Colcannon

2 1/2 lb russet potatoes, peeled
8 tbsp unsalted butter, plus more for serving
1/4 medium head green cabbage, cored and thinly shredded
1 cup milk
1/3 cup heavy cream
4 scallions, green parts only, finely chopped
salt and pepper

Place potatoes in a 6-qt saucepan and cover with water by 1 inch; bring to a boil over high heat, and cook until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain, quarter, and set aside. Return pan to medium-high heat and add butter; when melted, add cabbage and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add milk, cream, and scallions, and bring to a boil; add potatoes, and using a potato masher, mash and stir potatoes until smooth and evenly incorporated. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl. Serve hot with large pats of butter on top. Serves 6-8.

Cong You Bing (Scallion Pancakes)

4 cups flour, plus more
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp salt
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 cup thinly slice scallions
1 tsp crushed red chile flakes
1/2 tsp ground white pepper

Process 2 cups flour and baking powder in a food processor. With motor running, add 2/3 cup cold water; process until dough forms, about 40 seconds. Transfer to a plate; set aside. Add remaining flour and salt to food processor, and with motor running, add 2/3 cup boiling water; process until dough forms, about 30 seconds. Return reserved dough to food processor; pulse until both dough come together, about 35 seconds. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface; knead until smooth, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a greased bowl, cover; let sit at room temperature for 2 hours.

Halve dough; using a rolling pin, roll 1 dough half into a 10x20 rectangle. Brush with 1 tbsp canola oil and half the sesame oil. Sprinkle with half the scallions, half the chile flakes, and half the white pepper. Beginning with one long side, tightly roll dough like a jelly roll. Cut roll crosswise into 3 pieces, slightly stretch each piece, and starting from one edge, coil piece horizontally, tucking the end underneath. Using your hand, gently flatten coil into a disk; using a rolling pin, flatten into a 5 inch circle. Repeat with remaining pieces and second dough half, 1 tbsp canola oil, remaining sesame oil, scallions, chile flakes, and white pepper. Let pancakes sit for about 10 minutes.

Heat over to 200. Heat 2 tsp canola oil in a 10 inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 pancake to skillet cook, swirling skillet and turning once, until golden and crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet; place in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining oil and pancakes; cut into wedges to serve. Serves 6.

Bacon and Egg Pie

1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 9 x11 sheets of frozen puff pastry, thawed and chilled
20 eggs
1 tbsp heavy cream
1 lb sliced bacon, roughly chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat oven to 400. Whisk together ketchup and Worcestershire in a small bowl; set aside. Using a rolling pin, roll one sheet of puff pastry on a floured work surface to form an 11x14 rectangle; transfer to a 9x12 1/2 baking pan and let excess hang over side. Separate 1 of the eggs and place the egg yolk in a small bowl, stir in cream, and set egg wash aside. Place the remaining egg white on top of pastry, crack the eggs ad drop them on top of pastry, spacing them evenly apart, and sprinkle evenly with bacon; drizzle ketchup mixture evenly over eggs and bacon, and season with salt and pepper.

Fold dough hanging over the edge of the pan back over the ingredients and brush with some of the egg wash roll second pastry sheet in a 10x13 rectangle and place on top of eggs and bacon, tucking edges into sides of pan. Cut 4 slits in the top of the pastry with a paring knife, and the brush completely with egg wash. Bake until golden brown and eggs and bacon are cooked through, about 1 hour; cut into squares to serve. Serves 12.

Creamy Spinach and Broccoli Lasagna

Serves 4, 662 Calories per serving

1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 10-oz pkg frozen leaf spinach
1 10-oz pkg frozen broccoli florets
1 15-oz container part-skim ricotta
6 oz part-skim mozzarella, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
1 cup whole milk
4 oz cream cheese, cut into pieces
Pinch freshly grated or ground nutmeg
8 no-boil lasagna noodles

Heat over to 425. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion, 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until very tender, 6-8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

While the onion is cooking, thaw the spinach and broccoli according to package directions. Squeeze the spinach of excess moisture and pat the broccoli dry. Roughly chop both and place in a large bowl. Mix in the ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Romano.

Add the milk to the onions and whisk in the cream cheese, nutmeg and remaining 1/4 cup Romano. Gently simmer (do not boil), stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes.

Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce on the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish. Top with 2 1/2 noddles (breaking a necessary to fit). Spread a third (about 1/3 cup) of the remaining sauce over the top. Dollop with a third (about 1 1/3 cups) of the ricotta mixture. Repeat twice.

Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella, cover tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the noodles are tender (a sharp knife should go through with no resistance) and the top is golden brown, 8-10 minutes more. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Spaghetti with Bacon, Eggs, and Swiss Chard

Total: 20 min  Serves 4  548 calories per serving

12 oz spaghetti
1 small bunch Swiss chard, stems discarded and leaves cut into 1 inch strips.
8 slices bacon
1 tsp olive oil
4 large eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (2 oz), plus more for serving
Salt and pepper

Cook the pasta according to package directions, adding the chard during the last 3 minutes of cooking. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta and chard and return them to the pot.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp, 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Break into pieces when cool.

Wipe out the skillet and heat the oil over medium heat. Crack the eggs into the skillet and cook to desired doneness, 3-4 minutes for runny yolks.

Toss the pasta and chard with the reserved pasta water, Parmesan, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper; fold in the bacon. Divide among bowls and top with the eggs. Season the eggs with salt and pepper and sprinkle with additional Parmesan, if desired.

Corn Pudding

Corn Pudding- Serves 12

3 cups milk
8 egg whites
4 3/4 cups cooked corn kernels
1/2 cup minced onion
1 teaspoon salt

In a large saucepan, heat the milk until just before it reaches the boiling point. Remove from heat. Blend the egg whites and two cups of the corn in a blender or food processor until almost smooth. Add the remaining corn, onion, and salt, and then stir in the egg mixture.

Preheat the over to 325 degrees. Pour into a well-greased two-quart baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the corn pudding feels firm to the touch. 

Samhain Cider

Samhain Cider

2 quarts apple cider
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup apricot brandy

In a large pot, combine the apple cider, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and sugar. Simmer slowly on low heat for about 15 minutes, do not boil. Add the brandy and serve warm. (Serves 13.)

Baked Hominy

Ingredients: 
2 cups hominy
2 quarts boiling water
2 eggs
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Boil hominy in salted water over medium heat for one hour, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cool. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Stir eggs, milk, and brown sugar into hominy. Turn into a greased three-quart casserole dish and bake for about 30 minutes.

Gypsy Tea

Gypsy Tea

Ingredients:
2 Oranges
3 Lemons
13 Cloves
1 tablespoon ground Allspice
1/2 Cinnamon Stick
3 tablespoons Black Tea
2 quarts boiling water
1 1/4 cup sugar

Squeeze juice from oranges and lemons; set juice aside. Remove rinds and put in a large container. Add cloves, allspice, cinnamon stick, and tea. Pour boiling water over the tea mixture and let it stand for about 10 minutes. Strain then return liquid to container. Stir in the orange juice, lemon juice, and sugar. May be served hot or over crushed ice. 

Crustless Spinach Cheese Quiche

Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 cup small curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups grated Cheddar
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray an 8 by 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Unwrap the spinach and put it, box and all, on a plate. Microwave and cook on high power for 4 minutes. Allow it to cool and remove it from the box. Squeeze out all of the liquid out of the spinach and put it into a medium bowl.

Combine the eggs, sour cream, cottage cheese, Parmesan, flour, salt, and pepper, in a medium bowl. Stir together, or blend in food processor until the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute. Pour the mixture into the bowl with the spinach. Add the Cheddar and blend with a spoon until well mixed. Pour the spinach mixture into the baking dish and smooth out the top.

Bake until set, about 45 minutes. Remove the baking dish from the oven. It will be puffed up, but will fall slightly as it cools. Allow it to cool, then, refrigerate. Cut it into squares and serve.

Bacon Kimchi Fried Rice

Bacon Kimchi Fried Rice

Yield: Enough for 2 for dinner plus leftovers for lunch
4 cups old cooked rice (cold)
8 slices of bacon, sliced into 1 cm pieces
3 eggs lightly beaten
2 cups frozen peas, defrosted
3/4 cup kimchi, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons kimchi liquid from your jar of kimchi
1/2 onion, diced
oil

1. Heat some oil in a wok over high heat. When the oil is shimmery, add the diced onions, stirring until cooked, but not brown. Remove the onions from the wok and put in a bowl on the side.
2. There should still be ample oil in the wok, if not, add a tiny bit more and scramble your lightly beaten eggs until mostly set, but not over cooked. The eggs will cook a bit more when you fry all the ingredients together. Remove the eggs from the wok and add them to the bowl with the onions.
3. Cook the bacon until crisp. Remove and put in the bowl with the onions and eggs.
4. If you’re concerned about how much fat you consume, remove the bacon fat from the wok, otherwise, add the rice and fry it, stirring occasionally until all the clumps are broken down and the rice is heated, about five minutes.
5. Add the onions, eggs, bacon, and peas and fry until all ingredients are mixed throughout the rice.
6. Add the chopped kimchi and kimchi liquid, mixing thoroughly.
7. Serve immediately.

Eggnog Pancakes

Eggnog Pancakes

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups high quality eggnog such as Organic Valley or Southern Comfort
• 2 large eggs

Instructions

1. Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl. Don't over-mix the batter; there should be lumps.
2. Heat a griddle pan to medium high. Lightly grease the pan with butter or vegetable oil.
3. Ladle the batter onto the griddle. I like using a batter dispenserto keep the pancakes even and round.
4. Flip the pancakes when they begin to bubble on top and the edges have dried a bit. Cook for an additional minute.
5. Serve warm

Eggnog Cookies

Eggnog Cookies

Ingredients

Eggnog Cookies
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
• 1 1/2 stick (6 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cups eggnog
Glaze
• 3 tablespoons eggnog
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.
3. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and scrape down the side of the bowl. Add the vanilla.
4. Alternate between the flour mixture and eggnog, adding until all of the ingredients are incorporated.
5. Scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets. I used a 2 tablespoon scoop. Allow to chill for 15 minutes.
6. Whisk together the glaze ingredients and set aside.
7. Bake the cookies for 15 minutes, or until the edges are just starting to brown.
8. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack after a few minutes. Once the cookies have cooled down, brush with glaze or dip the tops of the cookies into the glaze.
9. Garnish with fresh grated nutmeg.

Eggnog Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup milk
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch salt
• 2/3 cup white, granulated sugar
• 6 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp rum, bourbon, or brandy

METHOD

1 Put the 1 cup of milk and 1 cup of the cream into a heavy saucepan (2 quart). Add the cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt and heat until steamy, but not boiling. Lower the heat to warm, cover, and let spices steep for at least a half hour. Pick out the whole cloves and discard. Add the sugar and stir until it is dissolved.

2 Put remaining 1 cup cream in a metal bowl, resting in a larger bowl of ice water. Place a fine mesh strainer over the bowl of cream.

 
3 Whisk the egg yolks in a medium sized bowl. Slowly pour about half of the heated cream milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly so that the egg yolks are tempered by the warm mixture, but not cooked by it. Scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

4 Return the saucepan to the stove on medium heat, stirring the mixture constantly with a wooden spoon, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spoon. You should be able to run your finger across the coating and have the coating not run. This can take about 10 minutes. The second this happens the mixture should be removed from heat immediately, and poured through the sieve over the ice bath to stop the cooking (step 5).

 
If the custard base doesn't coat the back of the spoon, it's not ready.

 
The custard base coats the back of the spoon.

5 Pour the custard through the strainer (from step 2) and stir into the cold cream to stop the cooking. Once initially chilled in the ice bath, chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator (at least a couple of hours).

6 When it comes time to churn the ice cream, stir in the vanilla extract and the rum, bourbon, or brandy. Then process the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

7 Remove ice cream from the ice cream maker and transfer it to an airtight container; store in your freezer for several hours before eating. Note that the ice cream will be quite soft coming out of the ice cream maker. It will continue harden in your freezer. If stored for more than a day, you may need to let it sit for a few minutes to soften before attempting to scoop it.

Yield: Makes about 1 quart.

Pumpkin-Cream Cheese Pie

Ingredients

1

refrigerated pie crust

1

cup sugar

3

tablespoons all-purpose flour

1

package (8 oz) plus 1 package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened

1

teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4

teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4

teaspoon ground ginger

1/4

teaspoon ground cloves

3

eggs

1

can (15 oz) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

1

tablespoon milk

Steps

Heat oven to 375°F. Place pie crust in 9-inch glass pie plate as directed on package for one-crust filled pie. Bake about 8 minutes or until light golden brown.

2In large bowl, beat sugar, flour and cream cheese with electric mixer on low speed until smooth; reserve 1/2 cup in small bowl. Add remaining ingredients except milk to cream cheese mixture. Beat on medium speed, scraping bowl constantly, until smooth. Pour into crust.

3Stir milk into reserved cream cheese mixture. Spoon over pumpkin mixture. Cut through cream cheese and pumpkin mixtures with knife in S-shaped curves in one continuous motion for marbled design. Turn pie plate one-fourth turn and repeat.

4Cover edge of crust with 2- to 3-inch strip of foil to prevent excessive browning; remove foil for last 15 minutes of baking. Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 30 minutes. Cover loosely and refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. Store covered in refrigerator.

Pumpkin Cheese Tart

Ingredients

Crust

1/3

cup quick-cooking oats, ground, if desired*

1

cup gingersnap cookie crumbs (about 20 cookies)

3

tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

1/4

teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cream Cheese Filling

2

containers (8 oz each) reduced-fat cream cheese

1/3

cup granulated sugar

2

tablespoons fat-free (skim) milk

1

tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/2

teaspoon vanilla

1

egg

Pumpkin Filling

1

cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

1/3

cup packed brown sugar

1/2

teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Caramel Sauce

1/2

cup packed brown sugar

1/4

cup fat-free (skim) milk

1/4

cup corn syrup

2

tablespoons water

1

tablespoon butter or margarine

1/4

teaspoon vanilla

Steps

Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom with cooking spray. In small bowl, mix crust ingredients. Press in bottom and up side of pan. Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until set; set aside.

2In large bowl, beat cream cheese filling ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Reserve 2/3 cup cream cheese filling; set aside.

3In small bowl, mix pumpkin filling ingredients. Add to remaining cream cheese filling; mix well. Spoon into crust. Spoon dollops of reserved cream cheese filling randomly over pumpkin filling. Swirl with knife to marble mixtures. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until set. Cool 10 minutes. Remove side of pan. Serve warm, or cool 1 hour and refrigerate until serving time.

4Just before serving, in 1-quart saucepan, heat caramel sauce ingredients to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Serve warm over tart. Cover and refrigerate any remaining tart.