Spicy Ginger Syrup

Cooks Illustrated published something similar recently. Here's my approximation...

Ingredients
1 C sugar (a heaping cup!)

½ lb fresh ginger root

½ tsp coarse salt

pinch crushed red peper flakes

1 T apple cider vinegar

Directions

Slice the ginger root into rounds (no need to peel it).

Puree everything but the vinegar in a food processor. (A blender works okay too.) Let it rest 5-10 minutes, then process (or blend) it again. Scrape everything into a FINE mesh strainer over a bowl. If you've got cheese cloth, line the strainer first. Let it drain 5-10 minutes, at least. If you used cheesecloth, gather the edges and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. If you're working without cheesecloth, use a rubber spatula to press the solids in the strainer to get as much liquid as possible from the solids. Discard the solids. Stir in the vinegar. Refrigerate syrup.

Use the syrup in seltzer to make a non-alcoholic ginger beer. Add a splash to hot spiced cider in the fall, or to fresh made limeade in the summer. Add lime juice and vodka for a Moscow Mule. (Apparently substituting dark rum for the vodka makes a "Dark & Stormy".) Pour a little into orange spice tea. Use a spoonful in marinades and sauces... 

Orange-Maple Dressing on Sweet Potato Salad

This was definitely inspired by the Washington Post's version, here. The critical part is the dressing. The salad itself could have any number of things with the sweet potatoes. Feel free to improvise off my suggestions below...

Dressing Ingredients

2 T orange juice

2 T olive oil

1 T balsamic glaze

1 T fresh ginger, minced to a paste

pinch (generous) nutmeg

pinch salt - to taste

Dressing Directions

Whisk together all ingredients vigorously, to emulsify.

Salad Ingredients

2-3 medium sweet potatoes

2 scallions

½ C dried cranberries

½ C honey roasted peanuts*

1 T chopped fresh parsley

* Pecans would be more traditional with these flavors, but with my tree nut allergies, I always substitue. Pine nuts would be another option; anything...to add a crunch factor.

Salad Directions

Peel and dice the sweet potatoes. Cook until tender. The Washington Post's recipe indicated boiling; a similar version from Food Network said to steam them. I sautéed mine because I like the bit of caramelization they get that way, though it does add a little more fat. I reduced the olive oil from the original recipe's dresssing; so it works out to be the same overall. Do as you please! Cook them; cool them.

I reconstitued my dried cranberries in some extra orange juice for 20 minutes or so, then drained them; it's not necessary, but I like the extra flavor and juiciness it adds.

Chop the parsley and scallions -- and the nuts, if desired, though they'd be fine whole too if they're peanuts or pine nuts and already quite small.

Toss the scallions, cranberries, nuts and parsley with the dressing. Pour over cooled sweet potatoes and gently stir to coat. Serve chilled.

Sweet Potato Chips and MORE

The basic idea for these came from Food Network magazine - a "Thanksgiving Snack Mix" that called for sweet potato and kettle chips, turkey gravy mix and poultry seasoning, and toasted pecans... 

I borrowed the basic idea. I made my own chips and fried some fresh sage leaves (also in FN's Thanksgiving Snack Mix). I skipped the gravy mix and poultry seasoning -- they'd be fine, I'm sure, but I didn't have either. I did add a smoky African spice mix instead, and some dried cranberries. If I'd had honey roasted peanuts, that would have substituted nicely for the pecans...I'll do that next time around.

This was a deliciously addictive mix for munching!

Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake

It's the time of year when you can get pumpkin spiced EVERYTHING! I don't want to overload, but I do like pumpkin ...and sweet potato, and butternut squash...all of which appeal to me even more this time of year.

I tried this one from AllRecipes.com ...with a few alterations. I didn't have gingersnap  cookies on hand, and I have nut allergies, so skipped the pecans (in the crust and as garnish); but I did have graham crackers that needed to get used up, so I made a graham cracker crust and added a bit of candied ginger to it.

I was a little short on cream cheese, but made up the difference with a couple ounces of mascarpone; that shouldn't impact the overall outcome much.

It's good. Not fantastic, but really good. Pumpkin flavor is mild and the cheesecake texture is moist, creamy and firm. Topped mine with a dollop of barely sweetened vanilla whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon-nutmeg.

Pumpkin Spice Fudge

Too early for chocolatey Christmas fudge? It's not too early for a pumpkin fudge!

Ingredients
1¾ C sugar

¾ C pumpkin puree (canned)

2/3 C sweetened condensed milk

½ C maple syrup

3 T butter

1 t salt

½ t ground cinnamon

¼ t ground cloves

¼ t ground nutmeg

4 oz cream cheese

12 oz white 'chocolate' chips

Directions

Lightly coat a 11x7 glass casserole dish (or 8x8 or 9x9 square) with non-stick cooking spray. (I also lined mine with parchment paper, under and up the sides - which made for easier removal.)

In a saucepan, cook sugar, pumpkin, condensed milk and maple syrup over medium heat, stirring frequently until it reaches 240 F. Stir in remaining ingredients until chips are completely melted and ingredients are well blended.

Pour into prepared dish, tilting to spread evenly -- or use a spatula, coated lightly with non-stick spray, to spread evenly. Allow to cool completely to room temperature. Cut into 1" squares.

Cranberry Curd

A holiday twist on lemon curd. Not quite as good as I'd hoped; but not bad and worth making again...making tweaking it in hopes of improving it. I'd like a little less sweetness and a little more acidic cranberry punch.

But...not bad for a holiday flavored bite -- with a little cream cheese on a pumpkin roll!

Cranberry Curd Recipe

Maple-Miso Sweet Potato Glaze

Last month, Bon Appetit published a recipe for Glazed Sweet Potatoes with Lentils. For the most part, it was the glaze that got my attention. I'm a wimp when it comes to spicinesss, and I have a sweet tooth (bring on the maple syrup!), so my version isn't quite the same, but the maple-miso combo with a punch of vinegar and a hint of a kick from pepper flakes...yum!

Ingredients

3 medium sweet potatoes

2 T maple syrup

1 tsp soy

2 tsp white miso

2 tsp sesame oil

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

1 T rice vinegar

1 T butter

Optional: 1 T thinly sliced scallions to garnish (sesame seeds would be a nice finish, too)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400° F.

In a small bowl, whisk together maple syrup, soy, miso, remaining tsp sesame oil, red pepper flakes and vinegar. Set aside.

Peel sweet potatoes and brush (or rub - I put on gloves and use my hands) with 1 tsp sesame oil. I used a combination of red garnet yam and white sweet potato just for color variety; either works fine. Place on baking sheet and bake 40-50 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool until just handle-able. Slice into 1 inch thick pieces.

Melt butter in large sauté pan; sauté sweet potato pieces over medium heat until deeply caramelized on both sides. Reduce heat to low; add maple-miso glaze. Continue to cook until glaze is bubbling; swirling pan or spooning glaze over pieces to coat them evenly. 

Remove to serving dish; drizzle with remaining glaze from pan. Garnish with thinly sliced scallions.

Tuna Steaks with Grape-Caper 'Salsa'

The original recipe for this comes from All Recipes magazine. Below is my variation -- with only minor adjustments in ingredients, and reduced to serve 2. The original directions were for grilling the steaks; I seared my in a sautè pan. Tuna is usually served very rare; my photo hardly shows how pink it is. (This time of year, it's dark so early that my dinner time photos are really NOT great quality -- no natural light whatsoever, and it really makes a difference.)

The grape-caper 'salsa' would be great on other fish as well...even on pork. Or chicken. (You can put just about anything on chicken!)

Ingredients

1 T olive oil

3 T capers, rinsed & drained

1½ T minced shallot

1 T fresh parsley, chopped

2 (6-8 oz) tuna steaks

2 tsp lemon juice

1 C seedless grapes, rough chopped

salt & pepper to taste

Directions

In a small bowl, stir together the olive oil, capers, shallot and parsley. Toss with the grapes; season with salt and pepper.

Brush the tuna steaks with lemon juice; season with salt and pepper.

Preheat a fry pan (cast iron skillet would work great here too; or go for the grill). Add a drizzle of olive oil; sear tuna steaks in HOT pan to form a golden crust on both sides (flip after 2-3 minutes for 1" thick steaks), but still pink in the center.

Top steaks with grape-caper 'salsa. Garnish with lemon wedges.

Roasted Grape Crostini with Chevre & Herbs

I'm seeing this in magazines again lately. The exact herbs, cheese or other toppings varies slightly, but the basic format is the same: Toasted bread, spread with soft cheese, topped with roasted grapes and herbs. Often they're finished with a drizzled with extra olive oil and balsamic glaze. Yum!

Ingredients

½ baguette, sliced into ¼" thick slices

2 C seedless grapes*

2-3 T olive oil

1 T fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano...)

        + more for garnish, if desired

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

½ C chevre (or ricotta)

2 tsp lemon zest

¼ C toasted pine nuts (optional)

balsamic glaze

* Assorted colors makes for a more interesting presentation, but any color will work

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400° F.

In a small bowl, mix olive oil with 2 tsp of the fresh herbs, salt and pepper. Toss grapes in seasoned olive oil; spread grapes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until grapes are tender and skins just begin to wrinkle and toast (about 20 minutes).

If desired, brush baguette slices with remaining herbed olive oil. Place on another baking sheet in the oven, along with grapes, until toasted and golden (10-15 minutes). Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

In a small bowl, mix lemon zest into softened cheese. (Additional herbs can be added as well, but aren't necessary.) Spread cheese onto toasted crostini. Top with grapes (halved, if desired). Drizzle with balsamic glaze and a little additional olive oil, if desired. Sprinkle with remaining fresh herbs and toasted pine nuts.

Roasted Sweet Potato Rounds - Appetizer

There are a lot of variations of this appetizer posted online -- topped, most soften, with goat cheese and any number of different things: cranberries (dried or fresh), diced apple, minced shallot, thyme, basil, candied walnuts or pecans, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts... And then drizzled with: honey, maple syrup, balsamic glaze, olive oil (mixed with a  little lemon or blood orange or cranberry or pomegrante juce) with herbs or spices like smoked paprika, thyme, rosemary, basil... You get the idea. It's pretty adaptable!

Here's the basic idea:

Ingredients
2 sweet potatoes - long and thin works best

3 T olive oil - flavor infused oils could work here!

½ t salt

¼ t pepper

½ t smoked paprika

2 t lemon zest

1 T honey (or maple syrup)

5 oz chevre (soft goat cheese)*

1/3 C dried cranberries (or other chopped fruit)

1/3 C chopped candied pecans**

2 T fresh chopped basil leaves (sage, thyme, rosemary...others could also work here)

optional: balsamic glaze

* You can buy a pre-seasoned chevre with herbs, or one pre-sweetened with honey; or you can go basic and add your own flavorings in the toppings.

** I skipped the pecans -- I have nut allergies. But if I made these again (WHEN I make these again!) I think I'd throw something else in to add a crunchy, textural element. Honey roasted peanuts would be a nut alternative I CAN have; pumpkin or sunflower seeds would work. Crumbles of crisp bacon would be delicious!

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450°.

In a small bowl combine 2 T olive oil with salt and pepper. Peel the sweet potatoes and slice into ½" thick rounds. Toss the rounds in olive oil, s&p; place them on a baking sheet in a single layer, slightly spaced apart.

Roast the sweet potatoes about 20 minutes, turning half way through, until golden and browning around the edges. While they are roasting, add remaining tablespoon of olive oil to small bowl of olive oil, s&p. Stir in smoked paprika and lemon zest (or other spice/flavorings).

Transfer sweet potato rounds to a serving platter. Top with goat cheese, cranberries, and candied nuts. Drizzle with seasoned olive oil. Sprinkle with chopped herb(s). If desired, drizzle with balsamic glaze.

Best served warm.

Salted Maple Pie

It's been over a year since my friend Teresa and I got together for pie baking. Blame it on Covid, but it's been far too long since our peach hand pie baking adventure; we were overdue! Earlier this morning, we tried out this pie -- recipe from  the Sister Pie cookbook (photo below) -- for a fall-flavored treat to celebrate both our birthdays (both in October). I made mine in mini-pie/tart pans, and used my own pie crust recipe.

Other than the fact that, in my opinion, quite a few of the photos in the cookbook look a little overcooked (TOO dark brown crusted), there are lots of enticing flavor combinations that intrigue me! While there are plenty of other recipes in the Sister Pie cookbook I'd like to try out (Brown Butter Plum Crumble Pie; Sweet Corn Nectarine Streusel Pie; Caramelized Onion, Delicata Squash & Sage Hand Pies...) I won't be posting any other of their recipes -- buy their book! But I'll include this one as a teaser... 

Crock Pot Butter Chicken for 2

Inspired by Better Homes & Gardens recipe, mine is slightly less spicy, with a little extra ginger (simply because I like it that way!), and reduced to serve 2.

Ingredients

2½ T butter

½ lb boneless chicken thighs (or nearer ¾ lb bone-in)

3 C chopped yellow onion

7 oz diced tomatoes

2 tsp fresh grated ginger

1½ tsp garam masala

1 garlic clove, minced

¼ tsp cumin

¼ tsp turmeric

pinch cayenne pepper

¼ C heavy cream

s&p to taste

Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon butter; brown chicken on both sides (it doesn't have to cook all the way through; it will in the crock pot). Transfer chicken to a 1 qt crock pot. (If you don't have a small one, best to double or tripple the recipe so it won't dry out while cooking in a larger crock pot.)

Sauté chopped onion in the butter until beginning to caramelize. Transfer to slow cooker with chicken. In a small bowl, combined tomatoes (drained if you're using canned tomatoes), grated ginger, garam masala, minced garalic, cumin, turmeric and cayenne. Stir to combine evenly; add to crock pot.

Cover; cook on low 6-8 hours.

Stir in cream and remaining butter. If sauce is too thin, cook, uncovered, until thickened.

Salt & pepper to taste.