Pumpkin Apple Butter Pie

I'm not going to lie. This pie is kind of a big deal. I've always been lukewarm in regards to plain old pumpkin pie... but this takes it up a notch without offending any pie traditionalists.
 

Ingredients

• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 cup apple butter
• 3/4 c hazelnut coffee creamer
• 2 eggs
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1/2 t nutmeg
• 1 pie crust

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Combine pumpkin, apple, creamer, eggs, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. 
2. Line a pie dish with a pie crust, fold the edges under and press into a scalloped pattern.


3. Pour filling into pie and bake for 15 minutes at 425. Then reduce the heat and bake at 350 F for  30-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Corn Pudding

Yet another great make-ahead for Thanksgiving. This reheats beautifully in the oven on day 2 in half of the original baking time. It comes together so quickly and is yummy yummy!

Ingredients:

• 1 can of sweet corn
• 1 can of creamed sweet corn
• 1/2 c whipped cream
• 1/4 c corn meal
• 1/4 c sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 t baking powder
• 1 t salt
• 1 t pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl. Combine corn and a beaten egg in a larger bowl then add dry ingredients. Fold in whipped cream.

2. Transfer contents of mixing bowl to a greased 8x8 baking dish. Sprinkle casserole with corn meal lightly.

3. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.

Sweet Potato Casserole

This is a great "make-ahead" dish for Thanksgiving (can you guess what I've been doing today??) and was a smash the last time I made it. I'll post the recipe for a single batch, but all of the photos are for a quad batch, given the 30 people that we'll be feeding tomorrow :) In case you're wondering what a twelve-potato casserole looks like... I couldn't even fit it in my largest casserole dish

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 3 large), scrubbed
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten with a fork
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted plus more for the preparing the pan
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar, divided in half
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

 Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and pierce each one 2 or 3 times with a fork or knife. Bake for 60 minutes or until tender. Set aside to cool.

2. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees F. Scoop the sweet potato out of their skins and into a medium bowl. Discard the skins.

3. Mash the potatoes until mostly smooth but still a little lumpy (I did this part with my hands). Add the eggs, butter, 1/2 of the brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and pepper to taste. Whisk the mixture until smooth.




4. Butter a casserole dish. Pour the sweet potato mixture into the pan and sprinkle the top with the remaining brown sugar and pecans. (For a larger batch, make an additional layer of brown sugar and pecans in the middle of the casserole). Bake for 40 minutes until a bit puffy. Serve immediately.

New blogger

My little cousin has started a blog, and to support him I agreed to post a link to his blog on my blog :) Anyone who is interested in Nerf Guns may wanna peep this out.

Nerf Master Chronicles

Enjoy, Nerf lovers

Rosemary Chicken Skillet

I love all-in-one meals, and after our first time trying it tonight I can already tell that this great cast-iron recipe will show up on our table again soon!

Ingredients:

• 3/4 pound small potatoes, halved, or quartered if large
• Kosher salt
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus 1 tablespoon leaves
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• Juice of 2 lemons (squeezed halves reserved)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 skin-on chicken drum sticks
• 10 ounces mushrooms (I used sheepshead)
• 1/2 lb of fresh brussel sprouts, quartered

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450. Cover the potatoes with cold water in a saucepan and salt the water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until tender, about 8 minutes; drain and set aside. 

2. Pile the rosemary leaves, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt and the red pepper flakes on a cutting board, then mince and mash into a paste using a large knife. Transfer the paste to a bowl. Stir in the juice of 1 lemon and the olive oil. Add the chicken and turn to coat.


3. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, cover and cook until the skin browns, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken; add the mushrooms, brussel sprouts and potatoes to the skillet and drizzle with the juice of the remaining lemon. Lightly top it all with salt and pepper.


4. Add the rosemary sprigs and the squeezed lemon halves to the skillet; transfer to the oven and roast, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.

Fresh Fruits and Feta Salad

I served this salad with salmon. It was the perfect fruit and veggie boost that I needed :)



Ingredients:

• 1 starfruit, peeled and sliced thinly
• 1/2 blackberries, gently smashed
• 1/4 c feta cheese
• 1/4 of a red onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 of a cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1/2 of a head of romaine lettuce (or whatever leafy green that you prefer)

Directions:
1. Arrange these items in a salad bowl in some lovely fashion. I chose a peace sign... because the twelve year-old child in my heart lives on :) I recommend serving with something simple, like olive oil and vinegar. The "gently smashed" berries bring a lot of flavor to the mix.

Won Ton Soup

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb ground sausage
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped green onion
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger root
• 24 (3.5 inch square) wonton wrappers
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1/8 cup finely chopped green onion

Directions:

1. In a large bowl combine sausage, sugar, wine, soy sauce, 1 teaspoon chopped green onion and ginger. Blend well, and let stand for 25 to 30 minutes.







2. Place about one teaspoon of the filling at the center of each wonton skin. Moisten all 4 edges of wonton wrapper with water, then pull the top corner down to the bottom, folding the wrapper over the filling to make a triangle. Press edges firmly to make a seal. Bring left and right corners together above the filling. Overlap the tips of these corners, moisten with water and press together. Continue until all wrappers are used.





 





3. Bring the chicken stock to a rolling boil. Drop wontons in, and cook for 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped green onion, and serve.

Fontina Shells and Cheese

"This mac and cheese changes you... 4 stars. 5 stars. 6 stars!" -Joe B

I made Ina Garten's mac and cheese with a few substitutions :)


Ingredients:

• Kosher salt
• Vegetable oil
• 1 pound medium shells
• 1 quart milk
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 12 ounces Fontina, grated (4 cups)
• 8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (2 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 pound fresh tomatoes (4 small)
• 1 1/2 cups fresh panko bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. 

2. Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.


3. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish.



4. Slice the tomatoes and arrange on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

Beef and Barley Soup with Rosemary

I love beef and barley soup and this one was particularly delicious! I know the photo is not the best but I swear it was great. The steak and baby bella mushrooms was what made it stand out the most. For quicker cooking I used quick cook pearled barley, if you do this then only cook it in the soup for the time on the box not the whole 45 minutes. You can make steps 1 and 2 of this soup the day before serving. Before serving reheat the soup and then proceed to step 3.

Ingredients

1 Tbs veg oil

2 puonds boneless top sirloin steak, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups onion

1 8oz package baby bella mushrooms

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 32oz carton chicken broth

1 14oz can beef broth

2 sprigs rosemary

3/4 cup pearled barley

Directions:

1. In a stockpot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle beef with salt. Cook beef, in batches, for 3 minutes or until browned on all sides. REmove beef from stockpot, and set aside.

2. Add onion, muchrooms, and garlic to stockpot;cook for 5 minutes or until onion starts to soften. Add browned beef, chicken broth, beef broth, and rosemary to onion mixture. Cover and bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, covered for 1 hour.

3. Add barley to soup; simmer for 45 minutes or until barley is tender. Remove and disgard rosemary sprigs.

Cioppino

This cioppino is super easy to make and you can virtually use any fish you may have sitting in your freezer and just add some fresh mussels and clams from the store. I always have bits of leftover fish when I buy frozen packets. I substituted the cod with some mahi mahi and halibut fillets, and the scallops with some frozen squid I had in the freezer.

Ingredients

1/4 cup (3 turns around the pan in a slow stream) extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup good quality dry white wine
1 (14-ounce) container chicken stock
1 (32-ounce) can chunky style crushed tomatoes
4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed (about 1 tablespoon)
1 handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 1/2 pounds cod, cut into 2-inch chunks (I used halibut and mahi mahi)
Salt and pepper
8 large shrimp, ask for deveined easy-peel or peel and devein
8 sea scallops (I used squid)
16 to 20 raw mussels, scrubbed
8 clams, scrubbed
A loaf of fresh, crusty bread, for mopping

Directions

In a large pot over moderate heat combine oil, crushed pepper, garlic, and bay leaf.

Chop celery and onion near stove and add to the pot as you work. Saute vegetables for a few minutes to begin to soften and add wine to the pot. Reduce wine a minute, then add chicken stock, tomatoes, thyme, and parsley. Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat to medium low.

Season fish chunks with salt and pepper. Add fish and simmer 5 minutes, giving the pot a shake now and then. Do not stir your soup with a spoon after the addition of fish or you will break it up. Add shrimp, scallops, mussels, clams, and cover pot. Cook 10 minutes, giving the pot a good shake now and again.

Remove the lid and discard any mussels that do not open. Carefully ladle stew into shallow bowls and pass bread at the table.

Rabbit Ragu with Pappardelle Pasta

One of my favorite meats to cook is rabbit. I always get it when I go to the World Market, Jungle Jims, near our house. This rabbit ragu is so flavorful. Serve it with a hearty bread and you got yourself a delicious meal. For easier eating pull the rabbit after it is cooked by removing rabbit pieces from the sauce, pulling the meat with two forks from the bones, and returning the pulled rabbit to the sauce.

Ingredients

Serves 4

3/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling on pasta
2 whole rabbits, each cut into 4 to 6 serving size pieces, as preferred
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup instant flour (recommended: Wondra)
2 cups minced onions
1 cup minced carrots
1 cup minced celery
1 teaspoon garlic
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, with juices, crushed by hand
2 bay leaves
1 sprig thyme
1 sprig rosemary
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups chicken stock
1 pound dried pappardelle pasta
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

In a large Dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Season the rabbit pieces with salt and pepper. Dredge the rabbit pieces in the flour and shake off any excess. Add the rabbit pieces to the pan and cook until the rabbit is golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the rabbit to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium; add the remaining olive oil, onions, carrots and celery and cook until vegetables are caramelized, stirring occasionally, usually about 50 minutes. It's important to caramelize the vegetables slowly; this is the basis of the sauce. Add the garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, crushed red pepper and oregano, and cook for an additional 30 minutes. Add the rabbit pieces back to the pan along with the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until rabbit is very tender, 45 to 55 minutes.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Remove and drain the pasta.

Toss pasta with a bit of olive oil and salt, to taste. In a large mixing bowl, toss the pasta with the rabbit ragout. Season with salt and mix well. Mound onto serving plates and garnish with fresh Parmesan.

Bass with Herbed Rice and Coconut-Vegetable Chowder

This vegetable and fish chowder is another great fall comfort food. The panko coated fried fish is delicious over the chowder and rice. Be sure to rinse the rice before cooking it so that it is sticky and will hold up in the chowder with fish over it.

Ingredients:

Chowder

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3/4 cup chopped onion

3 large fresh basil leaves

1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger

1 tablespoon chopped jalapeño chile with seeds

1 garlic clove, crushed

3 cups canned unsweetened coconut milk

2 cups vegetable broth

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 1/2 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled sweet potato (yam; from 1 pound)

2 cups baby Yukon Gold or baby Dutch yellow potatoes (about 9 ounces), scrubbed, halved lengthwise, then crosswise

2 cups stringless sugar snap peas, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 large carrot, peeled, cut into matchstick-size strips

Fish

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup water

1 large egg

2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

6 pieces striped bass or halibut fillets

Vegetable oil (for frying)

White rice with cilantro

Lime wedges

Directions:

For chowder: 
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add next 6 ingredients. Cover and cook until onion is soft, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Add coconut milk and next 4 ingredients and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered 1 hour.

Meanwhile, cook yam cubes in large saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Using skimmer, transfer yam to bowl. Add Yukon Gold potatoes to same saucepan and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain; add to bowl with yam. DO AHEAD: Broth and potatoes can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, cover separately, and chill.

Bring coconut broth to simmer over medium heat. Add all cooked potatoes, sugar snap peas, red bell pepper, and carrot. Simmer until all vegetables are tender, 5 to 6 minutes.

For fish: 
Place flour in shallow bowl. Combine 1/2 cup water and egg in another shallow bowl; whisk to blend. Place panko in third shallow bowl. Sprinkle fish pieces with salt and pepper. Coat in flour, then egg mixture, then panko.

Pour enough oil into large nonstick skillet to coat bottom. Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add fish to skillet. Cook until golden and crisp and just opaque in center, about 3 to 5 minutes per side depending on thickness.

Pork and Brussel Sprout Stir Fry over Noodles

I have never cooked boneless pork loin or brussels sprouts before but the dish came out great. The boneless pork loin chops were so tender. I served it over stir fry noodles but they can be substituted for rice.

INGREDIENTS

3 tbsp. peanut oil (you can also use vegetable oil)

1/4 tsp sesame oil (optional)

1/2 lb. boneless pork loin chops, cut into 1/4-inch thick strips

1 lb. brussels sprouts, halved, and boiled until almost cooked

2 scallions, whites and greens sliced separately

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 tbsp. brown sugar

1 package stir fry noodles

DIRECTIONS:

Heat 1 tbsp. oil and sesame oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add pork and cook until golden; transfer to plate. Add remaining 2 tbsp. oil and sprouts to pan; cook, stirring occasionally, until brown and tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Add scallion whites and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add soy sauce, brown sugar and 1/4 cup water; cook until sauce is slightly thickened. Return pork to pan and toss to coat. Top with scallion greens. Serve over cooked stir fry noodles.

Tuna Tacos and Mango Salsa with Jalapeno Goat Cheese Hush Puppies and Black Bean Salad

These tuna tacos were so delicious. The mango salsa really adds a good fresh flavor to the dish. The fried hush puppies are the perfect pairing.

Tuna Tacos

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 package soft tacos

4 yellow fin tuna steaks

1 packet taco seasoning

1 tbs vegetable oil

1 mango

1 c pineapple

1/4 c red onion

Cilantro

1/2 c taco sauce

Directions

Combine mango, pineapple, onion, cilantro and taco sauce. Heat oil in a non stick pan. Dredge tuna steaks in taco seasoning. Cook on each side for about 3 to 4 minutes, until mostly cooked through. Slice the tuna. place on heated tacos and top with the mango salsa.

Jalapeño Goat Cheese Hush Puppies

Ingredients

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons beaten egg

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped seeded jalapeño chile

4 ounces coarsely crumbled soft fresh goat cheese (about 1 cup)

Canola oil or vegetable oil (for deep-frying)

Directions

Whisk first 6 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Whisk buttermilk, egg, and chile in small bowl to blend. Stir buttermilk mixture and cheese into dry ingredients.

Add enough oil to deep medium saucepan to reach 1 1/2 inches. Attach deep-fry thermometer to pan; heat oil to 320°F to 330°F over medium heat. Working in batches of 4 or 5, drop batter by tablespoonfuls into oil. Cook until golden, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer hush puppies to paper towels. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm until crisp in 375°F oven, 12 to 14 minutes.

Black Bean Salad

Ingredients

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup grape tomatos, halved

1 avocado, chopped

2 tbs cilantro, chopped

1 tbs lime juice

2 tbs olive oil

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp coriander

Salt and Pepper

Directions

Mix all the ingredients above in a bowl and chill until ready to serve.

Chicken Marsala with Parmesan Potatoes

This is the second recipe I made with Jolene's wild mushrooms and it was delicious. Travis loved this meal, it was definitely good fall comfort food.

Serves 4

Chicken Marsala

Ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning, recipe follows

2 (6 to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in halves and pounded thin

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 tablespoons butter

3 cups sliced mushrooms (cremini, oyster, shiitake)

1 shallot sliced thin

3/4 cup Marsala

1 cup chicken stock

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chopped chives, for garnish

Directions

In a shallow bowl or plate combine the flour and seasoning and stir to combine thoroughly. Quickly dredge the chicken breast halves in the seasoned flour mixture, shaking to remove any excess flour.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and cook the chicken breasts until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter to the pan and add the shallots and mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are golden brown around the edges and have given off their liquid. Add the Marsala wine and bring to a boil, scraping to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. When the wine has reduced by half, add the chicken stock and cook for 3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly. Lower the heat to medium and return the chicken breasts to the pan and continue to cook until they are cooked through and the sauce has thickened, about 5 to 6 minutes. Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, add salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with chopped chives and serve immediately.

Parmesan Potatoes

Ingredients

2 lbs. red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 Tbs butter

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Salt and pepper

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Directions

In a large pot, combine the potatoes and salted water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook until fork-tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain and return the potatoes to the pot. Toss with butter, the parmesan and parsley; season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cover to keep warm.