Recipes

Celebrate the Season w/ Pumpkin Lasagna

Pumpkin Lasagna

How about a delish idea for the leftover pumpkins you’ll have this weekend? How about something a bit different?  How About Yummy Pumpkin Lasagna!

PUMPKIN LASAGNA WITH BÉCHAMEL SAUCE

  • 1 box Oven Ready Lasagna (rolled flat)
  • 4 cups Pumpkin (cooked, about one small pumpkin)
  • 2 large Vidalia Onions (finely minced)
  • 1 stick Butter
  • 3 tablespoons Canola Oil
  • 3 tablespoons Sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon Cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon Vanilla
  • Salt as needed
  • 3 cups Mozzarella
  • Pecorino Romano (freshly grated, to top before baking)
  • Parmigiano-Reggiano (to garnish)

BÉCHAMEL SAUCE

  • 1 stick Butter
  • 6 tablespoons Flour
  • 6 cups Milk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Nutmeg
  • 3/4 cup Pecorino Romano
  • Salt and Pepper as needed

Click for directions –>

Source: photo and recipe: The Chew / ABC –Pumpkin Lasagna w/ Béchamel Sauce 

Recipes

Recipe: Pink Peppercorn Brownies

pinkpeppercornBrownies

Pink Peppercorns are mighty tasty! Even though they really aren’t peppercorns at all, they do have a sweet and peppery flavor. This sweet peppery flavor makes the pink peppercorn perfect for desserts! We found this recipe for a Pink Peppercorn Brownie and it seems to be the perfect mix of chocolate sweet and peppery bite. According to the baker, she is using them for their color as well as their flavor. Enjoy!

Pink Peppercorn Brownies

Ingredients

3 oz / 6 tbsp Salted butter, cut into pieces
8 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8-1/4 tsp ground cardamom (adjust to taste)
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp vanilla bean paste, or vanilla extract, or scraped seeds from one vanilla bean pod
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
About 2 tsp freshly ground pink peppercorns

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F,,

Grease well and line the bottom and two long sides of  a 8″ X 11″ brownie pan (can be substituted with a 8″ / 9″ square cake pan). Let the baking paper hang over the long edges, it will make it easier to lift brownie out later. Grease the paper lightly as well.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter, then add the chocolate and stir over low heat until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and vanilla bean until combined.

Stir in the eggs one at a time until smooth.

Add the flour and stir energetically for just a minute, until the batter loses its graininess, becomes smooth and glossy, and pulls away a bit from the sides of the saucepan.

Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle pink peppercorns evenly over the top of the mixture and then bake until the center feels almost set, about 27-30 minutes. Don’t overbake.

Let cool completely in the pan before lifting out the brownies using the baking paper overhang.

Slice into 16 equal pieces. Store in in airtight container, can be stored for 4 days or frozen for up to a month.

Source: Recipe & Photo: Raspberri Cupcakes – Pink Peppercorn Brownies

Herbs and more

Chef Cherie’s Modern Pantry

Once the basic spices and herbs are part of your home cooking its time to start expanding your kitchen’s palate with these spice suggestions:

 

Sriracha-750

Sriracha
The golden child of spices right now. Sriracha is everywhere these days. And for good reason. Its the perfect addition when you are looking to add a little “zip” to your recipe. And its versatile. Perfect in appetizers, entrees, desserts. Even beer!!

 

Dried-Whole-Chiles
Whole Dried Chilies
Did you know that Spice Specialist carries over 30 different types of chilies. Both whole and ground. Among the different chilies we carry are Aji Amarillo, Aji Limo, Aji Panca, Ancho,  Chipotle, De Arbol, Guajillo, Habanero, Jalapeno, Mulato, Pasilla, Rocoto, New Mexico Red Chili, Thai Long Chilies and Thai Red Chili. We also carry Cayenne Pepper in different heat indexes as well as chili blends.

 

Finishing-Salts

Finishing Salts
Once you’ve added sea salt or kosher salt to your spice rack, how about a little something extra? Adding a finishing salt at the end of cooking or right before serving can add a burst of flavor as well as some texture and crunch. A finishing salt can enhance or even change the dish completely. We carry a wide range of smoked and flavored sea salts.  Here are some of the fine salts we offer:

Smoked Salts: including Apple, Cherry, Hickory, Maple, Mesquite, and Pecan, and Large Rock

Hawaiian Salts: including White, Black, Blush Silver, Blush Grey, Bamboo Jade Green, Alaea (red),  and Blush Balsamic.

Himalyan Salts: including Fine Pink, Granulated Pink, Coarse Pink, and Coarse Black

Sea Salts: including  Chili Jalapeno, Lime Jalapeno, Lavender, Lime, Porchini, Black Indian, Fleur de Sel, French Grey, and Large Rock

 

Smoked-Paprika

Smoked Paprika 

While paprika is important in Spanish, Portuguese, Moroccan and Turkish dishes. It is perfect for any cuisine.  Add a hint of smokey goodness to any dish with the smoked paprika available at Chef Cherie.  Aside from our many paprikas we carry Spanish Smoked, Hot Spanish Smoked and Texas Style Smoked Spanish.

 

zahtarx

 Za’atar
A Middle Eastern spice blend, Za’atar usually includes thyme, oregano, sesame seeds, salt, sumac and the possibility of other spices. Our Za’atar spice blend includes white sesame seeds, sumac berries and thyme.

 

Photos & inspiration: Tasting Table – Modern Pantry