Pumpkin Pie

It's October...Halloween is almost here and what would be better than a Pumpkin Pie recipe?


INGREDIENTS:

Pastry dough 

•15-oz can canned solid-pack pumpkin (about 2 cups)

•1 cup heavy cream

•1/2 cup whole milk

•2 large eggs

•3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

•1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

•1 teaspoon ground ginger

•Pinch of ground cloves

•1/4 teaspoon salt

•Accompaniment: lightly whipped cream

DIRECTIONS:

Make pastry dough as directed. Roll out dough into a 14-inch round on a lightly floured surface and fit into a 9-inch glass pie plate (4-cup capacity). Crimp edge decoratively and prick bottom all over. Chill 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°°F.

Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake in middle of oven 20 minutes. Remove weights and foil and bake shell until pale golden, 6 to 10 minutes more. Cool in pan on a rack. Whisk together pumpkin, cream, milk, eggs, brown sugar, spices, and salt, then pour into shell.


Bake pie in middle of oven 45 to 50 minutes, or until filling is set but center still trembles slightly. (Filling will continue to set as pie cools.) Transfer to rack and cool completely.


DON'T SWEAT THE TECHNIQUE-

• To prevent overbaking custard, you should start checking the pie's doneness at 45 minutes, as ovens vary.

• Pie may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered, but crust will not be as crisp as if made day of serving.

There you have it...Enjoy!  Eat well my friends!

Creamy Chickem Spaghetti Caserole

Say you have Chicken in the Fridge and some unused Mushrooms and you want to do something with them, but you are not sure just what?

Why not create this lovely comfort food pasta dish?



INGREDIENTS:

Of course you're going to need some other ingredients like such...

1 whole fryer chicken, cut up

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter

1 pound white mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup dry white wine, divided Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup flour

2 cups chicken broth (reserved from chicken or canned)

1½ cup whole milk

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling

1 cup whole black olives, chopped Freshly ground black pepper

1 pound thin spaghetti


DIRECTIONS:

1. Place chicken in a pot of water and boil on medium-low heat for 30-40 minutes.

Remove chicken from pot and allow to cool slightly.

Keep broth in pot.

2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Throw in mushrooms, add 1/4 cup white wine, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, or until liquid has totally evaporated. Remove mushrooms from skillet. Set aside.

3. Bring broth to a boil. Break spaghetti into thirds (shorter pieces). Add spaghetti pieces to boiling broth and cook. Drain when al dente. Remove meat from bones and shred until you have 2-plus cups of shredded chicken.

4. Return large skillet to medium-low heat. Add 6 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle flour over butter, whisking to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Pour in 2 cups broth and whisk to combine. Pour in milk, additional 1/4 cup wine, salt and pepper to taste, then cook and bubble until thick. Turn off heat, add Parmesan cheese, and stir.

5. Add mushrooms, chicken, and chopped olives. Stir to combine and check seasonings. Add cooked spaghetti and stir.

6. Turn into a 9- by 13-inch casserole pan. Bake at 350°F or until golden brown and bubbly. Serve with salad and warm, crusty bread.

Enjoy!   Eat well my friends!

Riggatoni Amatriciana

It's Pasta ,so you know I love it right? Riggatoni Amatriciana

 A rich tomato pasta sauce with a hint of chili, crispy pancetta (though you could substitute smoked, streaky bacon) and served with freshly grated Parmesan will hit the spot on a chilly evening. Perhaps a glass of full-bodied red wine will complete the dish...

This my friends is supposed to be one of the great traditional Italian sauces, amatriciana is much-loved across the world. Salty pancetta adds depth to this tomato-based sauce which marries well with the slight chilli kick.


INGREDIENTS:

•14.1 oz rigatoni

 •4 slices pancetta, diced

•0.5 onion, chopped

•1 clove garlic, minced

•0.2 tsp dried crushed chillies

•2 400g tins peeled plum tomatoes

•1 handful chopped fresh basil and parsley

•0.7 oz flaked parmesan

DIRECTIONS:

1.Cook the pancetta in a saucepan over medium high heat until crisp, about 5 minutes.

2.Drain all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pan. Add onions and cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes.

3.Stir in garlic and crushed chillies, and cook for 30 seconds.

4.Add tinned tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes, breaking up tomatoes with your spoon.

5.Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, according to packet instructions.

6.Stir in basil and parsley into the sauce and then toss with the cooked pasta.

7.Serve with flaked parmesan on top.


And there it is...Enjoy with a nice red wine..

Eat well my friends!

Cornmeal Pan Rolls

These delightful golden rolls are always requested at Thanksgiving and Christmas, Hope you enjoy and make good use of this recipe..

INGREDIENTS:

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

2 tablespoons sugar

1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup water

3 tablespoons butter, divided

1 large egg, room temperature


DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, yeast and salt.

In a small saucepan, heat water and 2 tablespoons butter to 120°-130°.

Add to dry ingredients; beat until moistened.

Add egg; beat on medium speed for 3 minutes.

Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes.

Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top.

Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into 18 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball. Place in a greased 13x9-in. baking pan or two 9-in. round baking pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.

 Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Melt remaining butter; brush over rolls. Invert onto wire racks.

Enjoy!  Eat well my friends!

Orange Chicken

I know, I know...WHAT?  Yes..I said it..Orange Chicken...On those nights that you'd rather order takeout than cook, reach for this healthier orange chicken. It takes just 10 minutes from start to finish!
 Check it out....

INGREDIENTS:

1.25 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, diced into bite-sized pieces

• 1/2 cup cornstarch

• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 large oranges, juiced; plus more orange juice if necessary

• 1/3 cup lite soy sauce

• 1/4 cup honey

• 1 tablespoon green onions, diced into thin rounds


DIRECTIONS:

To a large skillet, add freshly squeezed orange juice, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, olive oil, and boneless skinless chicken breast pieces that have been dredged in cornstarch. It’s the secret ingredient.

Cook until the chicken is done, less than 10 minutes, and dig in to this better-than-takeout copycat orange chicken alongside your favorite rice.

1.To a large bowl or ziptop plastic bag, add the chicken, cornstarch, and toss or shake the bag to coat the chicken evenly; set aside.

2.To a large skillet, add the oils, orange juice, soy sauce, honey, add the chicken pieces but not any excess cornstarch that's at the bottom of your bowl or bag, turn the heat to medium, and cook until chicken is done and cooked through; flip chicken and stir pan sauce that's forming nearly constantly.

Tip - If at any time your sauce is tightening or thickening up too much before the chicken has cooked through, simply add additional orange juice to thin it and keep stirring.

3.Evenly garnish with green onions and serve immediately. Extra chicken will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.

And there it is...Enjoy!  Eat Well My Friends!