Cheddar, Chive & Jalapeno Corn Bread

Corn bread is one of those classic additions for a lot of meals. I have always loved it with chill, but it lends its self to a lot of fare. Cornbread can be dry & boring but I like to let it steal the show with adding a few extra delicious things. I'm a big fan of Cheddar & Jalapeno but also like adding chives, garlic or caramelized onions. You can't really go wrong with additions, as cornmeal is a blank canvas to play with. Adding some fresh or frozen corn kernels is also a playful add on. A nice heirloom corn meal also makes this dish that much more interesting and flavorful. 

Cheddar Chive Jalapeno Cornbread 

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus enough to grease the pan

1 cup cornmeal

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar or honey

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cups buttermilk

1/2 jalapeño, seeded, and diced

1/2 cup cheddar

2 tablespoons minced chives 

1/4 cup corn kernels  

Combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder & soda, salt. Beat eggs with the milk and butter and slowly add to mixture. Mix until combine (batter will still be lumpy). Add desired seasonings. Pour into greased pan and bake at 425 until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Sugar Pumpkin Hand-Pies with Ginger Snap Crust

We've had a bit of an Indian Summer in Philadelphia. As Fall has fallen, the 80 degree weather hasn't stopped me from craving some of my favorite Fall harvests. When I saw sugar pumpkin on sale at market, I was giddy to break it down and make the most of it. I think people generally have only ever carved a pumpkin for Halloween to let it rot on their stoop. However there is so much goodness waiting inside! With one pumpkin I made Pumpkin Curry, a Pumpkin pie, half a dozen cupcakes and a whole mess of Cinnamon toasted Pumpkin seeds! I'll assume you're an expert at cutting open the pumpkin, you can tackle it the old fashion way and cut the top and scoop the guts out, or you can halve it and have easier access. I can't tell you what a difference using fresh pumpkin was in this recipe as opposed to the canned variety. Pumpkins also have a great shelf life of around 2 months! So stock up on these fall goodies, throw them on the table or stairs as a festive reminder of the season and use them as you get to them. 

Sugar Pumpkin Hand-Pies with Ginger Snap Crust

makes about 24 hand pies 

Filling- 

2 cups fresh sugar pumpkin, peeled and quartered

1 1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoons salt

2 whole eggs

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon good cinnamon

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, ground clove, caramon

Peel & quarter pumpkin. Steam for about 5 minutes, or until tender and mash. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Beat eggs and pour over pumpkin mash, add dry ingredients. Stir in cream and blend till combined. Set aside.

Ginger Snap Crust- 

2 cups gingersnap crumbs, homemade is best (Sweetzels of Philadelphia is my favorite store bought brand)

1/4 cup brown sugar

a dash flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 stick butter, melted

Combine all dry ingredients and slowly stir in melted butter. In two cupcake pans with liners, press crumb mixture to the bottom of each liner, about a tablespoon. Pour about a 1/4 cup of filling into each cup. Bake for roughly 20 minutes or until a knife comes out from the center clean. Let cool. Top with whipped cream, pumpkin seeds or ice cream!

Spiced Sweet Potato Bisque

Soup always makes a rough day right. I have been working tirelessly on many a food project and by the time I roll home in the wee hours of the night, nothing does me right like a solid bowl of sweet potato bisque. I have recently fell in love with steaming veggies like squash and potatoes. I find that it gives you more control of the texture, in that you can easily check on them, you use half the water you would when boiling and you get an awesome concentrated stock out of the process! This soup is super easy and can be taken in any direction. I decided to add a little protein and used a chicken stock, but it can easily be vegetarian. I also went for really aromatic spices and suspect that this would also make a great curry. 

Spiced Sweet Potato Bisque  

3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered

5 cups stock (vegetable or chicken) 

3 gloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup cream

1 teaspoons of turmeric, curry, cinnamon, cumin, chili powder

salt & pepper to taste

In a large pot with a steam basket, boil roughly 3 cups of water. Add quartered sweet potatoes and steam until tender, about 5-10 minutes. Remove basket and keep remaining liquid. Add potatoes and mash until smooth. Add cream and bring to a simmer. Season to taste and and top with garnish.  

Suggested Toppings

2 apples, diced

1 large onion, diced

cooked ground turkey or your favorite sausage

In a skillet sauté apples and onions until golden. 

 

Bison Shepard's Pie

As we head into the cool months my bones ache for hearty & filling meals. This delicious Shepard's pie or cottage pie, is a wonderful and easy way to use up those potatoes you've had sitting around or make use of the new abundance of squash from market. I originally used ground turkey for this recipe, but I really like the lean flavor of the bison. Beef or lamb are also great choices. You can use whatever veggies you have on hand and this pie also makes great leftovers!

Bison Shepard's Pie

• 2 lbs potatoes (3-4 big ones)
• 1 acorn squash
• 5 tablespoons butter 
• 3 onions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 lbs ground bison
• 1 cups stock (veg, beef, etc, homemade is best)
• 2 cups chopped veggies such as carrots, squahs, peas, & mushrooms
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• Salt & pepper

Peel & quarter potatoes & squash and steam for about 15 minutes, or until tender. In a large bowl smash steamed potatoes & squash with butter. Set aside.

In a large cast iron skillet or oven safe pan, heat a table spoon of oil with a pad of butter. When the butter is done bubbling, the pan is hot enough. Sauté onions until translucent and add the carrots and mushrooms. Add ground bison and and cook until brown(about 5-10 minutes). Add a cup of stock and cook uncovered on low for 10 minutes. Add peas. Season to taste. Cover with prepared mashed veggies and cook at 400 degree until the mash is golden. Garnish with chives and enjoy!

Roasted Herb Chicken

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 The scent of sage, rosemary and chicken are the perfect perfume to remind you that fall is right around the corner. I have already been unreasonably excited for the season and dreaming of honey crisp apples, pumpkins and all the rich & savory dishes I can create. When I decided to roast a whole chicken, I was excited to put a little extra effort in and brine my bird before roasting. For those of you who aren't familiar with brining meat, this is a wonderful way to ensure your bird is tender and juicy. You can brine all meats and it is easy to do so, but it does require a bit of foresight. A brine essentially consist of a salt water solution and can be seasoned in anyway you would like and really makes a difference in the final product. 

Roasted Herb Chicken

BRINE-In a large container add, 1 gallon water, and stir in 3/4 cup salt, 2/3 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar. Season with 2 tablespoon pepper corns, 2 sage leaves and 1 rosemary sprig. Cover and place in fridge for 2 hours or overnight (The longer the better). 

Season the bird and rub with olive oil and salt and pepper. Place bird on top a bed of carrots & potatoes with some rosemary and sage. You can also stuff your chicken with garlic, lemons and more herbes for added flavor. For a 4 pound bird, roast at 325 for 2 hours checking often. If your chicken skin is browning to quickly, place a tent of tin foil over the breast. 

Enjoy! 

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