Stuffing Muffins

I found this recipe in either the New York Times or the LA Times while I was waiting for my flight to Tokyo. I have never really liked the mushy stuffing that is baked inside the turkey and in recent years have started stuffing my turkey with oranges and onions. I prefer the crunchy stuffing edges when it is baked in a casserole dish. I think that these stuffing muffins are a fabulous idea because they would have crunchy tops and sides and it's also a great way to control portion size. This recipe sounds really good with the pears, but I think it's a great idea for any stuffing recipe including mine for which there is no recipe.

1 large loaf firm white bread
1 lb mushrooms
1/2 lb pancetta, diced small
10 T butter, plus a little extra for buttering the muffin pans
1 large onion chopped
1/4 cup minced green onion
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 1/3 cups turkey stock (I will use chicken broth)
3 1/2 cups diced fresh pears
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/4 cup minced chives
1/3 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped

Tear bread in to bite size pieces and allow to dry for 24 hours.

Cook the pancetta until done and set aside. Melt the butter In a large pan and cook the onions, pears and the mushrooms until they just start to soften. Turn off heat and add the sugar, thyme, chives and parsley. Stir in the turkey stock and pancetta, pour over the bread and mix until well combined.

Butter two 12 cup muffin pans and pack each cup with stuffing. Bake 20-30 minutes in a 375 degree oven.

Makes 24 muffins

Apple Breakfast Cake

This is a recipe that I got from the Simply Recipes Blog. I made it today and it is really good.
Serves 6
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 egg beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 medium baking apple, peeled and sliced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9 inch square or round baking dish with a 4 cup capacity.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl combine 1/3 cup sugar with the cinnamon and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter with the remaining 1/3 cup sugar. Beat in the egg until well blended. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk, beating until just combined.

Spread half the mixture in a baking dish. Lay the apple slices on the batter so they just cover the batter. Overlap them if necessary. Sprinkle the apples with half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Spread the rest of the batter over the apples. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar on the top.


Bake the cake for 25 minutes or until golden brown and apples start to bubble at the edges.

Cokie Colton's Pumpkin Ribbon Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a Bundt pan by spraying it lightly with Pam.

Cake
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter
3 eggs
3/4 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Ribbon
1- 8 ounce package cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar

Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan and spoon ribbon on the top. Pour on remaining batter.

Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes

Ruth's Chili

Ruth's Chili

Brown 1 lb ground beef and 1 pkg stew meat with 5 cloves of garlic and onions.
add to the crockpot on high with the following

2 cans of each makes a big batch-- modify for your group I do 2 of some and not of others based on the mood
kidney beans
black beans
corn
rotel
diced stewed tomatoes
tomato sauce
ranch style beans

add the following ingredients to taste
salt
pepper
chili powder
ancho chili powder
cilantro
cumin
Sazon--found in the Spanish foods aisle 3 packets usually
dried onions
a little bit of sugar
a little cinnamon

About 30 minutes before you serve add
some finely diced chocolate
not crazy it really adds to the flavor

Enjoy!!!!

Allyson's Pumpkin Apple Gingerbread

3 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 eggs
1 3/4 cup (15 oz can) Libby's solid pack pumpkin
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and shredded (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup molasses
Hard Sauce (recipe follows)

Combine flour, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice.

Beat butter and both sugars in mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, two at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in pumpkin, apple and molasses. gradually beat in flour mixtures.

Spoon batter into a well-greased and floured 12 cup fluted tube pan (Bundt) Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour or until wooden pick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes; remove from pan. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve warm with hard sauce.

For Hard Sauce
Beat 1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract in a small mixer bowl until smooth. Gradually beat in 4 cups sifted powdered sugar until fluffy.

Butternut Squash Apple Soup

Serves 4-6

1 yellow onion, chopped
1 rib of celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 large butternut squash, chopped in half with seeds removed
1 tart green apple peeled, cored and chopped
3 cups chicken broth
pinches of nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and pepper

Cook squash by steaming in pan, steamer or microwave until soft. Peel and chop. Combine butter, onion, celery, and carrot in large saucepan. Cook for 5 minutes. Add squash, apple, and broth. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Purre in a blender or food processor. Add spices to taste.

Spicy Pumpkin Soup

Serves 8

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
3-15 oz cans of pure pumpkin (don't use pumpkin pie mix because it has pie spices in it) Or you can use 6 cups of peeled, chopped roasted pumpkin
5 cups chicken broth
2 cups of milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions
Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook, until they are softened. Add spices and stir for a minute more.

Add pumpkin and 5 cups of chicken broth and mix well. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Put soup in small batches in a blender or food processor. Cover tightly and blend until smooth. Return the blended soup to a pan.

With the soup on low heat, add the brown sugar and mix. Slowly add the milk while stir until it is well mixed. Add cream. Adjust the seasonings to taste. If it is too spicy add a little more cream to col it down. You might want to add some salt.

I love this soup and freeze it in individual servings since Rick doesn't care for pureed soup. It is especially simple if you use canned pumpkin.