Bring on the Fall. This week seems to be one of the hottest in the whole summer – just when I’m thinking of pumpkin lattes and vanilla and sweet potatoes.
I look forward to evenings when I can snuggle on the couch under a blanket with my hubs – watching a movie – after the boys go to bed – knowing that it is getting cool outside!
Patchwork Butternut Squash, Kale, & Chicken Pot Pie
Recipe Type: Main Dish
Cuisine: Southern
Author: the charming south kitchen
Prep time:
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Serves: 6-8
A fall flavored pot pie with chicken, butternut squash, and kale
Ingredients
2 chicken breasts, cut into pieces
1 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 T unsalted butter
2 T evoo
1 1/4 cup diced butternut squash
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 massive handfuls of chopped kale
1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 pie crust, torn in pieces
Instructions
Heat the oven to 350.
In cast iron skillet, heat oil and butter. Add in onion and cook for about 3-4 minutes.
Add garlic and cook for about 1 minutes
Add squash and cook for about 5 minutes.
Remove from pan.
Cook the chicken in same pan until done.
Combine the vegetables, chicken, spices, and cheese.
Pour into a deep dish pie pan. Cut strips of pie crust and make a lattice or patchwork pattern out of them. Layer on top of pot pie.
Cook for about 45-50 minutes or until top crust is golden brown.
3.2.1311
I’d never made a pot pie until I moved back to Raleigh in 2010. My boss’s wife – and friend – made a delicious one and said it was so easy – well, this one is too and has wonderful Fall flavors!
The longer you are married to your spouse, the more you begin to think like him (or her) and what the other person likes or dislikes becomes you. That is probably how the old adage got started by saying the longer a couple is married they look more and more like each other.
My Mister and I have only been married for (almost) 3 years. One of the blessings of those three years is having someone to cook (and bake) for all the time. Some women find that daunting. I find it challenging in a good way – but I also need to eat out sometimes, even if it is Chick-fil-A.
One of the things that my Mister loves is fruit desserts. So, I wanted to create a sweet fruit recipe that he could enjoy. Two of the unmistakable tastes of summer to me are lemons and bluberries. I remember picking buckets of blueberries at Huber’s Family Farm up in southern Indiana when I lived in Louisville. I could eat a lot just standing there picking in – never filling up my bucket. (To anyone from Huber’s reading this – I really didn’t, I may have snuck one or two (berries, not buckets).
So, with Italian cheeses on hand and some blueberries and lemons, I set out to create this tart. Enjoy the final days of summer!
Blueberry Italian Cheese Tart
Recipe Type: dessert
Cuisine: Tart/Fruit
Author: the charming south kitchen
Prep time:
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Serves: 10
A creamy, cheesy sweet tart with blueberries and lemon
Ingredients
For the crust:
1/4 cup powdered sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1 stick butter, unsalted, melted
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
For the filling:
8 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
8 oz mascarpone cheese
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp real maple syrup
juice of 1 lemon
For the fruit topping:
Whole blueberries
zest of one lemon
Instructions
For the crust:
Mix everything together and press into a removable bottom 9.5 inch tart pan. Put in freezer for about 20 minutes. Poke holes with a fork in bottom of crust. Bake covered with foil for 15 minutes (at 350). Remove foil and bake for another 15. Let cool to room temperature.
For the filling:
Mix everything and combine until no more lumps. Pour filling into cooled crust and bake at 350 for another 40-45 minutes or until filling is set. Let cool slightly
For the topping:
Mix the blueberries with the lemon zest. Scatter on top of tart.
Set in fridge until cold. Serve with cool whip or homemade whipped cream and a sprig of mint – and preferably some decaf!
Fall – I think for a lot of us kitchen people its one of our favorite seasons. Pumpkin. Cinnamon. Sweet Potatoes. Apples.
But, I don’t think I had ever experienced a Fall season until I moved to North Carolina in 2000. See, I grew up in central Florida. The only two seasons we had were Summer and Christmas Day (and some years we only had one season). I loved it. I was close to Disney World though I only remember going in high school and college when I would do Night of Joy with the youth groups. I was close to the beach (though we had a pool, so my Dad couldn’t figure out why we needed to spend money going to the beach).
But, I remember moving to Wake Forest, North Carolina to start seminary right before a huge snow storm – rethinking the whole moving north thing. But, then fall came around at the start of my second semester. I adored the sound the leaves made as I walked through them on my way to class. I loved wearing jackets with my jeans (even though I would sport some flipflops usually). I loved sitting down with a warm cup of chai or steamed milk or hot chocolate to study out on the lawn. The bright blue Fall sky against the browns and yellows and reds of the leaves. Gorgeous.
And of course, Fall brings pumpkin! I could eat pumpkin goodies year round, but yesterday when I stepped outside for an early morning out, and felt the slightly cooler Atlanta air, I knew I was ready for Fall. So, I whipped up these pumpkin butter muffins for my mister. They were a winner. (This recipe was inspired by Joy the Baker)
Pumpkin Butter Whole Wheat Millet Muffins
Recipe Type: Muffins
Cuisine: Breakfast
Author: the charming south kitchen
Prep time:
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Serves: 10
Hearty and healthy muffins, of course with some chocolate. Perfect for Fall mornings or evenings!
Ingredients
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 jar (10 oz) pumpkin butter (I used Trader Joe’s)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup dry millet (I found in bulk aisle at Whole Foods)
3/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup milk
juice of 1/2 lemon
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350
Grease or line 10 muffin cups
Mix wet ingredients (up through vanilla)
Combine dry and add to the wet mixture
Mix the milk and the lemon juice then add to muffin mixture.
Fold in chocolate chips.
Spoon into muffins tins.
Bake for about 19 minutes or until muffins are done.
Cool and eat. My husband ate one topped w some raw honey this morning.
Another normal week of cooking here in the South. Do you ever get tired of cooking or having to prepare meals for your family – or just for yourself? I know I do. 5-7 meals each week not including breakfast and lunch – it gets tiresome and repetitive.
So, what do you do?
1. Look at new websites and get new ideas. And you can also look at blogs that do an inspiration post (like How Sweet and Heather’s Dish). I do it to – like the Weekend Inspiration post or Link Love posts. I love giving you new blogs to read.
2. Ask your family what are things they would like to eat. Of course my littles don’t really answer me right now, but my husband usually has good ideas. If you are having people over for dinner – ask what they would like to have.
3. Look in your pantry and create some new dishes with what you have. I always have jiffy corn muffin mix and canned beans and soups in my pantry. Something may just catch your eye and bring some creativity to the table.
Monday: Farmhouse salads with fresh ingredients and hard boiled eggs and cheese and chicken strips. One of our favorite go-to dinners.
Tuesday: We are having a first ATL house guests tonight so I wanted to know what I could cook. We are having roasted broccoli, fresh summer tomatoes, and parmesan Greek chicken.
Wednesday: Chopped Thai Salads from Pinch of Yum because the mister won’t be home till late and I can eat it right after the boys go to bed.
Friday: Leftovers is what’s for dinner and then for a date night dessert: this tart. Truth be told I have a tart pan that I’ve never used. Yes, I’ve had it for about 10 years and never used it – always keeping it because I might use it one day. Well, that day is coming!
Saturday: Zucchini bread – I actually really love it. Summer goodness in loaf form. So, I’ll be chilling with this loaf, some eggs, bacon, and fruit for brinner.
Sunday: And then take some of the bread and toast it with a smearing of butter and milk and a banana. Then the hubs has this Sunday off so maybe some comfort food after church at night and leftovers for lunch. This Sloppy Joe bowl fits the bill.
Sometimes being a creative has its drawbacks. For me, it really came this week as I thought about narrowing the fields for how I am creative. But, all of it flows together. And comparison isn’t good – but if you don’t see anyone ever better than you – how can you improve?
Well, I wanted to share some websites with you – ones that inspire me to be better at what I LOVE to do. I am a creative person in most every field: from parenting, our weekly and daily schedules, photography, cooking, handlettering, cards, etc. So, enjoy these websites and let me know some ones I can look at too!
Griffin Gibson Photography – a local to me photographer that I hope to contact soon (a friend mentioned her name to me) and take some lessons from.
Mallory Ward Photography – another young photographer that has an eye for special people and the every day. I am having time with this girl this week.
Holly and Flora – this budding wine expert and foodie takes beautiful photography of the special and unique and fresh and local foods and spirits she makes in her home in Denver. I always love any time I get to chat with this long-time friend.
All She Wrote Notes Calligraphy – I get the honor of hanging out with this girl in Chapel Hill in July. Looking forward to a mini photo shoot and learning about her craft! I love that she does it all free hand – she doesn’t print out what she does.
Adventures in Cooking – Her photography and inspiration behind her food is amazing. Simple, rustic, beautiful.
Elyse Fitzpatrick – Her writing. Straight forward, gospel centered. That’s how I like to write. Oh, to write like her (one day, maybe, ha!)
One other note: You’ll hear more about this in the days ahead….but I love living creatively. I have thought about that this year – fighting the mundane, living and dwelling in creative beauty. There is beauty all around us – so make every moment beautiful. Glimpses of our Creator are all around us. And beauty reflects him too. I’ll be doing a series of blogs and photo sessions that reflect this theme as I introduce a new direction for this blog.
I used to think quiches were hard and way too many calories for what you got (ie how they tasted). That’s until I started making my own. This is one of the most delicious things I’ve made in a while. We both loved it (the older little isn’t a fan of eggs).
Being a mom of two littles, I don’t readily have time to roll out pie crust – I do have time but I choose to use it doing other things – especially when the pie shells from Pillsbury are so good and easy and inexpensive (Thank you!). When you are a mom, you have to choose where you spend your time. I spend mine in being active with the two, cooking simple meals, keeping the house clean, and being creative. Making pie dough from scratch doesn’t make the top-whatever list. How do you manage your time as a mom? What do you learn to say no to? Has that been hard to change your priorities since kids came along?
I digress: but hopefully encourage!
Deep Dish Spinach Artichoke Quiche
Recipe Type: Quiche
Cuisine: Breakfast
Author: kd316
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6-8
Creamy, filling, delicious quiche perfect for breakfast, brunch or brinner.
Ingredients
1 deep dish pie crust
3/4 pound bacon, cooked, drained, chopped
1 cup cooked frozen spinach, drained, chopped
1 onion, chopped, cooked
3 artichoke hearts, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
7 eggs
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Bake your pie crust for 10 minutes at 350.
Mix all ingredients together.
Pour into pre-baked pie crust
Some will spill over – you can make an additional ramekin if you like.
Place on cooking sheet to keep your oven clean.
Bake for 55-60 minutes for 1 hour until completely set.
