Fall Recipes

Pumpkin Spiced Coffee Banana Bread

November 18, 2017 by The Partial Ingredients

I love how banana bread can take so many forms. The recipe varieties are pretty much endless! For this recipe I got it into my head that I wanted a “pumpkin spiced latte” inspired recipe–because let’s be honest, I am a coffee addict. The funny thing is I have literally never ordered that drink at coffee places ever. Pumpkin spice and coffee, however, seemed like they would lend themselves really well into a bread recipe. And lend themselves they did! I am a huge fan of this flavor combination and pumpkin spice is the perfect blend for this time of year. Another thing to note however is there is NO pumpkin in pumpkin spice. Just like the coffee drink (spoiler alert: yes there is no pumpkin in that either). So, if you’re looking for actual pumpkin in a banana bread, try this recipe instead.

I used a bit of espresso powder with a half cup of strongly brewed regular coffee, so the coffee flavor is pretty strong with this one. If you have no espresso powder you can actually grind your regular coffee grounds in a spice/coffee grinder to get it really fine, just like espresso powder! I wouldn’t use regular coffee grounds as they are way too grainy for this recipe. The spice blend is a mixture of cinnamon, allspice, ginger, cardamom and nutmeg which is perfect for this time of year! I tend to enjoy banana bread in the morning (with my coffee of course!) so I like it to be a little less sweet. I reduced the granulated sugar to 1/4 cup but for a recommended amount of sweetness I have the recipe at 1/2 cup. If you’d like it more sweet you can increase the granulated sugar to 3/4 cup–it’s really up to you!

Pumpkin Spiced Coffee Banana Bread

A delicious pumpkin spiced banana bread made for coffee lovers!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 1 loaf

Calories 1200 kcal

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter melted
2 or 3 over-ripe bananas mashed
1/2 cup strongly brewed coffee
1/2 cup dark brown sugar packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar can be reduced or increased by 1/4 cup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg lightly beaten
1 tsp espresso powder or finely ground coffee
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9 x 5 inch bread pan.
Melt the butter in a small sauce pan.
Mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl.
Mix together the bananas, melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, coffee, egg, spices and espresso/coffee powder.
Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture.
Stir in the flour, mixing lightly until just combined.
Pour the dough into the prepared pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes at 350F (or until a toothpick comes out clean from center).

Roasted Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Soup

November 5, 2017 by The Partial Ingredients

It’s soup season which also means it’s cold and flu season as well–oh joy! But it’s alright, this recipe will help get us through it. This recipe’s feature is the roasting chicken. Roasting a whole fryer chicken in the oven at a low temperature results in fall apart tender meat every time. The rest of the soup ingredients cook alongside the roasting chicken at a low temperature until both are ready to be combined at the end. It’s a match made in soup heaven!

There is a hefty dose of veggies in every bowl, namely bell peppers, spinach and carrots to name a few. The balsamic vinegar adds a hint of tangy and sweet to the broth. Use homemade chicken or vegetable stock for this, especially if you’re feeling under the weather as it will help kick your cold faster. I used brown rice but you can substitute in noodles, quinoa, pearl couscous or just a crunchy baguette for dunking. Whatever floats your boat–it will likely be delish. As always, I like to cook my starch separate (especially if it’s rice) and add a serving to each bowl just before eating. It really helps preserve that valuable broth for dinner the next day. If you miss the flavor of the soup in the rice, cook the rice in chicken stock instead of water. I garnished each bowl with shaved parmesan from the rind but a savory romano cheese would be perfect as well.

Roasted Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Soup

A perfect cold weather chicken soup full of comforting veggies and flavor.

Course Main Course, Soup

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 2 minutes

Total Time 32 minutes

Servings 6 Servings

Calories 450 kcal

Ingredients

For the chicken:

1 whole chicken 4-5 lb.
1 tbsp Lemon Pepper seasoning
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp olive oil

For the soup:

3 tbsp butter
1 yellow onion chopped
3 bell peppers yellow or red, diced
5 carrots diced
5 celery diced
1 tbsp thyme dried
1 tbsp oregano dried
1 tsp red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic minced
5 handfuls fresh spinach diced
15 to 16 cups chicken or vegetable stock
3 cans tomato paste 6 oz. cans
2 tsp Lemon Pepper seasoning
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
6 servings cooked brown or white rice 1/2 cup dry = 1 serving
6 servings shaved parmesan for garnish
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325F. In a glass pan, add the chicken and cover in olive oil, lemon pepper seasoning, and garlic powder. Cover with foil and cook 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until the internal temperature reads 170F.
While the chicken is cooking, add butter, onions, carrots, celery, bell peppers and garlic to a large 6 qt. stock pot. Cover and cook until softened about 7 minutes.
Stir in the oregano, thyme, pepper flakes, lemon pepper seasoning. Cook 1 minute until fragrant.
Stir in the balsamic vinegar and tomato paste. Cook another minute until the paste has melted.
Stir in the broth. Turn up the temperature until the soup reaches a low simmer and then turn it down to the lowest heat setting.
You can add the spinach now or you can wait until the last half hour of cooking. I prefer adding it in at this stage. Cook for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Taste and adjust seasoning.
During the last 15 minutes, cook the rice as directed on the package.
When the chicken is done, remove from the oven and let rest for about 10 minutes.
When the chicken has cooled, shred the meat with a pair of forks and remove the skin.
Combine the chicken with the soup, stir to combine. Cook another 5 minutes or so.
Ladle a serving of rice into individual bowls and pour in the soup, stir to combine. Garnish with parmesan or romano cheese.

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Black Walnut & Bourbon Spiced Apple Cider

October 7, 2017 by The Partial Ingredients

‘Tis the season for one of my favorite cocktails–spiced apple cider with a bit of a kick to it. This cocktail is super simple and delicious. I bet it would taste great warmed up but I haven’t tried it out yet. The secret to giving this drink a proper finish is the combination of bitters. Of course there’s angostura in the mix but the unique flavor actually comes from the black walnut bitters. I haven’t seen it sold in stores but you can find it online (I’d recommend checking out Amazon or Bevmo).

In addition to the spiced seasonal flavor that the apple cider and angostura bitters provide, I love the nutty, sweet flavor from the black walnut bitters. If you aren’t able to find it around, just the angostura and cider can suffice. It probably won’t have the same complexity or depth of flavor though. You can also do your own experimenting if you have other bitters on hand. I’d imagine orange or cardamom bitters would be great in this drink too!

Black Walnut & Bourbon Spiced Apple Cider

A delicious autumnal beverage with spiced apple cider, bourbon and black walnut bitters!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Servings 1 Cocktail

Calories 250 kcal

Ingredients

2 oz. Bourbon or Rye Whiskey
4 oz. Spiced apple cider I used Trader Joe's
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2-3 dashes Fee Brother's Black Walnut bitters
3-4 ice cubes
1 twist of lemon or orange peel

Instructions

In a rocks glass, add the bourbon or rye whiskey.
Add a few dashes of each bitters and give the glass a stir.
Add the ice and then the apple cider and give the glass another stir.
Taste and adjust ingredients as desired. Garnish with a lemon or orange peel.

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‘Flu Fighting’ Lemon Chicken & Rice Soup with Chickpeas

November 8, 2016 by The Partial Ingredients

Lemon Chicken & Rice Soup with Chickpeas

Cold and flu season has officially hit and I thought I would post one of my favorite sickness fighting powerhouses. Whether you’re making soup to prevent future illness or currently in the throws of a nasty bug, this recipe is for you! While most kids would disagree, the most nutritious stuff for you really can be delicious as well. This soup is full of anti-inflammatory fighting ingredients that may also help with sinus congestion, nausea and sore throats. Turmeric, garlic, lemon and ginger are a few of these heroic ingredients and they just happen to be delicious. I like to use my own chicken stock for this since it offers its own set of health boosting ingredients. While you can make the rice and add it into the soup after it’s done cooking you can also make single servings for each bowl as you go. The benefit to making smaller servings is that it won’t soak up all the broth as it sits in the fridge. This recipe has become a favorite of mine especially when I start to feel like I’m coming down with something for a quick immune system boost.
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Slow Cooker Beef & Bacon Stew with Sourdough Croutons

October 16, 2016 by The Partial Ingredients

It’s already mid-October and the first rains of the wet season in California have started. The weather just makes me wants to snuggle up with a comforting bowl of something out of the slow cooker. This recipe hits the spot for all of the above! Flavored with savory herbs like fennel and thyme, this stew is packed with flavor. I especially like the bite of acid that comes from the Worcestershire and red vine vinegar. While this is optional, I like serving this stew with toasted sourdough croutons. The croutons soak up the flavorful broth and are just really delicious. If you’d rather go lower carb however, you can skip the croutons. You can also turn this recipe into more of a soup by adding a few more cups of stock to get a thinner consistency. The fact that this is a slow cooker recipe makes this stew simple and easy to throw together on week nights. I like to garnish each bowl with Parmesan, Romano or an aged white cheddar.
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Slow Cooker Hearty Elk & Vegetable Stew

March 5, 2016 by The Partial Ingredients

Hearty Elk & Vegetable Stew

For those who have game meat available to them, this is the recipe for you! I am lucky to have a local butcher that supplies all sorts of meats, including elk and bison. This one is lovely for ground elk but if that is not available to you, ground beef works just fine. This is a very nice recipe for St. Patrick’s day since meat and potatoes is the perfect entree for the holiday. Flavored with fresh oregano and sage, paprika and garlic, this is a fragrant blend for your holiday stew. I thickened up the soup a bit with a little flour but that is an optional step. I also added balsamic vinegar and worcestershire for a little acid to flavor the stock. Throw everything in the slow cooker to cook all day and you will have a lovely stew for the evening! Garnish each bowl with a little aged Irish white cheddar and fresh parsley to perfect the recipe.
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Slow Cooker Beef & Bacon Chili

September 7, 2015 by The Partial Ingredients

Fact: chilis and slow cookers are a match made in heaven. Chili cooked on the stove is great but the slow cooker really does bring it to new heights. On the stove, I’ve found that it’s a lot easier to burn and due to the thickness it’s hard to get it heated evenly without stirring fairly often. That’s where the slow cooker comes in. You get a nice even cook with no burning on the bottom, plus you get a much more tender meat that falls apart easily and the beans are always fully cooked. This chili has a lot of great stuff going for it, even before you begin the process of slow cooking. Ground beef meets crumbled bacon meets smoky chipotle spices. The secret ingredient in this one is apple cider vinegar, which adds just a hint of tanginess. This is THE “Game Day” chili, folks. Serve it with rice or Corn Muffins on the side or have it as is. Garnish with whatever fixin’s you like: grated cheddar, avocado slices, chopped green onion, sour cream and sliced nacho style jalapenos are all great choices.
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Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

June 29, 2015 by The Partial Ingredients

I tend to go in phases with meals and lately I’ve been really into using my slow cooker. Even though it’s almost July and not exactly slow cooker season, I’ve been enjoying the convenience of letting it do most of the work! Luckily there hasn’t been a heat wave yet to suppress my use of it yet. This recipe is a lovely combination of slow cooked chicken, white beans, peppers and spicy tex-mex flavors. I love the way slow cookers treat all kinds of meat–it just falls apart so nicely! And this recipe is no exception, the chicken turned out perfectly cooked and fall apart tender. As usual, slow cookers can vary by model so feel free to adjust cook time depending on how hot your cooker runs. This recipe can be adjusted based on your timing needs as well: cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours. I used chicken breasts for the meat but feel free to mix it up and add dark meat–thighs, wings, etc. It all gets shredded in the end anyways and that is about all the work that is required for this recipe. It doesn’t get much better than that!
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Cauliflower and Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Goat Cheese

May 21, 2015 by The Partial Ingredients

I love roasted red peppers. They go so well with so many things whether you add them on sandwiches, salads, soups or sauces–they are a lovely ingredient to work with. I hadn’t tried roasted red peppers in a soup but I was dying to try out this soup with cauliflower and goat cheese. Diced pancetta, fresh thyme and paprika flavor this soup while the goat cheese and heavy cream give it some tangy richness. It’s fairly low in carbs but surprisingly rich and filling. Even the cauliflower puree alone is rich in flavor and has a creamy texture, almost like creamed mashed potatoes. I served it with a dash of paprika and sprinkled with extra goat cheese. Serve with crusty french bread or croutons.
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Beef and Tomato Macaroni Soup

March 22, 2015 by The Partial Ingredients

For week night meals, I like to make a big pot of something tasty on Sunday to last me several days into the week. This is a great recipe for week night meals. It’s easy to throw together and the leftovers are just as good as the first day. The soup comes fully loaded with ground beef, elbow macaroni and the flavors of veggies, tomatoes and fresh herbs. This recipe calls for fresh thyme and marjoram, and I would recommend picking up some of the fresh stuff instead of the dried. It does impart way more flavor than dried herbs can. The combination of the fresh herbs with Worcestershire, tomatoes and ground beef were delicious. Garnish with a little grated parmesan and thyme springs and serve with some crusty french bread. As always with soups that have pasta, the noodles tend to soak up all the tasty broth if you add them in all at once. Make small batches and add a serving of noodles to each bowl so that none of the broth gets wasted.
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