Autumn is in the Air!

My favorite season has arrived!!  Since it has been feeling more and more like fall here, I decided to make a seasonal dinner.  There are a lot of spices and flavors in this meal that make me feel nice and cozy on crisp fall day!
Drink...

Ginger Apple Cocktail
*recipe adapted from: The Tampopo Post
I have to admit, I was a little unsure of how this one would taste.  Plus the original recipe calls for bourbon, and I didn't have that, so I used Irish Whiskey instead.  However, no need to fear...this drink is delicious and full of Autumn flavors!  The whiskey also worked really well with it.
Ingredients:

• Apple Cider
• Ginger Beer
• Bourbon or Irish Whiskey

Directions:

1. Put 1 part whiskey or bourbon, 2 parts apple cider, and 2 parts ginger beer into a glass with ice.
2. Stir.
3. Garnish with a dried apple or an apple slice.

Dinner...
This was a perfect Fall meal!  The squash was delicious and ridiculously easy.  It had just the right amount of sweetness and flavor.
The pork was incredibly tasty.  The apples add a nice sweetness while the prosciutto added a good salty flavor.  
This is a recipe to impress for your next Fall Fete! 

Pork with Dried Apples & Prosciutto 
*recipe from: Eating Well
Yum, yum, yum.  So simple, yet so delicious!  I thought this was perfect except that I might add a little more cider and chicken broth because my sauce reduced a lot and I was wishing there was a little more for the pork.
Ingredients:
(serves 2)

• 2 thin-cut boneless pork loin chops, (8 ounces), trimmed of fat
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 thin slices prosciutto, (1 ounce), chopped
• 1 cup apple cider
• 3/4 cup chopped dried apples
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided (see Tips for Two)
• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage, or 1/4 teaspoon rubbed dried sage
• 2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

Directions:

1. Sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook until browned on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Add prosciutto and cook, stirring constantly, until browned, about 1 minute. Transfer to the plate.
2. Add cider, apples, 1/4 cup broth, vinegar and sage to the pan and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples have softened, 4 to 6 minutes.
3. Stir together mustard, cornstarch and the remaining 1/4 cup broth in a small bowl. Add to the pan and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Return the pork and prosciutto to the pan and simmer, turning the pork to coat, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.

Acorn Squash with Brown Sugar Butter Sauce
*recipe from:  Savory Sweet Life
I have had similar recipes before that were a little to sweet.  I liked this one because my squash was slightly sweet, but it didn't taste like I was eating dessert.  I also loved it because instead of having to roast in the oven for 45 minutes, the squash first cooks in the microwave for 15 minutes and then just goes under the broiler.  So simple!
Ingredients:
(serves 2)

• 1 acorn squash, cut in half with seeds removed
• 1/2 cup water
• a couple pinches of salt
• a couple pinches of nutmeg
• a couple pinches of cinnamon
• 2 – 1 Tablespoon pats of butter
• 4-6 Tablespoons brown sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven on HIGH-Broiler.  
2. Pour water in a microwavable casserole dish large enough to accommodate the squash.  Place the acorn squash flesh side down in the dish and microwave for 15 minutes.  Remove from microwave carefully because the dish will be hot.  
3. Remove the acorn squash and transfer to a baking sheet with the flesh side facing up.  Place a small pat of butter in each half and rub the entire flesh sided surface.  Any remaining butter should be left in the middle of the squash.  
4. Sprinkle the squash with salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.  Finally sprinkle between 2-3 Tablespoons of brown sugar around the rim of the squash and allow the remaining sugar to join the butter in the center (This will be your brown sugar sauce).  
5. Broil on high heat for 5 minutes.  You should seem some the rim of the squash with caramelization.  If not, broil for an additional 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and enjoy!

Dessert...

Maple Walnut Cupcakes
*recipe from: Martha Stewart
These are not your typical cupcakes.  They're not super-sweet at all.  When I first tried them, I thought they tasted more like a buttered muffin than a cupcake.  However, after eating them every night for the past week, I have really grown to love them and their subtle flavors.  I typically like things much, much sweeter, but these are a nice change of pace.  
Ingredients:
(makes 2 dozen cupcakes)
For the Cake:

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups (5 1/2 ounces) walnuts, chopped medium-fine

For the Maple Buttercream:

• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 cup pure maple syrup, best quality
• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces

For the Candied Walnuts:

• 1/2 lb walnut halves
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3 tbs milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Make the cupcakes:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two standard 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners. Into a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat until combined. With the mixer still on medium speed, add the flour mixture in two parts, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour. Stir in walnuts with a wooden spoon.
1. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until cupcakes are golden and a cake tester inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer the pans to a wire rack to cool slightly. Invert cupcakes onto the rack; then re-invert and let them cool completely, top sides up. Frost tops with Maple Buttercream and garnish with candied walnuts. 
2. Make and Frost with the Maple Buttercream:
1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes; set aside. In a small saucepan set over medium-high heat, bring the maple syrup to a boil, and cook until it registers 240 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. With the mixer running, slowly pour syrup down the side of the bowl in a slow, steady stream, until completely incorporated, about 1 minute. Continue beating until bowl is just slightly warm to the touch, 4 to 5 minutes. Add butter, one piece at a time, until thoroughly incorporated and the frosting is fluffy, about 4 minutes more.
3. Make and top with the Candied Walnuts:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread nuts in a single layer over a baking sheet. Roast for approximately 8 to 10 minutes, or until the nuts start to turn brown and the smell of roasting nuts fills the kitchen.
2. Stir together sugar, cinnamon, salt, and milk in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat for 8 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla immediately. .
3. Add walnuts to sugar syrup, and stir to coat well. Spoon nuts onto waxed paper, and immediately separate nuts with a fork. Cool, and store in airtight containers.

An Apple A Day

If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, you won't be seeing the doctor for a long time after this meal!  All the recipes use apples.  They were all delicious and some parts of the meal can be made ahead to save you time. 
Drink...

Starbucks Hot Caramel Apple Cider
*recipe from: Stephanie O'Dea
This is supposed to be a replica of Starbucks cider.  I have never had their cider, so I can't really say how it compares to the original.  I thought it was very good and very easy to make, but it basically just tasted like mulled cider to me.  The best part of this recipe was drinking it out of an apple mug.  All you have to do it slice off the top of an apple.  Then cut a circle around the inside and scoop out the flesh of the apple with a spoon.  Rub lemon juice around the inside of the apple and the rim so it doesn't turn brown (as you can see, I skipped this step and mine started turning brown).  Then, pour the hot cider inside your cute apple cup! :)
Ingredients:

• 4 cups apple cider
• 3 tablespoons caramel syrup (the ice cream topping)
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 4 tablespoons sweetened whipped cream (I omitted this)
• 4 apple mugs

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a pot.
2. Cook on low on the stove or in a crock pot for up to 4 hours.
3. Pour into the apple mugs and enjoy.

Dinner...
Apple Chips and Stuffed Squash
Both components of this meal are simple to make, but take a little bit of time cooking in the oven.  I would make the apple chips ahead of time, so they will be ready to go for dinner.

Apple Chips
*recipe from: The Italian Dish
I guess I've never had apple chips before, but they are sooooo good!  This is a recipe I will definitely be making again.  I just wish I had a bigger oven so I could make more at a time.  They take a little while to cook, but require almost no work.  Once they're in the oven, you can almost forget about them!  I purchased a mandolin solely for making these chips and you definitely need it.  There is no way I could have sliced them thin enough otherwise.  And, I'm happy I have the mandolin because now I can make a lot more apple chips (and maybe slice some other fruits and veggies easier)! Check out my new kitchen tool below! :)

Ingredients:
(makes about 25 chips . . . you'll want a lot more!)

• 1 large Granny Smith apple
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. (I used greased aluminum foil)
2. Using a mandolin, slice the apples as thinly as you can.  
3. Mix the sugar and the cinnamon in a shallow bowl and dip the apple slices lightly in the mixture, just lightly coating them.  
4. Lay the slices on the baking sheets, about 12 slices per sheet.  
5. Bake for 1 hour.  
6. Remove one pan at a time and flip the apple slices over with tongs. When you return pans to oven, also rotate them - put the one that was on the top rack on the bottom.  
7. Bake for one more hour.  Remove pans from oven. Apple slices will start to harden up pretty quickly.  Remove with tongs. 

Sausage and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash
*recipe from: Lightlife 
This recipe was REALLY good and was such a great fall dish.  Despite having a lot of apple components, I couldn't really taste much apple in the dinner, but I still highly recommend it.  
Ingredients:
(serves 4)

1 pkg Gimme Lean® Sausage (This is a vegetarian sausage recommended in the original recipe.  I didn't use but instead used Trader Joe's Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage, which goes really well in this dish 2 cups water 3 tbs extra virgin olive oil 1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped 6 stalks of celery, chopped fine 1 tsp dried sage 1 tsp dried thyme 8 cups of toasted bread crumbs  1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce 1 medium apple, diced, any kind 1/3 cup apple cider 2 large acorn squash, cut in half and seeded salt and pepper to taste Directions: Preheat oven to 450°.  Brown sausage in a non-stick skillet sprayed with a little olive oil, breaking it up and crumbling it with a spatula as it browns. Set aside.  Bring water and olive oil to a boil in a covered pot over high heat. Stir in onion, celery, sage, and thyme.  Cook, covered, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.  Stir in stuffing cubes, salt and pepper, applesauce, apple cider, apple, and the browned sausage, mixing to combine. Taste for seasoning. Divide the stuffing evenly among the acorn squash halves.  Arrange the halves in a roasting pan and pour water around (not on) the squash to 1 inch.  Spray a piece of aluminum foil large enough to cover the pan with olive oil spray. This will prevent it from sticking to the stuffing. Cover the pan tightly, tending slightly with the sprayed side down. Bake for about 1 1/4 hours, or until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork.  (I took the cover off the squash for about the last 15 minutes of baking to re-toast the stuffing, but it was too long because as you can see, my bread got burnt) Dessert...
Caramel Apple Parfaits
*recipe from Cinda B
I know I typically say that everything is really good on this blog.  However, I am not joking about this one.  It was decadant and amazing.  This would be a showstopper if you were having a dinner party.  When I was making it, I really was wishing I could just skip a couple steps and start eating.  I was thinking that maybe I could just use store bought caramel instead of making my own, but I am SO glad I didn't, because the homemade caramel was exceptional and was well worth it.  Just please make this.  It doesn't need it, but it would be great with ice cream too.  I topped it with one of the apple chips for a garnish.  This recipe makes a lot (I halved it and there still were almost 4 servings).
Ingredients:
For the Cake 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/3 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened 1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar 2 tablespoons molasses 1 large egg 1 cup regular yogurt For the Caramel Sauce 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup water 1 1/4 cups heavy cream 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon For the Apples 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter 8 large Fuji or other crisp apples—peeled, cored and thinly sliced (12 cups) 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar 1 quart whipped cream Directions: For the Cake: Preheat oven to 350°.   Blend flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and allspice in a bowl and set aside.   In a mixer, blend butter with brown sugar and molasses at medium speed until combined.   Add in egg and beat till smooth.   Add dry ingredients in small batches, alternating with yogurt until all is blended together.   Scrape the batter into a large non-stick baking pan and place on the center rack of over.   Bake for about 20 minutes or until surface springs back easily to touch.  Let cool completely. For the Caramel Sauce: In a medium saucepan, stir together sugar and water and cook over high heat until sugar dissolves.   Stop stirring for about 4 minutes until a deep amber caramel forms.   Remove from stove and add heavy cream and cinnamon.  Once the caramel cools slightly place back on burner and continue cooking until the sauce is slightly thickened.  Pour the caramel into a bowl. For the Apples: In a skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter.   Add 6 cups apples and stir over high heat until lightly browned.  Add half of each of the sugars and continue cooking until the apples become caramelized.   Pour into a large bowl and set aside, and finish the remaining ingredients exactly the same way. To Put it all Together: Cut the cake into 6 inch squares.   Spoon 2 tablespoons of caramel sauce into dessert cups or parfait glasses.   Layer 1 tablespoons of apples and 1/2 cup whipped cream to each glass.  Layer 2 or three cake squares next.   Repeat with the remaining ingredients, ending with caramel sauce and top with whipped cream.

Pizza Party

Pizza is one of those things that everyone loves and is really easy to make.  Next time you have a pizza party, or just feel like eating something delicious, try these variations on the original!
Drink...

Dark and Stormy

I really wanted to make a pizza drink, but I just couldn't think of anything that contained pizza ingredients and would be drinkable.  So, then I started thinking about what you drink with pizza...
My first thought was beer.  However, as much as possible, I try not to take the easy way out and just post a beer or a glass of wine.  All the beer cocktails I could find either didn't sound good or didn't seem like they would go with pizza.  
So, then I decided that another drink which goes well with pizza is soda (or pop for all my Chicago readers :).  Recently my friends Alex and Ashley introduced me to a Dark and Stormy, which contains ginger beer (a soda).  It's a popular drink in British Commonwealth countries such as Bermuda and Australia.  I had a little bit of a hard time finding ginger beer (well, a hard time finding reasonably priced ginger beer), but the search was well worth it, because the drink is delicious and enjoyable with a slice of pizza.
Ingredients:

• dark rum
• ginger beer
• lime for garnish 

Directions:

1. Fill a glass with ice.  
2. Pour 2 oz of rum and 8 oz of ginger beer into the glass.  Stir it up and make is stormy :)
3. Garnish with a slice of lime.

Dinner...

Goat Cheese and Pesto Pizza

*recipe from PBS
I don't know if I have mentioned this in previous blog posts, but I LOVE cheese, and goat cheese is one of my favorites.  If you haven't tried goat cheese before and are thinking, "eww, gross, goat cheese??", you should stop saying that and try it.  It sounds gross because it's from a goat, but actually goats are probably less gross than cows, and it is really good.  So, try it if you haven't already.  If you have had it, then you know how good it is and will love this pizza.  
The original recipe says to grill the pizza, which would be really good, but I don't have a grill, so I did it in the oven and it was still delicious.  If you are using a raw pizza dough like I did, I would pre-bake the dough before putting any ingredients on it so it will be nice and crispy when finished.
Ingredients:

• Pizza dough for one pizza (make your own or grab some prepared dough from your favorite pizza place - Trader Joe's has great pre-made pizza dough)
• Pesto (the original recipe gives directions on how to make your own, but I just bought pre-made pesto)
• 5 oz fresh goat cheese
• Toppings of choice: I just used tomatoes, but you could add other stuff like mushrooms or olives

Directions:

1. To prepare your pizza, heat up your grill (either gas or charcoal is fine) and spray the grates well with non-stick spray. Also, spray the BACK of a cookie sheet well with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside. If you are using the oven, preheat your oven according to the directions on the dough package.
2. Roll out your dough on a lightly floured surface to roughly about 12” in diameter. It doesn’t have to be perfect! Carefully transfer the pizza dough to the back of the greased cookie sheet and carry outside to the grill.(or into the oven)
3. Gently, lift the dough off the back of the cookie sheet and onto the grill. (or keep it on the cookie sheet and place in the oven.  A pizza stone would be even better if you have it) Close the grill and cook for about 5 minutes, checking occasionally. The dough should be starting to bubble up and if you check the bottom, it should be looking a little charred.
4. Slide the dough off the grill and back onto the back of the cookie sheet. (Or, remove the dough from the oven)
5.  Flip pizza so the charred side is on top then spread pesto all over the top. Add toppings of your choice (I used thin tomato slices and it was great) followed by soft mounds of goat cheese.
6. Carefully slide dough back onto the grill (or into the oven), close top and cook for another 5-6 minutes, checking often. When done, the crust should be puffy, the bottom slightly charred and the cheese melted.
7. Slide your finished pizza back onto your cookie sheet (Or remove it from the oven), let cool and slice up! 

Dessert...

Apple Dessert Pizza

*recipe from: Us Girls...Our Views
When I was a kid, we used to go Pizza Hut's lunch buffet on the day we registered for school.  My favorite part of the buffet was the dessert pizza.  They had apple or cherry and both were delicious.  This recipe is really similar to that pizza, and I can't wait to also try it with cherry!
Ingredients:
Dough: 
(Recipe yields 3 pizza crusts..using 12 inch pizza pans.  Freeze extra pre-baked pizza crusts if not using right away.  You need 1 crust for this dessert)

• 1 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons warm water
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 4 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• Mix and knead until well blended.
• Place dough in a greased bowl, cover and let rise till doubled in bulk.
• Divide dough into 3 pieces and roll out to fit 3 pizza pans.
• Let rise 40 minutes. Pre-bake crust at 425º for 8 minutes.
• Now you are ready to spread on the filling and streusel.

Apple Filling:

• 4 apples, (approx 4 cups) peeled, cored, and sliced..I used McIntosh
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Saute apples in butter until tender.

Streusel:

• 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• Mix dry ingredients and cut in the butter with a pastry blender or by hand until mixture is crumbly.

Glaze:

• 1 cup icing sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Blend well until smooth.

Directions:

1. Spread apple filling over pre-baked pizza crust.
2. Sprinkle streusel over top and bake at 425º for 15 minutes or until crust is golden in color. If you like the crust a bit crunchy like we do, bake it a little longer.
3. Cool for 10 minutes, then drizzle with glaze.