The Taste Traveller

spiced pumpkin ginger cookies

There's a chill in the air, snow on the ground (but rain coming down to wash it away) and the woolly hats are out along with a rain jacket. It's that in-between time when fall is still here but winter is coming. We're fighting runny noses and coughs around here, desperately trying to get rid of them so we can get ready for the holiday season. Did I really write that? That's right, Christmas is around the corner and for many of us that means extra of a whole lot of things - extra shopping, cooking, entertaining, socializing - and of course, eating. 

These cookies were inspired by more than a few recipes I found online (like this one and this one, the fact that I have a good bunch of homemade pumpkin purée just waiting to be used, and the perfect gingersnaps my aunt gave us a few weeks ago. I just couldn't wait to make a version of gingersnaps that used my lovely homemade pumpkin mix. I spiced them up a bit more than some might and highly recommend using homemade pumpkin purée if you can get ahold of a pumpkin and roast it for this purpose. It's so light compared to the canned variety that I usually use. So good with a nice cup of coffee or tea. Here's to a little taste of autumn going into winter! 

Makes 3 dozen, depending on the size you roll the balls in

Cook time: 10 -12 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (125 ml) butter, room temperature (unsalted or salted)
• 1/2 cup (125 ml)  brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (50 ml) granulated sugar, plus more for rolling the cookies
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) pumpkin purée (homemade or canned)
• 1/4 cup (50 ml) molasses
• 1 egg
• 1 inch ginger root - 1 to 2 tablespoons (30 to 45 ml), peeled and grated (microplane works best) 
• OR 1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground cloves
• 1 tablespoon (30 ml) cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) salt
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups (350 ml) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (250 ml) whole wheat flour

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone sheet.

Beat the butter and sugar together until creamy and smooth, about 3 minutes. 

Add the pumpkin, molasses, egg, and vanilla extract, mix until well combined.

Grate the ginger root into the wet ingredients if using fresh ginger. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, spices (including ground ginger if not using fresh ginger), and salt. 

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until combined. 

Refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 1 hour if you have time (makes it easier to work with). You can even refrigerate it a day or two ahead of when you plan to bake.

Place a bit of granulated sugar in a small bowl. Roll tablespoon-sized balls of dough in sugar until well coated and place on prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. I like to press down in the middle of the cookie just slightly after placing them on the baking sheet.

Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until cookies look cracked and set at the edges. I rolled my cookies a bit bigger so they needed a little longer in the oven. 

The cookies will still be soft. 

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes after removing them from the oven, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

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fall into winter easy cooking ideas

We're getting into that busy season in the upcoming weeks and I was thinking recently that I'd like to revisit some of my favourite recipes of the last few years that would fit well into either easy weeknight meals or entertaining ideas. 

Some of you are gearing up for Thanksgiving, others just general entertaining as we head into the big holiday season. Whether it's new recipes, fresh ideas or leftovers ideas - here's a taste of some recipes I've previously shared. 

It's definitely soup weather around here. If it is for you too, here's a few you might like to try:

Carrot, Apple and Ginger Soup (great starter for Thanksgiving or Christmas too - my cousin served a delicious soup like this at her dinner)

Vegetarian Mulligatawny Soup (I'm planning on making this again in the next few weeks, mmm!)

Chicken and Chickpea 'Stoup' (try it with leftover turkey!)

Simple Cabbage and Bean Soup

Looking for ideas for side dishes? Here's a few I've gathered up for you. 

Colcannon (okay, it's not St. Patrick's Day, but this would work well with turkey or ham no matter what we're celebrating).

Curried Rice with Celery and Almonds

Buttermilk Soda Bread with Cheddar and Green Onion

Butternut Squash Risotto

Spicy Zucchini Ribbons

Cauliflower Rice

Spinach, Split Pea and Lemon Mash

Easy weeknight meal ideas? Here you go:

Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese

Healthy Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Spinach

Lean Turkey and Vegetable Cabbage Rolls (makes lots, great for freezing)

Easy Vegetable and Beef Stew

Caribbean-inspired Stew

 Zucchini Ribbon Lasagna 

Thanks for reading and look out for a recipe ideas post every once in awhile here. Happy Thanksgiving to those of you in the states.

cauliflower 'rice'

Okay, so this is barely a recipe, let's just call this an idea. I wish I'd thought of it on my own, but I didn't. It's not ground breaking, but I think it's still a newer idea and even more so for those of us not specifically eating Paleo or Primal. I'm not, believe me, but as my husband is, I do find myself eating a lot less 'carbs' (to put it in a basic way, although this isn't the most comprehensive description).

You can do all sorts of things from this basic start, incorporating it into stews, curries, and in place or any recipe you normally use rice or other grains for. It's a great gluten-free addition to any meal or dish too of course. 

If you have a food processor, by all means use it here to get a nice 'rice-like' look and texture. I don't happen to have one at the moment so I actually use a grater. I can tell you this works just fine, but it is a bit messy. If you have a box grater or one with some sort of container it will help. 

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower (more or less, depending on how much you want to prepare)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons (30 to 45 ml) olive oil (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 to 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or minced (optional)

Method:

Rinse and break or cut your cauliflower into large florets.

Steam just slightly on the stovetop or place in a microwavable dish, cover and steam for 2 or 3 minutes. Do not add water to the dish if microwaving. You don't need it and you don't want the extra moisture.

Steaming the cauliflower just a little makes the processing a little easier.

If using a grater I recommend doing it over a bowl or using one with an attached box or container. Process, shred or grate the cauliflower to the consistency of rice. You may choose to steam the cauliflower more or less depending on what you are preparing.

You can just serve it at this point. Or, add a little olive oil to a saucepan, heat to medium and add the cauliflower on it's own for a quick method to further cook it. Try adding a little chopped garlic to the pan before adding the cauliflower - and even a touch of butter is nice.