Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Loaf

One of my favorite things is cake disguised as bread. I'm not sure the details of the classification system, but if I can get away with eating cake for breakfast (lunch, dinner, dessert, snack) then I am all for calling it "bread."

I really love quick breads (aka quick cakes) because they fall in this category of cake/bread perfection, and because you don't even have to use a mixer to throw it together.

Here's my favorite fall quick bread recipe, coming from my all-time favorite baking cookbook by Baked NYC. If you don't already have it, put it on that Christmas list pronto! Perfect for a potluck or Thanksgiving celebration or just because--it's so easy you don't really have an excuse not to make it.

The recipe makes two 9-inch loaves, but is easily halved if you just need one.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Loaf
from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

3 1/4 cups flour, sifted (or not sifted if you're me)
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (or ground nutmeg if you're me)
1/2 tsp ground allspice (cloves would probably be nice too!)
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree (aka one 15-oz can)
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups sugar (I used all white)
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup water, room temperature
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 and grease & flour your 9-inch loaf pans (I use butter).

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, baking soda and salt.

In a larger bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree and oil until combined. Add the sugar and whisk again. Add the eggs, one at a time whisking well after each addition, and the vanilla. Add the water and whisk until combined (I wish I could tell you why you add rando water. It's going to seem watery and weird. but I promise it makes it moist and delicious. #science). Using a spatula, stir in the chocolate chips (yes, they'll mostly float to the bottom but don't worry).

Gently fold in the dry ingredients until just combined--try not to overmix.

Divide the batter between the pans (or pour it all in the one pan if you halved the recipe). Bake at the center of the oven for about 1 hour 25 minutes (depending on your oven. start checking it at 1 hr 15 min), or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I was really worried that my edges were burning while the inside was finishing cooking, but it turned out perfectly, so be at ease and let it cook all the way through.

Let cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then invert onto a wire rack and cool completely. Or until your small group gets there and you can't wait any longer before diving into it.


Make this today! Your coworkers (book club, family, small group) will love you for it!

    

Smoked trout spread

Ok, so this isn't a dip. But it's not really a spread, either. To me, spread implies a certain (gross) consistency that this just isn't. But I'm going with the word spread because I'm not sure what else to call it. But I eat it on bread... And sometimes just out of the bowl, by itself. When no one's looking.

Smoked trout...goodness.

This is one of those meals I like to make in the morning ahead of time for lunch or save for a night when I have no time or energy to spend in the kitchen. It's so easy, so quick and so incredibly delicious. And it's just out of the box enough to impress your friends.
I first had this delicious little dish at one of my favorite neighborhood spots in Brooklyn, Strong Place. It was served as an appetizer, but it quickly became my favorite thing on the menu and usually my dinner when we went there. The combination of the charred sourdough, the sweet, tart apples and the smoky, salty fish is to die for.

This recipe is either a meal for two or a snack for four to six. It goes a lil something like this:

Smoked Trout Spread

2 smoked trout filets (I used the brand Duck Trap, which can usually be found next to the smoked salmon at most grocery stores)

Juice of 1/2 lemon

2 1/2 TBSP crème fraiche (look for it in where you'd find your fancy cheeses. Most stores carry this, but you might have to venture to a specialty shop or farmer's market for it)

Pepper to taste

Chives, to garnish

1 Granny smith apple, thinly sliced

4-6 slices grilled sourdough bread

Separate the fish from the skin (it peels right off) and place in a bowl- I use a fork to kind of mince the smoked trout. Once the fish is in tiny little pieces, add your lemon juice, crème fraiche (add another tablespoon if you want it extra creamy) and pepper and mix well. Garnish with chives.

Spread the trout mixture on the grilled sourdough and top with sliced apples. Enjoy!

Until next time,

Cooking hack: brownies edition

It's safe to say that my friends and coworkers would identify me as a baker. I love baking and find stress relief in it, and I even love the precision of it (the part that right-brained people hate!).

On weekends especially, you'll often find me trying my hand at some new and challenging recipe (like these French cruellers).

Whenever there is a potluck at work or a dinner party with friends, I'm automatically signed up to bring a dessert.

I've made dozens of cupcakes for parties and showers and the like.

When it comes to giving wedding gifts, I almost always go for a pretty cake stand or handy baking sheets.

But I have a confession to make. It's a dark secret. More specifically, it's a dark chocolate secret. and it's this:

These are hands-down the very best ever most perfectly delicious brownies I have ever had. and it's time for the world to know about it.

I know what you're thinking: "oh so you must doctor it up with your own fancy things, right?" Wrong. I wouldn't dream of messing with Ms. Crocker's perfection-in-a-box. I've tried my hand at dozens of from-scratch brownie recipes, and this box by far trumps them all.

This is the brownie for all people. Whether you like your brownies cake-y or fudge-y, whether you are into dark chocolate or not, these perfectly balanced brownies will make you roll your eyes at the ridiculous deliciousness of them.

Stop judging me! This is good news, y'all! I'm telling you that you no longer have to slave over melting chocolate and butter together, and you can stop searching for the perfect flour ratio. You can find this brownie mix at practically any grocery store and all you add are water, oil and 2 eggs. It's so cheap and takes no time at all!

I'm telling you, wooing your friends has never been easier. If you don't believe me, grab a box and try it for yourself. No matter your brownie proclivity, these will satisfy even the most picky palate.

Happy eating!

    

In a pinch: Something out of nothing.

Ahoy, eaters! I have nothing nautical to say in this post, I just felt like saying Ahoy! So there!

This weekend I found myself in a bit of a food bind. I was sick most of the week and never made it to the grocery store, so most normal people would probably take the opportunity that we call a weekend to go to the grocery store, however, I have some neuroses rules about shopping at the Thunderdome Dekalb Farmer's Market on a weekend. Basically I just won't do it. It's cah-razy. So I was left this weekend with what was in my fridge and pantry. It was slim pickins. I didn't even have an onion.

I hopped on Tastespotting (good-bye productivity) for some inspiration and shamelessly typed into the search bar: chicken breast.

Yep.

Here I am, one of three food bloggers and I'm basically googling 'what to do with a chicken breast.' Not my finest moment admittedly, but after scrolling few a few recipes I was struck with inspiration by an at-home take-out recipe. Perfect. I foraged in my fridge and cabinets and came up with the following: a chicken breast, jasmine rice (almost a full cup!), some wrinkly (but still good) mini bell peppers and almost wilted Swiss chard. It was time to make some Chinese take-out.

[honey sriracha chicken w/chard and peppers]

Here is my go-to quick marinade for any meat for a fake take-out meal (per pound of meat):

• one egg white
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice wine

Then, I mixed, in a separate bowl:

• 1/3- 1/2 corn starch
• 1-2 tbsp salt (depending on how salty you like your food. I am heavy handed with the salt.)
• dash or two of pepper

Then in oneeee more bowl, I mixed the following:

• 2 tbsp sriracha
• 2 tbsp honey



Chop your chicken into 1 inch pieces and add them to the bowl with the egg-white marinade. Let all those ingredients become friends while you julienne your bell peppers and chard and while you mix your cornstarch and salt batter.

After about 15 minutes, drain the egg whites off the chicken, but don't rinse it. If it's a little runny, it's OK. I mean, we're kinda scrapping here anyway, right? Add your chunks of chicken to the corn starch mixture and stir to coat evenly.  

Put a tbsp of canola oil or grapeseed oil in a wok or deep non-stick pan and turn to high. Once the oil is hot enough (test with a piece of chicken- does it sizzle and start to fry? Good. If not, wait.) add your chicken. I did mine in two batches for even, quick cooking. Your chicken will fry up quickly, so keep an eye on it and stir when needed so there's no sticking to the pan. You don't want to stir so much that you knock all the batter off, but you don't want anything sticking, either.

Place done chicken on a paper-towel lined plate to drain excess grease and add the rest of the chicken. Once this is almost done, add your peppers and chard, stirring to cook. After about 5 minutes, add the rest of the chicken and the honey-sriracha sauce, reducing the heat to low and stirring so that everything is evenly coated.

Serve over steamed jasmine rice.

Until next time,