Pumpkin Cheesecake

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Filling

1 cup unsweetened pumpkin, preferably Libby’s

1 cup sugar, preferably unrefined

2 cups heavy cream

2 (8-oz) cream cheese packages

2 large eggs

2 large yolks

Garnish: pecan halves

(*) If desired, use an additional 1/2 cup 1.75 ounces/50 grams of coarsely broken pecans for the center

 

Equipment: One 9-inch by 2 1/2-inch or higher spring-form pan, greased, outside of the pan wrapped with a triple layer of heavy-duty foil to prevent seepage. One 12-inch by 2-inch cake pan or roasting pan to serve as a water bath.

CRUST:

12 3/4 oz. gingersnaps, broken (preferably Swedish brand)

6 oz. pecans, toasted,

3T sugar

6 pinches salt

6 oz. butter, melted.

 

Process cookies and pecans, sugar, salt until it is fine crumbs (app 20 secs.) Add melted butter and pulse 10 times until just incorporated. Press into pan and up the sides.  Do not cook in oven until the cheesecake portion is in.

In a small, heavy sauce pan, stir together the pumpkin and sugar. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a sputtering simmer, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 5 minutes, until thick and shiny.

Scrape the mixture into a large food processor, fitted with the metal blade and process for 1 minute with the feed tube open. With the motor running, add the cold cream. Add the cream cheese in several pieces and process for 30 seconds, scraping the sides two or three times, or until smoothly incorporated. Add the eggs and yolks and process for about 5 seconds or just until incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Set the pan in the larger pan and surround it with 1 inch of very hot water. Bake the cake for 45 minutes. Turn off the oven without opening the door and let the cake cool for 1 hour. Remove it to a rack and cool to room temperature (about 1 hour). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight. To unmold, wipe sides of pan with towel run under hot water and wrung out. The cake will be 1 3/4-inches high.

Easy Weeknight Caprese Salad

 This one has surpassed our go-to buffalo chicken cobb salad for an easy weeknight option. 

1 rotisserie chicken, pulled and chopped

bib / butter  / leafy romaine lettuce / arugula

pearl mozzarella balls

2-3 scallions, chopped

1 pint heirloom or small yellow/orange/red tomatoes

pancetta cubes - air fried til crispy

for the dressing: 

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tbsp mustard of choice

chopped shallot

garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt and pepper each

1 tbsp dried rosemary

1 tsp sugar

Golden Beets

 Found these as a side once fresh in farmer's market, and haven't gone back to red beets!

Ingredients:

3-4 big golden beets, trimmed, peeled, large chunks

1 bag shishito peppers, cut into thirds for large chunks

white onion, roughly chopped

pistachios, a handful, maybe cut once or left whole

goat cheese crumbles

In oven around 400-450 degrees, put sheetpan in with beets tossed in olive oil, S&P.  Roast for about 10 minutes.

Bring sheetpan out and put the chopped shishitos and onion in, tossing to coat with olive oil.  Return to oven for about 10-15 more minutes.

Add pistachios in for about last 5 minutes of cooking.

Toss with goat cheese before serving.  Good spritz of lemon juice on top is nice too.

Low Carb Sausage mushroom "pasta"

 This is one to hit those savory notes and skip on the gluten.

Ingredients:

2 cans hearts of palm noodles - lasagna cut into small rectangles like papperdelle 

2 pints various mushrooms - rough chop

1-2 packs of Italian spicy ground sausage - casings removed (or sausage of choice)

1 bunch kale, rough chopped

1 yellow onion, rough chopped

garlic cloves, rough chopped

White wine - about a cup

4 oz butter or more

grated fresh parmesan

goat cheese crumbles

Brown sausage in pan. Remove, leaving fond behind.  
Add onion and stir in remnants for about 3-5 minutes.  Add garlic, stir 1 minute.  Then add mushrooms and toss around to coat, then leave alone without disturbing til browned slightly.  Deglaze with white wine and add butter and kale.  Stir back in sausage and the precut hearts of palm noodles.  Stir until combined.  

Serve with fresh parmesan and goat cheese crumbles.

Salmon Bite / Poke Bowl

 Salmon Bite / Poke Bowl 

I made this mashup between the viral TikTok salmon bowl and salmon bites; threw some extra fresh raw tuna :)   Jimmy isn't a huge fan of raw salmon so I used my air fryer to crisp up tender little bites. 

For 2 generous servings

1 salmon filet, take off skin and cut into large bite size pieces

1 width-of-the-knife tuna steak, cut into large bite size pieces

white rice or cauliflower rice

rice vinegar

sugar / salt

edamame

scallions - slice thinly

carrots - shave / sliced thinly

fresh jalapeno - sliced thinly

Pickled red onions

1 hothouse cucumber - peeled and coarse dice

avocado - sliced

Kewpie / Japanese mayo

Siracha

Soy sauce

sesame seeds

fried onions

salmon marinade:

soy sauce

rice vinegar

sesame oil

honey

ginger and garlic powders

For the rice, reheat in bowl with ice cube on top, remove them after rewarmed.  Add splash of rice vinegar, about 1/2 tsp sugar and salt to taste.  If using cauliflower rice, prepare same way for flavor.

Put the bites of the salmon in the marinade for at least 30 minutes.  I spooned a small amount of the marinade onto the tuna.

Mix mayonnaise, siracha, and soy sauce until desired consistency and flavor to make the sauce for drizzling on top.

Cook salmon in air fryer around 300 degrees for 5 minutes, then turn pieces and cook other side until crispy, probably another 5-10 minutes.  Could do this step on stove or under broiler.  Toss salmon back into leftover marinade when done.

Scoop ingredients over rice in bowl.  Serve with general portion of fish.  Top with sesame seeds, fried onions, and drizzle the sauce on top.  Enjoy!

Jalapeño Cheddar Sweet Potato Au Gratin

 JW & KATHRYN’S WORLD FAMOUS JALAPENO CHEDDAR SWEET POTATO ES AU GRATIN

Sweet potato jalapeno & cheddar au gratin

 

Idaho potatoes ​​1 ½ pound

Sweet potatoes​​1 ½ pound 

Heavy cream​​2 cups 

Garlic-chopped​​1 teaspoon for cream mixture

Garlic-chopped ​​1 teaspoon for baking dish

Kosher salt​​2 teaspoon 

Nutmeg​​½ teaspoon

Sharp cheddar cheese​2 cups 

Pickled jalapenos​2 tablespoons 

Bread crumbs ​​½ cup 

Butter whole unsalted​½ cup 

 

• Pour the cold heavy cream into the heavy deep sauce pot

• Slice the potatoes on a mandoline approximately ¼ inch thick straight into a heavy deep sauce pot. 

• Once the potatoes are sliced add the kosher salt, chopped pickled jalapenos, and chopped garlic

• Place the sauce pot over low to medium heat. Slowly heat up the mixture to a slow simmer. Be sure to taste the cream mixture, the flavor should have a good balance of seasoned cream with hints of garlic, jalapeno and seasoned cream.

• This mixture will simmer approximately 15-20 minutes.  Once the cream becomes thick and the potatoes are slightly fork tender, remove from the heat. 

• Prepare a heavy duty baking pan by coating the bottom and side surfaces with softened butter. Add the second raw garlic. 

• Transfer the heavy cream, potato mixture to the prepared baking pan. 

• Top with cheddar cheese and bread crumb

• Cover with plastic wrap, then with foil. 

• Place in pre-heated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.

• After the 20 minutes remove the plastic wrap and foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the top of the au gratin is golden brown

• Ready to eat!! Let me know how it goes

Moroccan Chicken

Hard to beat this one :) I served it with cauliflower rice that I sauted with white onions, and the spices from the chicken. Adapted and modified from this wonderful recipe: https://www.daringgourmet.com/moroccan-tagine/ 

Ingredients: 

8-10 boneless skinless chicken thighs 

1 tablespoon garlic, minced 

1 tablespoon ginger, grated 

2 teaspoons ground turmeric 

2 teaspoons ground cumin 

2 teaspoons ground coriander 

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1 small onion, diced 

1 tablespoon harissa (or less if you prefer less spicy) (or other red chile paste) 

⅓ cup dried apricots, chopped 

⅓ cup white raisins, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced 

⅓ cup slivered almonds 

4 cups + chicken stock 

lots of lemon juice 

1 cup english peas, fresh if you can find. 

Salt to taste 

Extra slivered almonds for garnishing 

Cauliflower rice and 1/2 white onion, chopped (for the base if you'd like)

I started by trimming about 8-10 boneless chicken thighs. Heat up my Dutch Oven with some olive oil. I made my spice rub for the chicken with the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon (you can double if you want to hold on to some of it for the cauliflower rice). Rub generously onto the chicken, then brown each piece on both sides and set aside. In the same Dutch oven add a little more olive oil, then saute the onions for 3 minutes. Add the harissa and stir in. Then add the apricots, white raisins and garlic. Add the chicken back to the pot and stir. Add about 4 cups of chicken broth and at least 2 Tbs of lemon juice. Put in about one cup of english peas. Let cook for several hours until chicken pulls apart. Serve over the flavorful cauliflower rice (doctor it with the onion, olive oil, and spices from the mixture used to rub the chicken).