Holly in the PNW

The girl that can't sit still!

Archives for October 2019

Mason Jar Soup

My friend gave me the idea of Mason Jar Soup. You will thank me after making these mason jar soups because it will save you lots of time on your food prep. It’s quick and simple and it’s soup season. Who doesn’t love to save time? Food prepping can be brutal at times but this will make your week so much easier!

Dust off those old canning jars that have been sitting in the cupboard and put them to good use. Just need a few ingredients and you have soup for the week!

  • Curry paste
  • Better Than Bouillon
  • Veggies (carrots, frozen peas and fresh spinach)
  • Protein (extra firm tofu or cooked chicken)
  • Rice noodles or cooked rice

Add the curry paste and Better Than Bouillon ingredients first so it’s at the bottom of the jar.

Mae Ploy yellow curry paste is what I normally buy. I usually add maybe a 1/2 teaspoon per jar. If you like your soup spicy add more. I usually buy this at my local Asian supermarket but I’ve seen it in major grocery stores too.

Better Than Bouillon is a must-have condiment. This is good in a lot of dishes especially in the mason jar soup. You can use it when you cook your basics with chicken, veggies and pasta.

Next add the vegetables that you picked out. I used thinly sliced carrots, frozen peas and fresh spinach.  Add the extra firm tofu or cooked chicken and top with rice noodles (or rice). Pop the lid on it and put it in the fridge until you are ready to eat it.

Add hot water, put the lid back on, shake it up a little and let it seep for a few minutes so the noodles and veggies soften. Stir and eat up!

Enjoy!!!

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Mason Jar Soup

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine American, Asian
Keyword Mason Jar Soup
Prep Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 jars

Ingredients

  • 1/2 tsp Yellow Curry Paste - per jar or more if you want it spicy
  • 1 tbsp Better Than Bullion - per jar
  • 1 package extra firm tofu cut into pieces, divided
  • 1 carrot thinly sliced (use a peeler) divided
  • 2 cups frozen peas divided
  • 2 cups spinach divided
  • 1 package rice noodles divided
  • or 1/2 cup cooked rice - per jar

Instructions

  1. Start layering your mason jar with all of the ingredients, wet to dry. First start with curry paste and Better Than Bouillon. 

  2. Follow with adding in the carrots, frozen peas, spinach and tofu. Add as much or as little veggies as you like. There is no set amount. The ingredients list I provided is just a guideline, there is no wrong way to make this soup!

  3. Top with dry rice noodles or rice, screw on the lid and put it in the fridge until you are ready to eat it.

  4. Fill jar 2/3 of the way with hot water and let it seep for a few minutes until the noodles and veggies are soft.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Chocolate chips, pumpkin and some basic ingredients will make this moist and delicious Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bundt Cake. Yes, I said moist! This is the perfect dessert for  you and because it’s fall.

With all this pumpkin talk I wanted to whip up a quick dessert that anyone (even you!) can make. The chocolate chips add a perfect balance of sweetness to the cake. The powdered sugar sprinkled on top adds the perfect touch to make it look extra fancy.

This is also a great breakfast dish served with a large cup of coffee. It’s also perfect for Sunday football parties since you can feed a large group with this cake. Go Hawks!

Look at this middle! Doesn’t it look divine?!

Cut up a slice and dig in! If you make the slice too small, be warned, you will be back for seconds!

Enjoy!!!

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Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Course Cake, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bundt Cake
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ tsp salt optional
  • 2½ cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 can (15 ounce) pumpkin
  • 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 10-inch bundt pan with baking spray and set aside.

  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt.

  3. In a large bowl, beat sugar and vegetable oil until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla as you add the last egg.

  4. Alternate adding flour mixture and scoops of pumpkin to the egg mixture, beating well on medium-low after each addition. Stir in chocolate chips.

  5. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan.

  6. Bake for 60 - 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before cooling on a wire rack. Let cool completely and then dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Pumpkin Toffee

It’s already October and I can’t believe it. I better get on the pumpkin bandwagon like everyone else! Recently I had some delicious toffee at a friend’s house, so I decided to make Pumpkin Toffee. Don’t let candy making scare you, it’s a lot easier than you think!

For this recipe you can use white or dark chocolate. The recipe calls for pecans, walnuts or almonds. Mix it up a bit and make some with each nut or just stick to one. The white toffee I used walnuts and the dark toffee I used almonds. Whatever you choose it all takes good with the pumpkin toffee.

The most important part of this recipe is not to over cook the mixture so you will need a candy thermometer. I’m so glad I purchased a thermometer, I use it for everything now. The one I have is magnetic so it’s handy to keep on the fridge for easy access.

Ingredients to make this delicious Pumpkin Toffee are as follows:

  • Butter
  • Warm water
  • Granulated sugar
  • Salt
  • Light corn syrup
  • Pecans, Walnuts or Almonds
  • Pumpkin Pie Spice
  • White or Dark Chocolate

Follow the directions carefully and you won’t regret it!

This toffee isn’t too hard, when you bite into the chewy goodness, it just melts in your mouth.

Enjoy!!!

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Pumpkin Toffee

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Pumpkin Toffee
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 1 pound

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups pecans, walnuts or almonds chopped up a little
  • 1 cup unsalted butter cut into pieces, 2 sticks
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 1 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar divided
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp light corn syrup
  • 1 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice divided
  • 6 ounces white or dark chocolate coarsely chopped

Instructions

  1. Toast the chopped pecans, walnuts or almonds: Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Spread the chopped pecans, walnuts or almonds on top and toast for 7-8 minutes or lightly browned. Set aside. 1 cup will be used inside the toffee and the remainder are sprinkled on top.

  2. Make the toffee: While stirring with a wooden spoon, melt the butter over medium heat in a 3-quart heavy-duty saucepan. Once melted, add the water, 1 cup granulated sugar, salt, and corn syrup. Stir constantly until the sugar dissolves, then brush down the sides of the pan with a water-moistened pastry brush. Attach a candy thermometer to the pan, making sure the bulb is not touching the bottom of the pan (if it touches you’ll get an inaccurate reading).

  3. Stir the mixture, every minute as it begins to boil. Rapid bubbles, a thicker consistency, and a slightly darker color form around 240°F (116°C). Continue to stir every minute until it reaches 290°F (143°C; soft crack stage). Watch carefully – the temperature slowly rises in the beginning, but then boasts quickly. If you notice it rising very fast, you can even turn off the heat when the toffee reaches 285°F (141°C), as it will continue to cook in the few seconds after.

  4. Immediately remove the pan from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice and 1 cup toasted pecans, walnuts or almonds. Pour the toffee out onto a silicone baking mat lined baking sheet. Smooth into an even layer. The toffee should be thick and not spread all the way to the edges of the pan. Cool the toffee for 5 minutes.

  5. Meanwhile, get the toppings ready. Mix the remaining 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice. Melt the white or dark chocolate. You can melt it in a double boiler or use the microwave. I melt it in the microwave in 20 second increments, stopping and stirring after each.

  6. Spread the melted white or dark chocolate on top of the toffee, then sprinkle with remaining pecans, walnuts or almonds and sugar/pumpkin pie spice mix.

  7. Refrigerate toffee for 20 minutes or until chocolate has set. Peel off the silicone baking mat and break toffee into pieces.

Recipe Notes

Store toffee in an airtight container at room temperature in a cool dry place for up to 2 weeks.

Lemon Orzo Chickpea Salad

Lemon Orzo Chickpea Salad is next on the blog!

I haven’t been able to post much on my blog lately and I sure do miss it. Summer and vacation just took over my life, but it was well worth it. A lot of life changing moments!

One good thing about fall is I’ll be back to cooking and baking! As you may have guessed, the kitchen is where I enjoy spending my spare time, especially when it’s raining outside!

I had just got home from vacation, back to the grind at work, and they were having a potluck the next day. Of course I had no food in the house so I had to scramble. I looked around the kitchen and found orzo, chick peas, Parmesan cheese and a lemon. So I came up with Lemon Orzo Chickpea Salad. It was a huge hit at the potluck! Luckily I made such a large batch I had plenty of leftovers to share at home.

It’s an easy quick recipe.

  • Toast the orzo in a little olive oil.
  • Stir in the garlic and oregano, then pour in the broth.
  • Let the orzo simmer until the liquid has been absorbed.
  • Stir in the lemon zest, juice, and chick peas.
  • Stir in the cheese, salt, and pepper.

Serves about 4 – 6.

Enjoy this Lemon Orzo Chickpea Salad!!!

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Lemon Orzo Chickpea Salad

Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword Lemon Orzo Chick Pea Salad
Cook Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups dry orzo pasta
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 lemon zested
  • Juice of half of a lemon
  • 1 can chick peas drained
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
  • pepper to taste
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  1. In a skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and pasta.

  2. Cook, stirring occasionally until toasted, about 30-60 seconds.

  3. Stir in garlic, then slowly stir in oregano.

  4. Add the broth, a small amount at a time, while continuing to stir.

  5. Bring to a boil, cover the skillet with a lid and turn down to a simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the pasta has absorbed most of the water and is tender.

  6. Remove the lid and add the lemon zest, juice, and chick peas.

  7. Add the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.