Annie’s Eats

This recipe has been a favorite of mine for a loooong time. It is smells so great when you are cooking the sauce, and it tastes amazing! I also love it because it is a very colorful dish (maybe not so evident from the pic, but it really is in person). My dad actually used to make this when I still lived at home and then I learned to make it when I moved out because I missed it a lot! Tonight I changed it up a little and used reduced-fat cream cheese to make it a little healthier, but I think the full-fat version is better. This also makes great leftovers - I always look forward to them.

Tortellini Primavera
Ingredients:
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
½ cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp. margarine
10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
8 oz. cream cheese
1 tomato, chopped
¼ cup milk
¼ cup parmesan cheese
1 t. Italian seasoning
salt and pepper, to taste
family size cheese-filled tortellini, cooked and drained

Directions:
Heat margarine in a skillet. Add mushrooms, onion and garlic and sautee. Add all remaining ingredients except tortellini. Heat until all have melted together and are well blended. Cook until the mixture just begins to boil, stirring occasionally. Stir in tortellini.

Source: Great American Favorite Brand Name Cookbook

As is quite obvious from browsing my blog, I am a huge fan of all things pumpkin. Also, cheesecake is without a doubt my favorite dessert item ever. Combine the two and you get something truly wonderful that makes me very happy I made this for a pumpkin carving party with my friends a couple nights ago and it went over very well. Regular blog readers may be surprised to see that I actually followed the recipe and added pecans. Actually, the topping was probably the thing people commented on the most - people loved it! Even I, the nut-hater, enjoyed it. I still don’t like crunchy things in things that are supposed to be smooth, but I guess it is okay to have them on top sometimes.

I made one minor change to the recipe below but I think it is an important one. Only press the crust halfway up the sides of the springform pan. I did it all the way as the original recipe instructed, and about half of it stayed on the pan because the cheesecake itself only takes up half of the depth of the pan. Other than that, this recipe is spot on.

Pumpkin Cheesecake
Ingredients:
For the gingersnap crust:
1/4 lb. gingersnaps (about 20-30 small cookies)
1/3 cup pecan halves
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 lb. cream cheese, at room temperature
3 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree

For the topping:
1/2 cup pecan halves
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
2 Tbs. granulated sugar

Directions:
Preheat an oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9-inch springform pan.

To make the crust, in a food processor, combine the gingersnaps and pecans and process until crumbly. Add the brown sugar and melted butter and pulse for a few seconds to blend. Transfer the crumb mixture to the prepared pan. Use your fingers to pat the mixture into the bottom and evenly half way up the sides of the pan. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

To make the filling, in a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, ginger and cloves. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Using a rubber spatula, occasionally scrape down the sides of the bowl. Gradually add the brown sugar mixture, beating until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the pumpkin puree, beating until smooth. Using the rubber spatula, scrape the batter into the chilled crust and smooth the top.

Bake the cheesecake until set or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

To make the topping, set aside 10 pecan halves and coarsely chop the rest. In a small fry pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add all of the pecans, sprinkle with the granulated sugar and cook, stirring, until the sugar melts and the nuts are toasted and caramel coated. Transfer the nut mixture to a plate and let cool completely, then store in an airtight container.

Just before serving, sprinkle the chopped pecans over the cheesecake and arrange the halves evenly around the perimeter. Serves 10 to 12.

Source: Williams Sonoma

Good grief, this is a gooood pizza! I first made this recipe some time last year and loved it. I have no idea why it took me so long to make it again, but I am really glad I did. Ben and I both thought it was delicious. It really reminds me of the gourmet-style pizza we love to get from our favorite pizza place in Indy, Bazbeaux Pizza. If you are looking for a way to mix up your pizza with some creative toppings, check out their menu. I’ve tried a different one each time I’ve been and I’ve pretty much loved it all.

Chicken Garlic Pizza
Ingredients:
1 chicken breast
salt and pepper
2 tsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. green onion, chopped
½ tsp. dried basil
2 roma tomatoes, sliced
¼ c. chopped fresh cilantro
½ c. ricotta cheese
¼ c. Parmesan cheese
pizza crust

Directions:
Season chicken breast on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a skillet and cook chicken breast until browned on both sides. Cut into chunks and finish cooking until cooked through. In a small saucepan, melt butter with garlic, onion and basil. Pour into a chilled dish to cool and refrigerate until set. Preheat oven to 350°. Spread herb butter over crust. Arrange chicken on top, then dot with ricotta. Top with tomato slices, cilantro, and Parmesan. Bake 15-20 minutes.

Source: adapted from Allrecipes

Mmmmm, this is such a delicious and comforting snack. It may not be much to look at but I feel obligated to add it to the blog because it is so simple yet soooo tasty. And even better, it is very healthy! I remember when I was little, my first grade teacher made homemade applesauce for us in our classroom. I loved it then, but I thought it seemed like it was very difficult to make and not something just anyone could do. I guess I had held on to that childish idea until now, but this was so easy I couldn’t believe it. This was a great way to use up some more of the delicious apples we have left from the orchard. It tastes really good warm and cold - I can’t decide which way I like it better!

Applesauce
Ingredients:
3 lbs. apples (I used about 5-6 large apples)
½ cup water
1 tbsp. sugar, or to taste (optional)
1 tbsp. lemon juice, or to taste
¼ - ½ tsp. cinnamon, to taste

Directions:
Combine the apples and water in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Cover and cook until the apples are very soft, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer the apples to a bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher. Add the sugar and lemon juice to taste, depending on the flavor of the apples used. Add cinnamon and mix well. Serve warm or at room temperature. To store the sauce, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool for about two hours. Transfer the applesauce to a glass container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to one week.

Source: adapted from Whole Foods

On our way home from Bloomington this weekend we stopped at our favorite local apple orchard and bought some goodies, including a big bag of Jonagold apples. I thought this would be a perfect time to try out this recipe since I’ve been dying to make it. I must say, it is absolutely delicious. I’m not sure if it’s because it is a great recipe, or if it is because the apples are so yummy but either way, this is delicious! We don’t have any ice cream right now but I think this would be even more amazing a la mode.

French Apple Tart
Ingredients:
1 recipe basic tart dough
1 heaping tbsp. apricot preserves
4 large or 6 medium apples, firm textured
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
3 tbsp. sugar, divided
½ tsp. freshly grated lemon zest
½ tsp. cinnamon, divided
confectioners’ sugar for sprinkling on top

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°. Roll out tart dough and press into tart pan, trimming the excess off the edges. Using a fork, lightly poke holes in the tart dough. Cover with a layer of aluminum foil and fill with baking beads. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven, remove baking beads and foil, and allow to cool 10 minutes. Spread apricot preserves in a thin layer over bottom of the tart. Allow to cool completely.

Meanwhile, peel 2-3 apples and cut into thin slices. Heat a saucepan or skillet over medium heat and melt 1 tbsp. of butter in the pan. Add 1 tbsp. sugar, ½ tsp. lemon zest and ¼ tsp. cinnamon. Add apple slices to the pan and sauté 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are soft. Gently mash the apples with a spoon or fork and stir the mixture until most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Peel the remaining apples and cut into slices ¼” thick. In a saucepan or skillet, melt 1 tbsp. butter over medium heat. Add 2 tbsp. sugar and ½ tsp. cinnamon. Add apple slices and sauté until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Heat oven to 350°. Spoon the applesauce mixture into the cooled, glazed tart shell. Arrange the apple slices in concentric circles over the applesauce. Cover the edges of the tart with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning of the tart shell. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the apples are nicely browned and soft. Remove from the oven and sprinkle confectioners’ sugar over the tart. Broil under a preheated broiler 4 inches from heat until the edges of the apples are golden brown and crisp. Remove tart from broiler, remove foil from edges and serve warm.

Source: adapted from Joy of Baking

This recipe has long been one of my favorites. It is incredibly simple, quick, healthy, and delicious - what more can you ask for? I love to make this when I get home from a long, busy day because it is so quick and easy but still tastes great. It is even great as a leftover. I think the garnish really adds something special to this soup, so I wouldn’t recommend skipping it.

Black Bean and Salsa Soup
Ingredients:
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1.5 c. vegetable broth
1 c. salsa
1 t. cumin
sour cream, green onion, shredded cheese for garnishing

Directions:
Combine beans, broth, salsa and cumin in a food processor. Blend until fairly smooth. Heat soup in a saucepan over medium heat until thoroughly heated. Put soup in bowls and garnish as desired.

Source: Allrecipes

This weekend was SO MUCH FUN! A big group of my friends went camping Friday night and we had a blast. We had traditional campfire food (hotdogs, smores, etc.) but I decided to bring these along as well and they were a big hit. We enjoyed them for dinner, breakfast, and as snacks I had so much fun decorating these with the festive sprinkles and things I found at Target. I’m really looking forward to Halloween now!

This is a great recipe and the frosting is incredible! Combining white chocolate and cream cheese in frosting form is a genius idea. The original recipe calls for mixing in nuts and raisins, but I wanted a pure pumpkin cupcake. I also like them to have big puffy tops so I tend to fill the cups more than the recipe recommends, so I ended up getting 20 cupcakes out of one batch and not the 36 they say the yield should be.

Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes
Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. salt
1 can (15 oz.) solid-packed pumpkin (about 1 ¾ cups)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup canola oil
4 eggs

For the frosting:
14 oz. pure white chocolate, finely chopped
12 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
12 Tbs. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into tablespoon-size pieces

food coloring and other decorations (optional)

Directions:
Preheat an oven to 350°F. Line muffin tins with decorative cupcake papers.

To make the cupcakes, in a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar and oil. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition.

Add the flour mixture in three additions, stirring with a large wooden spoon until just combined.

Fill the muffin tins about three-fourths full. Bake until the cupcakes are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the tins to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the tins and let cool completely.

To make the frosting, in a double boiler, melt the white chocolate, stirring constantly, until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Let stand until just warm to the touch. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until smooth and blended. Add the melted chocolate and beat again until smooth. Use the frosting immediately, coloring it as desired. Spread 1 to 2 Tbs. frosting over each cupcake and decorate with colored sugars and decorating pens. Makes 20 cupcakes.

Source: Williams Sonoma

Did you know that cranberries are truly a seasonal fruit here in Indiana? I didn’t. I originally tried making this recipe several months ago and picked up all the ingredients at the grocery store - except the cranberries. I just can’t believe that they don’t have frozen cranberries year-round, but they don’t. Now that it is fall our store finally decided to carry cranberries, and I was able to try out this recipe. This is a tasty muffin and definitely unique, but I’m not sure I love the frozen cranberries. I will definitely make these again, but I will make two main changes. I will probably use dried instead of frozen cranberries (so much for waiting, huh?) and I will add a streusel topping because I think almost every muffin is better with some sort of crumbly topping. I use the streusel from this blueberry muffin recipe for pretty much every kind of muffin I make.

This recipe was originally posted on the What’s Cooking board on The Nest and I made a few minor adaptations of my own, included below. Unfortunately I don’t know who to credit for this recipe but if I find her, I will update and do so.

Apple Cranberry Oatmeal Muffins
yield: 10 muffins

Ingredients:
1 cup oats
1 cup flour (all-purpose or wheat)
¼ tsp. salt
1 tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 egg
¾ cup milk
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
½ cup granulated sugar
1 medium apple with peel, chopped¾ cup frozen or dried cranberries

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a muffin pan or line with muffin liners.

Combine oats, flour, salt, baking powder, nutmeg and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Mix well and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg, milk, vegetable oil and sugar until well blended. Gradually add in dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in apple and cranberries.

Fill muffin cups with batter. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes in pan before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

One more pumpkin recipe made in my attempt to make a dent in the ever-growing list of things I still want to try I made these earlier today as a “dessert before dinner” since I knew my bread bowls and chili were going to take so long to make. These turned out really great, and I especially like that there are a lot of cranberries so you can really taste them. I used whole dried cranberries which are more plump than most and I think that made a difference.

The original recipe says to bake these in a 9×9″ pan but I only had an 8×8″, so I went with it. I had to adjust baking time quite a bit and my changes are reflected below. Also, the original recipe calls for pecans but as usual I left the nuts out. I actually think that they might be a bit much if they were included because this already has a lot of cranberries stirred in as it is.

Pumpkin Cranberry Bars
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground allspice
¼ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 ½ cups dried cranberries

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375°. Butter and flour an 8×8” baking pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, ginger and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated. Beat in the pumpkin puree until well blended. Gradually add in the flour mixture, mixing only until combined. Stir in the dried cranberries. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. During baking, check frequently to be sure the top isn’t browning too quickly. When the edges begin to brown, cover the pan with foil to avoid over-browning. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack until cool. Cut into 12 bars. Serve with whipped cream if desired.

Source: adapted from Joy of Baking

I know, I know, the fall weather was here for a brief teasing moment and then went away but my fall fever is in full swing. I have been craving chili basically since winter was over so today I decided to make it along with some homemade bread bowls. I am really glad I gave into my craving because this dinner was seriously so good. And, we have tons left over - even better!

I started making this chili recipe last year and I just love it, which is great because traditionally I have never been much of a chili person. I started out with one recipe and made adaptations to suit my own tastes, including using ground turkey to make it healthier. This is the first time I have ever attempted bread bowls. They were simple to make with my wonderful KitchenAid mixer and I am sure I will be making them again and again. My only real change was to make 4 instead of 5 bowls.

Bread Bowls
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups warm water
1 packet active dry yeast
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup semolina
2 tsp. sugar
1 ½ tsp. salt

Directions:
Pour warm water into a small bowl and mix in yeast until dissolved. Let sit for 10 minutes.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine flour, semolina, sugar and salt. Mix well. Form a well in the middle of the flour mixture with a fork and pour the yeast mixture in. Stir together until a sticky dough forms. Turn on the mixer on low speed and allow it to knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Transfer the dough to a well-oiled bowl. Turn once to coat, cover loosely with a towel, and allow the dough to rise for 1 to 1 ½ hours.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into four pieces and form them into round (not flattened) balls. Place them on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, cover lightly with a towel, and set them aside to rise in a warm place for 1 ½ hours or until they’ve almost doubled in size.

Uncover the balls and let them sit for 10 to 15 minutes, to develop a tough skin. Just before placing the bread bowls in the oven, mist them heavily with water. Bake the bread bowls in a pre-heated 425°F oven for 18 to 22 minutes, until they’re a deep, golden brown. Turn off the oven, prop the door open a little, and leave the bread bowls inside for 15 minutes; this will keep the crust crisp

Remove the bread bowls from the oven and cool them completely before cutting the tops off and removing the insides.

Source: adapted from King Arthur Flour

Chili
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground turkey
½ lb. Italian sausage
2 cans chili beans
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes w/ juice
½ can tomato paste
½ yellow onion, chopped
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 green chile pepper, seeded and chopped
¼ c. beer
2 T. chili powder
1 ½ t. Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ t. minced garlic
1 ½ t. dried oregano
1 t. cumin
1 t. hot pepper sauce
½ t. basil
½ t. salt
½ t. black pepper
½ t. cayenne pepper
½ t. paprika
½ t. white sugar
shredded cheese

Directions:
Heat a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Crumble the turkey and sausage into the hot pan and cook evenly until brown. Add all ingredients except shredded cheese. Stir to blend, then cover and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, ladle into bread bowls and serve topped with cheese.

Source: adapted from Allrecipes