.

I set the filling aside, just letting it rest at room temperature. It was time for step three: rolling out the dough. I kneaded the dough ball for another minute, then divided it into balls just slightly smaller than golf balls. I rolled out each ball with a rolling pin until the dough was flattened into a 6-inch circle (or sort-of-circle, since I'm not a great roller). I cut each circle in half, so I ended up with a bunch of semi-circles.

Step four: I took each semi-circle, one at a time, and placed about two tablespoons of filling on one half of the semi-circle. I left dough around the edge, and, using water that I dabbed on the edges of the dough with my finger, folded over the open side of the semi-circle. I used my fingers to pinch all three sides shut (two sides end up being straight, one is curved). When all of my samosas were filled and pinched, I placed them on baking sheets. I chose to bake my samosas rather than to deep fry them. Again, I wanted to reduce oil as much as possible. I baked my samosas for about twenty-five minutes on 300 degrees. They came out hot, and the edges were crunchy and delicious. I served them with a bowl of tomato sauce for dipping.

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I made these treats for Ram on Raksha Bandhan, an Indian holiday. Being so far from his family is hard for Ram, especially on holidays. Making this treat for him required some work and time for me, but it was important to recognize the day. He said I was "blowing [his] mind" with the samosas, and that made it all worth it.

The techniques required to make samosas are not difficult. Any dish that requires multiple steps and a span of time is intimidating, but by breaking it down into manageable steps, I was able to successfully execute this special Indian dish. I would be happy to make them again-- and to eat them again-- with fork in hand.

*FYI: Masala is a common component of Indian dishes. It is essentially a mixture of Indian spices-- but the mixture varies from masala to masala. Ram and I had a few different masalas in the cupboard, but I opted to use one that smelled like it had a little cinnamon in it. Just choose the masala you like best.

Homemade Granola

I have a confession to make: I love to snack. I could probably just snack all day and forgo traditional meals and mealtimes. However, since snacking is much-maligned and generally not accepted as a healthy relationship with food, I control my snacking as much as I can. And when I snack, I try to choose healthy alternatives. A couple years ago, I started making my own granola because I found that granola in the store was a) too expensive and b) didn't suit my tastebuds. I saw a chef on Food Network make granola one day, and it looked easy. So, with no recipe in hand, I set out to make my own granola.

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I start with a base of oatmeal, the quick-cook kind that comes in the cardboard, cylindrical container. I pour a couple cups of dry oatmeal into a large bowl and set it aside while I get together my "wet ingredients."

The "wet ingredients" are (in a small saucepan): 1/3 cup of water, a few tablespoons of honey, a couple tablespoons of brown sugar, some Craisins (because I am not a fan of raisins but love dried cranberries), a handful (or two) of nuts (I use walnuts or almonds), and a tablespoon of cinnamon. I let this come to a boil over very low heat, letting the sugar and honey reduce a bit. When I can smell the Craisins and cinnamon wafting from the pan, I add the whole thing to the oatmeal and mix to incorporate, making sure all of the oatmeal is wet by the saucepan's contents. This takes a minute or so of mixing.

Next, I spread the mixture out on a baking sheet (which I spray to keep everything from sticking) and place in a pre-heated 350-degree oven. Now, I prefer a chunky granola, so I try not to work the mixture too much when I put it on the pan. But if you prefer a loose granola, spread it out until it reaches the size and texture you like. Baking takes maybe twenty minutes; just keep an eye on it to be sure that the smaller pieces don't burn. I usually give it a stir about half-way through. You'll know it's done when the granola has started to turn light brown and has started to dry out. When I pull it out of the oven, I let it cool on the countertop for a while, before moving it to a bowl or storage bags.

What I like about this recipe is that I know what's gone into my granola, and I can add or subtract anything I like or do not like. And, ultimately, it's cheaper than buying bags or boxes of the stuff at the grocery store. So while I eat granola by the handful, you may just want to try this recipe with fork in hand. Though, really, that's not recommended.

Homemade Hummus

I'm happy (most of the time) to say that I am making a concerted effort to eat more healthfully. My husband is a big fan of reading labels, and he often sacrifices flavor for nutrition. I am seeking a balance. I appreciate science; in fact, I love the science of how our bodies work, which is one reason why healthy eating and healthy living has become a fascination. But there is a point where I think flavor is too important to sacrifice. Thus it is my mission to find ways to infuse flavor into healthy foods-- while remaining on budget.

If you've stepped up to a salad bar or the deli counter and seen containers of beige mush coupled with price tags that make your head spin (or your eyes roll, in my case), you have encountered hummus. Hummus is a chickpea spread. For those of you more familiar with this terminology: hummus is a garbanzo bean spread. It is made by pureeing chickpeas/garbanzos with a little olive oil. Often you can find varieties that incorporate roasted red peppers, garlic, greens, or sun-dried tomatoes. Chickpeas/garbanzos are high in protein and fiber, two staples of the healthy diet. I am always looking for ways to incorporate more beans into my diet because they are kind of a miracle food. Hummus is a great way to add flavor to a sandwich, salad, or wrap, and it negates the need for often-high salt condiments.

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So I pledged to make delicious hummus. When my grandmother gifted me a food processor (small, perfect for two people, with a hand crank), I had no further excuses. After assembling the food processor, I pulled out my ingredients: a 32 ounce can of chickpeas/garbanzos, a few cloves of garlic, and a bottle of olive oil. I rinsed the beans to remove the salty preservative goop (I'm sure there's a technical name for this). I cut the garlic in half. I opened the lid of the olive oil. I dumped the beans and garlic into the processor, ground some black pepper on top, and closed the top. I began cranking to break down the beans a bit, then added olive oil little by little, cranking in between. Process until the consistency is appealing to you. For sandwiches and wraps, you might opt for a smoother consistency. This requires slightly more oil and a little more processing. In the photo above, as you can see, we ate our hummus with carrot and cucumber sticks, so I opted for something with a little more chunk.

The flavor is one that Ram loved, being a huge fan of hummus already. For me, the garlic and black pepper were saving graces. I enjoyed eating it, and I will continue to break myself into the world of hummus. But I could only eat so much before I tired of the chickpeas. Perhaps I should scratch that from the blog. I want you to try this. I genuinely do. If you already love hummus, I need you to try this. It's imperative. You will save a ton of money making this yourself. One 32 ounce can made enough hummus for the week, eaten as a dip, on pitas, and on salads.

Like so many things I make, this dish (more a spread, I suppose) can be altered to suit your tastes. In fact, not one hour ago I made a batch using some roasted red pepper jelly we received as a wedding gift and some crushed red pepper flakes. Ram is going to flip with joy. Here's hoping he doesn't flip with fork in hand, though, or we may be taking our hummus to the ER.