Triple Chocolate Pumpkin Pie

Posted on November 28, 2008 by kitchenbelle

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This is a very interesting pie!  Each bite I took left me trying to decide if I found it more “pumpkiny” or more “chocolatey.”  The verdict is out and you will have to make it yourself to decide!  The filling is very smooth and custardy—rich but not overbearing.  The crust is light, crispy, sweet, and delicious.  The bittersweet chocolate in between the crust and the filling offers a nice surprise.  This is anything but your grandmother’s traditional pumpkin pie! 

Triple Chocolate Pumpkin Pie:

Crust

  • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs, finely grated
  • 6 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Filling

  • 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
  • 4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1   15 oz. can pumpkin
  • 1   12 oz. can evaporated milk
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1.5 teaspoons salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • pinch of ground cloves

Topping

  • 1 ounce milk chocolate, melted

Make the crust:

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Combine all crust ingredients in a mixing bowl and toss until thoroughly combined.  Firmly press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate.  Bake until firm, about 9-11 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle bittersweet chocolate across the bottom of the crust.  Spread chocolate in a thin layer across the bottom and the sides.  It should be melty enough to spread.  If not, place in the oven for about one minute.

Make the filling:

In a double boiler melt the semi-sweet chocolate and butter.  Stir continuously until smooth.  Remove from heat.  In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, brown sugar, eggs, cornstarch, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves.  Whisk 1/3 of pumpkin mixture into the chocolate mixture.  Whisk in remaining pumpkin mixture until completely incorporated. 

Place pie dish containing crust on a baking sheet.  Pour filling into crust.  Bake 50-65 minutes, or until center of pie is set, yet still wobbly.  (The cooking time entirely depends on your oven!  I suggest you check after 50 minutes and keep adding time until it is done.)  Let cool completely in pie dish on a wire rack.  Refrigerate at least 8 hours, or overnight.

Make topping

In a double boiler melt milk chocolate until smooth.  Pour into a decorator’s squirt bottle and drizzle on top of pie.  Serve immediately.

Original recipe found on MarthaStewart.com

Filed under: chocolate, Dessert, Fall, pie | 1 Comment »

Roasted Red Pepper, Chicken, and Olive Polenta

Posted on November 23, 2008 by kitchenbelle

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I’ve had this bag of polenta on my counter for a few months now and I finally decided to go ahead and do something with it.  I opted to make the recipe right there on the back of the bag, with a few modifications.  This is a perfect side dish but also, it stands up well on its own. This recipe is so flexible!  You can add more veggies, different veggies or omit the chicken.  You can experiment with different cheeses or just use whatever you have on hand.  Add fresh herbs or dried herbs!  The possibilities are endless!  Have fun with it and enjoy! 

Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing: sundried tomatoes, green olives, feta cheese, parmesan cheese, fresh basil, pimentos, caramelized onions…

Make it yours!

Roasted Red Pepper, Chicken, and Olive Polenta:

  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups polenta
  • 2 red peppers, roasted and cut into 1/4-inch strips
  • 2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated
  • 1 small can sliced black olives
  • 1 cup cooked chicken, shredded or cubed

Spray an 8-inch round cake pan with cooking spray.

Bring chicken broth to a boil in a large pan.  Add polenta and stir continuously about 10-13 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in cheese, peppers, black olives, and chicken until evenly distributed.  Pour into the round pan.  Use a rubber spatula (sprayed with cooking spray to prevent sticking) press polenta into the pan.  Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 F.  Bake (in pan) for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and let sit about ten minutes.  Invert onto serving dish and top with fresh grated cheese.  Slice into wedges to serve.

Adapted from recipe found on the back of Pastene Polenta bag.

Filed under: Main Dish, polenta, Side | 4 Comments »

Orzo with Sausage, Peppers, and Tomatoes

Posted on November 17, 2008 by kitchenbelle

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 I always have my eye out for recipes that can be made ahead then easily reheated in single portions without compromising taste or texture,  so when I saw this recipe  at A Taste of Home Cooking  (which The Home Cook found in the  Serious Eats newsletter) I knew I would try it out.  Without a doubt, this is an easy and quick dinner to make.  I would definitely classify it as a ‘weeknight supper.’  The flavor is good–it is fresh and delicious but it is simple and straightforward.  I see this as a perfect “go-to” after a long day, when you come home hungry and want to eat something fresh, yet don’t exactly feel like cooking.  Pour yourself a glass of red wine and whip this up.  You’ll be eating a delicious bowl of pasta in no time.

(The day I made this, my cousin gave me some fresh parsley from his garden–score!!!  It really added to the freshness factor!) 

Orzo with Sausage, Peppers, and Tomatoes:

  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 pound orzo
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 sweet Italian chicken sausages, casings removed
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 roasted red peppers, cut into 1/4 inch strips
  • 6 plum tomatoes (I used canned)
  • red pepper flakes to taste
  • fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

In a large saucepan, boil the chicken broth plus three cups of water.  Add the orzo and cook about 8-10 minutes, or according to package directions. 

Heat oil in a large skillet and add sausage and cook until done.  Add the garlic, peppers, tomatoes and red pepper until all are heated through. 

Drain the orzo, reserving about 1 cup of the cooking liquid.  Pour the orzo into your serving bowl then pour the 1 cup of reserved liquid over it.  (This will keep it moist and prevent sticking.) Top with the sausage mixture and toss gently to combine.  Top with freshly grated cheese and fresh parsley.

Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis’s recipe found here on SeriousEats.com

 

 

 

Filed under: Main Dish, orzo, sausage | 2 Comments »

Lisa Garza’s Quick and Easy White Bean Cassoulet

Posted on November 16, 2008 by kitchenbelle

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If you watched last season of The Next Foodnetwork Star, you remember Lisa Garza and her quick cassoulet, which Bobby Flay loved.  I’d had intentions to make the recipe from the moment I saw it.  I still clearly remember the cassoulet I ate in a small restaurant in Rennes, France on a cool fall night almost seven years ago.  The thickness sticks to your ribs and the depth of flavor is a result of the many hours spent cooking. 

 In a way Lisa’s recipe is sort of cheating–there are no hunks of pork fat, there is neither duck nor lamb, and it is certainly not cooked over the course of several days, or even hours, as most recipes suggest.  However, it allows those who can’t spend that kind of time in the kitchen to enjoy, what I consider, the most delicious and satisfying comfort food of all time. 

Quick and Easy Cassoulet:

  • 10 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 1 medium white onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 4 stalks celery, diced
  • 4 sprigs rosemary
  • 1 bay leaf, dried
  • 4 cans cannellini beans
  • 2-4 cups chicken stock
  • 6 chicken sausages, sliced
  • fresh French bread, for serving

In a dutch oven, warm the olive oil and brown the sausages until no longer pink.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Add garlic, onion, carrots, and celery and cook until vegetables are soft.  Add chicken stock, beans, and rosemary sprigs.  Bring to a boil and simmer 45-60 minutes.  Drain away some stock if the texture is too “liquidy.”  Add sausage slices and cook an additional ten minutes.  Remove bay leaf and rosemary sprigs.  Serve in bowls topped with shredded parmesan or mozzarella.  Serve with fresh bread and salad.

 

Adapted from Lisa Garza’s cassoulet found here on Foodnetwork.com.

Filed under: cannellini beans, Main Dish | 8 Comments »

Pioneer Woman’s Spicy Pulled Pork (Crockpot style)

Posted on November 6, 2008 by kitchenbelle

I apologize for the lousy un-orchestrated photo—I snapped it just before I was about to dig in.  This was one of those meals during which I got caught up in the moment and completely forgot to plate and photograph it all pretty for you.  I hope you don’t mind! If you have any doubts about how lovely this can look (when your food blogger isn’t starving) you can check it out here  or here.

People LOVED this!  It is so moist and tasty and can be used all sorts of ways.  I served mine in little sub rolls, plain and simple (not shown in the photo).  I have seen others use it as taco filling.  I think it would also be fantastic in a quesadilla along with some Colby Jack cheese, jalapenos, and sour cream. 

The crockpot allows this magic to happen while you are at work.  What could be better after a long day than walking into your delicious smelling house to a scrumptious home-cooked supper?  It doesn’t get much better than that, my friends.  Enjoy!

Pioneer Woman’s Spicy Pulled Pork:

  • 4-7 pound pork shoulder
  • 1 onion, peeled and cut into quarters
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons vinegar

Rinse pork and pat dry.  Trim any large pieces of fat. Place in large crockpot.

Place onion quarters, chili powder, brown sugar, garlic, oregano,  cumin, salt, pepper, olive oil, and vinegar in blender.  Blend until combined.

Pour mixture over pork and rub into every fold and ever nook.  Add two cups of water to the crockpot and cover with lid.

Turn crockpot on low and set for 8 hours.

When it is done turn pork over in juice and let sit for 15-20 minutes.  Place pork on a platter and shred with two forks.  Pour some juice over the top and serve.

Adapted from Pioneer Woman Cooks.

Filed under: Main Dish, pork | 5 Comments »

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