Falling for Autumn

 

This past weekend, my family and I spent three days on the St. Lawrence River fall camping.  It is always my favorite camping trip of the year... the colors, the cooler temperatures, and a feeling of nostalgia... thinking about all the fun we had camping over the summer.  This trip, my eleven year old daughter wanted to make all of us breakfast one morning as well, using a recipe she found in a book.  She made us all peanut butter and jelly French toast fingers, and while everyone said they were good, my little chef wasn't impressed.  She told me how she didn't think she would make them again, and I asked her, "Why?"  She went on to list the reasons as we walked around, and when she was done I think I taught her a valuable lesson, that everyone who likes to cook should learn.  Never ever give up on a recipe!!!  Cooking is all about experimenting... instead of throwing away a "bad" recipe, figure out what you could have done or should do to make it better and try it again!  Next time my daughter makes her French toast, she's decided to try using Nutella instead of PB & J.  She talked about using a different kind of bread so the toast wouldn't be so flimsy.  She wants to sprinkle them with powdered sugar next time for a finishing touch.  Point is, maybe it will be successful, maybe it won't... but try again!  You just may come up with a winner all on your own!

My pumpkin soup is one of those recipes for me.  To be honest, I have NO idea where I got the original recipe for this soup.  All I know for sure is that the first time I made it, I was unimpressed.  It tasted like hot pumpkin in a bowl, and it wasn't the least bit appetizing to me.  I kept at this one, to it got to the point where it is now... and it is SO good, I can't think of tweaking a single ingredient!  My original recipe is on this old, beaten up piece of paper that has been scribbled on again and again as I made adjustments.  This soup just screams autumn to me.  It is warm, spicy, and just ultimately comforting.  This is one of those recipes that I make, that I always get asked for the recipe for.  My favorite step of making this is when you add the spices to the hot onion and garlic... when those babies hit the heat your whole house will smell AMAZING.  This soup would be great served in mini pumpernickel bread bowls, or you can even serve it in mini hollowed out pumpkins. 

Pumpkin Soup

4 tbs. unsalted butter
2 medium onions, chopped
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 cayenne pepper, add more or less to adjust spice level
3 15oz. cans of pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling, just plain old pumpkin!!)
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. salt

Melt butter in a 4 quart saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic and saute until soft, about 4 minutes.  Add spices and cook for a minute longer, until the spices are fragrant.  Add pumpkin and 5 cups of chicken broth.  Stir and blend well, until completely combined.  Bring to a boil stirring often, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.  Puree the soup using an immersion blender or transfer soup in batches to a blender or food processor and puree.  Return soup to saucepan over low heat.  Add brown sugar and mix well until incorporated.  Slowly pour in milk while stirring until well blended.  Add cream and salt and stir until well blended.  Taste soup and adjust seasonings to taste: if not spicy enough add more cayenne pepper, if too spicy add more heavy cream.  Serves 8.

For camping this weekend I also baked up a batch of caramel stuffed apple cider cookies.  These cookies were fantastic.  This was a recipe I found on pinterest, and immediately tweaked it a bit.  The original recipe calls for using a whole caramel candy in the center of each cookie... I worried this would be a bit much, maybe oozing out the cookies and making a mess of my sheet pans.  I cut my caramels in half and  they baked up perfectly, just know you could try to use a whole caramel if you would like a lot of it in the center of each cookie.  Also, I didn't have a box of instant apple cider drink mix.  What I DID have though was a TON of Hot Apple Cider K cups.  The original recipe called for using an entire 7.4 ounce box of apple cider mix (10 packets), I weighed and measured the amount of mix in my K cups and ended up opening and using 7 of them to equal about 7 ounces and the cookies were perfect!

Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies

1 cup softened butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
7 ounces of instant apple cider drink mix
2 eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 cups flour
16-20 caramel candies, cut in half

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.  Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together butter, sugar, brown sugar and apple cider drink mix, until fluffy.  Beat in eggs, one a time, then add vanilla.  Reduce the speed of your mixer to low and slowly incorporate flour mixture into butter mixture, in 3 equal additions.  Beat each addition until just incorporated.  Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes or so, so it will firm up and be easier to work with.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray lightly with baking cooking spray.  Begin by rolling about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough into a ball.  Flatten slightly with your palm, then place a piece of caramel in the center, forming the dough all around it so the caramel is completely encased.  Place 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets.  Bake for about 12 minutes, until the cookies are just beginning to brown.  Remove from the oven and carefully remove the parchment paper from the cookie sheets and onto the table or counter top to let the cookies cool for about 5 minutes.  Transfer cookies from parchment to a cooling rack and let cool completely.  Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

As always, don't be afraid to try something new and I hope these recipes will have you in love with Autumn too!

Broaden those horizons!!

If any of you are anything like me... we get stuck in ruts at dinner time.  Same old, same old.  Blah, blah, blah!  Yet, sometimes when we feel the need to try something new, it's a big leap of faith, especially for anyone who doesn't have an adventurous palate!  So here are 2 of my favorite, different than the norm recipes to spice up your week!

First off, let's begin with my mango chutney. A few years ago, my husband and I went to a beer tasting event.  There were 6 courses served, each course with a different food that would compliment the beer.  One of the entrees featured was pork with mango chutney.  Neither one of us had ever had chutney before.  I was a fan of mangos, my husband had never tried one.  Both of us, never really afraid to try something new tasted it.  It was delicious.  Chutney is somewhat of a cross between a jam and a salsa, being chunkier than jam, yet thicker than a salsa.  It is sweet and spicy, but not overpoweringly hot.  You get the sweetness immediately upon your first bite, and then that warm, fuzzy feeling from the heat after you swallow.  It is perfect with pork, but can be used many other ways as well... over cream cheese served with crackers, as a dip for pita chips, eaten by the spoonful... well, you get the idea!

Mango Chutney

3 Mangos, stoned and diced
1/2 of an onion, finely chopped
1 small jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (de-seeded too if you like less heat)
1 tbs. grated, fresh ginger root
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. coriander
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. cinnamon, + 2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar

Place all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat.  Stir frequently.  Simmer for 45-60 minutes until mangoes are soft and chutney is golden brown.  If you like your chutney chunky, simply serve!  If you like it not quite so chunky, use an immersion blender to puree the chutney to desired consistency.  Store in sterilized glass jars in the refrigerator until ready to use! 

 

 

The next recipe I want to share is for Butternut Squash and Vanilla Risotto.  I know, I know... sounds INCREDIBLY weird!  Several years ago for Christmas my husband bought me one of Giada De Laurentiis's cookbooks.  As I leafed through it this recipe jumped out at me... I had never had butternut squash, and the thought of making a dinner with vanilla in it was just so bizarre to me that I had to try it!  When I make it I use more broth than Giada calls for, and most of the time vanilla extract instead of a vanilla bean.  It is now one of our family favorites and perfect in the fall when butternut squash is in season.  For the record too... do NOT be afraid of risotto!!!  While it IS time consuming, and a dish that definitely needs to be "babysat," I think it gets a bad rap as being difficult to make.  Before you start just have everything lined up, ready to go and you will end up with a beautiful dish that will wow!!!

 

Butternut Squash and Vanilla Risotto

 

6 cups chicken broth (can also use vegetable broth if you want to do this vegetarian!)

1 large vanilla bean, OR 3 tsp. real vanilla extract

3 cups (about 12 ounces) butternut squash, peeled and cut into roughly 1 inch squares

3 tbs. unsalted butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (it HAS to be Arborio rice... other kinds will not work!!)

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tbs. finely chopped chives

 

In a medium saucepan, warm the broth over medium high heat.  Either cut the vanilla bean in half, scrape the seeds into the broth and put entire bean into the broth, or simply add the vanilla extract.  When the broth comes to a simmer, add the butternut squash, and continue to simmer until the squash is cooked through, 7-10 minutes.  Squash is done when a fork easily pierces it.  Remove squash from the broth with a slotted spoon to a side dish.  Turn the heat on the broth down to low, and cover to keep warm. 

 

In a large, heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat.  Add the onion and sauté until transluscent, but not brown, about 3-4 minutes.  Add the rice and stir to coat the rice with butter.  Add the wine, and simmer down until all of the liquid is almost completely absorbed, 2-3 minutes.  Add about 1/2 cup of the simmering broth (I use my soup ladle to do this) and continually stir until all of the liquid is almost absorbed.  Continue cooking the rice, adding 1/2 cup/ladle full of broth, allowing each addition of broth to almost fully absorb before adding the next.  Continue until all of the broth is gone and the rice is tender, but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy.

 

Turn off the heat under the risotto and gently stir in the cooked squash, parmesan cheese, remaining tablespoon of butter and salt.  Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with chopped chives and serve immediately!

 

Now go and broaden those horizons!!

 



Tailgating Treats!

Watching football on tv is fun, and we always make our football Sundays a good time.  Going to an actual NFL game on the other hand, is OFF THE HOOK.  Especially at our favorite Buffalo Bills!  My favorite part is the tailgating. It is a feast for the senses! I love nothing more than to sit in my chair, a beer in my hand, surrounded by friends, and taking in all of the sights, sounds, and smells around me.  Among my favorite smells are those of amazing food being prepared all around us.  Watching the creative things people come up with, along with their creative ways of cooking never ceases to amaze!

This year, I wanted to try out some new recipes.  Honestly, not all of them were stellar.  In fact, quite a few of them need some work.  Among the stellar recipes was my pull apart, ranch, bacon bread.  To be fair, we first ate this at Jay's cousin's farm at a family reunion.  Problem was that I couldn't find the exact recipe after misplacing my copy.  Here is what I pieced together to create a tailgating breakfast masterpiece!

Bacon Ranch Pull Apart Bread

6 slices of bacon, cooked until crisp and chopped finely
1 tube of refrigerated biscuits (I used Pillsbury Butter Tastin' Grands)
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tbs. olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Liberally grease either a small sheet pan, or a bundt pan.  Open the tube of biscuits and cut each biscuit into quarters, placing pieces into a large bowl.  Add olive oil, packet of dressing mix, bacon bits and cheeses to the bowl.  Toss well to coat all of the biscuit pieces.  Pour into greased pan, and bake for 20-30 minutes until biscuits are golden, and cheese is melted and bubbly.  Serve warm!

One of my goals for a tailgating menu is always to incorporate beer in as many of my recipes as I can, because honestly, it just isn't tailgating without some!  My idea this time was to create some kind of drunken pasta salad.  Finding a good recipe for a beer vinaigrette proved to be quite the task!  After looking at several recipes, I threw this one together on my own...

Beer Vinaigrette

1/2 cup beer of your choice (I actually used Labatt Blue Light as I had this on hand... I am thinking this would be WONDERFUL with either a Hefeweizen or a good wheat beer)
1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar (again, I had this on hand... could use white vinegar or white wine vinegar as well!)
2 tbs. lemon juice
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
Ground black pepper, to taste

Place all ingredients in a bowl and whisk together until emulsified.  Here's a tip for you... I, rather foolishly, decided to make this in a cruet, as I do most of my dressings, and just give it a good shake until it emulsified.  The beer DOES NOT like this!!!  The lid popped off, and I was covered from head to toe in said vinaigrette as was my kitchen!!  Lesson learned!  For my pasta salad I tossed this with elbows, cheddar cheese, green onions, black beans and red beans.  Another tip for you... whenever you make any kind of pasta salad only toss in 1/2 of the dressing when you first make it, then toss in the rest just before serving to ensure the salad doesn't dry out!

Finally I was left with the question of what to do with the remainder of the bacon.  I decided I wanted to try to incorporate it into some kind of dessert... a sweet/salty combo if you may.  I ended up candying the bacon and making maple chocolate chip bacon cookies.  This cookie recipe is a work in progress.  I wanted light, high, airy cookies, with a thumbprint full of delicious candied bacon in the center.  What I got was run of the mill, flattened out cookies that had the bacon all throughout them.  The cookie recipe is still being fixed.  The candied bacon however was AMAZING and I think that it would be a perfect accompaniment to a French toast breakfast! 

Candied Bacon (AKA... Pig candy!!)

6-8 slices of bacon
1/4 - 1/2 cup brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Place an oven safe rack on top of a baking sheet.  Sprinkle sugar on one side of each slice of bacon, using your fingers to press it into the meat.  Flip over all slices and repeat on the other side.  Place all slices on top of the rack.  Place rack on baking sheet in the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes, until bacon is to desired doneness. 

And as always... eat up and enjoy!!!

Oh... and GO BILLS ;)

Game on!!!!

I can think of about a gazillion reasons why fall is my favorite season... beautiful colors, crisp days, pumpkin flavored everything and FOOTBALL!!!  It is my favorite sport to watch and our Sundays in the fall are usually spent in comfy clothes, the Bills game on the tv, and snack foods on the table.  Today I decided to experiment with some recipes to come up with some new snacks to munch while we watched.  I wanted not only delicious but somewhat healthy as well.  The result??  Corn Dog Bites, Raspotle Chicken Bites, and Spicy Zucchini Bites... AMAZING!

 

So let's start with the corn dog bites (despite my just realizing that they look a little obscene in the picture and like the Transformer on the table is holding up the plate!)  These little bites were so easy, yet SO tasty!  To keep it healthier I used turkey dogs.  We dipped them in honey mustard and they were great!  Next time I think I may try this in a mini-muffin pan instead, as the big corn muffin was a bit much.  These will also make super quick and easy lunches for the kids!

 

1 cup of cornmeal

1 cup of flour

1/2 cup sugar

2/3 cup of milk

2 eggs

1/2 cup of oil

4 hotdogs, cut in thirds

 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  In a large bowl mix together cornmeal, flour, sugar, milk, eggs and oil until well combined.  Spray a muffin tin liberally with cooking spray.  Fill each of the cups 2/3 full with batter.  Stand a piece of hotdog in the middle of each muffin tin.  Bake for 20-30 minutes until muffins are set.  Serve with mustard of your choice!

 

Next up, raspotle chicken bites.  This is going to be a new Rookey family fave and I am already coming up with 20 different ways to make these!!!  I LOVE recipes like this that are SO versatile and can easily be manipulated to accommodate any palate! We are BIG fans of Fischer &Weiser's Original Raspberry Chipotle Sauce.  It is good on just about everything and even makes a quick appetizer dumping it over a brick of cream cheese and serving with crackers, but I digress.  This recipe you can easily do with ANY sauce you like and ANY kind of crumbs.  I'm thinking Buffalo style with hot sauce and plain panko, with bleu cheese for dipping.  Barbecue style with BBQ sauce and seasoned breadcrumbs.  Thai style with peanut sauce and sesame seeds.  ENDLESS possibilities!!!

 

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small nugget size pieces

1/2 cup of Raspotle Sauce

1 cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs

 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.  Dip cut chicken pieces into raspotle sauce (I heated the sauce in the microwave for 30 seconds prior to this step to loosen it up a bit.) After dunking into the sauce, coat the pieces in panko breadcrumbs.  Arrange in a single layer on the baking sheet and either spray lightly with cooking spray or drizzle with olive oil.  Bake for 20-30 minutes until chicken is cooked thoroughly and panko is golden.

Scampering for Scampi!

So I have gotten my first request for one of my recipes... and it's a doozy!!  First a little background on one of my signature dishes...

I remember this very clearly.  My parents had taken me to Red Lobster for the first time, I'm guessing I was around 6-8 years old.  While I can't remember who ordered it, someone had gotten Shrimp Scampi.  We thought it was fantastic.  As they say, the apple never falls far from the tree... and my mom, my biggest cooking mentor, went home determined to make a Scampi that would knock socks off feet.  Mission accomplished.

My mom created a Shrimp Scampi, that as far as most people who have tasted it would attest, is absolutely unparalleled.  You will bathe your shrimp in olive oil, butter, garlic, herbs and breadcrumbs.  You will end up with not only amazingly delicious shrimp, but this breadcrumb butter sauce that will turn the bed of rice you put your shrimp on, into a thing of absolute beauty.  Be warned, this recipe is not in any way, shape or form, waist friendly, making it the perfect dish to save for holidays or special occasions.
 
Now this recipe has become more of a family tradition than just a recipe.  It wows.  EVERY TIME.  The trickiest part though, is that it is one of those recipes I make, that I do not have a single instruction or ingredient written down.  It's one of those things that you just trust your eyes, nose and gut as you throw it all together.  The real beauty of it is, that it can easily be adjusted to fit anyone's tastes.  Love garlic?? Add however much you like!  Want the sauce thicker??  Add more breadcrumbs!  I am giving you this as a base, but trust your gut, and what you like to make it your own Shrimp Scampi masterpiece!!!

 

 

Shrimp Scampi:

 

Shrimp- uncooked, peeled, deveined, and de-tailed.  I like to use fairly large shrimp, but buy what fits your budget for however many people you are serving!

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Garlic, finely minced- A LOT of it.  I normally use an entire head when making this, but adjust accordingly to your taste!
Stick of Butter
Fresh Parsley, 1-2 tbs. chopped finely
Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs- about 1-2 cups, depending on how "crumby" you like it!
salt & pepper
Lemon Wedges for garnish and serving

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Liberally grease a large, rimmed baking sheet with olive oil.  Arrange shrimp in a single layer on the baking sheet, if baking for a crowd, use 2 baking sheets, just be sure the shrimp do not overlap.  Brush or drizzle the top of the shrimp with olive oil.  Sprinkle garlic, parsley, salt and pepper over the shrimp.  At this point I normally toss the shrimp around to make sure they are all covered and then rearrange them in a single layer.  Here's where the REAL magic begins... liberally sprinkle the seasoned breadcrumbs over the shrimp... you want a fairly good layer of breadcrumbs.  Drizzle the top of the breadcrumbs with a bit more olive oil, then generously sprinkle more breadcrumbs on top.  Dot the top of the breadcrumbs generously with butter.  Bake in the oven until the shrimp are cooked through and breadcrumbs are golden brown.

You are ready to serve!  Scoop all of the shrimp and breadcrumby goodness into a large bowl, making sure to get all of the oil and crumbs off the pan.  Serve over rice (I like to serve it over my lemony rice pilaf... recipe coming soon!!) with lemon wedges for garnish and squeezing over the top!  Enjoy with no regrets... you can hit the gym tomorrow!! 

Let's Get This Going!

Welcome friends!  I have been toying with the idea of doing this for awhile now, and I figure it is the perfect time to start!  As most of you know, I LOVE to cook.  I am happiest in my kitchen making meals for my friends and family.  I used to be the kind of cook who would find a recipe, and make it verbatim.  As time has gone on, I began experimenting more and more to the point I am now, where every recipe I find or want to try is merely a base.  I add my own touches to all of them and, in most cases, create some pretty amazing dishes.  My goal here is to share my best recipes, requested recipes, and overall just share my passion with whomever is interested in reading!  Feel free to message me at any time as well with recipes you would like me to post!

On that note... let's get started!  At the grocery store last week we purchased a large bag of Jonamac apples.  I knew as I put those babies in the fridge that I HAD to make some kind of dessert with them.  I also had a pint of raspberries that needed to be used.  Pie??  Nope.  This girl wanted a tart.  A perfect tart.  One that looked like it came from a bakery.

Now any other tart I have ever made, the crust was, quite honestly, just like pie crust.  You'd make the dough, roll it out, fit it in the tart pan... which is all well and good.  But I REALLY wanted this one to be more "tarty" and less "pie-like."  I managed to find a recipe that was different from any other tart crust recipe I had ever seen.  I decided to give it a go. The original recipe called for both butter AND vegetable oil.  That seemed a bit overkill to me.  I decided to add a touch more butter than the recipe called for and omitted the oil all together.  Still, I was skeptical as the dough came together.  It seemed a little oily and the texture just seemed odd to me.  Yet, what baked up AMAZED me.  A beautiful, golden brown, tart pan filled with perfection.  I made a simple filling with the sliced jonamacs and raspberries, carefully arranged all the fruit on the crust to make it pretty, and this was the final result...

 

 

Tart Crust:

 

10 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons water
2 tablespoon sugar (for savory fillings, just use 1 teaspoon... and side note, already planning a savory tart!)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups flour

        Heat the oven to 400° F. In a Pyrex type oven-safe bowl, combine the butter, water, salt, and sugar. Place in the hot oven for approximately 15 minutes, until the butter has completely melted and starts browning. CAREFULLY remove from the oven, add flour quickly, and stir until it forms a ball. (here's where the skepticism hits... just trust me!) Place the dough in the bottom of an 11 inch tart pan and spread out to let it cool a bit. Once the dough is cool enough to touch, press it into the tart mold evenly with your fingertips, along the bottom and up the sides. Pierce the bottom with a fork in several places.  Bake for about 15 minutes until the crust is golden brown.  Carefully remove from the oven, and let cool while you make your filling!

Apple Raspberry Tart Filling
2 1/2 cups of apples, peeled and thinly sliced (I used 4 Jonamacs)
1 pint of fresh raspberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbs. cornstarch
3/4 tsp. cinnamon

       Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until all the apples and raspberries are coated evenly. Next step is up to you, either just dump and spread the fruit on top of the crust, or if you're fussy like I am, make it pretty, arranging the apples and raspberries perfectly on the crust.  Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes, until the apples are soft and crust is golden. Let cool, remove outer ring from tart pan, and serve warm with vanilla ice cream!  Enjoy!!!