Recipes from Iron Chef 2015

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/grilled-lime-coconut-chicken-with-coconut-rice-top-pinterest-find/

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/another-pie/

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/212397/spicy-pumpkin-chili/

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/244827/cornbread-waffles/

http://ourbestbites.com/2008/10/pumpkin-spice-ice-cream-sandwiches/

http://pinchofyum.com/chicken-bacon-pumpkin-pasta-bake

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/11/crepes-with-caramel-sauce-recipe.html

http://www.frugalnutrition.com/apple-bacon-pizza-with-pumpkin-sauce/

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/pumpkin-wontons-with-butterscotch-sauce

http://www.foodsofourlives.com/?s=pumpkin+crepes+with+pumpkin+cream+cheese+filling

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/ginger-toffee-cheesecake

http://thesoccermomblog.com/2015/06/17/healthy-barbecue-chicken-pizza-with-sweet-potato-crust/

Brussels Sprouts Salad

Bacon- cooked and crumbled

Brussels Sprouts

3/4 tsp Dijon Mustard

2 tsp Maple syrup

3 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar

4 TBSP Olive Oil

1/3 C. Craisins

1 C Walnuts

Salt & Pepper

Creamy Pumpkin Sauce

Makes about 3 cups

1 TBS Butter

1 Medium Shallot (or onion) chopped

1 1/4 C Pumpkin Puree

1 C Greek yogurt (you can use half heavy cream for less tangy sauce)

3/4 C Grated Parmesan Cheese

1/2 tsp salt

pinch of grated nutmeg

fresh ground pepper to taste

Melt Butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat, add shallot, a pinch of salt and saute for 4-5 minutes until translucent but not browned

Transfer to a blender, add pumpkin puree, Greek yogurt, Parmesan cheese, salt, nutmeg and black pepper.

Blend until the sauce is very smooth (a couple of minutes), adding more Greek yogurt depending on how thick you want the sauce to be.

Taste and adjust with seasoning.  Serve hot!

Pumpkin Bundt Cake

3 C. Flour

1 TBSP Cinnamon

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 C Unsalted butter, softened

1 3/4 C Sugar

4 large eggs

1 C. Pumpkin puree

1 C Greek Yogurt

2 tsp Vanilla extract

FOR THE GLAZE:

1/2 C Confectioners' sugar

1/2 TBSP Milk

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1 TBSP Pumpkin Puree

pinch of cinnamon

1 TBSP Unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Preheat oven 350 degrees.  Lightly coat 12 cup bundt pan with nonstick spray.  In large bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium high until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well combined.  Beat in pumpkin, yogurt and vanilla until well combined.  Gradually add flour mixture, one cup at at time, to the sugar mixture at low speed, beating just until incorporated.  

Scoop the batter evenly into the bundt pan.  Place into oven and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a tester unserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes before inverting the cake onto a wire rack.

To make the glaze, combine confectioners' sugar, milk, vanilla, pumpkin, cinnamon and butter.  Whisk until smooth.  If glaze is too thin, add more confectioners' sugar as needed.  Drizzle glaze evenly over the top of the cake, allowing to drip down the sides.

Allow glaze to set before serving.

Pumpkin Pie Shake

Paula Turner

2 C. Vanilla Ice Cream

1 C Milk (2% or fat free)

2/3 C packed brown sugar

2/3 C pumpkin purée 

3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

3 TBSP Whipped topping

* Can add more ice cream if desired)

Combine first 5 ingredients in a blender, process until smooth.  Pour 3/4 C. Mixture into each of 4 glasses.  Top with whipped cream, sprinkle extra pumpkin pie spice and min chocolate chips if desired.  

*You can add a handful of ice cubes and blend them in to help thicken shake.

Jello Pudding Salad

From Sariah Remington

1 large box jello, strawberry, peach or orange

1 large box non-instant vanilla pudding

3 1/2 cups water

1 (8-ounce) container Cool Whip

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Mix pudding, jello and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cook until transparent (no sugar crystals). Pour into a 9 x 13-inch dish and let set up in fridge. When ready, scrape out into bowl and whip with beaters. Add Cool Whip and beat until smooth. Add fruit of choice. 

Interior Decorating Notes

Decorating 101

Basic Accessorizing Tips

• Use odd numbers when decorating
• Keep a balance of different heights
• Have a few key pieces you use every season
• Use a variety of texture and color

Best Ways to Make a Change in Your Home

• Paint
• Switch up your pillows
• Freshen up your accessories
• Purchase a rug
• Repaint an old piece of furniture you currently have
• Move around your furniture into a new layout
• Add or change an accent color
• Redo your window treatments
• Add fresh flowers/live plants
• Take away clutter

The Life of Pie

Pie Crust

From Alison Randall

2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup shortening, (1/2 cup butter can be substituted for 1/2 cup of the shortening)

1/2-3/4 cup water

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Yield: 2 pie crusts

Measure flour and salt into a large bowl; stir to combine. Using a pastry blender, cut in the shortening (and butter, if using), until the lumps are pea-sized or slightly larger. With a fork, toss the flour/shortening mixture while slowly adding the water. Continue until the flour is evenly moistened and starts to cling together. You may need to add additional water to any dry patches. Gather the dough together and press into two balls. The dough should hold together but not be sticky. Generously flour a pastry mat or counter. Flatten one of the balls onto the floured board and then roll out with a rolling pin, using a light touch. Use the rolling pin to transfer the pastry to a 9-inch pie dish. Ease the pastry loosely into position but do not press it into the pie plate. Add desired filling. 

For a one-crust pie, trim the pastry, tuck ends under and crimp the edges. For a two-crust pie, roll out the second ball in the same manner as the first. Trim to fit. Fold in half to cut slits and transfer to top of pie. Unfold it, tuck the edges under and crimp, For a lattice crust, cut the rolled-out pastry into 1/2 strips and weave across the filling. A lattice crust is especially good for a juicy filling that needs lots of venting as it bubbles. (Berry pies, for example.) 

To beautify the top of the crust you can either brush it with one beaten egg plus one tablespoon of milk or water. Or brush it with milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar. 

I usually bake my two-crust pies at 350 degrees, no matter what the recipe says, to prevent over-browning. Adjust the baking time a few minutes longer to compensate for a lower temperature, if necessary. 

For a baked single crust (for cream pies, etc), prick crust all over with a fork and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. 

Trouble shooting: if your dough falls apart as you're rolling it out, it's too dry and needs more water. If the finished crust is tough, you may have over-mixed it (remember to toss, not stir), or the shortening lumps weren't left large enough. (Pastry gets its flakiness when the lumps of shortening melt and create little pockets of air.)  

(Note: I didn't have enough strawberries so I added some blackberries to this pie to make two cups berries.  Feel free to use any combination of berries that you like.)

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

2 cups chopped rhubarb

1 pint strawberries, sliced

4 tablespoons instant tapioca, rounded

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon butter

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Mix fruit, sugar and tapioca and let sit for 1/2 hour to allow strawberries and rhubarb to produce juice enough to soften the tapioca. Place filling in an unbaked pie shell and dot with butter. Top with lattice crush. Bake at 350° for one hour. Cover edges with foil during last 15 minutes of baking, if needed to prevent over browning. 

Sour Cherry Pie 

Prep Time: Prep 10 m Cook 40 m Ready In 2 h 50 m
Cook Time: 40 m

Total Time: 2 h 50 m

1 (15-ounce) package double crust ready-to-use pie crust

3 (15-ounce) cans pitted sour cherries, drained (Can also use 5 cups frozen tart cherries)

3 rounded tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca (Minute)

1 1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 teaspoon almond extract 1 tablespoon butter

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Mix the ingredients together and let sit for 3-5 minutes to let the tapioca soften. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pour filling into an unbaked pie crust and dot with butter. Top with a lattice crust. If desired, brush with milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake in the preheated oven for 50-55 minutes. If needed, cover edges with tinfoil during the last 15 minutes to prevent over browning. Serve warm or cold, topped with ice cream. 

Tomato Basil Cucumber Salad

From Jessie Eyre

Fresh, chopped tomato

Fresh, chopped cucumber

Freshly shredded basil

1 lemon, squeezed over the top

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2-1 teaspoon salt and pepper

1/2 - 1 teaspoon turmeric

Strawberry Spinach Salad

spinach

strawberries, sliced

red onion, chopped

Candied almonds

raspberry or strawberry vinaigraitte

Moon Fluff

From Ashley Lloyd

1 (16-ounce) container cottage cheese

1 (8-ounce) container Cool Whip

1 (3-ounce) package raspberry jello

1 (20-ounce) can pineapple tidbit, drained

1 (11-ounce) can mandarin orange, drained

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Mix together cottage cheese, Cool Whip, and jello mix. Fold in pineapple and mandarin oranges.
Note: This really is the easiest jello salad on the planet. One little tip: pat the fruit dry with a paper towel after draining to remove as much excess moisture as possible. Other than that, it's fail-proof.