Pumpkin Snickerdoodle

Why is it when fall comes around all I want to do bake with pumpkin.

Made these this week.  They are heavenly.  Either make some for yourself or come on over.
I made plenty.

Recipe from A Bitchin' Kitchen

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
For the cookies:

3 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract

For the coating:
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
Dash of allspice

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Whisk together to blend.  In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugars on medium speed until well combined.  Next, still on medium speed, beat in pumpkin.  Then, add the egg and vanilla extract.  Lastly, add in the dry ingredients.  Beat until combined, but do not over mix.  Cover the dough, and refrigerate for one hour, until firm.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and spices for the sugar coating.  Scoop dough and roll into a ball.  Roll the dough ball in the sugar mixture, and place on the lined baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie.  Take a drinking glass with a flat bottom and moisten with water.  Dip the glass in the sugar mixture, and use it to flatten the dough balls.  Re-sugar the glass as needed.

Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes.  Remove when the centers of the cookies have set.  Let cool on the baking pan for approximately 5 minutes, and then transfer to wire cooling racks to cool completely.

Pinterest challenge

I'm often pinning things away about something I want to cook or bake or create.  Sometimes I actually make them, and sometimes I don't, but I realized that I need to document my efforts and experiences.  Even if no one else looks at it, it is at least exciting for me to review what I have done.

So I'll start with a recipe I found (and later pinned, but it still counts) for Chuy's Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Enchiladas.  If you have never been, or heard of Chuys, you are missing out.  Our friends in Dallas told us it was one of their very favorite places to go and at the end of the summer we finally went.  I can see why they love it so much.  It's incredible.

I was able to find the recipe here after a quick google search and I decided to make it for Randal's 26th (!!) birthday back in November.  He decided that we should rename it "Randal's favorite dinner".  It is really simple to make and I have made it several times since.  I highly recommend making it for dinner.

Randal's Favorite Dinner 

aka Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Enchiladas

corn tortillas

3 frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts 

1/2 c chicken broth

1/4 c water

1/4 T each salt and pepper

2 cans (they are small) roasted green chilies

3 large tomatillos

a bundle of cilantro

2 minced cerrano (I use jalapeño too sometimes) peppers

3 T lime juice

1 1/4 lb American cheese

additional mixed shredded cheese for topping

In a saucepan, add chicken broth, water and spices and place over a medium to high flame. Using a food processor, puree roasted green chilies, tomatillos, cilantro, serranos and lime juice.

Add to saucepan, stirring in well. Bring mixture to a slow boil. Lower flame and slowly add American cheese, whipping as needed to remove clumps and make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom. When the cheese is melted and mixed, remove from heat. Yields 1 Quart.

While I am making the sauce I am also cooking my chicken.  I thaw it, cook it on the stove then shred it and add some spices usually like Tony Chachere's creole seasoning.  

To make enchiladas, fill a tortilla with 2 ounces of chicken. Roll up and place in a baking pan.  I typically put mine in my large pyrex pan and fill it with enough tortillas until it's stuffed. Top with sauce and cheese and put in a warm oven (like 200 degrees) for 4 minutes (give or take), until cheese is melted.

Indian food

Randal and I both love Indian food, so we make it pretty often.  I never posted before my Chicken Saagwala recipe, so here it is.  I have perfected it since.  The other night we made Chicken Tikka Masala and Lamb (we use steak) Vindaloo.  Still searching for the perfect recipe for those, so I won't share them quite yet.
Usually we head to the store and pick up some naan, and that works okay, but I decided to be brave and I made some homemade naan.  Seriously so good and surprisingly easy.

Chicken Saagwala:
2 medium chicken breasts cut into pieces
2 packages of frozen spinach (defrosted) finely chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 bay leaf
1 tsp ginger powder
3 cloves of freshly pressed garlic (we love garlic so we use a lot, but use as much or as little as you want)
1 small onion (white or yellow) pureed
1/4 c tomato paste (about one small can)
2 tsp salt
1/2 Tbsp Garam Masala
1/2 tsp  cayenne pepper
3/4 c olive oil

Heavy Cream

Heat oil in large pan and add cumin.  Be careful to not let it burn.  When it splutters, add bay leaf, ginger and garlic and saute until a light brown.
Add onions and saute til soft.
Add the chicken over high heat and saute til cooked.
Add tomato puree and stir on medium heat.
Add the salt, garam masala, and cayenne pepper and stir until well mixed.
Add spinach and saute for 2-3 minutes.  I usually add a splash of cream at this point.
Let simmer on low for 5 minutes.

Serve garnished with cream on a bed of basmati rice with a side of naan.

Indian Naan:
1 pkg yeast
1 c warm water
1/4 c sugar
3 Tbsp milk
1 egg-beaten
2 tsp salt
4 1/2 c flour
2 cloves of garlic-minced
1/4 c melted butter

Dissolve yeast in water in a large bowl.  Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt and flour.  Let dough rise for 1 hour (I only waited about 20 minutes on this step).  Pinch off golf ball sized pieces of dough and flatten out.  Place in lightly oiled pan until puffy and brown.  Flip and brush with butter and garlic.

Banana Bread

Keeping in line with trying new recipes, I made banana bread with some leftover bananas.  Seriously, it was incredible.  So moist and not too banana-y.

Banana Bread:
3 ripe bananas (I used only 2 and it was perfect)
1/3 c melted butter
3/4 c sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1 1/2 c flour

In large mixing bowl, mix butter into smashed bananas.  Mix in sugar, egg and vanilla.  Add baking soda, salt and flour and mix well.
Pour into greased 4x8 loaf pan.  Bake for 1 hr  at 350 degrees and cool on rack. 

Churros

As promised, here is the recipe for the churros.  They were delicious.  I didn't have all the right tools, but I made it work with what I did have.  Hope you like these bad boys!

Churros:
1/2 c butter
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 c water
1 c flour
3 eggs
vegetable oil, for frying
cinnamon sugar, for dusting

In medium saucepan, combine water, butter, sugar and salt.  Bring to boil then reduce heat to low.  Add flour and stir.  
Transfer mixture to a bowl and beat in eggs.
Spoon mixture into a pastry bag with large open-star tip.  
Heat oil (4-5 inches deep) in large pan.  Squeeze out batter, snipping off 4 inches with kitchen shears.  Fry, flipping over until golden brown.  
Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels.  Roll churros in cinnamon sugar mixture.

I didn't have a pastry bag, so I used a ziploc bag with a corner cut off.  Didn't turn out too bad.  Try it and let me know what you think!  

Cinco de Mayo

I was on Marthastewart.com and I saw a recipe for guacamole so I decided to do a little party for two for dinner.  I made guacamole, my favorite chicken recipe, homemade chips, churros, and topped it off with Sidral Mundet to drink.  I'll include either the link, or the recipe for these dishes.  It was incredible.  I recommend making all of these things!

Guacamole found here.  I also added tomatoes and extra cilantro.  For the chips, Randal and I make them from corn tortilla shells that we broil in the oven.  They are thicker and crispier.

My chicken recipe I got from a friend in a dinner group.  It is one of my go to recipes and is so fresh and tasty.  I have altered it slightly from the original, so here you go!

Garlic Lime Chicken:
1tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
2 cloves fresh pressed garlic (you could use garlic powder)
5 Tbsp olive oil
1 med Onion diced
mozzarella cheese
avocado
tomatoes
limes
cilantro

Rub seasonings onto 6 chicken breasts and brown in oil.
Remove chicken and saute onion in remaining oil.
Place chicken in casserole dish and top with onions.  Sprinkle 1-2 handfuls of cheese on top of chicken and bake at 350 degrees until chicken is cooked.  (Roughly 15 mins)
Top with sliced avocado, diced tomatoes, cilantro and freshly squeezed lime juice.  Salt to taste.

You should definitely try it and I will post the recipe for churros later.  Good luck!