Category Archives: Fall

Dark Molasses Cranberry Granola

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This double batch of spiced mahogany granola is good enough to eat on its own. To turn it into home-cooked gifts, simply package it in paper coffee sacks and a bit of ribbon. For more easy gift ideas, check out our 6 Homemade Spice Blends. We’ve got savory, spicy and sweet options, so there’s something for everyone on your list!

1/2 cup honey
6 tablespoons maple syrup
6 tablespoons molasses
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup canola oil
4 cups rolled oats
2 cups sliced almonds
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1-1/2 cups sweetened dried cranberries
1/4 cup diced crystallized ginger

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease 2 rimmed baking sheets.

Combine first 9 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Add oats, almonds and sunflower seeds, tossing to combine.

 Divide mixture evenly between baking sheets and place in oven on two centermost racks. Bake 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes and rotating pans between racks. Remove from oven and toss with cranberries and crystallized ginger. Granola will dry as it cools. Once cool, store in an airtight bags or containers. Keeps for several weeks.

Makes about 10 cups

Buffalo (Bison) Carbonnade

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Carbonnade is the Belgian version of French boeuf bourguignonne, only the meat is braised in dark ale instead of red wine. Chimay — a Belgian ale made by Trappist monks — is traditional in this dish. But you can experiment with other types of ale or even stout (a commenter below asks about using Guinness, which is ideal, and I’ve even used chocolate stout with nice results). Our interpretation uses bison (buffalo) stew meat, which you can find online and in many health-food stores. Ounce, for ounce, it has about 20% fewer calories and half the fat of beef. Grass-fed beef stew meat also works well here. Serve over egg noodles or our Celery Root, Potato and Apple Mash.

buffalo-bison-carbonnade2-3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1-1/2 pounds bison (buffalo) stew meat, cut into 1-1/2 cubes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 medium onion, thinly vertically sliced
2 cups dark ale (such as Chimay Bleu)*
1 cup beef stock
1-1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and swirl in 1 tablespoon oil. Pat meat dry with a paper towel, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place flour in a shallow bowl and dredge meat in flour, shaking off excess. Add meat to pan and cook 4-5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. (Brown the meat in batches, using extra oil as needed, so you don’t overcrowd the pan.) Remove meat from pan.

Swirl another tablespoon of oil into the pan. Add onion and saute 5 minutes or until tender. Add ale to pan and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits. Cook 2 minutes or until until ale is reduced by half. Return beef to pan. Add stock. Stir in sugar. Add thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Cover and place in the oven for 2 hours and 15 minutes or until meat is fork-tender. Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Adjust seasoning. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Serves 6

*Belgian ales like Chimay typically come in large, 750-ml bottles. If you substitute a dark ale sold in standard 12-ounce bottles, just use 1 bottle in this recipe and increase the stock to 1-1/2 cups.

Pea Soup with Spanish Chorizo & Sherry Vinegar

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This spicy play on pea soup is weeknight-friendly, thanks to split peas, which you don’t need to soak, and a pressure cooker. You also can cook this in a large saucepan or Dutch oven, but you’ll need to simmer the soup for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the peas are completely tender. Serve this thick and hearty pea soup with crusty bread. Note: This recipe calls for dry-cured Spanish chorizo, not fresh Mexican chorizo. If you can’t find Spanish chorizo, substitute another type of spicy dry-cured pork sausage, such as pepperoni, linguisa or even kielbasa. To move this along, you can chop the onion and garlic while the chorizo renders its fat. Leftovers are terrific for lunch or dinner another night; the soup thickens as it cools, so just stir in more stock or water to achieve your desired consistency.

pea-soup-spanish-chorizo4 ounces Spanish chorizo, diced
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chicken stock
1 pound split peas
3 cups water
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Sherry vinegar, for drizzling (you can substitute red wine vinegar)
Chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Add chorizo to cooker. Turn heat on to medium-low, and cook 7 minutes or until chorizo renders its fat, stirring occasionally. Use a slotted spoon to remove chorizo from cooker, leaving the drippings in the cooker. Drain chorizo on a paper towel.

Add onion to drippings in cooker. Cook 3 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add chicken stock to cooker, scraping bottom of cooker to loosen any browned bits. Add peas, water and thyme. Lock lid in place, and bring to high pressure over high heat. Reduce heat, and cook 30 minutes or until peas are very tender. Release pressure using automatic pressure release OR carefully transfer cooker to skin and run cool water over rim until pressure drops. Remove lid, tilting it away from you, to allow steam to escape.

Stir in salt and black pepper to taste. The soup will have a hearty rustic texture. If you prefer a smoother consistency, use an immersion blender to puree soup to desired texture (or transfer soup in batches to a food processor or blender). Stir in chorizo. Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle each serving with a splash of vinegar and sprinkle with parsley.

Serves 6-8

Pumpkin-Oat Bread with Golden Raisins and Walnuts

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This quick bread uses several of the nourishing nonperishables–canned pumpkin, oats, walnuts and whole-grain flour–that Ruthi Solari of SuperFood Drive encourages people to donate to food banks. Enjoy this anytime of day–for breakfast, an afternoon snack or even dessert. It’s also nice baked as muffins or into little 5 x 2-1/2-inch loaves to give as gifts. (Use the leftover pumpkin to make a batch of our Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal with Toasted Pecans.)

pumpkin-oat-bread3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup rolled (a k a old-fashioned) oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 large eggs
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup golden raisins
Nonstick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.

Combine sugars, pumpkin puree, oil, maple syrup and eggs in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk until thoroughly combined. Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients, stirring with a spoon just until combined (don’t overmix or your bread will turn out tough). Gently fold in nuts and raisins. Scrape batter into a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove loaf from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack.

Serves 12

Millet-Stuffed Kabocha Squash with Indian Spices

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Millet is a gluten-free whole grain that soaks up flavors something fierce — in this case, the heady mix of Indian spices that pair so beautifully with Kabocha squash.

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Turkey Enchilada Verde Casserole

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I made a batch of Lia’s Roasted Tomatillo and Chile Sauce to use in this enchilada casserole (OK, a Mexican lasagna, really), though you could substitute your favorite jarred salsa verde. We call for cooked, shredded or diced turkey as a way to use up those Thanksgiving leftovers, but this would also work wonderfully with chicken, shredded pork or even diced firm tofu. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of cilantro.

turkey enchilada verde casserole1 recipe Roasted Tomatillo and Chile Sauce OR 2 cups jarred salsa verde
Nonstick cooking spray
12-15 (6-inch) corn tortillas
3/4 pound finely shredded or diced cooked turkey (about 3 cups)
1 cup fresh corn (about 1 ear)
1-1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded queso panela OR Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Spread 1/2 cup sauce in the bottom of a 3-quart casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Top with 4 tortillas, and trim 1 tortilla as needed to fill in any gaps. Top with 1/2 cup sauce, half the turkey, half the corn and 1/3 cup cheese. Top with 4 tortillas, and trim 1 tortilla as needed to fill in any gaps. Top with 1/2 cup sauce, remaining turkey, remaining corn and 1/3 cup cheese. Top with  4 tortillas, trimming an extra tortilla as needed to fill any gaps. Top with remaining sauce and cheese.  Cover and bake at 400 F for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes or until hot and tortillas are golden brown around the edges. Let stand 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Serves 6-8

Cream of Mushroom Soup with Chanterelles

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This mushroom soup employs an old restaurant strategy of using affordable button or cremini mushrooms, for the base, then garnishing with more expensive fungi. You can cook the soup, cool to room temperature and refrigerate the base and mushrooms for garnish in separate containers. Gently warm it up over medium-low heat. Serve in little teacups, demitasse cups or even shooters. This is lovely with Manchego and Nutmeg Gougeres.

cream-of-mushroom-soup-chanterelles1 ounce dried mushrooms (such as chanterelles, porcini, oysters or a mix)
1-1/2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
sea salt to taste
8 ounces fresh cremini or button mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped shallot
Freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup sherry
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Place dried mushrooms in a medium bowl. Cover with 2 cups hot water, and let stand 30 minutes. Drain mushrooms, reserving soaking liquid. Combine soaking liquid and stock in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and keep warm (do not boil).

Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add 1-1/2 teaspoons oil to pan. Add rehydrated mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt and cook 2-4 minutes or until mushrooms are tender, stirring frequently. Transfer mushrooms to a bowl. Set aside approximately 1/2 cup of the prettiest specimens to use for garnish.

Heat remaining 1-1/2 teaspoons oil in pan. Add fresh mushrooms and shallot. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; cook 2-4 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds or until fragrant. Increase heat to medium-high, and stir in the sherry. Simmer 3 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Whisk flour into stock mixture. Stir stock mixture into mushroom mixture, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 30 minutes. Add reserved rehydrated mushrooms (except the ones you’re using for garnish). Puree soup in a blender or food processor until smooth (or use an immersion blender to puree it in the pot). Stir in cream and adjust seasoning as needed. Ladle soup into cups and garnish with reserved rehydrated mushrooms.

Yields about 4 cups; serves 6-8

Coppa-Wrapped Dates with Blue Cheese

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This appetizer recipe uses seasonal dates and is adapted from Jill Hough’s 100 Perfect Pairings: Small Plates to Enjoy with Wines You Love, a terrific book with simple, straightforward guidance (and super-tasty recipes) on enjoying wine and food … together. This little nibble, to me, is the winter equivalent to one of our favorite summer appetizers with figs and prosciutto and cooked on the grill. I’m grateful I don’t have to wait half a year! Jill suggests pairing this dish with a Cabernet Sauvignon or meaty Syrah.

coppa-wrapped-dates-blue-cheese12 Medjool dates, pitted and halved lengthwise
2 ounces blue cheese
12 thin slices coppa, cut in half lengthwise

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Stuff each date half with a ball of blue cheese a little larger than a hazelnut. Wrap a slice of coppa around the date and set on the baking sheet. Bake until the coppa is slightly crisped and the cheese is bubbly, 5-7 minutes. Serve warm.

Serves 8

Cider-Brined, Sage-Rubbed Turkey Breast with Mulled Cider Glaze

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If you’re cooking for a couple (and want lots of leftovers) or a small crowd on Thanksgiving–or any time of the year, really–this turkey breast is a serious winner. The brine makes the meat flavorful and moist, the rub gives an extra hit of savory flavor, and the glaze brings the sweet notes of the brine up to the fore.

cider-brined-turkey-breast

Brine:
2 quarts water
1 cup kosher salt
½ cup brown sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon allspice
4 cups cold apple cider
Half of a bone-in turkey breast (3 to 3-1/2 pounds)

Rub:
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 tablespoon minced sage
freshly ground black pepper

Glaze:
1 cup cider
1 teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon cloves
2 star anise

To make the brine, heat water, salt, sugar and spices in a large stock pot over medium heat just until  salt and sugar dissolve. Pour in cold cider. Submerge turkey, cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine all the rub ingredients. Place a piece of parchment paper in the bottom of a roasting pan. Remove turkey from brine (discard brine) and place in pan. Pat thoroughly dry with a paper towel.

Wedge your fingertips just under the skin to carefully separate skin from meat. Use your fingers to smear the rub under the skin, then massage it (I find it easier to press on the skin to move the rub underneath, so the butter doesn’t stick to my fingers) to evenly coat the meat. Roast turkey 30 minutes.

While turkey is roasting, prepare the glaze. Bring  cider and spices to a boil in a small saucepan. Boil for 5-7 minutes or until the consistency of a light syrup.

When turkey has cooked 30 minutes, brush all over with glaze. Roast another 15-20 minutes (an instant-read thermometer should read 165F), glazing every 5 minutes.

Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Serves 8-12

* Carving Note: It’s easiest to cut the breast into nice, neat slices after you’ve sliced it off the bone. Turn the breast upside down to study the bone. Then carefully cut along it to release the meat. Turn the breast right side up again and cut against the grain into thick slices.

Pumpkin Tart with Maple Whipped Cream and Toasted Walnuts

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This is the Nourish version of a classic pumpkin pie. A Graham cracker crust is an easy option if you don’t feel like making pastry. If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice on hand, use 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves, and 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger. Bake the tart up to 2 days ahead, cool completely, and refrigerate. Toast the walnuts a day or two ahead and store them in an airtight container.  You can whip the cream on Thanksgiving morning and pop it in fridge.

Crust:
1 cup Graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
Cooking spray

Filling:
1 (15-ounce) can unsweetened pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup half-and-half

Remaining ingredients:
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoons finely chopped toasted walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 F.

To prepare the crust, place crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar and butter in a small bowl, tossing with a fork to combine. Use the bottom of a small glass to evenly press mixture into bottom and up sides of a 10-inch tart dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 F for 10 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Increase oven temperature to 425 F.

To prepare the filling, place pumpkin puree and eggs in a large bowl; beat with a mixer until thoroughly combined. Beat in 3/4 cup sugar, flour, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and salt. Beat in half-and-half. Pour filling into prepared crust. Bake at 425 F for 10 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 F (do not remove tart from oven). Bake 45 minutes or until filling is set. (Shield edges of tart with foil, if necessary, if they start to look too brown.) Cool completely on wire rack.

Place cream in a small bowl. Beat with a mixer until stiff peaks form. Beat in maple syrup. Cut tart into 8 wedges. Garnish each serving with 1 tablespoon whipped cream and about 1 teaspoon walnuts.

Serves 8