Callaloo

http://letnacholibre.blogspot.com/2013/04/callaloo.html

Note to self:  use the big all-clad pot.  Doubled it again mostly, but over-kaled it a bit.  Still delicious.  With cornbread.

Chicken Barley Soup

Boiled a few whole chicken legs with carrot, onion, celery and parsley in water.  Shredded the chicken when cooked.

Chopped carrots, celery, green beans.  Added barley.  Simmered for a while.  Barley needed a bit more time the first night, but was delicious the second.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

This deserves its own entry.

Ingredients

Crust
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs or so
2/3 cup butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Cheesecake
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature.
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 (15 ounce) can 100% Pure Pumpkin
2/3 cup Evaporated Milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Topping
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1/6 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees F.
COMBINE graham cracker crumbs, butter and granulated sugar in medium bowl. Press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of 2 pie pans.  Bake for 6 to 8 minutes (do not allow to brown). Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.
BEAT cream cheese, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs, pumpkin and evaporated milk. Add cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg; beat well. Pour into crust.
BAKE for 55 to 60 minutes or until edge is set but center still moves slightly.
COMBINE sour cream, granulated sugar and vanilla extract in small bowl; mix well. Spread over surface of warm cheesecake. Bake for 5 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
ENJOY while remembering your good friend Jordan.

Thanksgiving

Sooo..., we weren't going to do much, but we did.

Cornish Game Hens
Bought 3 pre-stuff hens at whole foods.  Put them on a vegetable trivet, coated the skin with oil, covered and baked at 375 for 45 minutes.  Uncovered and baked for another 30-45 or so.

The hens were good.  The stuffing (wild rice mix) was so-so.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic
http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1890-roasted-brussels-sprouts-with-garlic

1 pint brussels sprouts (about a pound)
4 to 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, to coat bottom of pan
5 cloves garlic, peeled
 Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Trim bottom of brussels sprouts, and slice each in half top to bottom. Heat oil in cast-iron pan over medium-high heat until it shimmers; put sprouts cut side down in one layer in pan. Put in garlic, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Cook, undisturbed, until sprouts begin to brown on bottom, and transfer to oven. Roast, shaking pan every 5 minutes, until sprouts are quite brown and tender, about 10 to 20 minutes.

Taste, and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Stir in balsamic vinegar, and serve hot or warm.


Basically followed the recipe, although we may have doubled it.  And we didn't add as much balsamic vinegar.

Thyme-Roasted Sweet Potatoes
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/thyme-roasted-sweet-potatoes-233085

4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch-thick rounds
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup fresh thyme leaves, plus 6 thyme sprigs for garnish
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 425°F.

In large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and toss.

Arrange potato slices in single layer on heavyweight rimmed baking sheet or in 13x9-inch baking dish.

Place on top rack of oven and roast until tender and slightly browned, about 40 minutes.

The recipe above is about what we did (compared to the Epicurious version).  Pretty tasty and easy.

Red Sauce Pasta

Made it simple this time, just sausage.  And a real swanky salad.

Minestrone

http://letnacholibre.blogspot.com/2014/10/minestrone.html

Yum

Pepperoni Pizza

By request of Julia. Who gobbled the pepperoni before we made it and then thought it was too spicy after it was cooked.

Fasty Tacos

Beef with Sherried Mushroom Sauce

One pot, pg 88.  Turned out pretty well.  We used pearl barley instead of hulled barley (aka white rice vs brown rice) and mostly doubled it across the board.  Used pumpkin, acorn and delicata squash since that's what we had.  Lots of broccoli.  Mushrooms were a variety pack of fun.  Sliced the beef stir-fry style.

We baked it for about 48 minutes.  Maybe the barley could have been cooked more, but overall it turned out pretty well.

Tandoori Salmon with Kale

http://letnacholibre.blogspot.com/2012/12/tandoori-salmon-with-kale.html

Yum.