Category Archives: Recipes

Jan26

Outrageous Pumpkin Pie

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Outrageous Pumpkin Pie

I admit it — I hate pumpkin pie. When surveying my family for what desserts to serve at Thanksgiving, the overwhelming  response was “pumpkin pie.” I wasn’t excited to make one and I was even less excited to eat it. I decided I would change the traditional pumpkin pie recipe into something tastier and more interesting that I would actually want to eat.

Everyone raved about this pumpkin pie – it has some exciting flavors, the texture is more appealing (to me) than traditional pumpkin pie and it just tastes better! This pie went very quickly after Thanksgiving and I will definitely make it again for future holidays.

Note: To save time, you may want to use a store-bought caramel sauce in lieu of making your own caramel sauce. This will save you a great deal of time when preparing the pie.

Outrageous Pumpkin Pie

Print recipe
Serves: 10
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes
Total time: 1 hours, 10 minutes
Allergy: Egg, Milk, Tree Nuts, Wheat
Dietary: Vegetarian
Meal type: Dessert
Misc: Freezable, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold, Serve Hot
Region: Worldwide
Unique pumpkin pie recipe with a pecan & graham cracker crust is sure to please even those who hate pumpkin pie.

Ingredients

Filling

  • 1/4 teaspoon Cloves, ground
  • 1/4 teaspoon Pepper, ground
  • 1.5 cups Half and Half
  • 1 can Canned Pumpkin Puree (Don't buy pumpkin pie filling -- it's pre-seasoned.)
  • 2 Eggs
  • 3/4 cups Brown Sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon Ginger, ground

Crust

  • 1 cup Pecan Pieces, frozen
  • 6 tablespoons Butter, melted
  • 1 1/4 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 2 tablespoons Brown Sugar

Caramel Sauce

  • 1/2 cup Caramel Sauce (You can use prepared caramel sauce or make your own -- either works well in this recipe.)

Directions

Step 1
Preheat your oven to 350 F.
Step 2
Combine the graham cracker crumbs, frozen pecan pieces, butter, salt and brown sugar together in a large bowl and mix until it is all combined. Pour the mixture into the pie pan and press it down to spread the mixture out. Work the mixture up the sides of the pie pan and try to flatten out the crust so it is even on the bottom and sides.
Step 3
Place the pie pan in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to chill before baking.
Step 4
Place the sugar, pumpkin pie spice, ground ginger, ground cloves, eggs, canned pumpkin, half and half and pepper in a bowl. Blend the mixture until it is uniform and all of the ingredients are incorporated.
Step 5
Remove the pie pan from the refrigerator and spread the caramel sauce on the bottom of the pie plate.
Step 6
Pour the filling mixture over the caramel sauce. Place the pie pan in the oven to cook for about 45-55 minutes.
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Jan20

Red Potato & Kale Gratin

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Red Potato & Kale Gratin

I had this huge block of beautiful Cabernet goat cheese on hand that I picked up while visiting my in-laws. They live near a dairy that produces these wonderful cheeses that are free of growth hormones and other grossness, so The Hungry Husband and I picked up a few blocks of cheese on our way home. We managed to widdle down the blocks of Santa Fe and Smoked Cheddar, but I still had not opened the goat cheese. I decided I had to do something with it and thought a gratin would be a perfect way to use up some of the cheese. We were about to take a trip, so I was also in use-up-everything-in-the-fridge-mode and thought I should probably use up the red potatoes and kale that I had sitting around.

You can really play with the ingredients in this dish by using different potatoes or whatever cheese you have on hand. You can also vary the amount of cheese based on your preferences.

Red Potato & Kale Gratin

Print recipe
Red Potato & Kale Gratin
Serves: 6-8
Prep time: 45 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Total time: 1 hours, 20 minutes
Allergy: Milk
Dietary: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Meal type: Main Dish, Side Dish
Misc: Freezable, Serve Hot
Region: Worldwide
A satisfying and filling kale and red potato gratin with artisan goat cheese. This simple dish is perfect for making ahead, freezing and serving on a busy weeknight.

Ingredients

  • 10 medium Red Potatoes (I used organic red potatoes from Whole Foods, but you could use any type of potatoes that you have on hand. My potatoes were really tiny, so I ended up using 30 -- you will most definitely need less.)
  • 2 bunches Kale, chopped (I originally used one in the recipe, but two bunches would be best.)
  • 4 bunches Leeks (Make sure to clean the leeks really well before cooking them!)
  • 3/4 cups Parmesan Cheese, grated or shredded
  • 4oz Goat Cheese, crumbled or grated (You could use any type of cheese you want for a different flavor. I used a Cabernet goat cheese because I had it on hand.)
  • 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons Butter

Directions

Step 1
Place the red potatoes in a pot. Bring them to a boil and let cook for 10 minutes or until cooked but firm. Drain the potatoes and run them under cold water. Pat the potatoes dry. Slice the potatoes in 1/8" to 1/4" slices.
Step 2
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
Step 3
Leeks cooking in a cast iron pan.
Heat a large pan over medium heat with 1 Tablespoon of butter. Place all of the chopped leeks in the pan and stire until softened.

Add half of the chopped kale and cook it until it is less bulky. Add the remaining kale and cook it for another few minutes until it is lightly sauteed and less bulky. Remove the mixture from the heat. Add 1 Tbsp of the Italian seasoning and stir.
Step 4
Grease your cast iron pan or casserole dish with butter or olive oil. Place 1/3 of the potatoes in the cast iron pan and lie them flat. Lightly salt the potatoes.

Spoon half of the kale & leek mixture on top of the potatoes and squish all of it down so it's flat.

Place 1/3 of the goat cheese and 1/3 of the parmesan on top of the kale mixture.
Step 5
Place the next layer of potatoes on top and salt them. Spoon the rest of the kale & leek mixture on top and spread the next 1/3 of the goat cheese and 1/3 of the parmesan cheese on top.
Step 6
Place the last layer of potatoes on the top and cover them with the remaining parmesan cheese and goat cheese.
Step 7
Delicious gratin sitting in the oven.
Place the dish in the oven and bake it for 35-40 minutes. The cheese should be lightly browned on the top.
Step 8
Let the puppies clean up the kitchen!
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