Sourdough, Wild Mushroom, and Bacon Dressing

Sourdough, Wild Mushroom, and Bacon Dressing
8 servings

•1 1/4 pounds sourdough bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 12 cups)
•1.5 lbs mixed wild mushrooms, cleaned and chunked
•4 tablespoons canola oil, divided
•Salt and pepper
•less than 3/4 pound slab bacon, cut into 1/2-inch dice
•1 large Spanish onion, finely diced
•5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
•4 or more cups homemade chicken stock or low sodium canned chicken broth
•2 large eggs, lightly beaten
•3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
•2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
•1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread the bread onto sheet pan(s) in an even layer and bake, stirring a few times, until lightly golden brown, about 12 minutes. Remove and let cool. Once cooled, put the cubes into a very large bowl.

Increase the heat to 375 degrees F. Combine the mushrooms in a large baking dish or baking sheet, toss with 3 tablespoons of the oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven, stirring several times, until soft and golden brown, about 25 minutes.

While the mushrooms are roasting, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of the canola oil in a large high-sided saute pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and the fat has rendered, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.

Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the rendered fat in the saute pan and place back on the stove over high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add 3 cups of the chicken stock and the herbs, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer.

Add the mushrooms to the bread, and then add the onion/stock mixture, egg, salt and pepper, and gently stir until combined. The dressing should be very wet, add more stock as needed. Scrape the mixture into a buttered 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, and continue baking until the top is golden brown, about 30 to 40 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Mashed Potatoes with Manchego and Olive Oil

Mashed Potatoes with Manchego and Olive Oil
Serves 12

2 heads of garlic, top third of each cut off
1/4 cup Spanish extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
6 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
Water
Salt
1/2 stick butter
3 cups cream/milk/etc, heated
8oz Manchego cheese, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Stand the garlic on a large sheet of heavy-duty foil. Drizzle with oil and wrap in the foil. Bake for about 1 hour, until the garlic is very soft. Squeeze the soft cloves from the skins into a small bowl and mash with a fork.
2. Meanwhile, bring the potatoes to a boil in a large pot of water. Salt the water and boil over moderately high heat until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and return to the pot. Shake the pot over moderately high heat for 1 minute to dry the potatoes.
3. Mash the potatoes and butter with a potato masher, then mash in half of the hot cream. Add the remaining cream and mash again. Stir in the Manchego to melt, then slowly stir in the mashed garlic and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season with salt and transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and serve.

Beef Braised in Coconut Milk

Beef Braised in Coconut Milk
Serves 6

1 Tbsp. coconut oil
2.5 lbs. beef chuck roast, cubed
coarse salt
1 small onion, sliced into 1-inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. freshly grated ginger
3 chilies, minced
zest of 1 lime
2 Tbsp. green or red Thai curry paste
1 can coconut milk
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
Vegetables...1-1,5lbs broccoli, spinach, etc.
juice of 1 lime
2 scallions, chopped
1/4 c. thinly sliced fresh basil
rice

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Heat a Dutch oven
over medium-high heat. Sprinkle beef pieces with
salt. Add oil to the pan and when it is hot, brown
the beef pieces thoroughly.

When all the beef is browned, lower heat to medium,
and add onion, garlic, ginger, lime zest, and curry
paste and saute for 2-3 minutes. Stir in coconut
milk, brown sugar, and fish sauce. Settle beef
pieces into the pan (and any accumulated juices
from the plate) and cover tightly. Bring to a
simmer, then transfer pot to the oven.

Bake for 2-3 hours, or until beef is falling apart
tender. Set pan over medium heat and when it simmers, stir
in bell pepper and simmer uncovered for a few
minutes until pepper is tender. Stir in lime juice
and taste sauce for seasoning - add more fish sauce
for saltiness, more sugar for sweetness, more lime
for sourness. Stir in scallions and basil. Pull
beef into bite-sized pieces and add back to the
pan.

Serve with hot rice, if desired.

Coconut-Lime Chicken Stew with Rice

Coconut-Lime Chicken Stew with Rice
Serves 6

1 tbs vegetable oil
3 chicken breast halves, boneless/skinless, chunked
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 red pepper, diced
2 tbs garlic, finely chopped
3tbs fresh ginger, finely chopped
1/4 tsp chili flakes, or to taste
4 cups chicken stock
4 cups sweet potato, fine dice
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1 can coconut milk
2/3 cup rice
1/2 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 cup frozen peas
Zest and juice of 2 limes


1) In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat, add chicken breast pieces and cook until well browned on both sides. Remove and set aside; the chicken does not need to be cooked through at this point.
2) To the same pot add onions; red pepper, garlic, ginger and chili flakes; sauté over medium heat until onions are translucent, about five minutes.
3) To the pot add the browned chicken, sweet potato, salt and stock. Bring to the boil, then lower heat, cover and simmer until potatoes are tender and chicken is cooked through.
4) Add coconut milk, more water if necessary, and rice. Cook until rice is done, about 20 minutes.
5) Finish with cilantro, peas, zest and juice. Serve.

Baked Raspberry Cheesecake

Baked Raspberry Cheesecake
One 9" pan

graham crackers (maybe...5-6)
1/2 stick butter, melted
2.75 bars cream cheese, one of the light
2 tbsp plain flour
1/2c heaping superfine sugar
vanilla extract
2 eggs, plus 1 yolk
.6c sour cream
2 cartons raspberries
fine sugar

1. Heat the oven to 350f. Crush the crackers, mix with the butter.
Press into a 9 inch springform pan and bake for 5 minutes, then cool.
2. Beat the cream cheese with the flour, sugar, a few drops of
vanilla, eggs, the yolk and sour cream until light and fluffy. Stir in
half the raspberries and pour into the pan. Bake for 40 minutes and then
check, it should be set but slightly wobbly in the center. Leave in the
pan to cool some, then 3+ hours in the fridge.
3. Keep a few raspberries for the top and put the rest in a pan with 1
tbsp fine sugar. Heat until juicy and then squash with a fork. Serve the
cheescake with the raspberry sauce and raspberries.

Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage

Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage
6 servings

olive oil
1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
4 to 6 sprigs sage leaves, chiffonade
1 cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock
1 can pumpkin
1/2 cup cream
Pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon
salt and black pepper
1 pound penne rigate, cooked
10oz cooked and chopped spinach
Parmigiano, for grating

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.

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.

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 spinach and toss.

Garnish the pasta with cheese.

Butternut Squash and Bacon Mac and Cheese

Butternut Squash and Bacon Mac and Cheese
4-6 servings

1 Butternut Squash (~6c), peeled and cubed
Olive oil
3 Tbsp Rosemary
S&P
12oz box whole wheat pasta
6 slices of thick cut Bacon
1.5 cups Shallots, diced
1/4 cup Flour
2 cups Milk (1 or 2%)
1.5 cup shredded cheese
1/3 cup Parmesan

Preheat to 425. Coat the squash lightly in oil, rosemary, and seasoning.
Roast in a pan for 45 minutes 30 or squash is tender.

While the squash is roasting, cook the pasta, and fry the bacon. When the
bacon is done, pour off all but 1 Tbsp of the drippings. Set aside the
bacon, and cook the shallots 7 minutes or until translucent in the
leftover drippings. Crumble the bacon and set it aside with the shallots.

When the squash is done roasting, mix in the bacon and shallots and turn
the oven up to 450.

Put the flour in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan over medium-high heat and
slowly whisk in the milk. When all the milk has been added, bring to a
boil for 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir
in the shredded cheese. Combine the pasta and the squash mixture in a
9×13 casserole dish, and pour the milk and cheese mixture over the top.
Stir to coat.
Top with grated Parmesan and pop back in the oven for 10-15
minutes, or until the cheese starts to brown.