Mulled Cider

Its the first day of Autumn and I wanted cozy. Cozy is definitely a mug of hot, spiced cider.

Ingredients:

1/4 a gallon of fresh cider (I like Honeycrisp cider)

1 cinnamon stick

1/4 tsp Anise seeds

2 slices of fresh Ginger root

6 whole Cloves

The peel of 1 Lemon

Put all ingredients into a pot and simmer over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes. Strain and serve between 2 large mugs.

Chicken and Mushroom Stew

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs Chicken breast, cubed
  • 1 Sweet onion, diced
  • 4 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 2-3 Russet Potatoes, cubed
  • 8oz Mushrooms, sliced
  • 4 cups Chicken Broth or Stock
  • About 1/8 cup cashews, chopped
  • 1/4 cup Red Wine
  • 1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika
  • 1/8 tsp ground Thyme
  • 1 Tbs fresh Rosemary, roughly chopped
  • 1 tsp dried Parsley
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Pepper
  • 1/4 cup AP Flour
  • Olive Oil
  • Heavy Cream

Directions:

Add about 2 Tbs olive oil to a large pot or Dutch Oven over Medium High heat. When the oil is hot, add chicken to pot and season lightly with some salt and pepper, toss to coat and smooth the chicken to cover the bottom of the pot in one even layer. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes, then flip the chicken pieces with tongs. Cook chicken for another 3-4 minutes and remove to a separate bowl with a slotted spoon.

To the pot, add the onion, garlic, and potatoes to whatever liquid is left over from the chicken and coat the vegetables in it. If the pot is dry, add a little more olive oil. Cook roughly 6-8 minutes before adding the sliced Mushrooms. Continue to cook until the mushrooms release the liquid into the pot, return the chicken and any liquid in the bowl back into the pot.

Add the flour, measured salt and pepper, and the herbs and spices listed above. Toss to coat and cook another 3-4 minutes, until the flour looks cooked and everything is nicely coated. Pour the wine into the pot and stir, scraping up anything stuck to the bottom of the pot. Pour over the chicken broth and stir, adding the cashews as you do so.

Bring the stew to a simmer, and reduce the heat low enough to maintain the simmer. Cook the stew for 20 minutes. Add a splash of heavy cream to the stew, and warm through. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed and serve.

Potatoes and Ham

This is my take on the classic scalloped potatoes and ham. I don’t use the classic shape, though, which usually requires a mandolin. Its a great way to use up leftover ham from big meals, such as Christmas.

Ingredients:

  • 8 to 12 Dutch Gold Potatoes, scrubbed and peeled
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 whole small onion, diced
  • 1.5 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp black ground Pepper
  • 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
  • A pinch of Nutmeg
  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
  • 1.5 cups ham, cubed
  • 4 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 cup ap flour

    • Directions:

    Quarter the potatoes, and then thinly slice each quarter. Add potatoes to a bowl with the ham and set aside. Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large ovenproof Dutch oven, melt half the butter over medium heat. Add onions and garlic to butter with a pinch of salt and pepper and saute 3 to 5 minutes, until onions are softened and garlic fragrant. Add the remaining butter to the pot. Once melted, add in potatoes and ham. Cook and stir over medium heat, adding remaining salt, pepper and the Paprika. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring to keep cooking even and bottom from browning too much. Add flour and stir in, cooking for 3 additional minutes. Pour the milk over the mixture and stir everything together, adding the Nutmeg at this time. Bring the pot to a simmer and cook until the sauce begins to thicken. Check the seasoning and adjust to taste. Lid the pot, and transfer to the oven. Cook for 1 hour. Once the hour is up, remove from the oven and allow to cool, uncovered, for 20 minutes before plating.

    Guiness and Steak pot pie

    A good way to use leftover steak.

    Ingredients:

    • 2 cups good cooked steak, cubed

    • 1 large can Guiness draught (2 to 14 oz)
    • 1 small onion, thinly sliced
    • 2 minced cloves garlic
    • 2 potatoes and 2 carrots, peeled and diced
    • 2 Tbs fresh Thyme, chopped
    • 1 Tbs brown sugar
    • 2 tsp Worstershire sauce
    • 1 Tbs Balsamic vinegar
    • 2 Bay leaves
    • 1 cup beef broth or stock
    • Salt and pepper, to taste
    • A generous pinch of Nutmeg
    • 2 pie crusts, savory
    • 4 Tbs butter
    • 1/2 cup plain flour
    • 1 beaten egg, to wash the top of the pie.

    Directions:

    Melt butter in large pot. Saute garlic, onion, and vegetables in the butter along with the Thyme on medium heat for about 5 minutes, until tender. Add meat and stir about a minute, then add flour, and about a tsp each salt and pepper, then cook and stir for about 3 minutes to take the raw edge off of the flour. Pour Guiness and broth into the pot and add rest of the seasonings. Warm to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook for 30 minutes to an hour.

    While filling is simmering, preheat oven to 400°F. Once filling is thick, check seasonings and adjust to taste before transferring to a 9inch pie tin lined with one of the savory pie crusts. Smooth filling and top with remaining crust, sealing the edges. Cut vents into the top of the pie, then brush gently with egg wash. Cook in the oven over a baking sheet to catch any rogue filling for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven once pie crust is golden and filling bubbly. Let rest at least 30 minutes before serving.

    Butternut Squash and Parsnip Soup

    I lost my favorite recipe for butternut and parsnip soup!😬 So I winged it and came up with this! This version is slightly sweet. I plan to attempt a more savory one as well.

    Ingredients

    • 1 medium to large butternut squash, peeled and cubed

    • 4 peeled and cubed parsnips

    • ½ a Vidalia onion, large dice

    • Salt

    • White pepper

    • 1/4 to 1/2 tsp Ground thyme

    • 4 Tbs butter

    • 1 honey  crisp apple, peeled and cubed

    • 1 can coconut milk

    • Olive oil, about 2 Tbs

    • 2-4 cups unsalted chicken or vegetable stock

    • 1/4 tsp Cumin

    • 1/4 tsp Ground Cardamom

    • 1 Tbs Maple Syrup

    • Roasted Pepitas (or clean and roast the squash seeds!)

    Directions

    Coat squash and parsnips in olive oil. Add salt and pepper over top and sprinkle about ¼ tsp ground thyme over, then toss to coat. Roast in preheated 350° F oven for 30 minutes.

    In large pot, melt and brown butter over low heat, stirring, until it smells caramelized and is a brown color. Add onions and apples and stir. Cook over medium low heat for 5 to 8 minutes, or until soft.

    Check that the squash and parsnip are soft from roasting by poking with a fork. Once easily pierced, remove from oven and add to pot with apples and onions. Blend with an immersion blender, or carefully add to blender or food processor in parts, until everything is blended smooth. Add up to 2 cups of stock to help the blending process. If you did not use an immersion blender, transfer the soup back to the pot.

    Add ⅔ a cup of coconut milk to pot. At this point you can add up to 2 more cups of stock, or a bit more milk to reach a consistency that you enjoy (or both, I like to add a bit more coconut milk, and usually use all but 1/4 of the can). Bring the soup to a simmer.

    Add 1 Tbs maple syrup, ¼ tsp ground cardamom, ¼ tsp cumin and more salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 10 to 20 more minutes, until warmed through. 

    Ladle out, and top with some pepitas to serve.

    Italian Sausage and Peppers

    Ingredients

  • 6 sweet or mild Italian sausages
  • 2 red bell peppers, sliced
  • 1 vidalia onion, sliced
  • 6 cloves garlic, finely diced
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup red wine
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 Tbs Butter
  • 1 Tbs Olive Oil

    • White, cooked rice to serve (or large fresh rolls)

    Directions

    Heat olive oil in large skillet that comes with a lid. Add sausage links. Pour 1/2 cup water into skillet. Cover with lid. When water begins to boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook 12 minutes. Remove the lid and turn heat up to medium. Brown sausages on all sides, then remove to rest, at least 5 minutes. Slice sausages into rounds after resting. Do not drain skillet.

    Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Saute 3 minutes. Add peppers and seasonings. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, then add wine and sausage. Cook until wine reduces and taste for seasoning. Adjust as needed. Serve over hot white rice, or on rolls.

    Larpmom’s Hamburger Rolls

    Ingredients:

    2 envelopes rapid rise yeast
    1 cup ap flour, plus 1/2 cup reserved
    1/2 cup whole wheat flour
    1 cup whole milk, plus 1 Tbs reserved
    1 tsp salt
    1 Tbs sugar
    3 Tbs unsalted butter
    2 eggs, beaten, plus 1 egg reserved

    Instructions:

    Scald milk over medium heat in saucepan. Melt butter in milk. Remove from heat. Slowly whisk teaspoonfuls of hot milk mixture into eggs to temper, then add eggs into pot. Cool to warm to touch, not hot, then add sugar and yeast. Whisk and let bloom for 10 minutes. Combine flour in large bowl of stand mixer with dough hook attachment. Add milk mixture and combine with hook. Scrape down the bowl and add the salt. Knead on medium high for 8 minutes, add flour as needed until dough begins to pull from the sides of the bowl. Remove from stand mixer, flour hands and manually knead into a soft ball. Add about a tsp of vegetable oil over top and smooth around the dough. Cover and let rise 40 minutes to 1 hour. Turn out onto floured surface, roll and knead gently into a ball, then cut in quarters with a sharp knife. Cut each forth in half, then roll gently into bun shapes and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover and preheat oven to 425°F. Combine reserved milk and egg and brush tops of rolls with this wash. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, turning halfway through baking time.

    LarpMom’s Baked Mac n Cheese

    Ingredients:

    3/4 box cavapatti noodles cooked in salted water for 7 minutes
    4 oz cream cheese block, cubed
    8oz velveeta cheese block, cubed
    2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese
    1 cup shredded parmesan cheese, plus more to dust on top
    4 Tbs butter, plus 3 more Tbs reserved
    1/4 cup ap flour
    2 cups milk
    1 tsp salt
    1/8 tsp onion powder
    1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
    1/4 tsp smoked paprkia
    1/4 to 1/2 tsp black pepper
    1/4 tsp ground dry mustard
    1/8 to 1/4 cup pinot gregio
    1/2 cup bread crumbs

    Directions:

    Preheat oven to 375° F. Add spices to flour and stir to mix. Melt 4 Tbs of butter in large pot, then add flour and whisk until smooth and cooked about 2 minutes.

    Add 2 cups milk slowly, and continue to whisk to avoid clumping. Cook 3 to 5 minutes over medium heat, until thickened. Add cream cheese and velveeta, and stir until melted and smooth. Turn off burner, and 2 cups cheddar and 1 cup of parmesan. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

    Stir until melted and smooth. Pour wine into sauce and stir until mixed well. Add noodles and fold to coat. Transfer noodles to a 9×13 baking dish and smooth down until even in the dish. In the empty pot you used to cook the noodles, melt remaining butter and add the bread crumbs. Stir until fully moistened with butter and slightly toasted. Remove from heat. Grate more parmesan cheese over the macaroni and cheese, then top with bread crumbs.

    Cover with tin foil or a lid and bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10 additional minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes, then serve.

    Kielbasa and peas with Perogi

    Sometimes I make fresh perogi for this, but often just grab a box from the freezer section of the market. This makes a good quick weeknight meal.

    Ingredients:

    • 1 package kielbasa, precooked, sliced into thin rounds
    • 1 box perogi (I buy the cheddar variety)
    • Half a sweet onion, sliced thinly
    • 1/4 to 1/2 cup frozen green peas
    • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
    • Vegetable oil, about 3 Tbs divided
    • 1 to 2 Tbs butter

    Directions:

    Boil perogi in salted water for 3 minutes, then ladle into a separate bowl for later. In a large skillet or a big shallow pot, heat oil over medium temperature. When oil is hot, add onions and seasoning. Heat onions for 2 minutes, then add kielbasa slices. Cook 2 more minutes, then add peas. Cover pan and reduce heat to low, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until peas are heated through and kielbasa is hot. Remove from pan, leaving any oil and juices in the bottom of the pan. Add more oil if needed. Fry perogi in oil, butter, and juices until crisp, flipping over to make sure both sides are golden. Serve together with a little sour cream on the perogi, if desired.

    “Meatloaf” Burgers

    • 1 lb ground beef (I use ground round)
    • 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, plain
    • 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
    • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
    • 1/8 tsp oregano
    • 1/4 tsp dried parsley
    • 1 large egg
    • 2 Tbs whole milk

    Using clean, dry hands, combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Pinch off large handfuls and roll, then press into burger patties. I always press a dimple into one side of the patty with a knuckle to help prevent the burger curling while it cooks. Heat over grill, in a pan or on a griddle until burger is cooked to preference (I usually cook 3 to 4 minutes per side), then let rest about 10 minutes on a serving plate.

    * Sometimes I add 1/2 tsp dried onion and 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce as well for added flavor*