Nov
Pumpkin Almond Cheesecake
Finally, a pumpkin recipe. I mean it is almost December and I have yet to post a recipe with pumpkin in it- what blasphemy! I squeezed this one in just in the nick of time. December’s only a few days away which for me means Christmas decorations, holiday parties, homemade gifts, and best of all – baking projects, lots of baking projects. Most years I have a pretty ambitious list of holiday treats that I want to make, and most years I don’t even come close to making them all. Except for that one year when I made five different kinds of cookies in one day…never again! This year my list falls somewhere between completely manageable and a bit over- the-top. I have yet to decide exactly what I will be making, but I thought I would share with you a few of my ideas.
A couple years ago I made chocolate bark and it quickly became one of my favorite holiday confections. This year I stumbled across a recipe for Mint Chocolate Chip Bark that has my name all over it- hard to imagine that I’ll make it though the season without making this one.
Gingersnap Raspberry Sandwiches are a perennial favorite that combine the snappy ginger flavor of the holidays with the sweet summeriness of raspberries.
Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods are simple and fun to make. I have made these before, but this year I am totally inspired by Sabrina’s creative approach.
I am so intrigued by this recipe for Candied Grapefruit Zest. It’s just the kind of treat that I would love if someone gave it to me… but I can’t decide if my friends and relatives will feel the same or think that a jar of grapefruit peels covered in sugar is just plain weird. Hmmm..I’ll have to give this one some thought.
Chances are that in the coming weeks I will add more to this list, and of course anything I make I will share here with you, but for now it’s still November and I need to tell you about this awesome pumpkin cheesecake. Cheesecake is not usually my first choice when it comes to dessert. Often times I find it a bit too dense and rich for my liking. This one fits neither of those descriptions though.The cake is comprised of a thin layer of almond cake with a light and fluffy cheesecake baked right on top. This combination not only cuts down on the overly rich flavor that cheesecake often has, but it also adds a subtle almond flavor that combines oh so perfectly with the pumpkin.
Speaking of pumpkin- I did use fresh pumpkin in this recipe. It called for canned pumpkin as most recipes usually do, but I had a beautiful sugar pumpkin that had been sitting of my kitchen counter since sometime in October so it seemed like a shame not to use it. There’s a definite advantage to using canned pumpkin. First of all, it takes far less time to open a can of pumpkin than it does to roast one yourself. Second, pumpkin can be a bit stringy and if you want that same smooth texture as the canned version you are probably going to have to go through a few different steps of mashing and purèeing . Or you could just do what I did and simply mash it a few times with a potato masher – not worrying about achieving that perfect smooth texture. After all, it is fresh pumpkin and it deserves to retain a bit of its character. The end result was probably a bit lumpier than it would have been with canned pumpkin, and the batter was studded with bright orange bits of pumpkin, but when I served it at Thanksgiving not a single person complained (or even noticed). So canned or fresh, take your pick. But watch out for the canned version that has “pumpkin pie spice” already mixed in. Chances are this will mess with the flavor of the cake and you’re better off adding you own spices to a can of straight pumpkin.
If the almond cake and pumpkin cheesecake aren’t enough to convince you that this recipe is one you will make again and again, the almond brittle will surely put you over the top. I am pretty much a sucker for anything with almonds in it and when you combine them with sugar and butter, oh man keep me away! This brittle is deceptively easy to make and even easier to eat right off the pan. Luckily we ended up with some extra pieces that were quickly devoured. Next time I am making two trays just so we can have lots of extra. Uh oh…I think I just came up with another holiday baking idea. Almond brittle recipe search here I come!
Pumpkin Almond Cheesecake
Slightly adapted from Cooking Light
Makes: 14 servings
Almond Cake:
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick), softened
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 ounces almond paste
2 large eggs
¼ cup cake flour
1 tablespoon dark rum
Cheesecake:
1 1/3 cup (11 ounces) 1/3 –less fat cream cheese
½ cup granulated sugar
Dash of salt
3 large eggs
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise ( or 1 teaspoon extra-strength vanilla extract)
1 ¼ cups pureed unsweetened pumpkin (canned or fresh)
1/3 cup plain 2% reduced-fat yogurt
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
Brittle:
½ cup sugar
1 ½ tablespoons water
1 ½ teaspoons light corn syrup
3 tablespoons sliced almonds
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
For serving:
Whipped Cream
Almond Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350º. Coat a 9-inch spring form pan with cooking spray.
- Combine the sugar, butter, salt, and almond paste in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed about 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold the flour and rum into the sugar mixture. Beat until well combined.
- Spread the batter evenly in the pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack ( do not remove the sides of the pan).
Cheesecake:
- Reduce the oven temperature to 300º.
- In a large bowl place the softened cheeses, sugar and salt. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until just blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating at low speed just until each addition is incorporated.
- Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean (or measure out 1 teaspoon vanilla extract) and add to the cream cheese mixture along with the pumpkin, yogurt and ginger. Beat at low speed until just blended.
- Pour the cheesecake batter over top of the cooled almond cake. Bake for 1 hour or until the cheesecake center barely moves when the pan is touched.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven and run a knife around the outside edge. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Cover and chill for 8 hours or overnight.
Brittle:
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small saucepan mix together the sugar, water and corn syrup; bring to a boil. Cook without stirring for 5-7 minutes or until it turns a golden color. Remove from heat and immediately stir in the almonds and butter.
- Pour the sugar mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and tilt to spread in a thin layer. Let cool and break into 14 pieces.
Serving:
- Cut the cake into 14 pieces. Place a dollop of whipped cream on each piece along with a piece of brittle.
Nov
Chicken or Turkey Pot Pie
What’s the best part of the day after Thanksgiving? The memories of a day filled with good food and even better company? The black Friday deals that you slogged out at midnight to score? How about the LEFTOVERS? No matter how much you stuffed yourself yesterday, and even if you had to unbutton your pants at the table and swore you would never eat again, come Friday morning you will inevitably be dreaming of turkey sandwiches smothered in leftover mashed potatoes and dripping with gravy. Or pumpkin pie with a dollop of whipped cream, or Aunt Sally’s fluffy homemade biscuits smeared with cranberry sauce. Oh yum, I am getting hungry all over again! 
In my opinion though, the ultimate leftover meal has got to be pot pie. You can use leftover turkey, throw in whatever vegetables you have, and maybe even top it with leftover rolls. I know, I know, you spent all day yesterday cooking and the last thing you want to do is make an elaborate pot pie. But wait…making a pot pie doesn’t have to be a complicated affair. I’ve been making variations of this recipe for years and it’s rare that it takes much more than an hour to make, cooking time included. The beauty of the pot pie is just how versatile it is. The basic ingredients are chicken or turkey and vegetables. That’s it. While I am partial to potatoes, carrots, celery and peas, I have been known to add sweet potatoes, parsnip, turnip, various kinds of squash, broccoli, or green beans. Basically, use what you have or what you like, even if it’s just a bag of frozen mixed vegetables. 
I hate to brag, but I am a bit famous for my pot pie. It could be because I make a mean pot pie superior to all others, but I think the real reason is because I actually make pot pie. Well, I am here to tell you right now that you too can make a pot pie. Slice up some of that leftover turkey, mix in some veggies and whip up a biscuit topping. You will be pleasantly surprised by just how easy it is. Happy leftover day everyone.
Chicken or Turkey Pot Pie
Serves: 8
Filling:
4-5 cups cooked chicken or turkey
(if you’re not using leftovers, roast 1 ½ pounds of bone-in, skin on chicken breasts in a 350º oven for 35-40 minutes or until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin.)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced ¼ -inch thick
2 celery stalks, sliced ¼ -inch thick
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ -inch cubes
½ cup flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 ½ cups 2 % milk
1 cup frozen peas
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon dried sage
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Biscuit topping
1 ¾ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon butter
¾ cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons honey
Filling:
- Preheat oven to 400˚ F. Butter a 13 x 9-inch baking dish or 2 smaller oven-proof dishes.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until barley tender, about 2 minutes.
- Add carrots, potato and celery; cook until slightly soft, 8-10 minutes.
Add flour to the vegetable mixture. Stir well and let cook 1 minute more. - In a small bowl combine the chicken stock and milk. Gradually stir into the vegetables. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly.
- Turn the heat to low, add the frozen peas, thyme, sage, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the chicken.
- Pour chicken vegetable mixture into prepared pan.
Biscuit Topping:
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Using a pastry blender or fork, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal.
- In a measuring cup, combine the buttermilk and honey. Add the liquid to the flour mixture, stirring with a fork to form stiff dough. Add more buttermilk if the dough is too dry.
- Knead lightly in the bowl until the dough is no longer sticky, about 3 to 5 minutes. Then turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out to approximately ¾ -inch thick. Cut the dough into biscuits and arrange on top of the chicken, overlapping if necessary. Alternatively, you can skip the last step and simply roll out the dough into the shape and size that fits your baking dish and lay the whole thing over the top, crimping the edges like a pie crust.
- Bake until the inside is bubbly and the topping is nicely browned, 25 to 35 minutes.
Nov
Spinach, Pear & Goat Cheese Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette
This was supposed to be a post about stuffing. I had it all planned out. I would make a mouth watering Cornbread and Apple stuffing with Golden Raisins and the whole house would fill with the tantalizing smell of Thanksgiving. The preparations were made. A new sack of cornmeal was purchased and I found some lovely local Macintosh apples along with an extra-large bag of golden raisins at the health food store. I began to combine my scattered recipe notes into a single coherent recipe. I thought about the different photos that I could take for the recipe – yes, I really do plan this much for each post – I can’t help it… spontaneity is obviously not my thing.
Sometimes though, all the planning in the world can fall apart in an instant. I was laying in bed browsing through the items in my Google Reader and I came across a post about Thanksgiving Salads from food52.com. Instantly my interest was sparked. If there’s one downfall to the traditional Thanksgiving meal it’s got to be the lack of green on the menu. Sure, we had dishes that we called salad on the Thanksgiving table when I was growing up. There was the molded Jell-O and canned fruit salad, the green bean salad with fried onions, and everyone’s favorite, the 24-hour salad with iceberg lettuce, bacon, and cheese – all smothered in a thick layer of mayo.
This was a different idea though. An actual healthy green salad with a fall themed twist. A mix of greens, some seasonal fruit, a few nuts and creamy goat cheese. The final touch is a pomegranate infused vinaigrette that you will want to use on everything. Wow! I instantly knew that I had to make this salad. And just like that all my careful stuffing preparations were thrown out the window. Don’t get me wrong… I really like stuffing. Believe me, I can’t wait until Thursday when I can fill myself with all that rich, bready goodness. But everyone makes stuffing for Thanksgiving, and many people have a special stuffing recipe that’s been in the family for years. You don’t need me to bore you with yet another stuffing recipe. A Thanksgiving salad though. Now that’s a novel idea.
Of course, I ended up making a few adjustments to the original recipe. I used almonds instead of pistachios, sliced pears instead of cubed, and a mix of greens instead of just arugula and romaine. I also adjusted the vinaigrette recipe which called for pomegranate molasses. I couldn’t find this product anywhere locally (apparently it is sold at Middle Eastern stores) and when I looked up how to make it I discovered that you need 4 cups of pomegranate juice to make 1 cup of molasses (that’s one expensive molasses). Also, this is Thanksgiving and I bet you have better things to do then stand over the stove making an expensive molasses on the same day that you’re cooking a 15-pound bird, ten sides dishes and four desserts. So I substituted plain pomegranate juice and a bit of honey – perfect!
Feel free to make changes of your own. Part of the beauty of this salad is how versatile it is. You could use walnuts instead of almonds, apples instead of pears, and any kind of greens your heart desires. You could toast the nuts, or sauté the pears with a little brown sugar and butter. The possibilities are endless.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Spinach, Pear, & Goat Cheese Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette
Adapted from Food 52
Serves: 6
Dressing
1 shallot, peeled & minced
4 tablespoons pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons white wine or cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salad
4 cups baby spinach
4 cups mixed greens (the one I used had romaine & oak leaf lettuce, radicchio, beet greens, arugula, mustard greens, kale, and collards)
1/4 cup sliced almonds
2 pears, cut in half,cored and thinly sliced
3 ounces goat or feta cheese
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
Make the vinaigrette:
In a small bowl combine the shallot, pomegranate juice, vinegar and honey. Slowly pour in the olive oil; whisking constantly. Add the salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Set aside.
Make the salad:
In a large bowl combine the spinach, greens mix, almonds and pears. Crumble half the goat cheese over the top. Re-whisk the vinaigrette and pour 3/4 of it over the salad. Toss gently and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and the remaining goat cheese. If it needs more dressing add the rest.
• Make ahead note: This salad can be partially assembled the morning that you are serving it. Simply make the vinaigrette and refrigerate until about 30 minutes before you plan on serving it. Toss the spinach, greens, almonds and pears together. Cover and refrigerate. Right before serving crumble the goat cheese over the top, sprinkle on the pomegranate seeds and toss with the vinaigrette.
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