winter – Page 2 – The Carolina Cooks

Pumpkin Pasta Sauce with Oktoberfest Beer

Pumpkin has become the symbol of all things fall in recent years, and this humble squash finds itself in all kinds of previously unexpected settings… from candles, to coffee, to popcorn!

This is a quick and easy way to enjoy pumpkin in a savory preparation, which in this cooks humble opinion, is the best way to enjoy pumpkin.

Ingredients

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage
1/2 onion diced small
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup Oktoberfest beer
1 can pumpkin puree
1 cup heavy cream
ground nutmeg
salt & pepper to taste
40 g freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano (the good stuff) + more for serving
chopped chives for garnish if desired
Pasta of your choice (I used tagliatelle)

Method

In a medium saucepan, saute the onion and sage in the butter on medium heat until the onions are translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for a minute more, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the beer and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the heavy cream and pumpkin and mix well.

Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Return to the saucepan and simmer on low heat for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the grated Parmigiano Reggiano and grate a small amount of fresh nutmeg, or a pinch of ground nutmeg. Add salt, pepper, and additional cheese according to your taste.

Toss the cooked pasta in the sauce and serve topped with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano and chives.

Recipe by Katie

Apple Almond Crisp

Apple season is here! While the thought of a fresh apple pie waifs across your mind, think of this more playful combination of a bubbling filling and a crisp nutty topping under a scoop of vanilla ice cream. You can experiment with different types of apples in the recipe, and I sometimes use equal amounts of green and red apples for a change. This desert never fails to please!

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided

1 ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed and divided

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon salt

3 ounces almond paste, crumbled

6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½” cubes

3 ½-4 pounds of Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into ¾ “pieces

½ cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a 13x9x2” glass baking dish. To make the topping, blend ¾ cup flour, ¼ cup of packed brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of cardamom, ½ teaspoon ginger, ½ teaspoon of grated nutmeg and salt in a food processor. Add almond paste and process until fine crumbs form. Add butter and pulse until mixture begins to clump together. Transfer to a bowl and mix in sliced almonds.

To make the filling, in a large bowl, toss the apples with ½ cup of granulated and 1 cup of light brown packed sugar. Add lemon juice and toss the apples to cover them with the lemon juice. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg and the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour. Mix well.

Spread the apple mixture in the buttered dish. Sprinkle on the topping and bake for 1 hour, or until the topping is golden and the apple filling is bubbly. Serve warm with ice cream.

Recipe by Mary

Katie’s Beef Stroganoff

Tender slow cooked beef with mushrooms in a rich and tangy cream sauce, served over buttered egg noodles. This is a hearty dish that warms the soul and sticks to the ribs on a cold day.

Ingredients

3 – 5 lbs boneless beef chuck roast
coarse sea salt
3 tbsp + 3 tbsp safflower oil or other neutral cooking oil
fresh thyme sprigs
fresh rosemary sprigs
2 – 4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth or stock
2 tbsp + 1 tbsp minced garlic
3 tbsp + 3 tbsp butter
8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 medium shallot, minced
1/4 cup dry sherry
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp Dijon mustard, such as Maille
8 oz sour cream
white pepper and sea salt, to taste
8 – 12 oz wide egg noodles
chopped parsley or chives, optional

Method

Preheat the oven to 275°. Sprinkle both side of the boneless beef chuck roast with coarse sea salt, about two tsp. Preheat a large cast iron pan (preferably enamel coated) on the stove. Add 3 tbsp of neutral oil. Sear the chuck roast for 5 minutes on each side. Add enough chicken stock to the pan go about half way up the side of the roast. Add 2 tbsp of minced garlic, a sprig of rosemary, and a few sprigs of rosemary to the broth. Place the pan in the oven and roast until tender, 3 to 4 hours depending on the size of your roast. Keep an eye on the liquid level, and add additional broth as needed.

Remove the roast from the oven. Transfer the meat to a platter or board to rest. Strain and reserve the cooking liquid.

Saute the sliced mushrooms on medium high heat until brown, stirring often. Reduce the heat and add the minced shallot and remaining minced garlic. Saute on low heat until the shallots are translucent.

Deglaze the pan with the sherry. Add enough broth to the reserved cooking liquid to equal 2 cups and add to the mushrooms. Add a few additional sprigs of thyme to the broth and mushroom mixture. Simmer on low heat until the liquid has reduced by a fourth.

Add the heavy whipping cream and Dijon mustard and stir until well combined. Simmer on low heat until the sauce is reduced by a fourth. Meanwhile, cook the egg noodles according the manufacturer’s directions. Toss the noodles with melted butter.

Slice the roast into bite size pieces and add to the sauce. Remove from the heat, remove the thyme sprigs, and mix in the sour cream. Add white pepper and salt to taste. Serve over buttered egg noodles. Garnish with chopped parsley or chives, if desired.

Recipe by Katie

Baked Butternut Squash Soup

Soups and Stews really come into their own in the fall, and you frequently see displays of colorful pumpkins, gourds, and squash on display in front of markets and farms. Butternut is one of the easiest to find and prepare. It turns into a beautiful, creamy bowl of warm comfort in no time at all.

3 ½ pound butternut squash

Olive oil

Canola or other neutral oil

2 Bartlett pears, peeled and diced

½ large onion, minced

4 cups of chicken stock

¼ cup half & half

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Salt and Pepper

Method

Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise using a long sharp knife. Scoop out the seeds and pulp and discard. Place the two halves in a 9”x13” casserole dish and drizzle the cut side with a teaspoon of olive oil and some fine sea salt. Turn the halves over cut side down and bake at 375° for 45-55 minutes or until fork tender. Remove from the oven and let cool on the counter for at least 30 minutes. Taking a large spoon, scoop out the flesh into a large bowl and use an electric mixer to puree the squash. Measure out 4 cups.

Pour 1 tablespoon of canola oil into a medium to large size pot and sauté the onions and pears over low heat, until the pears are fork tender. Add the pureed butternut to the softened vegetables. Pour in the chicken stock and stir to combine. Cook over a low to medium heat until warm. Taste to check for salt and pepper and add if needed. Add the nutmeg and stir.

Using an emersion blender, emulsify the soup until completely smooth. Ladle into a serving bowl and drizzle some cold half & half over the soup. Grate some fresh nutmeg on top.

Recipe by Mary

Chicken Pot Pie

Creamy warm sauce filled with chicken and crisp vegetables surrounded by a crispy flaky pastry. This is a hearty dish perfect for cool fall days and winter evenings. The dish is generously sized and will serve 8 people with a vegetable on the side. Or, if your sons eat like mine did when they were teenagers, maybe it will serve 6.

Pastry for the Pie

3 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon of salt

1 cup shortening

12-15 tablespoons of water

There are 2 methods for making the crust: Using a food processor or Using a pastry cutter. I prefer the food processor method, but this recipe is too large to process in one batch so…Divide the flour & salt into two bowls. Empty one of the bowls into the food processer. Cut ½ cup of the shortening into 1-inch cubes and put it into the flour mixture. Pulse the mix until it looks like cornmeal. Then add ½ of the water a little at a time until it starts to form a ball. You may not need all the water. Empty the dough onto a floured surface and knead it lightly to form a log. Process the second batch in the same way. You will need more dough for the bottom of the pie, so divide the dough into one log that’s about ⅔ of the total and the other log about ⅓ of the total. Wrap each log in saran wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Filling

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed, about 4 cups

1 ½ cups sliced carrots

1 cup sliced celery

⅔ cup unsalted butter

⅔ cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

3 ½ cups chicken stock

1 ⅓ cup milk

Melt the butter in a 3-quart saucepan. Whisk in the flour and salt and let them bubble with the butter for a couple of minutes. Pour in the chicken stock and whisk over medium heat until it thickens. Add the milk and let come back to a slow boil. Remove from heat and add the chicken and raw carrots and celery. The raw vegetables will be crisp-tender when the pie is done.

Combine the Pastry and Filling

Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and roll out the bottom crust using a tape measure to be sure you can cover the bottom and up the sides of the dish. I use a casserole measuring 8x11x2 ½”, so I have to roll the dough to 13×15, which is big! Use the rolling pin to transfer the crust to the casserole. Then, roll out the remaining dough to fit the top of the casserole. By that time, the filling should have cooled a bit. Pour it into the bottom crust and top with the upper crust. Crimp the edges and cut several vent holes in the top.

Bake at 400° for about 1 hour or until the filling is bubbling and the crust is golden. Let the pie rest for about 15 minutes and serve.

Recipe by Mary