Autumn In the wings!

Another season is shyly moving in. The White Linen couch cover will be replaced with the Burnt Sienna Suede Cover. The Scarlet wool blanket will once again live on the sofa to chase the coolness away. It is currently 95 Degrees and the air conditioner is chugging away, as it has nearly all summer. However, the new magazines have been drifting in and my senses are being tweaked. I love autumn and the vibrant color, and I surround myself with them. Goodbye Summer. Hello Autumn!!

Apple Dumplings

Ingredients
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup dried, sweetened cranberries
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
refrigerated pastry for an 8 inch 2 crust pie
4 small, cored baking apples
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup water

Instructions
Combine the raisins, cranberries, walnuts and spices in a bowl and set aside. Roll out the pastry into a 14-inch square, then cut it into 4 squares. Place a cored apple on top of each square and fill the center with the raisin and cranberry mix.
Cover each apple with its pastry square by bringing the opposite corners up over the fruit and pinching them together. Then, seal together all of the pastry edges, moistening them with water if needed. Place the dumplings in a glass baking dish.
In a saucepan, bring the brown sugar and water to a boil, and then pour it over the dumplings. Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven, spooning the syrup over the dumplings a few times, until the crust is golden (about 40 minutes).

Home is where the Hearth Is.

Spending the weekend with a cooking afficianado, causes the mind to wander into the design of ovens and fireplaces.



Chicken and Leek Pie

* 6 cups Chicken, chopped
* 2 cups leeks, chopped
* 1 cup shortcrust pastry
* 1 cup Ham, sliced
* 1 cup onions, chopped
* 3/4 cup chicken stock
* 1/4 cup heavy cream
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper
* 1 pinch nutmeg, ground


Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Make pastry. In a deep baking dish, place the Chicken, leeks, Ham and Onion in layers. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Pour chicken stock. Cover with the pastry. Brush top with milk. Before putting the dish in the oven, make a small hole in the middle of the pie. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Heat cream and pour down hole. Serve hot or cold.

Sunday Spirit

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from:http://rangdecor.blogspot.com

It is no surprise to my friends that my style is rather eclectic. I have a tiny pocketbook and I rent, so my tastes are adapted to the area around me. I tend toward naturalistic representations and have an interest in very old things and asian style furnishings. I like all color and try to bring as much as I can into the room without assaulting your eyes. I find that accenting in moveable spaces helps to overcome the "apartment" problems. After all, landlords really don't like it when you modify permanent elements on their properties.






Method to make this recipe : sag (palak) paneer:
2 and 1/2 cups of Fresh spinach
Paneer
2 Onions grated Ginger
Garlic paste
5-6 tbsp oil
1 tsp pure ghee
Garam masala to taste
Red chili powder to taste
1 tsp cumin powder
Salt To Taste

* Clean and wash spinach nicely.
* Boil the spinach in water and cool it.
* Now mash it in a mixer.
* Heat oil in a pan. Add ginger-garlic paste and stir-fry for a minute.
* Now add onions and fry till golden brown.
* Add all spices except red chili powder.
* Now add the spinach (palak) and little water if needed and cook for 4-5 minutes.
* Cut paneer into pieces (Paneer can be fried to golden brown in a seperate pan or can be used as it is).
* Add Paneer pieces to the gravy and cook until done.
* Take out in a bowl.
* Just before serving, heat pure ghee in a small pan.
* Hold the pan over bowl, add chili powder and immediately pour on the indian palak paneer.
* Caution: Don't allow chili powder to burn .


How To Make Paneer

Ingredients of this recipe:

4 and 1/2 cups of Milk
1/2 tsp lemon juice

Method to make this recipe:

* Boil the milk in a pan.
* When it's boiling add lemon juice while stirring.
* When milk curdles full turn off the gas and keep aside for 5 minutes.
* Pour it on to a cotton/muslin cloth and tie it with a tight knot.
* When all the water is drained from the paneer shape it into a rectangular block.
* Now place the cloth under heavy weight for 2-3 hours before using it.

And thus it begins

http://oursuburbancottage.blogspot.com

A place for Home, Hearth, and all that Inspires me.



Butter Tarts

Yield: 1 dozen deep-dish tarts (6 plain and 6 pecan)

INGREDIENTS FOR TART SHELLS
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup CRISCO All-Vegetable Shortening, well chilled (you can definitely sub. unsalted butter for the shortening)
• 4-8 tablespoons ice cold water

DIRECTIONS FOR TART SHELLS
Blend the flour and salt in medium bowl. Cut 1/2 inch (1.5cm) cubes of chilled shortening into flour mixture using a pastry blender or two knives, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces remaining.

Sprinkle 4 tablespoons of the ice cold water over the flour mixture. Using a fork, stir and draw flour from bottom of bowl to the top; press chunks down to bottom of bowl with fork. Add more water by the tablespoon, mixing until dough holds together.

Divide dough in two. Flatten balls into 1/2 inch (1.5cm) thick disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes or up to 2 days.

Roll out dough and cut out circles to fit into regular muffin pans. Mine needed 4.5 inch (11.5cm) circles. I didn't have a biscuit cutter big enough, so I used to the lid of the biscuit cutter container. Use whatever you have! A large drinking cup? Perfect! For deep-dish you want the circles big enough so that the sides go all the way up to the top of the muffin cup. If you make yours a little smaller, that's fine too. You will just end up with more butter tarts.

So, finish filling the 12 muffin cups in your pan. When that's done, put it in the fridge to rest while you make the filling.

INGREDIENTS FOR FILLING
• 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts or raisins
• 1/2 cup soft butter
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup corn syrup
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS
Remember, we're doing a deep-dish batch with half nut/raisin and half plain. If you want all nut/raisin, or all plain, you're going to have to adjust the amounts of everything.

If using raisins: In a small bowl, place raisins and cover with hot tap water; let stand on the counter for 30 minutes.

In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, mix together the soft butter, brown sugar, salt and corn syrup; stir well until sugar is dissolved and butter is creamed.

Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.

Drain raisins, if using.

Retrieve tart shells and divide nuts/raisins equally into 6 shells; then divide butter mixture into all tarts.

Bake at 400°F for 18-22 minutes; filling will be lightly browned but still bubbling.

Let cooked butter tarts cool in pans for 10 minutes after removing from oven; then remove and place on racks until completely cool.