Pumpkin Cheesecake

Courtesy of Paula Deen

Yes, you are reading this correctly. I baked. It's kind of a big deal. For those that know me, you know I do not enjoy baking...it usually makes me really frustrated and I end up screaming that I'm never baking again. This go around was no different, BUT I must say that this came out really well and was a big hit! I highly recommend trying this recipe if you're looking for a good pumpkin cheesecake. Thanks to my good friend Erin for making me aware of this recipe! XOXO.

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 stick melted salted butter

Filling:

• 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 (15-ounce) can pureed pumpkin
• 3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For crust:
In medium bowl, combine crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter. Press down flat into a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.*

For filling:
Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, sugar and the spices. Add flour and vanilla. Beat together until well combined. Pour into crust. Spread out evenly and place in oven for 1 hour (I did 1 hour, 10 minutes). Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. I let mine set overnight and it turned out really well the next day.

*Note: Erin instructed me to use the water bath to prevent cracking, which definitely worked. There were no cracks! Simply wrap the springform on the bottom and sides with foil. Place into a larger baking pan and fill with water, up to about an inch up the pan. Remove from water bath once cooled and you're about to put it in the refrigerator.

Poulet au Vinaigre de Romarin

Adapted from One Perfect Bite Blog

This dish was really delicious, it had so many flavors. I halved the below recipe and was really happy with it. I think this would also be good just as a chicken dish, although the sausage did add a nice zing.
 
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound sweet turkey Italian sausage, cut in 1/2-inch rounds
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1-1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1/4 cup red wine vinegar (I threw in a bit more)
1/2 cup canned low-sodium chicken broth (I threw in a bit more)
1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 teaspoon water
2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped fresh

Directions:
1) Heat oil in a large heavy skillet pan set over medium heat. When oil shimmers, add sausage and cook, stirring often, until sausage is lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
2) While sausage browns, season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour and shake off excess.
3) Remove sausage from pan and set aside. Add garlic and saute until light golden brown. Remove garlic from pan and set aside. Add chicken and cook over medium-high heat, turning once, until chicken is brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. Pour off fat. Return sausage and garlic to pan and scatter rosemary over all.
4) Pour in vinegar and bring to a boil. Boil until the vinegar is almost entirely evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover pan, and simmer for 15 minutes longer. Add cornstarch mixture and cook until thickened, turning chicken pieces to glaze. Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately. Yield: 4 to 5 servings.

Brussel Sprouts with Bacon, Garlic, and Shallots

Courtesy of Cooking Light

I have a confession. I have never had brussel sprouts...seriously. It was one of those foods growing up that I claimed I did not like, but had actually never tried. I somehow got away with never having to eat them, but lately, I've seen a few recipes that looked pretty good. After all, I am 30 years old, so I figured it's something I should try. I actually thought these were pretty good! Well, adding bacon to anything makes it good, but these were definitely tasty.

Ingredients

• 6 slices center-cut bacon, chopped
• 1/2 cup sliced shallot (about 1 large)
• 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon, and sauté for 5 minutes or until bacon begins to brown. Remove pan from heat. Remove the bacon from pan with a slotted spoon, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in pan (discard the remaining drippings).
2. Return pan to medium-high heat, and stir in bacon, shallot, and Brussels sprouts; sauté 4 minutes. Add garlic, and saute for 4 minutes or until garlic begins to brown, stirring frequently. Add the chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes or until the broth mostly evaporates and the sprouts are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in salt and pepper.

Buffalo Chicken Salad

Courtesy of Plated Perfection
(Chicken seasoning courtesy of Cooking Light)


I have a serious obsession with buffalo chicken. My love affair is more with the sauce itself, but buffalo chicken is one of my favorite foods ever. Anyone that knows me can attest to that! I had some chicken thighs to use up and was craving buffalo sauce and ranch dressing (one of the best matches ever made). I thought I'd give this a shot. The recipe was originally just for the buffalo chicken thighs, but I decided to just make a salad with it. It was DELICIOUS. Definitely give this a shot! 

Ingredients
6 tb all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground cayenne red pepper
8 chicken thighs, skinless and boneless
3 tb hot sauce (I used Frank's)
1 tb butter
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or whichever cheese you prefer)
Ranch Dressing (to serve with the salad)
Lettuce for salad (I used butter lettuce) 

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; seal. Shake to blend. Add half of chicken to bag; seal. Shake to coat. Remove chicken from bag, shaking to remove excess flour mixture. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add flour-coated chicken to pan; sauté 4 minutes on each side or until browned. Transfer browned chicken to a baking dish. Repeat procedure with the remaining uncooked chicken, flour mixture, and oil. Discard remaining flour mixture. Bake chicken at 375° for 8 minutes or until done.
3. Combine hot sauce and butter in a microwave-safe dish; microwave at HIGH for 30 seconds or until butter melts, stirring to blend.
4. Top salad with the cheddar cheese, one chicken thigh, and drizzle the buffalo sauce on top of the salad. Serve with Ranch.

 

Baked Eggs with Tomato Sauce

Courtesy of Plated Perfection

I love tomato sauce and am usually looking for any excuse to eat it. I do like to make my own sauce usually, but there are two brands that I absolutely love: Rao's (my FAVORITE Italian restaurant) and San Marzano.  I had some San Marzano on hand, so thought I'd toss it into breakfast! I also got to use the cutest baking dish ever - which was a gift years ago from my friend Sarah. Try this out, it's delicious and absurdly easy to make!

Ingredients
1 egg
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 basil leaf, chiffonade style
2 tb fresh grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
1-2 slices toast (I used sourdough)
dash of garlic powder (I used garlic powder with parsley)
1 tsp olive oil, to brush on the toast

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spoon 1/4 cup tomato sauce into the ramekin (or small dish). Top with half of the parmesan cheese and the basil. Crack one egg on top. Top with a dash of salt and pepper. Bake for approximately 12 minutes until the white develops and the yolk starts to set (to your preference). In the meantime, brush the olive oil on the bread and sprinkle with the garlic powder and a pinch of parmesan cheese. Throw the bread in the last 5 minutes while the egg is cooking, on aluminum foil, until bread is crisp. Take both out of the oven and top the egg with the remaining parmesan cheese. Scoop up with the bread and savor it!

Cabernet Braised Short Ribs with Polenta

Adapted from Cooking Light

I have had this recipe on my list for quite some time, but I knew it would be somewhat time consuming. Today, I decided to take advantage of doing online training from home and cooking this during my breaks. It proved to be pretty difficult because of that, just in terms of multiple steps, but boy will it make your house smell amazing! I gotta say, there's nothing better than hearty meals in the Fall and Winter...good ole comfort food! I did make a couple of modifications - I used boneless short ribs instead of bone-in, and I also used pre-cooked polenta because that is the only thing that was available.  I am posting the original recipe, but my photo is with my modifications :)

Ingredients

Ribs:

• 16 (3-ounce) bone-in beef short ribs, trimmed
• 5/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3/4 cup chopped shallots
• 1/2 cup chopped carrot
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 6 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 rosemary sprig
• 2 1/2 cups cabernet sauvignon or other dry red wine
• 1 1/4 cups lower-sodium beef broth
• 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons water
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Gremolata:

• 1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 1 garlic clove, minced

Polenta:

• 3 cups fat-free milk
• 1 cup water
• 5/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup quick-cooking polenta
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation

1. Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil to pan. Add 8 ribs, and sauté for 6 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove ribs. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 teaspoon oil and 8 ribs. Add onion and the next 5 ingredients (through rosemary) to pan; sauté 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add wine to pan, and bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook for 13 minutes or until reduced to 2 cups.
2. Preheat oven to 350°.
3. Add broth to pan, and bring to a boil. Return ribs to pan. Cover and bake at 350° for 1 1/2 hours, turning ribs after 45 minutes. Remove ribs from pan, and strain cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl. Discard the solids. Skim fat; discard. Return cooking liquid to pan. Combine flour and 2 teaspoons water in a small bowl, stirring well. Add to pan, and bring to a boil. Cook for 11 minutes or until reduced to about 1 cup. Stir in vinegar.
4. To prepare gremolata, combine 1/3 cup parsley, 1/2 teaspoon lemon rind, and minced garlic.
5. To prepare polenta, bring 3 cups milk, 1 cup water, 5/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper to a boil over medium heat. Slowly stir in 1 cup polenta. Cook 5 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently. Stir in cheese. Place 1/2 cup polenta in each of 8 shallow bowls, and top each serving with 2 ribs, 2 tablespoons sauce, and about 2 teaspoons gremolata.