Forking Up

It's the MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEEEEAR!

I feel like people can be divided into two groups: Christmas people, and Halloween people.


Um, and I guess Nightmare Before Christmas People that incorporate both... so maybe three kinds of people.

I've already enjoyed my first PSL of the season. And am slowly accumulating various Pumpkin Spice treats to try. So of course, I was going to try my hand at some seasonal French Macarons. Spiced orange French macarons, to be exact.


While these don't actually have any pumpkin, they DO have a hefty shake of pumpkin spice. With the accompanying Spiced Orange Curd it's the perfect treat for when the air gets chilly and you need something cozy to munch on.

Bonus: the egg yolks you separate from the whites go into the orange curd! It's really quite perfect.

Don't get discouraged if they fail the first time--these cookies are VERY temperamental. The good news is that even if they don't LOOK like macarons, they'll still be tasty!


Spiced Orange Macarons with Spiced Orange Curd
(Adapted from Food Network's Recipe)

• 1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup almond flour
• 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp pumpkin spice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the orange curd

• 1 orange, zested and juiced
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp pumpkin spice
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter cut into pieces

-Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

-Sift together the confectioner's sugar, pumpkin spice, and almond flour.

-In a stand mixer on medium, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar until frothy. Turn the speed to high, and slowly stream in the granulated sugar. Whip until stiff peaks form. Add the vanilla extract and mix until just incorporated.

-Add the almond flour mixture and fold into the egg whites until well combined. The perfect texture is described to be like "lava"--it should flow slowly off the spoon when pulled from the batter, and look shiny when at rest.

-Using a piping bag, pipe 2-3" diameter circles of the batter onto a cookie sheet fitted with parchment paper or a silpat. Smack the pan on a hard surface to remove bubbles, then let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.

-Bake for 20 minutes, until cookies are shiny and small "feet" form.

-While the cookies bake, prepare the orange curd: In a pan over low heat, mix together all ingredients and whisk constantly until thick, about 12 minutes. It will further thicken as it cools.

-Sandwich two macaron shells with a bit of curd

This is a sponsored post, in that I received complimentary product as well as the chance to win monetary prizes from BLENDABELLA. 

I have fond memories of enchiladas for dinner growing up in Western Massachusetts. Little did I know, authentic enchiladas did not use a condensed soup base (in fact, the recipe was on the back of a soup can!), and the real ones were actually way more flavorful and spicy!

Since moving to Austin, I've been educated in the complex tastes of this Tex-Mex favorite. Of course, I wanted to start making it in my home kitchen. I've played with the concept of an enchilada--tortilla wrapped around various meats and veggies, topped with a spicy sauce, and smothered in cheese. I can't say that my recipe is authentic, but it sure is flavorful!


So when BLENDABELLA reached out to me to create a recipe for their Blogger Challenge, I knew exactly how to feature their Zesty Mexican mushroom blend. Enchiladas are so versatile that this recipe can quite easily be adapted for any recipe. Swap out the tortillas for an almond flour or low carb version. Take away the beef and double up on the mushrooms. The flavor of the sauce is so great that you don't even NEED the cheese... but I can't resist.

You can follow BLENDABELLA by following these accounts:

• Website: http://blendabella.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BLENDABELLA/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/BLENDABELLA?lang=en
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blendabella/
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/blendabella/
• And you can purchase BLENDABELLA here! https://giorgio-foods.myshopify.com/collections/frontpage

Have you ever tried BLENDABELLA mushroom blends? Let me know in the comments!

• 1 jar BLENDABELLA Zesty Mexican mix
• 1 lb ground beef (omit if vegetarian, replace with a second jar of BLENDABELLA)
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 cup Mexican beer
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 beef broth cube, crushed (sub for vegetable cube if vegetarian)
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp habanero hot sauce (optional)
• 8 tortillas (I used low carb)
• 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
• salt and pepper, to taste
• sour cream and chives, to garnish

This is a recipe from my now-dead blog, Quarter Life (Crisis) Cuisine. The recipe may not be new, but it sure is good!

I don't care that it's still 100 degrees. Or that the seasons in Texas are just "hot" and "not as hot." It is September, school is back in session (I only know this because traffic is 100x worse now), and the Halloween decorations are popping up everywhere.

IT IS FALL.

I also don't care how "basic" that makes me. I can enjoy all the best bits of fall without winter being right around the corner? Great.

I can wear my Northface/leggings/Uggs combo when it gets chilly and it doesn't need to be covered by a head-to-toe parka? WONDERFUL.

I can still eat pumpkin and apple and spices all I dang well please? PERFECT. I will start with this Vegan Low Carb Pumpkin Sage Bisque!

This recipe was inspired by a favorite bakery back home (Second Street Bakery, if you're ever in the area) and I worked like a madwoman to try to recreate it. I think I did a pretty good job! I even made it VEGAN and LOW CARB. Woo!

Please note that the rosemary is NOT in the recipe. It was a last minute addition because Rosemary grows like MADNESS over here--HUGE bushes of it. I've never seen so much rosemary. It's pretty cool.

This is also accidentally vegan! So, yay!--if that's your thing. If it's not, then you'll still enjoy it. Promise. Substitute with cream if you really feel like it.

Pumpkin Sage Bisque

• 1 small sugar pumpkin (~2 lbs) peeled, seeded, and cooked through
• 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 quart vegetable broth
• 3 leaves sage, chopped fine
• 1 tsp sriracha
• 1 can coconut cream
• pinch of nutmeg
• salt and pepper
• 1 tbs olive oil + 1 tbs margarine or butter substitute

-In a large saucepan, melt the butter and warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and garlic and cook until onions are translucent.

-Add the pumpkin, sage, nutmeg, and broth (you may need more or less, enough to cover the veggies by a little less than an inch) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes.

-When carrots are tender, puree the soup with an immersion blender or in batches in a food processor. Add sriracha, salt, and pepper to taste.

-Add coconut cream, slowly, mixing constantly, until soup is at desired creaminess. Top with a dollop of condensed coconut cream or sour cream.
 

Every year, my husband and I find some reason to visit New Orleans. While we never have gone during the most popular time of year, Mardi Gras, there is still so much to do, see, and EAT in this incredible city.


I love my new city of Austin, but New Orleans is quickly finding a place in my heart as one of my very favorite cities. I hope to live here someday, but in the meantime I treasure these yearly trips.

Here are my suggestions for the BEST food in town!

Killer Poboys
219 Dauphine and 811 Conti (inside the Rose Bar), New Orleans, LA 


Poboys are one of those things you'll find EVERYWHERE in New Orleans, so it's hard to know where, exactly, the best ones will be. You won't be disappointed if you stop into Killer Poboys. It was suggested to me by multiple trusted sources, and it did not disappoint on the first and second visit, and it wasn't until much later that I realized my friend was close buddies with the owner! What I liked best about Killer Poboys was that there were options that weren't deep fried, but just as tasty. Definitely my go-to spot in the quarter for Poboys.