Autumn Risotto with Carmelized Apples and Fennel

Tis the season! I pulled this from the pile because it was delicious.This comes from Food52 and is bright, citrus-y, and full of flavor. Perfect for a cold fall or winter evening.

Caramelized Apples and Fennel
1 large honeycrisp apple (or really any kind), peeled and chopped
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup white wine

1. Get the apples/fennel started before starting the risotto. In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt the butter with oil and add the apples and fennel. Add salt and stir. Cook over medium heat for about 20 mins. Keep an eye on them after about 10 mins so they don't get too brown. When tender and the juices have evaporated, deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping up any bits. When wine is almost evaporated, turn heat off and set aside.

Risotto
4 pieces of prosciutto (optional) 
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
3 cups apple cider
3 cups chicken broth
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup parmesan, grated
1/4 tsp orange zest
1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
1tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter

1. Add the broth and cider to a saucepan and bring to a low simmer.

2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and add the prosciutto. Cook until just crispy. Remove from pan and set aside. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft.

3. Add the rice and cook for a couple of minutes to toast it with the onions. Add the wine and cook until liquid is just absorbed.

4. Add a ladle of the broth/cider to the rice and cook until just absorbed. Repeat this process, stirring frequently until all of the broth is used and the rice is just tender.

5. When adding the last ladle of liquid, add the caramelized apples/fennel, orange zest, parmesan, and butter. Stir and season with salt and pepper. Add the prosciutto and serve with goat cheese, walnuts and parsley on top.

Billionaire Bars

These things are a dream come true, especially for a pregnant lady craving anything and everything that includes sugar. Chocolate + caramel + cookie = heaven. I saw a photo of these in Food & Wine and was sold immediately. Made them that day. The only saving grace about these suckers is that they're so rich, you really can only have one, a small one. I cut these up and froze them, they  can be eaten straight from the freezer in less than 5 minutes (thank you very much) and will keep much longer.

Shortbread:
1 stick cold, cubed unsalted butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Caramel:
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp kosher salt.
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp water

Chocolate Ganache:
9 oz 70% dark chocolate, chopped or as chips
3/4 heavy cream
1 cup roughly chopped pecans

1. For the shortbread: Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8" square pan with aluminum foil, allowing 2" to hang over the edges. In a food processor, combine all of the shortbread ingredients and pulse until a dough forms. Press the dough into the baking pan and bake for 25 mins, until firm and edges are golden. Let cool completely.

2. For the caramel: In a small saucepan, melt the butter, cream and salt over moderate heat. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and water and cook over moderate heat until a golden caramel forms, only swirling pan to mix - DO NOT STIR, you will get crystals. Carefully drizzle the cream into the caramel and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly until temp reaches 230 on a candy thermometer. Immediately pour over the cooled shortbread and let cool for about 45 minutes.

3. For the ganache: Put the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer and immediately pour over the chocolate. Let stand until chocolate starts to melt and then stir until smooth. Pour the ganache over the caramel and spread in an even layer. Sprinkle with pecans. Refrigerate until chilled.

Apple & Honey Cake

It's apple season! Buh-bye strawberries, hello Macs...
My good friends Sara and Kiran are leaving town and heading back to DC (excuse me while I sob a little) and we're off to their house in JP for one last dinner together. Their house is all packed up so we're bringing the goods. I got this recipe from Smitten Kitchen and thought it was beautiful. Topped with some homemade cinnamon ice cream, it's the perfect fall dessert.

Topping
4 tiny-to-small apples, halved, peeled and cored
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp granulated sugar

Batter
1 stick plus 1 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs, separated
2 good pinches of salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Glaze
1/4 cup honey
A good pinch of sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 9-inch springform with butter.

2. Prepare apples: Place peeled, halved and cored apples cut-side-down on a cutting board. Use a knife to create parallel thin slices, but only cut halfway through each apple so that the apples stay intact. If you cut through, no biggie - you can reassemble the halves on the cake in a few minutes. In a bowl, toss apples with lemon juice and 2 tbsp granulated sugar.

3. Prepare cake base: Beat butter and 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp granulated sugar together in a bowl until fluffy. Add honey and beat until combined. Add vanilla and egg yolks, beating until just combined. Sprinkle salt and baking powder over cake batter, and mix for just 5 seconds, until they disappear. Add flour, half at a time, mixing only until just combined.

4. In a separate bowl with cleaned beaters, beat egg whites until stiff. Stir 1/4 of them into the cake batter, to lighten it a little. Fold in the rest in three additions. Only fold the last addition of egg whites until it has mostly disappeared (a couple faint streaks of egg white are fine).

5. Spread cake batter in prepared cake pan, smoothing the top. Arrange apple halves facedown over the cake batter.No need to press the apples into the batter.

6. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let rest on a cooling rack for 5 minutes, then cut around the cake to make sure it’s not sticking to the pan at all, and unhinge the sides. Let cake cool completely. Before serving, warm 1/4 cup honey and a good pinch of sea salt until it liquefies to the point where it makes a thin glaze — this will take less than 30 seconds. Brush honey-salt mixture over cooled cake.

Kale Pesto Hearty Salad

I eat a lot of kale. It's my favorite green. I chop it up and mix it into at least half of what we eat. So the other night when were low on dinner options because the fridge was looking pretty empty, I used it as a base for this salad...also because my basil plants in the balcony garden haven't quite reached their full potential and I needed a filler. I used brown rice for this salad but pasta, barley, wheat berries, and quinoa would be great subs. I also served this room temperature but it's good hot or cold.

2 cups of cooked brown rice, slightly cooled
1 bunch of kale, stems removed
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, thinly sliced
3-4 basil leaves (depending on how basil-y you'd like it, you can add more)
1/4 cup of walnuts or pine nuts
1/3 cup olive oil, divided
1 tbs red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp honey
1-2 cups of cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup of peas
1 cup of chicken if you have it (left over roast chicken is great)

1. If you don't have leftover cooked rice on hand, get your rice going while you do the rest of the steps.
2. In a medium skillet, heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the kale and some salt and pepper. Cook until just softened - you don't want it mushy. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. In the same pan, add the shallots and cook until soft. Remove from heat.
4. In a food processor, add the kale, garlic, basil and nuts and process until until it forms a wet paste.
5. In a small bowl, mix the rest of the olive oil, mustard, honey and red wine vinegar until emulsified.
6. While the rice is still a bit warm, add the vinaigrette and mix well. Add the kale mixture and stir until well combined. Add the tomatoes, peas and chicken and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Strawberry Rhubarb Bars

It's strawberry season!! And I'm all things strawberry at the moment. I made these bars (thank you Smitten Kitchen, yet again!) yesterday and LOVE them. The best part - there is zero clean-up. As in - none, not even a bowl to wash. That's the best kind of baking...

*This is for an 8x8 baking dish. If you double the recipe, use a 9x13 dish (which I highly recommend because the 8x8 simply won't make enough of these).

1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
Heaping 1/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 cup small-diced strawberries
1 cup small-diced rhubarb

1. Preheat the oven to 375.

2. Line the baking dish with parchment paper (make sure edges come up over the sides of the dish - this is necessary if you want a no clean up job.

3. Place the oats, flour, brown sugar and salt in the baking dish and mix together. Pour the butter over and stir until clumps form and all ingredients are absorbed. Set 1/2 of this mixture aside. Press the remaining mixture evenly into the dish to form the crust.

4. Sprinkle half of the strawberries over the crust. Do the same with the rhubarb so crust is evenly covered. Sprinkle the cornstarch over the fruit, then the lemon juice, and 1/2 of the granulated sugar.

5. Sprinkle the remaining fruit and the remaining 1/2 tsp of granulated sugar.

6. Scatter the remaining crust/crumbs over the fruit and press lightly to form a top crust.

7. Bake 30-40 minutes or until it's bubbly and top is golden.

Caroline's Stromboli

My dear friend Caroline's little son Wes is battling stage IV neuroblastoma at only 1 1/2 years old. Since the beginning of this incredibly difficult journey, I have admired Caroline courage, grace, humor, and tenacity. More than anything, I am astounded by Caroline's ability keep a level head and take life one day at a time. I was recently down in DC and was able to visit Caro and the family in VA for the day. The two of us escaped for a nice long lunch in the sun and a couple of glasses of champagne. At the end of the afternoon we returned to the house and amidst organizing the three kids, batting practice in the front yard, and preparing for an evening at baseball practice (all while entertaining ME), Caroline whipped up some stromboli. I share this recipe because it's delicious but also because it totally captures Caroline... "Oh, these? I carmelized the onions this morning while everyone was still sleeping..." Enough said.

Pretty much any of these ingredients can be swapped/subbed but I'm staying true to Caro's recipe:
1 pre-made pizza dough
1 package of shredded Italian cheese
1 red onion, caramelized
1 handful of jarred jalapenos, finely chopped
6-8 slices of salami
1-2 cups of blanched and chopped spinach
Red sauce for dipping

1. Preheat the oven to 425

2. Roll out the pizza dough into a rectangle, about 12" by 24." Make sure to use plenty of flour so it doesn't stick to the surface.

3. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the dough, leaving 1/2" on the left end clean for sealing. Sprinkle the onion, the jalapenos, and the spinach over as well. Top with slices of salami. It should look like a big square pizza.

4. Starting on the right/short side, gently start to roll the dough from right to left. Roll as tightly as you can. When you get it all rolled up, seal the long end to the roll and seal the short ends so nothing oozes out while baking.

5. Place carefully on a baking sheet (you might need an extra set of hands), sealed side down. Bake for about 30-40 mins or until the crust is browned and the insides are melted.

6. When stromboli is done, remove from the oven and let sit for about 5-10 mins before cutting. Serve with tomato sauce on the side for dipping.

Bourbon Caramel Banana Bread Pudding

Highland Kitchen up the street from us is one of my favorite Boston restaurants. Uh, fried chicken Mondays, anyone? We don't go there that often but when we do, I can't leave without the banana bread pudding. I think it's one of the best desserts I've ever had. So I thought I'd try to make it happen in the comfort of my own home, where I can eat it in a pair of sweatpants with an old, stretched out waist.

This one's got bourbon. Maybe it's because it's Kentucky Derby season or maybe I just love me some bourbon but I'm putting it in food, cocktail glasses...today, in my beer. My brother in law gave us some Bourbon County beer for Christmas with the instruction to wait 6 months until drinking. Well, I made it 4 1/2. It seemed like the appropriate beverage while making this bread pudding. And what a party! I hadn't realized this dark, liquid goodness was 14.9% alcohol. Hooooowee! (Put down the knives and stop chopping, Katie) I got it all into the baking dish without losing any fingertips and only a minor steam burn from the caramel. By all accounts, a success. I highly recommend this dessert and it serves about 10 (how much do you think me and Paddy can polish off tonight after dinner?) so have some people over to help. And all you ladies with bourbon lovin' men (ahem, Rach, Sara...) this will put you in their good graces for a long, long time. 

(Got this from foodnetwork.com)

Caramel

1 cup sugar
2 tbsp salted butter, cut into pieces and at room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream, warmed
1 tablespoon bourbon
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Bread Pudding

Salted butter, for the baking dish
1 1b brioche or sweet bread loaf, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
5 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 bananas, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/2 inch thick

 

To make the caramel: 

1. Combine the sugar and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring just until the sugar dissolves. Cook, gently swirling the pan but not stirring, until amber, about 10 minutes. 

 

2. Remove from the heat and carefully whisk in the butter, heavy cream, bourbon, lemon juice and kosher salt (the mixture will bubble - watch out for the steam!). Pour into a bowl and set aside.

Make the bread pudding: 

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Spread the bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until dry and golden, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely.

4. While bread is toasting, whisk the eggs, sugar, and salt in a large bowl, then whisk in the milk, heavy cream and vanilla until smooth. 

 

5. Fold in the toasted bread and the banana slices. Transfer half of the mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread in an even layer. Drizzle with 1/2 cup of the caramel, then top with the remaining bread mixture. 

 

6. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. Cover and refrigerate the remaining caramel until ready to serve.

7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake until golden brown and set, about 1 hour, 15 or 30 minutes. You might want to put a cookie sheet on the lower rack with foil or parchment to catch any drips. I've had some bad luck lately with spill overs and burnt sugar (is a delicious ice cream flavor) is not pleasant in the oven. Warm the remaining caramel and drizzle on top.