Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

If you're a pumpkin-carving type like me, than you should try making these tasty Spiced Pumpkin Seeds.  Just save the seeds from the pumpkin pulp for a delicious, healthy(ish) snack.

Also pictured is the Happ-O-Lantern (Team effort by Kelsey and I).

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Spiced Pumpkin Seeds (adapted from allrecipes.com)

Mix in a bowl

• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
• 1/8 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Add and stir until coated

• 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds

Remove pumpkin seeds to baking dish.
Bake at 275 F for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

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Pumpkin Trivia

Did you know that the average pumpkin has 500 seeds?!  More pumpkin trivia, courtesy of the History Channel:

Best Challah

This one comes from my grandfather's kitchen—he does a lot of baking, but he advised me that this was the best challah recipe he's ever made.

I'm used to making the Joy of Cooking challah, however I can confirm that this one tastes better. And while it is a little more work I think it's definitely worth it!

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Best Challah (from The Silver Palate Cookbook)

Ingredients:

• 2 c milk
• 6 tbsp sweet butter
• 1/3 c sugar
• 2 packages active dry yeast
• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp salt
• 6 c unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 c cornmeal
• 1 tbsp cold water

Directions:

1. Bring milk, butter, and sugar to a boil. (I use a double boiler to avoid burning the milk)
2. Remove from heat, pour into a large mixing bowl. Let cool to lukewarm, 105-110 F.
3. Stir yeast into milk mixture, let stand 10 minutes.
4. Beat 3 eggs well in small bowl. Stir eggs and salt into milk-yeast mixture.
5. Stir in 5 cups flour, one cup at a time, until you achieve a sticky dough. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
6. Sprinkle flour over dough, begin kneading, adding more flour as necessary until you have a smooth, elastic dough. (Remember to coat hands with flour, this helps with the mess)
7. Grease the inside of a large bowl (with butter, shortening, or cooking spray), add ball of dough, turning to coat it lightly with oil, cover bowl loosely with towel (or plastic wrap) and set aside until tripled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
8. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Cut into halves, cut each half into thirds. Roll thirds out into "snakes" about 18 inches long. Braid into two loaves, tuck ends under.
9. Sprinkle large baking sheet with cornmeal, transfer loaves to sheet. Leave room between loaves for them to rise. Cover loaves with towel (or plastic wrap) and let rise until nearly doubled, about 1 hour.
10. Preheat oven to 350 F.
11. Beat 1 egg with 1 tbsp cold water together. Brush egg wash over loaves.
12. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown and sounds hollow when bottoms are tapped.
13. Cool completely on racks before wrapping.

Enjoy warm, but allow loaves to cool completely before wrapping. 

Recommend serving with butter and honey. Also makes excellent french toast!

Jerk Chicken with Pineapple Salsa and Sweet Coconut Rice

Kelsey and I made a delicious dinner tonight—Jerk Chicken with Pineapple Salsa and Sweet Coconut Rice.

Photos by Kelsey (with Instagram)

Action shot—grilling the chicken.

Salsa—so colorful! And a great combination of sweet 

(pineapple, bell pepper), tangy (scallions), 

and spicy (jalapenos).

Delicious!

I really do love my big cookbooks, but more and more frequently I find recipes on allrecipes.com, which is a great community of online foodies.  I can browse recipes that are well rated and reviewed by other users, and before I make anything I read the comments, where others have offered suggestions and modifications which often improve the final product.

For the rice recipe, one user suggested subbing coconut milk for some of the water—a small adjustment which completely made this whole meal pop!  (The coconut creaminess of the rice balanced the spiciness of the salsa and chicken wonderfully.)

T-plus 20 minutes or so...

Great food, with great company.

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Jerk Chicken Recipe

• chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
• Jamaican Jerk Chicken marinade

Marinade chicken overnight.  Grill, brushing on extra marinade sauce.  (I like to use my cast iron skillet in lieu of a proper outdoor grill)

Sweet Coconut Rice Recipe (adapted from allrecipes.com)

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1 red apple, chopped
• 1 pinch curry powder
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 2/3 cup brown rice
• 1 tsp molasses

Heat oil in saucepan.  Add onion and apple, cook until onion is translucent, stirring frequently.  Stir in curry powder, water, and coconut milk.  Add rice and molasses.  Cover, reduce heat to low.  Simmer for approx. 45 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and rice is soft (may need to add up to 1/4 cup water).

Pineapple Salsa Recipe (adapted from allrecipes.com)

• 2 cups chopped pineapple (fresh or canned)
• 1 chopped red bell pepper
• 1 small jalapeno, chopped
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 to 2 tbsp minced cilantro
• 1 tbsp brown sugar

Combine ingredients in bowl.  Serve with chicken.

Hasselback Potatoes

Tonight we had Hasselback Potatoes, a Swedish variation on the more familiar baked tuber.

Delicious.

Recipe (adapted from Seasaltwithfood)

• 2 potatoes
• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
• olive oil
• butter
• Kosher salt
• pepper
• Parmesan cheese
• sour cream

Rinse potatoes well. Cut thin slices across potatoes, but don't cut all the way through. Insert garlic between slits. Drizzle with olive oil. Scatter butter on top of potatoes. Season with a pinch of Kosher salt and pepper.

Bake at 425˚F for approx. 50 minutes, until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Ten minutes before finished, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. (Some recipes call for bread crumbs at this point, too.) Serve with sour cream if desired.