Author Archives: cookingwithcandi

The Stuffing that Will Be on Our Table

Posted on November 21, 2014 | Leave a comment

I made this recipe for the first time Thanksgiving 2011 and now it is the only Stuffing I make. I found it in a Barefoot Contessa cookbook, loved all of the ingredients and thought it was delicious. I know there a lot of stuffings out there and unfortunately they are not vegetarian (I am still on the lookout for a very tasty vegetarian one, so please feel free to send it to me if you have a great veggie one.) I don’t cook my stuffing in the turkey. I make it ahead of time and cook it in a buttered gratin dish the day of.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup diced dried figs, stems removed

3/4 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup Calvados or brandy (I used Calvados, bought the bottle last year)

2 yellow onions, diced (approx. 1 1/2 cups)

1/2 stick unsalted butter

1 cup (3 stalks) celery, diced about 1/2 inch

1 lb. pork sausage (I do 1/2 sweet and 1/2 hot. Feel free to substitute any kind of sausage you would like. Try to get the butcher to take it out of casing for you. It’s one less thing to do.)

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary (please don’t leave this out)

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted (put in oven at 400 for about 5 minutes and watch them!)

3 cups herb-seasoned stuffing mix (I use Pepperidge Farm)

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 extra large egg, beaten

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Place the dried figs and cranberries in a small saucepan and pour in the Calvados and 1/2 cup water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then lower the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Melt butter in a large saute pan over medium heat, add the onions and celery and saute until vegetables are softened and onions are translucent (don’t burn them.) Add the sausage, crumbling it as you go. Continue to saute, stirring frequently and breaking up sausage. Keep cooking for about 10 minutes, until cooked and browned up. Add the figs and cranberries with their liquid, the chopped rosemary, and pine nuts, and cook until all ingredients come together, for a couple of minutes. Scrape up and remove all the brown bits with a wooden spoon.

Place the stuffing mix in a large bowl. Add the sausage mixture, chicken stock, beaten egg, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and mix well. (This can be prepared ahead and stored in the refrigerator overnight, which is what I do. It’s just too much to do the day of.)

I put the stuffing in a well-sprayed, slightly buttered (optional), baking (gratin) dish. If you put this in the preheated over, you will likely cook it for at least 45 minutes and probably more like an hour to two hours if it’s doubled. I also stir frequently while it is cooking, and then let it go for the last 15 minutes and it browns up. Taste for Salt and Pepper.

obviously if you are doubling this recipe you will need to use a large (very) frying pan. Or you can just do it in batches. You will need a very large pan to cook it up in though. You need to spread it out while it cooks so it cooks through. Once it is cooked you can always put it in a pretty baking dish and as it heats up just mix it through every once in a while so top doesn’t burn and bottom won’t be soggy.

I know everyone thinks that their stuffing is the best, but if made properly this one is absolutely amazing!

*This will probably serve at least 8 as one of many sides, but feel free to double.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Apple and Cranberry Cake on my Table for Thanksgiving

Posted on November 19, 2014 | 1 comment

It’s so hard to make a choice of Thanksgiving desserts. Usually by the time dessert rolls around everyone is so full . Somehow though everyone seems to rally for dessert, no matter how full. It’s been on my mind what to bake? I already baked my apple pie which is in my freezer from my Baking Class at ICE. I know so nice and light right??? Well it’s Thanksgiving, and no one is eating the whole cake, so don’t moan and groan. This is an easy one to do. Pumpkin Cheesecake, not so easy. So if you haven’t finalized your decision, this is a great way to go. I got this recipe from Barefoot Contessa. (Ina Garten). How easy is that? cookbook. This is a wonderful recipe to make for as long as you have those wonderful cranberries, so stock up in the freezer while they’re around.

Ingredients:

10″ glass (Pyrex) pie plate

1 bag of fresh cranberries (rinse and pick out stems, etc.)

1 Apple peeled, cored, and diced (Granny Smith is a good choice here

1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1 tablespoon orange zest (probably need 2 average size oranges)

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1 1/8 teaspoons ground cinnamon,( divided 1 Teaspoon for fruit mixture and 1/8 teaspoon for topping)

2 xtra large eggs, at room temp.

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup sour cream (lite OK) not fat free please

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Combine the cranberries, apple, brown sugar, orange zest, orange juice and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes. With the mixer on medium, add 1 cup of the granulated sugar, the butter, vanilla and sour cream and beat until just combined . On low speed, slowly add in the flour and salt.

Pour the fruit mixture evenly into a 10 inch glass pie plate (Pyrex) Pour the batter over the fruit, covering it completely. Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar and 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle over the batter. Bake for 55 – 60 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean and the fruit is bubbling around the edges.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Delicious with vanilla ice cream.

1 Comment

Posted in Baked Goods, Cake, dessert, Holiday, Holiday Recipes, Holiday/ Thanksgiving Recipes

Tagged Cranberry Apple Cake

Hunter’s Stew made with Chicken–One Pot Cooking

Posted on November 18, 2014 | 1 comment

Perfect Winter Sunday kind of food. I make this delicious chicken stew in my Le Creuset on stove top and put right in the oven, by now you all must know how very much I love one pot meals. All in it takes about 1 1/2 hours , that’s prep and cook and clean up! not bad at all for a lovely heartwarming stew that you and your family will love. I used Portobello mushrooms today but any kind of mushroom will do, cremini or baby bella mushrooms or just plain white button mushrooms will work out beautifully. The Portobello Mushrooms gave the sauce a richer darker color and more savory flavor. A lot of these ingredients should be in your pantry already and although it seems like a lot of ingredients and prep it really is pretty easy. We are going to the movies (my kind of Sunday) so I prepped in advance, cooked for 1/2 hour in the oven and will heat it up after the movie. Follow the steps here and if you’re going to prep in advance , it’s super easy.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken , cut up in 8’s giblets and backbone removed– I used a small organic chicken and ask butcher to cut out backbone.

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large Spanish onion , sliced (not too thick)

I used about 1/2 lb. of Portobello mushrooms, chopped up but use whatever mushrooms you’d like. You can slice or chop makes no difference. Sometimes the whiter mushrooms look prettier sliced. The Portobello Mushrooms gave off a more savory flavor and a darker color sauce.

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup dry white wine ( use whatever you have on hand as long as it’s not too sweet)

1 cup chicken broth

1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes with juice– you may want to add a little more tomatoes but 15 oz. should be enough.

app. 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves

app. 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

1 bay leaf

Directions:

You will need a pot (dutch oven) that goes from stove top to oven. Le Creuset is what I use and love. It must have a tight-fitting lid as well.

Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees.

I dry off my chicken with paper towels. Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper.

In a Dutch Oven or a large oven-proof pot which I spray with cooking spray, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 4 of the chicken pieces at a time, skin side down. Cook undisturbed until the skin is golden , about 5 – 7 minutes depending on the size of the chicken pieces. Flip the chicken pieces and cook until brown all over, app. 4 mins. more. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining pieces of chicken. Set aside.

Remove the Dutch Oven from the heat and cool off pot for a few minutes. With some paper towels wipe the pot clean. I re-sprayed and added 1 more tablespoon of olive oil. Heat over medium-high heat until shimmering again. Add the sliced onions, mushrooms and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until everything softens and it smells amazing. App. 5- 8 minutes.

Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the flour is thoroughly mixed with the onion and mushrooms, about 3 minutes.

Raise the heat to high and stir in the white wine, scraping up any brown bits at the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the chicken broth, tomatoes and their juices, thyme, sage, bay leaf, app. 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and add back in the browned chicken, submerging the pieces into the liquid. Cover and place the pot in the oven.

Bake until the chicken is tender , about 1/2 hour. Take off the lid and bake for another 10 minutes or so.

Remove the pot from the oven, and using tongs, transfer the chicken to a platter. Return the pot with the sauce to the stove top, turn the heat to high, and cook until the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes.

If sauce is too thick you can always add a little broth or water to thin it out.

Remove the bay leaf, spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.

Yum! you can serve with rice, quinoa, whatever you like. A green salad would be perfect with some nice crusty bread for soaking up the sauce.

1 Comment

Posted in chicken, One Pot Cooking, stew

Tagged chicken hunters stew, Chicken Stew in One Pot, hunters stew

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Posted on November 18, 2014 | Leave a comment

This is my go to recipe for the creamiest mashed potatoes around. I make them a few times a year and mostly on the holidays. Occasionally I’ll whip them up for dinner . They are rich and delicious and just the way mashed potatoes ought to be. I’d like to tell you that I don’t use butter and cream but I do. These are pretty easy to make, all I would say is to buy a good potato masher they come in pretty handy for a lot of other uses as well ( great for egg salad) . I like to work with Yukon Gold Potatoes. This recipe is for 5 lbs. and feeds about 10 – 12 people , just perfect for a holiday dinner. These are my Thanksgiving Mashed Potatoes.

* see also Mashed Potato Casserole with Sour Cream and Chives for another way to go.

Ingredients:

5 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes or Russet Potatoes

3/4 cup unsalted butter

1 8 oz. package of Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 to 3/4 cups half and half

1 /2 to 1 teaspoon Lawry’s Seasoned Salt ( more to taste) I used at least 1 teaspoon you’ll have to taste for yourself.

1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed black pepper. ( more or less to taste)

Directions:

Peel and cut the potatoes into pieces that are generally the same size.

In a large enough pot to cook all of the potatoes fill pot with cold water to cover the potatoes. I bring to a boil and cook for about 30 – 35 minutes. When potatoes are cooked through, a fork should easily slide into the potatoes without resistance, potatoes should be soft but not falling apart.

Drain the potatoes in a colander. When the potatoes have finished draining, place them back into the dry pot and put the pot back on the stove. Mash the potatoes with masher over very low heat, allowing the steam to escape, before adding the other ingredients.

Turn off the stove and add 1 1/2 sticks of butter, an 8 oz. package of cream cheese and about 1/2 cup of half and half. Mash, mash and mash away.

Add about 1/2 teaspoon of Lawry’s Seasoning Salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.

Stir well and place in a medium-sized baking dish and taste for salt and pepper. I ended up using at least a teaspoon of salt, and a bit more pepper. Place a few pats of butter over the top of the potatoes and place them in a 350 degree oven and heat until butter is melted and potatoes have warmed through.

* if making a day or two in advance–place potatoes in baking dish, leave covered in fridge. Take it out of the fridge about 2 – 3 hours before heating up to bring to room temperature. Place your butter pats on top and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 1/2 hour or so till completely warmed through.

Sweet and Spicy Nuts – Perfect for Thanksgiving

Posted on November 17, 2014 | Leave a comment

My inspiration for this recipe came from Barefoot Contessa. I make these and keep them in a baggie or a container. Awesome, thanks Ina. These nuts make the perfect appetizers, no one who eats nuts can resist. I also like mine with a little “kick”, you can manage the heat on these.

ingredients:

vegetable oil

7 cups of nuts (you can break it up any way you want. You can do 7 cups of roasted mixed unsalted nuts or any other combination as long as they equal 7 cups. if you can’t find unsalted nuts, adjust the salt on this recipe as per direction below)

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

3 tablespoons orange juice (fresh or container. fresh is always best (and one orange will do the trick,) but honestly no biggie.)

2 teaspoons ground chipotle powder–I use 2 teaspoons but if you really like them mild use a little less.

4 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves (divide 2 tablespoons for now and 2 tablespoons for later)

4 teaspoons Kosher salt (also divided 2 for now and 2 for later. don’t add second 2 teaspoons of salt if you bought salted nuts)

Preheat oven to 350

Brush a sheet pan (prefer one with sides) generously with vegetable oil (use a brush, love the silicone brushes)

First, combine nuts, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, orange juice, and chipotle powder in a large bowl (I prefer a large metal bowl). Toss to coat the nuts evenly.

Add 2 tablespoons of the minced rosemary and 2 teaspoons of the kosher salt and give it a good toss (a large metal spoon works the best b/c it can get a little sticky with a wooden spoon.)

Spread nuts in a single layer on sheet pan.

Roast nuts for 25 minutes, stirring twice. You will want to take them out of the oven to stir them b/c they may slide off the tray. Use a metal spatula. Roast for the rest of the 25 minutes until nuts are glazed .

Remove from the oven, and sprinkle with remaining 2 teaspoons of kosher salt (only if they were unsalted) and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of rosemary.

Toss well and set aside at room temp.

While they are cooling, stir them up a few times b/c they may stick together.

Taste for seasoning. They really don’t achieve full flavor until they fully cool. So you won’t know how spicy they are until they sit for a while. I’ve made these a million times and can tell you that this amount of chipotle has kick, but not psycho hot.

Serve warm, or let them cool. Put them in a container and serve whenever you like. They stay good for a long time.

*just a note: you can adjust salt, rosemary, and chipotle to your liking. I have recipe for Union Square Nuts and they don’t have chipotle and are also delish but I prefer these b/c I love the heat of the chipotle!

Enjoy!

Banana Pudding from Magnolia Bakery – One of my Top Ten Desserts that you don’t even bake

Posted on November 16, 2014 | 2 comments

Completely decadent and totally ridiculous in calories and richness, and I love it. It’s so very delicious. My daughter Jennifer has made this dessert numerous times over the last few years. It is actually a subtle taste of bananas, but I wouldn’t make this if I didn’t like bananas. I happen to just adore bananas and I absolutely love love this pudding. I cannot have it in the house because I will continually find an excuse to go into the fridge and eat it till it’s pretty much all gone. Jenn made it for dessert on Thanksgiving, it was one of 3 majorly desserts and it is really over the top. As full as I was and swearing I wasn’t going to eat another thing for at least a week, when I saw this pudding I knew I was going to eat it. She left the uneaten portion of it in my house and I couldn’t believe it I had to wake up to that bowl in the fridge. I find it impossible to resist, and I know others who suffer from this same fate. If you’re in the market for a purely decadent rich over the top dessert then this is it for you. Probably up there in my top ten desserts ever. This is from the More from Magnolia Cookbook so how could it be bad?

*this recipe really needs time , so you must start the day before to let initial pudding set, and then you’ll need at least 4 more hours minimum before serving. So you must factor time into your preparing of this awesome pudding.

*** sorry for the lack of pictures maybe this Thanksgiving I’ll remember to take more.

Ingredients:

1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1 1 /2 cups ice-cold water

1 3.4 ounce package instant vanilla pudding mix ( preferably Jell-O brand)is there another brand?

3 cups heavy cream

1 12 ounce box Nabisco Nilla Wafers ( no substitutions) is there another brand?

4 cups sliced ripe banana

Directions:

In a small bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat together the sweetened condensed milk and cold water until well combined, about 1 minute. Add the pudding mix and beat well, about 2 minutes more.* Cover and refrigerate for 3 – 4 hours or overnight, before continuing. It is very important to allow the proper amount of time for the pudding mixture to set.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer , whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the pudding mixture into the whipped cream until well blended and no streaks of pudding remains.

To assemble the dessert, select a large, wide bowl ( preferably glass) with a 4 – 5 quart capacity. Arrange one-third of the wafers to cover the bottom of the bowl, over-lapping if necessary, then one-third of the bananas and one-third of the pudding. Repeat the layering twice more, garnishing with additional wafers or wafer crumbs on the top layer of the pudding . ( Just crush up a few remainder cookies in food processor) Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to chill in the refrigerator for *4 hours–or up to 8 hours, but no longer! Serve and behold the love!

Serves anywhere from 12- 15

It’s a large dessert and a substantial one. It stands alone beautifully!

2 Comments

Posted in dessert, Pudding

Tagged Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding, No bake Banana Pudding from Magnolia Bakery, One of my top ten desserts

Cremini Mushroom Pumpkin Lasagna – Seasonal and Savory for Thanksgiving

Posted on November 15, 2014 | 1 comment

Fully Baked Cremini Pumpkin Lasagna

: Pumpkin Roux

My daughter, Kerri, has been a vegetarian (not vegan) since she was about twelve. It is always a challenge, especially on holidays, to make delicious and savory food for her to choose from that she will like. While she loves all the sides, I wanted to give her something that would always be on our table and be a tradition for her. She’s not a huge mushroom eater which is why I use cremini. They are somehow less “mushroomy” for her, and she hates anything like “fake meat.” This lasagna is sort of my own concoction. There are a lot of recipes out there, but I find this one works for me. I also need to explain a basic Bechamel (white) sauce or Roux which is at the heart of this recipe. It consists of butter, flour, salt, pepper, and milk. Sometimes it takes nutmeg; and in this recipe I add pumpkin, but the 5 basic ingredients are always present in various amounts, depending on the recipe. This lasagna is always on our Thanksgiving table. And even the meat eaters enjoy it! All that being said, this is not an “easy peasy” recipe. It has a lot of moving parts, but it’s so worth the effort, as all lasagnas are. Everyone who’s ever made a lasagna and starts with their own sauce, knows how much work goes into it, but it’s so worth it–especially for your family and friends.

* I usually make this early in the week and then cook and refrigerate it. It tastes better like that anyway. Then, I heat it up before serving, which usually takes another 45 minutes on top of what the recipe calls for. I always remove from refrigerator and bring it to room temperature before heating it up. It can also certainly be frozen, as any lasagna can be. I’m a big fan of freezing the leftovers.

Ingredients:

2 boxes of no-boil lasagna noodles (You need about 18 sheets of noodles and I don’t like them all broken so I like to start out with as many as possible. It’s okay if they are broken though. No harm.)

1 1/2 lbs. cremini mushrooms, chopped roughly

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter (If you don’t want to use this, you don’t have to. It’s for sauteing the mushrooms, which you can also do using olive oil.)

Bechamel Sauce (Roux):

8 tablespoons (1 stick ) unsalted butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon nutmeg (you can use whole or grated)

4 cups whole milk

1 1/2 – 2 cans pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)–I like the organic one and I usually end up putting both cans in because what am I going to do with half a can anyway?

*1 tablespoon minced fresh sage ( optional)

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

For the white sauce (Bechamel/Roux,) bring the milk to a simmer in a saucepan (not a full on boil.) Then, set aside the hot milk. Melt the stick of butter in a large saucepan. Add the flour and cook for about one minute, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture all at once. Add 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and sage if you’re adding it, and continue cooking over medium-low heat, stirring all the while. I start with a wooden spoon and as it thickens (about 5 minutes,) I switch to a whisk, until it is thick. Then I add the pumpkin and continue stirring but at this point, turn off the flame and remove from heat. Set aside off the heat.

Roughly chop up mushrooms. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in a large saute pan. When the butter melts, add half the mushrooms, sprinkle with a little kosher salt, and cook over medium heat for about 5 to 8 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and release their juices. If they become too dry, add a little more oil. (Toss occasionally to make sure the mushrooms cook evenly and remember that cremini cook pretty quickly.) Repeat with the remaining mushrooms, then set all the mushrooms aside in a bowl.

Lasagna Assembly:

To assemble the lasagna, spray a nice, deep 8 x 12 baking dish, then spread some of the bechamel/pumpkin sauce in the bottom of baking dish. Arrange a layer of noodles on top of this. (No-boil noodles are not soft so it might feel strange to lay them down but just put them down, usually 3 to a layer. No need to overlap because they grow as you cook.) Then add 1/3 of the mushrooms, and 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese. Then, begin to alternate. Start with another layer of noodles with Bechamel /Pumpkin Sauce on top; then noodles with mushroom and parmesan cheese; noodles with pumpkin/bechamel sauce; noodles with mushroom and parmesan cheese. Top with a final layer of noodles and sauce, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan Cheese. Bake the lasagna for 45 minutes, or until the top is browned and the sauce is bubbly and hot. Allow to sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes .

This recipe includes about 6 layers of noodles total, which is about 18 lasagna noodles.

1 Comment

Posted in Holiday/ Thanksgiving Recipes, vegetables, vegetarian

Tagged Pumpkin Lasagna for Thanksgiving and Anytime, Thanksgiving, thanksgiving recipes for vegetarians, vegetarian lasagna

Thanksgiving Corn Bread Pudding

Posted on November 14, 2014 | 4 comments

Corn Bread Pudding out of the oven

My friend Audrey gave this to me many years ago, and it has become a staple on our thanksgiving table ever since. It just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without it. It is a favorite in the Kolen household. Can be doubled easily just will need to cook a little longer. I cooked my double corn bread pudding for at least 45 minutes and sometimes a little longer. You’ll want to press down on the middle and make sure that it’s not too soft. If outside edges start to burn put a piece of aluminum foil over it if it’s not done. Usually another 10 – 15 minutes will work on a doubled recipe and it should look like picture. Outside edges will brown a slight bit.

*I really do think this recipe comes out best not doubled, you’d almost be best off finding a larger baking dish or using 2 9×12 dishes. You will not have the issue of it being too soft if it is in a larger baking dish or 2 9×12 baking dishes.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter (unsalted) 1 stick

8 oz. sour cream (lite ok but not fat-free)

8 oz. can sweet corn (drained)

8 oz. can creamed corn

8 oz. pkg. corn muffin mix

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter, mix in beaten eggs, then add the rest of the ingredients.

Pour into glass baking dish (Pyrex is good and I spray it first.) 9 x 12 works fine, it’s not a very deep pudding.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes for single recipe and double recipe will probably cook for another 10 – 15 minutes. You’ll want middle to spring back to the touch and not be too mushy.

4 Comments

Posted in Holiday, Holiday Recipes, Holiday/ Thanksgiving Recipes, sides, vegetables, vegetarian

Tagged Thanksgiving Corn Bread Pudding

Aunt Pammy’s Chipotle Sweet Potatoes

Posted on November 13, 2014 | 4 comments

Fully Baked Chipotle Sweet Potatoes

This recipe belongs to my sister, Pamela. She is a great cook, and this is her signature Thanksgiving Dish. We count on it every year as her contribution. I highly suggest it if you like spicy because it is! It definitely packs some heat, be careful when you buy the chipotle peppers in adobe sauce , just make sure they don’t say Hot or you might be blowing the roof off of your Thanksgiving Dinner! Be prepared for a lot of flavor ! If your family likes spicy this is an awesome recipe, and you all know how much I like spicy by now. This is certainly a new take on Sweet Potatoes because they aren’t sweet. I also make a Sweet Potato dish with Marshmallows (* see recipe) and the two are always on my table, one sweet and one spicy. Thanks Aunt Pammy.

Ingredients:

5 lbs.Yams or Sweet Potatoes

Kosher Salt ( about 1/4 to 1/2 cup)

Heavy Cream ( about 1 1/2 quarts)

Chipotle Peppers in Adobe Sauce (canned) *look in Mexican Food Aisle in most supermarkets

Directions:

Slice Potatoes thinly and add salt. Place in baking dish you are going to use and cover with kosher salt, start with 1/4 cup and go to the 1/2 cup. Use your clean hands and toss together.

Puree Chipotles in small food processor .* you can keep pureed chipotles in fridge for up to 2 months. So you can do this step ahead.

Put approximately 1 – 2 tsp. of chipotle pepper puree in heavy cream and mix together

Pour Cream Mixture over Potatoes in an ovenproof baking dish ( earthenware is nice for this)

Place in 375 degree preheated oven for 45 minutes to an hour depending on your oven.

Potatoes should be somewhat set and browned on top when ready.

Enjoy! and Happy Thanksgiving

4 Comments

Posted in Holiday, Holiday Recipes, Holiday/ Thanksgiving Recipes, pasta, Uncategorized, vegetables, vegetarian

Tagged Aunt Pammy's Chipotle Sweet Potatoes, Hot and Spicy Sweet Potatoes, sweet potatoes recipe, Thanksgiving, thanksgiving recipes

Thanksgiving 2015

Posted on November 11, 2014 | 1 comment

Fully Baked Cremini Pumpkin Lasagna

Fully Cooked Cranberry Crisp

Magnolia Banana Pudding

Sweet and Spicy Nuts

Hurricane Sandy Cranberry Bread

Corn Bread Pudding

pre marshmallow topping

Michele’s White Chocolate Jumbo Macadamia Cookies

Butternut Squash Soup–No Cream

It’s right around the corner and before you know it November 26th is here and happening. It’s my most favorite holiday to celebrate with family and friends. So it’s November 17th and I think it’s time to lay down a few menu guidelines. I just returned from the most amazing trip to India and despite my jet lag I need to get it together. I have a few recipes I will want to be trying this year and am excited to experiment. I must have my” standards ” because there is always a collective “sigh” when something is missing from the buffet. I will try and post some new recipes in the next week or so . If anyone out there has any great suggestions for me please do email me, I’d love to see them. I can’t promise to make them this year but I will certainly try and look them all over. My menu is almost always the same and if you’ve been a faithful fan you’ve probably gotten to taste Karyn’s Cranberry Crisp, Corn bread Pudding, and my favorite stuffing just to name a few “oldies but goodies”. Check out the recipes on my blog: cookingwithcandi.com subscribe for free and fun and get my emails. Once you’ve successfully subscribed just enter a recipe into the search and that’s it! and go through my blog you may find something you want to add to your Thanksgiving Table that isn’t on this post. Hopefully this will be helpful in your planning your Holiday Meal. Look for some new recipes in enough time to try out for this year’s table.

Happy Cooking Thanksgiving 2015 and remember Gratitude not Attitude!

Thanksgiving 2015

for starters I always make my Sweet and Spicy Mixed Nuts. I have a few variations but they are always delicious and I try not to serve too many appetizers because it’s really an overwhelming meal.

I always do a Baked Brie served with Fig Jam and you know what? I buy it at Whole Foods and keep it in the freezer till I bake it, super perfect and you have to budget your time some how. Whole Foods makes a great one and I expend enough energy on the meal without doing this too.

Seasonal Salad: whatever you like and I have to say salad is really not necessary with all of the other sides. So use your judgement here . I love a simple green salad with some pears, nuts and my most favorite Mustard Vinaigrette which tastes just about perfect on any salad. Kale and Brussels Salad is great as well but a little filling.

Two Soups for Thanksgiving: Butternut Squash (no cream) always wins out in my family. My Pumpkin Lentil Soup is also super inviting . Both soups can and should be made ahead of time. I usually make it 3 days prior to serving , it can keep in fridge. You can also freeze it and just add some liquid when heating up. I also make a delicious Butternut Squash Soup with Chipotle Cream for a little twist on a standard.

Pumpkin Walnut Bread or Hurricane Sandy Pumpkin Cranberry Bread:

Cremini Mushroom Pumpkin Lasagna ( vegetarian), Ultimate Comfort Food Macaroni and Cheese ( vegetarian) and this year I may make a Roasted Vegetable Lasagna. Obviously you don’t need this choice if everyone is good with eating meat but if you’d like to offer a vegetarian choice one of these is perfect and can all be made ahead of time. Look for the Roasted Vegetable Lasagna which will be coming soon. I always add a pasta , don’t ask my why.

Stuffing that will be on our table: This is my stuffing that I always make. Look for it under this title. This is my tried and true. Worth the work.

Creamy Mashed Potatoes: when I’ve tried to eliminate I always get caught so they will be here again this year.

Candied Yam Souffle: East Peasy. Marshmallow Sweet Potatoes, Aunt Pammy’s Chipotle Sweet Potatoes which are nothing short of A-mazing!!

Fresh Cranberry Sauce, Karyn’s Famous Thanksgiving Cranberry Crisp ( also nothing short of amazing) and Joy’s Cranberry Sauce. If you haven’t made Karyn’s Cranberry Crisp you’re really missing out on something wonderful.

Fresh Green Beans with Lemons and Almonds

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Corn Bread Pudding–this is a must , one of the best Thanksgiving recipes ever!

Roast Whole Turkey and a Turkey Breast: if you’re family prefers white meat a turkey roast is just perfection. We also have dark meat lovers so I do both.

Michele’s White Chocolate Jumbo Macadamia Cookies, Pumpkin Cheesecake The cookies will always make an appearance and I think this year an Apple Crisp is in order because Joel has made a personal request for this. Magnolia Banana Pudding is another strong contender.

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Potatoes for Mashed Potatoes

Like I said just a guide line to help with your shopping, menus, and hopefully some new ideas for you. Enjoy and please do reach out if you have some suggestions.

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Posted in Holiday/ Thanksgiving Recipes

Author Archives: cookingwithcandi

The Stuffing that Will Be on Our Table

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Apple and Cranberry Cake on my Table for Thanksgiving

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Hunter’s Stew made with Chicken–One Pot Cooking

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Creamy Mashed Potatoes

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Sweet and Spicy Nuts – Perfect for Thanksgiving

My inspiration for this recipe came from Barefoot Contessa. I make these and keep them in a baggie or a container. Awesome, thanks Ina. These nuts make the perfect appetizers, no one who eats nuts can resist. I also like mine with a little “kick”, you can manage the heat on these.

Banana Pudding from Magnolia Bakery – One of my Top Ten Desserts that you don’t even bake

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Cremini Mushroom Pumpkin Lasagna – Seasonal and Savory for Thanksgiving

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Thanksgiving Corn Bread Pudding

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Aunt Pammy’s Chipotle Sweet Potatoes

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Thanksgiving 2015

Thanksgiving 2015

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My inspiration for this recipe came from Barefoot Contessa. I make these and keep them in a baggie or a container. Awesome, thanks Ina. These nuts make the perfect appetizers, no one who eats nuts can resist. I also like mine with a little “kick”, you can manage the heat on these.

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Thanksgiving 2015

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