Pear, Apple and Cranberry Crisp

This amazing crisp is from The Barefoot Contessa. Her recipes are fabulous and like American Test Kitchens they seem to be well tested. This crisp has a surprising hint of orange which makes it different from your traditional apple crisp. The addition of pear and cranberry gives it a gourmet twist ...try this one and I promise that it will be your new favorite.

Pear, Apple and Cranberry Crisp

2 pounds ripe Bosc pears (4 pears)
2 pounds firm Macoun apples (6 apples)
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the topping:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Peel and core the pears and apples and cut them into large chunks. Place the fruit in a large bowl and toss with the cranberries, zests, juices, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch baking dish.
For the topping:
Combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and cold butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the mixture is in large crumbles. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit, covering the fruit completely.
Place the baking dish on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is brown and the fruit is bubbly. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream And let fall begin!

Brew Pub Pork Chops

These pork chops are delicious! First, you brine them in beer which makes them moist and juicy...and (you'll like this) impossible to dry out! The pork chops are then smothered in a rosemary - garlic aioli. This dish is easy gourmet at it's best.

Since this is a Brine...not a marinate, it is important to not leave them in the brine for more than a hour to an hour and 1/2. They will be too salty if you leave them in the brine for too long.

What you will need:
1 cup Beer
1 cup Water
2 Tbsp. Sugar
1 Tbsp. Salt
4 Bone-in pork chops
1/4 cup Mayo
1 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
1 clove Garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. chopped fresh Rosemary

Mix first four ingredients until sugar is dissolved; pour over chops in a shallow dish. Turn chops over to evenly coat both sides of chop. Refrigerate 1 hour. You can leave them for 30 more if you like.

Meanwhile...mix together remaining ingredients. Divide into two dishes. One for basting while grilling, and the other to pass at the table with the cooked chops.

Remove chops from brine, discard brine. Grill chops 5 to 6 min. on each side or until done(160F), brushing occasionally with mayo mixture. Serve chops with remaining sauce.

I like to pair this dish with Roasted Red Potatoes because they work really well with the aioli. And it gives everyone an excuss to eat more of it!

Tips for creating your meal plan

First of all let me tell you that creating a meal plan for two seasons will take a little time. I would set aside about a week. But the time invested is well worth it. When you go to sit down and meal plan during the year it should only take you a couple of minutes to plan out the entire week.

I would suggest keeping a couple things in mind when planning out your menu.
First, only use recipes that you are cooking now. This is not the time to go pull out that huge pile of recipes that you have been wanting to try. Instead, just designate one day out of the week for trying a new recipe. I like to try out new recipes on Sundays. I have personally found that the meal planning idea works best if I use recipes that I am familiar with. Plus, when life gets busy I will be more likely to make those taco's that I have made a dozen times, than to try to pull together that fancy and complicated recipe while everyone is starving and getting ready to rush off to football practice.
So stick to family recipes, recipes that you know your kids will eat (we will talk more about that later)and recipes that you can confidently put together.

The next step is to pull all of your family favorites from your recipe binder that use seasonal ingredients. For example in the summer it is all about recipes that utilize fresh fruits, light sauces, basil and fresh tomatoes. And for fall it's pumpkins, mushrooms, butternut squash and pears. Only make these recipes when the ingredients are in season. Your family will learn to anticipate certain meals when the seasons change. And your food will taste great!

I try to cook pretty "clean" around my house. Cooking with ingredients that are in season is included in this concept. You will also notice that I don't use canned soups or processed ingredients.

When planning meals for the day's theme I keep in mind flavors and nutritional value. For example if I am planning salads for Monday I will choose four salads with four different "featured" flavors. This keeps variety in my menu. Also I like to mix up high calorie meals with lower calorie lighter options so I can plan a realistic menu plan. So here is an example of what I am talking about..
Say I am doing Chicken Tuesday...I am going to try and think of four different chicken dishes that have completely different flavors. And maybe two will be on the heavier "comfort food" side...and the other two will keep me in my skinny jeans!
So I would do something like this..
1. Ginger-Soy chicken (lighter)
2. Chicken Parmesan
3. Balsamic glazed Chicken (lighter)
4. Mexican Chicken
If you keep this in mind while you are creating your menu you will find the end results to be much more "workable" during the year.

I just want to talk for a minute about how to include feeding kids with your menu plan. My kids have three food groups spaghetti and meatballs, chicken pot pie and chicken nuggets...you get my point. I like to try and make recipes that can be broken into two steps. If I stop at step one...then my kids will be happy with it. And then I go onto step two..which usually includes the sauce for Nate and I. For Example if I am making Linguine with Clam sauce my kids will eat butter Parmesan noodles instead. I also try to have homemade versions of my kids favorite foods in the freezer as a back up plan if a recipe is not "kid-adaptable".

I hope these tips help. Happy menu planning! And remember that meal planning doesn't just make our lives easier.... It also helps create "food memories" and moments around the dinner table that are feeding more than just hungry tummies.

Spring and Summer Meal Plan

I Just finished our Spring and Summer family menu and thought I would share it with you all. I start this meal plan in March and run it through September- or when the weather changes. Having two meal plans for the year (Spring and Summer, Winter and Fall) makes it easy to plan thought out meals for your family. To use this menu I will simply sit down once a week and plan out meals for the week by choosing one meal from each category. I have four choices for each day so our family will eat one of those selections only once during the month..except for Saturdays..because I like to have allot of options for Saturdays! If you have any questions or want some recipes let me know. I hope that you can use this idea to create a plan for your family that includes all of your families favorites. It takes a little time...but it is so worth it! Just think you won't have to meal plan for the rest of the year!!!
Hopefully in the next couple of weeks I will have our Fall and Winter meal plan posted, which will include lots of yummy soups and my favorite comfort foods..yum!

Pepin Family Spring and Summer Menu

Mondays – Salads
1. Easy Asian Salad with Crunchy Noodles
2. Strawberry Chicken Salad With Rolls
3. Cesar Salad, Shrimp Chicken with Penne, or Pizza
4. Blue Cheese and Steak Salad

Tuesday- Summer Soup
1. Tuscan White Bean Soup and Garlic Toasts
2. Minestrone Soup and Crusty Bread
3. Lentil Soup and Whole Wheat Bread
4. Split Pea Soup and Cheese Biscuits

Wednesday- Main Dish Chicken
1. Balsamic Glazed Chicken, Gorgonzola and Pear Salad with Italian muffins
2. Parmesan Chicken with Marina and Pasta, or garlic bread and Salad
3. Roasted Lemon Chicken with Croutons
4. Lemon Chicken with Artichokes and Potatoes

Thursday – Mexican
1. Migas
2. Taco’s, Beef, Carna Asada or Pork
3. Enchilada’s with Rice
4. Pazole

Friday – Italian
1. Linguine and Clam Sauce with Garlic Bread
2. Sausage and Spinach Penne
3. Shrimp Scampi
4. Spaghetti Prosciutto

Saturday Night Grill
1. Pub Pork Chops with Rosemary red potatoes and Spinach Raspberry Dressing salad.
2. Burgers with Fries
3. Flank Steak, or Steak with Roasted Mashed Potatoes or Baked Potatoes and Garden Salad.
4. BBQ Chicken with Corn, Beans, and Watermelon
5. Grilled Veggie Salad with Tuscan Chicken
6. Fish Tacos, Rice and Black Bean and Corn Salsa.
7. Jerk Chicken Skewers and Rice
8. Tequila Lime Chicken with Rice and Guacamole

Appetizers
1. Bacon wrapped Jalapeno’s
2. Bruschetta
3. Tomato and Basil dip
4. Corn and Black Bean Salsa

Summer Drinks
1. Mason Jar Lemonades
2. Mason Jar Margaritas
3. Iced Coffee
4. Lime Aid
5. Mint Iced Tea
6. Raspberry Lemonade

Desserts
1. Lemon Pie & Lemon Cookies
2. Tiramisu & Raspberry Tiramisu
3. Raspberry Chiffon Pie
4. Strawberry Shortcakes
5. Fruit Pizza & Fruit Tarts
6. Banana Split Cake

Pear, Apple and Cranberry Crisp

This amazing crisp is from The Barefoot Contessa. Her recipes are fabulous and like American Test Kitchens they seem to be well tested. This crisp has a surprising hint of orange which makes it different from your traditional apple crisp. The addition of pear and cranberry gives it a gourmet twist ...try this one and I promise that it will be your new favorite.

Pear, Apple and Cranberry Crisp

2 pounds ripe Bosc pears (4 pears)
2 pounds firm Macoun apples (6 apples)
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the topping:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Peel and core the pears and apples and cut them into large chunks. Place the fruit in a large bowl and toss with the cranberries, zests, juices, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch baking dish.
For the topping:
Combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and cold butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the mixture is in large crumbles. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit, covering the fruit completely.
Place the baking dish on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is brown and the fruit is bubbly. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream And let fall begin!

Toasted-Bread Salad With Salami

This salad taste like an antipasto ...yet serves like a salad. If you are entertaining and want to serve something simple yet impressive, this would be a great choice. Serve this salad with grilled chicken or steak, and a bottle of wine for a flavorful and satisfying dinner.

1 loaf Italian bread, halved lengthwise and toasted
1 cup of olive oil, plus some for drizzling
salt and pepper
4 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 English cucumber, quartered lengthwise and chopped
4 ounces deli-sliced salami, cut into strips
1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

In a large colander over a bowl or the sink, drizzle 1/2 cup water over the toasted bread to saturate. Squeeze the bread to saturate. Squeeze the bread with your hands to remove any excess liquid, then crumble into bite sized pieces.
Transfer to a large serving bowl and drizzle with 1/2 cup olive oil; season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the tomatoes, cucumber and salami to the bread and toss to combine. Add the basil and drizzle the red wine vinegar and remaining 1/2 cup olive oil on top. Toss and season with salt and pepper and more olive oil.

Fabulous Summer Salads

Are any of you feeling like you are in a salad making rut? Are you tired of making cucumber, tomato and Ranch dressing salads? Making a "gourmet" salad is actually very simple. You just need to understand some simple guidelines. I have created these guidelines to help you all successfully create salads that are flavorful and special. Pair your salad with a simple grilled meat for an effortless summer meal.

When creating a great salad remember to have fun and not to take it to seriously. The idea of gourmet salads seems to intimidate some cooks. It may take you a couple of times to get it right. But once you do you will enjoy your newly found salad making confidence. Using these simple guidelines will help you make a salad that compliments your meal and it will be an expression of your own taste and skills.

First....think of the flavors you are using in your meal and compliment them with the ingredients in your salad.

Combine ONE ingredient from each section to create your own gourmet salad...

1. Lettuce- This is the foundation of your salad. Some of my favorites include chopped Romaine, Butter, Spring Mix, or simply Green or Red leaf lettuce. After your lettuce is cleaned make sure that you dry it well so it doesn't water down your dressing.

2. Cheese..Feta, Blue Cheese, and Goat are all great options for salads. Cheddar pairs well with almost any fruit or veggie and is a great option if you are serving a picky crowd!

3. An Unexpected.... remember just one,this will help your salads not to become overwhelming and mushy. Here are some ideas:
Artichokes
Chopped Veggie..just feature one
Dried Fruit
Grilled Veggies...you can get away with featuring a couple on this one.
Fruit
Herb...several is OK on this one too...and you can pair with any veggie.

4. Homemade Croutons...left over crostini works great for this.Just crumble or chop leftover crostini over your salad.

5. Light Dressing.. Keep it simple and light.

6. Nuts...spiced or candied..I like to make these ahead and store them in my freezer.

Once you have combined an ingredient from each one of these categories, gently toss in a salad bowl and pass at the table.

If any of you would like some recipes for some of the basics (nuts, dressing, crostini) just let me know and I can post some.