5 Fall Recipes to Warm Up To

5 Fall Recipes to Warm Up To

Autumn is here whether we were ready for summer to end or not.  Embrace the new season with these five comfy recipes:

What are some of your favorite fall recipes?  Please share links, photos or general instructions!

Gnocchi with Butternut Squash and Bacon in Sage and Danish Blue Cheese Sauce

Gnocchi with Butternut Squash and Bacon in Sage and Danish Blue Cheese Sauce

Gnocchi with Butternut Squash

No, this recipe isn’t for the faint of heart (literally and figuratively) – it’s rich, decadent and perfect on a cool evening.  This recipe came about because I was looking for ways to use up my huge harvest of sage.  Serve this as a side dish or starter as a little goes a long way.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups diced butternut squash
  • 3 tbs vegetable oil
  • 4 strips bacon
  • 1 cup potato gnocchi, homemade or store-bought
  • 3 tbs butter
  • 2 tsp chopped fresh sage
  • 1 cup light cream
  • 2 ounces Danish Blue cheese, crumbled
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Place diced butternut squash on a cookie sheet and drizzle with oil to coat.  Roast in the oven for 20 minutes or until tender, set roasted butternut squash aside in a small dish.  Keep oven at 400 degrees.
  2. Place bacon strips on two layers of paper towel and cover with an additional layer or paper towel.  Cook in the microwave for 4 minutes, or until bacon is soft-crispy.  Cut bacon in thin strips with scissors, set aside.
  3. In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil.  Add gnocchi and cook for 2 minutes.  Drain well and set aside.
  4. In the saucepan the gnocchi cooked in (why dirty two pots?!), melt butter over medium-high heat.  Once butter is beginning to brown, add the sage and cook for 1 minute.
  5. Add cream to the sage butter and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat to medium-low and add blue cheese.  Stir for 1 minutes.  Add the gnocchi, the roasted butternut squash, the chopped bacon and the black pepper and gently stir to combine.
  6. Spoon the gnocchi mixture into two 8-ounce ramekins or other small, oven-proof dishes, and bake in the oven for 5 minutes.

Serves 2.

Notes:  I’d skip this recipe if you don’t have fresh sage as you truly won’t get the same flavor from dried sage.  This recipe can easily be doubled to serve 4.  Don’t have Danish Blue cheese?  Use another type of blue cheese!

Greek Phyllo and Custard Pie (Galaktoboureko)

Greek Phyllo and Custard Pie (Galaktoboureko)

Galaktoboureko Pie

Galaktoboureko Pie

I was shown how to make this traditional recipe by a friend’s Yia Yia (Greek grand-mother) many years ago and below is her recipe (with a few variations).

Glaze Ingredients:

  • 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 2-inch piece lemon peel
  • 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

Pie Filling Ingredients:

  • 6 eggs
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup semolina, finely ground
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
  • 6 cups of milk (not low fat)
  • 2 tbsp butter, melted

Phyllo Ingredients:

  • 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, melted
  • 1 pound phyllo dough sheets, thawed

Glaze Directions:

  1. In a medium saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil over medium heat. Add the lemon peel, reduce heat to low, and cook for 8 minutes.
  2. Remove saucepan from heat, add the lemon juice and set aside to cool without stirring (can cool for up to an hour).  Discard lemon peel.

Pie Filling Directions:

  1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat on high speed, 2 eggs with 1/3 the sugar until light and frothy, about 3 minutes.  Add 2 additional eggs and another 1/3 of the sugar, and beat for 2 minutes.   Add last 2 eggs and the rest of the sugar and beat for 2 minutes.
  2. Add the semolina, vanilla, lemon juice, and grated lemon zest.  Beat for 2 minutes.
  3. Add the milk and the melted butter. Beat for 5 minutes on medium speed, until the mixture is light and fluffy (mixer bowl will be very full).
  4. Pour the filling into a large saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring continuously with a whisk until the mixture thickens, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and cool while assembling the phyllo in the pan, about 15 minutes.

Pie Assembling Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Brush the bottom and the sides of a 9-inch springform pan with some melted butter.
  3. Using 1/2 of the phyllo sheets in the 1 pound package, lay one sheet of phyllo in the pan so that the sheet goes up to the rim on one side of the pan and overhangs on the other side.  Brush the first phyllo sheet with butter.  Continue layering the sheets until there are phyllo sheets overhanging on all sides of the pan – not forgetting to brush butter between layers.
  4. Stir the cooled custard and pour into the pan over the phyllo sheets.  Using a spoon, spread the custard in an even layer over the bottom of the pan.
  5. Fold in the overhanging phyllo over the custard, brushing butter between phyllo sheets until about 1/2 of the custard surface is covered with phyllo.  Brush top of phyllo with butter.
  6. Using the second 1/2 of the phyllo package, lay each sheet over the top of the pie, brushing each with butter as you layer, to cover the whole pie.  Brush the top of the pie with butter.
  7. Using a very sharp knife or a serrated knife, cut the pie in 16 slices, ensuring to cut all the way through the bottom phyllo layer.  You will break some pieces of the phyllo top layer, but this step would be impossible after baking.
  8. Place the pan on a cookie sheet and bake for 40 minutes, until golden.
  9. Remove the pie from the oven and pour the cooled glaze over the entire pie surface.  Cool pie completely, at least 3 hours before serving.

16 servings.

Notes: Rule of thumb when using phyllo, ALWAYS brush each layer with melted butter.  This ensures flaky pastry layers.  Also, ALWAYS keep a damp kitchen towel over the phyllo sheets you’re not using to keep the sheets from becoming brittle and dry.  Make certain to keep the pie on the cookie sheet through the cooling process as some of the glaze will seep out of the springform pan. Eat the pie within a day of making it as it’ll become soggy. I use the candied lemon peel as a garnish for the pie.

No-Share Blueberry Buckle

No-Share Blueberry Buckle

Blueberry Buckle

The origin of the name ‘buckle’ in a dessert is thought to be from the ‘buckling’ of the cake as it bakes under the fruit from the addition of baking soda to the batter.  Whatever the provenance of the word, this dessert is a perfect ending to a Summer dinner.  Think steamed, soft cake, gooey blueberry and crusty, buttery topping.

Blueberry Filling Ingredients:

  • 3 cups blueberries (if frozen, thawed)
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar

Streusel Topping Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, chilled then cut into small dice

Cake Ingredients:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter six – 6 ounce ramekins or oven-proof dishes.  Set aside.

Blueberry Filling Directions:

  1. Mix the blueberries, lemon juice, flour, and sugar in a large bowl.  Allow to macerate for 30 minutes.

Streusel Topping Directions:

  1. Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
  2. Cut in the butter with two knives or a pastry blender until the mixture is the consistency of coarse meal.  Refrigerate until ready to assemble.

Cake Directions:

  1. Combine the flour, salt and baking powder in a small bowl.
  2. Cream the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer for 1 minute.  Add the sugar and beat for 2 minutes.  Add the egg and vanilla to the mixture to combine.
  3. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, beat for 10 seconds.  Add 1/4 cup of milk, beat for 10 seconds.  Continue alternating flour and milk until just combined.

Final Assembly:

  1. Add 1/4 cup of cake batter to each ramekin, smoothing the surface.
  2. Spoon the blueberry mixture over the cake batter.
  3. Top the blueberry layer with an even amount of streusel mixture.  Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake until streusel is browned, about 25 minutes.
  4. Allow buckles to cool for 15 minutes.  Serve with vanilla bean ice cream.

Makes 6 servings.

Super Simple Homemade Corn Tortilla

Super Simple Homemade Corn Tortilla

Tortillas Cooking

One day as I was preparing for Mexican Fiesta Night at Casa Chickie, my dear friend Lisa who loves all things Mexico/Central & South America, offered to make homemade tortillas.  To my delight, she didn’t arrive with already-prepared tortillas, but with her tortilla press, ingredients and griddle!  This is her simple recipe for tender, delicious corn tortillas.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups masa flour
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 – 2 cups warm water

Directions:

  1. Combine masa flour and baking soda in a medium bowl.  Add warm water 1/4 cup at a time until mixture can be formed into a ball of dough (you may not need 2 cups). Let dough rest uncovered for 5 minutes.
  2. Knead dough for 5 minutes until it’s completely smooth.
  3. Divide dough in golf ball-sized portions.  Roll divided dough into balls.  Using a tortilla press or a rolling pin, flatten dough to 6-inch in diameter tortilla disks.
  4. Heat a large skillet (or griddle) on medium-high heat.  Cook one tortillas for 1 minute on each side.  Place cooked tortillas in a clean kitchen towel to keep moist.  Serve with your favorite topping.

Makes 16-18 tortillas.

Notes:  My friend recommends using scissors to turn a gallon-size zip top bag into 2 sheets of plastic film.  The dough can then be flatten between the film sheets to make easier to handle and to prevent sticking.  If dough is sticky while kneading, coat hands with masa!

Getting Corny in New Jersey

Getting Corny in New Jersey

Since moving to New Jersey five years ago, I’ve been enjoying some of the best produce I’ve ever had. New Jersey, the Garden State, is specially famous for its corn, tomatoes and blueberries. Lucky for me, I’m partial to all three!

Something new I’ve been enjoying this season is corn on the cob grilled without its husks. Wow, I was so wrong about not being able to improve on an all-time favorite, but grilling the cobs truly enhances the corny flavor and the sweetness of this vegetable. Simply peel the husks away, drizzle cobs with oil, salt, pepper and a light sprinkling of chili powder then grill on medium heat for eight minutes (rotate cobs for even grilling) and you’re in business!

Two of my new favorite variations are as follow:

• Combine softened butter with roasted garlic cloves, chopped fresh basil and grated parmesan cheese then slather on the hot cobs.
• Combine sour cream, mayo, chopped fresh cilantro and crumbled Mexican Queso Fresco then coat the cob with the mixture.

I urge you to try one or both of these variations for an extraordinary corny experience. Enjoy!

St Louis Gooey Butter Cookies

St Louis Gooey Butter Cookies

I recently spent the weekend with dear friends in St Louis and was fortunate that I was introduced to tons of St Louis local favorites.  Gooey Butter Cake is a true dessert staple to locals and here’s a cookie version kindly provided by St Louis cooking maven, Chris Absheer (here with cutie grandson, Mikey).  Seriously, with that name, who can resist these cookies – plus, they’re super simple to prepare!

Ingredients:

  • 1 -8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 -18.5 ounce package yellow cake mix
  • 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a medium bowl cream together the cream cheese and the butter. Stir in the egg and vanilla. Add cake mix, stir until well blended.
  3. Form dough into 1-inch balls (should yield 24 balls).  Place the confectioners’ sugar in a shallow dish then roll the balls to coat them in sugar.
  4. Place balls 1-inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets and bake for 10-13 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove cookies from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes, then cool completely on wire rack.

Makes 24 cookies.

Zesty Key Lime Tart

Zesty Key Lime Tart

Torched Meringue

My guy, Pat, adores key lime pie.  For our first date, over 10 years ago, he cooked a fabulous meal and baked a key lime pie for me.  He was so proud of his foodie achievements, and we laugh to this day, about the overuse of green food coloring which turned the pie nearly fluorescent green.  The following recipe is a light and fresh version of the typical key lime pie.

Crust Ingredients:

  • 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Egg Yolks & Lime Zest

Egg Yolks & Lime Zest

Filling Ingredients:

  • 4 egg yolks (save egg whites for meringue)
  • 1-14 ounce can condensed milk
  • 1 tbsp grated lime zest
  • 1/2 cup key lime juice
  • 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Meringue Ingredients:

  • 4 egg whites
  • 6 tbsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp cornstarch
  • Pinch salt

Crust Instructions:

  1. Heat oven to 325 degrees.
  2. Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, salt and melted butter in a medium bowl.
  3. Press crumb mixture into bottom and partially up sides of 9-inch springform pan using a spoon or a small measuring cup.
  4. Freeze crust for 30 minutes.
Yolks and Limes

Yolks and Limes

Filling Instructions:

  1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg yolks on high speed until thick and light in color, about 5 minutes.
  2. Turn off mixer and add lime zest and condensed milk.  Combine on slow speed for 1 minute.
  3. While still on slow speed, add half the lime juice, then the cream of tartar, then the remaining lime juice.  Mix until blended, about 1 minute.
  4. Pour the filling into the frozen crumb crust and bake 15 minutes, until mostly set.
  5. Freeze tart for 3 hours.

Meringue Instructions:

  1. Heat oven to 500 degrees (if using the oven to brown the meringue).
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, about 4 minutes.
  3. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
  4. Incorporate the sugar mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, to the egg whites, beating well after each sugar addition.  Continue to beat until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes.
  5. Spoon or pipe using a pastry bag, the meringue over the tart filling.
  6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until meringue top is browned.  Conversely, brown the meringue with a kitchen torch.

Notes:  If key lime juice is unavailable, you may substitute with lime juice. Not a fan of meringue?  Use whipped cream as an alternative topping for the tart!

Casa Mono – Spanish Tapas and Wine Eden

Casa Mono – Spanish Tapas and Wine Eden

Photo by ZagatBuzz

Casa Mono is a cozy Spanish tapas restaurant in Gramercy Park and the brainchild of Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich.  The superb cooking is creatively prepared by chef Andy Nusser.

The first thing you’ll notice when you arrive at this restaurant is that the space a small.  Not small as in “I’m going to feel claustrophobic and won’t be able to hold a conversation with my dining partner(s)”, small as in “This place is great!  I’m going to get to rub elbows with other enthusiastic diners while watching the action in the open kitchen”.  The place has so much energy that diners immediately begin to relax upon being seated.

The food at Casa Mono is served tapas-style – small plates meant to be shared among guests.  Dining in this manner allows for a completely interactive experience for the diners who can share what they’re tasting while trying several dishes they’d normally not have the opportunity to sample.

The menu at Casa Mon is extensive.  There are around 40 tapas to select from, and one sounds more appetizing than the next.  Some clear winners are the snapper crudo ($16), the pumpkin and goat cheese croquetas ($9), the soft shell crab with gazpacho dressing ($16), the pulpo with fennel and grapefruit ($13), and the lamb chop with garbanzos and harissa ($16).  There are also four strong dishes prepared from whole Hudson pigs that are crowd pleasers: a charcuterie plate ($18), pork belly with salsa Jamaica ($16), pork croquetas with green tomatoes ($15) and the chorizo with spring beans and aged Manchego cheese ($16).

Casa Mono Tapas

The snapper crudo is served with micro greens and a tangy dressing that’s worthy of praises.  The pumpkin and goat cheese croquetas are fried to a perfect crunchy dark brown exterior and feature a great balance of sweet pumpkin and tart cheese.  The soft shell crab has a thicker batter coating similar to English fried fish, that could have been lighter, but was served with a flavorful gazpacho sauce.  The pulpo is served with shaved fennel and sections of pink grapefruit and might be the winner at Casa Mono.  The baby octopus in this dish are tender and perfectly cooked and pair beautifully with the licorice fennel and the sweetly acidic grapefruit.  The lamb chops are expertly cooked to a medium rare and are ultra flavorful due to the addition of harissa.  The pork dishes can’t be missed, specially the moist chorizo served with a generous sprinkling of aged Manchego cheese.

There are several desserts offered at Casa Mono like the bread pudding with pear sorbet ($9), the burnt vanilla custard ($9) and the chocolate torte with apricots ($9), but the focus is on savory options at this establishment.

Casa Mono offers an extensive Spanish wine list by the cuartos de vino (small carafe with enough wine for two pours), the copita (smallish Spanish sherry glass) and the bottle. Some recommendations are the 2009 Santiago Ruiz Rias Baixas – a complex Albarino blend perfect for shellfish ($46 for a bottle), 2009 Ameztoi Rubentis Rose Getarioko Txakolina – a great example of Spanish rose ($17 for a cuartos de vino) and the 2009 Pazo Senorans Albarino – a versatile creamy, floral wine ($19 for a cuartos de vino). Sample servings allow diners to try several of the affordable Spanish gems featured on this list.

Casa Mono is a Certified Two Star Green Restaurant in accordance with the Green Restaurant Association’s rigorous guidelines, and a hot spot that foodies shouldn’t miss.

52 IRVING PLACE

NEW YORK CITY 10003

212.253.2773

www.casamononyc.com

Lunching – Old School

Lunching – Old School

Stuffed Tomato

Stuffed Tomato

I’m the first in line for new and innovative cooking and have dined at some pretty eclectic restaurants all over the world, but sometimes, old school-type dishes are what I really crave.

Beef Wellington, turkey Tetrazzini, macaroni salad…stuffed tomato?  Yes, stuffed tomato is a Summer favorite when tomatoes are ripe, juicy and perfect.  Plus, it takes 1 minute to make for a simple lunch or a quick starter:

1) Core the tomato and cut it from top to bottom in sections (make sure not to cut through the bottom) to create a ‘flower’.

2) Add 1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese to the tomato center.

3) Drizzle with olive oil then generously sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.

Got heirloom tomatoes on hand?  Use them for an even better tasting starter!

Which ‘old school’ dishes do you crave throughout the year?