Pumpkin Turkey Chili

Recipe courtesy of Serious Eats.I made a few alterations based on what I had at home.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2 pound ground turkey
1 (14.5 ounce) jar salsa  

1 (14.5 ounce) can red kidney beans 

1 cups (1/2 of a 14.5 ounce can) pumpkin puree
3/4 tablespoons chili powder
1/4 tablespoon cumin 

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cayenne pepper to taste (at least 3 good shakes)
 

Directions: 

Heat oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Saute the onion, green bell pepper, and garlic until tender, about 10 minutes. Make room in the center of the skillet, add turkey, and brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in salsa, beans, and pumpkin. Season with chili powder, cumin, pepper, salt, and cayenne.

Reduce heat and simmer at least 20 minutes.

Devil's Food Cupcakes with Orange Flavored Frosting

Martha Stewart Cupcakes with Ina Garten Frosting.

Ingredients:
Cupcakes:
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature:
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature:
1/2 teaspoon orange zest:
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract:
1/2 pound confectioners' sugar, sieved:
Orange food coloring (or red and yellow), optional

Directions:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners.

Melt chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water. In a bowl, stir baking soda into the boiling water; stir this mixture into chocolate. Set aside to cool slightly.

Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until the mixture is light and pale yellow in color. Add eggs, one at a time, and continue to mix until thoroughly incorporated. Add flour and buttermilk, alternating between small amounts of each, and blend well.

Add the melted chocolate and vanilla to the batter, and stir well. Pour the batter into the paper cups, and bake until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the center of a cupcake, about 30 minutes. Remove cupcakes from the oven, and allow them to cool briefly in the muffin tin before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely. 

For the frosting, mix the cream cheese, butter, orange zest and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until just combined. Add the sugar and mix until smooth.
When the cupcakes are cool, frost them generously.

Jack-o-Lantern Cheese Ball

Perfect for Halloween, recipe courtesy of Cooking Channel.

Ingredients:

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
3 tablespoons minced onions
1 teaspoon jalapeno, minced (without seeds, unless you want it spicy, then include the seeds)
2 teaspoons cumin
2 tablespoons prepared salsa (your favorite kind will do)
1 nice-looking stem of a bell pepper (reserve the pepper for another use)
12 Doritos, original flavor, crushed
Black bean chips, for serving

Directions:
Put all ingredients into the bowl of a mixer, and blend thoroughly. Form into a pumpkin-like shape, and refrigerate until firm, about two hours. Before serving, roll the cheese ball in crushed Doritos. Arrange the cheese ball on a plate, and press the bell pepper stem into the top — it should like a mini pumpkin stem.

You can serve the pumpkin as-is, or break off pieces of black bean chips to form a Jack-o’-lantern face. The chip pieces should adhere to the pumpkin cheese ball if you gently press them onto it, but you can also stick them on using a very small daub of the cheese ball mixture on the back of the black bean chip features; this will act like glue. Serve the cheese ball with black bean chips, crackers or crudites.

Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

Delish recipe courtesy of Food Network.

Ingredients:
Cupcakes:
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon
2 cups sour cream
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, plus a few for garnish

Frosting:
2 sticks butter
8 ounces cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
10 to 12 cups powdered sugar

Directions: 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tins with 24 paper liners.

Mix the flour, soda and salt together in a bowl. Set aside. Add the butter and sugar to a mixing bowl and cream until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time and mix thoroughly. Add the vanilla and lemon zest and mix to combine. Add the dry mixture in 3 parts alternating with the sour cream, ending with dry mixture. Stir in the blueberries. Fill the prepared tins two-thirds full and bake 16 to 20 minutes. Cool.

For the frosting: Cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla, lemon zest and juice and blend until combined. Add the powdered sugar gradually until combined. Frost the cooled cupcakes with the cream cheese frosting.