Pumpkin Gingerbread Bundt Cake

To continue with my mindset of willing it to be fall even though it feels like 100 degrees outside, Miss F and I decided to bake with pumpkin after we purchased a few pumpkins for our porch. She had requested a cake of some sort and having just made a bundt cake for my mom's birthday, I knew I wanted to use the pan again.  I adore gingerbread, especially when served warm with a healthy dollop of whipped cream.  This recipe had the perfect spice and the pumpkin made the cake incredibly moist.  This recipe was adapted from McCormick.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Bundt Cake

4 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup molasses
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
2 eggs
1 cup boiling water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat the pumpkin, brown sugar, molasses and butter on medium speed until combined. Add the egg, mix well. Add the flour and water, alternating and beating on low just until blended. Pour the batter into a greased 12 cup Bundt pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, invert cake onto the wire rack and cool completely. Slice and serve with whipped cream.

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Spicy Corn Chowder

We were in Colorado this past weekend, where it actually felt like fall...and then winter.  A huge winter storm rolled in on Sunday and we made it out of town just in time.  Vail Pass was closed overnight because of the poor driving conditions and the next morning our neighbors reported that we had gotten over a foot of snow!  Hopefully this is a good omen for ski season.  And then we returned to the land of eternal summer, but I can still pretend it is fall and make all sorts of soups for the 90 degree weather.  This recipe is adapted from The Neelys on Food Network.

Spicy Corn Chowder

4 pieces thick-sliced bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small jalapeno, chopped seeds and ribs removed
2 cloves garlic minced
¼ cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken stock
2 large red potatoes, well scrubbed and small diced
1 cup half and half
16 ounces frozen corn
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon until, remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate. Add the onions and red pepper, sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the jalapeno and garlic, saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the flour until thoroughly combined. Cook the flour until it reaches a slight blonde color, about 1 minute. Stir in the chicken stock and the potatoes and simmer for 10 minutes; potatoes will become soft. Add the half and half, corn, cayenne and bay leaf. Simmer for 15 more minutes. Pour into a serving bowl and garnish with the reserved bacon.

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Garlic Shrimp and Sundried Tomato Pasta

Whenever C is out for the evening, Miss F and I always indulge in seafood. We had visited my parents for crabs and got a couple pounds of fresh shrimp from the Kemah seafood market. The shrimp there are so much better than what you can get in the grocer.  Miss F has become and expert shrimp peeler, which makes dinner prep a breeze.  She wasn't a huge fan of the sun dried tomatoes, but that meant all the more for me.  I used dried sun dried tomatoes and rehydrated them with boil water.  I added a bit of the water the tomatoes steeped in to the sauce.  This recipe is adapted from Julia's Album.

Garlic Shrimp and Sundried Tomato Pasta

12 ounces linguine pasta
2 tablespoon butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup sundried tomatoes
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon paprika
1 cup half and half (or milk)
1 teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Prepare the pasta per package instructions, drain and set aside, reserving the cooking water.

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the garlic and tomatoes, sauté for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the shrimp, salt and paprika, cook for 5 minutes more, until the shrimp are pink. Add the half and half, basil and red pepper, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and pasta, adding any of the reserved cooking water if the sauce needs thinning.

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