JC: 21 July 2010. Wild Rice Fritters, Three Bean Stew and Pumpkin Bread

For various reason I decided to cook each of the above on separate occasions. Three bean stew is still to be cooked, but the fritters and pumpkin bread have been cooked, eaten and enjoyed – though not without problems/disasters!!!

Pumpkin Bread vs 2 – I could not find any canned pumpkin puree at my local supermarket despite the fact that I have got it from there for an earlier recipe. So in my ‘UK wisdom’ I though if I pureed a can of peaches that would be ok. However, when I checked with JK across the pond the answer was NO, too moist. So sweet potatoes were used instead.

The 1^st version taught me that a; I really should use the measuring cups and not think ‘I know better’. And b; that I really should wear my reading glasses when looking at ½ cup measurements. ¼ can easily look like ¾ which resulted in a loaf that looked more like bread pudding. Tasted ok though.

2^nd version was great. I did increase the cranberry and walnuts to ½ cup of each. It cooked in about the 50mins stated and made the kitchen smell wonderful. I’ve sliced some to eat and some to freeze. Nice with a cup of tea.

Wild Rice Fritters. – A great success. I did half the recipe and ate half hot that evening and took the rest [3] into work the following day to eat cold with a hummus dip. I got gram flour [used for onion bhajis] rather than wholewheat – just because it was on the self. Glad I did as it made the fritters nice ‘n yellow. I did get some wild rice from Waitrose – the quick cook version – but did not use it for the fritters as JK sent some of the ‘real thing’ across the pond. Waitrose sell a Canadian wild rice – 500 grms for £5.75 – somewhat more costly than regular rice. I though I would be able to get the black wild rice at my local health food shop – but even they only had Canadian ‘Red’ wild rice.

Cooking went well. I had four keeping warm in the oven and 3 sizzling in the pan when there was a great record on the radio. Mmm I thought. This would be good to line dance to. So I kind of danced up the kitchen only to be met with the microwave blinking at me to ‘open door’!!! ‘Oh bother’ I said [just as Winnie the Pooh said as he fell out of the tree]. I knew exactly what was in the microwave – the corn that should have been in the fritters. Oh well I thought, the corn can be placed on the plate by my salmon with the wild rice fritters at the side. And very nice they were. Forgot to take pictures – too occupied with the missing corn!