A Delicious Autumn Meal

Apple, Bacon, Sage and Fontina Stuffed Pork Chops
(print recipe) 

6 bacon slices
2 Gala Smith apples, peeled and diced
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 cup fontina cheese, cubed
4 boneless pork chops
1 1/8 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 teaspoons pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 red potatoes, scrubbed and cubed

Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon, and set aside.
Sauté the chopped apples, shallots, and ginger in hot drippings 5 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat; stir in sage.
Stir together apple mixture, bacon, and cheese in a bowl. Do not clean the pan.

Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each pork chop, cutting to, but not through, other side to form a pocket. Sprinkle both sides and pocket of each pork chop with salt and pepper. Spoon apple mixture into pockets.  Reserve any extra "stuffing".
Sear pork chops,in same skillet apple mixture was sauteed in over medium-high heat 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until golden. (You may need to add some additional olive oil).  Surround with cubed potatoes, sprinkle with some salt and pepper and  drop the extra "stuffing" over potatoes
Bake at 425° for 25 to 30 minutes or until done.

Labels: apple, fontina, pork chops

Read more: http://www.thesaucygourmet.net/2011/11/apple-bacon-sage-and-fontina-stuffed.html#ixzz28j8lzyS8

I loved all the components of this recipe. Really...can anything with bacon not taste great! The only thing I left out was the ginger. Of course I left a garden full of sage back in CT and the supermarket here in AZ was out of fresh sage which meant I had to buy jarred sage. :(

I also opted not to make a dessert. I used the pumpkin ingredient to make a soup. In spite of the fact that I did not use fresh pumpkin, it was very good and I would make it again. I used one can of pureed pumpkin and made some minor adjustments with the other ingredients to get the consistency right. It would be a nice starter to a Thanksgiving meal. Here is the pumpkin soup recipe. BTW I did not serve it in the cute little pumpkins.  Bowls were just fine for Bob and I. 

http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/soups/pumpkin-soup-2/?print=1/#size3x5

Prep Time 5 Minutes Cook Time 1 Hour

Servings 8

Difficulty Easy

Ingredients

• 2 whole Pie Pumpkins
• 1 quart Vegetable Or Chicken Stock
• ½ cups Heavy Cream
• ⅓ cups Maple Syrup
• Dash Of Nutmeg
• Salt To Taste
• Extra Cream, For Serving

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place pumpkins on a cookie sheet and roast them until slightly shriveled and soft. Allow to cool slightly, then slice in half and carefully scoop out seeds and pulp. Scoop yummy flesh into a bowl. Set aside.

In a pot, heat up the pumpkin flesh with the stock and maple syrup until simmering. Mash out the big chunks, the transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor (or use an immersion blender) and puree until velvety smooth. Add cream and nutmeg, then blend again.

Reheat if you need to, or just go ahead and serve in a hollowed-out pumpkin of whatever size you’d like.

Overall, I would encourage you to try these recipes.

It's Time To Get Cooking Again

Greetings from Candlewood Lake!

Nothing like a nice fire at the beach on a cool fall evening.

Time to say goodbye to summer and hello to our cooking blog. We are going to change the "rules" for coming up with a menu. Instead of posting recipes we must all follow, we will post ingredients that you have to incorporate in some manner into the Sunday dinner. Then each sister - or anyone else who is interested- will post the recipes and comments about how their dinner went. It's always nice to share some pictures of the finished products and event. 

BTW - you can use favorite recipes for these menus. 

Ingredients: pork, pumpkin, sage and apples. 

(sounds like one of the boxes they open on Master Chef)

Time Frame: Now through November 18th

Enjoy - Be Creative

Happy Easter

I could write a sonnet
about your Easter bonnet...
Irving Berlin

Everything is blooming most recklessly; if it were voices instead of colors, there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night. ~Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters of Rainer Maria Rilke

Something's going on...During holidays I am normally totally obsessed with cleaning my house and cooking up a storm...but it's been a week already and I'm only just getting around to spring cleaning and thinking about our menu for this month. So, I've put together this quick and easy three course meal. I was given some raspberry vinegar for Christmas and have taken a liking to the mixture of sweet and sour salads. The mix of pear and fresh greens with just about any dressing is delightful, but I've made something similar to this one and love the combination of nuts, pears and raspberry. A sure sign of spring here is the appearance of fresh asparagus in the shops. Sage is a favorite seasoning of ours, so thought this pasta dish might be worth a try. Pavlova, an Australian delicacy, is a luscious dessert, named after the famous Russian ballerina. Since the meringue and fruit can be prepared beforehand, all you have to do at dinner is whip up the cream and dessert is ready. I like to make six or so individual meringues, rather than one large one....either way, it's quite a versatile sweet. The recipe I've provided here is traditional. However, the link below will lead you to pages of mouthwatering variations on this theme if you're in the mood for a more imaginative take on it. As the Aussies would say, it's a rip snorter so bog in!

http://www.tastespotting.com/search/pavlova/1

Pear Salad with Raspberry Dressing

• 3 Tbs sugar
• 1/2 cup pecan halves
• 8 cups assorted fresh greens/Romaine
• 1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola, bleu, or feta cheese
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries or cherries
• 3 or 4 pears (D’Anjou) peeled, cored, sliced into wedges
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced (optional)

Dressing:

• 4 Tbs raspberry vinegar
• 1/2 cup canola/vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp cracked pepper
• 4 Tbs sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 Tbs dried parsley

In nonstick pan, heat 3 tablespoons sugar over medium heat until liquid; add pecans, stirring to coat. Turn out onto a plate. When cool, break pecans apart. Combine dressing ingredients and mix well.

Toss together the greens, crumbled cheese, dried cranberries or cherries, prepared pecans, and onions with the dressing. Divide among the salad plates, and arrange the pear wedges on top. Serve immediately. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

http://www.mysisterskitchenonline.com/2007/11/21/pear-salad-with-raspberry-vinaigrette/

Recipe: Penne with Asparagus, Sage and Peas

Ingredients

1. 1/2 pound penne
2. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3. 3 garlic cloves, minced
4. 1 pound thick asparagus, cut into 1-inch lengths
5. 2 cups chicken stock
6. 2 cups (10 ounces) shelled English peas or frozen baby peas, thawed
7. 1/4 cup heavy cream
8. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
9. 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
10. 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
11. Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and asparagus and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the stock and boil over high heat until reduced by half and the asparagus are tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the peas and cream to the skillet and boil over high heat until the sauce has thickened, 3 minutes. Stir in the penne and cook until heated through. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, sage and the 1/2 cup of cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the pasta to bowls and serve right away, passing additional cheese at the table.

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/penne-with-asparagus-sage-and-peas

Easy Pavlova

By: Rosina

"To keep your meringue from being flat and grainy, try beating egg whites until stiff but not dry. Overbeaten egg whites lose volume and deflate when folded into other ingredients. Also, when beating in sugar, beat in about 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well between each addition. Then beat until meringue is thick, white and glossy. Be absolutely sure not a particle of grease or egg yolk gets into the whites."

Ingredients

• 4 egg whites
• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 pint heavy cream
• 6 kiwis or your favorite fruit topping- Traditionally fresh strawberries are spooned on top, but really, any fruit will do. If the fruit is frozen, simply thaw it in a pot over a low flame with a little bit of sugar...not too much as the tartness of the fruit contrasts nicely with the sweetness of the meringue and the cream.
  

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Draw a 9 inch circle on the parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Gradually add in the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat until thick and glossy. Overbeaten egg whites lose volume and deflate when folded into other ingredients. Be absolutely sure not a particle of grease or egg yolk gets into the whites. Gently fold in vanilla extract, lemon juice and cornstarch.
3. Spoon mixture inside the circle drawn on the parchment paper. Working from the center, spread mixture toward the outside edge, building edge slightly. This should leave a slight depression in the center.
4. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack.
5. In a small bowl beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form; set aside. Remove the paper, and place meringue on a flat serving plate. Fill the center of the meringue with whipped cream, sweetened if desired. Top whipped cream with kiwifruit slices.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easy-pavlova/

March Dessert

THE ULTIMATE FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

Serves 12 to 16.   Published March 1, 1998.  

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

For our ultimate flourless chocolate cake recipe, we wanted a texture somewhere between a substantial marquise au chocolat—that dense, buttery, and just slightly aerated chocolate mousse with a characteristic dry but creamy texture—and a heavy New York-style cheesecake, which requires the mouth to work for just a second before the stuff melts and dissolves with sublime flavor. To achieve this texture in our flourless chocolate cake recipe, we beat whole eggs into a foam and gently folded in bittersweet or semisweet chocolate and strong coffee or liqueur. Then we baked our cake in a water bath at a low temperature, and removed the cake from the oven when it reached 140 degrees.

Even though the cake may not look done, pull it from the oven when an instant-read thermometer registers 140 degrees. (Make sure not to let tip of thermometer hit the bottom of the pan.) It will continue to firm up as it cools. If you use a 9-inch springform pan instead of the preferred 8-inch, reduce the baking time to 18 to 20 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

• 8large eggs , cold
• 1pound bittersweet chocolate or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1/2pound unsalted butter (2 sticks), cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1/4cup strong coffee or liqueur (optional)
• Confectioners' sugar or cocoa powder for decoration

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line bottom of 8-inch springform pan with parchment and grease pan sides. Cover pan underneath and along sides with sheet of heavy-duty foil and set in large roasting pan. Bring kettle of water to boil.
2. 2. Beat eggs with hand-held mixer at high speed until volume doubles to approximately 1 quart, about 5 minutes. Alternately, beat in bowl of electric mixer fitted with wire whip attachment at medium speed (speed 6 on a KitchenAid) to achieve same result, about 5 minutes.
3. 3. Meanwhile, melt chocolate and butter (adding coffee or liqueur, if using) in large heat-proof bowl set over pan of almost simmering water, until smooth and very warm (about 115 degrees on an instant-read thermometer), stirring once or twice. (For the microwave, melt chocolate and butter together at 50 percent power until smooth and warm, 4 to 6 minutes, stirring once or twice.) Fold 1/3 of egg foam into chocolate mixture using large rubber spatula until only a few streaks of egg are visible; fold in half of remaining foam, then last of remaining foam, until mixture is totally homogenous.
4. 4. Scrape batter into prepared springform pan and smooth surface with rubber spatula. Set roasting pan on oven rack and pour enough boiling water to come about halfway up side of springform pan. Bake until cake has risen slightly, edges are just beginning to set, a thin glazed crust (like a brownie) has formed on surface, and an instant read thermometer inserted halfway through center of cake registers 140 degrees, 22 to 25 minutes. Remove cake pan from water bath and set on wire rack; cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight to mellow (can be covered and refrigerated for up to 4 days).
5. 5. About 30 minutes before serving, remove springform pan sides, invert cake on sheet of waxed paper, peel off parchment pan liner, and turn cake right side up on serving platter. Sieve light sprinkling of Confectioners’ sugar or unsweetened cocoa powder over cake to decorate, if desired.

TECHNIQUE

Propping the Mixer

By setting the hand held mixer on a crock, pile of books, or some other prop, you can avoid having to hold the mixer for five minutes as you are beating the eggs to a froth.

America’s Test Kitchen is a 2,500-square-foot kitchen located just outside of Boston. It is the home of Cook’s Country and Cook’s Illustrated magazines and is the workday destination for more than three dozen test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists. Our mission is to test recipes until we understand how and why they work and arrive at the best version. We also test kitchen equipment and supermarket ingredients in search of brands that offer the best value and performance. You can watch us work by tuning in to America’s Test Kitchen (www.americastestkitchen.com) on public television.

March 2012 Menu

Even though we are heading towards Spring, I still like the idea of a good braised meal. March can be a month where we are teased by the flowers peeking through the hard ground but still have many days to go before those in the colder sections of the country start to see the big warm-up. That’s why we wait till May to head back to Connecticut. Even here in AZ I can appreciate and love the smells of a good braised dish in March.

I have chosen a braised pork ragu for this month. It will be served over pasta (I will buy my pasta), but you can check out the website for this recipe and try his homemade pasta recipe. I will probably choose a wide pappardelle noodle.

This should be served with a simple tossed salad of your choice and of course a great loaf of warm Italian bread.

Wine - any nice Italian red. 

For dessert, the chocolate lover in me chose a flourless chocolate cake. This can be made a few days in advance and just refrigerated.


The comments and pictures below are from the website:


http://www.macheesmo.com/2010/09/pork-ragu-plus-pasta-night/

Pork Ragu

Yield: Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

2.5 pounds boneless pork butt
8 ounces bacon or pancetta
1 large carrot, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 28 ounce can stewed tomatoes
2 Cups water
1 cup white wine (you could use red, but I used white for this and really liked it)
2 bay leaves
1 Teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 Teaspoon cinnamon (trust me)
Salt and pepper
Basic Pasta Recipe (From How to Cook Everything)
2 Cups flour (all-purpose flour, Semolina flour, etc.)
3 large egg yolks
2 large eggs
1/2 Teaspoon salt (or 1 Teaspoon kosher salt)
Helpful Equipment:
Pasta Maker (Attachment or the stand-alone variety)

The Ragu

I don’t make a lot of slow-cooked meat sauces here on Macheesmo but sometimes there’s nothing better. The thing that I don’t normally do is just toss a bunch of ground meat in with tomato sauce and call it good. We can do better.
So much better.
This is one of those recipes of love that requires a bit of time but is very flexible ingredient-wise and very low maintenance actually.
Start with a boneless pork butt and chop it into about 1 inch chunks. I like leaving on most of the fat because it melts down as it simmer and makes the sauce really flavorful. You could trim it off though if it bothers you.

You could trim off some of that fat... but WHY?

Get a large heavy pot (cast iron works great if you have one but you can use anything really) going over high heat and once it’s hot, add your pork pieces in batches. Brown them evenly on each side. Don’t be afraid if a little smoke happens.
This is probably the most important part of the recipe. Making sure all the pork is nice and browned is pretty key. As the pieces brown, pull them out onto a plate until they are all done.

The start of something wonderful.

This is important because the meat caramelizes a bit but also because you end up with what some people consider garbage but I consider to be liquid deliciousness.

Liquid flavor.

You would have to be insane to throw this stuff away.
Instead what you want to do is add some bacon to it and let it brown over medium-high heat and then add the carrots, onions, celery, and garlic and a pinch of salt.
This will start to smell really really good.

Bacon and veggies...

Once the veggies are soft, add the wine and it will hiss and steam. Use the wine to scrape up any little bits of food stuck to the bottom.
Then add all your pork pieces back into the pot along with the stewed tomatoes, water, and spices.
Simmer this, covered, for about 3 hours.
We’re not done.
Then simmer it for about 2 more hours with the lid off to get the liquid reducing.
Next, take out a piece of pork and try to pull it apart. If it doesn’t fall apart then cook it longer. It’s almost impossible to overcook this so don’t worry about that. Once the pork is tender just kind of mush up the pieces so they shred apart some.
This was mine after about 3 hours of simmering covered.

Liz and Bob's Feb. Meal Pics

Here are a few pictures of our Feb. meal. I'm going to have to take lessons from Gregory on how to take yummy looking food pics. Once again I would encourage you to try cooking your next chicken this way. Very easy and very delicious. The chocolate dessert - well let's just say that I had it for breakfast a few days in a row (minus the ice-cream). Wonderful with morning coffee - then I had the whole day to work it off....
Hugs to all - I'll be picking the meal for next month - thinking about a nice Irish Lamb stew.

Chicken Licken

“Dining with one’s friends and beloved family is certainly one of life’s primal and most innocent delights, one that is both soul-satisfying and eternal...”

Julia Child

Julia Child's comment suggests why this blog has such appeal...it's a cyberspace dinner party with my beloved sisters. We loved the lemony chicken. Like Liz, I asked the butcher to cut it for me. From the start of our interaction, it was obvious that the Germans don't understand 'butterflied' chicken...And at first, when I asked him to cut out the backbone, I pointed to the breastbone...needless to say, he was a bit confused. After my lesson on chicken anatomy, I explained again with gestures, putting my hands together, as if in prayer, then opening them out, with the thumbs together and placing my palms flat on the counter. The butcher disappeared into the backroom and a few minutes later returned with it beautifully butterflied. What an easy roast! The vegetable salad reminded us of a salade Nicoise we enjoyed in the south of France...minus the tuna. We can't get fresh asparagus at this time of year so I substituted green beans...the aoli sauce lacked flavour (not sure why...anemic tarragon?), so Andrew thought to pour some of the lemon sauce from the chicken on top...horrified at first ("Would you sit down to a dinner at Gasthof Widman and mix everything together like that?!!!"), I tried it later myself and found that, on the plate with the lemony chicken sauce, the salad tasted great! The chocolate fudge cake was everything a chocolate cake should be...now I know why they call it devil's food!

FEBRUARY MEAL

Happy February! We have been enjoying a very mild winter her Wisconsin. I hope that this recipe will not be too difficult for us. I have never butterflied a chicken before and for those of us that buy them in a store, perhaps the butcher will do this for you. Since we celebrate Valentines Day this month I thought that a rich chocolate dessert might be in order. Also at this time of the year, we start to crave more vegetables,especially greens and I thought that this combination potatoes and vegetable salad might work with the chicken. I think you could really add or subtract any of the veggies from this according to your liking, but that the potatoes should not be excluded as they go so well with the aioli. Happy Valentines Day to my loving sisters!!!

ROASTED GARLIC AIOLI SALAD

Roasted Garlic Aioli Sauce

2 whole garlic heads

2 cups prepared mayonnaise

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or tarragon

salt and ground black pepper to taste

COOKED VEGETABLES

4 cups potatoes cut into bite-sized chunks

4 cups halved mushrooms (about 1 pound)

3 cups red bell pepper strips

1 pound asparagus, tough stem ends removed

RAW VEGETABLES

rinsed and chopped lettuce or other fresh greens

2 tomatoes, cut into wedges

2 scallions, sliced on a severe diagonal

hard-boiled eggs, cut into quarters

pitted black olives

Roast the garlic, cool, then squeeze the soft garlic out of the skins into a food processor or bowl. Add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, dill or tarragon. Whirl or whisk into a smooth sauce and add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside in the refrigerator.

Steam or boil the potatoes, mushrooms, bell pepper and asparagus, one vegetable at a time until just tender. Drain and set aside at room temperature.

On a large serving platter, make a bed with the greens. Arrange the cooked vegetables in the center and the tomato wedges around the edges. Sprinkle with the scallions and garnish with the hard-boiled eggs and olives. Offer the Roasted Garlic Aioli Sauce in a small serving bowl to pass at the table or in individual cups.

ROASTED LEMON CHICKEN

Serves 3 to 4

Avoid using nonstick or aluminum roasting pans in this recipe. The former can cause the chicken to brown too quickly, while the latter may react with the lemon juice, producing off-flavors.

INGREDIENTS

• 1whole chicken (3 1/2- to 4-pounds), backbone removed and butterflied (see related Step-By-Step)
• 3tablespoons grated lemon zest plus 1/3 cup juice from 3 lemons
• 1teaspoon sugar
• Salt and pepper
• 2cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1cup plus 1 tablespoon water
• 1teaspoon cornstarch
• 3tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. SEASON Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Combine lemon zest, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt in small bowl. Following photo 2 (of step-by-step), rub 2 tablespoons zest mixture under skin of chicken. Season chicken with salt and pepper and transfer to roasting pan. (Seasoned chicken can be refrigerated for 2 hours)

• 2. ROAST Whisk broth, 1 cup water, lemon juice, and remaining zest mixture in 4-cup liquid measuring cup, then pour into roasting pan. (Liquid should just reach skin of thighs. If it does not, add enough water to reach skin of thighs.) Roast until skin is golden brown and thigh meat registers 170 to 175 degrees, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer to cutting board and let rest 20 minutes.

• 3. MAKE SAUCE Pour liquid from pan, along with any accumulated chicken juices, into saucepan (you should have about 1 1/2 cups). Skim fat, then cook over medium-high until reduced to 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Whisk cornstarch with remaining water in small bowl until no lumps remain, then whisk into saucepan. Simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Off heat, whisk in butter and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Carve chicken and serve, passing sauce at table.

MORE LEMON FLAVOR IN LESS TIME

Butterflying the chicken may be unfamiliar, but this surprisingly simple process makes it easier to flavor the chicken with lemon—and it speeds roasting, too.

• 

  1. Use kitchen shears to cut out the backbone. Flip the bird over and press to flatten the breastbone.

• 

  2. Carefully loosen the skin, then rub zest mixture into the breast, thigh, and leg meat.

• 

  3. Roast the flattened chicken in the lemony sauce so that its flavor can permeate the meat.

  
  

  
  

  HERSHY'S HOT FUDGE PUDDING CAKE

  Ingredients:

  • 1-1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa, divided
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1-1/4 cups hot water
  • Whipped topping

  
  

  Directions:

  • 1. Heat oven to 350°F. Combine 3/4 cup granulated sugar, flour, 1/4 cup cocoa, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk, butter and vanilla; beat until smooth.
  • 2. Pour batter into ungreased 9-inch square baking pan. Stir together remaining 1/2 cup granulated
  • sugar, brown sugar and remaining 1/4 cup cocoa; sprinkle mixture evenly over batter. Pour hot water
  • over top; do not stir.
  • 3. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Remove from oven; let stand 15 minutes.
  • Serve in dessert dishes, spooning sauce from bottom of pan over top. Garnish with whipped topping.
  • About 8 servings.

  
  

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