Pumpkin Pie Popcorn

You don't want to know what time of night this delightful creation came about . . . I practically had to tape my eyes open to make it . . . but I am glad that I did because I never would have been able to hit the hay until it was out of my mind! This popcorn is delish to say the least . . . it is a step up from white chocolate popcorn and you can fiddle with the spices to your liking. I am a major cinnamon and nutmeg fan . . . so I leaned more toward those flavors but you could simply use pumpkin pie spice and tink with it until it tastes to your liking. This would be great to give out as a treat at Christmas time or to munch on while baking pies for Thanksgiving. (Which is when I will probably make it again.) Also if you are an eggnog fan you can tink with the spices until you have eggnog flavored popcorn.
I have to add a HUGE congrats to our good friends up in Alaska who are expecting baby #2! Congrats Lowry's! We are so excited for you!!!
Pumpkin Pie Popcorn
Recipe by: Emily

1 cup White Chocolate chips
1 tsp Canola or Vegetable Oil
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/8-1/4 tsp Nutmeg
Ground Ginger, a light sprinkle
Ground Cloves, a very light sprinkle
1 Bag Popcorn, whatever you have on hand, I used lightly buttered.

Pop a bag of popcorn, remove unpopped kernels and set aside in a large bowl. Combine the white chocolate chips and teaspoon of oil together and microwave for 30 seconds stirring after every 10 seconds until chocolate is melted. (BE CAREFUL NOT TO BURN IT!!!) Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, light sprinkling of ginger, and very light sprinkle of cloves to the melted chocolate, stir and then drizzle over the popped popcorn. Use two butter knives to "fluff" the chocolate mixture all over the popcorn. Garnish with a light sprinkling of cinnamon or nutmeg of desired. Allow to cool for a few minutes. Enjoy!
You can also add a drop or two of orange food coloring to the chocolate to be more festive!

Crispy Bacon and Butternut Squash Soup

I hope everyone had a happy Halloween! We did in our possy! I had the pleasure of playing crosswalk guard/monkey carrier . . . meaning that I helped herd, guide, and carry nieces and nephews from house to house while trick or treating. To prep for our candy gathering we filled up with Navajo tacos, decorated sugar cookies and munched on all sorts of other goodies!
A seemingly never ending day of snow last week guided me into the kitchen to make this inviting soup. Butternut squash is so versatile to utilize in making soup . . . I LOVED the addition of bacon in it! The crispy bacon added a great smoky, salty flavor and crispy nummy-ness. It is amazing and a day with a crispy loaf of baked potato bread (recipe yet to come . . . ).
Crispy Bacon and Butternut Squash Soup
Recipe by: Emily

1 Butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 3 cups)
3 cups Chicken Stock
1/2 cup Milk or Cream
3 Tbsp leeks, chopped*
2 Garlic cloves, minced (I used 3 cloves of caramelized garlic*)
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
6 Strips of Bacon

1. Coat the butternut squash with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast on a baking sheet in a 375 degree oven for 30-40 minutes, until the squash is tender.
2. Cook the bacon strips in a frying pan over medium low heat until crisp. (If you start the bacon in a cold pan and cook at a low temperature it renders the fat down and creates crispy bacon with less mess and stress!!!). Once the bacon is cooked place strips on a paper towel to drain excess grease off.
3. Saute the leaks over medium heat in a medium pot in one tablespoon of the bacon fat until soft, add the Garlic and cook for one minute. Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer.
4. Once the squash is done remove the chicken stock pot from the stove, add the roasted squash and puree with a hand blender or blend in 2 batches in a blender. (Be careful if you are using a blender, hold a dish towel over the top instead of the blender lid so that it does not explode the hot liquid all over!!!). Add 1/2 cup milk or cream to the soup and season to taste. Serve warm with one strip of bacon crumbled over each serving. You can also garnish with Parmesan cheese or croutons. (I like to add a little drzzle of pumpkin seed oil.) Enjoy!

Caramelized Garlic: amazing in anything! Caramelized garlic is easy to make, wrap a head of garlic (I make a couple at a time) in aluminum foil and bake in a 400 degree oven for about 35 minutes until the cloves are soft. I let the garlic heads cool to room temperature and then peel the cloves and freeze them in a bag in the freezer, ready to to be used in any recipe! Roasting the garlic creates an almost sweet flavor that is not as overwhelming as raw garlic. It is also so good to mix butter and herbs with and use as a french bread spread!

Leek Cubes: chopping and cleaning leeks can be a bit of a pain sometimes, especially if you want to get dinner done quickly. Whenever I buy leeks I get a bunch to chop up and clean and then fill an ice cube tray with the cleaned, chopped leeks and then fill the cubes with chicken stock and freeze. After frozen I pop them out bag them and then back into the freezer they go where they are ready to use in soups, sauces etc.

Braised Beef Ragout with Penne Pasta

We are expecting snow tomorrow . . . which miffs me since I LOVE Halloween and would rather not have to start traipsing across campus in the wet slippery stuff until AFTER October . . . but I live in Utah . . . so what do you expect? In lieu of the impending weather I felt inclined to spend a little time in the kitchen and try out something new! I wanted something warm, hearty, and comforting . . . so I came up with this recipe after scouring a few cookbooks and finding things that sounded/looked great . . . but I was missing a few key ingredients or they simple called for large quantities of wine (which I don't cook with) so batta-bing batta-boom, after a little cupboard scouring and a little fiddle-faddling . . . out came this creation . . . which I will definitely be making for our next dinner guests! Yes it was that good! AND it was easy to make and divine to eat! Braised Beef Ragout with Penne Pasta
Recipe by: Emily

3 lb Beef Roast (use your favorite cut, or pull out the leftover roast from Sunday and use it!)
2 medium Onions, halved and sliced
2 cups Beef Stock
2 14.5 oz Cans Crushed Tomatoes
2 cloves Garlic, minced
3 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1-2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Sugar (cuts the acidity of the tomatoes and vinegar)
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 tsp Dried Rosemary
2 Bay leaves

(This dish goes from the stove top to the oven. I used a large frying pan that was oven safe, so I only had one pot to clean. However, you can brown the meat in a pan, cook the onions, and combine the sauce and then place everything in a roasting pan to braise in the oven as well.)

1. Pour 1 tablespoon olive oil into a large skillet over medium heat on a stove top. Add roast to the pan and brown on both sides. Remove the meat and set aside while you make the sauce/braising liquid.
2.Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet, add the sliced onions and cook until lightly browned. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds with the onions. Add the crushed tomatoes, beef stock, balsamic vinegar, sugar, rosemary, salt, pepper, and bay leaves to the onion and garlic mixture and bring to a boil. Simmer the sauce for about 3 minutes and then add the meat back to the pot. Remove skillet from the stove top and cover with a lid or foil and place in a 350 degree oven. Cook in the oven for about 2 hours, the meat should be become tender and the sauce will begin to thicken.
3. Remove from the oven and shred the beef with two forks, and then return to the oven for 15 more minutes to allow sauce to thicken and meat to tenderize more. Remove bay leaves and serve over pasta or polenta. Enjoy! This dish is different from the typical meat sauce or marinara over pasta plus it is rich, hearty and just plain delish!

(This sauce would be amazing in Lasagna or over any pasta!!!)

The BEST Caramel Popcorn EVER

My mom's side of the fam put together a cookbook years ago with favorite recipes from everyone. It is the first place that I look for recipes or ideas. . . we continually add to it . . . in fact I need to add my Open Pantry recipes to it . . . anyways my Aunt Allison has a killer caramel popcorn recipe in it that puts all other goodies to shame! I love it because A. it is easy to make and B. it is gooey deliciousness! I have tried MANY popcorn recipes but sorry kids . . . this is the fav! The only downside about making it is that we eat it . . . all of it . . . no matter how many people are present . . . and then we scrap every last drop or caramel from the bowl . . . sometimes I double the recipe to make EXTRA gooey popcorn . . . so then there is even more caramel to fight over in the bottom of the bowl! Love it! The hubs and I added peanuts and candy corn to make a Halloween treat this time around and yes we nearly ate the whole bowl for dinner! (LOVED IT!)
Aunt Alli's Caramel Popcorn

1/2 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
4 Tbsp Butter
1 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup light Corn Syrup
1/2 tsp Vanilla

Melt the butter and add the brown sugar, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and corn syrup. Cook until the caramel reaches a 280 degree temperature on a candy thermometer. Stir while cooking to prevent burning. Pour over popped popcorn and stir to coat popcorn. Enjoy!

You can add any goodies for even more gooey deliciousness . . . such as nuts, candy corn, M&M's, Reese's Pieces etc. If you add a candy that can melt (such as M&M's, freeze the candy first to keep it from melting all over.)

Scrumdiddlyumptious Sweet Potato Salad

We are sweet potato fans in our home . . . so while tinkering in the kitchen today canning plum jelly and apple sauce, this salad came to mind. My husband would want to add eggs, which you can do . . . along with celery and whatever other additives you like in potato salad, but he wasn't on hand to help . . . so I made it "Em style" I guess. Meaning that since I am not a huge egg and celery fan I avoided the two. This salad was really good. I will definitely try it again. It would be awesome to add red skin or yukon gold in with the sweet potatoes too. We'll have to try it that way next time!
Congrats Mutterlein on another teaching award! You are the bomb.com mom! Way to go!
Scrumdiddlyumptious Sweet Potato Salad
Recipe by: Emily
3 lbs Sweet Potatoes, (4-5)
2 Scallions, diced
1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
1 1/4 cup Mayonnaise
1/4 cup Apricot Preserves
1 Tbsp reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 tsp Garlic powder
1/2 tsp Ginger

1.Peel and cube the sweet potatoes into bite size pieces. Boil potatoes in a large pot of salted water for 15-20 minutes or until fork tender but not mushy. Drain sweet potatoes and spread out on a baking sheet to cool in the refrigerator. While the potatoes cool prep the bell pepper, scallions, and mayonnaise dressing.
2.Whisk together the mayonnaise, apricot preserves, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, and ginger. Refrigerate until the potatoes are cooled and ready to dress.
3.Place the cooled sweet potatoes in a large bowl and add the scallions, red pepper and about half of the dressing to start with. Taste and add salt, pepper and more dressing if desired. Chill until serving. Enjoy!

Grandma's 80th Birthday Cake!

This spunky sweet lady, our beloved Grandma Liechty, my hubby's saucy grandma, had her 80th birthday this week and to celebrate I thought that she definitely deserved a cake to match the occasion and her love of life! I was excited to be able to bake my hubby's sweet grandma's cake and we were even more thrilled to eat it!The cake was a death by chocolate cake and went fast! It was awesome to see how excited grandma was and just as much fun to see everyone else's reaction, especially her great-grandkids (my ueber cute nieces and nephews) who were downing marshmallow fondant balls left and right We just loved our trip and seeing the amazing leaves beginning to change throughout Utah! Another fun event this week was finding out that my Famous Stuffed Mushroom's recipe is in the Worldwide Ward Christmas Cookbook . . . flip open the book and their it is . . . the first recipe with a gorgeous picture! A great surprise and a fun cookbook! !Chocolate Fudge Frosting

1 pound bag of powdered sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
2 sticks butter, cut into ½ inch slices
1/2 cup shortening
7 ounces (1/2 can) sweetened condensed milk
pinch of salt
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix the powdered sugar, salt, vanilla and milk at low speed, with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the butter, one slice at a time, until incorporated.
Add shortening and whip at highest speed for about 8 minutes until the forsting is light and nearly doubled in volume.

Mix the chocolate chips, condensed milk and salt together in a microwave-safe bowl.
heat on high for 1 minute intervals, stirring after each, until chocolate is melted.
cool to room temperature before folding into buttercream then chill until completely cooled before use.

This is a very rich frosting/cake filling!

Zucchini Kuchen

I am one who is more likely to buy a cookbook or try a recipe because I see a picture of it or see it made and it makes me want to pull on some jeans, a ball cap and a sweatshirt and run to the store at 2 in the morning to buy ingredients! I am sure we are all guilty of passing up some killer meals because they don't sound/look as appealing as others. Sadly I think this recipe may fall into the category of "greats that were passed over." This is definitely a "don't judge a book by its cover" type of cake!!! In fact it is one of the best cakes that I have ever had and I was beyond thrilled to be cleaning out my bookshelf of recipes and to have found it (especially since it was printed in German on a half sheet of paper . . . in great danger of being lost forever!)This recipe was given to me by an Italian lady that I met while serving an LDS mission in Germany. She served it to me and my missionary companion Kate (cook extraordinaire) and we asked for the recipe! One thing that really thrilled me was that it was made with olive oil . . . an ingredient that I had never had in a cake or dessert before and it makes the cake unbelievably moist and fruity. Plus the pairing with cinnamon just knocks my socks off! It really is absolutely rich, moist and delicious! I think it is a perfect treat to take on a picnic or to enjoy with a mug of hot chocolate or herbal tea!Zucchini Kuchen

3 Eggs
1 cup Olive Oil
2 cups Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
2-3 small Zucchini, cute into small, thin pieces (quartered then sliced)
3 cups Flour
1 tsp Backing Powder
2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Beat the 3 eggs together in a large bowl unto light and fluffy, add olive oil, vanilla and zucchini. Mix well
In a separate bowl sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.
Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix until incorporated. (This is a THICK batter).
Pour the batter into two greased 9 inch pans and bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for an hour; cover the cake with aluminum foil for the last 1/2 hour of baking. Cool to room temperature and dust with powder sugar if you like. Enjoy!

Broccoli Beef

Hello everybody! Yep . . . I know that I have not posted in a while . . . and sadly I have made some mighty fine things during my little absence . . . but photographed NONE of it! I bought Dorie Greenspan's amazing Baking book and I have dreamily been turning its pages and dusting my kitchen with flour and sugar trying out some of her delicious recipes! Check out her book or her site to see what amazing concoctions she has created! For labor day I made her almost snickers treats and yes my family enjoyed them! Speaking of which I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day! We spent it with my lovely fam at my sweet Aunt Susan's house after watching the labor day parade. It is seriously one of my favorite days of the year! I love gathering our crew and catching up and munching on some amazing food! Thanks ya'll that came! It was fun . . . and those who weren't their . . . well you were missed but you SERIOUSLY MISSED OUT!

Broccoli Beef

1 lb Sirloin, sliced thinly across the grain
1 lb Broccoli Florets
2 tablespoons Cooking Oil
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water

Beef Marinade:
1 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon Chinese rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Sauce:
3 Tbsp Oyster Sauce
1 1/2 tsp Rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1/3 cup chicken broth plus 2 tbsp
Dash of Red Pepper Flakes

1. Marinate the beef: Stir together the beef marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the beef slices and stir until coated. Let stand for about 15 minutes
2. For the sauce: Stir together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl, set aside
3. Cook the broccoli in a small pot of boiling, salted water until tender-crisp, about 2-3 minutes. It should be a bright green. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
4 Heat a large frying pan or wok over high heat until a bead of water sizzles and instantly evaporates upon contact. Add the cooking oil and swirl to coat. Add the beef and immediately spread the beef out all over the surface of the wok or pan in a single layer (preferably not touching). Let the beef fry for a minute, it will begin to brown nicely. Flip the beef slices over, add the garlic to the pan and fry for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute until no longer pink, Pour in the sauce, add the blanched broccoli and bring to a boil. Pour in the dissolved cornstarch and cook, stirring, until the sauce boils and thickens. Serve over rice. Enjoy!

This recipe freezes very well! Also I like to keep my broccoli with as much stem on as possible, so that they are long pieces. I peel the stems of the broccoli to get rid of the tough outer skin before blanching them.

Onion Petals

Hmmm . . . what to do while anxiously waiting for my next class on this lovely first day of fall semester school . . . blog something fitting for a day of fretting! Fried food!!! We actually indulged in these terribly delicious artery clogging munchies a few weeks ago and they have been patiently waiting for their appearance on The Open Pantry! I am so tempted to make more . . . but won't . . . probably won't . . . will try to avoid touching cooking oil today . . . and tomorrow . . . hopefully! We will see what my math class (!!!) and economics class drive me to do! Starting school makes me want to clean out closet's, move furniture, and clean bathrooms! My roomies often found me scrubbing down the shower or mopping floors @ 2 in the morning in an attempt to feel more organized and prepared for whatever . . . cleaning is a great stress reliever for me . . . one that stresses my hubs sometimes (poor guy!) but he copes with it really well now days. When we were first married he was always saying "just sit down for a minute . . ." (Good thing he is so good about helping me out and keeping me sane!) Onion Petals
Recipe by: Emily

Large sweet onion, cut into "petals" or rings
3/4 cup Buttermilk
1 egg
1 tsp Lawry's seasoning salt
1 1/2 cups Flour
3-4 cups Cooking oil, canola, corn, peanut etc.
Salt

1. Cut the onion into petals or rings, whichever you prefer. Mix the flour and seasoning salt together in a bowl. Mix the buttermilk and egg in another and beat lightly to mix. Dredge the onion petals in the flour a couple at a time, and then coat in egg mixture. Return egged petals to the flour mixture to coat again and lightly shake off any excess flour. Place petals directly into a large pot heated to 375 degrees. Fry onions in oil until lightly browned. Remove from oil and place on a plate lined with paper towels or a paper bag. Lightly salt petals immediately after removing them from oil. Serve hot with favorite dipping sauce! Enjoy!

I served these babies with Horsey Sauce.