Pumpkin Ricotta Pie

Oh boy!  I think I have just created my newest most favorite pumpkin pie!  It came about because we have a lot of pumpkin in the freezer and I had a container of ricotta I had picked up last week with a vague idea of making something - and never did.

We have a no-regrets rule at home.  If it is purchased, it is consumed.  I just hate wasting food.  So knowing that ricotta probably wasn't going to be used for something savory any time soon, I decided to go sweet.  We have cut back on the desserts - and sugar in general - dramatically, but fall has come and pumpkin in one form or another calls my name daily.

I decided to give this one a go.  I knew instinctively that it would work, but it worked so much better than I anticipated.  it was a great surprise.

I know this will be gracing our Thanksgiving dessert table.

Pumpkin Ricotta Pie

Pie crust for single-crust pie

  • 2 cups pumpkin puree (1 15-16oz can)
  • 1 16oz container ricotta
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp ginger
  • 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 1/4 tsp cloves
  • pinch salt

Preheat oven to 425°.  Mix pumpkin and ricotta. Add sugar, then eggs, maple syrup, and spices.

Pour into pie shell. Bake at 425° . for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350°  and bake for 45  minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.

This is definitely a keeper.


Lamb Chops and Apricots

Sometimes being a bit nontraditional can be fun.  And we do like fun around here!

I've been thinking up ways to use the Apricot Pepper Jam I made a few weeks ago and thought that a sauce for lamb chops might just fit the bill.  Rosemary and garlic seem to be my go-to flavors with lamb chops and every now and again, I need to get out of my rut.  I knew the flavors would be a natural for chicken or pork.  The lamb was a bit of a stretch - but a stretch that really ended up working well.

My inspiration for cooking was actually going out to dinner last night - a Saturday night - in Philadelphia.  A dear friend of ours was in town on business and it was just an automatic that we would go in to meet her for dinner. Of course, being stay-at-homes, we had no idea where to go, so Victor texted his niece who lives in the city.  She asked what we were looking for and he replied Something young and hip - everything that we're not.  She recommended Le Virtù on East Passyunk Ave - a couple of blocks from their home.  It was a stellar choice!

It was fun getting the creative juices flowing.

Lamb Chops with Apricots

  • 4 loin lamb chops
  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
  • 1/4 cup Apricot Pepper Jelly (or apricot jam or preserves)
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp cardamom

Cook lamb chops in skillet to desired doneness.  Add chopped shallots and lightly brown.  Add chicken broth and deglaze the pan.  Add chopped apricots and continue cooking until broth is reduced by half.  Add jam, vinegar, and cardamom powder and heat through.  Taste for seasoning and add S&P as required.

Serve over lamb chops or other meat of your choice.

And then we had the nontraditional Brussels sprouts.   A huge stalk of fresh brussels sprouts is just too much for two people.  i love them, but don't really want to eat them every night for a week.  I blanched and froze a bunch of them today.  The rest went into a bit of a stirfry.

Brussels Sprouts with Artichokes and Carrots

  • 2 cups brussels sprouts, blanched and sliced
  • 1 can artichoke hearts, drained and sliced
  • 2 carrots, sliced
  • 1 tsp ground sage
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Add vegetables to skillet and saute until browned and tender.  Stir in walnuts.  Season with salt and pepper, as desired.

And, finally, some mahogany rice.  A lighter rice would have made for a better picture, but I went for flavor.

Dessert is going to be a Pumpkin Ricotta Pie.   It's a recipe I just came up with this afternoon, so we shall see how it came out in an hour or so...

 


Brussels Sprouts with Mushrooms, Cranberries, and Pecans

'Tis the season for Brussels Sprouts!

I do realize that gastronomically speaking, I can be a bit strange.  It's not really my fault, though.  I blame my mother.  The very first solid food I ate as an infant was a chili bean.  Yes, I was a second child.  As is typical, my mother was your basic neurotic with my older brother - the firstborn.  By the time I came along three years later, she had relaxed, a bit.

That chili bean led to a life of gastronomic debauchery.  My favorite vegetable growing up was the lowly brussels sprout.  The came in a flat square box - Lady Lee brand - probably something like 10 boxes for a dollar.  They were over-cooked little orbs of cabbageness.  Fabulous.

Imagine my delight when I found fresh brussels sprouts that could be cooked in so many different ways than those frozen squares.  Practically miraculous.

Yesterday I bought a huge stalk of fresh sprouts and tonight did a quick saute of sprouts, mushrooms and some other fun things.  Served with creamy cheesy polenta and a simple chicken breast.  Gastronomic Heaven.

Measurements are a bit loose because I just pulled a few off the stalk, but the method works for any amount.

Brussels Sprouts with Mushrooms, Cranberries, and Pecans

  • 2 cups brussels sprouts, sliced thin
  • 1 cup mushrooms, sliced thin
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup pecans
  • 1/2 cup broth
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Thinly slice sprouts.  Add to skillet with a bit of olive oil and saute a few minutes.  Add mushrooms and continue cooking until mushrooms begin to brown.  Add broth, bring to boil, and then simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Drizzle a tsp of apple cider vinegar.  Add cranberries and pecans.  Heat through.  Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper, as desired.

The chicken was started in a  skillet and finished under the broiler.  The polenta was 2 cuops of milk, 1/2 cup polenta, and when cooked, a bit of cheese stirred in.

Simple and tasty!


Pumpkin Pie

I came home today to find a beautiful Pumpkin Pie sitting on the island in the kitchen.  A fresh pumpkin pie - made with the pumpkin puree I made a few days ago and a home-made crust.

Absolute perfection!

The crust perfectly tender and flaky.  The filling - rich, creamy, and full of pumpkin flavor.  It is taking all of my willpower to keep from heading back into the kitchen to get another huge piece.

Perfect Pumpkin Pie

The Crust:

  • 1 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 stick butter, frozen
  • pinch salt
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 3 tbsp ice water

Using a food processor, add flour, salt, and sugar. Pulse to mix.

Chop up frozen butter and add. Pulse until butter is incorporated and mixture looks grainy.

Slowly add ice water and pulse until mixed.

Turn out onto counter. Press and form mixture into disk . Wrap in plastic and refrigerate about an hour to allow the flour to properly absorb the water and to relax the gluten.

Roll out crust and place in pie plate. Crimp edges and fill.

The Filling:

  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 cups pumpkin
  • 1 can (12 fl. oz.) evaporated milk

Preheat oven to 425°. Beat eggs, sugar, maple syrup, and spices in large bowl. Add pumpkin amd mix well. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

Pour into pie shell. Bake at 425° F. for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F.; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.

It was just too good for words.  And there's more for tomorrow!


Steaks on the Barbie

An absolutely gorgeous day.  Low 70s and a slight breeze.  No humidity.  I could get used to this. Alas, it shan't last, but I'm taking advantage of it while it's here.  Windows are open and the grill has been used.

Tonight was a couple of strip steaks.  Salt and pepper - nothing else.  A couple of potatoes, cubed and roasted in the oven - with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  And French-cut green beans with butter, salt, and pepper.

It was a salt-and-pepper sort of night.

We both bemoan single-use kitchen gadgets, yet we seem to have an awful lot of them.  Tonight I broke out one of my more favorite ones - a string bean slicer and stringer.

I do have to admit I haven't seen a string bean in quite a while.  They've mostly been bred out of existence, I think.  I remember stringing beans as a kid.  It was some tedious work.  Not difficult, but every damned bean had to be done by hand.  I got pretty good at it pretty fast.  Fast-forward many years, and I'm still doing beans by hand - but this time with a French green bean cutter.

I really have no idea where I got it or how long I have had it, but it's one of the best single-use kitchen gizmos around!  Just feed the bean in and pull it through.  If you have string beans, it will string it for you as it goes through.  Way cool.

The beans come out great and besides a great side dish, make for a great cold bean salad.

And I think at some point I'm going to have to soften my stance on single-use gadgets.  We just have too many of them to be taken seriously about it...

 


Homemade Bread and Soup

The weather was juuuuust cool enough yesterday to warrant a pot of soup and a loaf of bread.  Every season has its food benefits, but Fall has soups and stews - some of my favorite things.  Soups around here are clean-out-the-refrigerator meals, for the most part.  While I do have a few soups that call for specific ingredients, they usually are concoctions of what is in the house.  They're fun, because they're never quite the same from batch to batch.

I strained that big batch of pumpkin puree and had close to a quart of pumpkin juice left. (I drained it overnight in a cheesecloth-lined colander.) That went into the broth right off the bat.  Along with some beef, beef broth, carrots, rice, black and white barley, celery, beans, tomatoes, cauliflower, garlic, spinach, yellow hominy, and pasta.  I added a bit of French herbs, salt, and pepper.

It came out great.

And then we had a great loaf of bread...

It's a really easy James Beard recipe I've used for years.  And years.  Really versatile, I braided this loaf and added the sesame seeds.

James Beard French-Style Bread

Ingredients

  • 1 package active dry yeast
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 cup warm water (100° to 115°, approximately)
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 1/2 cups bread flour
  • 1/2 cup rye flour
  • 3 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
  • 1 egg white, mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water

Directions

Combine the yeast with sugar and warm water in a large bowl and allow to proof. Mix the salt with the flour and add to the yeast mixture, a cup at a time, until you have a stiff dough. Remove to a lightly floured board and knead until no longer sticky, about 10 minutes, adding flour as necessary. Place in a buttered bowl and turn to coat the surface with butter. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1½ to 2 hours.

Punch down the dough. Turn out on a floured board and shape into a long, French bread-style loaf. Place on a baking sheet that has been sprinkled with the cornmeal but not buttered. Slash the tops of the loaf diagonally in two or three places, and brush with the egg wash. Place in a cold oven, set the temperature at 400°, and bake 35 minutes, or until well browned and hollow sounding when the top is rapped.

It takes no time at all to make and always is a hit!

I see a lot more of this in our future...


The Invisible Shopper

Happy Monday grocery shopping.  Or, should I say "happy invisible grocery shopper"?  I started my Monday grocery shopping just as I usually do - at the fairly new Wegmans King of Prussia, not far from the house.  It's been open for about 5 months and I've been shopping there since they opened.  And since they opened I've noticed a serious lack of recognition by the staff to their customers.  No eye contact, no hello, no smile, no greetings... It's rather bizarre.

I walk up and down the aisles, running into employees everywhere, and they walk by me like I'm not there, I look up, glance at them, smile - and nothing.  I'm invisible.  There are a lot of employees in this store, too.  It's not the lone person running around trying to do twelve things at once.  There are a lot of employees.  And at 8:30am, not a lot of customers.  I stand out.

This has been the standard since I first walked in there.  Many of the cashiers are nice, but the folks on the floor?!?  Obviously too busy to recognize the person who's making their job possible.  I'm not looking for conversation, their life story...  A simple smile with eye contact while I'm walking down the aisle towards them would suffice.

So I think I may be limiting my shopping at Wegmans.  I don't like being ignored.

Where I know I won't be shopping is at the Acme.  A total train-wreck of a company.  I shop for my mother-in-law on Monday, and, at 86, she's pretty set in her ways about things she wants or likes.  Sadly, there  are a few things she likes from Acme that I can't get anywhere else.  And ofttimes they don't have them, either.  For the past two weeks I was unable to get her Apple Strudel Bites at the store closest to her, so this morning, I decided I'd go the the store closest to me.  They had the pastries, but they didn't have her cut fruit.  When I asked, a very flustered gentleman let me know his work flow, what he does, the timing of everything, and that he wouldn't have the fresh-cut fruit out until after 11am.  It wasn't quite 9:30am.

I left, went to the other Acme to also pick up her prescriptions, and they didn't have cut fruit in the size she wanted.  Evidently, cutting fruit is a skill-set their employees at any location are incapable of mastering.  Okay.  To be fair, there is a very nice woman at that Acme who would stop everything to make me fruit bowls if there were none.  She's really sweet and we always stop and chat for a moment when I'm in there. Naturally, she wasn't there, today.

So I guess it's back to PathMark.  Not my favorite store since they re-branded from SuperFresh a few years ago, but, at least I'm not always ignored in the aisles.  They have some very nice employees who are always helpful.

I will trade more products for customer service any day.


Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

I pulled a pork tenderloin out of the freezer this morning with a bit of a vague idea of what I was going to do for dinner.  A while later, I was in the office doing a bit of work whn Victor came in and asked if I wanted a stuffed pork tenderloin for dinner.  I immediately said "YES!"

One thing about meals is I'm always willing to cook - but I'm also willing to sit back and be cooked for!  Especially since Victor is such a good cook.

I love to eat and I love good food, but I'm also not a fussy eater.  You're cooking, I'm eating.  But it definitely is a plus when it's something pretty spectacular.

As was dinner, tonight.

Victor cooked off a filling of shallots, spinach, speck, sun-dried tomatoes, bread crumbs, mozzarella cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper.  He split the tenderloin, pounded it a bit to get an even thickness, and then stuffed it and tied it.  It went into a 350° oven for about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, he cut up a couple of potatoes, cut a head of cauliflower into florettes, drizzled it all with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic, and placed it itto the same oven.

The flavors blended perfectly!  Every bite put a smile on my face.

I really don't understand people who don't like to cook.  You just can't get a meal like this in a restaurant - or out of a box.

My stomach is smiling...


Pumpkin Bread Fail

Okay...  so everything I make doesn't come out perfect every time.

I've been making pumpkin bread for years and have never had an issue, but...  decided today I needed a different recipe.  Not a smart move.

The second not-smart-move was using a Bobby Flay recipe.  I should know better.  Actually, I do know better, just like I knew there was too much batter in the pan - the exact-sized pan specified in the recipe.

But did I take any out?  Did I follow my own instincts and better judgement?!?  Of course not.

The batter bubbled over and ran down the pan into the oven that Victor had just cleaned.  I took the bread out and put in the chicken for dinner to finish.

After the blobs got nice and charred - with more smoke - it all caught fire.  A LOT of smoke.

It wasn't flames licking out the door - and I have caused and/or dealt with more than my share of oven fires over the years - so I just let it burn itself out.  It was under control and I did have my box of baking soda at the ready.  More smoke, of course. The chicken was fine.

Pumpkin Bread

adapted from Bobby Flay's Bar Americain Cookbook

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pan
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • Scant 1 cup canned pumpkin puree, not flavored pie filling
  • 2 large eggs

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch loaf pan.
2. Whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves in a small bowl.
3. Beat the butter, sugar, and oil on high speed in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl a few times, until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
4. Add the pumpkin puree and mix until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until just incorporated. Mixing on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and 2/3 cup water and mix until just combined. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool completely.

It tasted really good, but I have a feeling I won't be making it, again.  My old standby is less trouble.


Fairytale Pumpkin

In a few hours it will officially be Autumn.  Time for pumpkin!

I do have to admit that I like my pumpkin - in soups, stews, pies, breads, cakes - you name it, I like it!  So...  It actually makes sense to buy a pumpkin, roast it and puree it.  For seven bucks I can get pumpkin for most of the year.

Contrary to popular belief, these strange pumpkins you may see in the grocery store are very edible.  The two most popular varieties are Cinderella and Fairytale.  Both are French heirloom pumpkins and both have a deep orange flesh and slightly-sweet taste.

Those big orange pumpkins you see are raised to be jack-o-lanterns.  They are edible - but barely.  They're not going to make a decent pie or soup, so skip them for eating - they're for cutting up and decorating.

Speaking of cutting up...

Here's the inside of the pumpkin.  You need a big, sharp knife.

I cut it into wedges, scooped out the seeds, and placed them on sheet pans.  They went into a 350° oven for about an hour.  I didn't salt, oil, or otherwise do anything to the pumpkin at all.  I was just looking for puree at this point.  The flavorings will come from whatever I decide to make.

They really filled the house with the smell of Fall.

When they completely cooled, I scraped the flesh into the food processor and smooshed away.  It took about six batches to get it all.

It made a huge bowl of puree that I will freeze tomorrow in about 2-cup portions.  Unfortunately, canning pumpkin is not recommended at home, otherwise I'd be filling Mason jars right now instead of typing.

Let's see how long this lasts.....

 


Butternut Squash Risotto

I didn't have a plan for dinner tonight, but when I saw a big ol' display of butternut squash, an idea started forming...  I know it's not quite fall, but I was really jonesin' for butternut squash.  It's the perfect fall food.  With an almost-chill in the air, it was time.  I made a butternut squash risotto last year at this time.  It was time for another.

I still have Vialone Nano rice from Italy, so that was my risotto rice of choice.  It is seriously a fool-proof risotto rice.  Perfect every time.

I'm thinking a butternut squash soup in the near future.  Maybe Sunday on the first full day of autumn.

Butternut Squash Risotto

  • 1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed
  • 1 chicken breast, chopped
  • 2 chopped shallots
  • 1 cup chopped mushrooms
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup risotto rice (arborio, carnaroli, vialone nano)
  • 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • 6 cups hot chicken broth
  • sage
  • salt and pepper

Coat cubed squash with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place on sheet-pan in 425° oven for about 25 minutes.  Set aside.

Saute shallots in a bit of olive oil and butter in a risotto-style pan.  Add chicken and brown.  Add, mushrooms, and garlic.  Cook until vegetables are wilted and fragrant.

Add 1 cup rice and continue sauteing until rice is slightly translucent.  Add 1 cup broth and stir until most of broth is absorbed.  Continue stirring and adding broth until about 3/4 has been added.

Add roasted butternut squash, mashing some with spoon as you stir.

Continue adding broth until rice is tender.

Stir in parmesan cheese and taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper, if necessary.

It was another hit.  Creamy, rice with just the right bite to it, and enough different flavors and textures to make it  interesting.

Lovin' the weather!


Not Quite Italian Ravioli

This is one of those meals that was created because of the ingredients I had.  And I'm thinkin' I should have these ingredients around all the time!

There has been one rather large strip steak languishing in the freezer for a while.  All by itself, I'd just move it out of the way as I added or removed things.  Until last night.  I decided it was time to cook that sucker.

My first thought was making a simple beef stroganoff - I had the ingredients - but after starting, I decided beef, mushrooms, and mushroom ravioli would be more fun!  I had those ingredients, too.

I sauteed the beef in a bit of olive oil and then added the mushrooms.  I let it all cook down really well, and then added a splash of soy sauce and a splash of worcestershire sauce.  I then added maybe a cup of beef stock and let it all heat together.  When it was boiling, I added a bit of cornstarch to thicken.

In went the cooked ravioli, mixed well - and yum.

A pretty quick off-the-cuff dinner.