October » 2010 » Living Lou

Pesto Sauce

Basil is one of my favourite herbs, so pesto sauce sounded like a delicious meal for Meatless Monday. Now, it’s been years and years since I last had pesto, my mom used to buy it for us and we loved it, then one day, suddenly I hated it. Don’t know why, but I just did. So, the other day when I had a craving for pesto, I was a little confused. I thought I hated it? Well, I ended up giving in and making some pesto! It was marvelous. The perfect balance of flavours paired with fresh pasta (from the grocery store… I wish I could make my own!)

Hope that everyone has had a great, and meatless Monday! Sorry this post came so late in the day, I meant to post it this morning… but, sometimes, life just doesn’t go as planned!

Pesto Sauce
Recipe by Lou

Ingredients
1 cup basil leaves
2 tbsp pine nuts
1 garlic clove
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup olive oil

Directions

Layer all of the ingredients in a food processor, basil first, and on top of the basil (to weigh it down) the pine nuts, garlic clove, Parmesan and oil. Pulse until desired results.

After making this from scratch, and it being so easy, I don’t think that I’ll ever understand why people buy pesto sauce at their grocery store and don’t make it from scratch!

- Lou

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

TGIF!! I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited for the weekend. But man, brrr.. it’s getting cold up around here, and I don’t like it. I’ve heard rumblings of possible snow? Not cool. As I was studying yesterday morning, my brain wandered around to food. What I should make today. Something sweet? Something succulent? Something rich? I ended up deciding between chicken wings and pumpkin spice cupcakes. I went with the latter. For some reason, perhaps due to senior year stress, I was definitely craving something sweet. Filled with the classic and aromatic fall flavours; cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves with a hint of pumpkin, these cupcakes are sure to boost your spirits when you’re feeling a little blue about the autumn weather. Bake up a batch of these, and in an instant you’ll be embracing the fall, and your new pumpkin treats!

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes (makes 24 large cupcakes)
Recipe adapted from: Annie’s Eats

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
¼ scant tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup pumpkin
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup canola oil
4 large eggs

For the Icing:
3/4 cup cream cheese
5 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract (I prefer clear)
2½ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tins with baking cups.

In a bowl sift the dry ingredients together, and set aside.

In another bowl, using a hand mixer, blend the pumpkin, sugars (granulated & brown) and canola oil together in a bowl. Once mixed, add in one egg at a time. Thoroughly blending after each addition.

Once all eggs have been added, blend in flour in two additions.

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out the batter and drop into baking cups.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
For the icing:

Blend cream cheese and butter together, on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy. Stir in the vanilla, and then add the icing sugar in 1/2 cup additions.

Have a great weekend everyone!

- Lou

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

First of all, check out the new Recipe Index I’ve created! I love it.

Well it’s another Meatless Monday! (Technically it’s Sunday… but this way you can make this for dinner tomorrow!) For today we’ve got a soup, which is perfect for these cool fall evenings. I’ve noticed that it’s getting dark a lot earlier these days… makes me yearn for those warm summer evenings! This recipe is courtesy of my mother, who makes the most wonderful, authentic and healthy soups I’ve ever tasted! I’ve mentioned my sister before, The Queen of Eggs and Toast, and now it’s my mother’s turn… the Queen of Soups!

Does anyone have the case of the Mondays? Don’t worry, not only will this soup warm your heart and your spirits after a long day at work, or in my case, school, but it’s a super easy, no-fuss recipe.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 butternut squash (roasted)
1 medium sized onion (chopped)
1 celery stalk (chopped)
1 medium sized carrot (chopped)
1 clove garlic (chopped)
6 cups homemade or low sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
1 heaping tsp of fresh grated ginger
1/4 cup orange juice
salt & pepper to taste

Directions

First of all, roast your squash. Preheat the oven to 375, cut the butternut squash lengthwise, and remove the seeds. Brush both pieces with 1 tbsp of the olive oil, and roast on a cookie sheet, cut side down, for 45-60 minutes, or until the squash tender.

While the squash is roasting, roughly chop you’re other ingredients (they will be pureed so no need to be precise!) In a large pot, with the remainder of the olive oil, saute the onions, celery and carrot over medium heat, until the onions have softened and are translucent, about 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes, add in the chopped garlic, and saute for another minute or until fragrant.

Once squash is done roasting, spoon the softened squash into the pot. Add the chicken broth and water. Bring to a low simmer, and simmer for half an hour.

When the half an hour is up, using an immersion blender, puree the soup to your desired consistency. Stir in the ginger and orange juice. And seasons with salt and pepper to taste.

How easy is that? Hope this soup helps you get over the “case of the Mondays”… I know it will help me!

- Lou

Chocolate Pecan Pie

So, I sort of mentioned this in my last post, but we have a new look here at Living Lou! I really like this one a whole lot more than what we used to have! I hope that everyone (is there anyone out there?) who visits my blog likes it! Also, again, if anyone is out there, I’ve also got myself a twitter account… @Living_Lou come follow me!

Now, onto this magnificent pie. I’ve got to say, as I titled this post, my heart started beating in excitement and anticipation, and my mouth started watering… this is a pecan pie WITH chocolate chips. Seriously, does it get much better than that? You’re right, it doesn’t.

I was at a graduation dinner party for my best friend on Friday night, and her aunt brought the most magical pecan pie. Picture this: beautiful, glittery fairies, dancing in the shimmering moonlight… it was like that. OK, maybe not exactly like that… but it was the most extraordinary pie I’ve ever had.

I just had to get the recipe, and being the sweet and wonderful woman that she is, she gave it to me! I made this for Thanksgiving, and everyone loved it. I mean seriously loved it, there was one piece left, which quickly I devoured late that night, before my Dad could get to it.

I loved this pie so much, I was seriously considering making one the next day… and the day after that, and then again today. I can’t get over how positively perfect (that’s fun to say!) this pie is. Its got a sweet, crunchy crust, with a layer of chocolate chips in the filling, and then it’s topped with crunchy pecans.

For all of you Americans out there, I highly recommend you make this for Thanksgiving. I promise, it’s so easy, it’s literally the second pie I’ve ever made, and it turned out perfectly. Everyone will love you, and I promise you’ll be invited back next year. And for everyone else who’s either already celebrated Thanksgiving, or who doesn’t celebrate… make it this weekend, and the next weekend, and the next weekend… I know I will be!

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Ingredients
crust:
1/2 cup melted butter
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar

filling:
3 eggs
1 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp vinegar (I used white wine)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans (I pulsed mine in the food processor)
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

For the crust:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a mixer, blend the ingredients together, it will have a crumbly texture. Press the dough into a pie pan, and bake for 10 minutes.

For the filling:

Using a mixer, blend the ingredients (excluding the chocolate chips and pecans) together with a mixer. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Once the crust is done, take it out of the oven and pour in the filling. Cover the top with the chopped pecans and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes.

This is recipe is so easy, and it is utterly the perfect pie.

- Lou

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just a quick little note to wish my fellow Canadians a wonderful Thanksgiving! Hopefully everyone is able to move after their feast and are currently laying around, ready to fall into that “Turkey Coma”.