Pumpkin Bread

 Ingredients:

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree

4 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

⅔ cup water

3 cups white sugar

3 ½ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 ½ teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger


Directions
Step 1:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour ... your choice.  One batch makes three 7x3 inch loaves or one 9 inch loaf and 2 mini loaves or 4 mini loaves and some muffins.  :)

Step 2:
In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. (Could also add chocolate chips at this point).  In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.

Step 3:
Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Italian Chicago Beef Sandwiches

 Ingredients:

1 boneless beef chuck eye roast (about 3 1/2 pounds)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1/2 cup dry red wine

3 cups beef stock

2 sprigs fresh thyme

Sweet peppers, Giardinera and French Rolls

Directions:

1. For the pot roast: Position a rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Liberally sprinkle the entire roast with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the roast on all sides until golden and caramelized; reduce the heat if the fat begins to smoke. Transfer the roast to a plate and reduce the heat to medium. Add in the onions and saute, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper and saute until fragrant, another minute. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Deglaze with the red wine and cook until reduced by half. Add in the stock and thyme and bring to a simmer. Adjust the seasoning of the jus. Place the roast back into the pot with any accumulated juices and place in the oven. Cook the roast, turning every 30 minutes, until very tender, 3 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Increase the oven heat to 350 degrees F.
3. Transfer the roast to a cutting board and tent with foil. Strain the jus through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl and return back to the pot. Bring to a simmer and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Once cooled a bit, pull the meat into smaller chunks, return to the reduced jus and reserve until ready to build the sandwiches.
4. For the sandwich build: Place some beef on a roll, then some sweet peppers and then some  Giardiniera. Pour a small dish of reduced jus. Take the whole sandwich and quickly dunk in hot jus. Using two hands, go to town.

Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage

 Rachel Ray:

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon

1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage

4 cloves garlic, cracked and chopped

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 bay leaf, fresh or dried

4 to 6 sprigs sage leaves, cut into chiffonade, about 2 tablespoons

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup chicken stock, canned or paper container

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup (3 turns around the pan) heavy cream

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, ground or freshly grated

Coarse salt and black pepper

1 pound penne rigate, cooked to al dente

Romano or Parmigiano, for grating

Directions:

1. Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and brown the sausage in it. Transfer sausage to paper towel lined plate. Drain fat from skillet and return pan to the stove. Add the remaining tablespoon oil, and then the garlic and onion. Saute 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are tender.
2. Add bay leaf, sage, and wine to the pan. Reduce wine by half, about 2 minutes. Add stock and pumpkin and stir to combine, stirring sauce until it comes to a bubble. Return sausage to pan, reduce heat, and stir in cream. Season the sauce with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer mixture 5 to 10 minutes to thicken sauce.
3. Return drained pasta to the pot you cooked it in. Remove the bay leaf from sauce and pour the sausage pumpkin sauce over pasta. Combine sauce and pasta and toss over low heat for 1 minute. Garnish the pasta with lots of shaved cheese and sage leaves.

Rigatoni with Sausage and Fennel

 Ina Garten


Ingredients:

3 tablespoons good olive oil

3 cups chopped fennel (1 large bulb)

1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion

1 1/4 pounds sweet Italian sausages, casings removed

2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)

1/2 teaspoon whole fennel seeds, crushed with a mortar and pestle

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 

    *** might want to do a little bit less, this has a kick ***

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup heavy cream

2/3 cup half-and-half

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 pound rigatoni

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

1 cup freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese, divided

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, over medium heat. Add the fennel and onion and saute for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add the sausage and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, crumbling it with a fork, until nicely browned. Add the garlic, crushed fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper and cook for one minute. Pour in the wine, bring to a boil, and add the heavy cream, half-and-half, and tomato paste. Bring back to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 2 tablespoons salt, and cook the rigatoni according to the directions on the package. Drain and add to the sauce, stirring to coat the pasta. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes to allow the pasta to absorb the sauce. Off the heat, stir in the parsley and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan. Serve hot in shallow bowls with the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan on the side.

New Jersey Coffee Cake

 

For the topping:

• ▢3 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢2 cups brown sugar 
• ▢2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• ▢1 teaspoon salt
• ▢1 1/2 cups butter, melted

For the cake:

• ▢2½ cups all-purpose flour
• ▢1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢½ teaspoon salt
• ▢¾ cups butter (1½ sticks) softened
• ▢1½ cups sugar
• ▢2 large eggs
• ▢1¼ cups buttermilk OR pour about 1 1/8 cup of milk and then add vinegar to make 1 1/4 cup
• ▢1½ teaspoons vanilla
• ▢½ cup powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

For the topping:

• Mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Add the warm melted butter and stir to blend.
• Squeeze a handful of the topping into your hand, if it doesn't clump together, add some more melted butter until it does. Set aside.

For the cake:

• Preheat the oven to 350.  Grease 9x13 inch baking pan
• In a medium mixing bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
• Beat the softened butter in a large bowl until light.
• Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition.
• Add buttermilk and vanilla, beat just until blended.
• Add flour mixture in 3 additions, beating just until blended after each addition.
• Transfer cake batter to prepared baking pan (the batter will be thick); spreading it evenly over the pan.
• Hand-squeeze small handfuls of topping together and crumble clumps evenly over cake batter, covering with a thick layer of topping.
• Bake 45 minutes until the tester comes out clean and topping is deep golden brown and a little crisp.
• Cool cake in dish on rack at least 30 minutes.  Dust with powdered sugar and cut into squares to serve.

Pumpkin Pancakes

 

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups milk
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground allspice, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon,½ teaspoon ground ginger OR 2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

½ teaspoon salt

Directions

Instructions Checklist

Step 1

In a bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil, vanilla, and vinegar.  Let stand for about 10 minutes.  I made bacon while sitting.  :). Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger (or pumpkin pie spice) and salt in a separate bowl. Stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.

Step 2

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

NOTE:  I used an ice cream scoop.  The batter is thick and fluffy.  You might have to mash down the pancakes to make sure it cooks thoroughly.  Added chocolate chips.  Could add pecans too.  Made homemade whipped cream and topped with Halloween sprinkles.  With whipped cream it tastes like pumpkin pie