chocolate chip pumpkin bread

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup regular sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 cups canned pumpkin
• 1-1/2 cups canola oil
• 1 3/4 cups (more or less) semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. In another bowl, beat the eggs, vanilla, sugars, pumpkin and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips.
• Pour into two greased 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350° for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Yield: 2 loaves (16 slices each).

To make these loaves extra fancy, you can top them with a maple glaze once they are cooled:

Maple Glaze:

Ingredients

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1/2 to 2 tablespoons milk

Directions:

• whisk all ingredients together and pour over cooled pumpkin loaves.

grilled twice "baked" potatoes

4 medium sized russet potatoes

3 tbs cream cheese

2/3 cup heavy cream

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

garlic salt and pepper to taste

smoked paprika

chives, optional

crumbled bacon, optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Scrub potatoes clean and rub with vegetable oil and salt (if desired).  Bake on a foil lined cookie sheet for 60-75 minutes.  When a paring knife slides easily in and out of the center of the potato, they are done.

Remove from oven and let cool while you gather the rest of the ingredients.

Split each potato in half and scoop out the insides into a standing mixer bowl.  You can get almost all of the potato out since the skin will be slightly more tough since you didn't wrap them in foil.

Add the cream cheese, heavy cream, cheese, garlic salt and pepper.  You will also want to add any additional fillings you have selected.  Whip the mixture with your whisk attachment until mostly smooth.

If you want the potatoes to look extra fancy you can pipe the filling into the potato shells, or just spoon it in.  Top with a sprinkle of paprika.

Place filled potato skins on a grill heated to medium/high.  Close the lid and cook for 8-10 minutes until re-warmed.

Serve immediately.

braised short ribs

 

•             3  pounds boneless short ribs , trimmed of excess fat 
•  Kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 2tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2large onions , peeled and sliced thin from pole to pole (about 4 cups)
• 1tablespoon tomato paste
• 6medium garlic cloves , peeled
• 3cups beef broth
• 4large carrots , peeled and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
• 1bay leaf

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Pat beef dry with paper towels and season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat until smoking. Add half of beef and cook, without moving, until well browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Turn beef and continue to cook on second side until well browned, 4 to 6 minutes longer, reducing heat if fat begins to smoke. Transfer beef to medium bowl. Repeat with remaining tablespoon oil and meat.
• 2. Reduce heat to medium, add onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, 12 to 15 minutes. (If onions begin to darken too quickly, add 1 to 2 tablespoons water to pan.) Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until it browns on sides and bottom of pan, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Increase heat to medium-high, add 2 cups of beef broth and simmer, scraping bottom of pan with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits, until reduced by half, 8 to 10 minutes. Add remaining broth, carrots, and bay leaf. Add beef and any accumulated juices to pot; cover and bring to simmer. Transfer pot to oven and cook, using tongs to turn meat twice during cooking, until fork slips easily in and out of meat, 2 to 2½ hours.

pepperoni pizza bites

yields 36 bites

1 recipe pizza dough (below)
1 recipe pizza sauce (below)
4 oz pepperoni, diced
6 oz mozzarella cheese, grated)

pizza dough:

½ cup warm water (about 110°)

1 envelope (2 ¼ tsp.) yeast

1 ¼ cups water, at room temperature

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

4 cups (22 oz.) bread flour, plus more for dusting

1 ½ tsp. salt

non-stick cooking spray for greasing the bowl

Directions:

Measure the warm water into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup.  Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until the yeast dissolves and swells, about 5 minutes.  Add the room temperature water and oil and stir to combine.  

Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Briefly combine the dry ingredients at low speed.  Slowly add the liquid ingredients and continue to mix at low speed until a cohesive mass forms.  Stop the mixer and replace the paddle with the dough hook.  Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.  Form the dough into a ball, put it in a deep oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap.  Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 ½ to 2 hours.  Press the dough to deflate it.

pizza sauce:

1 8oz can of tomato paste

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp marjoram

1 tsp garlic salt

mix all ingredients together in a bowl and add as much water as it takes to reach a sauce consistency.  let sit at room temperature until everything else is ready to assemble.

Heat the oven to 450° for at least 30 minutes. Place 2 cookie sheets lined with foil in the oven while it is preheating.

Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces.  Roll each out into a large rectangle (about 10 x 15 inches).  Mix the pepperoni pieces and mozzarella into the pizza sauce.  Lightly mark one of the rectangles of dough so that you have 18 squares.  Place 1 tsp of pepperoni mixture into the center of each square.  Top with other dough and press with the side of your hands around each lump of filling.  Cut squares apart and press sides with the tines of a fork to seal.  

Remove cookie sheets from the oven and spray foil with cooking spray.  Place the pizza bites on cookie sheets so that they are in an even single layer.  Bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden brown.  Serve immediately.

take-out fake-out: lawry's carvery turkey club

for 4 sandwiches:

4 chewy sandwich rolls (costco's torta breads are the closest i've found)

12 oz oven roasted turkey breast, sliced thinly

4 pieces bacon, crisped

4 leaves of bib lettuce, washed and dried

1 avocado, sliced

1 tomato, sliced (optional... i hate it)

3 tbs mayonaise

3 basil leaves, finely chopped

1/2 tsp lemon zest

1 tsp lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

in a small bowl mix mayo, basil, lemon zest, juice and salt and pepper.  slather both sides of the sandwich rolls with the mayo mixture.  stack turkey, bacon, avocado and lettuce on the bottom bun, top, slice in half and devour.

herb crusted grilled roast beef

3-4 lb top sirloin roast
6 cloves minced garlic
2 tbs rosemary, chopped
4 tsp salt
1 tbs black pepper

mix garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper together, rub all over the roast.  wrap the meat tightly in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 18-24 hrs (plan ahead!).  heat your grill and oil the grates.  turn off all burners but one.  place the roast on the grill over direct heat for 10 minutes on high on each side.

prepare the pan it will be roasted in by poking holes into the bottom of a disposable pan.  once your roast is nicely browned on all sides place the roast in the disposable pan and put the pan on the grill over the burners that are off for 30 minutes, rotate the pan and cook for another 30 minutes.  this will give you a medium rare roast, for more doneness up the cooking time by 10 minutes per rotation.  remove the roast from the pan and place on a wire wrack over a cookie sheet (this will let the juices drain away from the crust you worked hard to get on the grill).  let rest for 20 minutes and then carve.

chicken fricasse

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 tsp salt

2 tbs butter

1 tbs flour

1 tsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp pepper

1 lb cremini mushrooms sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup onion chopped finely

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 cup chicken stock

1/3 cup sour cream

1 egg yolk

2 tsp lemon juice

2 tsp fresh chopped herbs (any combo you like i.e. parsley and tarragon)

place chicken breasts in a baking dish and prick the fat end of the chicken breasts with a fork 4-6 times.  salt each chicken breasts with 1/4 tsp salt per side.  cover pan with foil and place in a 275 degree oven for 35 minutes (it will look so gross, don't worry).  pat the chicken dry with paper towels.  heat 1 tbs vegetable oil in a skillet (not non-stick) over medium high heat.

while the pan is heating, mix 2 tbs melted butter with 1 tbs flour and 1 tsp cornstarch and 1/2 tsp pepper. brush one side of the chicken breasts with this mixture and place in hot pan 3-4 minutes on the first side, coat the other side with the mixture and cook for an additional 4 minutes on a slightly lower temperature.  remove the chicken to a plate and cover with foil.

add 1 tbs butter to the same pan the chicken was cooked in.  when the butter is melted add the mushrooms and onion and cook for 8-10 minutes until browned.  pour in 1/4 cup water and cook until evaporated stir in scraping the bottom of the pan.  add garlic and stir to cook.  add chicken stock and bring it up to a simmer.  at this point pour any juices that have accumulated on your chicken plate to the pan.

measure out 1/2 cup of sauce.  mix sour cream with one egg and slowly whisk in warm sauce to temper the mixture.  add the sour cream mixture back into the rest of the sauce.  add lemon juice and chopped herbs.

pour sauce over chicken breasts and serve with a vegetable or over egg noodles.

deep dish cheese pizza

for the dough:

3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp table salt
2 tsp sugar
2 1/4 tsp yeast, instant or rapid rise
1/2 cup fine ground corn meal
3 tbs butter, melted
1 tsp olive oil

whisk ingredient together then add  1 1/4 cup room temperature water and 3 tbs melted butter and mix with dough hook 1-2 minutes on low speed scraping the sides to make sure the flour is all incorporated..  then mix on high speed until smooth and not sticking to the bowl (4-5 minutes).

coat a large bowl in 1 tsp of olive oil, turn the dough into the bowl and turn the dough to coat.  cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 45 min to an hour.

for the sauce:

2 tbs butter
1/4 cup of grated onion
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1/4 tsp sugar
2 tbs chopped baisl
1 tbs olive oil
salt and pepper to taste


melt butter in a sauce pan, add onion, oregano and salt stir and cook until golden brown.  add garlic and cook for 1 minute.  add crushed tomatoes and sugar.  bring to a simmer and reduce heat to medium low and let simmer for 25 minutes.  add basil and olive oil, salt and pepper to taste off heat.

for the pizza:

turn dough out onto dry board and roll out with a rolling pin gently until it is 15 x 12 inches.  spread softened butter onto dough up until 1/4 in from edge.  roll the dough up like a cinnamon roll.  roll the dough out until it is 18 x 4 in.  cut the log in half and fold the dough into thirds pinching the seams and put back into oiled bowl.  cover with plastic wrap and let rise in the refrigerator for 50 minutes.

oil 2 round cake pans with 2 tbs olive oil, make sure all sides are well greased.

for the filling:

2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 recipe pizza sauce
6 tbs finely grated parmesan

roll dough out to a 13 in circle.  transfer dough to the pan and press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the pan.  spread 2 cups of mozzarella into the bottom on the pizza dough and cover with 1 cups pizza sauce and sprinkle with 3 tbs finely grated parmesan per pizza.

bake pizzas at 425 degrees on the lowest rack for 25 minutes until crust is golden brown.  let sit for 15 minutes.  serve immediately.

cacio e pepe

4 oz imported pecorino romano grated on the teeth of the box grater
1 1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs heavy cream
1 lb spaghetti

boil 1 lb of spaghetti in 2 quarts of water with 1 1/2 tbs salt, stirring frequently.  drain the pasta into your serving dish, the water will warm the dish.  reserve 1 1/2 cup pasta water, discard the rest of the water.  put the pasta back into your serving dish.

stir 1 cup of pasta water into the grated cheese to melt it.  add 1 1/2 tsp black pepper, 2 tsp olive oil and 2 tbs heavy cream stir until smooth and well combined.

slowly pour sauce into the pasta tossing gently.  serve immediately.

rosemary focaccia

1/2 cup flour

1/4 tsp yeast

1/3 cup water , 110 degrees

2 1/2 cup flour

1 tsp yeast

1 1/4 cup water, 110 degrees

2 tsp kosher salt

4 tbs olive oil 

1 tsp kosher salt, for pans

2 tbs rosemary, chopped finely, 

stir first 3 ingredients together until well incorporated.  cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 8 hrs.

add 2 1/2 cup flour, 1 tsp yeast and 1 1/4 cup water, 110 degrees to your starter.  mix well with a wooden spoon.  cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.  add 2 tsp kosher salt and mix well.  cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes.  

spray a rubber spatula with cooking spray and fold the dough over itself 8 times (instead of kneading) this created larger air holes.  cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes.  fold the dough 8 times, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes, repeat.  while your dough is rising the last time place a baking stone or an inverted cookie sheet in a 500 degree oven.  

once you have folded and let rise 3 times flour your board and turn your dough out onto it.  divide the dough in 2, it should be wet and sticky, flour your hands to prevent the dough from sticking to your fingers.  tuck the edges under very gingerly to make 2 dough rounds.  coat 2 cake pans with 2 tbs olive oil per pan, spread oil with your fingers. then sprinkle 1/2 tsp kosher salt in each pan.  turn the dough into the pans and swirl around to coat with oil.  cover and let rise 5-10 minutes.  gently press the dough into the edges of the pan.  take a fork and prick the dough 25-30 times.  sprinkle 1 tbs of fresh rosemary finely chopped over each pan.  turn your oven down to 450 degrees.  let rest for 10 minutes.  

bake for 25-28 minutes at 450 degrees.  let cool for 5 minutes in pan and then turn out and let cook for another 30 minutes.