Spicy Orange Honey Quick Bread

Whenever the holiday season comes around, I'm always in a yearning mood for a Spicy Orange Honey Quick Bread.

There is something about the aroma that fills the house on a cold night, and the combined savory and delicate sweetness of the buckwheat honey, cinnamon, star anise and the nutmeg that compliments just about every hot drink -  from a cup of tea or coffee, to a cup of cocoa or even a steaming glass of sangria - to be enjoyed alone or better yet, with your friends and loved ones by the crackling fire.

Coconut & Lime Cream Cheese Cookies

Green Curry, Coconut, Garlic & Ginger Clams

This recipe is one of my favorite spicy seafood dishes - there's nothing better than eating this with your family for a relaxing night at home. Serve with chilled white wine. I personally like it with good riesling like Zind Humbrecht or Richter Veldenzer Elisenberg. Enjoy!

Chocolate Coconut Madeleines with Strawberries

The first bright red strawberries that appear in your garden signal the onset of summer and the opening of berry season. They are the first act, followed by raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and more- and, in the middle of the summer they all appear on stage together. Save this recipe for beginning of strawberry season and many sweet and delicious mid-afternoon tea gatherings.

Butternut Squash, Apple and Walnut Muffins and The Last Pumpkin Field Trip

The Anxious Leaf: Autumn Short Stories - Fall
Once upon a time a little leaf was heard to sigh and cry, as leaves
often do when a gentle wind is about. And the twig said, "What is the matter, little leaf?" And the leaf said, "The wind just told me that one day it would pull me off and throw me down to die on the ground!"
The twig told it to the branch on which it grew, and the branch told it to the tree. And when the tree heard it, it rustled all over, and sent back word to the leaf, "Do not be afraid. Hold on tightly, and you shall not go till you want to."

And so the leaf stopped sighing, but went on nestling and singing. Every time the tree shook itself and stirred up all its leaves, the branches shook themselves, and the little twig shook itself, and the little leaf danced up and down merrily, as if nothing could ever pull it off. And so it grew all summer long, till October.
And when the bright days of autumn came the little leaf saw all the leaves around becoming very beautiful. Some were yellow and some scarlet, and some striped with both colors. Then it asked the tree what it meant. And the tree said, "All these leaves are getting ready to fly away, and they have put on these beautiful colors because of joy."
Then the little leaf began to want to go, too, and grew very beautiful in thinking of it, and when it was very gay in color it saw that the branches of the tree had no bright color in them, and so the leaf said, "O branches! why are you lead-color and we golden?"

"We must keep on our work-clothes, for our life is not done - but your clothes are for holiday, because your tasks are over," said the branches.
Just then a little puff of wind came, and the leaf let go, without thinking of it, and the wind took it up and turned it over and over, and whirled it like a spark of fire in the air, and then it dropped gently down under the edge of the fence, among hundreds of leaves, and fell into a dream, and it never waked up to tell what it dreamed about.

Butternut Squash, Apple and Walnut Muffins recipe adapted from Cannelle et Vanille

The cupcakes came out just perfect: airy, buttery and moist. The recipe would make a beautiful cake, too. I love the color of my creation, it's the autumn on my table. -)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 small butternut squash puree, peeled, seeded and diced
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (50 g) natural cane sugar
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (70 g) garbanzo bean flour
• 1/2 cup (70 g) cake-flour
• 1/3 cup (45 g) almond meal
• 3 tablespoons (20 g) potato-starch (potato-starch is excellent in cakes, it makes them light)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 Gala apple, peeled and diced into 1/8-inch pieces
• 1 ounce (30 g) chopped walnuts

Direction:
Preheat oven to 350F (180C).
Steam the diced squash until tender, about 10 minutes. Puree it in the food processor and measure 1/2 cup (115 g). Reserve the rest for another use.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the butternut squash puree, eggs, light brown sugar, natural cane sugar, coconut milk, coconut oil and vanilla extract.
In a separate large bowl, whisk together the garbanzo bean flour, cake-flour, almond meal, potato starch, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and whisk to combine. Fold in the diced apples and walnuts.
Pour the batter into the muffin molds or baking cups and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Let them cool for a few minutes before serving. They will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Makes 12 muffins.

Cashew, Coconut and Butternut Squash Curry Stew and Basmati Rice

From Sunset October 2011

I love pumpkin, so October’s festivities always provide me with an excellent reason to make as many dishes from it as possible! Cream of Butternut Squash Soup, Roasted Pumpkin with honey, Pumpkin Jam--you name it. Butternut Squash Curry Stew and Basmati Rice are the best recipes ever for the month of Hallows Eve. Creamy Coconut Sauce mixed with a variety of different spices, cashew nuts, and squash melts on the tongue, delighting it with sublime flavor. Here you will find the original version. When I make it, however, I add dry curry instead of the curry leaves--an innovation that has worked fine for me.  I also added cilantro as a garnish for color and extra flavor. Happy Autumn everyone!

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ qts. peeled, 1 ½ in. chunks pumpkin or other orange-fleshed squash (from a 3-lb. squash)
• About 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
• 3 tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
• 1 onion halved and cut into half moons
• 1or2 red or green Serrano chiles, minced
• 1 cinnamon stick (2 ½ in. long)
• 20 fresh curry leaves or 6 dried bay leaves
• 1 tsp. each turmeric and cumin seeds
• 1 cup salted roasted cashews
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• Steamed basmati rice

Directions:
Sprinkle pumpkin with ½ tsp. salt. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Brown half the pumpkin in oil, turning once, 6to8 minutes; reduce heat if pumpkin starts to get dark. Transfer into bowl and repeat with1 tbsp. oil and remaining pumpkin.



Heat remaining 1 tbsp. oil meanwhile in another large frying pan over medium heat. Cook onions, stirring occasionally, until deep golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer half to the nonstick frying pan and reserve other half to bowl.



Add chiles , cinnamon, and curry leaves to onion in pan. Cook, stirring often, until curry leaves are very fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add turmeric, cumin, and remaining ½ tsp. salt and cook, stirring until spices are fragrant, about 1 minute.



Return pumpkin to nonstick frying pan (with onion) and add coconut milk. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover, reduce heat, then simmer until pumpkin is tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in cashews and lemon juice, and add more salt to taste. Top curry with reserved onion and serve with rice.