Pumpkin Raisin Muffins

I love September. I love seeing bins of fresh pumpkins at the market. The pumpkins remind me that we’re in the midst of the Jewish holidays, which signal a new year and new beginnings, so that even while the trees will soon be bare and it will get cold and snowy and nighttime will come more quickly and the long sunshiny days of summer are ending, there’s a new harvest, a new season. Life continues and thrives and I know that in Connecticut, where I live, we will soon see nature’s spectacular colors along the roads, fields and highways.

In case I wasn’t clear —I love this time of year.

I also love using fresh pumpkin for recipes. Ravioli filling. Soup. Sauce. Pie. Cake. Quickbread. Even ice cream.

This is my latest pumpkin special: muffins that are perfect for Sukkot as breakfast (or snack) or to tote to a Sukkah to eat with dinner. I add raisins but you can leave them out or substitute any dried fruit or chopped nuts.

P.S. These muffins would also be a nice treat for Thanksgiving dinner.

Pumpkin Raisin Muffins

• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree (canned is fine; NOT pumpkin pie mix)

• 2/3 cup sugar

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• 1/4 cup milk (non-dairy or dairy)

• 2 large eggs

• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1/2 cup raisins (or use dried cranberries or chopped nuts)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease 10 muffin tin cups. Combine the pumpkin puree, sugar, vegetable oil and milk in a large bowl and whisk the ingredients for 1-2 minutes or until thoroughly blended. Whisk in the eggs. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and add them to the pumpkin mixture. Whisk the ingredients for 1-2 minutes or until thoroughly blended. Fold in the raisins. Spoon equal amounts of the batter into the prepared cups. Bake for about 15 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.

Makes 10 muffins

Quinoa, Turkey and Veggie Stuffed Peppers

My grandma made stuffed peppers for Sukkot. Unfortunately they weren’t my favorite dish because bell peppers and my stomach don’t get along, even when I was a kid.

But I did love what she put on the insides. It was sort of a Turkish-style filling. The family wasn’t Turkish, they were from Romania, which was part of the Ottoman Empire when she was a girl, and a lot of the food she made was influenced by the fabulous cuisine of Turkey.

I realized later in life that using red, orange and yellow peppers made all the difference to my digestive system. They are much easier going down than the green ones my grandma always used! So, I’ve made and enjoyed her recipe from time to time over the years.

But this year I decided on a whole new stuffing based on quinoa instead of rice. It’s nothing like grandma’s but is very tasty and it reminds me of her anyway.

Veggie and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

• 4 large bell peppers

• 1/4 cup quinoa

• 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock or water

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 chopped carrots

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 1 large clove garlic, chopped

• 1 cup ground veal, beef or turkey

• 2 packed cups chopped spinach

• 1 cup corn kernels

• 2 large eggs

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the top of the peppers to remove about 1/2-inch from the top. Reserve the caps. Reach inside the peppers and remove the stringy flesh and the seeds. Place the peppers open side up in a large pot. Fill the peppers with water, then carefully fill the pot with water to cover the peppers. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Cover the pan. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove the peppers with a slotted spoon and let cool. Place the quinoa and stock in a saucepan, bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and cook for about 15 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy. Set aside. Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes, to soften them slightly. Add the veal and spinach and cook, breaking the meat into smaller pieces, for 3-4 minutes or until no longer pink. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the corn and quinoa and stir to distribute the ingredients evenly. Mix in the eggs, thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Spoon equal amounts of the mixture inside the peppers. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the peppers are tender.

Makes 4

Turkish Stuffed Peppers

It’s been a long long time since I ate stuffed peppers and a long time since I cooked them. Bell peppers and my tummy don’t always get along.

But I decided to give them another try.

My grandmother made a dish something like this one, only she used rice as the base. I switched to freekeh instead because I love this particular grain. It worked beautifully.

Looks good, tastes good, perfect for when you need a make-ahead dish to pop in the oven for dinner.

Perfect for Sukkot, when stuffed foods are traditional.

Easily transportable too.

Turkish Stuffed Peppers

8 bell peppers

1 cup cracked freekeh (or use rice)

2 tablespoons currants (or raisins)

5 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium onions, chopped

2 tablespoons pine nuts, optional

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 large tomato, chopped

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1-3/4 cups vegetable stock

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Place the peppers in a deep bowl and pour boiling water over them. Weight them down to keep them under the water. Let rest for 5 minutes. Drain and repeat the process with cold water. Cut a lid from the top of the peppers, but reserve the lids. Scoop out and discard the seeds and membranes. Set the peppers aside. Place the freekeh and currants in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Let rest for 30 minutes. Drain. Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and pignoli nuts, if used, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes or until the onion has softened and is slightly golden. Add the freekeh and currants and some salt and pepper to taste. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomato, sugar and allspice and cook for another minute, stirring occasionally. Add the stock, bring to a boil, cover the pan and lower the heat. Cook for about 40 minutes or until the freekeh is soft and all the liquid has been absorbed. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the parsley, dill, mint and lemon juice. Let cool. Use to fill the peppers. Place lids on top. (You may prepare to this point and cook later). Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the peppers in a baking dish. Add 2 cups of water to the dish. Bake the peppers for 40 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving (warm or at room temperature).

Makes 8 servings