Autumn is in the air. And I like this time of year. Crisp cool air, falling leaves, and the harvest of pumpkins...that's how I conjure up the images of beautiful golden autumn.



Pumpkins say AUTUMN like nothing else. Regardless of how you prepare them, they add flavours and seasonal flair to most meals, and moreover, bringing pumpkins to your table is a recipe for fun and togetherness. Let's make this colourful season more memorable with more pumpkins!

	Dressing
500 g Butternut pumpkin, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes 1/2 tbsp Olive oil 50 g Chickpeas, rinsed and drained 40 g Rocket salad©angiesrecipes 1 tsp Sesame seeds, toasted	1 tbsp Argan oil©angiesrecipes 2/3 tbsp Balsamic vinegar Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Place the pumpkin cubes in a baking pan, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Toss until the pumpkin cubes are well coated. Roast for about 15 minutes until tender.
   
   
2. Divide the rocket salad into two serving bowls, and arrange the chickpeas and roasted pumpkin cubes on top. Combine the argan oil and balsamic vinegar in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, and stir until well-blended. Pour the dressing over and top with the roasted sesame seeds.

These wonderfully crinkled black and white cookies have a very brownie-like texture and a stunning high-contrast appearance. They are so easy to bake and taste so good!

• 165 g Spelt flour #630
  
  
• 1/2 tsp Baking powder
  
  
• 1/2 tsp Salt
  
  
• 180 g Dark chocolate mocha beans
  
  
• 4 tbsp Butter
  
  
• 2 Eggs, at room temperature
  
  
• 100 g Caster sugar
  
  
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
  
  
• 40 g Icing sugar, sifted

1. Preheat the oven to 165C/330F. Line two baking trays with paper. Whisk the spelt flour, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl. Melt the Mocha chocolate beans and butter in a bowl over a small pan of simmering water until smooth. Cool slightly.
   
   
2. Beat the eggs and sugar with an electric whisk until pale, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed and add the mocha chocolate mix and vanilla extract. Sift in the flour mixture and fold until combined. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours until firm, or up to overnight.
   
   
3. Put the icing sugar in a small bowl. Shape the dough into 32 balls and roll in the icing sugar. Put them on the prepared baking trays 4-cm apart and press down lightly to flatten. Bake for about 12 minutes until the edges set. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes and then put on a rack to cool completely.

And last, sure not the least, I want to thank Alisha and Alison for passing on all these inspirational AWARDS to me! Thanks, my friends, for your continuous support and constant encouragement!

The Ardent Epicure	Alison Trials

Gyro (yee-roh) is a Greek sandwich specialty. It is typically made of pork meat rolled into a large piece of flatbread or pita. Other versions made with beef, lamb, chicken, and sometimes turkey, are adaptations of the Turkish "Döner Kebap" or "Shawarma", which is a popular fast food across the Middle East and NEVER made with pork. Inside the pita, salad, pickles, hummus and even French fries are added.


I am sending this to WIN S365s SANDWICH CONTEST!

	Gyro Seasoning
400 g Chicken thighs or breast, boneless and skinless 6-8 Homemade pita, (or Turkish pide) 1/2 cup Tzatziki angiesrecipes Salad mix (Tomato, cucumber, onion, etc.)	1 tsp Sweet paprikaangiesrecipes 1 tsp Salt 1 tsp Cumin angiesrecipes 1 tsp Garlic powderangiesrecipes 1 tsp Oregano angiesrecipes 1 tsp Basil angiesrecipes(optional) 1 tsp Black pepper (optional) 1/2 tsp Marjoram angiesrecipes(optional) 1/2 tsp Parsley angiesrecipes(optional) 1/3 tsp Chilli powderangiesrecipes(optional)

1. In a small bowl combine all the ingredients of the gyro mix
   
   . Slice the chicken of the grain and add in the seasoning mix. Rub it into the meat with your hands. Cover with a plastic wrap and chill overnight or at least 3 hours.
   
   
2. Remove meat from the refrigerator and grill in a roasting pan in the oven until crispy. Or dry fry (without any oil) in a non-stick skillet until browned and slightly crisp.
   
   
3. Slice the pita from the top open to create a pocket. If it is a long oval pita, then slice each pita open in half so that it forms 2 small pockets. Gently open the pocket and fill with the tzatziki, salad and meat.

Chickpeas have a delicious nutty taste and buttery texture. Pumpkins are naturally low in calories and fat, rich in vitamin A and an excellent source of fiber. The match of chickpeas and pumpkins, for me, is the match made in heaven.

Not only are they delicious, healthy, and loaded with nutrients, but they could also be used to make a variety of healthier holiday or daily treats. These patties are very easy to make and bursting with flavours.

• 400 g Butternut pumpkin puree©angiesrecipes
  
  
• 150 g Chickpea puree
  
  
• 350 g Glutinous rice flour
  
  
• 25 g Honey
  
  
• 450 g Poppy paste©angiesrecipes
  
  
• Some corn oil

1. Place butternut pumpkin puree, chickepea puree, glutinous rice flour and honey in a bowl. Mix with your hand until you have a smooth dough. Add more glutinous rice flour if needed.
   
   
2. Divide it into 35 portions, each about 26 grams. Shape each into a ball. Divide the poppy paste into 35 portions too. Roll each pumpkin dough into a round, fill the center with poppy paste, and then seal to enclose the filling. Lightly press it down to flatten the ball.
   
   
3. Heat up a skillet with some corn oil and pan fry patties over the low-medium heat until golden brown.

Argan oil, believed to be one of the rarest oils in the world, is a robust, nutty oil made from the nuts of the argan tree endemic to Southwestern Morocco. Traditionally in Morocco, argan oil is used in tajines, couscous, salads, grilled tomatoes and other Moroccan dishes. It is valued for its nutritive, cosmetic and numerous medicinal properties.



This oil is naturally high in vitamin E and essential fatty acids, making it an excellent dietary supplement. It is also very good for the skin; vitamin E can help smooth cracked hands, knees, and elbows while nourishing the skin, and essential fatty acids can promote healthy skin as well. These benefits have made argan oil popular in cosmetics for centuries in Morocco and beyond, and small vials of the costly oil are often on offer at high-end cosmetic stores.

• 250 g Crimini mushroom or portobello, thickly sliced
  
  
• 1-2 clove Garlic, sliced
  
  
• 150 ml Vegetable stock
  
  
• 180 g Tagliatelle
  
  
• 1 tbsp Parsley, chopped
  
  
• 1 tbsp Lemon rind, finely zested
  
  
• 1 tbsp Argan oil to serve
  
  
• Grated Parmesan to serve

1. Put the sliced mushrooms, garlic and vegetable stock into a skillet, bring to the boil and simmer for until the liquid has nearly all evaporated and the mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes.
   
   
2. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to pack instructions. Drain and toss with the mushrooms, parsley and lemon zest. Season to taste and drizzle the argan oil over and serve with grated Parmesan.

"Schiacciata con l'Uva" is a traditional flatbread made in Tuscany-what everyone else in Italy calls "Focaccia", in the autumn. Nicely golden and crisp on the outside, laid with juicy sweet red grapes and sprinkled with brown sugar, this focaccia tastes wonderfully delicious with a glass of Chianti! Don't you love its rustic look!

Recipe Sources:

dajana-bakerscorner

epicurious

kingarthurflour

• 300 ml Water, lukewarm
  
  
• 30 g Honey
  
  
• 400 g Spelt flour #1050©angiesrecipes
  
  
• 1/2 tsp Salt
  
  
• 7 g Instant dry yeast
  
  
• 500 g Seedless red grapes
  
  
• Extra virgin olive oil
  
  
• 50 g brown sugar
  
  

1. Place water, flour, caster sugar, salt and instant dry yeast in the order they are listed into the pan of your bread machine, program the machine for dough, and press "Start".
   
   
2. While the dough is rising, rinse and dry the grapes. When dough cycle is complete remove the dough from machine. Take 2/3 of the dough and roll it out thin on a baking paper greased with olive oil. Place 2/3 of the grapes on the dough and sprinkle with 30 grams of brown sugar.
   
   
3. Roll out the remaining dough and cover the bottom sheet with the grapes on it. Lift the edges of the bottom sheet over the upper one and press lightly to join them. Move the focaccia together with the baking paper to a baking tray. Brush the surface with oil, place the remaining grapes on top and sprinkle with the remaining 20 grams of brown sugar.
   
   
4. Bake the focaccia in an oven preheated to190C/375F for 25 to 30 minutes utill it is golden brown. Serve it warm with a glass or two Chianti.

A slightly dense, moist butter cake with ripe, fresh, and juicy peaches and rich, gooey nougat atop makes a truly succulent late-summer delight with a glass of sparkling wine.

Batter	Topping
250 g Spelt #630 flour©angiesrecipes 2 tsp Baking powder 100 g Sugar 2 Eggs 150 g Butter, softened 6 tbsp Milk	6 Fresh peaches©angiesrecipes, peeled, halved and pitted 200 g Nougat Some raspberry jam Some pistachio, chopped

1. Peel and halve the peaches. Gently fan out the top of halves whilst still keeping them all together. Line a 30x.33cm baking tray with paper. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Place the nougat in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until it is melted and smooth.
   
   
2. Whisk the spelt flour and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Add in sugar, eggs, butter and milk. Beat briefly with a hand mixer on slow speed, then increase the speed to high and beat for 2 minutes until a smooth dough forms.
   
   
3. Press the dough evenly onto the prepared tray. Arrange the peach halves, fanned-out side up, in 4 lines, setting them 1 inch apart and pressing each gently into the dough. Spoon the melted nougat to fill the gaps between lines.
   
   
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Strain the raspberry jam through a fine sieve into a bowl. Remove the cake and cool on the wire rack. Brush the peach halves with the jam while it’s still warm, and scatter the chopped pistachio on the nougat. Slice the cake and serve.

Thank you, kitchen flavours and alwayswinner786, for passing the awards to me.

Kitchen Flavours	Tips for Delicious and Healthy Cooking