Grilled Steak with Blue Cheese Polenta and Red Wine Sauce

(Adapted from Cooking Light)

This recipe comes from yet another semi-desperate attempt to use only ingredients we already had at home to save some money. Also, our refrigerator is ridiculously over-loaded. =]

Boyfriend and I have also recently started calorie counting with an app called LoseIt!. It's an app that allows to input your current weight, your activity level, and how much you want to lose. From that information, it calculates how many calories you can have each day, and it allows you extra calories if you input exercise! So far, it's been working quite well, and is actually really fun to use! (It's also kind of depressing, because it sort of forces you to think about how many calories are in certain things and how many calories you were consuming before you started counting...).

ANYWAY...from now on, my posts are (probably) going to be a lot healthier and I will also include the calories per serving. (Which means I did math! And I hate math!) I hope my change will help those of you out there in cyberspace get motivated to change some shit, too!

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoon fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth, divided
• 1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
• 2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 ounce blue or gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (about 1/4 cup)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• Cooking spray
• 1 pound sirloin steak, trimmed and cut into 4 pieces
• 2 teaspoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 3 teaspoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

Preparation

1. Combine 2 cups broth and milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil. Gradually whisk cornmeal into broth mixture, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 12-15 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
2. Stir in cheese, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover; let stand 5 minutes.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle steak evenly with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
4. Add steak to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Transfer to a cutting board; cover loosely with foil.
5. Melt butter in skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots; sauté 1 minute.
6. Add wine, thyme, and honey; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced by half .
7. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons broth and cornstarch in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add cornstarch mixture to skillet; cook 1 minute or until sauce slightly thickens.
8. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices.
9. Spoon sauce onto each of 4 plates. Top each serving with 1/2 cup polenta and 3 ounces steak.

Fish Tacos with Creamy Lime Guacamole and Cabbage Slaw

(Adapted from Kerry Simon)

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 Hass avocados—halved, pitted and peeled
• 1/4 cup low-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt
• 1 small jalapeño, seeded and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons minced red onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 5 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 small head of napa cabbage, shredded (2 cups)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for brushing
• 1 pound thick red snapper fillets with skin, cut crosswise into ten 2-inch-wide strips
• 4-5  7-inch flour tortillas, warmed
• 1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
• Hot sauce, for serving
• Lime wedges, for serving

Directions:

1. Light a grill. In a medium bowl, mash the avocados, sour cream, jalapeño, red onion, cilantro and 3 tablespoons of the lime juice. Season the guacamole with salt and pepper and press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the guacamole.
2. In a large bowl, toss the cabbage with the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and the remaining 2 tablespoons of lime juice. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Brush the fish with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over moderately high heat until lightly charred and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer the fish to a platter and pull off the skin.
4. To assemble each taco, spread a dollop of guacamole on a tortilla. Top with a piece of fish, a few tomato slices and a large spoonful of the cabbage slaw. Serve with the hot sauce and lime wedges.

Open-Faced Steak Sandwiches on Garlic Bread with Pickled Red Onions

(Adapted from Bobby Flay)

This was a meal that was built from whatever we had left in the fridge. (Or because we were too lazy/broke to go grocery shopping...).

It has since become a solid staple dinner in our home. Our roommates even make it. Simple, delicious, and green (ish). 

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 2-3 lbs of sirloin steak, trimmed
• Your favorite BBQ sauce
• Texas Toast, recipe follows
• Pickled Red Onions, recipe follows
• Arugula

Grilled Texas Toast:

• 1 teaspoons canola oil
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped to a paste
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 pieces of thickly sliced french or sourdough bread
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Pickled Red Onions:

• 3/4 cups red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 red onion, halved and thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Marinate steak in BBQ sauce for at least 30 minutes, or overnight for best results.
2. Preheat grill at a low temperature.
3. Grill on low, flipping every 10 minutes or so and basting with BBQ sauce, until meat has reached an internal temperature of 145 (for medium-rare). 
4. Place meat on a plate, cover with foil, and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
5. Slice meat against the grain into thin slices.
6. Lay out Texas toast, and then layer arugula, meat, and onions onto each slice.
7. Drizzle with BBQ sauce and serve!

Grilled Texas Toast:

1. Preheat the grill to medium-high.
2. Heat the oil in a small saute pan and cook the garlic for 1 minute. Let cool slightly.
3. Stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper.
4. Grill the bread until lightly golden brown on both sides. Remove from the grill and spread 1 side of each slice with some of the garlic butter.

Pickled Red Onions:

• Bring the vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil in a small saucepan and cook until the sugar and salt dissolves, about 1 minute.
• Transfer to a small bowl and let cool for 10 minutes.
• Add the onions and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours

Pork Loin Chops with Vermouth Blue Cheese Sauce and Butternut Squash Puree

(Adapted from Ranch House Restaurant)

A girl I work with was just RAVING about the Ranch House Restaurant in Ojai and was telling me all about this vermouth blue cheese sauce they had.

Since Ojai is a bit far, I decided to try to re-create the sauce as she had described it. To my surprise, I was able to find the recipe for it on Saveur.com!

Ive made blue cheese sauce for pork chops before, but the vermouth, the herb-salt, and the pairing with the butternut squash is just ridiculous. It's not even right how good this dish is.

WARNING: You might need to lick your plate.

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

FOR THE HERB SALT:

• 1 tbsp. coarse salt
• 1 tbsp. chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 2 tbsp. fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tsp. fresh basil
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme

FOR THE PURÉE:

• 1 1-lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
• 1 1" piece fresh ginger, quartered lengthwise
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1/2 tsp. Herb Salt (or more, to taste)
• 1 tsp. brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. sliced almonds

FOR THE SAUCE:

• 1.5 cup dry vermouth
• 1¾ cups heavy cream
• 3 oz. Danish blue cheese, crumbled
• Freshly ground white pepper
• herb salt

• 4 8-oz. loin pork chops, 1" thick, trimmed
• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt

Directions:

1. Combine herb salt ingredients in a food processor and puree until it has a sand-like texture. Set aside. 

2. For the purée: Put squash and ginger in a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil over medium heat, and cook until soft, 30–35 minutes. Remove and discard ginger. Drain squash and mash to a coarse purée. Stir in butter, herb salt, and brown sugar. Cover and keep warm.

3. For the sauce: Bring vermouth to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Boil until reduced by half, about 7 minutes. Add cream and return to a boil. Reduce sauce by one-third, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, whisk in cheese, and season with hen salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm. 

4. Place an oiled grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush chops with oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. Grill until just cooked through, about 8 minutes per side. To serve, divide sauce among four plates. Put chops on top of sauce. Serve with a dollop of squash on the side, sprinkled with almonds.

Cottage Pie

(Adapted from Melissa D'Arabian)

Boyfriend got me the meat grinder attachment for Beyonce (My Kitchenaid stand mixer!). I was super eager to try it, but I wanted to make something I hadn't really made before.

I started with a Melissa D'Arabian recipe for Shepherd's Pie (Which wasn't really shepherd's pie, since she was using beef, not lamb...) and I added some BabyBakes improvements, including fresh ground beef!

It was pretty gross to watch the meat grinder, but it was super fun. And the meat was delicious. This recipe was so good that we made it two nights in a row! (Once for ourselves, and a second time for my dad's birthday dinner!)

Ingredients:

Potato Topping:

• 6 large yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 10 whole garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup beef or chicken broth
• 4 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Filling:

• 4 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into thin strips
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 to 3 medium carrots, roughly chopped, (about 1 cup)
• 3/4 cups frozen peas, thawed
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 (12-ounce) bottle of Guinness (or a bottle and a half if you want a little deeper flavor)
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1 teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup grated aged irish cheddar cheese
• chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions:

Prepare potato topping: 

1. In a large saucepan add the potatoes and garlic and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain.
2. Transfer the potatoes and garlic to a large bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer). Add the sour cream, 1/4 cup of the broth, butter, salt and pepper, and beat on low speed with a hand mixer until the potatoes are light and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. If the mixture is too dry, add the remaining 1/4 cup broth. Do not overmix. Cover and set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 10-inch round baking dish with nonstick spray.

Prepare filling: 

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally until browned and almost crisp, about 7 to 8 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a plate; set aside.
2. Add the oil to the drippings in the skillet and put over medium heat.
3. Add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft and just beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.
4. Sprinkle in the sugar, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to caramelize, about 3 minutes.
5. Stir in the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat, until the beef begins to brown, about 7 minutes.
6. Add the carrots, peas, and garlic and cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
7. Stir in the tomato paste and flour and cook, stirring, until well blended, about 2 minutes.
8. Add the beer, bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, about 2 minutes
9. Add the cooked bacon, the broth, rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and the pepper, and bring to a boil.
10. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce thickens, about 15 minutes.
11. Spoon the meat mixture into the prepared baking dish. Spread the potato topping evenly over the beef mixture.
12. Bake until the filling is hot, the topping is lightly browned and the edges are bubbly, about 35 minutes.
13. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the cheese.
14. Return to the oven and bake for 10 more minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.
15. Let rest out of the oven for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Shrimp Skewers with Feta Dill Sauce and Grilled Vegetables

This is something that is normally not my style. I am a notoriously picky eater, and yogurt seriously grosses me out.

Trying this recipe was an attempt to branch out, as well as an attempt to try to eat healthier.

It was so worth it! I could have eaten twice as much!!

(Adapted from Grace Parisi)


Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 1 scallion, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
• 4 large garlic cloves, very finely chopped
• 2 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped dill
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (2 ounces)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 pounds peeled and deveined large shrimp
• 2 lemons, each cut into 12 wedges
• 2 italian zucchini, cut into 1/4" disks
• 2 yellow squash, cut into 1/4" disks
• 1 red onion, cut into wedges
• olive oil
• cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Light a grill. In a medium bowl, mix the yogurt with the scallion, 1/4 of the garlic and 1/2 tablespoon of the dill. Stir in the feta, mashing it slightly. Season with salt and pepper.
2. In a large bowl, combine the remaining minced garlic and 2 tablespoons of dill with the olive oil. Add the shrimp and lemons, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.
3. In another large bowl, combine zucchini and squash. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste. Toss to coat.
4. Thread 4 shrimp and 2 lemon wedges onto each of 12 skewers. 
5. Thread veggies on separate skewers.
6. Grill vegetables, turning several times, until they have grill marks and are cooked through. Cover with foil and set aside.
7. Season shrimp skewers with salt and pepper and grill over a medium-hot fire, turning occasionally, until the shrimp are charred and cooked through, about 5 minutes.
8. Transfer the skewers to a platter and serve at once with the feta sauce and veggies.

Soft Brioche Hamburger Buns

I'm kind of a cheeseburger addict. I mean, I have actually had to make a pact with boyfriend to not eat cheeseburgers if I can help it. 

But when I mentioned that I'd be making them myself, and that they'd be served on homemade buns, he really couldn't argue.

And to be honest, I think this perfect brioche bun recipe will win my case every time I want a cheeseburger.

(Adapted from Smitten Kitchen)
Yield: 8 buns



Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons warm milk
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3 cups bread flour
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• Sesame seeds (optional)

Directions:
1. In a glass measuring cup, combine one cup warm water, the milk, yeast and sugar. Let stand until foamy, about five minutes. Meanwhile, beat one egg.

2. In a large bowl, whisk flours with salt. Add butter and rub into flour between your fingers, making crumbs. Using a dough scraper, stir in yeast mixture and beaten egg until a dough forms. Scrape dough onto clean, well-floured counter and knead, scooping dough up, slapping it on counter and turning it, until smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. The dough will be on the sticky side so it can be a bit messy, but keep in mind that the more flour you knead in, the tougher the buns will get. Try to leave them tackier than you would a round loaf.

3. Shape dough into a ball and return it to bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, one to two hours. (In my freaky, warm apartment this only took an hour.)

4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using dough scraper, divide dough into 8 equal parts. Gently roll each into a ball and arrange two to three inches apart on baking sheet. Cover loosely with a piece of plastic wrap lightly coated in nonstick spray and let buns rise in a warm place for one to two hours. (Again, this only took one hour in my apartment and I suspect, you’ll also only need an hour for a second rise.)

5. Set a large shallow pan of water on oven floor. Preheat oven to 400 degrees with rack in center. Beat remaining egg with one tablespoon water and brush some on top of buns.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using. Bake, turning sheet halfway through baking, until tops are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Hoagie Rolls

When I first started Babybakes, I was brand new to bread making. There is a recipe for hoagie rolls on this blog from when the site first began, and I will keep it there for nostalgic and historical value. But if I'm being perfectly honest, that recipe is terrible.

I have been searching since then for the perfect authentic hoagie roll recipe, and baby, this is it.

(Adapted from The Kitchen Whisperer)

Ingredients:

• 4 cups bread flour
• 1 3/8 cups warm water (110-115F degrees)
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp active dry yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp cold butter, cubed

Instructions:

1. Add the yeast, sugar and 3/8 cup warm water in a bowl of a stand mixer.
2. Using a whisk or spoon, mix and set aside for 5-10 minutes or until the yeast has bubbled quite a bit.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (this would be the same bowl your yeast mixture is in) add in the flour and water. Start off on low.
4. Mix for 4 minutes.
5. Add in the salt and mix for 5-6 minutes until the dough is slack. At this point your mixer should be at medium speed.
6. Add in the butter and mix for 1-3 minutes or until the dough comes back together.
7. Remove from bowl and transfer to a greased, covered bowl until doubled in size. ~1 hour.
8. Divide into 8 pieces and shape.
9. Transfer to a sprayed, parchment lined tray and cover.
10. Allow to rise again. ~30-45 minutes.
11. Preheat oven to 375 and bake for 16-23 minutes or until golden brown.

Fleur de Sel Caramels

(Adapted from Ina Garten)

Ingredients:

• Vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon fine fleur de sel, plus extra for sprinkling
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Prep the pan:
2. Line an 8-inch-square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing it to drape over 2 sides, then brush the paper lightly with oil.
3. Boil the sugar:
4. In a deep saucepan (6 inches wide and 4 1/2 inches deep), combine 1/4 cup water, the sugar and corn syrup and bring them to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil until the mixture is a warm golden brown. Don't stir -- just swirl the pan.
5. Heat the cream:
6. In the meantime, in a small pot, bring the cream, butter and 1 teaspoon of fleur de sel to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat and set aside.
7. Finish the caramel:
8. When the sugar mixture is done, turn off the heat and slowly add the cream mixture to the sugar mixture. Be careful -- it will bubble up violently.
9. Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon and cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, until the mixture reaches 248 degrees F (firm ball) on a candy thermometer.
10. Fill the pan:
11. Very carefully pour the caramel into the prepared pan and refrigerate for a few hours, until firm.
12. Cut the caramel:
13. When the caramel is cold, pry the sheet from the pan onto a cutting board. Cut the square in half.
14. Roll it up:
15. Starting with a long side, roll the caramel up tightly into an 8-inch-long log.
16. Cut into pieces:
17. Sprinkle the log with fleur de sel, trim the ends and cut into 8 pieces. (Start by cutting the log in half, then continue cutting each piece in half until you have 8 equal pieces.) It's easier to cut the caramels if you brush the knife with flavorless oil like corn oil.
18. Wrap the candies:
19. Cut glassine or parchment paper into 4-by-5-inch pieces and wrap each caramel individually, twisting the ends.
20. Store in the refrigerator and serve the caramels chilled.

Vietnamese Chicken Sandwiches

(Adapted from Marcia Kiesel)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, plus more for spreading
• 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
• 2 carrots, halved crosswise and thinly sliced lengthwise
• 1/2 cup pickled cocktail onions, halved, plus 1/4 cup of the pickling liquid from the jar
• One 10-ounce baguette, split lengthwise and toasted, or four mini baguettes or rolls
• Sriracha or other hot sauce, for spreading
• 1 Kirby cucumber, very thinly sliced lengthwise
• Cilantro sprigs

Directions:

1. In a bowl, toss the chicken with the soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise and the shallot. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, in another bowl, mix the carrots with the pickled onions and their liquid and let stand for 1 hour.   
   
3. Heat a grill pan. Grill the chicken and shallot slices over high heat until charred and the chicken is just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side.

1. Spread mayonnaise on the cut sides of the baguette, then spread with Sriracha.
2. On the bottom half, layer the carrots, onions and cucumber, then top with the chicken and shallots.
3. Lay cilantro sprigs over the chicken and close the sandwich. Cut crosswise into 6 pieces and serve.

Grilled Chicken Sandwiches with Remoulade and Shaved Lemon

(Adapted from Annie Miller)

Ingredients:

• 4 thin chicken cutlets (1 1/4 pounds)
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 8 slices cut from a round loaf of semolina bread, or 4 mini baguettes
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon minced parsley
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped cornichons
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 scallion, finely chopped
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon capers, drained and chopped
• 1/2 lemon, sliced paper thin, plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 bunch watercress (6 ounces), large stems discarded

Directions:

1. Light a grill or preheat the broiler.
2. In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with the orange juice and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Let stand for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, brush both sides of the bread with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and grill until toasted, turning once.
4. In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise with the parsley, cornichons, mustard, scallion, garlic, capers and lemon juice.
5. Grill the chicken over high heat until lightly charred and cooked through, about 6 minutes.
6. Spread the remoulade on the toast.
7. Top with the chicken, a few slices of lemon and the watercress. Close the sandwiches, cut in half and serve.

Rosemary Gouda Beer Bread

I love beer. I love bread. I love rosemary. I love butter.

If you love all of those things, you'd better make this bread. 

Ingredients:

• 3 cups bread or unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 (12-ounce) can of beer
• 1 cup shredded gouda cheese
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Cover the bottom of a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper and lightly butter the sides; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to combine. Add beer; stir until just combined. Fold in 3/4 cup of the gouda cheese and rosemary.
3. Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top. Pour melted butter evenly over top of bread.
4. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the loaf from the oven and top with the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese.
5. Bake for an additional 15 minutes, until cheese is golden brown.
6. Serve warm.

Autumn Chicken Pot Pie

(Adapted from Anne Burrell)

Ingredients:

For the crust:

• 1 stick butter, cut into pea-size pieces
• 1 (8-ounce) container cream cheese, cut into pieces
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
• Pinch kosher salt
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 to 2 tablespoons cold water

For the filling:

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 3 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• Kosher salt
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
• 3 pounds skinless chicken legs and thighs (We used a pre-made rotisserie chicken from Costco!)
• 4 cups rich chicken stock, (preferably homemade)
• 3 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 1/2 cups 1/2-inch pieces haricots verts (Or green beans!)
• 6 sage leaves, finely chopped
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons of water, for egg wash

Directions:

To make the crust: 

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the butter, cream cheese, flour and salt. Pulse to combine.
2. Pulse until the ingredients start to come together and resembles Parmesan. Add the egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of water.
3. Pulse a couple of more times until the ingredients start to form a ball.
4. If the mixture is exceedingly wet, add some more flour. Or conversely, if the mix is dry, add in a few more drops of water.
5. When the mixture has come together into a ball, turn it out onto a floured work surface and knead it a couple of times to help it come together.
6. Dust it with flour, form it into a disk and wrap it in plastic wrap.
7. Refrigerate until ready to use. This can be done a day ahead. (If you're going to refrigerate it before using it, make sure you take it out about a half hour before you use it to allow it to warm up so it's easy to roll out.)

To make the filling:

1. Coat the bottom of a stock pot lightly with olive oil put over medium heat. Add the onions, celery and the carrots and sprinkle with salt, to taste.
2. Saute the vegetables for 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and sweat for another 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Season with salt, then add the chicken and the chicken stock. If the stock doesn't cover the chicken, add water until it does.
4. Bring the stock to a boil, over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 375 F.
6. While the chicken is simmering, add the butternut squash to a large bowl, drizzle with some olive oil and add salt, to taste.
7. Toss to coat the squash with the oil and transfer to a baking sheet.
8. Roast until the squash is cooked but still has some texture, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and reserve. Leave the oven on.
9. Add the roasted squash to the chicken and vegetables. Stir to combine and season with salt, if needed. Stir in the haricots verts and the chopped sage.
10. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the flour and stir to combine with melted butter. Cook stirring frequently until the mixture is the consistency of wet sand and is starting to turn a little beige, about 6 to 7 minutes.
11. Gradually whisk in the reserved chicken stock. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed.
12. When the stock is combined into the roux, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until it has a gravy-like consistency, about 20 to 25 minutes. If the gravy reduces too much and becomes too thick, whisk in a little more chicken stock or water.
13. Add the chicken mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish or 4 individual (2 cup) crocks.
14. Ladle the "gravy" over the chicken mixture until the dish(es) are 3/4 filled.
15. Dust a clean work surface with flour and roll the dough into the shape of the casserole dish or large enough to cut circles to cover the individual casserole dishes.
16. Whichever dishes are being used the dough needs to have generous overhang of dough on the edges of the dish.
17. Brush the outside edges of the dish with a little of the egg wash to help "glue" the dough to sides of the dish. Fold the edges of the dough under and press it onto the edges of the dish.
18. Brush the top of the dough with the remaining egg wash.
19. Cut a couple of vents in the top of the dough to allow the steam to escape.
20. Bake in the preheated oven until the dough is golden brown and the inside is hot and bubbly, about 30 to 35 minutes.
21. Remove from the oven and serve hot.

Tangy Sort-of Jerk Chicken

(Adapted from Steven Brown)

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• Kosher salt
• 1 small white onion, chopped
• 3 scallions, sliced
• 1 small habanero, stemmed
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground allspice
• 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon sugar1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Coke
• 1/4 tablespoon liquid smoke (optional)
• 1/4 cup canola oil, plus more for brushing

Directions:

1. Arrange the chicken on a large baking sheet and season generously with salt. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Rinse the chicken and pat dry.
2. Meanwhile, in a blender, puree the onion, scallions, habanero, garlic and ginger until chunky. Add the allspice, thyme, sugar, cayenne, black pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon and puree until very smooth.
3. Transfer the puree to a large bowl and whisk in the vinegar, orange juice, lime juice, soy sauce, Coke and liquid smoke, then whisk in the 1/4 cup of oil. Add the chicken and turn to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate overnight (I have also done the marinade for two hours, and it worked just fine!).
4. Light a grill and brush the grates with oil.
5. Transfer the chicken to a large plate.
6. Transfer the marinade to a medium saucepan and boil until reduced by half, about 15 minutes.
7. Brush the chicken with oil and grill over moderate heat for 25 minutes, until lightly charred and cooked through. 
   
8. Brush the chicken with some of the marinade and grill for 1 minute. Serve the chicken with the remaining reduced marinade.