Chocolate Pecan Pie

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen / Food Network

Prep Time: 15 min 

Cook Time: 35 min 

Level: Easy

Ingredients

• 1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell
• 2 cups pecan halves
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup dark corn syrup
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons good-quality bourbon
• 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cover bottom of pie crust with pecans.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and melted butter.
Add the corn syrup, sugar, bourbon and the chopped chocolate.
Stir until all ingredients are combined.
Pour mixture into the pie shell over the pecans and place on a heavy-duty cookie sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue to bake for an additional 25 minutes or until pie is set.
Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Made for Thanksgiving 2012

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/chocolate-pecan-pie-recipe/index.html

15 Minute Lentil Soup from Martha

Everyday Food, October 2009

• Prep Time 15 minutes
• Total Time 15 minutes
• Yield Serves 1 (use 1 onion & add lentils and broth to serve 2-4)
  

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 14.5 ounces low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
• 3/4 cup cooked lentils (from a 15-ounce can), rinsed and drained
• 2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar

Directions

In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic; season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion softens, 3 to 5 minutes. Add broth; bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes. Add lentils and cook until soup thickens slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar and season with salt and pepper.

From Martha Stewart

Golden Lentil Stew from Martha

Serves 6-8

•  2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup dried chickpeas, soaked in water overnight
• 8 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought vegetable stock
• 4 cups water
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro, plus 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped
• 3 teaspoons coarse salt
• 4 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 4 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup yellow lentils, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 5 ounces orzo or vermicelli, broken into pieces
• 1/2 cup chopped, pitted dates [maybe raisins?]
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus whole leaves for garnish
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, and cook 5 minutes. Add chickpeas, stock, and water, and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes.
2. Mash garlic, finely chopped cilantro, and salt into a paste. Add garlic paste, celery, tomatoes, lentils, tomato paste, lemon juice, and spices to pot. Simmer until lentils are tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
3. Add pasta and dates, and cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes. Stir in coarsely chopped cilantro and parsley. Garnish with parsley leaves, and serve with lemon wedges.

From Martha Stewart:
http://www.marthastewart.com/312494/golden-lentil-stew
This slightly sweet Moroccan chickpea and lentil stew, known as harira, is brightened by spices and lemon.

White Bean and Sausage Soup

1 pound ground sausage (country or Italian)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large white yellow onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 celery stalk, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups chicken stock 

5 cups water

2 cups dried white or Northern beans

fresh ground pepper to taste

In large saucepan, cook sausage.  Drain sausage and set aside in refrigerator.  

Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat.  

Add onions, carrots and celery and cook 3-5 minutes until fragrant and onions are clear.  

Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  

Reduce to low and simmer for  2 hours 15 minutes.

Add sausage and cook an additional 30 - 45 minutes 15-30 minutes.  

You may need to add another cup of water. 

Smash some of the beans with a fork against the inside of the pan to make the broth creamier.  

Season with fresh ground pepper. 

original recipe from:

http://www.abusynest.com/2010/10/white-bean-and-sausage-soup.html

adapted to a quick soup with a can of Cannellini (white kidney) beans

Mini Meatloaves

• Favorite Meatloaf recipe
• bbq sauce
• salt & pepper
• cheese – as cheddar or mozzarella, etc.

Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray.
Prepare as any meatloaf recipe.
Place in a handful of prepared meatloaf into each muffin tin.
Press your thumb into each meatloaf ball, making a space for toppings.
Squirt a dollop of bbq sauce into the space.
Bake in a preheated 350* oven for 30 minutes or until cooked through (160F).
Add your favorite cheese and bake for another 5 or so minutes.

 

From http://www.makeandtakes.com/mini-meatloaves-in-a-muffin-tin

Quick and Easy Beef Stew

Created and served 10/4/12

High marks from everyone

Ingredients:

Approx. 3 T unsalted butter

Package of beef cubed for stew 1 1/2 lbs

Approx. 2 T flour

Fresh black pepper

1 onion chopped

Approx. 1 T Better than beef bullion (to make 4 cups of stock)

1 large baking potato, cut into small pieces

other veg. cut into small pieces (I used Chinese string beans)

Directions:

Dredge beef cubes in flour

Add a little freshly ground pepper over cubes

Melt butter

Brown floured cubes

Set aside browned beef

Cook onions until soft

Add chopped potato

Add beef cubes back into pot

Add beef flavored stock

Add veg to pot

Bring to a boil

Then cover and reduce heat

Allow to simmer at least 15 minutes, or up to an hour

Want potato/veg to be soft and meat thoroughly cooked

Serve with bread (or with rice or pasta)

Low cal, nice texture and great flavor

No need to add extra salt, b/c broth concentrate is very salty.

Shakshouka

Shakshouka
(Serves 4)
Ingredients
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 yellow onion, minced
1 28-ounce can of whole, peeled San Marzano tomatoes, pureed in a food mill or food processor
2 tablespoons filfel chuma hot sauce (recipe follows)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3/4 pound bulk spicy sausage (my favorites are the Merguez, linguicia or chorizo from Il Mondo Vecchio)
8 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
Italian parsley, minced
Olive oil
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet large enough to hold eight eggs. Add sausage, garlic and onions and lightly saute over medium heat until the onions are soft and the sausage is cooked, about 8 minutes.
2. Add tomato paste and the filfel chuma. Mix and saute for another 1-2 minutes.
3. Add pureed tomatoes and cook over medium heat until the sauce thickens a bit, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the flavor with salt, pepper, or more filfel chuma; the sauce should be strong, piquant and spicy. (The sauce can be stored for later use or for smaller individual servings. Reheat the sauce in a small 7 to 8-inch skillet and once the sauce is piping hot, crack 2 eggs into the sauce and proceed continue with the directions.)
4. Make little wells in the sauce and crack an egg into each well. Place the pan in the oven and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until the egg whites are cooked but the yolks aren't quite set.
5. Sprinkle the minced parsley over the top, and place skillet in the middle of the table and let everyone dig in!
Serve with crusty bread.
Filfel Chuma
(Makes 1 cup)
"Filfel chuma is a powerful and flavorful Jewish hot sauce that's the heart and soul of the shakshouka sauce," says Freemond. "The quality of the spices is extremely important when making it," he adds, noting that he buys his spices whole from the Savory Spice Shop and grinds them himself. Filfel chuma will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator if it's covered in olive oil and tightly sealed.
Ingredients
10 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more, depending on your heat tolerance)
4 tablespoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground caraway
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup olive oil, plus more to cover
1 lemon juiced
1 teaspoon salt
Directions
Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse, adding the oil slowly until a thick paste forms. Place in a sterilized jar and cover with more oil.