There's something about the brisk days of Fall that make certain cozy things irresistibly attractive. Scarves, riding boots, flannel. And, for me, carbs. A savory pie is a great way to capture all of that desired coziness in a single dinner in a no-fuss way (especially if you use store-bought pastry ... just this once ... it will be our secret, I promise).
This is one of those recipes to which you could really make endless variations. Use different meats, ratchet up the spices, add lots of veggies. But for this particular take I went the classic french route: meat and potatoes in a pie crust. What could possibly be wrong with that?
Another bonus is that a meat pie is one of those coveted meals that actually gets better the longer it sits in your fridge (to a point of course). Though I am willing to bet that leftovers of this won't stick around for too long. Happy Autumn!Old-fashioned Meat Pie adapted from All Recipes2 tablespoons olive oil1 large onion, diced1 lb ground beef1 lb ground pork1 cup mashed potatoessalt and pepperpie crust pastry for top and bottom1 egg, beaten1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.2. Heat oil in pan over medium heat; add onions and cook until they turn translucent. Add beef and pork. Liberally salt and pepper and cook until brown (about 7-10 minutes). Stir as necessary.3. Combine onion/meat mixture and mashed potatoes in a large bowl. Salt and pepper again.4. Line the bottom of your pie plate with one of your pie crusts. Trim around the edge with a knife. Fill with the meat mixture. 5. Cover with the other pie crust. Trim the edges again and crimp with a fork or your fingers. Brush the top crust with your egg and make 4 slits for steam to escape. 6. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.If you're feeling up to it, use a fun cookie-cutter to make shapes out of the extra dough and place on top of your pie. You can also use ramekins to make smaller meat pies (cook for about 25-30 minutes).
Every weekday morning I eat yogurt with almonds sprinkled on top. But after almost 2 years (yes, years), I decided to switch it up a little bit. Instead of going to the store and getting granola, I embarked on an online recipe search to see what making my own granola would entail.
Turns out almost all granola recipes are pretty much the same. Take some rolled oats, and your favorite seeds, nuts, things like that and then some honey and brown sugar. It's so easy to make (2 steps!) and you avoid the struggle of trying to find one at the store that has all of your favorite things (i.e. sunflower seeds) and none of the things you don't particularly care for (i.e. dried cherries). The recipe below is based off of this recipe from The Kitchen Sink, it's super simple and makes your house smell heavenly!
Homemade Granola adapted from The Kitchen Sink
3 1/2 cups rolled oats
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon flax seeds
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup coconut flakes, unsweetened
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon real maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1. Preheat your oven to 350 F. Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Spread the mixture onto a cookie sheet.
2. Bake for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to keep the granola from burning. Cool completely and then remove from the pan. Store in an airtight container.
So I realized as soon as I put these in the oven that I haven't done a dinner food post in a while. I can only really attribute this to the fact that I've scheduled my blog food project for Sunday mornings and I guess at that time I'd much rather eat muffins, and pancakes, and crisps, than lemon roasted chicken or pork chops. But here's the deal: these muffins make my faux pas seriously ok. They actually make it super tasty.
They are a cinch and I have two of my favorite food blogs to thank. Heidi over at 101 Cookbooks did a pumpkin muffin this week, which inspired me, and Smitten Kitchen is where I picked up the recipe. These muffins are a great way to bring something special to the morning and are so approachable that it makes me wonder why I don't make muffins every week (note to self: fear of your waist line keeps you from doing this). It takes one bowl, ingredients you probably already have with the exception of 1 can of pumpkin (which the recipe uses all of), and muffin cups.
So if you love fall (who doesn't love fall?!) and want your whole house to smell like Thanksgiving and/or a Starbucks pumpkin spice latte, this is the recipe for you!
Pumpkin Muffins from Smitten Kitchen
1 can solid-pack pumpkin (15 oz., not pumpkin pie filling)
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon sugar
1. Preheat oven to 350 F and line muffin tin with cups.
2. In a large bowl (preferably with a pouring spout) stir together, pumpkin, eggs, oil, sugar, nutmeg, allspice, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add flour a bit at a time and mix until just combined.
3. In a small bowl combine cinnamon and extra tablespoon of sugar.
4. Fill muffin cups about 3/4 of the way full and sprinkle the cinnamon/sugar mixture on the top of each.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.
A Trader Joe's just opened up across the street from us, which is a pretty big deal. Not just because it's Trader Joe's, which in and of itself is pretty awesome, but because they managed to make it feel like a real supermarket. Anyone who lives in New York knows what I'm talking about. Our "super"markets aren't super at all. They are tiny and cramped, with the items you want way high up on the shelves and to make matters worse, carts are miniature. Well, Trader Joe's fixed all of that with two glorious, well-spaced, well-lit floors with great selection and get this: regular-sized carts! *swoon*
So on my trip there this morning, I saw a delicious little basket of plums next to a bright-colored orange, and I knew that this crisp was going to happen today! I'm still so excited that Fall has arrived. And in that spirit, I made the crisp topping with oats, and toasted almonds, and a dash of cinnamon. And the best part of all, it took about 15 minutes to put it all together and then did its thing in the oven for about another 40. So in less than an hour I was eating it, which now that I think of it, is actually the best part of all. :o)
Plum Crisp
1/4 cup sliced almonds
6 tablespoons of cold butter, in chunks
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 lb plums (I used the Italian prune plums that are in peak season right now)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/8 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/8 cup water
1/4 cup of sugar
1. Heat the oven to 375 F. Spread the sliced almonds on a baking sheet and toast until light brown (about 7 minutes).
2. In a food processor, combine the flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, butter, and oats. Pulse until the texture is a course meal.
3. Quarter and pit each plum. Place in a large bowl and add the orange juice, zest, water, cornstarch, and sugar. Mix to spread evenly.
4. Fill the bottom of a pie dish with the plum mixture.
5. Add the almonds to the crisp topping. Evenly spread the topping over the plums. Bake for 40 minutes.
I saw this recipe earlier in the week and spent a few minutes dreaming about how wonderful it would be. Unfortunately at that moment I was in the law library, and while this recipe is simple, it's not so simple that it can be made among the many stacks of Reporters and Shepard's volumes.
So this morning, when I sat down to read more civil procedure and Tom was settling in for an entire day of football and we looked at each other and said "I want a snack," this was the first thing I thought of. And boy am I glad I did!
I realize that microwave popcorn is soooo easy (4 minutes, no mess, etc.) and I am certainly not a popcorn snob. But recently I read a few articles about the chemicals in the microwave bags and, though it seems like everything causes cancer, making popcorn the old-fashioned way really is super easy (and fun!). So I got out the kernels and the big pot and a few pops later, this delicious treat was ours. And a few seconds later, it was all gone.
I will probably spend way too much time over the next few days thinking up some other flavor combos: brown butter & salt or chili-lime both come to mind. If you have any inspiration, please feel free to share!Maple Butter Spiced Popcorn from theKitchn1/2 cup popcorn kernels1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon good maple syrup1 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg1/2 teaspoon salt1. Lightly coat the bottom of a deep pot with vegetable oil. Pour the kernels in; they should cover the bottom in a single layer.2. Turn the burner to medium heat and cover with a tight-fitting lid.3. Melt the butter and whisk in the maple syrup.4. Combine the cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.5. Once the first kernels pop, shake the pot vigorously to keep the popcorn from burning. When the popping stops, remove from heat and empty into a large bowl.6. Pour the melted butter/syrup mixture over the popcorn while stirring to get an even coat. Sprinkle the spice mixture while stirring. Serve hot.
This is one of those recipes to which you could really make endless variations. Use different meats, ratchet up the spices, add lots of veggies. But for this particular take I went the classic french route: meat and potatoes in a pie crust. What could possibly be wrong with that?
