Challah Stuffing

 Link: https://smittenkitchen.com/2019/11/challah-stuffing/

• 1.5 pounds challah bread (storebought or 3/4 of one of these), cut into generous 1-inch cubes

• 1/2 cup turkey drippings or melted unsalted butter, plus more for greasing pan

• 2 cups small-diced celery (from about 3 large ribs)

• 2 cups small-diced leeks or yellow onions (from about 2 large leeks or 1 large onion)

• 1 tablespoon each minced fresh rosemary, sage, thyme

• 1/2 cup packed, chopped flat-leaf parsley

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

• 3 cups vegetable, chicken, or turkey broth

One day, two days, or even the night before: You can either spread your challah cubes on a large pan or even loosely pile them in the baking dish you’ll use for the final stuffing and leave them to dry anywhere you can find a surface. Oh you didn’t do this and you need to make the stuffing right now? Spread them on a baking sheet and dry them in the oven at 300°F until firm but not brown.

The day of, at any point, or an hour before you want to serve the stuffing: Heat oven to 350°F. Generously butter a 9×13-inch baking dish. I always forget to do this. Don’t forget. It will absolutely stick if you don’t. Add challah cubes to the dish.

In a large frying pan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add celery, leeks, half the salt and pepper, and cook, stirring here at there, until the celery is mostly tender and onions are translucent and sweet, about 10 minutes. Add sage, rosemary, and thyme and cook for one minute more. Sprinkle over challah cubes along with parsley. Use your hands — it’s so much easier this way — to gently disperse the vegetables through the challah, being careful not to let all the vegetables fall through to the bottom.

Add remaining salt and pepper to broth (although if your broth is very salty, maybe you will want less) and pour it over the challah. Challah is very tender, even when stale, so it doesn’t need soaking time. Cover pan tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then increase the oven heat to 425°F. Remove the foil and drizzle challah with remaining 6 tablespoons of melted butter, you don’t want to skimp on this. Return the pan to the oven and bake the stuffing for another 15 minutes, until the top edges are crisped and it’s nicely browned on top.

Serve right away or reheat when needed at 350°F (foil-on because it’s already well-browned. Other ways to make this ahead: You can just bake it for the foil-on portion the day before and blast it at the higher heat before you serve it, although if it’s coming from the cold fridge, it may need 20 minutes, not 15.

Carrot Cake

 Grossy Pellossi dream carrot cake.

Cake:

1 ½ cup vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

2 cups flour*

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup walnuts

1 20 oz can crushed pineapple, strained

2 4oz jars carrot baby food

Frosting:

16 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

3 cups powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

Preheat oven to 350º.

In a large bowl, stir all cake ingredients with a wooden spoon.

Grease a Bundt pan with cooking spray and pour in the batter. 2 round pans make a lovely layer cake, and a 13x9" sheet pan makes a lovely sheet cake. 

Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. 

Cool completely on a rack.

Frosting - Beat the cream cheese, butter and sugar together in a stand mixer.

Add 2 teaspoons vanilla and beat 4-6 minutes, until fluffy and white.

Use a bit of frosting to hold cake in place, then flip it out onto a stand or plate. Frost casually. Decorate with whole walnuts on top for extra nostalgia. 

Place cake in the fridge and let it get cold. I find it’s best after as much time in the fridge as possible, and It's shelf-life is amazing! Like eat it on day 4 for breakfast kind of shelf-life.

Any Fruit Crisp

from Grossy Pelosi. Link:https://www.danpelosi.com/post/any-fruit-crisp 

Topping:1 cup flour*½ cup regular sugar ¾ cup dark brown sugar1 cup oatmeal1 stick of salted butter (unsalted also works, just throw in a pinch of salt)
Filling: Zest of 1 lemon (or orange or lime)Juice of 1 lemon (or orange or lime)¼ to ½ cup sugar, depending on how naturally sweet your fruit is2 tablespoons flour*Fruit: You need enough fruit to fill your baking dish, so just eyeball it. This recipe is very laid back in terms of how much fruit and what kind of baking dish you use. Frozen fruit works perfectly here, just defrost fruit before starting the recipe.
Some ideas for fruit combos! Mixed berries, Peach and raspberry, Stone fruit with thyme, Straight up blueberry, Strawberry rhubarb, Apple cinnamon, Cranberry apple cinnamon
Combine the fruit with the lemon zest, lemon juice, ¼-½ cup sugars, and 2 tablespoons of flour. Once coated, place fruit into your buttered baking dish.
Combine 1 cup flour, both sugars (½ cup regular, ¾ cup brown), and 1 cup oatmeal with your hands. Cut the stick of butter into small squares, and use your hands to incorporate butter into the dry mixture. Make clumps of topping mixture with your hands, and place clumps on top of fruit mixture until your fruit is mostly covered.
Bake your crisp at 350º for about an hour (or longer for crispier).Once it's done, I like to let mine cool a bit which allows the juices to settle. Serve it up with greek yogurt and honey on top or go all in with a scoop of ice cream fresh out of the oven! Crisp can be made ahead, same day, and reheated in the oven. Just be sure to pull your crisp out a few minutes before the timer’s done as it will get a little more browned when reheated.

Citrusy Glazed Carrots

Link: https://www.danpelosi.com/post/aunt-janet-s-citrusy-glazed-carrots

From The Amazing Grossy Pelosi

4 lbs carrots olive oil¾ cup dark brown sugar ⅓ cup orange juice 1 tablespoon orange zest 6 tablespoons salted butter
Preheat your oven to 400º. Peel and cut your carrots into 4 pieces, once in each direction. Coat your carrots in olive oil and place them on a baking sheet. Roast at 400º for an hour or so, tossing them halfway until they are as dark and crispy as you deserve. Set your carrots aside. A note: This is great step to do in advance. You can roast carrots and keep them in the refrigerator until you are ready for them. Just be sure to put them on the counter so they come to room temperature before the next steps!
In a large pan, add ¾ cup dark brown sugar, ⅓ cup orange juice, 1 tablespoon orange zest, and 6 tablespoons salted butter. If you only have unsalted butter, just add a pinch of salt. Over medium heat, whisk the HECK out of your ingredients until they reduce into the goopiest glaze you have ever seen that begins to bubble. Add your carrots to the pan, tossing them in the glaze to coat and reheating them as needed. After a few minutes in the glaze over medium heat, your carrots will be glossy and glowing and delicious!
Place your carrots in your serving dish, pouring all extra glaze over the top of carrots ensuring they are just the most decadent thing you have ever seen in your life!!!

Apple Crumble

 Eden and Olive have been making this a lot. LINK.

INGREDIENTS 

1 stick unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan 

3 pounds apples, such as Mutsu, peeled cored and chopped 

6 tablespoons granulated sugar 

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour 

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

Kosher salt 

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

Vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or Greek yogurt, for serving

• Step 1 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Brush a 2-quart baking dish with unsalted butter. In a large bowl, toss together apples, granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; transfer to prepared dish.
• Step 2 - In a bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter with brown sugar until fluffy. Mix in 1 cup flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt until large pieces form. Scatter over filling. Bake until center is bubbling, about 1 hour; if top darkens, tent with foil. Let cool 20 minutes; serve with ice cream.

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Beef Bourguignon (julia child recipe) regular or slow cooker

Eden and I love to make Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon (Bœuf Bourgignon in French). Every step is worth it. LINK.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 6 ounces (170g) bacon, roughly chopped

• 3 pounds (1 1/2 kg) beef brisket, trimmed of fat (chuck steak or stewing beef) cut into 2-inch chunks

• 1 large carrot sliced 1/2-inch thick

• 1 large white onion, diced

• 6 cloves garlic, minced (divided)

• 1 pinch coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

• 2 tablespoons flour

• 12 small pearl onions (optional)

• 3 cups red wine like Merlot, Pinot Noir, or a Chianti -- for a milder sauce, use only 2 cups of wine

• 2-3 cups beef stock (if using 2 cups of wine, use 3 cups beef stock)

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 1 beef bullion cube, crushed

• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped

• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped (divided)

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 pound fresh small white or brown mushrooms, quartered

• 2 tablespoons butter

INSTRUCTIONS
TRADITIONAL OVEN METHOD:Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).Heat the oil in a large dutch oven or heavy based pot. Sauté the bacon over medium heat for about 3 minutes, until crisp and browned. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a large dish and set aside.Pat dry beef with paper towel; sear in batches in the hot oil/bacon fat until browned on all sides. Remove to the dish with the bacon.In the remaining oil/bacon fat, sauté the carrots and diced onions until softened, (about 3 minutes), then add 4 cloves minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Drain excess fat (leave about 1 tablespoon in the pan) and return the bacon and beef back into the pot; season with 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper. Sprinkle with flour, toss well and cook for 4-5 minutes to brown.Add the pearl onions, wine and enough stock so that the meat is barely covered. Then add the tomato paste, bullion and herbs. Bring to a simmer on the stove.Cover, transfer to lower part of the oven and simmer for 3 to 4 hours, or until the meat is fall apart tender (adjust the heat so that the liquid simmers very slowly).In the last 5 minutes of cooking time, prepare your mushrooms:

Heat the butter in a medium-sized skillet/pan over heat. When the foam subsides, add the remaining 2 cloves garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds), then add in the mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes, while shaking the pan occasionally to coat with the butter. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Once they are browned, set aside.Place a colander over a large pot (I do this in my clean kitchen sink). Remove the casserole from the oven and carefully empty its contents into the colander (you want to collect the sauce only). Discard the herbsReturn the beef mixture back into the dutch oven or pot. Add the mushrooms over the meat.Remove any fat off the sauce( if any) and simmer for a minute or two, skimming off any additional fat which rises to the surface.You should be left with about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat the back of a spoon lightly. 

If the sauce is too thick, add a few tablespoons of stock. If the sauce is too thin, boil it over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until reduced to the right consistency.Taste for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper, if desired. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables.If you are serving immediately, simmer the beef bourguignon for 2 to 3 minutes to heat through.

Garnish with parsley and serve with mashed potatoes, rice or noodles.
SLOW COOKER:In a large pan or skillet, sauté the bacon over medium heat in 1 tablespoon of oil for about 3 minutes, until crisp and browned. Transfer to 6 quart (litre) slow cooker bowl.

Pat dry beef with paper towel; sear in batches until browned on all sides in the oil/bacon fat. Transfer to slow cooker bowl with the bacon, and add in the onions (both types) and carrots. Season with 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper, tossing well to combine.

Pour the red wine into the pan or skillet and allow to simmer for 4-5 minutes, then whisk in the flour until free from lumps. Allow to reduce and thicken slightly, then pour it into the slow cooker along with 2 cups of stock, tomato paste, garlic, bullion and herbs.

Mix well to combine all of the ingredients. Cook on high heat setting for 6 hours or low for 8 hours, or until beef is falling apart and tender.

In the last 5 minutes of cooking time, prepare your mushrooms: Heat the butter in a medium-sized skillet/pan over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 cloves garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds), then add in the mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes, while shaking the pan occasionally to coat with the butter. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Add to the Beef Bourguignon, mixing them through the sauce before serving.

Garnish with fresh parley and serve with mashed potatoes, rice or noodles.