Smoked Paprika Pumpkin Soup

I have not wrapped a single present…have been having too much fun cooking and writing blog entries. Plus, I’m excited about heading home to the bay area tomorrow. In addition to love of family, it is also about love of ingredients that I cannot get here, so it's off to several haunts in the days to come. Here’s where I plan to stop during my first days home; they are all in Berkeley, minutes away from parents’ home (yippee!):

Monterey Market:I need to drool over some beautiful produce. Baby bok choy, celeriac & satsumas are on my list…I’ll take some pics for future daydreaming.
http://www.montereymarket.com/index.htm

Monterey Fish Market and Tokyo Fish Market:I am going to make something fish-wonderful for the family—depends on what looks best and what won’t break the bank. I’m also hoping to surprise Dad with some oysters (the man can slurp them down). I'll be on the lookout for bonito flakes and konbu seaweed (both for making dashi stock) at Tokyo Fish Market. I know this may shock many, but I cannot find either here in Nacogdoches, TX.
http://www.montereyfish.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/tokyo-fish-market-berkeley

Cheese Board Collective:Wherefore art thou freshly baked sourdough cheese roll? Oh, how I’ve missed your tangy goodness. I will find you and your freshly baked cherry corn scone friends (and some haloumi and teleme, too) come Thursday morning when the collective reopens.
http://cheeseboardcollective.coop/Cheese%20and%20Bread%20Collective/CheesePage.html

Peet’s Coffee & Tea (DAILY!!!):Oh, Peet’s...there is no better coffee. Hallelujah for small pleasures. http://www.peets.com/

Acme Bread:There’s a bag of cinnamon bread with my name on it. No, really, there is—I called ahead. Acme bread gives all the other breads inferiority complexes; rightly so.
http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/acme_bread_company.php

And if time permits, it’s over to the Ferry Building in San Francisco. I’ll bring the necessary paper bag to keep my breathing under control (you'll understand from the website alone). Again, will take pictures for future posts (and for some silent weeping).
http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/

But now back to the present.

No baking today. Ate the cherry scones for breakfast (so glad to have made them ahead) and finally got hungry again about an hour ago, so I whipped up a pumpkin soup with items in my pantry. Canned pumpkin is one of my go-to superfoods: so handy (and cheap) to keep around, loaded with nutrition (vitamin A, carotenoids, fiber—and very low in calories and fat), and high in versatility (breads, muffins, scones, smoothies, soups, and more).

I flavored this batch of pumpkin soup with sweet (dulce--not hot) smoked paprika (pimenton de la vera), ground cumin, and a bit of orange in place of some of the broth. If you don’t have pimenton, regular paprika is a fine substitution. Here’s a link for buying or reading more about pimenton: http://www.tienda.com/food/smoked_paprika.html?CMP=KNC-Google&gclid=CMmL-abkwZACFQEBswodNzS7XQ).

Well, better get back to those presents while Nick and Kevin are still at the park.

I’ll be posting less in the days ahead (as I eat & talk myself silly), but will be back with a vengeance in the New Year.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

Smoked Paprika Pumpkin Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup (about 1 small) chopped onion
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 and 1/2 teaspoons pimenton (smoked paprika--dulce, not hot variety)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 and 1/2 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup orange juice
1 15-ounce can solid pack pumpkin
1 12-ounce can fat free evaporated milk
Optional: fresh croutons, a sprinkle of pimenton

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes or until tender. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the pimenton, cumin and salt; cook for 1 minute.

Whisk the broth, orange juice and pumpkin into the pan, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Whisk in the evaporated milk. Transfer mixture to food processor or blender (in batches, if necessary--or use a handheld immersion blender). Blend until smooth. Serve warm. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition per Serving:Calories 138; Fat 4.7g (sat 0.7g, mono 3.4g, poly 0.5g); Protein 3.4g; Cholesterol 0mg; Carbohydrate 12.2g; Sodium 449mg.

(Note: I did the nutrition analysis using Diet Analysis Plus 7.0.1)

Whole Wheat Cardamom-Cherry Scones

I’m flying home to visit my parents and siblings on the evening of Christmas day (we did this last year, too—it really was less crowded, much easier with baby in tow). Even though Nick can still technically travel for free by sitting in a lap, I gave myself an early Christmas present and bought him his own seat. We flew home in August for a visit—the flight out reached nightmare proportions (jammed flight, seated in back row where the seats do not recline, crazed baby who would not nap, covered head to toe—me and baby—with food, milk and juice). Poor little guy needed his own space. I also shipped our clothes in advance, so no packing save for diaper bag and purse basics—Merry Christmas to me!

But let me get on with the food talk (beyond the covered-in-babyfood variety mentioned above). I’m trying to squeeze in some final holiday baking before leaving, and since I’m just about cookie-d out, my thoughts are turning to Christmas breakfasts.

Kevin and I have already planned to do baked French toast for Christmas morning, but I want something special for Christmas Eve morning as well—I love the final hustle and bustle of Christmas Eve: wrapping presents, delivering last-minute gifts, Xmas movies and music on in the background all day, getting ready for church, etc. A quick, make-ahead breakfast seems just the thing: specifically, Christmas Eve scones.

My mother makes excellent scones—she uses a basic currant scone recipe from the Woman’s Day Encyclopedia of Cookery (this is one of the greatest cooking collections of all times). We ate them often on weekend mornings, so getting into scone-zone is a nostalgic choice, too. Plus, I’m thinking leftovers will travel well on the flight Christmas day

As I mentioned in my previous post, I am not one for tradition when it comes to recipes—I almost always want to develop something new, so out with the traditional currants, and in with the tart dried cherries and cardamom.

The scone recipe is one I’ve been honing for about 2 years: it’s lighter, but it tastes anything but, in part because I still use real ingredients (butter, buttermilk, eggs, real sugar). It has a delicate crumb, they way a good scone should, but at the same time, it’s not crumbly. The cardamom lends an exotic, slightly floral note; the tart cherries, a mid-winter brightness. I like to give the scones a glossy sheen with some beaten egg white and a sprinkle of turbinado sugar (as my recipe directs), but you can skip these steps if you’re in a time crunch.

One of my more recent adaptations to the recipe is the use of white whole wheat flour. You MUST try this flour. It’s made by King Arthur Flour and is an incredibly easy way to add whole grains to a wide range of recipes without much more than a blink. Here’s the link if you would like to read more:

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/flour/home.html

You can use it measure-for-measure in place of all-purpose flour in most recipes (I’ve had the best success in quick breads, such as scones, muffins and breads like pumpkin bread—I now prefer it in many such recipes). I wouldn’t advise the measure-for-measure substitution for delicate cakes, but I have used it in more casual cakes (e.g., upside cakes and a one bowl chocolate cake) with wonderful results.

You can mail order it, but it’s readily available in grocery stores (I use my tiny town as a barometer: they have it in all of the grocery stores here, so it’s very likely in your supermarket, too).

My scones are baked and cooled—I’m going to wrap them up for tomorrow morning (confession—Christmas Eve started early, Kevin and I already ate one) to gobble up with coffee and fruit.

Cardamom-Cherry Scones


2 cups white whole wheat flour (e.g., King Arthur Brand)
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
1 cup dried tart cherries, roughly chopped (or dried cranberries)
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract

1 large egg

1 large egg white, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cardamom in a large bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or your fingers until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in cherries.

In a medium bowl whisk the buttermilk, vanilla, almond extract and egg until just blended. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist (dough will be sticky).

Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Dust top of the dough with flour, and pat with fingertips into an 8-inch circle. Cut dough into 8 wedges. Arrange wedges 1/2 inch apart on a baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray. Brush egg white over wedges and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

Bake 22-25 minutes or until golden. Transfer to wire rack with a spatula and cool 5 minutes. Serve warm or cool to room temperature. Makes 8 scones.

Nutrition per Serving (1 scone):
Calories 253; Fat 5.7g (sat 2.7g, mono 2.2g, poly 0.4g); Protein 5.2g; Cholesterol 39.5mg; Carbohydrate 45.1g; Sodium 316.2mg.
(Note: I did the nutrition analysis using Diet Analysis Plus 7.0.1)

Camilla’s Notes:

(1) Making Ahead: These scones are excellent make-ahead options. Cool completely then store in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days (rewarm as desired). Or freeze by wrapping cooled scones in aluminum foil, then in an airtight freezer bag. Freeze for up to 2 months (they only take about 30 minutes to defrost on the countertop).

(2) Variations: Feel free to use this recipe as a template for your own flavor ideas/combinations. I change it all the time according to my whims. Need some ideas? Consider the following:

a. Allspice & dried currant
b. Ginger and chopped dried mango
c. Cinnamon & chopped dried apple
d. Nutmeg and chopped dried pear
e. Dried blueberries and lemon zest (I add about 2 teaspoons of the latter)

Quatre Epices Maple Pecans

Update: I made the nuts with the pecans, and they were incredible!

But I confess, I made some significant changes with the flavors. I can’t resist—I rarely make a recipe exactly the same way twice (something that drives my husband nutty, at least when he wants me to replicate a dish he really loved. Sorry!)

So I used my same recipe, but substituted maple syrup for the sugar and substituted quatre epices for the fresh rosemary.

Quatre epices is a spice used mainly in France—it literally translates as “four spices” (it’s nice to know my high school French wasn’t all for naught). The mix typically contains equal amounts of ground pepper (it can be white, black, or peppercorn blends—I used a peppercorn blend this time around), cloves, nutmeg and ginger. But there is wiggle room in the combination: some recipes and ready-made blends of quatre epices call for a greater proportion of pepper in the mix, and others use allspice in place of ginger or cinnamon in place of nutmeg.

I decided to use allspice in place of the ginger. Ginger is one of my favorite flavors, but sometimes I use it to excess (e.g., I’ve already made double ginger scones this week as well as a Ukranian Honey Spice Cake laced with plenty of ginger). And I tend to overlook allspice. It’s a great spice—it’s used in a lot in German sausages, savory Palestinian dishes, Caribbean cooking (think Jerk chicken), and also in a lot of British baked goods (e.g., my Mother makes a mean hot crossed buns recipe spiced only with allspice).

The freshness of the spices is critical for a recipe like this where they take center stage. If yours are more than a year old, it’s definitely time for a replacement. You can also do the sniff test: open the container and take a whiff. If the scent isn’t full-bodied, toss it in the bin.

It doesn’t take a bankroll to replace your spices if you know a few tricks. One of my spice secrets? Buy them in the bulk foods section of the natural/health food store. You can buy what you need, often (before they lose their potency), for a fraction of the price of bottles and jars.

Case in point, cardamom: a bottle from my local grocery store is $9.99 for 2 ounces, whereas my local natural food store sells it in bulk for 50 cents per half ounce (and it is organic and incredibly fresh and aromatic). You can store bulk spices in cleaned glass spice bottles or, even better, opaque tins (they keep out the light, preserving the spices for a longer period). I’ll discuss other herb & spice sources in future posts—a lot of great sources exist, for great quality and great prices.

Good grief, how I ramble. Back to the pecans…

So quatre epices is the pecan spice profile (with a bit more pepper than the other spices, since I like a spicy kick; you can adjust to your preference). As mentioned above, I decided to give a touch of maple syrup a try in place of sugar, and upped the quantity, too (to complement the sweetness of the pecans)—I’ve made something similar in the past, and maple is especially festive. Other than that, the recipe is quite similar to the rosemary walnuts.

Brace yourself—if possible, they are even more addictive than the rosemary walnuts. I’m planning on making several more batches of both these and the walnuts for some gifts (must marshal all self-control in the process). I suppose I had better get to it, especially while baby is asleep…

Quatre Epices Maple Pecans

1 and 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 teaspoon ground pepper (use freshly ground if using black or a blend)
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 cups pecan halves

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350F. Melt the butter with the pepper, nutmeg, cloves and allspice in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Remove pan from heat and add the pecans, tossing to coat. Turn the nuts out onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 minutes. Drizzle the maple syrup over the nuts, stir to combine, and bake about 8-10 minutes longer, until the nuts turn glossy. Remove from oven and cool on pan. Makes 16 servings.

Nutrition per Serving (2 tablespoons):
Calories 105; Fat 10.4g (sat 1.4g, mono 5.7g, poly 2.8g); Protein 1.2g; Cholesterol 3mg; Carbohydrate 3.5g; Sodium 153.7mg.

(Note: I did the nutrition analysis using Diet Analysis Plus 7.0.1)

Spicy Rosemary Walnuts

So I had all sorts of great ideas and plans for my first substantive entry—perhaps some sparkling Christmas cocktails, holiday breakfast ideas, or some inspiring baking tidbits for the final countdown to December 25th.

Instead, I offer a brief story of Ash Soup.

It was not intentional. It began life late Wednesday afternoon as a butternut squash, white bean & bacon soup, a recipe I found on epicurious.com and which happened to have great reviews. Our good friends Kirsten and Shane were coming over for dinner and a big pot of soup, warm bread and a salad sounded like the perfect laid back, comfort food dinner: not too much fuss, no last-minute prep, and satisfying without being too filling.

I managed to complete the soup in intervals between chasing after baby Nick (and trying to keep him from fishing out the butternut squash peelings from the garbage can; the safety lock leaves an ideal gap for toddler-size hands to retrieve such goodies—whee!). I pushed the soup to the back burner, combed my hair (sort of), glossed my lips and waited (i.e., bathed & dressed Nicky and read four rhyming books) for K & S to arrive.

And so they did, and everything was great, especially with the assistance of some Chardonnay. Overly cocky that everything culinary was under control, I began re-warming the soup and slicing the bread about 45 minutes in. We were all gathered in the kitchen chatting and playing with Nick, so I had no worries.

Some fifteen (or was it 20? 30?) minutes later, I remember seeing my husband, Kevin, slide up to the stove (to which I had my back turned) and mutter something along the lines of uh-oh/sheesh/oh no/yikes/eeh gads, or other mumblings less suitable for publication. The soup was boiling with cauldron-like intensity, and as Kevin began to stir/churn, lumps of black gook rose from its depths.

With great bravery, Kevin dipped his spoon for a taste.

“Umm, cigarette ash,” he announced.

“Oh, it can’t be that bad,” quipped Kirsten and Shane.

Knowing that I’m the one prone to exaggeration, not Kevin, I knew it was. A dip of the spoon, first by me, then by Shane, confirmed the worst: the brew had aromatic nuances of a rental car ashtray. Umm.

Kevin picked up the phone and dialed for a pizza--and yes, we would like the cheesy bread option, thank you very much.

Such was my recipe for a great dinner party (it really was, both because of and in spite of the soup). Thank goodness for great friends, especially ones who bring fresh spinach salad to accompany Ash Soup or pizza, whichever your preference.

RISING FROM THE ASHES…

And yet there was a bright culinary star that evening worth heralding: buttery rosemary walnuts. I prepared them on a whim shortly before showtime and wow, are they yummy. Were it not for the ash soup distraction/hilarity, we probably would have demolished all.

The recipe is based on one developed by Sara Moulton (of Food Network and Gourmet Magazine fame) and is ridiculously easy to prepare (as in, if you need to make a very last minute/spur-of-the-moment gift/appetizer/nibble, this is it).

What follows is my modified variation. I’m certain pecans would work beautifully in place of the walnuts (I’m planning on trying it later today—I’ll let you know). The butter is so worth it: 1 and 1/2 tablespoon is a scant amount spread over 2 cups of walnuts.

Enjoy!

Rosemary Walnuts (with a kick)


1 and 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves

1 teaspoon fine sea salt (or smoked salt)

1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

2 cups walnut halves

Preheat oven to 350F. Melt the butter with the rosemary, salt, sugar and chipotle chile powder in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Remove pan from heat and add the walnuts, tossing to coat. Turn the nuts out onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on pan. Makes 16 servings.

Nutrition per Serving (2 tablespoons):
Calories 109; Fat 10.9g (sat 1.5g, mono 1.8g, poly 7.1g); Protein 2.3g; Cholesterol 3mg; Carbohydrate 2.3g; Sodium 153.7mg.

(Note: I did the nutrition analysis using Diet Analysis Plus 7.0.1)

Let's Get Started!

After agonizing over how to start, I finally decided to forget about the how and, instead, simply start.

So here I go.

Enlightened Cooking is all about lighter cooking, but with (what I intend to be) a fresh new perspective. Specifically, quick, fresh, inspired cooking with a lighter spin (that's also free of any diet doctrine).

Here's how it all got started.

Cooking is what I love to do, so much so that I chose to make it my profession. But I am also interested in eating in a generally healthful way. In addition to being a cook, I am also a longtime fitness instructor and a busy working mother of a 1 and 1/2 year old. When it comes to the daily routine of making breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and more, I want food that is beautiful and delicious to eat, is relatively easy to make, and generally healthful.

My solution? Develop recipes for myself and others that fit all of the above criteria. Equally important for me is to keep my approach diet-free. I am not a nutritionist or diet guru, and doctrine-oriented cooking and eating (e.g., low-carb, no sugar, diet, fresh-only, organic-only, etc.) is not what I do. Rather, I like to focus on the tools, techniques and recipe ideas that give food a lighter spin. No extremes or ultimatums, just fantastic food that everyone can get excited about (and that just happens to have a lighter fat and calorie profile).

As for my fitness bent: it acts to subtly inform how I cook (i.e., I’m not a fitness nut; I eat real food and believe in the same balanced, practical approach to fitness that I believe in for cooking). While you'll find some posts about foods and ingredients that can make you feel good/better (e.g., more energized, relaxed, satisfied, etc.), you will never see a recipe for an egg-white omelet or a fat-free barley scone.

What you will be seeing is the following:

Quick, Delicious Cooking.
Flavor first, always. I love to cook and I love good food; that’s always my driving force in the kitchen. And while I love recipes with more time-intensive techniques when my schedule allows, the recipes I develop for Enlightened Cooking will be quick: typically 30 minutes or less.

Fresh, Easy Ideas & Great Techniques to Give Food a Lighter Spin.
Rather than making foods less (low-fat, -carb, -calorie, -sugar), I create a lighter spin by focusing on more (namely, more flavor) through a variety of easy techniques and tips. Think lots of natural flavorings (spices, extracts, herbs, salts, peppers, chiles); new and interesting flavor combinations; roasting to caramelize vegetables and fruit to bring out their natural sweetness; simple sautés and pan sauces for chicken and pork; easy substitutions (e.g., white whole wheat flour to replace some of the all-purpose flour, a bit of canola oil to replace some of the butter in baked goods); and some splurges on things like condiments and nut oils that pack a lot of punch and are naturally more healthy.

Cooking Videos
Once the New Year rolls around, I'll be posting bi-weekly cooking videos from my kitchen. It should be lots of fun!

So here's to Enlightened Cooking!