Pumpkin snickerdoodles

This cookie recipe combines two of my favorites - pumpkin and snickerdoodles- so I knew it would be a winner.  They are light, fluffy, and full of yummy goodness.  This recipe makes 4 dozen, so it's a great one for teacher gifts, neighbor gifts, office parties, etc.  That is, if you can stand to part with them...

Red pork posole

Dinner last night was this red pork posole from Rachael Ray.  It was very good, but I have to be honest- it's a lot of work.  Several steps for all of the components, 2 1/2 hours for braising the meat, and lots of dirty pots.  The end result was delicious (ie: blog-worthy), but with a disclaimer about the time and effort required. The pickled onions and peppers are a must, and we substituted mozzarella cheese for the queso fresco.  Yum!

Espresso spice pumpkin muffins

These espresso spiced pumpkin muffins from Baking Bites are a repeat recipe for us, but we ate the first batch before I had a chance to post them!  These are moist and delicious, and my girls love them too.

(On a side note, I finally invested in a nice camera- you'll notice an improvement in my food photography!)

Pie Week: Quiche Lindsay

To wrap up Pie Week and to give your sweet tooth a break, our finale pie is a savory one- quiche!  Quiche is a great, flexible dish because you can add anything you like to it.  I made this one up out of thin air, hence the name Quiche Lindsay.  Clever, I know.

Ingredients:
1 refrigerated pie crust
shredded cheese (I used gouda and mozzarella.  Sorry, no measurement- depends on your preferred level of cheesiness)
3 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup skim milk
5 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
1 bell pepper
5 scallions, sliced
2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Place refrigerated pie crust in a 9-inch pie plate.  Layer  shredded cheese in the bottom of the crust.  In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cream and milk.  Stir in the chopped bacon, bell pepper, and 4 of the scallions.  Season with salt and pepper, then pour mixture into pie crust.  Arrange tomato slices on top, then bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes.  Once the custard is set, broil for 3-4 minutes to brown the top.  Let set for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with remaining scallion.

Pie Week: Tar Heel pie

I recently made this Tar Heel pie from the Pie cookbook by Ken Haedrich.  It is essentially a brownie in a pie crust, and the key is to underbake it ever so slightly so the center is soft.  This is ooey, gooey, chocolate deliciousness!

1 refrigerated pie crust
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup sweetened flake coconut

1. Place the refrigerated pie crust in a 9-inch pie pan.  Place it in the freezer for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan over low heat.  When it is melted, turn off the heat and immediately add 1 cup of the chocolate chips to the pan. Swirl the pan so the hot butter runs over the chips. Set aside for 5 minutes, then whisk to smooth.  Scrape into a large bowl and let cool for 10 minutes.
3. In a separate large bowl, whisk the eggs, sugars and vanilla until evenly mixed. Stir in the cooled chocolate mixture.  Add the flour and salt and whisk just until evenly combined. Stir in the pecans, coconut, and remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips.  Scrape the filling into the chilled pie shell.
4. Place the pie on the center oven rack and bake until the top has risen somewhat but the center still seems a little moist, 30-35 minutes. Check it with a toothpick, which should emerge with a bit of batter attached.
5. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let it cool.  Serve just barely warm or at room temperature.

Pie Week: Coconut cream pie

It's Pie Week at Lindsay's Menu, and first up is this coconut cream pie from Sugar Crafter. I love coconut desserts, but Robert won't tolerate them in any form or fashion.  Thanksgiving was the perfect time to make this because I knew there would be plenty of pumpkin and pecan pie for Robert to nibble on, leaving more of this dreamy pie for myself.  Everyone wins!

Tomato basil soup

You may have seen this recipe for tomato basil soup floating around on Pinterest, touted as being a replica of the much loved La Madelaine restaurant version.  I looooooooooove tomato basil soup, and this recipe is so simple, yet SO delicious.  Robert made some toasted ciabatta bread croutons to go on top - Mmmmm!  (I didn't get a good photo, so I'm borrowing the one from the original poster, Girltalk).

Crispy gnocchi with pesto

We made this crispy gnocchi with pesto from Rachael Ray a few weeks ago and it was a big hit!  It is simple to make and has lots of flavor.  In fact, it's so festive in it's red and green that we're planning to serve it as part of our Christmas dinner this year!

Pesto mozzarella grilled cheese

You may have seen this pesto mozzarella grilled cheese making the rounds on Pinterest, which I immediately bookmarked.  Yummy gooey cheese smothered in pesto- what's not to love??

Pat's famous beef and pork chili

We're always looking for new chili recipes around here, and I found this one on the Food Network site for Pat's famous beef and pork chili.  Pat is a Neely, of Neely's BBQ in Memphis.  This is a great traditional, hearty chili.  We topped ours with sour cream, scallions, and Fritos, of course!  Oh, and the recipe says it feeds 4-6, but I'd say it's more like 8-10.

Italian chicken soup

Our second successful Pioneer Woman recipe this month- we're on a roll!  This time it was her Italian chicken soup.  I used boneless skinless chicken breasts and baked them in oven instead of poaching them in the broth.   This soup is hearty, spicy, creamy and delicious!

Char Siu pork roast (crock pot)

I love cooking in the crock pot- I can do the prep work and get dinner started during my kids' afternoon naps, which frees me up at dinnertime when things get really chaotic around here.  Last week we made this Char Siu pork roast from Cooking Light.  This recipe had Robert's name all over it- a big piece of meat cooked in Asian spices and sauces.  It was a winner!