Flatbread with Hummus

Every time I make hummus I kick myself for not doing it more often. Not only does it taste better than store-bought, it's cheaper. For this particular batch, I used a recipe from Cooking Light. It was titled "Traditional Hummus," which makes simple variations easy to slip in. Next time I will definitely be getting more bold with additional ingredients: jalepeno, roasted red pepper, capers,the options are endless.

1 (15.5oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 C water
1/8 C tahini (which I substituted for a couple tablespoons dry sesame seed)
1.5 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
Pinch of salt and pepper

Put chickpeas and garlic in food processor (or magic bullet if you live with a guy like James who made the 2am purchase which comes with free attachments...only if you call in the next 5 minutes!) and buzz until chopped. Add water and remaining ingredients, mix until it reaches desired consistency.

The flatbread came from yes, you guessed it, Smitten Kitchen. Including baking time, it takes about 12 minutes start to finish. Plus you can adjust the texture to your taste. Roll out the dough as thin as possible for more of a "cracker" finish, less so for a thicker, "bready" finish. Yes, bready is a word.

A New Address!

Soggy Pantry got a new address thanks to this guy:

Squash Cupcakes with Banana Cream Frosting

I've never really been inclined to incorporate squash into a sweet dessert but after buying a six pound butternut, I had no other choice. We already had it roasted as a dinner and I still had 3 cups of puree on my hands; thus, my introduction to Jamie Oliver. He had a squash cupcake recipe on Food Network with a 5 star rating. I made a few modifications, mostly out of convenience.
2 C roasted, skinned and pureed butternut squash (his recipe calls for uncooked, skin on)
2 C brown sugar (I shaved off 1/4c)
4 eggs
Sea Salt
1.5 C whole wheat flour (he uses all-purpose)
1 C all purpose flour
2 heaping teaspoons baking powder
Handful chopped pistachios (he uses walnuts, but I love the flavor the pistachios added)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 C olive oil (I shaved off 1/4c)

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, beat the sugar into the squash puree and crack in the eggs. Add a pinch of salt, the flour, baking powder, pistachios, cinnamon and olive oil together until well beaten. Jamie uses a food processor, however, I have not made that investment yet so I used a hand-held beater. Line a muffin tin with paper cups or spray with nonstick; I used nonstick on a couple after I ran out of liners and they came out fine. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Recipe made 16 large cupcakes (I filled them to the top).

I had to bail on Jamie's frosting recipe, I was craving a thicker, less citrus-y variety.
1/4 c cream cheese
1/2 ripe banana
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp milk
1.5 C powdered sugar

Whip the ingredients together, adding either more milk or sugar to your taste and or texture preference.

James loved the frosting, I actually had to stay in the kitchen to make sure he didn't polish it off before I frosted the cupcakes. I will definitely make these cupcakes again. The squash puree would be a perfect alternative for any bread/cupcake recipe that calls for pumpkin.

Out With the Old, In With the New

I love before and after pictures. Trading Spaces, Biggest Loser...pretty much anything you can see a physical improvement. Although I'm only talking about window treatments here, it made a huge difference! I wish I would have taken a picture of the window with the shades that came in our apartment when we moved in. You know the long panels that hang down with weights in the end? The plastic tube device to push them open and pull them closed. Last night we (by we I mean James) finally took them down. It should have happened a long time ago. I think we actually gained an extra foot of window without those eyesores hanging limply from their track. I'm seeing buildings that I didn't know existed! Plus, our entire living room looks more complete. And, guess what? I did it all for $30.