Pumpkin Spice Mochi

I had pumpkin mochi at a hot pot restaurant while in China and I've been craving it ever since. This recipe isn't exactly the same but it still satisfied my craving. It is an interesting cross between cake and mochi and is the perfect accompaniment for a good Asian meal on a Fall day. I think it would be especially tasty for dessert with my Sichuan Style Pork Stew and rice.

1 1/4 cup Mochiko rice flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Mix dry ingredients in small bowl.

In a large bowl, mix together:
2 eggs
7 oz sweetened condensed milk (regular or coconut)
1/2 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
15oz can pure pumpkin

Sift dry ingredients into bowl with pumpkin mixture. Whisk until smooth. Pour into greased 8x8 glass baking pan.

Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes, or until edges turn golden brown.

Cool on wire rack 2 hours. Turn out onto rack and continue to cool 4 hours.

Cut into small squares before serving.

Beef & Mushroom Pasties

I am rather obsessed with British cooking shows right now... I even bought some lamb pasties at a local farmer's market and fell in love. So when my favorite guys on YouTube made pasties, I just had to give it a try... With my own twist.  They turned out amazing! The filling was delicious and the pastry was light and flaky with no "soggy bottoms." LOL

First you have to make your pastry:
1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup ice cold water
Mix four and salt together and cut in shortening until it forms fine crumbs. Slowly stir in ice cold water just until it forms a ball. Flatten out slightly and wrap in plastic wrap and place in fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 365.

Next I used some of my leftover cold Buttery Beef & Mushroom Stew from the fridge. I mixed it with a handful of frozen peas & carrots mix and another handful of frozen hashbrown potatoes.

Roll out the dough on a well-floured surface until thin. Cut into large 5-6" circles. This recipe makes 4 circles.

Place dough on large baking sheet.  Place about 1/3 cup of filling in center of each circles. Wet the edges of the dough with water. Bring up both sides and crimp edges well. The pasties are standing up on the tray rather than laying down flat.

Brush with a beaten egg mixed with a touch of water.

Bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve with tomato jam, if desired.

Pumpkin Pecan Granola

This granola tastes of Fall and it smells fantastic while baking!  I love it with a few dried cranberries on top of plain yogurt.  The texture isn't as crunchy as I'd like but since I keep my granola in the freezer, it's not too bad.

3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped pecans
grated zest of 1 orange
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup oil
1/2 cup pumpkin pie butter
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients together well in a large bowl.

Spread on a shallow baking tray in a single layer.

Bake at 330 degrees for about 30 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Let cool on wire rack.

Store in zipper bag in freezer to keep it more crunchy.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola

Here's another variation on my basic granola recipe. I don't like it on yogurt but it's great with milk as a cereal. 


6 cups oatmeal
1/2 cup brown sugar1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup peanut butter powder1/2 cup coconut
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
1/2 cup powdered milk

Mix together in a large bowl.

2/3 cup honey (or maple syrup, any kind)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp water
2/3 cup oil

Heat in microwave for 30 seconds. Mix well and pour into bowl of dry ingredients. Coat well.

Pour into 2 9x13 pans.

Bake at 300 for 25-35 minutes, stirring about every 15 minutes. Bake until golden brown.

Cool, stirring occasionally to break up the granola.

Add mini carob chips.

Store in airtight container. Freeze for longer storage.

Blackberry Orange Muffins

After many many years of eluding me, I think I have finally found the perfect berry muffin recipe. They even have a nice round top! :)  Next I will try it with blueberries and lemon and we'll see...

I took some bits and tips from several different recipes and put them together to make these:

Preheat the oven to 425.

Spray muffin tin with cooking spray and sprinkle them with sugar to coat.

2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix 2 cups of flour and sugar in large mixing bowl. Mix the last 1/2 cup flour and remaining dry ingredients in small bowl. Then sieve them into the flour/sugar mixture. Mix well.

Make a well in the flour. Pour in the following ingredients:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
grated zest from 1 orange

Stir just until mixed.

Gently stir in 1 - 1/2 cups small fresh blackberries.

Spoon into greased/sugared muffin tin.

Sprinkle tops with coarse sugar and top each one with 1 small blackberry.

Bake for 5 minutes at 425. Without opening the oven, turn the temperature down to 350 and bake for about 10 more minutes or until pick comes out clean.

Remove from tins immediately, running a knife along edge to help get them out.

Cool for a few minutes on baking rack before eating.

Orange Bacon Scones

Who said scones have to be sweet? This savory scone is just the right side for a bowl of soup or a nice salad. The bacon and orange make for a very nice combination.

Use a vegetable peeler to take off just the rind (no white pith) from 1 large orange. Bake at 200 for 25 minutes. Blitz in a food processor (I used my coffee grinder to get it really small) along with:
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups flour
scant 1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup softened butter
1 very small beaten egg (or only use 1/2 of a large beaten egg)
Stir the sour cream and baking soda together in a small bowl and set aside

Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Cut in butter.

Stir in egg and sour cream mixture.

Mix the orange, thyme and pepper mixture into the dough.

Knead a bit on a lightly floured surface. Pat in a circle 1/2” thick. Cut with biscuit cutter or into wedges with pizza cutter (separating triangles slightly).

Bake on greased cookie sheet at 400 for 20 minutes, until light golden brown on bottoms and not doughy in the centers.

Foil Packet Bibimbap

I had leftover cooked rice and hamburger and all the fixings for bibimbap. But I wanted something fast and something I could cook outside. It's just too hot in the kitchen to cook! So I wondered if you could put it all in a foil packet on the grill.

Yup... you can.

Place a scoop of cooked white rice in the center of a piece of foil. Place individual sized servings of cooked hamburger (with some fresh minced garlic on top) and your choice of matchstick-sliced veggies around the rice.

You can use so many different veggies, but some are more traditional:
carrots
cucumbers
spinach (you don't have to cut this up)
mushrooms
bean sprouts

Drizzle with sesame oil, vegetable oil and soy sauce to taste.

Seal up the foil packets and cook over medium coals until heated through, turning once while cooking. Cooking time depends on the heat of your grill and how full your packets are.

Open packets, top with an over easy cooked egg and some sesame seeds.

Squirt some gochujang (Korean hot sauce) on top, mix it all together and eat with chopsticks. Or a fork... ;)

Thai Coconut Curry Seafood Soup

I've been working on this recipe for the last few weeks and have craved it so much that I believe I have finally perfected it!

This recipe does not have any measurements because you really have to do it to suit your tastes and adjust to your number of servings...

Put cold water in a soup pan. Add red curry paste to taste to make the broth.

Throw in some chopped red or orange bell peppers and sliced green onion.

Simmer for about 5 minutes.

Cut up some white fish (I use tilapia) into bite-sized pieces. Also cut up raw shrimp into small pieces.

Place into the simmering broth and cook for 7-8 minutes or until shrimp are opaque and fish flakes easily with a fork.

Pour in one or more cans of coconut milk and some chopped fresh cilantro. Heat through, but don't let it boil.

Serve soup over a scoop of cooked white rice.

Squeeze fresh lime juice into the soup and stir well before eating.

Blueberry Cheesecake Pie

This recipe is a variation on a dear friend's blueberry pie filling recipe combined with a not-so-sweet no-bake cheesecake filling I came up with. I think the two came together to make a super nice dessert... Made with cornstarch and a gluten-free cookie crust, this would be an easy GF dessert.

1 cup sugar
4 Tablespoons flour or cornstarch (I think I prefer cornstarch)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Whisk together in a small saucepan.

Whisk in:
1 cup cold water
grated zest from small lemon

Stir in:
1 cup fresh blueberries

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbly (about 10 minutes).

Stir in 4-5 cups of fresh blueberries and the juice from 1/2 of small lemon.

Let filling cool in fridge.

1 8oz package of cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup powdered sugar, remove 2 Tablespoons of  it and place in a small bowl
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Whisk until smooth and creamy.
Mix in 1 teaspoon lemon juice (from second half of the lemon)
scant 1/4 cup of sour cream

3/4 cup heavy cream
2 Tablespoons powdered sugar (reserved from the 1/3 cup)
heaping 1/2 Tablespoon instant clear gel (optional to help stabilize cream)

Mix the sugar and clear gel together and pour into heavy cream in a bowl. Whip until forms stiff peaks.

Mix the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until smooth and well incorporated.

Spoon cheesecake mixture into the bottom of a graham cracker crust.

Top with chilled blueberry topping.

Chill for at least three hours before serving.