Dump Spinach and Artichoke Dip

 

Everything goes into a baking dish and straight into the oven all at once-even the frozen spinach and artichokes. Finish the dish with panko and a quick run under the broiler. Serve with sturdy chips or baguette slices.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons EVO
• 2 heaping cups frozen artichoke quarters
• One 8-ounce cream cheese
• 2 heaping cups frozen chopped spinach
• 1 cup Havarti cheese, grated
• 1 cup mozzrella, grated
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• crushed red pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup panko

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400-degrees.

Drizzle a 2-quart baking dish bottom with EVO.

Scatter the articokes over the oil, set the cream cheese in the center and top with the spinach.

Sprinkle the havarti and mozzarella and top with heavy cream, mayonnaise, crushed red pepper and garlic.

Sprinkle with Parmesan.

Bake until browned and bubbling, 33-36 minutes.

Preheat the broiler.

Use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut the artichokes and spinach into small pieces. Stir the dip with the scissors until creamy and smooth.

Sprinkle with panko and broil about 1 minute.

Lemon Blueberry Bread

 

Courtesy of Trisha Yearwood on Food Network. This is a winner!

Ingredients for Loaf Bread:

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing loaf pan
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup pecans

Ingredients for Glaze

• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions for Loaf Bread:

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Grease a loaf pan with butter.

Toss the blueberries in 2 tablespoons of the flour in medium bowl and set aside.

Beat together the butter, sugar, eggs, lemon zest and lemon juice in bowl of an electric mixer.

Sift together the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt.

Add the flour mixture and milk to butter mixture in alternating batches, beginning and ending with the flour. 

Fold in the pecans and blueberries.

Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Cool for 10 minutes and turn out onto cooling rack.

Directions for the Glaze:

Stir together 2 tablespoons juice with confectioners' sugar in small bowl until smooth.

Drizzle glaze over top of loaf while still warm.

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Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

 

Courtesy of Ina Garten. I used small portebella stuffing mushrooms. They are cooked in a low oven for 50 minutes, so plan accordingly.

Ingredients:

• 16 extra large white mushrooms
• 5 tablespoons EVO
• 2 1/2 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage
• 6 scallions, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2/3 cup panko
• 5 ounces mascarpone cheese
• 1/3 cup Parmesan, grated
• 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
• salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325-degrees.

Remove stems form the mushrooms and chop them finely. Set aside.

Place the mushroom caps in shallow bowl and toss with 3 tablespoon of EVO and the sherry vinegar. Set aside.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skille over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook for 8-10 minutes, breaking up as it cooks. Stir until completely browned.

Add the chopped mushroom stems and cook 3 minutes. Stir in scallions and garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Add the panko and combine and finally the mascarpone and continue cooking until melted. 

Off the heat add the Parmesan, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Cool slightly.

Fill each mushroom generously with the sausage mixture. Arrange in a single layer to in pan to hold all the mushrooms snuggly.

Bake for 50 minutes until browned and crusty.

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Gingerbread

 This gingerbread recipe is different from my original; as it uses butter rather than shortening. They are softer with crisp edges. Another natashaskitchen.com

Ingredients:

• 2 1/3 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (1 1/2 sticks)
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses (Grandma's)
• 1 large egg, room temperature

Directions:

Sift flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, soda and salt into a medium bowl.

In mixer bowl. beat together butter, sugar and molasses until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes on medium-high speed.

Add egg and beat one minute.

Add flour mixture and beat on medium/low speed to combine. The dough will be soft and moist.

Transfer the dough to a well-floured surface. May stick so dust tops with more flour. Divide into 3 disks and wrap individually in plastic wrap. Refrigerate till firm, 1 hour or up to 24 hours. May also freeze dough for 3 months and defrost in refrigerator over night.

Preheat oven to 375-degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

On a well-floured surface roll out one disk of dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Turn dough while rolling to ensure it is not sticking to your surface. Using a cookie cutter, cut out as many gingerbread people as you can get. Gather scraps and chill to re-roll.

Set cookies at least 1-inch apart and bake until they barely turn brown at the edges, about 9-10 minutes. Transfer to cooling racks. Repeat with remaining chilled dough.

Maybe stored in air tight container for 5 days. Maybe frozen before decorating. Natasha's frosting is very soft and found hard to work with. Think I will stick to Royal Icing.

Note to self: smaller cookies need 9 minutes. 1-inch apart for sure!

Pumpkin Pie

 

Natasha's Kitchen has this classic pumpkin pie with step by step instructions. Buttery, flaky crust and the best filling. Thank you for the beautiful pie photo!

Pie Crust Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups flour, plus more to dust
• 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks cold, unsalted butter, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
• 7 tablespoons ice water

Directions for Pie Crust:

Place flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine.

Add cold diced butter and pulse the mixture until coarse crumbs form with some pea-sized pieces then stop mixing. Mixture should remain dry and powdery.

Add 7 tablespoons ice water and pulse jut until moist clumps or small balls form. Press a piece of dough between finger tips and the dough sticks together, you have added enough water. If not add 1 teaspoon at a time to achieve desired consistency.

Transfer dough to a clean work surface and gather into a ball. Do not knead the dough. Divide the dough in half and flatten to form 2 disks. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour before using. 

Maybe made up to 3 days ahead. Soften slightly before rolling. About 10-20 minutes. You may freeze up to 3 months in an air-tight sealed wrapping.

Directions for forming crust and to Pre-bake Pie Crust (Blindbake):

Roll a single disk on a lightly floured work surface into a 12" circle. Wrap the dough around your rolling pin and transfer to your pie dish and unroll it into you pan. Gently press dough down, starting with the sides and working into the middle. Tuck excess dough underneath itself to make a thick double layered edge.

To form your edge; hold your thumb and indes finger an inch apart on the outside edge of the crust and press between them with the index finger of the other hand. 

Place the pie crust in the freezer for 30 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 425-degrees.

Line the center with a 10" ring of parchment paper and fill 2/3 full with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 17 minutes until golden at the edges. 

Remove the pie weights, prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork, brush with beaten egg white and place back in the oven without the weights for 5 minutes until golden and bottom is dried out.

Cool completely to room temperature before adding filling.

Ingredients for Pumpkin Filling:

• 15 ounce pumpkin puree (Libby's)
• 1 large egg, plus 3 egg yolks, room temperature
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 12 ounce evaporated milk, room temperature

Directions for Pumpkin Filling:

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, egg and yolks, brown and granulated sugar, vanilla, salt, pumpkin spice and cinnamon until well combined.

Add evaporated milk and whisk until blended and all the bubbles are gone from the batter. Avoid whisking too vigorously.

Tap bowl against the counter a few times to knock out any extra bubbles. Pour into pre-baked pie shell.

Reduce oven to 350-degrees and bake 55-60 minutes. It should be completely set at the edges with just a slightly loose center. Barely wobble like cheesecake.

Cool completely on wire rack until room temperature (3 hours) then serve or refrigerate if not serving the same day. When slicing wipe the knife between cuts for clean slices.

Ingredients for Whipped Cream:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 tablespoon golden rum

Directions for Whipped Cream:

In a mixing bowl with a whisk attachment, beat on medium speed for 1 minutes until soft peaks form.

Add the sugar, vanilla and rum and beat on medium-high until medium peaks form.

Note to self: used my pie crust recipe, but followed blind bake above. Complete pouring filling once placed in oven, so no spill. I had leftover filling for 2 small buttered custard cups (350 degrees about 15 min.) A treat with the whipped cream!

Chicken Tinga Tacos

 

I have a similar recipe of Chicken Tinga, but uses raw chicken and the crock pot. This recipe comes courtesy of Valerie Bertinelli of Food Network. This recipe utilizes one rotisserie chicken and a recipe for pickled onions. Makes 6 very generous servings. 

Ingredients for Tacos:

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 chipotles in adobo, finely mince
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano ( I add cause accidently bought powdered and wanted to use up!)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 10-ounce can diced tomatoes and green chili (Muir Glen brand @ WF)
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
• corn tortillas, for serving

Directions for Tacos:

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute until begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the chipotles, garlic, cumin, oregano and salt. Saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Stir in the tomatoes and stock and cook until the sauce begins to simmer, about 2 minutes. 

Turn off the heat and carefully ladle the sauce in a blender. Puree until smooth. Be careful when blending hot liquid and cover lid with a towel and secure with your hand. 

Return the sauce back into the pan over medium heat and add the chicken, stirring to incorporate. Cook about 5 minutes.

Ingredients for Toppings:

• Shredded cheese of choice, Cotija cheese, Jack or Cheddar
• fresh cilantro, chopped
• pickled onions
• salsa or green chili sauce

Ingredients for Pickled Onions:

• 1/2 cup white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup waater
• 2 tablespoons sugar or 1 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 small carrot, thinly sliced, I add this cause I like carrots

Directions for Pickled Onions

Combine the white vinegar, sugar and 1 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan with 1/2 cup water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. 

Place the onion and carrot in a glass container and pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetables. Let cool completely. Refrigerate up to 1 week.

Bolognese on Toast with Caesar Salad

 

By Justin Chapple of Food Network. The secret to the slow-cooked flavor of this speedy Bolognese is store-bought marinara, concetrated tomato paste and a tiny splash of tamari. Crusty toast replace pasta as a fun new way to serve this meaty sauce. Serve with a tangy caesar salad rounds out the easy, but impressive meal. 4 servings

Ingredients for Meat Sauce:

• 2 tablespoon EVO
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 1 cup marinara sauce (Rao is good)
• 2 teaspoons tamari or soy sauce

Directions for Meat Sauce:

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the onions, garlic and a pinch of salt and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until barely starting to soften, about 3 minutes.

Add the beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned and nearly cooked through, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until sizzling, 1-2 minutes. Stir in the marinara sauce and tamari and bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook until the fat starts to separate from the sauce, 7-10 minutes.

Ingredients for Bread:

• 4 thick slices of rustic boule, such as sourdough ( WF had already slice)
• olive oil for brushing on bread surfaces

Directions:

Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush the bread on both sides with olive oil and cook in batches if necessary, until toasted, 2-3 minutes. Set aside.

Ingredients for Caesar Salad:

• 2 romaine hearts, cored and torn in 3-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1-1 1/2 teaspoon Worcheshire sauce or 4 anchovies packed in oil, drained
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• 3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

Directions for Caesar Salad:

In a food processor, combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, Dijon mustard,Worcheshire sauce and garlic, then puree until smooth. Scrap the bowl and add the Parmesan and salt and pepper.

In large bowl, toss the romaine with the dressing until well coated. Top with more Parm is desired.

To serve:

Arrange the toast of four plates. Spoon about 1 cup of the Bolognese sauce on each slice of toast and pile the salad alongside. Top with Parmesan and chopped parsley if desired.

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