Pear Gingerbread

adapted from Annie's Green Living at www.care2.com

I made this recipe twice over the Holiday season- once for friends and again for Christmas with family. Each time it came out great- it's the perfect holiday bread that you can eat for breakfast or dessert!

Ingredients

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

2 firm but ripe, large pears (Bosc, Comice or Anjou) peeled, cored, thinly sliced

1 cup dark brown sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup molasses

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 1/4 tablespoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Pinch of salt
1 1/4 cups boiling water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

1. Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a 9-inch square cake pan (flameproof) over medium heat. Add ½ cup granulated sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar melts and turns light brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the pear slices in a decorative pattern and remove the pan or skillet from the heat.

2. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, cream together the remaining 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter and 1 cup brown sugar until light. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the molasses.

3. In another bowl, sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Fold the dry mixture into the creamed mixture, along with the boiling water, stirring only until all the ingredients are combined. Be careful not to overmix.

4. Smooth batter evenly over the decoratively-arranged pears and bake in preheated oven around 35 to 40 minutes. Cake should feel springy to the touch when done. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.

5. Run a table knife around the edge of the pan and shake it to make sure the cake is not sticking. (If it is, set the pan over low heat and heat for 1 to 2 minutes, gently shaking it until the cake is free.)

6. Place a serving plate upside down on the pan. Wearing oven mitts, invert the plate and pan together. Lift off the pan. Cut into squares and serve, with whipped cream.

Serves 8 to 10.

Pumpkin Pie

adapted from Martha Stewart Living

The perfect pumpkin pie recipe.

Ingredients
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 ½ pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1 ½ cups evaporated milk (1 can)
1 frozen 9-inch pie crust

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin puree and eggs. Beat well. Add evaporated milk and combine.

Fill pie shell with pumpkin mixture. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 30 minutes more. Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes.

Butternut Squash Soup

from my Mom (via Sara Moulton Cooks at Home)

Ingredients

2 medium butternut squash or two packages of pre-cut squash (approx 6 cups)
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium leeks, white parts only, thinly sliced
4 cups chicken stock, plus more as needed for thinning
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

If using whole squash, halve the squash lengthwise, scoop out the seeds (or scoop out after baking) and arrange cut side down on a foil-lined and lightly oiled baking sheet. If using pre-packaged squash, just place evenly on foil-lined and lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake until very tender, 50-60 minutes. Cool to room temperature. If using whole squash, when they are cool enough to handle, scrape out the pulp. You should have about 6 cups.

Heat the butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the squash and 4 cups of the chicken stock, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-high and simmer, stirring often, until the leeks are tender, about 10 minutes. Puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender until smooth. Thin with additional stock as needed (we like our soup thick!). Season with salt and pepper. Serves 4-6.

Baked Apples

adapted from Food Network Kitchens

Ingredients

8 large red apples
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, cut into pieces
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup rolled oats
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup raisins
8 whole cinnamon sticks
½ cup apple cider

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice about ¼-inch off the top of each apple. Scoop out the seeds and core of the apple to make a pocket. Peel off about a ½-inch band of the apple's skin along the upper half of the apple with a vegetable peeler. Brush the peeled part of the apple with lemon juice.

In a small bowl combine the butter, lemon juice, brown sugar, oats, nutmeg, cinnamon and raisins. Stuff each of the apples with the mixture. Place the apples in a large baking dish just large enough to hold the apples upright. Pour the apple cider in the bottom of the dish (I sprinkled some extra cider into the apple pockets too). Bake until the apples are tender, about 30 minutes.

Serve with a cinnamon stick inserted in each apple and with whipped cream or ice cream.

Autumn Harvest Bread

adapted from Recipezaar

Ingredients

1 and ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¾ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup unsweetened apple sauce
¼ cup apple cider
2 eggs
1 apple, peeled and chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray 9x5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl combine 4 ingredients. In another bowl combine sugar, pumpkin, apple sauce, cider and eggs. Add pumpkin mixture to dry mixture and stir until combined. Fold in chopped apple. Pour batter into loaf pan. I sprinkled some toasted pumpkin seeds on top!

Bake for one hour.

Fall Family Dinner

Fall is my favorite time of the year. I love when the air turns crisp, the leaves begin to fall and most of all- the food! So in honor of its arrival, I made the following Fall-themed menu for our “family dinner” last Sunday night:

Menu
Pear, Gorgonzola and Pumpkin Seed Salad
Stuffed Acorn Squash
Maple-Plum Glazed Turkey Breast
Cornbread
Pumpkin Spice Cakes

Stuffed Acorn Squash
adapted from William-Sonoma Kitchen

Ingredients

1 ½ lb. loaf country-style bread, cut into ¾ inch cubes
6 acorn squashes (each about 1 lb)
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tbs. unsalted butter
2 small yellow onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
¾ tsp. nutmeg
1/3 cup chopped assorted fresh herbs (sage, thyme, oregano)
3 tbs. chopped fresh parsley
1 cup dried cranberries
2 cups chicken stock
1 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spread bread cubes onto baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, until bread is dry and crispy (about 25-30 minutes). Cool completely and then transfer to a large bowl and set aside. Increase oven temp to 375 degrees.

Cut the stem off each squash. Using a spoon, scoop out seeds and pulp from center and discard. Cut a thin slice off the bottom of each squash to create a level surface. Season the squash with salt and pepper. Stand squashes upright in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

In a large pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add onions and sauté until soft (approx. 10 minutes). Add garlic, salt and pepper and continue to cook another minute. Stir in nutmeg and assorted fresh herbs. Transfer onion mixture to the bowl with bread. Add parsley and cranberries and stir to combine. Stir in 1 ½ cups chick stock. Spoon stuffing mixture into squash cavities and mound a small amount on top. Pour remaining ½ cup stock into the baking dish.

Bake until the squashes are tender when pierced with a fork and the stuffing is browned (approx. 1 to 1 ¼ hours). If stuffing begins to brown too quickly, cover the squashes loosely with aluminum foil. Remove squashes from oven and serve immediately. Serves 6 people, or cut each squash in half to serve 8-12.

Maple-Plum Glazed Turkey Breast
adapted from Southern Living, NOVEMBER 2000

Ingredients

2 cups red plum jam
1 cup maple syrup
¼ cup cider vinegar
1 tbsp grated lemon rind
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp dry mustard
2 (16 oz.) packages turkey tenderloins
Salt

Directions
To make the glaze, bring the first six ingredients to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, stirring often, for 25 minutes or until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and cool completely.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place turkey on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt. Baste with ¾ cup maple-plum sauce. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until done, basting often with remaining ¾ cup maple-plum sauce. Serves 10.

Pumpkin Patch Cakes
from William-Sonoma Kitchen

Knowing my obsession with all things pumpkin, my ever so thoughtful friend Stephanie gave me a Pumpkin Patch Pan from William-Sonoma for Christmas last year. I have been dying to use it and thought this was the perfect opportunity. Warning: NOT user-friendly or for those pressed for time! However, the actual cake recipe is delicious. I am sure the cakes would be good in a regular muffin tin or as a loaf cake too. The individual pumpkin cakes were a great inter-active dessert though!

Ingredients

3 1/3 cups flour
2 ¾ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. baking soda
2 ¼ tsp. salt
5 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. ginger (I didn’t use)
1 ¾ tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. allspice (I didn’t use)
¼ tsp. cloves (I didn’t use)
14 Tbs. (1 ¾ sticks) unsalted butter
1 2/3 cups packed light brown sugar
1 2/3 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 2/3 cups pumpkin puree

Directions

Have all ingredients at room temp. Position rack in lower third of oven and preheat 350 degrees. Grease and flour William-Sonoma Pumpkin Patch Pan; tap out excess flour.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves; set aside. In a bowl of electric mixer (I used hand mixer) beat butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth (1 to 2 minutes). Add brown and white sugars and beat until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with milk and beginning and ending with flour. Beat each addition just until incorporated. Add pumpkin puree and beat until incorporated.

Divide half of the batter between the wells of the pan and spread evenly. Bake until toothpick comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Gently tap pan and loosen cakes. Invert pan onto rack and lift off pan. Let cakes cool completely before decorating. Wash pan and repeat with rest of batter. Makes 24 halves or 12 assembled cakes.

To assemble cakes:

Use a bread knife to cut off any portion of cake that rose above rim of pan (I saved the leftover “muffin top” scraps- great with morning coffee!). Spread frosting on “bottom” cake half (I used store-bought cream cheese frosting). Place “top” cake half on top to create one whole pumpkin.

We then used green and orange frosting and candy corns to decorate!

Spaghetti Squash Primavera

I usually prefer to follow a recipe, however for dinner last night I decided to wing it. How could I go wrong with a fridge full of leftover fresh vegetables and a giant Spaghetti Squash? The outcome was delicious! Unfortunately, I do not have a picture since our camera was out of batteries...

Ingredients

½ yellow squash, cubed
½ zucchini, cubed
¼ eggplant, cubed
1 chicken breast, cubed
1 spaghetti squash, halved and baked (see below)
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ yellow onion, chopped
1 tbsp oregano, thyme, sage, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
½ cup tomato sauce
splash of red wine
salt and pepper

Spaghetti Squash

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut squash in half. Discard seeds. Place squash cut-side-down on non-stick baking sheet. Bake for approx. 40 minutes or until tender.

Primavera

Heat olive oil in a large pan. Add garlic and onion. Cook for approx. 2 minutes on medium heat. Add chicken and continue to cook for approx. 5 minutes. Stir in yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant. Add tomato sauce and splash of red wine and continue to stir. Add herbs and salt and pepper. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat for approx. 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through.

Gently spoon the spaghetti squash onto plates. The squash should come out of the shell easily with a fork and resemble long strands of spaghetti (hence the name). Spoon primavera mixture on top of the squash. Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Serve with warm crusty bread and red wine (merlot)!

Serves 2 (+ leftovers)