Creamed Corn

To go with the Spinach Dip, and use up more Parmesan, I made this.

Recipe taken from here.

Ingredients:

• 4 ears of corn.
• 1 1/2 TBSP olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 TBSP mayo, room temp
• 1 TBSP sour cream, room temp
• 1/4 cup milk, room temp
• juice of 1 lime
• 3 TBSP Parmesan, grated
• cayenne

Directions:

1) Heat the oven to 400F.

2) Take the corn off the cob, and mix with olive oil and salt and pepper.

3) Spread on a baking sheet.

4) Roast the corn for 15-20 minutes, turning once or twice, until they are caramelized.

5) Mix the mayo, sour cream, milk, lime juice, Parmesan and cayenne.

6) Pour the corn into the mayo mixture and mix until the corn is covered in the sauce. Add more salt and pepper if you like.

Hot Spinach Parmesan Dip

We had lots of Parmesan leftover from having a block with no rind, and then needing a rind and still having a whole block left. I thought this was a good way to use it up.

Recipe taken from here.

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 20 oz frozen spinach, thawed via the microwave and with the water squeezed out
• 1/4 cup milk
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup Mozzarella cheese
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp paprika

Directions:

1) Heat the oven to 425F.

2) Heat the oil in a LARGE pan to medium heat.

3) Add the garlic and onion and cook for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.

4) Add the spinach to the onion mixture and coo for 2-3 minutes.

5) Add the milk and cream cheese.

6) Remove from the heat.

7) Add the Parmesan, Mozzarella, pepper and paprika and mix.

8) Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.

9) Pour the dip into the pan.

10) Heat for 20 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.

11) Serve with baguette slices.

Cheesecake Brownies

I wanted chocolate. I still want chocolate. Hmmmm…Recipe taken from here.

Ingredients:

• 10 TBSP unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup + 2 TBSP flour
• 1/4 cup coca powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 8 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
• 4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 eggs

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350F/175C.

2) Rub butter in an 8 inch pan.

3) Line the bottom and 2 sides with baking paper.

4) Rub again with butter.

5) In a small bowl, mix flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.

6) Melt and mix the (8 oz) butter and chocolate in a double broiler, or bowl over a pot of boiling water.

7) Remove from the heat.

8) Add 1 cup of the sugar and mix.

9) Add 3 of the eggs and mix.

10) Add the flour mixture and mix until moist.

11) Mix the cream cheese and 2 oz butter until smooth.

12) Add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, egg, and flour.

13) Spoon the chocolate mixture and cream cheese mixture alternately into the pan.

14) Swirl with a knife.

15) Bake 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. The cream cheese on top should be golden.

16) Cool for 30 minutes in the pan.

Pumpkin Muffins

These tasted like pumpkin bread and were gone quick. I made mini ones so it was 2 or 3 bites and gone.

Recipe taken from here.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups + 3 TBSP flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 + 1/8 cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• pinch allspice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup + 2 tsp sugar
• 1/4 cup + 3 TBSP canola oil
• 3/4 cup + 2 TBSP pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup + 2 1/2 TBSP eggs (2)
• 1/2 cups + 1/2 TBSP golden raisins

Directions:

1) Mix the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice and salt together in a large bowl.

2) Mix the sugar and oil until combined.

3) Add the pumpkin and mix until smooth.

4) Add the eggs, in 2 additions.

5) Add the dry ingredients to the wet in 2 additions, scraping the sides.

6) Fold in the raisins.

7) Place in a container that you can cover for 8-26 hours.

8) Preheat the oven to 435F.

9) Spray the muffin pan with cooking oil.

10) Add the batter to the pan.

11) Add the muffins to the oven.

12) Lower the temperature to 325F.

13) Bake for 45 minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

Blueberry Cheesecake Pancakes

Delicious. I’d double the amount below. Recipe taken from here.

Ingredients:

• Pancakes

1. 4 oz cream cheese, cut into pieces and freeze overnight
2. 1 cup flour
3. 1 tsp baking powder
4. 1/2 tsp baking soda
5. 1/4 tsp salt
6. 2 TBSP sugar
7. 1 cup milk
8. 1 egg, beaten
9. 2 TBSP butter, melted

• Syrup

1. 1 cup blueberries
2. 1/4 cup water
3. 1/2 cup sugar
4. 1 TBSP water
5. 2 tsp cornstarch
6. 1 TBSP lemon juice, or the juice of 1/2 of a lemon

Directions:

1) Cut the cream cheese into small pieces.

2) Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl.

3) Mix the milk, egg and butter in a small bowl.

4) Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

5) Mix in the cream cheese.

6) Heat a pan over medium heat and melt a bit of butter in it.

7) Pour 1/4 cup of the mixture into the pan and cook until it bubbles, then flip it.

8) Cook though, about 2 minutes.

9) Repeat with the rest of the batter.

10) Bring the blueberries, water, sugar to a boil.

11) Reduce and simmer for 5 minutes.

12) Mix the water and cornstarch in a small bowl.

13) Add the cornstarch mixture to the blueberry sauce and cook until it thickens.

14) Pour sauce over pancakes.

Bruleed Bourbon-Maple Pumpkin Pie

When I first arrived back in Boston, I saw a Bon Appetit magazine in my friends apartment with this on the cover. After a year of no pumpkin in the ‘American’ way (Korea does it sweet), I knew I had to make it.

Recipe taken from here.

Ingredients:

• Crust

1. 1/4 cup plus 1 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
2. 3 1/2 TBSP sugar
3. 1 tsp salt
4. 1 1/4 cup + 1 TBSP flour
5. 6 TBSP chilled unsalted butter
6. 2 TBSP chilled vegetable shortening
7. 1 large egg yolk
8. 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

• Filling

1. flour
2. 4 large eggs
3. 115 oz can of pumpkin puree
4. 1/4 cup sour cream
5. 2 TBSP bourbon
6. 1 tsp cinnamon
7. 1/2 tsp salt
8. 1/4 tsp ginger
9. 1/4 tsp nutmeg
10. 1/8 tsp allspice
11. 3/4 cup maple syrup
12. 1 tsp vanilla
13. 1 cup heavy cream
14. 2 TBSP sugar

Directions:

1) Pulse cocoa powder, sugar, salt and flour in a food processor.

2) Add butter and shortening and pulse until it has only a few pea sized pieces of butter left.

3) Whisk egg yolk, vinegar and 1/4 cup ice water in a small bowl.

4) Drizzle half of the egg mixtures over the flour and mix with a fork.

5) Add the rest of the wet to the dry and mix.

6) Turn the dough onto a floured surface and flatten.

7) Cut into quarters and stack, placing unincorporated dry pieces in dough between the layers.

8) Form dough into a 1 inch thick disk.

9) Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 1 hour.

10) Roll out the dough inot a 14 inch round.

11) Transfer to a 9 inch pie dish, leaving a 1 inch overhang and crimp.

12) Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.

13) Place rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350F/175C.

14) Line pie with parchment paper and put pie weights inside.

15) Bake about 20 minutes, until the crust is dry around the edge.

16) Remove paper and weights and bake for another 5-10 minutes until it looks dry.

17) Brush with 1 beaten egg.

18) Bake for another 3 minutes until the egg is set.

19) Whisk pumpkin puree, sour cream, bourbon, cinnamon, salt, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, mace and 3 eggs in a large bowl.

20) Pour maple syrup and vanilla into a small pan and bring to a boil.

21) Lower to a simmer and stir until it is thickened and steam releases, about 3 minutes.

22) Remove from the heat.

23) Add cream in 3 additions, stirring after each.

24) Add to the pumpkin mixture until smooth.

25) Pour into the pie dish.

26) Bake about 50-60 minutes, rotating halfway though.

27) Before serving, sprinkle sugar on top of the pie, and brulee until it is dark brown, with a kitchen torch. Since I knew it would not be eaten all at once, the pieces were individually bruleed.

White Bean Soup

Boston’s weather has been all over the place recently, going from 30 to 60 and back in a day. When we first saw that it was going to be 40, my friend said he wanted something from the Crock Pot. So, here it is (was?).

Recipe from here.

Ingredients:

• cooking spray
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 medium carrots, finely grated
• 1 cup of white mushrooms
• 1 can of mushroom soup
• 2 cans of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 8 cups of water
• 3 bay leaves
• 5 black peppercorns

Directions:

1) Spray a large pan and heat to medium.

2) Add onion until golden brown.

3) Add carrots and cook for another 3 minutes or so.

4) Increase the heat to high and add the mushrooms.

5) Cook until they are golden brown.

6) Add the mushroom soup and cook until it is simmering.

7) Throw everything into a crock pot.

8) Cover and cook for 4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.