Category Archives: Cook

by | October 28, 2011 · 7:39 am

Moroccan Stuffed Acorn Squash

This fall I’ve been roasting squash like no one’s business.  One of my favorite ways to showcase the sweet and earthy flavor is in this Moroccan-inspired warm salad loaded with fall vegetables.  I add sausage for an extra layer of flavor but you could certainly make it completely vegetarian.  Serving it in a roasted squash bowl makes things even more enticing but either way it makes for a healthy and delicious autumn meal!
stuffed acorn squash
Stuffed Acorn Squash with Roasted Vegetables & Sausage
serves 4
3 acorn squash – 2 halved, 1 peeled and cubed
2 Tbsp butter, melted
3 tsp brown sugar
1 1/2 C Israeli couscous
2 3/4 C chicken broth or water
2 carrots, peeled and cut into small chunks
1 small eggplant, cut into small cubes
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb sage pork sausage
1 can chickpeas, drained
1/2 C slivered almonds
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2+ tsp cumin
kosher salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Take one acorn squash and use a special squash knife like those on SharpenedKnife to remove its skin and seeds. Chop squash into bite-sized chunks and place on a baking sheet. Chop carrots and eggplant and add to baking sheet. Drizzle vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt, tossing with a spatula to disperse oil.

Cut the two remaining acorn squash in half and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and the mushy flesh surrounding the seeds. Slice off the pointy end of the squash so that the squash will lie flat. On a separate baking sheet, place squash with the insides facing up. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle lightly with brown sugar. Roast halved acorn squash and cubed veggies for approximately 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, add couscous and chicken broth to a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes or until all liquid has been absorbed by the couscous. While the couscous is cooking, place sausage in a saute pan over medium heat. Begin browning sausage, using a wooden spoon to break sausage into bite-sized chunks. Cook until sausage is cooked through, about 8-10 minutes and drain off excess oils. Transfer couscous to a large bowl. Add curry, cinnamon, garlic and cumin and toss well to coat the couscous evenly. Mix in almonds, chick peas, vegetables and sausage and toss well. Salt lightly to taste.

Spoon a heaping portion of couscous filling into the hollowed out acorn squash and serve.

moroccan acorn squash salad

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by | October 25, 2011 · 8:00 am

Pumpkin Bread Parfait

We are not shy at HAP about our love for all things pumpkin. Last year I purchased some pumpkin butter at a local store and loved stirring it into my little Jello vanilla pudding cups. I’ve been dreaming up this dessert ever since and just had the chance to make it for a get together with friends. It is the perfect combinations of sweet and savory flavors and smooth and crunchy textures. Don’t skip out on the candied pecans on top, they make the dish!

I made my own pumpkin bread using a recipe from my church cookbook, similar to this recipe. You can use your own favorite pumpkin bread recipe, or if you are short on time, purchase one at your local grocery store or bakery.

Pumpkin Bread Parfait 

1 large box instant vanilla pudding mix
2 TBSP pumpkin butter
2 C heavy whipping cream
3 TBSP powdered sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 loaf pumpkin bread, cubed

Candied Pecans
1 egg white
1 TBSP water
1 tsp salt
1 lb shelled, unsalted pecans
2/3 C sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 250. Whip egg white, salt and water until frothy. Coat pecans in mixture. In a separate bowl, mix cinnamon and sugar. Shake over pecans and mix with hands to coat. Spread on rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 250 for 1 hour, turning pecans every 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, make pudding according to packaging directions. Allow to soft set. Mix in pumpkin butter.

In a cold metal bow, whip heavy cream on high speed until light and fluffy. Slowly add powdered sugar and cinnamon.

In a parfait dish, wine or martini glass or clear, plastic punch cup, place a couple spoonfuls of pudding. Layer 2 spoonfuls of whipped cream. Sprinkle a handful of cubed pumpkin bread. Spread another layer of pudding, topped with another layer of whipped cream. Top with candied pecans.

I made each component ahead of time and brought them to our friend’s house in separate containers. This way, the pumpkin bread doesn’t get too soggy sitting in the dish. I love homemade cinnamon whipped cream, but if you are super short on time or don’t want to pull out your mixer, add a dash of cinnamon to some Cool Whip and use as your whipped layer.

The candied pecans alone are a great gift. Wrap them up in a cute tin with a homemade tag or ornament attached and you have a great Christmas gift!

Check out these other great pumpkin recipes from other bloggers on Food Network Dish’s Fall Fest!

What’s Gaby Cooking: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
The Cultural Dish: Pumpkin Waffles
Cooking With Elise: Pumpkin Chip Scones
And Love It Too: Creamy Pumpkin Fruit Dip
CIA Dropout: Pumpkin Panna Cotta With Gingerbread
I Am Mommy: Pumpkin Pancakes
Dishin and Dishes: Maple Pumpkin Creme Brulee
Virtually Homemade: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins With Pumpkin Seed Streusel
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Pumpkin Pizza
Daydreamer Desserts: Pumpkin Fattigman
From My Corner of Saratoga: Baking Pie In The Pumpkin
FN Dish: The Ultimate Pumpkin Soup
Cooking Channel: Pumpkin Risotto
The Sensitive Epicure: Pumpkin Whoopie Pies With Molasses Marshmallows
Daily*Dishin: Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake
ZaikaZabardast: Pumpkin Jalebi
Mooshu Jenne: Pumpkin Nutella Bread
Big Girls Small Kitchen: Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Loaf

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by | October 19, 2011 · 8:43 am

Cookie Dough Brownies

My sister-in-law brought us the most delicious cookie dough brownies last time she visited.  They were super rich and incredibly delicious.  I decided to try and make them myself and found that they were surprisingly easy.  I simply made a 9×13 size pan of brownies and then adjusted the toll house cookie recipe to eliminate the raw egg from the cookie dough.  Put them together and you have a cookie dough lovers dream.


Cookie Dough Brownies

1 package of brownie mix for a 9×13 pan, plus the ingredients called for on the package

cookie dough ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Make the brownies according to package directions.  Set aside and let cool completely.

Mix the cookie dough ingredients until well combined.  Spread over cooled brownies.  Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Cut into small squares and watch them disappear!


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by | October 12, 2011 · 8:32 am

Chocolate Blackberry Witch Stockings

For our spooky Halloween dessert from our entertaining guest blog over at Eat Wisconsin Cheese blog, we made these mini chocolate brownie stacks, inspired by striped witch stockings. The whimsical presentation and perfect combination of rich chocolate, creamy mascarpone and tangy berry jam makes for a dessert that will leave guests, ahem, spellbound.

As a bonus, you can use the extra brownie bits leftover from your circle cutouts to top ice cream sundaes!

Chocolate Blackberry Witch Stockings
1 box German chocolate cake mix
½ C butter, melted
1/3 C milk
4 oz mascarpone cheese
2 pints blackberries and/or raspberries (or premade preserves*)
¼ C sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp cornstarch
1 C chocolate chips*

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, whisk together cake mix, melted butter and milk until batter is thick but fully moistened. Press batter into a 13×9 cake pan or spread across a cookie sheet. Top with chocolate chips if you are using them. Bake for 20-23 minutes. Cool completely.

Meanwhile, add berries to a small sauce pan and smash them with a potato masher. Heat berries over medium heat and whisk in sugar, lemon juice and cornstarch. Continue cooking, whisking occasionally, for about 20-25 minutes until jam has reduced by about 1/3 and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and cool completely in the refrigerator.

Use a small cookie or biscuit cutter (preferable 1 ½” diameter) to cut circles from the brownie. Depending on the thickness of your brownie, slice each circle in half horizontally (note: if your brownie is quite thin you can skip this step). Lay out the bottom halves and top halves separately on a cutting board. Spread a thin layer of mascarpone and a small dollop of blackberry preserves on the bottom halves. Next, carefully stack one layered bottom half on top of another and complete your stocking by topping off with a top half. Continue repeating until you have used all your slices.

*optional: Save time by substituting pre-made blackberry preserves for the homemade preserves. Chocolate chips are optional as well.

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by | October 10, 2011 · 8:17 am

Cauldron Beer Cheese Fondue

Double, double toil and trouble
Fire burn and cauldron bubble
Easy crafts to make and be seen
Whip up some treats, it’s Halloween!

Halloween is such a fun time of the year, so why not dress up your party like you would yourself? We put together a Double Double Toil and Trouble witch-themed Halloween party for our stint as featured bloggers for the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board’s Halloween Entertaining segment. We used just a few simple store-bought and/or DIY props and paired them with a few delicious fall treats featuring Wisconsin cheeses.

We kicked off our party with a creamy Beer Cheese Fondue, served in a cauldron-like casserole dish with thin Italian breadsticks and sliced baguettes for dipping.

Cauldron Beer Cheese Fondue
3 Tbsp butter
1 C milk
2 Tbsp flour
2/3 C Oktoberfest or amber beer
1 1/2 C Smoked Gouda, shredded
1 1/2 C Sharp Cheddar, shredded
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp Worchestershire
1/4 – 1/2 tsp cayenne, to taste
salt & pepper, to taste

In a large sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour to thicken, taking care not to burn, and then gradually whisk in milk until mixture is semi-thick and smooth. Continue whisking while adding beer. Next, gradually whisk in cheeses allowing each addition of cheese to melt before adding the next. Once cheese is melted, whisk in mustard, Worchestershire and cayenne. Add salt and pepper to taste to bring out flavors.

Serve warm with thin Italian breadsticks and slices of French baguette for dipping. Stick breadsticks into the sliced bread to create “broomsticks”.

Be sure to check back later this week for more Halloween recipes and our Halloween decor ideas!

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by | October 7, 2011 · 8:09 am

Cinnamon Apple Soft Pretzels

The smell of Auntie Anne’s wafting through the mall always gets me. After our recent trip to Peck & Bushel and my new crop of Honeycrisps, I was inspired to combine apples with my favorite mall treat.

If yeast intimidates you, don’t let it! Using yeast for homemade dough is really very simple. You just need a little extra time for the dough to rise (I use that time to clean my kitchen!)

Cinnamon Apple Soft Pretzels

1 package active dry yeast
1 1/2 C warm water
2 TBSP brown sugar
1 tsp salt
2 C cake flour
1 3/4 C all-purpose flour
1 large apple, peeled and finely diced (about 1 cup)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 TBSP baking soda
2 C hot water
4 TBSP melted butter
1/2 C sugar

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir until fully dissolved. Add brown sugar and salt and stir. One cup at a time, add cake flour, stirring well until incorporated. Add 1/2 tsp of cinnamon. Slowly add AP flour, until soft dough forms. Knead dough with hands in bowl for 5 minutes, until smooth, making sure all flour is incorporated into the dough.

Place dough in a greased bowl, turning over to coat. Cover and allow to rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Punch down dough. Split into about 10-12 balls. On a floured surface, roll the dough into a 12-15 inch strip.

In a bowl, mix hot water and baking soda until dissolved. Dunk each strip into the baking soda water and dab dry with a paper towel (the baking soda will give the pretzel a golden, crispy crust!). Grab the dough by each end and twist the corners inward, crossing them over each other to form a pretzel shape. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown.

Melt butter in microwave. Mix sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon in a bowl. Using a pastry brush, brush pretzels with butter. Using a spoon, shake cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the pretzels. Shake to remove access topping.

Serve warm.

These pretzels are delicious right out of the oven. If cooled, I suggest microwaving them for 30 seconds before eating.

We hope you enjoyed apple week on Haute Apple Pie! What kind of apple recipes have you been dishing up this fall?

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by | October 5, 2011 · 8:46 am

Gouda and Apple Tarts

I love apple season and often find myself using apples to sweeten up my dishes.  I wanted to try my hand at a savory apple dish this year and these tarts were just what my taste buds were craving.  The combination of the sweet apple with the Gouda cheese was the perfect match.  These easy tarts can be made in no time and use only 4 ingredients!

Gouda and Apple Tarts

1 sheet puff pastry dough, thawed
1 apple, thinly sliced ( I used golden delicious)
1 cup shredded Gouda Cheese
Chopped fresh sage

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Cut your puff pastry into evenly sized rectangles.  I was able to cut mine into 12 pieces.   Place on a cookie sheet and top with about 2 Tablespoons shredded Gouda and a few sliced apples.

Bake at 375 for about 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.  Top with chopped fresh sage and serve warm.

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by | October 4, 2011 · 7:50 am

Baked Apple Pancake

With my mom visiting for the weekend and a little spare time on Sunday morning, we decided to make a German-style baked apple pancake using a recipe that my mom had recently been experimenting with and our organic Honeycrisp apples from Peck & Bushel Fruit Company.

Even though this puffy pancake looks dramatic (if only for a few minutes before it deflates!), I found it easier than normal pancakes because you bake one for the entire family and don’t have to sit over the griddle flipping individual platefuls.  A great way to use only a few apples and still have some for snacking on!

Baked Apple Pancake
2 apples, cored, peeled and sliced into thin wedges
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp butter, divided
1/2 C flour
1/2 C half & half
4 eggs
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 C pecans
powdered sugar, maple syrup and/or whipped cream for serving

Preheat oven to 450. In a cast iron pan or oven-safe pan, melt 1 Tbsp butter and brown sugar. Add apples and saute over med-low heat for 7-8 minutes or until apples are beginning to soften but aren’t mushy. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, melt other 1 Tbsp butter and whisk in half and half. Add eggs, one and a time, and vanilla and continue whisking until combined. Next, whisk in sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Whisk in flour, beating gently until batter is mostly smooth.

Gently use a fork to arrange apples evenly across the bottom of the pan. Slowly(!) pour batter into pan over apples. Pouring too fast will cause the apples to move around. Sprinkle pecans evenly on top. Bake in pan for 13-15 minutes until pancake is puffy and golden brown. Remove from oven and dust with powdered sugar. Serve immediately with whipped cream or maple syrup.

Apples Galore! FoodNetwork.com Fall Fest

We’re participating in FoodNetwork.com‘s Fall Fest with lots of other great food bloggers! Check out these other delicious apple dishes:
CIA Dropout: Apple-Roasted Duck
Cooking Channel: Add Apples to Your Salad
The Cultural Dish: Apple Cider Martini
And Love It Too: Fried Apples (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free and Vegan)
From My Corner of Saratoga: Easy Skillet Apple Pie (A Southern Living Recipe Reviewed)
Haute Apple Pie: Baked Apple Pancake
Virtually Vegan Mama: Slow Cooker Apple Date Butter
Big Girls Small Kitchen: Apple Pancakes
What’s Gaby Cooking: Apple Cake
FN Dish: Savory Apple Recipes
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Roasted Apple and Caramelized Onion Soup
The Sensitive Epicure: Pan Fried Apple Rings (Gluten-Free)
Glory Foods: Caramel Apple Upside Down Cupcakes
Daily*Dishin: Apple, Bacon, Feta Salad With Maple Vinaigrette
Dishin & Dishes: Old Fashioned Apple Crisp
Cooking With Elise: Wholegrain Apple Oat Pancakes

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by | September 28, 2011 · 11:38 am

Chicken and Green Bean Casserole

Green Bean Casserole: you either love or you hate it. I love it and think that it is a shame that it only shows up once a year, usually on the Thanksgiving dinner table. I just love the flavor, the green beans and the crunch of the French fried Onions. Mmmmmm.

Because I miss this casserole almost year round, I decided to try and jazz it up in order to create a recipe that is similar but is something I could eat on days other than Turkey Day. I simply took the basic Green Bean Casserole recipe and added chicken, rice and a sprinkle of cheese. I must say it was delicious and left my husband and daughter asking for seconds. Depending on the size of your family, this recipe can make either one large casserole or two smaller ones. It freezes very well if you decide to make two!


Chicken and Green Bean Casserole

3 cups cooked rice (I have used long grain rice mix from a box or just plain brown rice, whatever you like best!)
3 cups cooked and cubed chicken
2 cups frozen french style green beans
2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can French fried onions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine the cooked rice, the cooked chicken, the frozen green beans and the soup. Stir until combined.

Butter a large casserole dish (or 2 smaller ones if you prefer). Place the green bean mixture into the pan and sprinkle with the cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until heated through. Remove from the oven, uncover, sprinkle with the French fried onions and bake an additional 5 minutes until the onions are golden and crisp.

Perfect for a chilly fall night!

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by | September 23, 2011 · 8:23 am

Pumpkin Pecan Ice Cream

It is always hard to say goodbye to summer, but I do embrace fall. I recently blended the best of both summer and fall to make a delicious Pumpkin Pecan ice cream. I love experimenting with ice cream flavors. This blend of pumpkin and spice along with the crunchy pecans and caramel swirl is the perfect early fall treat.

Pumpkin Pecan Ice Cream

2 C whole milk
6 egg yolks
3/4 C sugar
2 C heavy whipping cream
2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
1 C canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling!)
1 TBSP cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/3 C brown sugar
1 C packaged caramel topping

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat whole milk until very hot, but not boiling, stirring continuously. Remove from heat.

In a stand mixer with a wire whisk, mix egg yolks and sugar for about 30 seconds, or until well blended and slightly thickened. At Speed 2, gradually add hot milk until blended. Add pumpkin, cinnamon, brown sugar and nutmeg. Mix thoroughly. Return mixture to medium saucepan and return to stove top on medium heat. Heat through, stirring continuously until small bubbles form around the edges. Transfer mixture into large bowl. Add heavy cream. Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.

Using your at-home ice cream maker, add mixture and stir until frozen. In the last 2 minutes, slowly add pecans. Layer ice cream into container, drizzling caramel over ice cream after every layer. Return to freezer.

Enjoy!

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