It's the Little Things in Life

Confessions of a Blog-o-holic:

This sums up how I feel when I ask my friends for permission to photograph their dinner at our next Girl's Night Out. Click on the photo for a readable copy:

Pumpkin Brioche Cinnamon Roll Recipe

I cannot wait for summer time, and the weather in D.C. was glorious this weekend. It was sunny and 70 degrees, and we celebrated with 10 friends, 5 lbs. of pork tenderloin, and my Weber kettle.

Unfortunately, this weather isn't likely to last. So in order to make it through the last few weeks of winter, I'm making some of my favorite cold-weather recipes.

These pumpkin brioche cinnamon rolls are very tasty...they are more dense than gooey, so they are easy to pick up and eat as you run around with your coffee in the morning.

The recipe is pretty "hands on," but you can make the rolls ahead of time and refrigerate them over night. In the morning, just pull them out and bring them to room temperature, then bake and glaze them.

Pumpkin Brioche Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Glaze

1 package dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice or nutmeg

Filling:
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
3/4 cup golden brown sugar
2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

Glaze:
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl, and let stand for 5 minutes. Add 3 cups flour, canned pumpkin, and next 5 ingredients to yeast mixture, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth.
The dough will be very sticky. Dump 1/4 cup flour onto a working surface, and begin kneading the dough in your hands. Add flour 1 Tbs. at a time from the work surface. Once the dough no longer sticks to your hands, continue to knead on the work surface until the dough is smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes total).
Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes or until dough is doubled in size. Punch dough down, cover and let rest 5 minutes.
On a floured surface roll the dough into a 12 x 10-inch rectangle. Spread the "filling" butter onto the dough, and sprinkle with brown sugar mixture.Roll up the rectangle tightly, starting with a long edge, pressing firmly to eliminate air pockets. Pinch seam and ends to seal. Cut roll into 1 inch slices. Place the slices in a 11x7 or 9x13-inch pan coated with cooking spray.Cover and let rise for 25 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 375 deg. Bake for 18 minutes or until golden. Combine glaze ingredients, and stir until smooth. Spread over rolls while still warm

Spicy Butter with Shrimp a.k.a. Shrimp Etouffee Recipe

Whew! I've started a number of projects lately, and while I'm happy to be churning away (see: the DSM IV's diagnosis for "Control Freak") I hate to be away from the food blog for very long.

I also have what Mr. Luz's therapist would call an "enmeshed" family. I don't think he meant that as a compliment, but my family represents some of the coolest people on the planet. My little brother flew a plane all by himself this week! Can you do that? Even better, my older brother got a call from his son's teacher--she just wanted my bro to know that he and his wife were raising my nephew to be a "wonderful man."

Sigh. Hearing about these things brings me more comfort and satisfaction than anything else, which may explain why I'm constantly on the phone right now in lieu of sleeping, eating, and bathing.

Another thing that offers me comfort and satisfaction is spicy butter with shrimp. (See how I transitioned there? Good, huh?) Since I've already shared my familial celebrations with you --Go Scooter! Go Nikko! You guys make me so proud--I'd also like to share a culinary celebration. This recipe is largely courtesy of Nola Cuisine, with, of course, some Control-Freak-tweaking. I like it because you get all the benefits of a roux (nutty flavor and thickness) without the work.

Shrimp Etouffee Recipe

2 Tbsp Tony's Light Creole Seasoning, or another low sodium Creole Blend
4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
1 Onion, cut into 8 parts
1/2 cup Onion, Finely Chopped
1/2 cup Celery, Finely Chopped
1/2 cup Bell Pepper, Finely Chopped
1/4 cup Flour
1 cup Fresh Tomatoes, diced
1 1/2 cups Shrimp Stock (instructions below)
2 Tbsp Minced Garlic
2 bundles Fresh Thyme
2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 1/2 tsp Louisiana Hot Sauce
1/2 cup Green Onions, thinly sliced
2 lb Good Quality Shrimp, Peeled and De veined--reserve the shells for stock
Salt, Cayenne Pepper, and Black Pepper to taste
4 cups Prepared rice

To Make the Stock

Put tails and shells from 2 lb. of shrimp in stock pot. Roast the shells on medium-high heat, stirring often, until some of the shells begin to darken beyond a red color. Add the onion you cut into 8ths and one bundle of thyme and cover with water.* Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for at least one hour. If you do not have a fine mesh sieve, strain first through a colander, and then through paper towels folded into a funnel.

*The original recipe calls for a more involved stock recipe, but I simplified it and it still tasted wonderful. Also, if you want to simmer for longer than an hour, the lemon in the original recipe releases some of the bitter oils in its rind and ruins your stock.

To Make the Ettoufee

Chop all the veggies ahead of time. This recipe comes together quickly, so you'll want your ingredients on hand. Season the shrimp with 1 Tbsp of the Creole Seasoning. Melt the butter in a soup pot, and add the Holy Trinity (onions, bell pepper, and celery). Saute on medium heat until translucent.Whisk in the flour and stir until the mixture turns a dark yellow, about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining Creole Seasoning. Add a small amount of the shrimp stock, stir well to form a paste, add the remaining stock gradually, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the tomatoes, garlic, thyme, worcestershire, and hot sauce. Add salt, cayenne, and black pepper to taste. Simmer for 20-30 minutes.Add the shrimp and green onions, cover, and simmer for 7-10 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through. The shrimp will release some water as they cook and thin the ettouffee. Serve over rice. I prefer a 1:1 ratio of rice to ettouffee...it should be stew-like on serving. Immediately share with your favorite family member. (Syd, we have a date w/some N'awlins food the next time I come home!)

Healthy Oklahoma Chili Recipe

Blurgh. I have an earache. I thought grown folks weren't supposed to get earaches. I thought we grew out of them, like we grew out of....well, I can't think of anything that I've outgrown. (Snowdays? No. Bouncy balls? A definite no. Damn, this is hard.) Anyway, I have an earache and I forgot my earmuffs in the unforgiving cold that's taken over D.C., and today has been just a blurgh day overall. So? I wrapped myself in a blanket, and ate a huge mug of chili.

I love this chili recipe because it is made with large quantities of veggies, and it still tastes like heaven. It's a chili that sneaks up on you...you take your first bite and think "Ok, that was good" but then you immediately want another bite. And another. Continue till you've finished 9 mugs of chili.

If you make it with ground turkey instead of beef, a large bowl--I'm serious, I calculated the points based on 1/10th of the recipe--is only 8 Weight Watchers points. That means that anyone can dive into a steaming bowl of spicy comfort food sans guilt, which is just what you deserve on a cold, crappy day.


Weight Watchers Oklahoma Chili Recipe

2 lb ground turkey
2 large onions, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon olive oil
2 14 oz. cans diced tomatoes w/green chilis
1 can tomato sauce
1 can of water
1 can chili beans
1 1/2 tbs. chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
Red pepper, Black Pepper, and Salt to taste

Brown turkey in a large pot, seasoning with chili powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper as it cooks. In a saute pan, saute veggies in 1 teaspoon olive oil until cooked. Add veggies to the pot with the turkey. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot and bring to a boil. Add red pepper and salt to taste. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer on low for 2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes.

Food Blogger Words of Wisdom

An email from my dad, after I explained that Mr. Luz calls Tastespotting.com "food porn":

"The difference between Tastespotting.com and porn is that the people in porn are rich bastards. Can you somehow turn a food blog into a multi-million dollar a year business? If so, I want a bright red Corvette.

Hugs and Kisses

Poppa"