Pumpkin Yeast Bread

Autumn is the season for pumpkin recipes. So here is another one, which comes from one of my favourite baking source Dr. Oetker Backen A-Zangiesrecipes. This deliciously soft yeast-risen pumpkin bread is a great alternative to the moist, dense pumpkin quick bread, which is leavened with baking powder or/and baking soda.

• 300 g Hokkaido pumpkinangiesrecipes, peeled and seeded
  
  
• 45 ml Water
  
  
• 3 tbsp Milk, lukewarm
  
  
• 2 tbsp Honey
  
  
• 100 ml Olive oil
  
  
• 3/4 tsp Salt
  
  
• 500 g German #550 flourangiesrecipes
  
  
• 15 g Fresh yeast

1. Cut the pumpkin flesh into small dices. Place them in a pot with water over medium heat. Cook until soft and puree the pumpkin with a blender.
   
   
2. First add milk, honey, olive oil, salt and pumpkin puree in the pan of your bread machine. Then add in flour. Make a dry well in the center and add the yeast to the well. Program the bread machine the "Dough" cycle.
   
   
3. Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and press it down to flatten. Form the dough into a roll and place into a greased 30cmx11cm loaf pan. Cover and let rise until doubled. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Make a 1cm deep slash in the center along the length of the dough. Bake the bread in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove the bread pan and cool on a rack.

Ginger Sherry Braised Pork Trotters

These pork trotters are really succulent, and truly a delicious combination of sweet, sour, and piquant flavours. Well, it's not everyone's cup of tea as they are high in cholesterol, but I do enjoy them once in a while, you know, in moderation.

1 kg Pork trotters, cut into smaller pieces 1 large chunk Ginger root, peeled and shredded 5 Dried chillies 6 clove Garlic, smashed 1/2 tsp Szechuan peppercorns©angiesrecipes 80 ml Rice vinegar 12 slices Dried Chinese haw

60 ml Maggi seasoning©angiesrecipes 3 tbsp Sugar 1 tbsp Caramel colour©angiesrecipes 3 tbsp Oyster sauce 2 stalk Spring onions 60 ml Sherry, medium-dry 450 ml Chicken stock or water

1. Blanch the pork trotters in a pot of boiling water. Remove and rinse with cold water. Drain and place them in the inner pot of your electric pressure cooker.
   
   
2. Add in shredded ginger, dried chillies, smashed garlic cloves, peppercorns, rice Vinegar, dried haws, Maggi, sugar, caramel colour if used, oyster sauce, chopped spring onion and sherry. Pour in the chicken stock to cover the trotters.
   
   
3. Cover and secure with the lid. Plug in the pressure cooker and turn the knob to pork cooking cycle. Once it is done and cools down, then open the lid and transfer the pork trotters into a baking dish. Strain the soup into the baking dish. Bake at 180C/350F for 15 minutes. Sprinkle the top with some spring onion and garnish with a tomato rose if desired.

Roasted Butternut Pumpkin with Chickpeas and Rocket Salad

Autumn is in the air. And I like this time of year. Crisp cool air, falling leaves, and the harvest of pumpkins...that's how I conjure up the images of beautiful golden autumn.



Pumpkins say AUTUMN like nothing else. Regardless of how you prepare them, they add flavours and seasonal flair to most meals, and moreover, bringing pumpkins to your table is a recipe for fun and togetherness. Let's make this colourful season more memorable with more pumpkins!

	Dressing
500 g Butternut pumpkin, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes 1/2 tbsp Olive oil 50 g Chickpeas, rinsed and drained 40 g Rocket salad©angiesrecipes 1 tsp Sesame seeds, toasted	1 tbsp Argan oil©angiesrecipes 2/3 tbsp Balsamic vinegar Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Place the pumpkin cubes in a baking pan, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Toss until the pumpkin cubes are well coated. Roast for about 15 minutes until tender.
   
   
2. Divide the rocket salad into two serving bowls, and arrange the chickpeas and roasted pumpkin cubes on top. Combine the argan oil and balsamic vinegar in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, and stir until well-blended. Pour the dressing over and top with the roasted sesame seeds.

Chocolate Spelt Crinkle Cookies

These wonderfully crinkled black and white cookies have a very brownie-like texture and a stunning high-contrast appearance. They are so easy to bake and taste so good!

• 165 g Spelt flour #630
  
  
• 1/2 tsp Baking powder
  
  
• 1/2 tsp Salt
  
  
• 180 g Dark chocolate mocha beans
  
  
• 4 tbsp Butter
  
  
• 2 Eggs, at room temperature
  
  
• 100 g Caster sugar
  
  
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
  
  
• 40 g Icing sugar, sifted

1. Preheat the oven to 165C/330F. Line two baking trays with paper. Whisk the spelt flour, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl. Melt the Mocha chocolate beans and butter in a bowl over a small pan of simmering water until smooth. Cool slightly.
   
   
2. Beat the eggs and sugar with an electric whisk until pale, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed and add the mocha chocolate mix and vanilla extract. Sift in the flour mixture and fold until combined. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours until firm, or up to overnight.
   
   
3. Put the icing sugar in a small bowl. Shape the dough into 32 balls and roll in the icing sugar. Put them on the prepared baking trays 4-cm apart and press down lightly to flatten. Bake for about 12 minutes until the edges set. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes and then put on a rack to cool completely.

And last, sure not the least, I want to thank Alisha and Alison for passing on all these inspirational AWARDS to me! Thanks, my friends, for your continuous support and constant encouragement!

The Ardent Epicure	Alison Trials

Gyro Greek Sandwich

Gyro (yee-roh) is a Greek sandwich specialty. It is typically made of pork meat rolled into a large piece of flatbread or pita. Other versions made with beef, lamb, chicken, and sometimes turkey, are adaptations of the Turkish "Döner Kebap" or "Shawarma", which is a popular fast food across the Middle East and NEVER made with pork. Inside the pita, salad, pickles, hummus and even French fries are added.


I am sending this to WIN S365s SANDWICH CONTEST!

	Gyro Seasoning
400 g Chicken thighs or breast, boneless and skinless 6-8 Homemade pita, (or Turkish pide) 1/2 cup Tzatziki angiesrecipes Salad mix (Tomato, cucumber, onion, etc.)	1 tsp Sweet paprikaangiesrecipes 1 tsp Salt 1 tsp Cumin angiesrecipes 1 tsp Garlic powderangiesrecipes 1 tsp Oregano angiesrecipes 1 tsp Basil angiesrecipes(optional) 1 tsp Black pepper (optional) 1/2 tsp Marjoram angiesrecipes(optional) 1/2 tsp Parsley angiesrecipes(optional) 1/3 tsp Chilli powderangiesrecipes(optional)

1. In a small bowl combine all the ingredients of the gyro mix
   
   . Slice the chicken of the grain and add in the seasoning mix. Rub it into the meat with your hands. Cover with a plastic wrap and chill overnight or at least 3 hours.
   
   
2. Remove meat from the refrigerator and grill in a roasting pan in the oven until crispy. Or dry fry (without any oil) in a non-stick skillet until browned and slightly crisp.
   
   
3. Slice the pita from the top open to create a pocket. If it is a long oval pita, then slice each pita open in half so that it forms 2 small pockets. Gently open the pocket and fill with the tzatziki, salad and meat.

Chickpea Butternut Pumpkin Patties

Chickpeas have a delicious nutty taste and buttery texture. Pumpkins are naturally low in calories and fat, rich in vitamin A and an excellent source of fiber. The match of chickpeas and pumpkins, for me, is the match made in heaven.

Not only are they delicious, healthy, and loaded with nutrients, but they could also be used to make a variety of healthier holiday or daily treats. These patties are very easy to make and bursting with flavours.

• 400 g Butternut pumpkin puree©angiesrecipes
  
  
• 150 g Chickpea puree
  
  
• 350 g Glutinous rice flour
  
  
• 25 g Honey
  
  
• 450 g Poppy paste©angiesrecipes
  
  
• Some corn oil

1. Place butternut pumpkin puree, chickepea puree, glutinous rice flour and honey in a bowl. Mix with your hand until you have a smooth dough. Add more glutinous rice flour if needed.
   
   
2. Divide it into 35 portions, each about 26 grams. Shape each into a ball. Divide the poppy paste into 35 portions too. Roll each pumpkin dough into a round, fill the center with poppy paste, and then seal to enclose the filling. Lightly press it down to flatten the ball.
   
   
3. Heat up a skillet with some corn oil and pan fry patties over the low-medium heat until golden brown.

Mushroom Tagliatelle with Argan Oil and Parmesan

Argan oil, believed to be one of the rarest oils in the world, is a robust, nutty oil made from the nuts of the argan tree endemic to Southwestern Morocco. Traditionally in Morocco, argan oil is used in tajines, couscous, salads, grilled tomatoes and other Moroccan dishes. It is valued for its nutritive, cosmetic and numerous medicinal properties.



This oil is naturally high in vitamin E and essential fatty acids, making it an excellent dietary supplement. It is also very good for the skin; vitamin E can help smooth cracked hands, knees, and elbows while nourishing the skin, and essential fatty acids can promote healthy skin as well. These benefits have made argan oil popular in cosmetics for centuries in Morocco and beyond, and small vials of the costly oil are often on offer at high-end cosmetic stores.

• 250 g Crimini mushroom or portobello, thickly sliced
  
  
• 1-2 clove Garlic, sliced
  
  
• 150 ml Vegetable stock
  
  
• 180 g Tagliatelle
  
  
• 1 tbsp Parsley, chopped
  
  
• 1 tbsp Lemon rind, finely zested
  
  
• 1 tbsp Argan oil to serve
  
  
• Grated Parmesan to serve

1. Put the sliced mushrooms, garlic and vegetable stock into a skillet, bring to the boil and simmer for until the liquid has nearly all evaporated and the mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes.
   
   
2. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to pack instructions. Drain and toss with the mushrooms, parsley and lemon zest. Season to taste and drizzle the argan oil over and serve with grated Parmesan.