Creamy Mushroom and Goat Cheese Tarts

I hesitate to refer to it as a New Year's resolution, but I do intend to be better about two things...starting now.

1. eating better
2. throwing away far less food

A menu, once-weekly grocery shop, and a renewed committment to bring left overs for lunch each day will help with the second.

Being just a little thoughtful about that menu and shopping list will help immensely with the first.

So, I bought the latest edition of Cooking Light magazine. I found a number of recipes I was interested in trying, and made this appetizer for dinner with Brian's parents a few nights ago. If only all "light" recipes tasted this good.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 C chopped shallots (about 2 large)
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lb. mushrooms (such as portobello, oyster, shitake, etc.)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 C dry white wine
• 1 tsp. lower sodium soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp. light sour cream
• 3 Tbsp. fat free half and half
• 2 oz. goat cheese
• 2 boxes (30 cups) Athens mini filo cups
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives

Method:

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat.
2. Add shallots, and sauté 1 minute.
3. Add sage, 1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper, and mushrooms; sauté 4 minutes.
4. Add garlic, and sauté until mushrooms are lightly browned and liquid almost evaporates (about 5 minutes).
5. Stir in sherry and soy sauce; cook for 30 seconds or until liquid almost evaporates.
6. Remove skillet from  heat.
7. Stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, sour cream, half-and-half, and goat cheese.
8. Spoon about 2 teaspoons mushroom mixture into each phyllo shell.
9. Garnish with fresh chives.

Source: Cooking Light

Bourbon and Southern Comfort Balls {aka Schweddy Balls}

I love when two seemingly unrelated experiences collide - you're left with something both comfortable and traditional while at the same time totally unexpected.

First and foremost, I remember making whiskey balls with my mom when I was little. It's such an easy recipe that I could pretty much make them myself, and I was always allowed to have one ball before we put them away to "cure."  They tasted a lot like the whiskey-soaked cherries from my parents' Manhattan's, and I loved them - if not the taste, then the feeling that I was being let in on some grown up secret.

On the other hand, there's SNL's Schweddy Balls skit. We knew we were true regulars at Family Pizza in Springfield when we mentioned schweddy balls to Dawn, our favorite waitress, and she rolled with it. It's become a long-standing joke amongst us and the cause of many laughs since then.

So, we had the thought this year to make some schweddy balls of our own. I found a recipe that tastes just like I remember - though we made ours with bourbon and, in an ode to Gramp, Southern Comfort. We gave two bags (ball sacks, of course) to Dawn just before Christmas. It was awesome to see her reactions: surprise, hilarity, and real friendship.

Cheers!

Ingredients:

• 1 C semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 C white sugar
• 3 tbsp. corn syrup
• 1/2 C bourbon OR Southern Comfort (or rum)
• 2 1/2 C crushed vanilla wafers
• 1/3 C confectioners sugar AND/OR unsweetened cocoa

Method:

1. Place chocolate chips into a microwave-safe medium bowl. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute, stir and then continue to heat at 20 second intervals, stirring between each, until melted and smooth. Stir in sugar and corn syrup. Blend in alcohol of choice. Add crushed vanilla wafers. Mix until evenly distributed. Cover and refrigerate until firm.
2. Roll the chilled chocolate mixture into bite-size balls. Roll balls in confectioners sugar, unsweetened cocoa, or a mixture of both. Store in a covered container for a week before serving to blend the flavors.

Source: All Recipes

Fancy Chocolate-Dipped Oreos

One of my very favorite food blogs is The Italian Dish. I love her photos and the stories she tells about her travels, her family, and they food they enjoy. Her Classic Pumpkin Roll was a huge hit at Thanksgiving, and it was her post about meat grinding that prompted me to ask for a meat grinder for Christmas.

Elaine, the blogger at The Italian Dish, details everything about these dipped cookies right here on her site. She includes step by step photos, as well as links to purchase the mold and the transfers. The girls and I gave them a shot on cookie day, and they were fun and easy to make. There are a ton of different transfer designs that would be fun for different holidays and birthdays.

The Christmas transfers are super cute - we used the gingerbread men, snowflakes, and Santa hats.  I also did some with just Christmas sprinkles, which turned out well, too.

Pumpkin Spice Chex Mix

My entry for the pumpkin throwdown was these Starbucks-inspired Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes, but I love a theme and made this snack mix as well for the buffet table. Full disclosure: I didn't really like it. But, the entire bowl was gone by the end of the night...it was a huge hit with Sue, some of the guys, and the kids. If it sounds appealing to you, give it a try!

A couple of notes - I was able to find generic honey nut and corn chex-like cereal, and they taste just like Chex brand. Also, the graham crackers got a little soggy; if I made this again (it would make a nice fall hostess gift) I think I'd try the teddy graham snack crackers.

Ingredients

• 1/4 C brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice mix
• 1/2 C butter
• 1 tbsp. vanilla
• 2 C Cinnamon Chex® cereal
• 2 C Honey Nut Chex® cereal
• 1 C Corn Chex® cereal
• 6 honey graham crackers, broken into bite sized pieces
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Instructions

1. In small bowl, mix brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice; set aside.
2. In small microwave-safe dish, microwave butter on High about 30 seconds or until melted. Stir in vanilla.
3. In large microwavable bowl, mix all cereals, graham cracker pieces and walnuts. Pour butter mixture over cereal mixture, stirring until evenly distributed. Add sugar and spice mixture and stir until coated.
4. Microwave uncovered on High 5 minutes or until mixture begins to brown, stirring every minute. Spread on wax paper or a cookie sheet to cool. Store in airtight container.

Source: Dine & Dish

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes

Brian and I hosted a pumpkin throwdown back in October - any recipe made with pumpkin was fair game. I chose these pumpkin spice latte cupcakes and they were definitely a 'grown up' treat, a little spicy and not too sweet with a strong espresso flavor.

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp. espresso powder
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. grated nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup canola or vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs
• ½ cup coffee or espresso, for brushing

For the frosting:

• 2¼ cups heavy cream, chilled
• ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar

For finishing:

• Cinnamon
• Prepared caramel sauce

 Method:

1. To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, espresso powder, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Stir together and set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, blend together the pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar and oil. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixture on low speed, add the flour mixture in two additions, mixing just until incorporated.
4. Fill the cupcake liners about three-quarters full. Bake until the cupcakes are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 18-20 minutes.
5. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the pans. While the cupcakes are still warm, brush them two or three times with the coffee or espresso, allowing the first coat to soak in before repeating. Let cool completely.
6. To make the frosting, place the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium-low speed at first, gradually increasing to high speed. Blend in the confectioners’ sugar gradually. Whip until stiff peaks form, being careful not to over-beat.
7. Use a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip to frost the cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon and drizzle with caramel sauce. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate.

Source: Annie's Eats

Sausage Squares

Last week, I had some girlfriends over for drinks and appetizers after work. Not only was it a great chance to catch up, laugh, have some wine, and laugh a little more, knowing they were coming over helped ensure we finished all the decorating for Christmas. Can't beat that.

In addition to antipasto squares, I made these delicious sausage squares. They are entirely decadent - there is absolutely nothing about them that's the least bit figure friendly. And they are soooo very good. If you can't indulge during the holidays with good friends, when can  you?!

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. Jones sausage, thawed (12 oz.)
• 1/4 C very finely minced onion
• Pinch black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 lb. Velveeta cheese, cut in small cubes
• 1 pkg. cocktail rye bread (sm. squares)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Fry sausage and onion in saute pan, then drain well.
3. Stir in pepper and garlic powder, stir to combine.
4. Continue to cook on low heat while slowly adding small cubes of cheese. Cook and stir until smooth.
5. Spread on cocktail rye squares and bake for 10 minutes.

Bolognese Sauce

I thought I had a great bolognese sauce. I added a little of this, a little less of that, tested and tweaked. And, when I finally thought I had it just right, our beloved friends promptly assured me otherwise and I lost my first (though sadly, not last) throwdown to a restaurant recipe for my favorite pasta sauce. I was annoyed, I was disappointed, and I was still sure I had the best bolognese.

Then, I watched an episode of "The Best Thing I Ever Made...Family Dinners" on Food Network. And my mouth watered listening to the chef describe a bolognese that sounded almost as good as my original recipe. And so I tried it. And it was good....very good. Not better than the original - they are very different recipes. But very, very good and definitely a keeper.

Ingredients:

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 ounces pancetta, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 large carrot, finely diced
• 1 celery stalk, finely diced
• 1 pound spicy sausage, removed from casing
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 cups red wine
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup milk
• 1 large can San Marzano crushed tomatoes (28 ounces)
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh basil, plus torn leaves for garnish
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, minced
• 1 box thin spaghetti (or whatever pasta you prefer)
• 1/2 cup ground Pecorino Romano cheese

Method:

1. In a large cast-iron or Dutch oven casserole over medium heat, heat some olive oil and then add the pancetta, garlic, onions and carrots. They should cook slow and lightly brown, about 20 minutes. When finished, deglaze the pot with the vegetables by adding 1 cup of the red wine.
2. In another large casserole over medium heat, brown the meat slowly in olive oil until it is a nice even brown color. This process should take around 30 minutes and the mixture should be stirred frequently so it will not stick. Salt and pepper liberally. Then add the tomato paste and saute for 5 minutes.
3. Next, add the vegetables and pancetta to the pot with the meat. Then add the remaining red wine to deglaze the pot. Scrape all the bits and pieces that might accumulate and reduce by half, about 10 minutes. Then add the chicken stock, milk, and crushed tomatoes and simmer very gently for 2 hours.
4. Let the sauce sit and cool down before using; it's even better the next day! Finish the sauce with the basil and thyme.
5. Boil 2 gallons of salted water and add the pasta. Cook until al dente. Drain and put the pasta directly into the pot of bolognese sauce. Simmer for 2 minutes to incorporate the sauce into the pasta, adding the reserved pasta water as necessary. Finish with the ground Pecorino Romano, torn basil and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil on top.

Source: Food Network

Bleu Cheese Crusted Filet Mignon {Happy Birthday, Brian!}

A couple of years ago, I made a filet that was so good, Brian declared it was what he wanted for his birthday meal going forward. So, I have made it for his birthday. But I also have made it on a random Tuesday night or Sunday funday....it's that good and that easy. This year, I needed to mix it up a little.

We had a block of strong, salty bleu cheese from a great cheese shop in Newburyport and I had visions of the cheesy steaks I've had in places like Max's. What I found was even better!

Ingredients:

• 2 8oz piece of filet
• Salt and Pepper
• Canola or Peanut Oil, for searing
• ½ cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 Tbsp butter
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• fresh ground pepper
• 1 tspn minced fresh herbs, such as rosemary or parsley
• ½ cups crumbled bleu cheese
• 1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard

Method:

1. Allow the steaks to set at room temperature for about 30 minutes to equalize the internal temperature for more even cooking.
2. Meanwhile, prepare crumb topping:  Combine panko, cold butter, garlic powder, and pepper in microwaveable bowl. Heat on high in microwave until butter melts, stirring every 30 seconds to distribute the browned crumbs. Remove from microwave, allow to cool for a few seconds and then add the herbs and bleu cheese. Use a fork to distribute the bleu cheese into the crumbs without making it into a paste.  Taste for seasoning and set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 450°F.
4. Season the filets with salt and pepper. To sear the meat, preheat shallow sided sauté or frying pan over medium high heat until it is very hot. Add 1 teaspoon canola oil and heat until the oil is shimmering. Without crowding them, carefully add the steaks to the hot pan. Do not move the steaks until they have developed a crust and release from pan on their own. Using tongs, carefully brown all sides of the steak, each time allowing the crust to form before disturbing the steaks.
5. When well-seared, remove steaks to an open baking pan. Roast for about 6 - 7 minutes (depending on how big your steaks are and how well you want them done) without the topping. Then remove from the oven and carefully brush mustard onto steaks to allow the crumb mixture to adhere. Just a thin coat — you may not need all of it, depending on the surface area to cover.  Then simply divide the crumb mixture over the steaks and return to the oven.  Roast an additional 5 - 6 minutes until steaks are cooked to your liking and the topping is brown and bubbly.
6. Allow the steaks to rest for a few minutes before serving.

Source: Steak Enthusiast

Antipasto Squares

This super easy appetizer is both delicious and filling. They're a huge hit whenever I make them, and it is perfect for a crowd. My friend Collette has even served them for dinner with a salad.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 lb. each ham, pepperoni, and salami
• 1/4 lb. each American, Swiss, and provolone cheese
• 12 oz. jar roasted red peppers, well drained
• 4 tubes crescent rolls
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• Sesame seeds

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Press two tubes of crescent rolls into bottom of 9x13 baking dish.
3. Layer meat and cheese, using all of each kind before next layer.
4. Layer drained peppers on top.
5. Pour over all but 2 T of the beaten egg over peppers.
6. Cover with remaining two tubes of crescent rolls. Brush with remaining egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Cover with foil.
7. Bake for 30 minutes; remove foil and bake for 30 minutes longer.
8. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing. Can be served hot, at room temperature, or cold.

Start with a meat layer...

 

...then cheese. Repeat until each of the three meats and cheeses have been layered.

 

Top with a layer of the drained peppers, then pour over all but 2 T of the beaten egg.

 

Finish with remaining crescent rolls, brush with remaining egg, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

 

 

 

Jean's Chili

Once the weather turns cooler, chili is one of my first go-to comfort foods. And this recipe, from my friend Jean, is my favorite. It's meaty with just the right amount of beans and tomatoes. I like my chili a little spicier, so I use more chili powder and red pepper flakes than Jean's original recipe calls for. Top with some shredded cheese, sour cream, and a little cilantro and you'll be warmed from the inside in no time!

Ingredients:

• 4 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 1/2 C onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 T oil
• 1 t red pepper flakes
• 2 lbs. lean ground beef
• 1 8oz. can tomato sauce
• 2 28oz. cans crushed tomatoes
• 1 T chili powder
• 1 t salt
• 1 t red pepper flakes
• 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Method:

1. Warm oil and red pepper flakes over medium heat. When heated, saute veggies in oil.
2. Add beef and brown.
3. Add all remaining ingredients except beans.
4. Simmer 45 minutes to 1 hour.
5. Add beans and simmer an additional 30 minutes.

Stuffed Pork Chops (Thanksgiving leftovers remake, take 2)

Even after using the leftover meat, potatoes, and gravy for the pot pies, I was still left with about two cups of stuffing. The first thing that came to mind was stuffed pork chops, something I love but had never made. Although I wouldn't say these were better than Thanksgiving dinner, it was a quick, tasty way to use up the last of the leftovers. Better yet, I put this together while the pot pie was baking, so I had dinner for the following night - all I had to do was bake the chops and steam some asparagus.

This is less a recipe than just a recounting of what I did - I would think you could adapt for as much or as little ingredients you have, pretty easily.

Ingredients:

• Prepared stuffing (I had about 2 C)
• Thick cut, boneless pork chops (the package I bought had 3)
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 can milk

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Create as deep a pocket as you can in the side each pork chop, being careful not to cut all the way through.
3. Fill pocket with stuffing.
4. Season both sides of chops with salt and pepper.
5. Heat a little oil in a saute pan then brown chops on both sides.
6. Meanwhile, spread any remaining stuffing in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Mix soup and milk in a small dish and set aside.
7. When chops are browned, place in baking dish on top of stuffing. Pour soup mixture over chops and cover tightly with foil. (I then put the whole dish in the fridge and continued on the next night when we were ready to have them. Remember to increase cook time if you cook these from the fridge.)
8. Bake for about 25 minutes, until pork is cooked through and stuffing is hot.

Game Hen Pot Pie (Thanksgiving leftovers remake, take 1)

Without exaggeration, I think this pot pie was better than our actual Thanksgiving meal. It's by far the best meal I've ever made with leftovers and one of my favorite things I've put together from scratch.

It was definitely easier to put together - and even more delicious - because we had left over hen breast meat (it's hard to pick dark meat off those little wings and drumsticks!), mashed potatoes, and gravy. It tasted just like the best of Thanksgiving - only a little bit better!

I didn't have enough gravy left over for the pie, so I made a pan gravy when I sauteed the vegetables. I also took a tip from some recipe reviews I read for apple pies and galettes, about brushing the bottom crust with an egg wash and baking it for a few minutes before filling the pie plate - and the bottom crust came out perfectly crisp and not the last big soggy...success!

As beautiful on the outside...



...as it was delicious on the inside!


Ingredients:

• 3 stalks celery, finely diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
• 1/2 sweet onion, finely diced
• 1 T butter
• 1 T garlic olive oil (Regular olive oil would work fine, too - but I used this great garlic infused olive oil we just got from the Newburyport Olive Oil Co. and you could really taste the garlic. If you use plain olive oil, I'd add a clove or two of garlic to the veggie saute.)
• 1/2 C cooked green beans
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 T flour
• 1 C low sodium chicken stock
• 1 C left over gravy
• 1 lb. cooked game hen (or chicken), large diced*
• 1 C left over mashed potatoes
• 2 prepared pie crusts
• 1 egg, beaten

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Place 1 pie crust in pie pan, fitting closely to the pan. Brush with some of the egg wash.
3. Bake for 10 minutes or until starting to brown.  Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Press mashed potatoes onto bottom of pie crust. Set aside.
4. Meanwhile, warm butter and oil over medium  heat until melted.
5. Saute celery, carrots, and onion until crisp-tender. Fold in green beans.
6. Sprinkle flour over pan and cook to remove raw-flour flavor, about 3 minutes.
7. Slowly stir in chicken stock and cook until starting to thicken, about 5 minutes.
8. Stir in gravy and chicken and combine well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
9. Pour chicken and vegetable mixture into prepared pie pan. Cover with second crust, sealing edges well and creating a few slits for steam to escape. Brush will remaining egg wash.
10. Place pie pan onto a rimmed cookie sheet and place in preheated over. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, until very golden brown.
11. Allow to rest 10 minutes or so before serving.

*We had a lot of meat left over because all of the recipes I read for Cornish game hens called for one hen per person. Both times we made them, each person only ate half.  At Arnold's, you can buy them individually; at Big Y, they come two to a package (and were buy one, get one free right before Thanksgiving).  The ones from Big Y were bigger and I think a little tastier.

Cornish Game Hens with Garlic, Lemon & Rosemary

Brian and I were so excited to host our very first Thanksgiving this year!  It was far from our first Thanksgiving "together," but it was our first together in our house. My very good friend, Jean, accepted our invitation for dinner and we were on our way to a party!

Because there were only three of us, and because Brian doesn't love turkey, we weren't sure what to make for dinner. I'd been wanting to try Cornish game hens, found what sounded like an easy, tasty recipe, and had a successful "dry run" of them with Brian's mom and aunt - game hens it was.

I wasn't even sure what a Cornish game hen was, so Jean looked it up after dinner. They are actually domestic to America; are chickens who's "growing spans" (otherwise known as "life spans") are about 28 days vs.the traditional 42 days for a regular chicken; and can be either female or male. In other words, they are neither Cornish, game, or necessarily hens...but they are delicious!

In addition to reading others' comments on a recipe, I also check to see how many times a recipe has been reviewed and its average rating. This recipe had nearly 600 reviews with an average rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 - and they were right on. The first time, we served the sauce as instructed in the original recipe. We prefer a more traditional gravy, though, so that's what I did on Thanksgiving - I've included that here, too.

Cornish Game Hens with Garlic, Lemon & Rosemary

Ingredients:

• 4 Cornish game hens
• 1 lemon, quartered
• 4 sprigs rosemary
• 24 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 T butter, room temperature
• 2/3 C white wine
• 2/3 C low sodium chicken stock
• salt and pepper

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. Remove giblets from hens, wash and pat dry. Season the inside of cavity with salt and pepper. Stuff each hen with 1/4 lemon, a sprig of rosemary, and a clove of garlic.
3. Arrange hens in heavy roasting pan. Smear each with a 1/4 of the butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Scatter remaining garlic cloves around hens in pan.
4. Roast for 25 minutes.
5. Reduce heat to 350. Add wine and chicken stock to roasting pan. Roast for an additional 25 minutes or  until juices run clear and hens register 165 degrees in thickest part of meat. Baste every 10 minutes with pan juices.
6. Remove hens from pan and let rest 10 minutes.
7. When ready to serve, split hens evenly along backbone and arrange on platter. Garnish with additonal lemon wedges and rosemary sprigs, if desired.

Garlic, Lemon & Rosemary Gravy

Ingredients:

• Strained liquid from roasting pan
• 4 T butter, room temperature
• 4 T flour
• salt and pepper

Method:

1. Strain liquid from roasting pan into large measure cup - you should have about 2 C of liquid.  Discard solids.
2. Melt butter in heavy saucepan over medium high heat. Whisk in flour, a tablespoon at a time, until a golden rue forms.
3. Slowly whisk in reserved liquid, whisking constantly, until gravy thickens.
4. Reduce heat to low and simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add additional liquid to desired consistency. I started with about a cup and added an additional 3/4 C, for a total of 1 3/4 C.
5. Serve hot with roasted hens.

Pumpkin Roll

My second Thanksgiving dessert was a much smoother process than the apple galette, and it was a nice alternative to pumpkin pie. I had never made a roll, so had no idea how easy it would be to put together.

Things go quickly once the roll comes out of the oven, so I don't have any photos of getting the cake out of the pan and rolling it up in the towel, but the original post on The Italian Dish has some if you want to check them out.

I often learn as much from the reader comments on a recipe as I do from the original cook's post, and so always make a point to skim through them. I am so glad I did - one of the gals who commented on this recipe gave a tip for a less messy way to get the finished cake onto the tea towel. I've incorporated her comments in my instructions below.

Ingredients:

Pumpkin Roll

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on baked roll)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup pumpkin puree

Cream Cheese Filling

• 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar (optional for decoration)

Method:

 

Pumpkin Roll

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F.
2. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with parchment or wax paper. Grease and flour paper.
3. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan.
4. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. (If using a dark-colored pan, begin checking for doneness at 11 minutes.)
5. Immediately run knife around sides of pan to loosen cake and dust cake liberally with powdered sugar. Cover cake with clean tea towel. Place another cookie sheet (upside down)over towel. Holding everything together, flip over.  Lift off the jelly-roll pan; because of the parchment paper, the cake should just fall right out. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.

 

Cream Cheese Filling

1. Beat cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth.

 

Assembly

1. Carefully unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Re-roll cake.
2. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour.
3. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

Unroll cake...

...spread cream cheese filling...

 

...re-roll, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

Apple Galette

I wrote recently about my challenges as a baker. Case in point:  I made this dessert twice on Thanksgiving - not because I needed two of them, but because in the first attempt I underestimated the value of using parchment paper, as instructed. My blunder left me with too-few apples for a second attempt - thanks to my neighbor Maria for coming to my rescue with a couple of apples she had on hand!

The second time was a charm, though, and this was a quick, easy - but equally as tasty - alternative to a traditional apple pie. And it was beautiful! 

This was the first attempt - notice the lack of parchment paper. It stuck like glue to the pizza stone - and I was so sure the stone would make the bottom perfectly crisped, etc. It looked beautiful (and tasted delicious, I have to confess), but couldn't be removed from the stone with anything but a large spatula and a lot of scraping. Not good.

For a dessert, this was my kind of recipe - the woman who wrote it used terms like "about," "around," "some," and "sprinkle." I didn't measure carefully, but this is what I did...

Ingredients:

•  4 apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
• sprinkle of cinnamon
• 2 T brown sugar
• Peel of about a quarter lemon
• Juice of about a quarter orange
• Pinch of salt
• 2 T butter, small diced
• 1 egg, beaten with a splash of water
• 1 prepared pie crust - I used Pillsbury
• Sugar, for sprinkling
• Parchment paper!

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Toss apples in a large mixing bowl with next 5 ingredients, through salt.
3. Line a large rimmed cookie sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
4. Roll out pie crust to about 1/8" thickness.
5. Place pie crust on parchment lined cookie sheet.
6. Pile apples on top of crust.
7. Dot with butter.
8. Fold crust up over the apples - you will not cover all the apples. No need to be fancy, just fold the crust onto itself until all is pulled up.
9. Brush crust with egg mixture and sprinkle all over with sugar. Bake about 35 minutes or until nicely browned.

This is my second attempt right before it went into the oven...again, notice the parchment. 

Chicken Noodle Soup

We eat a lot of chicken, and it's fun (and sometimes a little frustrating) to find new ways to prepare it. Who knew that Nov. 12 was Chicken Soup for the Soul Day?! Not me...but I had a package of chicken and everything I needed to make soup.

I love chicken noodle soup but haven't had much success with it in the past - no matter what I did, it just didn't seem to have much flavor. In an effort to make a soup that didn't just taste like chicken broth, I made two additions this time that made all the difference - lemon zest and a jalapeno. Delicious!

Ingredients:

• 3 carrots, finely diced
• 2 stalks celery, finely diced
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, finely diced
• 1 T canola oil
• 1 tsp. dried dill
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• zest of one lemon
• 1 lb. chicken, cooked, cooled, and diced
• 2 quarts low sodium chicken stock
• 1/2 bag egg noodles

Method:

1. Heat oil in stock pot over medium heat.
2. Saute carrots, celery, onion, and jalapeno until softened, about 10 minutes.
3. Stir in dill, zest, and pepper. Add chicken.
4. Add stock and bring to boil. Add noodles and cook according to package directions, about 7 - 9 minutes.

Jalapeno Popper Dip with Bacon Breadcrumbs

This dip is similar to another that I've made a few times, but is so much better in so many ways! Fresh roasted jalapenos, bacon, three kinds of cheese, creamy filling, crunchy topping...what's not to love?!

It is spicy as written, but you can adjust the heat level easily by removing all the seeds or using fewer peppers. It was a huge hit at a get together this weekend and has definitely made it into the "make again" folder.

Fortunately, I thought to prepare a small dish with enough for just Brian and me, which we had tonight. Nice way to start a festive week!

To roast the peppers, toss them with a little olive oil and roast at 425 until they begin to char and soften, about 15 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 10 slices bacon, diced and crisp cooked
• 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 T bacon grease, slightly cooled
• 2 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup shredded mexican blend cheese
• 1 cup plus 3 T grated parmesan cheese, divided
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 10 large jalapenos, roasted and diced (seeds removed from all but one)

 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Add bacon, panko and bacon grease to a food processor. Process until bacon is approximately the size of the breadcrumbs. Stir in 3T of parmesan and set aside.
3. Mix together all other ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Place in a pie plate. Sprinkle with bacon breadcrumbs and bake for 20 minutes, or until breadcrumbs are golden brown and dip is heated through.

Source: The Wicked Noodle

"Famous" Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm not a big baker. I love to cook, but find baking to be way too precise and picky. All that measuring and mixing is just too tedious for me.  I don't even do a lot of baking at my annual Christmas Cookie Day with my nieces - they measure and sift and stir...and I "supervise." I didn't even have a "baking" label until I entered this post, my 68th.

This is why my mom's Kookie Klown, which she kept filled with homemade cookies, now houses dog treats. On the up side, since our dogs are a little spoiled, I use her cookie jar every single day (sometimes more often than that....don't tell Brian) and think of her each time.

I've had this recipe for a while. I've never had a chocolate chip cookie at Nieman Marcus and have no idea if this is really the authentic recipe.  Regardless, it makes a delicous cookie. With espresso powder, lots of vanilla, chopped nuts, and bittersweet chocolate, it's a "grown up" chocolate chip cookie. Not overly sweet, a little crunchy, it's nice with a glass of cold milk or a cup of hot coffee.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons instant espresso, slightly crushed
• 1-1/2 cups (8 ounces) bittersweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup toasted, chopped pecans

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
2. Place the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in the work bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed for about 30 seconds, until the mixture is fluffy.
3. Beat in the egg and vanilla for 30 seconds longer, until well combined.
4. In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to the mixer, while beating on slow speed. Beat for about 15 seconds. Stir in the nuts, chocolate chips and espresso powder, and mix for 15 seconds longer.
5. Prepare a cookie sheet with about 2 tablespoons of shortening (or use a non-stick spray).
6. Drop the cookie dough onto the cookie sheet in 2-tablespoon dollops about 3 inches apart.
7. Gently press down on the dough with the back of a spoon to spread out into 2-inch circles; there should be room on the sheet for six or eight cookies at a time.
8. Bake for about 18 minutes or until the cookies are nicely browned around the edges. Bake for a little longer for crisper cookies.

Source: About.com home cooking

Three-Ingredient Pulled Pork

This was quite simply one of the easiest, most delicious meals I've made in a long time. Thanks to my friend Erin, I can now serve up authentic Pulled Pork Sandwiches with just three simple ingredients (plus rolls, of course).

I love that you can use a lean, high quality pork roast for this. I trimmed the roast before cooking it and any fat that was left slid off easily when it came out of the crock pot.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2.5 lb. boneless, center cut pork roast, fat trimmed
• 12 oz. root beer soda
• BBQ sauce to taste (plus extra for serving, if desired)

Method:

1. Season roast all over with salt and pepper. Place in slow cooker.
2. Pour soda around roast.
3. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
4. Remove pork from slow cooker. Remove any remaining fat from pork.
5. Shred pork with two forks.
6. Place shredded pork into medium sauce pan.
7. Stir in desired amount of BBQ sauce (I used about 1 C) and 2 TBSP of the soda from the crock pot.
8. Heat gently until ready to serve.

Down by the Seashore

We spent the past week on Plum Island and what a week it was. The weather was absolutely perfect and there were outdoor concerts, more fireworks than you can imagine, tall ships in Boston Harbor, Blue Angels over Boston Harbor, shopping, ice cream, skee ball, and of course much food and drink.

This Seafood Stew is one of the first meals Brian and I prepared this week and it was a perfect beach meal. The recipe is very versatile - the original called for bass and haddock, but we had some tilapia that we hadn't cooked the night before, and I also threw in some scallops. To make it even more special, we steamed a small lobster and used that as the garnish. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 small yellow onions, chopped
• 2 cups large-diced small white potatoes
• 2 cups chopped fennel (1 large bulb)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups white wine
• 1 (28-ounce) can plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1 quart seafood stock
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1/2 pound sea scallops, halved
• 1 pound tilapia fillets, cut in large chunks
• 1 bag mussels, cleaned
• 3 tablespoons Sambuca
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1 1-1/2 pound lobster, steamed, claw and tail meat diced
• 2 tablespoons fennel fronds, finely chopped
• Toasted baguette slices, buttered and rubbed with garlic

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a stockpot, then add the onion, potatoes, fennel, salt, and pepper, and saute over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until the onions begin to brown.
2. Add the wine and scrape up the brown bits with a wooden spoon.
3. Add the tomatoes with their juices, stock, and garlic, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
4. Add the shrimp, scallops, fish, and mussels, bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Turn off the heat and allow the pot to sit covered for another 5 minutes. The fish and shrimp should be cooked and the mussels opened. Discard any mussels that don't open. Stir in the Sambuca, orange zest, and salt, to taste.
6. Ladle into large bowls.  Garnish with fennel fronds and lobster.
7. Serve with toasted baguette.

Source:  Adapted from Ina Garten

Spicy and Sweet Baked Beans

I follow a number of great blogs, food and otherwise. If you have a minute, take a look at some of my favorites...they are right over there, listed on the right-hand side of this page.

One of my favorite food blogs is The Wicked Noodle. Kristy, the writer, has a wonderful take on the day-to-day ups and downs, challenges and small triumphs we all face, and she makes some really great food in the process. Check her out. These beans are her recipe, and they are delish - just like I suspect all of her recipes are.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup minced shallots
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup tomato puree
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 chipotle chiles, canned in adobo sauce 
• 2 (28-ounce) cans baked beans, both drained of liquid on top of can after first opening

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 300°.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add shallots; sauté 4 minutes or until golden. Add cumin and garlic; sauté for 1 minute. Add tomato puree and oil, and cook for 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Add honey and the next 5 ingredients (through chiles). Reduce heat; simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Combine beans and shallot mixture in a 2-quart baking dish. Bake at 300° for 1 hour or until thick and bubbly.

Source: The Wicked Noodle

I wasn't terribly prepared when I made these beans. And these were some important beans - I was serving them at our first official party in our new home. Despite my scrambling and frantic measuring, they came out wonderfully...and they were a huge, spicy hit! So much so...that I neglected to get a photo.  But, they look like you expect baked beans would look and Kristy has some nice shots on her page is you really need to see them.

Southwest Quinoa Salad

My good friend Debi turned me on to quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) some time ago, and I'm glad she did. I love anything - like orzo, rice or couscous - that you can doctor up with just about anything you have on hand. It makes for a quick, easy side dish that goes with just about any meal.

This salad is from the back of the Archer Farms quinoa package and had a great smokey, southwestern flavor.  It has definitely made into the rotation!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 1/2 C chicken stock
• 1 (15.5 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15.5 oz) can sweet corn, drained
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 C cilantro, chopped
• 3 Tbsp. lime juice
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, finely chopped

Method:

1. Cook quinoa according to package instructions, using stock in place of water.
2. Whisk cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, cumin, and chipotle in bottom of large bowl to combine.
3. Gently fold in beans, corn, and red bell pepper.
4. Stir in cooked quinoa. Toss to combine.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Serve warm or chilled.

One of the best parts of this salad was how good it was for lunch the next day.

Strawberries and Cream

The orange dreamsicle cake was such a hit that I wanted to try other combinations. Last week, it was strawberries and cream. As I suspected, it was like eating strawberry shortcake, only better! This is such a quick and easy dessert, and everyone loves it. Best of all, the combinations are endless and you really can't go wrong.

Ingredients:

• 1 (18 1/4 oz.) white cake mix
• 1 (3 oz.) strawberry Jell-o
• 1 C boiling water
• 1 (3 1/2 oz.) box french vanilla instant pudding
• 1 C milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 (8 oz.) container Cool Whip

Method:

1. Set out Cool Whip to thaw.
2. Prepare cake mix according to directions for a 9X13 pan.
3. After the cake is done, remove from oven and poke holes throughout cake with a fork.
4. Prepare the Jell-O with 1 C of boiling water. Pour over cake.
5. Allow to cool 30 minutes or overnight, covered tightly and stored in fridge.
6. In a large mixing bowl, mix together pudding and milk. Stir in extract. Mix well.
7. Fold in Cool Whip.
8. Spread over cake and chill additional 2 - 3 hours before serving. Serve with fresh strawberries.
9. Store tightly covered in fridge.

Source: Food.com

Holy Guacamole

One of my favorite things about cooking is preparing things that other people love. Things that, when they see it on the table, they ask something like, "Is that your bolognese?"  (Ok, people aren't saying that about my bolognese yet, but they will - I'm sure of it!)

My Holy Guacamole is exactly that kind of recipe.  This is the first time I've ever made note of what went into it - I usually just eye ball it. It's a very forgiving recipe that you can adapt as you see fit. I have to say, though, it's pretty amazing just as written!

Ingredients:

• 1 medium tomato, seeds removed, chopped finely
• 2 - 3 shallots, chopped finely
• 1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, chopped finely
• juice and zest of one (or two, depending how juicy the fruit is) lime
• 1 large handful of fresh cilantro leaves, chopped finely
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• 4 ripe Haas avocados

Method:

1. Combine tomato, shallot, jalapeno, cilantro, and lime zest in a small bowl.
2. Split avocados, remove pits, and scoop flesh in a medium bowl.
3. Mash avocados to your desired texture with a potato masher or fork. I keep mine a little chunky.
4. Immediately squeeze lime juice over avocado then mix gently. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5. Fold in veggies, mixing gently to combine but being careful not to mash the avocados any further.
6. Serve immediately with tortilla or pita chips, veggies, etc.

Although you're likely not to have any leftovers with this recipe, you can store prepared guacamole in the fridge for a couple of days. The citrus juice will help keep it from turning brown as it's stored, and you should also cover it with plastic wrap so that the wrap is directly covering the dip (it's exposure to air that turns the avocado brown).  Some people also say if you reserve a pit and nestle that in the guacamole, it'll keep it fresher-looking longer.

Rosemary Roasted Pork Tenderloin

This was so good that I made it tonight for the second time in less than two weeks. It's a really quick and easy marinade that makes for a juicy, flavorful piece of pork.

Tonight I made it with a new Near East quinoa and brown rice with rosemary and olive oil that was delicous. I need to learn more about cooking with quinoa.

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 C apple juice concentrate
2. 1/4 C Dijon mustard
3. 2 T dried rosemary
4. 4 cloves garlic, minced
5. 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
6. 1.5 lbs pork tenderloin

Method:

1. In a bowl, combine the first five ingredients; mix well.
2. Set aside 1/3 cup; cover and refrigerate.
3. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the pork and remaining marinade. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate overnight.
4. Drain and discard marinade from meat.
5. Place meat in a roasting pan coated with nonstick cooking spray.
6. Pour the reserved marinade on top.
7. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F.
8. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.               

Source: All Recipes

Orange Dreamsicle Cake

What better way to top of Sue's birthday dinner of Tuscan Chicken with Lemon Couscous than with this dreamy, creamy Orange Dreamsicle Cake? There's  nothing like homemade birthday cake - and this one is definitely a winner.

Ingredients:

• 1 (18 1/4 oz) box orange cake mix
• 1 (3 oz) box orange Jell-O
• 1 C boiling water
• 1 (3 1/2 oz) box instant French vanilla pudding
• 1 C milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp orange extract
• 1 (8 oz) container Cool Whip
• 1 Tbsp orange zest

Method

1. Set out Cool Whip to thaw.
2. Prepare cake mix according to directions for a 9X13 pan.
3. After the cake is done, remove from oven and poke holes throughout cake with a fork.
4. Prepare the orange Jell-O with 1 C of boiling water. Pour over cake.
5. Allow to cool 30 minutes or overnight, covered tightly and stored in fridge.
6. In a large mixing bowl, mix together pudding and milk. Stir in extracts and zest. Mix well.
7. Fold in Cool Whip.
8. Spread over cake and chill additional 2 - 3 hours before serving.
9. Store tightly covered in fridge.

Source: Food.com

Tuscan Chicken with Lemon Couscous

In celebration of Sue's birthday, Brian and I made dinner tonight on the Plum. This is a new recipe from the American Heart Association. If you didn't know it is heart healthy ("HH," as Brian refers to it), you'd never know. Big flavors in a nice, easy, delicious meal!

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• Zest of one lemon, divided
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp  chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 16 cubes
• 16 whole crimini mushrooms, stemmed and cleaned
• 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 16 pieces
• 16 cherry tomatoes
• 1 small onion, quartered, then chopped in eigths
• cooking spray
• 1 box parmesan couscous
• 1 1/4 C chicken stock
• 2 scallions, diced

Method:

1. In a large freezer bag, stir together 1/2 the lemon zest, lemon juice, rosemary, oil. garlic, oregan and red pepper flake.
2. Add the chicken and stir to coat.
3. Refrigerate at least 15 minutes or up to 8 hours. (Turn several times if marinating longer than 30 minutes.)
4. When ready to cook, preheat grill on medium high.
5. Drain the chicken and discard the marinade.
6. Alternately thread chicken and vegetables onto 4 metal skeweres.
7. Lightly spray all sides with cooking spray.
8. Grill the kebobs 2 - 3 minutes on each side (8 - 12 minutes total), or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and the vegetables are tender.
9. Meanwhile, cook the couscous according to the package directions, using the chicken stock instead of water. When done, fluff with fork, adding in the remaining zest and half of the scallions.
10. Serve kebobs over the couscous, and garnish with remaining scallions.

Foolproof Quiche

Almost two months to the day from my last post - yikes. I'm not sure where the time went,  until I consider the packing, unpacking, organizing, cleaning, and shopping that consumed all of March and much of early April. A resolution when we moved was to eat in much more often, so hopefully I'll have many more recipes to share.

When we were talking about making a quiche for Easter brunch, Brian stumbled upon this recipe. It's more a guideline than a recipe with specific measurements and ingredients, and it's exactly the way I like to cook...with what's on hand, what sounds good, with just a few "rules" to make sure it all comes together well.

How to Make a Foolproof Quiche

I made a quiche again yesterday for brunch with some great friends - my first official company in our new home! This is what I did this time...

Ingredients

• 9" prepared pie crust
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup fat free half and half
• pinch of salt
• half of a large onion, chopped
• 8 oz. Cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 8 spears of asparagus, cut in half
• 2 cups freshly grated Gruyere

Method

1. Roll out the pie crust and fit it into straight-edged pie plate - I used Polish pottery. Trim away any overhang and reserve for patching up any cracks that appear during baking. Freeze the crust for 30 minutes.
2. Heat the oven to 350°F. Line the pie crust with parchment and fill with pie weights or beans. Bake for 20 minutes and remove the weights and parchment. Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until just starting to brown. Cool.
3. While the crust is baking, saute onions and mushrooms in oil and butter until soft and mushrooms have given off all of their liquid. Cut asparagus spears so each top piece will fit nicely into the pie dish, from the center to the edge. Grate cheese.
4. Sprinkle half the cheese over the bottom of the pie crust and top with the fillings. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over top. 
5. Whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, and salt until frothy. Pour the custard into the pie crust.
6. Bake the quiche at 350°F for 30 to 40 minutes, until the edges are set but the quiche still jiggles a little in the center. Cool for at least 20 minutes.

At Easter, we baked the quiche on Saturday night, cooled it, then stored in the fridge overnight, as instructed on the site. We warmed it in a 325°F oven for nearly 40 minutes on Sunday morning, and it was still so cold in the middle we had to heat the slices in the microwave (since everything else was ready). Yesterday, I put the entire thing together in the morning and it was pretty quick and easy. At the most, I might prepare the filling and crust the night before, but put it together and bake it fresh when I'm ready to serve.