PUMPKIN PIE

Crust and pie filling from Food Wishes.  Topping from Bon Appetit

Crust: (enough for 2 single-crusted pies)

Ingredients:
12 oz flour
2 sticks (1 c) butter, cut into slices and frozen
1/2 t salt
7 T ice water
1 T apple cider vinegar

Methodology:

Weigh out the flour in the bowl of a food processor, with the blade already attached.  Add the salt.  Pulse a few times. 

Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. 

Combine the water and vinegar and add half to the food processor, pulsing a few times.  Add the remaining water and pulse until the dough just comes together.

Turn the dough out onto the counter and knead to bring together.  Divide in half and wrap well in plastic.

Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before using.


Partially blind bake the crust:

Heat the oven to 425°F.

Roll out the dough, place in the pie dish and trim and crimp the edges. 

Crumple up a piece of parchment paper large enough to fill the dish.  Un-crumple, place in dish, and fill with pie weights.  Dish should be 2/3 full.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the crust is just beginning to turn golden.  Remove the weights and return the crust to the oven for an additional 5-10 minutes, just until it begins to get more golden.


Pumpkin Pie Filling:

Ingredients:

Filling:
1 15oz can pumpkin pie filling
1 large egg
3 egg yolks
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 t finely ground nutmeg
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t ginger
1/8 t chinese 5-spice powder
1/2 t fine salt

Topping:
1 1/2 c whole pecans
1 egg white
2 T brown sugar
1 T maple syrup
1 T butter, melted
3/4 t salt


Methodology:

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Whisk all ingredients together and pour into a cooled semi-blind baked pie crust. 

Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Reduce heat to 350°F and bake until almost set in the middle, approx 20-30 minutes.  Remove, top with topping, and bake an additional 10 minutes.  Remove and cool completely.


Topping:

Toast pecans while pie is baking, for 8-10 minutes.

Whisk remaining ingredients until foamy, about 30 seconds. Add pecans and toss to coat.

LENTIL SOUP with a HAM HOCK

Recipe adapted from The Spruce Eats

Ingredients:

1 smoked ham hock
1 qt (4 c) chicken stock (or better than bouillon)
1 qt beef broth (or better than bouillon)
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme
1/2 t black pepper

1 c carrots, diced
2 c onion, diced
1 c celery, diced
2 c dry lentils, picked over and rinsed

Red wine vinegar, to taste


Methodology:

Add the hock, both liquids, bay leaves, thyme and pepper to a stock pot, and bring to a boil.  Simmer on low for 2 hours.

Add the carrots, onion, celery and lentils, and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 40 minutes.  Remove the hock from the pot, remove the meat from the bones, shred into small pieces, and add back to the pot.  Taste for seasoning, and add vinegar if you'd like.


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Great served over spätzle!

SALMON HASH

Recipe adapted from Simply Recipes

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil
3 yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/4" dice
2 shallots, diced
2 carrots, minced
2 celery stalks, minced
1/2 c frozen and thawed spinach, squeezed dry

Leftover cooked salmon
2 T sour cream (or regular cream)
2 t horseradish
1 t dijon mustard

Salt & pepper
2 T parsley, minced
Lemon wedges, for serving


 Methodology:

Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat.  Add the potatoes, shallots, carrots and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until all components are cooked.  Add the spinach and heat through.  Season well.  Remove from heat.

Mix the sour cream, horseradish and mustard in a bowl.  Flake the salmon over the hash and pour over the sour cream sauce.  Toss, and allow the residual heat to cook the salmon to temperature.  Sprinkle with parsley and lemon juice, and serve.

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Excellent topped with a couple eggs.

Add beets to make "Red Flannel Hash"

Always pass a bottle of Maggi seasoning around the table!

VANILLA ICE CREAM WITH RASPBERRY SWIRL

Modified from here.

Ingredients:

Ice cream:
1 C milk (was 3/4 C)
1 C heavy cream (was 1 1/4 C)
1 vanilla bean (was 1/2 t vanilla bean paste), cut open in half
4 egg yolks
4 oz sugar (was 4.5 oz)
1/4 t kosher salt

3 T untempered chocolate fragments (was 1/2 C)

Raspberry swirl: (recipe originally called for half of this amount)
2 C raspberries
1/4 C sugar
1 t lemon juice
1/4 c water


Methodology:

Ice cream:
Bring the milk, cream, and vanilla bean to a simmer, then steep off heat for 10 minutes.  Remove the bean, scrape the seeds out and into the pot, and reserve the bean for another use.

Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and salt together.  Add the hot milk mixture by the 1/2 C, whisking constantly, until half the mixture is added.  Pour the egg mixture into the hot milk pot, and bring back to a faint simmer, whisking, until the mix thickens to coat the back of a spoon.  Remove from heat, (strain through a fine-mesh strainer, optionally,) pour into a lidded container, and cool in the fridge overnight.

Churn in an ice cream maker until frozen.  In my Donvier hand-cranked contraption, this is as follows: turn the handle 3 revolutions every 2 or 3 minutes, for 20 minutes.  Mix in the chocolate fragments in the last turn.  Pour half the ice cream into the storage container, and swirl the top with half of the raspberry mixture.  Add the remaining ice cream and swirl with the remaining raspberry mixture.

Freeze for at least 4 hours.

Raspberry Swirl:
Bring all the ingredients to a simmer, smashing the berries against the pan with a spoon to break them up.  Once the fruit has softened, press through a fine mesh strainer and cool in the refrigerator for a few hours.

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A note on the ingredient amount adjustments:
The first time I made this recipe, the resulting ice cream was too soft, sweet, and creamy for my taste.  I have adjusted the amounts, but not yet tested the adjusted recipe, so I can't vouch for the recipe yet.

TACOS!

Recipes from all over the web:

Tortillas

Chipotle glaze

Chipotle mayo

Slaw

Serve tacos with lime wedges and cilantro leaves

CORN TORTILLAS

Ingredients:

2 C Masa Harina

1/2 t salt

1.5 C warm water

Methodology:

Mix all ingredients until a soft dough is formed.  It's ok if it's tacky, but if it's too wet and sticky, add a bit more masa.  Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for an hour.

Roll the dough into golf-ball sized pieces, and press flat between two sides of a plastic ziploc bag (cut open along the sides).

Heat a skillet over medium heat and toast each tortilla on one side for 10 seconds, and then on the other side for approx. 1 minute, or until brown spots form.  Keep warm in a pocket made of tin foil.

CHIPOTLE GLAZE

Ingredients:

2 T rice syrup or honey

1 - 2 T chopped chipotles in adobo

2 t apple cider vinegar

(optional: 1 bunch scallions, cut into 3" lengths, bulbs halved if large)

Methodology:

Mix all ingredients together in a mortar and pestle and pour over meat 15 minutes before it's done cooking.  Add scallions, and toss in glaze.  Roast at 375°F for 15 minutes, flipping and stirring so that glaze thickens on all sides.

CHIPOTLE MAYO

Ingredients:

1/4 C mayonnaise

1/8 C sour cream

1 chipotle in adobo, minced

1 T lime juice

Methodology:

Mix all ingredients until smooth.  Taste, and add salt and additional lime juice to taste.

SLAW

Ingredients:

4 C shredded cabbage

1/2 t kosher salt

1 T lime juice

2 T mayonnaise

1 clove garlic, minced (pr 1/8 t powdered garlic)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Rice syrup, optional

1 carrot, grated

2 - 3 medium scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 bunch cilantro stems, finely minced

1/2 - 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced, optional

Methodology:

Toss the shredded cabbage with the salt and let sit for 15 minutes, massaging occasionally.  Squeeze well to remove liquid.

Mix the lime juice, mayo, garlic, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.  Add the cabbage, carrot, scallion, cilantro, and jalapeño, and toss to combine.  Taste for seasoning, and add rice syrup if you feel the slaw isn't sweet enough.

MINI CHOCOLATE CAKE

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes

This ratio makes a 4" cake with 2 layers.

Ingredients:

1/2 C flour
4 T sugar
2 T cocoa powder, plus more to dust pan
1/4 t baking soda
1/8 t salt
1/2 t instant coffee granules

1 egg
2 T coconut oil, plus more to grease pan
1/4 C yogurt
1/4 C buttermilk
1/4 t vanilla extract

1 batch of chocolate frosting, see recipe below


Methodology:

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Grease pan with oil and dust with cocoa powder.  Cut a circle from parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan and grease it as well.

Sift the dry ingredients together.  Whisk the wet ingredients together and pour into the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined.

Pour into prepared pan and bake at 400°F for 10 minutes, then turn oven down to 350°F and bake for another 30 minutes, or until done.

Chill completely, cut in half, and fill and cover in frosting.


Chocolate Frosting

1/4 C semi-sweet chocolate chips (or chocolate pieces)
1/4 crème fraîche, room temperature

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, or in a warm oven.  Cool to room temperature and whisk in the crème fraîche until smooth.  Chill completely, then use to frost the above cake.

BEEF BRISKET WITH MASHED POTATOES

Adapted from Food Wishes

Ingredients:

3 lb beef brisket
4 t kosher salt
2 t ground pepper

2 T butter
3 yellow onions, sliced
1 1/2 c hard apple cider
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1 t kosher salt
1 T fresh rosemary, minced


Methodology:

Season the brisket and let it rest in the fridge overnight.

The following day:
Melt the butter in a large skillet and sweat the onions until they take on light color.  Add the garlic,  rosemary, and salt and cook 30 seconds.  Deglaze with the cider and simmer until reduced by half.

Spread half the onion mixture on the bottom of the roasting pan.  Top with the brisket, and cover the top of the brisket with the remaining onion mixture.  Cover tightly in foil.

Roast at 325°F for 1 1/2 hours, then at 250°F for 3 hours.  Check for doneness (might need another 30 minutes if the brisket is thick).

Place the brisket in a separate dish and pour the onion mixture into a bowl.  Skim off as much tallow as possible, then pour into a blender.  Blend in bursts until the gravy is smooth.

Serve over buttermilk mashed potatoes, with a grated carrot side salad.



Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes:

Adapted from Cook's Illustrated, via

2 lb yukon gold potatoes
4 T butter, melted
2 1/2 c buttermilk, room temperature
1 T minced thyme
1/2 t truffle salt
1/2 t black pepper

Boil the potatoes until tender.  Mix the remaining ingredients in a large serving bowl and rice potatoes into it; mix well.  Taste for seasoning, and serve.

KALE, SAUSAGE & CANNELLINI SOUP

Adapted from Cup of Jo (the combination), AllRecipes (sausage),  and Epicurious (the beans).

Ingredients:

Beans: (or substitute with 1 30oz and 1 15oz can cooked beans)
1 lb dry cannellini beans
2 bay leaves
1 piece of kombu
1 1/2 t salt
1 head garlic, cut in half

Sausage: (or substitute with 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage)
1 lb. ground pork
1 T red wine vinegar
1 t salt
1/2 t fennel seeds
1/4 t brown sugar
1 t black pepper
1 t dried parsley
1 t dried basil
1 t garlic powder
1 t onion powder
3/4 t paprika
pinch dried oregano
pinch dried thyme
pinch red pepper flakes

2 t olive oil
1 bunch kale, de-stemmed and chopped*
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Grated parmesan cheese

4 garlic cloves


Methodology:

Beans:
Sort and rinse the beans, and bring them to boil, covered by ~2" of cold water.  Remove from heat, cover and soak for 1 hour.  Add the remaining ingredients and bring to boil, then uncover and simmer, until the beans are creamy, about 1 - 1 1/2 hours, adding more water if necessary.

Sausage:
Crush the fennel seeds, salt and sugar with a mortar and pestle. Add remaining herbs and spices and mix well.  Combine all sausage ingredients in a large bowl and knead until the spices are uniformly distributed.

Brown the sausage in the olive oil, in two batches if necessary.  Add the beans, kale and enough water (6c?) and bring to boil.  Simmer for 20 minutes.  Add lemon zest and half of juice, and taste for seasoning.  Serve, topped with parmesan cheese** and fried garlic, recipe below.


*Consider replacing the kale with collard greens next time.
**Consider topping with croutons.

Fried Garlic

4 cloves garlic

1/4 c olive oil

Thinly slice the garlic vertically and gently cook in the oil until the garlic begins turning golden.  Take garlic pieces out one by one, if necessary, so all pieces are golden.

BACON-WRAPPED HAKE

Serves 2, goes well with quinoa and broccolini

Ingredients:

1 piece of hake*, approximately 13 oz.
Herbes de Provence
Salt
3 pieces of bacon or pancetta


Methodology:

Heat the oven to 400°F.

Season the fish with herbes de Provence and salt, if necessary, keeping in mind that the bacon will add considerable saltiness.  Wrap the fish in bacon slices, trying to keep the ends of the bacon on the underside of the fish.

Heat a skillet over high for a few minutes.  Place the bacon-wrapped fish in the skillet, cover with a spatter screen, and cook for 2 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the heat and place in the oven for 10 minutes.

Heat the broiler and broil the fish until the bacon is crispy.  Remove and serve.

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*This method also works well with chicken breasts; simply extend the oven cooking time until the breast is cooked through, checking with a knife for doneness.

SEVILLE ORANGE MARMALADE

Recipe adapted from The Wednesday Chef

Makes approx. 6 half-pint jars

Ingredients:

6 Seville oranges, well scrubbed.  Weigh in grams and note the weight.
Approx. 980 g granulated sugar, or the same weight as the oranges
2 vanilla beans, cut in half lengthwise and seeds scraped
1 Meyer lemon, juiced


Methodology:

Cut the oranges in half, and juice through a mesh strainer into a large, non-reactive pot.  Remove the pips from the strainer and tie up in a cheesecloth bundle.  Place the bundle in the juice-filled pot.  Scrape out the remaining fruit pulp from the strainer and add to the pot.

Cut each orange half into thirds, and then cut those strips width-wise as thin or thick as you'd like.  Place these in the pot as well.  Top with water in the same weight as the oranges, or approx. 1 liter.  Leave to soak overnight, or up to 24 hours.

Bring the pot to a boil and simmer gently with the lid on for around 1 - 1 1/2 hours, or until the peel is soft and nearly translucent, stirring occasionally.  Remove the cheesecloth bundle and squeeze well to remove any remaining juice.

Pour the sugar and lemon juice into the pot and simmer, lid off, until the marmalade reaches 218°F.  Mix in the vanilla seeds, then cut the pods into 3 or 4 segments each and add them into the pot.  Stir well.  Pour into sterilized jars, making sure each jar has a piece of vanilla bean, and tighten the lids.  Turn upside-down and leave to seal on the counter for 12 hours.  Once sealed, clean off the jars, label and store. 


To sterilize jars:

Wash with hot water and soap.  Rinse and allow to dry.  Place upright on a baking sheet in a 275°F oven for 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, boil the lids for 5 minutes.

OKONOMIYAKI

From the back of a package of Otafuku Okonomiyaki flour

Ingredients:

1 c (4 oz) okonomiyaki flour
3/4 c (6.5 oz) water
2 eggs
10.5 oz shredded cabbage
2 stalks green onion, thinly sliced
Optional: 9 slices of bacon or prosciutto
Oil for frying

Topping: okonomiyaki sauce, mayo and katsuobushi (bonito flakes)


Methodology:

Whisk together the flour and water until it forms a smooth batter.  Whisk in the eggs until well combined.

Add the cabbage and green onion, stirring until they're fully incorporated.

Place a medium skillet over medium-low heat, and lightly oil.  Add 1/3 of the pancake mixture to the pan, pressing down to form a 1/2" thick patty.  Top with 3 slices of bacon or prosciutto.  Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the bottom browns.

Flip the pancake and cook another 3-4 minutes, or until the meat is fully cooked.

Flip again and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.

Repeat twice more with the remaining pancake batter.

Remove from skillet, top with okonomiyaki sauce, mayonnaise and katsuobushi.   Serve immediately.