Spiced Butternut Squash Bread

January 14, 2016 at 9:12 AM

I’m pretty certain that a lot of us have driven new creations in the kitchen based on one pantry or door-of-the-fridge ingredient that we bought once upon a time for one recipe and haven’t used it since. Pumpkin Pie Spice. This little bugger. Sassy step-sister to the canister of Poultry Seasoning we all buy every Thanksgiving because we are at the grocery store and have no certain recollection that last year’s bottle still exists in the spice cubby. Lo and behold, though, last year’s bottle does exist in said spice cubby and after using 1 teaspoon of it for a recipe, it sits lone until the next Thanksgiving go round.

This recipe brings Pumpkin Pie Spice out of her tragic, little crying corner in your kitchen to be used all Fall and Winter long. Side note, did you know that when stored in a cool place, butternut squash can last for up to 3 months? All the more reason to make this bread countless times.

Butternut squash is puréed and transformed into a batter, moistened perfectly with coconut oil and a few other classic quick bread ingredients. Because I’m queen of sweet but not-too-sweet, this recipe follows suit and is just lightly touched with sweet by way of a small amount of brown and white sugars.

The only messed up thing about the plan to use all that Pumpkin Pie spice is that next Thanksgiving, when you go to the grocery store and announce to yourself that you’re sure you have some left at home–you may be wrong.

Spiced Butternut Squash Bread
Yields 1
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
45 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
45 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 cup butternut squash, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (peeled, seeds & insides removed)
  2. 1/4 cup water
  3. 2 large eggs
  4. 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
  5. 1/2 cup white sugar
  6. 1/2 cup brown sugar
  7. 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  8. 1 teaspoon baking soda
  9. 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  10. 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350° fahrenheit. Grease your loaf pan with cooking spray--I love using coconut oil cooking spray to grease my pans but feel free to use the spray you like best or the one you have on hand.
  2. Steam & purée the butternut squash. Place butternut squash in a microwave safe bowl with the water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 8 minutes. Drain and place steamed squash into food processor to purée until smooth.
  3. Mix the wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl and using an electric or standing mixer, combine squash purée, eggs, coconut oil, white sugar, and brown sugar on low speed.
  4. Finish the batter. Increase mixer speed to medium and add in the pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and kosher salt. Slowly add in the flour, scraping down sides of the bowl periodically. Mix until just combined, being careful not to over-mix.
  5. Bake the bread. Pour batter into your greased loaf pan and place into the pre-heated oven, on the center rack. Bake 45 minutes and begin to check bread for doneness by inserting a toothpick and seeing if it comes out clean (and not covered in batter.) If toothpick does not come out clean, continue to bake, checking for doneness in 5 minute intervals.
  6. Cool bread. Remove bread from loaf pan and allow to cool before slicing.
One Happy Place https://www.onehappyplace.com/

Filed Under: Baked, Recipes

Roasted Sweet Potato Hash & Baked Eggs

November 13, 2015 at 7:15 AM

I’ve spent all morning browsing recipes of Thanksgivings past and ideas for Thanksgivings to come. This weekend has some serious recipe testing in store–I couldn’t be happier that it’s Friday. As you probably have realized, making new and delicious dishes is my favorite thing to do every day, all day, year-round but there’s something so different and magical about cooking this time of year. It’s a chilly breeze from an open window next to a hot oven, it’s a hot coffee mug in icy hands, it’s QVC selling body creams in decorative packaging…you get the idea. This sweet potato hash couldn’t scream the fall season, any louder. Also, the beautiful red napkin and red ramekin don’t hurt the fall festivities of this breakfast dish–both not required, only highly recommended.  

Because you are baking these eggs–this is a great dish to cook for a group. Baking eggs: always the way to go for multiple eggs done at once, so you can avoid that thing where you basically become a make-your-own omelette chef like the ones at hotel buffets because you’re stuck in your kitchen making eggs for folks, one plate at a time, so that they are hot and cooked perfectly. Also, bonus, you get to focus on the home shopping fully while your eggs are cooking because you’re not watching a pan on the stove. Win win!

Roasted Sweet Potato Hash & Baked Eggs
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
35 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
35 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
  2. 1/2 red onion, peeled and sliced thinly
  3. 1 strip of bacon, cut into 1/4 inch strips
  4. 4 jumbo eggs
  5. 1 teaspoon coconut oil
  6. 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  7. 10 sprigs of fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
  2. Roast sweet potatoes. On a baking sheet, place sweet potato cubes and toss in 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Roast in oven for 10 minutes.
  3. Crisp bacon. While sweet potatoes are roasting, crisp up bacon strips in a skillet. Once crispy, remove and drain on a paper towel.
  4. Sauté sliced onions. While sweet potatoes are roasting, sauté onions in remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil for 5 minutes or until soft and golden brown. Remove and drain on a paper towel.
  5. When sweet potatoes are roasted, combine them with onions and bacon and then split potato, onion, and bacon mixture evenly among two oven-safe ramekins.
  6. Prepare to bake. In each ramekin, make two wells in the sweet potato, onion, and bacon mixture to accommodate eggs. Crack two eggs, one into each well, into each ramekins.
  7. Bake eggs. Place ramekins into oven (still at 350 degrees) for 10 minutes or until eggs are just set.
  8. If desired, garnish with fresh parsley.
Notes
  1. Egg cook time yields a soft-cooked yolk. For medium or hard eggs, add 2-5 minutes to bake time.
One Happy Place https://www.onehappyplace.com/
Filed Under: Breakfast, Eggs, Presented With Little Comment

Classic Banana Bread + Fall Mornings

November 3, 2015 at 7:00 AM

Last night, I woke in the middle of the night with a chilled tip of my nose caused by my opened bedroom window and this morning, I am wearing my fleece leggings and favorite long-sleeved, oversized shirt. All signs point to fall and I couldn’t be happier. Now, in Los Angeles, I’m certain it will be short-lived but I’m going to enjoy every bit of it while I can. Especially for those of us who love our ovens, the start of colder days means actually using them with joy rather than surrounded by unbearable heat and misery.

This morning, I did just that–baked with joy (and lack of unbearable heat and misery.) Coffee, a continuation of my Harry Potter movie marathon, and warm banana bread–beyond a perfect morning. I adore this simple banana bread recipe that is a mixture of a few that I’ve tried over the years. What makes my recipe a touch different than the ones I’ve tried and that you may have tried? It uses just ripe bananas instead of overripe bananas to give a fresher flavor, it uses less sugar than most recipes because bananas are so beautifully sweet on their own, it uses butter instead of oil because it’s creamier and more flavorful, and bread flour replaces all-purpose which makes the bread heartier. I hope you all love it, as much as I do–which is a lot.

Classic Banana Bread
Yields 1
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Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
45 min
Total Time
50 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
45 min
Total Time
50 min
Ingredients
  1. 4 just ripe bananas
  2. 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
  3. 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  4. 1 1/2 cups bread flour
  5. 1/4 teaspoon salt
  6. 1 whole egg, beaten
  7. 1 teaspoon baking soda
  8. 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until only small lumps are left
  3. Add remaining ingredients and mix until combined into a smooth batter
  4. Pour batter into a greased loaf pan and bake 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean
Notes
  1. Of course, you can substitute the classic overripe banana, if it makes you happy.
One Happy Place https://www.onehappyplace.com/
Filed Under: Baked, Breakfast, Presented With Little Comment, Recipes