The following recipes have all been adapted from the original ones.
Pear Chutney:
1 Lemon Peel (large strips of zest), removed with a paring knife
Juice the Lemon and reserve.
1 Orange Peel (large strips of zest), removed with a paring knife
Juice the Orange and reserve.
1 fresh Rosemary Sprig
1 Bay Leaf
1 Cinnamon Stick
1 TBS Butter
2 Shallots, finely chopped
2 pounds of Pears, peeled, cored and diced into 1/4" pieces.
1/4 C Pear Brandy
1/3 C Brown Sugar
Arugula leaves, Brie Cheese and Toasted Baguette slices for serving.
Tie the Fruit Zest, Rosemary, Bay Leaf and Cinnamon Stick in a piece of Cheesecloth.
In a saucepan on medium hight heat:
Melt Butter
Add:
Shallots
Pears
Cook for 6 - 8 minutes.
Deglaze the pan with the Brandy and simmer for 2 - 3 minutes. The liquid should be reduced by 1/3.
Add:
Sugar
1/2 C Orange Juice
2 TBS Lemon Juice
Herb Sachet
Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
Remove the Sachet and cool completely.
To assemble:
Place a few Arugula leaves on each baguette slice and top with 2 thin slices of Brie Cheese and a dollop of Chutney.
Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!
Deluxe Mashed Potatoes:
2 C Heavy Cream
3 Cloves of Garlic, smashed
1 Shallot, coarsely chopped
1 large fresh sprig of Thyme
1 large fresh sprig of Rosemary
1 tsp Whole Black Peppercorns
2 dried Red Arbol Chiles
3 pounds of Russet Potatoes, peeled, coarsely chopped.
8 TBS (1stick) Butter, cubed
1 1/2 tsp Salt + additional to taste.
In a saucepan on medium high heat:
Cream
Garlic
Shallot
Thyme
Rosemary
Peppercorns
Chiles
Bring to a simmer.
Reduce heat to medium low and simmer.
Cook the Potatoes in boiling water until tender. Drain well.
Pass the Potatoes through a ricer, into a large serving bowl.
Add:
Butter
1 1/2 tsp Salt
Strain the Cream mixture and pour over the potatoes.
Stir until incorporated and creamy smooth.
Add additional salt to taste.
Serve hot.
Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!
Cranberry & Port Wine Chutney:
1 C Ruby Port Wine
4 C Fresh Cranberries
1 C Sugar
1 C Fresh Orange Juice
Zest of 1 Orange
Zest of 1 Lemon
1 Cinnamon Stick
In a saucepan on medium high heat:
Simmer the Wine for 5 minutes.
Add all remaining ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes, until the juices have reduced and are thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Allow to cool to room temperature.
Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate.
Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.
Remove and discard the Cinnamon Stick just before serving.
Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!
Wild Rice Pilaf with Butternut Squash:
Here's what you'll need:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2 TBS Butter
1 Small Onion, chopped
2 tsp Curry Powder
2 C Wild Rice
1 Cinnamon Stick
1 Piece of Orange Zest (3" long X 1/2")
4 1/2 C Chicken Broth ( I use a Vegetarian Chicken Broth)
1/2 C diced dried Apricots
1/2 C dried Cherries
1 small Butternut Squash, halved, seeded, peeled, diced.
2 tsp Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
3/4 C Chopped Pecans
In a large saucepan on medium low heat:
Heat Butter
Onion
Saute until tender
Add:
Curry Powder
Stir well.
Add:
Rice
Cinnamon Stick
Orange Zest
Cook for 2 minutes.
Add:
Broth
Apricots
Cherries
Increase heat to high and bring to a boil..
Cover, reduce heat to medium low and cook for 55 minutes.
Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.
In a small bowl;
Toss Squash with Olive Oil.
Spread out evenly onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
Season with Salt and Pepper.
Roast for 15 minutes.
Assemble the Pilaf:
Transfer Rice mixture to a large serving bowl.
Discard the Cinnamon Stick and the Orange Zest.
Fold in the Squash and Pecans.
Season to taste with Salt and Pepper.
Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!
Kale and Quinoa Salad:
1 tsp Honey
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
3 TBS White Wine Vinegar
1/4 C Olive Oil
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
2 Bunches of Kale, remove and discard the stems.
Julienne the leaves.
1/2 C cooked and cooled White Quinoa
1/4 C Thinly Sliced Red Onion
1/4 C Roughly Chopped Pistachios
1/4 C Pomegranate Seeds
In a small bowl:
Honey
Mustard
Vinegar
Olive Oil
Salt Pepper
Whisk well.
In a large serving bowl, 30 minutes before serving:
Kale
Half of the Vinaigrette
Toss well and set aside.
Just before serving add :
Quinoa
Red Onion
Pistachios
Pomegranate Seeds.
Remaining Vinaigrette
Toss well to combine.
Season to taste with additional Salt and Pepper.
Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!
Roasted Broccoli with Pine Nuts & Parmesan.
Here's what you'll need:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
1 Roasting Pan or an Enameled Cast Iron Casserole pan.
2 pounds of Broccoli, cut into 1" Florets.
2 TBS Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
1/4 C ToastedPine Nuts
A Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
Fresh Shaved Parmesan Cheese.
In the Roasting Pan or Casserole:
Toss the Broccoli with Oil.
Spread evenly in the pan.
Roast in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes.
Stir frequently.
Transfer to a serving platter.
Sprinkle evenly Pine Nuts and Red Pepper Flakes.
Serve and garnish with Parmesan shavings.
Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!
I love Pumpkin Pie..... any kind of Pumpkin Pie. There are so many variations. I've always wanted to make one from a fresh pumpkin. I'm making this one for our Thanksgiving dinner this year, (2013).
Homemade Pumpkin Pie from Scratch:
2 C fresh cooked pumpkin: 1-2 small pie pumpkins. Remove the stems, quarter them, remove the seeds and string. Steam the quarters in a steamer over boiling water until tender, ( I did them in a tall Pasta Pot and it took about 45 minutes) Allow the pieces to cool. The skin will be easy to peel off. Mash the pumpkin with a stick blender or in a food processor.)
Pie pumpkins are small and dense and usually have a medium or dark orange color. They usually appear in markets and grocery stores in September, and continue to be sold through November. The most common variety is the deliciously flavorful sugar pie, but other eating pumpkins may include winter luxury, deep red, and golden cushaw.
3 Eggs
1 (12oz.) can of Evaporated Milk
1/2 C Milk (or Egg Nog) I make mine with Egg Nog
3/4 C Sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp ground Cloves
1/2 tsp ground Ginger
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Cinnamon
1-9" unbaked deep dish Pie Crust
Place the Crust in a deep dish pie plate
In a bowl, combine
2 C fresh Pumpkin
Sugar
Salt
Clove
Ginger
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
Mix well
In a bowl, whisk:
Eggs
Evaporated Milk
Milk or Egg Nog
Whisk well
Add wet mixture to dry mixture
Mix well
Pour filling into the Pie Shell ( if you have more than you need, save for mini pie tarts)
Place pie pan on a cookie sheet
Bake at 400 degrees for 50 minutes or until a knife comes out clean when tested in the center of the pie.
Use a pie crust shield if needed halfway through to avoid burning the crust.
Cool completely on a wire rack
Refrigerate and chill completely before serving
Serve with Whipped Cream
NOTE:
This is the only Pumpkin Pie I will make for the Holidays. It was the best Pumpkin Pie I have ever eaten.
Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!
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| I prepared the pumpkin today and put it in the freezer until I make the pie for Thanksgiving Dinner. I'll post additional pictures when I make the pie. |
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| This is the best Pumpkin Pie I have ever tasted. We will make this every year for Thanksgiving. |
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| I had enough filling to make another Pumpkin Pie. My wife made it, along with a Blueberry Pie. |
