Skillet Pasta with Ham and Peas

October Moon

When witches go riding,

and black cats are seen

the moon laughs and whispers.

tis' near Halloween.

 Skillet Pasta with Ham and Peas

Cozy up on a chilly evening with a flavorful and satisfying pasta dish. It's company-worthy.

Cook's Notes: A great way to use up leftover ham. Frozen peas do not need to be thawed. Grate the cheese for the sauce, as it melts better than using a prepackaged grated cheese packet. To reheat, add chicken broth. Recipe serves 3. 

Ingredients:   

• 2-1/4  cups dry bow tie pasta 
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 cup diced sweet onions
• 1/3 cup diced red mini sweet pepper
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon each thyme and parsley flakes
• 1-2/3 cups light half and half
• 1 cup chicken broth (low sodium) 
• 1/4 cup dry white wine 
• 1 cup shredded Swiss or white cheddar cheese
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups diced fully cooked ham (I used a ham steak)
• 1 cup frozen peas, not thawed 
• Optional garnish: pine nuts or toasted walnuts. 

Directions:

• Cook bow tie pasta al dente, drain, and set aside.
• In a large skillet, melt butter; sauté onions and peppers with spices. Add in flour and stir-fry for 1 minute.
• Slowly pour half and half and broth into skillet, whisk with other ingredients. Cook on a low heat until it starts to thicken. Add in wine and cheeses to the white sauce. Stir until incorporated. 
• Add in diced ham, cooked pasta, and peas. Cook for 5 minutes on a low heat. 
• Serve immediately. Garnish with pine nuts or toasted walnuts. 

Honey Garlic BBQ Sauced Sloppy Joes

 

Looking for an easy way to entertain for Game Day? Try Honey Garlic BBQ Sauced Sloppy Joes 

Cook's Notes: A quick, easy sloppy joe sandwich filled with a tasty honey garlic BBQ sauce.  It may be time to elevate your usual sloppy joe mixture. For me, the taste was off the charts. SO GOOD! As a low-carb alternative, serve the filling in Bibb lettuce leaves.  

The recipe serves 4 and was adapted from closetcooking.com

Ingredients: 

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 small onion, diced
• 4 buns
• Coleslaw (2 cups at room temperature) 

Directions:

• Brown hamburger with onions and crumble the meat.
• Add in cooked sauce and mix well. Simmer on low 10 minutes.
• Place meat-sauced filling on the bun. Top with a heaping spoonful of coleslaw.  

• Homemade Honey Garlic BBQ Sauce
  Cook's Notes: 5-minute preparation. The sauce is enough for 1 lb. of hamburger. 

  Ingredients:

  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon molasses
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced/grated
  • 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, and garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  Sauce Directions:
  

  • Mix everything in a saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer on low for 10 minutes. Stir a few times. Alternatively, once the sauce and meat are cooked, transfer to a crock pot to keep warm. 
    

  ENJOY! And consider adding a plate of Cappuccino Blossoms

https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2021/10/cappuccino-blossoms.html

 

Apple Cream Cheese Turnovers

 "Three Ghostesses"

Three little ghostesses,

Sitting on postesses,

Eating buttered toastesses,

Greasing their fistesses,

Up to their wristesses.

Oh, what beastesses

And oh what a feastesses, with Apple Cream Cheese Turnovers

Cook's Notes: Yummy bakery-style puff pastry turnovers made right in your kitchen. Juicy apple pie filling mixed with cream cheese makes a satisfying autumn treat anytime.  One sheet of puff pastry makes 9 small turnovers, as shown above, or 4 large ones. I used two Granny Smiths and one Honeycrisp for this recipe. To reheat, place turnovers on a baking sheet @ 400 degrees for 2 minutes.

The recipe was adapted from BHG.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups peeled, cored, and chopped Jazz, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp or Jonagold apples
• 1/4 cup apple juice or cider
• 2 ounces cream cheese, cut up and softened
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 sheet thawed from a 1- 17.3 ounce pkg. frozen puff pastry sheets
• Powdered sugar

Directions:

• Line 1 large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• For filling, in a large skillet, heat butter and brown sugar over medium heat until butter melts. Add apples. cinnamon and 1/4 cup water or apple juice. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Uncover and cook 6 minutes more or just until apples are tender, stirring occasionally. On low heat, add in flour, cream cheese, vanilla, and egg yolk. Mix well, remove from the skillet, transfer to a bowl, and refrigerate for 20 minutes. 
• On a lightly floured surface, unfold and roll out one pastry sheet to a 12-inch square. Cut into nine 3-1/2-4-inch squares, or cut into 4 squares for larger turnovers. 
• 
  Spoon a rounded tablespoon of the filling into the center of each square
  

• Brush the edges of pastry squares with water. Fold each pastry in half to form a triangle. Seal edges with the tines of a fork. 
• In a small bowl, combine the beaten egg and 1 tablespoon water. Brush the egg mixture over the pastries. Refrigerate the baking sheet with turnovers for 10 minutes. 
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
• Bake for 15 minutes or until puffed and golden. Remove; cool on a wire rack that has been placed over a sheet of waxed paper.
• Dust turnovers with a sprinkle of powdered sugar. Serve warm or let cool.
  

Pork with Apples and Pears in a Cider Cinnamon Pan Sauce

 Enjoy another Bavarian-style meal to celebrate Oktoberfest

Pork with Apples and Pears in a Cider Cinnamon Pan Sauce

The perfect fall dish! Pan-seared boneless pork topped with a cider cinnamon sauce served with tender apples, pears, and sautéed onions. Pair the meal with red cabbage. I used sweet-and-sour jarred red cabbage from the canned vegetable aisle.

Recipe serves four and was inspired by cookingclassy.com and Cookinglight.com

Ingredients

• 4 (5 oz.) 3/4-inch thick boneless pork chops
• 1-1/2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 cup red onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon of herbes de Provence, divided 
• 1/2 teaspoon sage
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1- 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1-1/2 tablespoons butter
• 2 medium sweet crisp apples (honey crisp, gala, fuji, golden delicious etc.), skin removed and cut into chunks 
• 2 Bosc pears, skin removed and cut in chunks 

Directions:

• Let pork chops rest at room temperature 10 minutes while preparing ingredients.
• Cut apples and pears, place on separate plates or plastic containers. Set aside.
• In a liquid measuring cup or bowl, whisk together broth, apple cider, mustard, cinnamon, allspice, and cornstarch. Set aside.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season both sides of the pork chops with salt, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon herbes de Provence.
• Once the oil is shimmering, add pork chops and sear until browned on the bottom, about 4 - 5 minutes, then flip and continue to cook 4 - 5 minutes longer. Sauté onions in the same pan. 
• Transfer pork chops and onions to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Wipe pan with a paper towel. Melt butter in same skillet over medium heat. 
• Add in apples, 1/2 teaspoon herbes de Provence or fresh rosemary and sage. Sauté until tender, about 4 minutes. Add in pears and sauté for 2 minutes more. 
• Pour in broth mixture that has been mixed with cornstarch and turn heat to low. Add in chops and onions; let simmer until reduced by about half, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. 
• Do not overcook, as the pork chops can become tough.
• Serve with your favorite Bavarian sides. 
  
  
  
  

Celebrating Oktoberfest

 

In November 2018, we were traveling in Germany and visited a Bavarian town called Speyer, a few hours from Strasbourg. It is famous for the 1529 Reformation movement and the invention of the German Bavarian pretzel. 

The monks attributed religious symbolism (the Trinity) to the pretzel they made. For more detailed information, go to https://www.bookofthrees.com/pretzel-trinity-symbol/

Here, we tasted the best-ever homemade pretzel, fresh and warm. 

NO need to go to Germany unless you have the time; you can recreate the pretzel by buying this box 

or this one

and make this 5-minute Honey Mustard Sauce 

Cook's Notes:
Refrigerate any leftovers.
Whisk the following ingredients in a bowl.
1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup Dijon mustard, a dash of cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar

For the main course, I suggest this meal, which is tasty and so easy to prepare 

Apple and Sausage Cider Dish

Cook’s Notes: This dish has lots of possibilities. You can use a variety of meats for one dish or use one product. In the past I have used Hillshire, Klements, and Johnsonville products as they have no fillers added. For this recipe, I used chicken apple sausages for a healthy alternative, and they are a GF product. This recipe serves 4 but can be easily increased by adding more cider, another apple or two, and a whole red onion, sliced. A perfect side is red cabbage. I used sweet-and-sour jarred red cabbage from the canned vegetable aisle. 

The recipe serves 4-6.

Ingredients:
· 2 lbs. of link sausages that are fully cooked, such as Polish Kielbasa, andouille, or Smoked Sausages (use a combination)
· 3 apples, peeled and cut into large chunks
· 1/2 of a medium yellow onion and 1/2 of a medium red onion , diced
· 5 cups apple cider

Directions:
· Slice sausages into 1-1/2 inch pieces.
· In a large soup pot, add sausage slices, cider, onions, and apples.

· Cook covered on low heat for 35 minutes or until apples are soft. Use a slotted spoon to drain.

Red Cabbage makes a great side-shortcut use 

And don't forget the beer😋

Apple Crisp with Salted Caramel Sauce

 
And there's nothing like a perfect fall day for serving up a scoop of warm apple crisp with caramel-drizzled ice cream. 

Apple Crisp with a Salted Caramel Drizzle
Cook's Notes: Apples tossed with brown sugar and cinnamon, drizzled with a caramel sauce, and topped with a crunchy crumb topping. It makes for a delectable Apple Crisp. A caramel twist on the traditional fall favorite is decadent BUT well worth the splurge! My, oh my! This is an Ever Ready Special. 

Apple Filling Ingredients:

• 10 cups peeled, cored, and sliced Granny Smith Apples (about 6-7 large apples)
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon Saigon cinnamon or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

For the Caramel
Use a prepared jar of salted caramel sauce (ice cream topping)

Topping Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon Saigon cinnamon or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 6 tablespoons melted butter
• 3/4-1 cup of chopped nuts

Directions:

• Grease a 9 x 9-inch baking dish or one that is a similar size.
• Peel and dice apples.
• Prepare the apple filling: In a medium bowl, stir together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Sprinkle the mixture over the apples and toss to coat. 

 .

• Drizzle 1/3 cup of caramel sauce over the apples.
• Prepare the topping: In a large bowl, combine all-purpose flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, nuts, and rolled oats. Stir in melted butter until evenly incorporated. Use your fingers to crumble the topping, then refrigerate for 30 minutes. Then crumble the topping again and sprinkle it evenly over the apples. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until the apples are bubbling.

• To serve, add a scoop of ice cream drizzled with caramel sauce.
  
  
  

Savor the Writing and Taste the Soup

As colors fade and slip away from the landscape, trees stand bare.

We rely on words to keep the memory alive. 

 by Holly Mathers-Shuemaker

Meatball Orzo Soup

Cook's Notes: It's a simple, flavorful, and hearty soup. You probably have most of the ingredients readily available. It's comforting to have a simmering pot of soup on hand no matter what the weather. For easier prep, buy party-size (small) prepared meatballs. Omit the meat for a great vegetarian option. Pair the soup with cornbread, cheese and crackers, or crusty artisan bread. The recipe serves 6, depending on bowl size. Recipe adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod.
Ingredients:

• 3 cups prepared frozen Italian meatballs (no need to thaw) 
  
• 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup each of diced sweet onions, celery, carrots, mini sweet red and yellow peppers
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 8- 10 cups chicken broth, low sodium
• 1 can (14 oz. ) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup dried orzo or whole wheat orzo pasta or another small pasta
• 1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning 
• 1-2 teaspoons parsley flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cups fresh spinach leaves, stems removed (1/2 of a 5 oz. bag)
• Sea Salt and pepper to taste
• Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

• Heat olive oil in a large soup or stock pot.
• Add in onions, celery, carrots, peppers, and garlic.
• Sauté for 2 minutes, stirring often. Cover and reduce to low heat. Sweat vegetables for 5-8 minutes. Stir occasionally.
• Uncover and add broth, canned tomatoes, orzo, seasonings, tomato paste, bay leaf, sugar, and frozen meatballs. Bring soup to a simmer on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in spinach leaves and cook until spinach is wilted, about 2-3 minutes.
• Remove the bay leaf,
• Serve soup warm with grated Parmesan cheese.
• To reheat, use more chicken broth if the orzo has absorbed a lot of liquid.