Lentil and Roasted Vegetable Soup

Can anyone explain to me why in the world soup tastes so much better when eaten out of a large coffee cup?



You know what I'm talking about right?  And you've definitely done this...right?

I sure hope so.

I'm not sure if it's the mere fact that you aren't "supposed" to eat soup out of a coffee cup...because well...a coffee cup is for coffee.  Or maybe there is some scientific reasoning behind the shape of the coffee cup that allows the soup to "breathe" creating flavors unthinkable in a regular soup bowl.

I would love to say it's the latter.  But that's probably bogus.

Or maybe...this soup is just really delicious.  Roasted vegetables.  Lentils.  Kale.  Smoky.  Spicy.  How could you go wrong?

You couldn't with that combination.

This is actually the first time I've ever thrown kale into a soup.  Uhhh why didn't anyone tell me about this?  It takes the soup to an entirely different level.  And the roasted vegetables.  I wouldn't have it any other way but if you're in a time crunch just saute the vegetables and skip the first step.  You won't get the same flavors but have no fear, it will still be tasty.

smoky lentil and roasted vegetable soup

Makes: 4-6 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion 
• 4 ounces mixed mushrooms
• 1 cup butternut squash, cubed
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• dash of cayenne
• 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup red lentils
• 2 handfuls of kale
• cheese for topping (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400° and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Spread onion, mushrooms, and squash out on the baking sheet in a single layer and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Roast for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender.
2. In large pot heat a small amount of olive oil over medium heat and scrape vegetables into pot.  Add garlic and saute for 5 minutes.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients (bay leaf, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, diced tomatoes with juice, broth, and lentils) except for the kale.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cover.  Let simmer for 20-25 minutes or until lentils are soft and puffy.
4. Remove from heat and add two handfuls of kale.  Stir well and do a taste test.  Salt and pepper to your liking.
5. Serve with a bit of cheese (if you want) and a nice piece of bread.

Pumpkin Pecan Pie Bars with Vanilla Bourbon Whipped Cream

I'm going to go ahead and admit that this dessert is absolutely, positively over the top.



But let me explain.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner...10 days away to be exact.  And that means that my feast planning is in full swing.  Every single one of you (except for my mother) would question my sanity if you were to see the lists I've made.  There are different sections, arrows everywhere, things crossed out, random thoughts...you get the picture.  It looks like a little crazy bomb went off in my planner.  Crazy or not...I love that list.  It gets me all excited for the holidays and for the days of cooking that are about to begin.



But there's a problem. When I get to the "dessert" portion of the list I always run into a dilemma.  There are so many options.  So many staples.  So many things I think just have to be on the Thanksgiving dinner table.  But...our Thanksgiving dinner table is quite small these days.  Meaning that the number of desserts I deem necessary isn't exactly proportionate to the number of mouths there are to feed.  And never mind the full bellies that aren't willing to consume anymore food.

So...this year I decided to do a little consolidating.

In my opinion...Pumpkin Pie and Pecan Pie are two absolute must haves.  But two pies is a lot of dessert for 6 people.  And having two whole pies really stifles the making of any other dessert.  And I don't like being limited.  So, I thought why not combine the two necessities into delectable little bars, that can be cut into smaller than a slice of pie portions, creating more room in the belly and on the table for other desserts?  It's genius really.  Why didn't I think of this before?



Like I said before...this dessert is a little over the top.  But hey, it's Thanksgiving!  You're supposed to feast, right?  I'll be honest, I wasn't entirely sure that this layering thing would work out.  I was worried that the pecans would sink to the bottom and create some sort of weird texture thing.  But that didn't happen.  And these bars are everything you would hope for when combining two already scrumptious pies.  Top it off with a little bit of homemade bourbon vanilla whipped cream?  Oh my.  Prepare yourself.



P.S. Don't be concerned with the ingredient list...it looks long and scary...but it's not.  You probably have most things sitting on your shelf already!

Makes: one 9x13 inch pan
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Bake Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients: 
-for the crust

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup oats
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 

-for the pumpkin layer

• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 

-for the pecan layer

• 1 stick butter, melted
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 cups chopped pecans

-for the bourbon vanilla whipped cream

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons bourbon
• 1 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Line a 9x13 inch baking dish with foil leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides.  Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. In a small bowl combine flour, oats, melted butter, brown sugar, and salt until well combined.  Press firmly into the bottom of the baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
3. While the crust is baking, prepare the pumpkin filling.  Combine all ingredients for the pumpkin filling in a small bowl (preferably the one you used for the crust to create less dishes!) and mix until everything is smooth and well combined.
4. Remove crust from oven and pour pumpkin filling evenly over golden crust.  Return to the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
5. While the pumpkin layer is baking, prepare the pecan layer by combining 1 stick melted butter, 3/4 cup light brown sugar, 1/3 cup honey, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, and 2 cups chopped pecans.  Once the pumpkin layer is somewhat set (but still a bit jiggly) remove pan from oven and top pumpkin layer with pecan layer.  Return to the oven and bake another 20-25 minutes until completely set.
6. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
7. In a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer) beat heavy cream until soft peaks begin to form.  Add sugar and beat until hard peaks form.  Fold in bourbon and the insides of one vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon extract.
8. Cut into squares and serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Brendan and Kaston are trying to show you all how delicious this dessert is...unfortunately they just look like they are drooling all over it.  I think they need to work on their "deliciously satisfied" faces.

Roasted Carrot Soup

Happy Halloween everyone!

Do you have big plans for the evening?  Dressing up?  Going to a party?  Cuddling up on the couch for some scary movies?  Making food from my Meal Plan Monday roundup of Halloween recipes?  Tell me about it!

I'm still on the fence about this evening.  I don't have a costume...Not sure if I want to go out on the town on a Wednesday... It's starting to sound like a night of food and scary movies is in my future.  I would do some homework but that's getting a little too ambitious for Halloween don't you think?

Speaking of ambitious...

If I was a really ambitious blogger I would have been posting "Halloween" recipes for you over the last week.  If I was a remotely ambitious blogger I would at least have a Halloween recipe for you today.  But guess what...I don't.  What a let down right?  I don't even have an excuse.  Psh.

At least the soup is somewhat orange/reddish?  I could get creative and call it roasted witch finger soup or something like that.  But see...I just made that up on the spot.  And that was really lame.  So we are going to stick with roasted carrot soup and just be happy that it's a fall color and even happier that it's stinking delicious.  Roasted vegetables win every time.  We've talked about that.

Vegetable Soup = Eh.  Okay.  Roasted Vegetable Soup = YES. NOW.

roasted carrot soup

Adapted from Five and Spice 

Makes: 4-6 servings 
Prep Time: 10 minutes 
Cook Time: 50 minutes 
Total Time: 1 hour

{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:
2 lbs. carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large yellow onion, sliced in 1/2 inch slices
6 whole cloves garlic, peel on and one end sliced off
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 two-inch knob of ginger, grated
1 piece of orange peel, about 4 inches long
several sprigs of mint
5 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed from the same orange you acquired the peel from)
2 teaspoons cumin
salt and pepper to taste
crumbled feta (for serving)
thinly sliced green onions (for serving)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°.  On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the carrots, onions, and garlic cloves with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Spread them out in a single layer and roast, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, about 30 minutes.  Remove from the oven.
2. Add a small dash of olive oil to a large soup pot and heat over medium heat for about a minute.  Stir in the carrots and onions and peel the garlic out of it's clove and add to the pot along with the piece of orange zest and the mint sprigs.  Turn the heat to medium-low.
3. Take the grated ginger and squeeze all the juice out of it and into the pot.  Stir well and add the vegetable stock.  Bring the pot to a boil and then turn down the heat to let simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the carrots are very soft.
4. Remove from heat and take out the orange peel and mint sprig.
5. Puree the soup in batches in a blender, until smooth.  You can choose to do the entire pot for a completely smooth soup or leave some of the vegetables for a fuller bodied soup.  Return the soup pot to the stove and place over low heat.  Stir in orange juice and cumin.  Then salt and pepper to taste.
6. Dish the soup into bowls and top with feta cheese and green onions.  Serve immediately with a big yummy piece of bread.
   

Meal Plan Monday: Halloween Roundup

In honor of this week's upcoming holiday, as well as the incoming storm that has been deemed "Frankenstorm", I thought today's Meal Plan Monday recipes needed to be a bit spookier than usual.  So I gathered a bajillion Halloween breakfast, snack, dinner, drink, and dessert recipes to share with you!  Would it be too much to try and make half of these on Halloween?  Probably.  Ugh.

Uh..by the way...have you heard about this Frankenstorm thing?  Listen, I'm from Missouri.  We don't do hurricanes.  We do tornadoes, where you have 20 minutes warning if you're lucky.  So the whole days of preparation, school being cancelled yesterday, and everyone hunkering down and avoiding the outdoors thing is really freaking me out.

Don't worry though.  Our apartment is stocked full of water, candles, and wine.  The three necessities.  I've heard you can last for weeks, maybe even months on those three things.

I'm also thinking I should prepare some food and maybe take a shower before the power possibly (the weather channel is saying it's likely...) goes out.  I've adapted to this preparation thing quite nicely don't you think?  So I think I'll leave you with these yummy recipes and go prep the fort.

If you are in the path of the storm please stay safe and if not please stay safe and have fun on Halloween!

boo-worthy breakfast

1. Pumpkin Raspberry Pop Tarts -from Sea Salt with Food

2. Pumpkin Pancakes -from I Am Baker

3. Spiderweb Eggs -from Martha Stewart

4. Snack-o-Lantern Fruit Cups -from Pink Parsley

5. Pumpkin Ricotta Stuffed French Toast -from Family Fresh Cooking

6. Mummy Bagel with Cream Cheese and Blueberries -from Eighteen 25

spooky snacks

1. Baked Witch Fingers -from Macheesmo

2. Pumpkin Cheese Ball -from Lol Foodie

3. Homemade Cheesy Ghost Crackers -from Sassy Radish

4. Mushroom filled Won Ton Appetizer -from Hungry Happenings

5. Mummy Dogs -from Our Best Bites

6. Spooky Black Bean Hummus -from Fat Free Vegan

dreadful drinks

1. Halloween Milk Shooters for the Little Ghosts -from The Family Kitchen

2. Blood Red Punch -from Noble Pig

3. Green Goblin Smoothie -from The Gourmet Mama

4. White Chocolate Ghost Cocktail Shooter -from The Slow Roasted Italian

5. Vampire Punch with Lime Sherbert -from Cookin' Canuck

6. Shrunken Heads in Cider -from Martha Stewart

morbid main dishes

1. Tentacle Pot Pies -from Not Martha via. The Family Kitchen

2. Mummus Melts -from Scarborough FoodFair

3. Mummy Pizza -from Cooking by Moonlight

4. Frankenstein Pizza -from Munchkin Munchies

5. Macaroni and Cheese Bake in Coffin Toast -from Almost Bourdain

6. Stuffed Jack-o'-Lanterns -from Healthful Pursuit

spine-chilling sweets

1. Frank and Willy Pops -from Fork and Beans

2. Halloween M&M Cookies -from Scarborough FoodFair

3. Leftover Halloween Candy Bark -from Brown Eyed Baker

4. Cake Ball Brains Oozing Cherry Blood -from Hungry Happenings

5. Halloween Dirt Cups -from The Hungry Housewife

6. Mummy Head Rice Krispies -from Recipe Girl

7. Black Velvet Spider Cupcakes -from Pastry Affair

8. Boo-tiful Halloween Cake -from I Am Baker

Halloween M&M Cookies

Listen.

It's that time of year again.  Halloween is upon us and that means costumes are being created, parties are being planned and of course candy is everywhere.

But here's the thing.  I don't really like candy.

Don't get me wrong.  I have a sweet tooth.  And it's not a small one.  But that monstrous sweet tooth of mine has this bizarre animosity towards candy.  It really shouldn't discriminate.  But it does.

If someone were to offer me a bag full of M&M's or a handful of candy corn right at this very moment (or at any moment for that matter) I would decline without a second thought.  *Gasp* I know, it's just not my thing.  But...there's always an exception...and that exception comes in the form of White Chocolate Candy Corn M&M's.

Uh, what?

These things are like crack dipped in white chocolate.  I really don't understand it.  The part of me that dislikes candy is saying "Nooooooooooooo" but my taste buds are saying "YES".

Have I made my point that you should probably go grab a bag and try them?  Yes?  Okay, good.

But please don't eat the whole bag.  You'll need them for the cookies!

But...if you're a smart cookie...you'll get two bags.  One for you, one for the cookies!

halloween m&m cookies

Makes: 2-3 dozen cookies (depending on size)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 8-12 minutes 
Total Time: 20 minutes 

{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup M&Ms (preferably the Halloween M&M's!)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325°.
Mix the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl whisk the butter and sugars until they are combined and look like the first picture below.  Add eggs and vanilla and whisk until smooth.  Slowly incorporate flour until a dough forms.  Mix until all flour is added and then stir in M&M's.
Scoop out about 2 tablespoons worth of dough for each cookie and drop onto an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake for 8-12 minutes at 325° then remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.


P.S. - Please tell me you're proud that I took some process pictures?  It's been far too long.

Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake

It's about time I join the pumpkin bandwagon.  Don't you think?

Pumpkin is everywhere right now.  Pumpkin lattes.  Seasonal pumpkin beer.  Pumpkin bread.  Pumpkin butter.  Spiced pumpkin seeds.  Pumpkin soup.  You get the picture.  Pumpkin season is here.  And I'm loving every second of it.

I should warn you that sometime within the next week (fingers crossed) you will be seeing a tutorial on how to roast a sugar pumpkin in order to make homemade pumpkin puree.  Process pictures included and all.  Remember when I used to be a good little blogger and include process picture on every recipe?  Ugh.  That good little blogger got replaced by a two job working, in the last year of college blogger.  Blogger #1 was way more fun and way less lazy.  Darn her.

The cheesecake.

The cheesecake came as a request from my roommate Nick for his birthday.  Cheesecake is his go-to birthday cake.  In fact he has never requested anything else.  However, the pumpkin shocked me a bit.  "You want a pumpkin cheesecake?"  Huh.  Usually he's an oreo/some sort of chocolate kind of guy.  But hey, ask and you shall receive birthday boy.

The bourbon was not requested but given his love of bourbon (in an unproblematic sort of way) I figured it would be a nice touch.  And I was right.  So right.

bourbon pumpkin cheesecake...

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Makes: 12-14 servings   Prep Time: 15 minutes + 30 minutes chill time   Bake Time: 50-60 minutes   Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:
for the crust-
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

for the filling-
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
3 large eggs
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon bourbon liqueur or bourbon
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

for the topping-
1 1/2 cups sour cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon bourbon liqueur or bourbon

Garnish-
candied pecans (optional)

Directions: 

1. For the crust- Butter a 9-inch springform pan and then stir together crumbs, pecans, sugars, and butter in a bowl until well combined.  Press crumb mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan and 1/2 inch up the side.  Then chill crust for 30 minutes.
2. For the filling- Preheat oven to 350°.  In the bowl of a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat cream cheese and sugars until well combined.  Add the rest of the ingredients except for the eggs (pumpkin, cream, vanilla, bourbon, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt) and mix until everything is incorporated.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
3. Pour filling into the crust, smoothing the top with a knife, and then bake until the center is set, 50-60 minutes.
4. For the topping- While the cheesecake is baking, whisk together the sour cream, sugar, and bourbon in a small bowl.  When the middle of the cheesecake is set, spread mixture over the top and bake an additional 5 minutes.
5. Cool cheesecake completely in pan on a wire rack, about 3 hours.  Chill, covered, until cold, at least 4 hours.  Serve chilled or at room temperature and garnish with candied pecans.