OMG! Pumpkin Cheesecake

Sorry that the picture isn't the best as it was taken after a couple glasses of wine and Amaretto...but yes, that's right...OMG Pumpkin Cheeeeeeesecake. I can't tell you how great this cheesecake turned out even from scratch. I wanted to make something a little different for Thanksgiving and it was devoured almost immediately even by those that don't like cheesecake (yes, people that don't like cheesecake really exist...go figure)! I plan to make this for some upcoming holiday parties that I'm sure will impress.

I actually came across this recipe on a coupon believe it or not. I was so drawn to the idea of pumpkin cheesecake that I decided to go for it making my own modifications of course to deliver a totally GoldenBrown one-of-a-kind! Being that this was my first ever homemade cheesecake, it really wasn't very hard or intimidating at all. However...you are required to have some key items in order for it to turn out perfectly that include:

1. Spring form pan....don't have one? Forget it.

2. Parchment paper.

3. Wide piece of foil to cover the bottom of the pan without having to use two pieces.

If you have those three items, plus the required ingredients...you're golden. Now be the foodie that you are or wanna be and just do it!

Crust
2 cups ginger cookies, ground
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 cup salted butter, melted

Filling
2 (8 oz.) pkgs of softened cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 (15 oz.) can of pumpkin
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350F.

Cut out a piece of parchment paper the same diameter of your pan and line the bottom of your pan. Ground up the ginger cookies however you want, blender, processor, ziplock and a rolling pin, etc., either way just make sure you don't have any big chunks. Combine the rest of the crust components and press evenly into the bottom of your pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, remove it, cool it...and turn oven down to 325F.

Make sure the cream cheese is at room temp. Mix the cream cheese until smooth and beat/mix in the sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. In a separate bowl mix together the pumpkin, sour cream and remaining spices/salt...then gently combine with the cream cheese mixture by hand. Pour into your cooled pan. Place on your much needed wide piece of foil and tightly wrap the bottom on your pan so that no water can leak in there and ruin your crust! Place your pan into a large roasting pan and fill the roasting pan with hot water about half way up the sides of your pan. Like any cheesecake, the water bath will prevent your cake from drying out and cracking. Bake for 1 hour, turn off the heat and leave in the oven for 1 more hour. Remove and let cool and either chill it or you can freeze it until about an hour before serving (my preference).

Sweet Roasted Chestnuts

I've always wanted to do the ole tradition of roasting chestnuts...maybe not over an open fire as my oven would suffice. I got this idea from a show I recently watched where they made drunken chestnuts....I know right? So I had to try it. The peeling was painful....but totally worth it in the end. Burned thumbs and sticky nuts...sounds good to me!

1lb whole chestnuts
4tbls salted butter
4tbls sugar
Sprinkle of cinnamon
1/4cup dark rum (optional)

Preheat oven to 400F

Make a slit in each chestnut with the point of a sharp knife to prevent the chestnuts from bursting. Roast the chestnuts in a shallow dish or baking sheet for 20 minutes. Peel the shell of the chestnuts while they are still warm. In a pan melt the butter over medium heat, add the peeled chestnuts. Sprinkle with sugar. Let cook for about 7 minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Remove the pan from heat and add in the rum...be careful! Cook for another 10 minutes until alcohol has been cooked out and the liquor is syrupy. Cook longer if needed.

Serve hot!

Harvest Chicken

When the weather is getting chilly...and I mean really cold, what better than inviting family and friends over for a mini feast of roasted chicken and harvest vegetables. Being that I had just invited a group of family and friends over for pumpkin carving, cocktails and the hockey game...I figured I'd serve them up some friendly comfort food. Chili...naw...stew...maybe....roasted chicken...perfect. This dish was not only easy and really tasty, but it also displayed itself beautifully on the platter.

1 whole chicken cut up (I bought it precut)
1/2-1lb of tri colored fingerling potatoes cut in halves
5 parsley roots chopped in large pieces
4 large celery stalks chopped
4 large carrots peeled and chopped
3 small shallots chopped in large pieces
3 large garlic cloves smashed
2 sprigs of rosemary
Handful of fresh sage leaves
4 tblsp of salted butter
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Generously season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. (Set the backbone aside to make stock with). In a large cast iron/ceramic pot over medium-high heat add about 2 tblsp of the butter and place a few pieces of the chicken in skin side down. Don't overcrowd the pot as you may need to brown the chicken in batches. Brown the chicken on both sides until they have a nice golden crust, but don't cook all the way through. Once all of the chicken is nicely browned, set aside while you prepare the vegetables.

In a large roasting pan add in all of the vegetables, potatoes and rosemary. It's important that all of the vegetables and potatoes are about equal in size. Pour some olive oil over them then season with salt and pepper. Mix together with your hands so that they are all coated with the oil and seasoning. Place the chicken on top of the veggies and place in the oven and cook for 45-50 minutes. In a small sauce pan, add the rest of the butter and sage to melt together. Baste the chicken with the sage butter every 10 minutes.

Spicy Chicken Udon

Chicken, fat noodles and salt? Come on...that's like one of the best comfort food combos ever. Debating on what to make for dinner with limited ingredients, this little spicy gem was born. I had just completed my first take of making my very own sushi at home which turned out to be pretty successful (guess what is soon to debut?) I had some lil' additions I had picked up at the Japanese market I visited. Don't let the words "Udon" or "Siracha" intimidate you as you can find these items easily at any grocery store....BUT...if you can't find the Udon....just use any type of rice noodle. Pffft...even ramen noodles would suffice. If you've even been to any Chinese or Japanese...any Asian place to eat they usually have a big bottle of Siracha on every table. This dish is totally up to you....don't like spice? Then don't add the spice! Want more veggies? Add some slice mushrooms, pea shoots, water chestnuts, zucchini...whatever! Just do it...because it's that damn good.

2 small chicken breast portioned into small pieces
2 packages of unseasoned Udon noodles (already cooked)
1 cup of chopped spinach (thawed and drained if frozen)
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup of red onion (large pieces)
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
3 tblsp canola or peanut oil
1 tsp red pepper flake
Black pepper
Soy Sauce
Siracha chili sauce (optional)
Black sesame seeds (optional)

In a large wok or fry pan over high heat add the oil and chicken. Add a splash of soy sauce for seasoning. Move the chicken around so it doesn't burn until it is almost cooked. Add the onion and garlic and continue moving around to avoid burning for about 3 minutes. Add in the spinach that has been thawed and drained, red pepper flakes and some pepper for taste. Be sure it is drained to avoid the dish from becoming watery. Cook for another 5 minutes....stirring more of course. Turn down the heat slightly and add the noodles. Since they are usually tightly packed...let them sit for a bit before breaking them up to avoid tearing the noodles. Add in the stock and cook until everything looks well combined and tasty! Taste for seasoning. If you need more salt...add more soy. Want more spice? Wait for the Siracha OR add in more red pepper flakes. (TIP! When adding red pepper flakes to any dish, rub them between your fingers to break them up a bit. This releases their oils...the oils that carry the heat!) OK...you're done. Serve that up in a nice wide bowl, garnish with Siracha and sesame seeds and eat with some fun chop sticks! Oh...don't forget the pear flavored Saki.

ああそう良い！
(oh so good!)

Caprese Salad

On nights that I do not want to really cook, my husband and I always put together "snack plates". Like a antipasti plate..we switch it up with dips, sausages, cheeses, olives, etc. A caprese salad is one of the easiest and tastiest...and looks pretty too.

Fresh mozzarella
Fresh Basil leaves
5-6 cherry tomatoes
Salt and pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

I'm not even sure that directions are needed, but just in case....

Slice the mozzarella into thin slices and lay them on a platter slightly overlapping each other. Slice the tomatoes thin and place all over the platter and cheese. Chiffonade the basil leaves and sprinkle over the cheese and tomatoes. Salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.

Almond Biscotti

Ever want just a little something with your morning coffee that's just a bit sweet? Most of my choices at home usually consist of nothing since I try not to keep sweets around the house. And when at work....forget it...my choices are complete junk like donuts, cookies, and just plain bad. This biscotti is the perfect choice, because it's just a little bit sweet with the taste of almonds. I've made biscotti before and with each batch they get better and better.

3 eggs
1/4 vegetable oil
1 tablespoon Almond extract
1 cup sugar
3 1/4 cups flour
1 tblsp baking powder
1/2 cup chopped almonds

Preheat oven to 375F

Mix the sugar, eggs, oil and extract together. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Add dry mixture into the egg mixture until thick and well combined. Mix in the almonds, save some to top the biscotti. Form the mixture into a long loaf on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. *When forming into a loaf, be sure to shape the dough into the form you want your biscotti to come out. Don't make it too thick as it will rise slightly when baking. Top with remaining almonds. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Once removed from the oven, let cool. Once cooled slice into 1/4 inch thick slices. Place the cookies back onto the baking sheet and bake for another 6-10 minutes until slightly golden.

Butter Crunch Parsley Potatoes

As the French would say....crunchy bonté beurre...oui!

All in a hard days work....not! In liu of office speak, a client had hinted to a potato she serves up every Thanksgiving that is not only a family treasure, but it's crunchy! I just had to try for myself even though this would totally defeat the purpose of my low carb week....eh whatever. I just happened to have some baby golden yukons, fresh parsley and chilled Pinot lying around. With an important paper due for school, pending work tasks that I could have gotten a head start on over the weekend and a multitude of household tasks....I got straight to cookin'....all...freakin...day. It was great....the food too. :)

1 lb of baby Yukon Gold potatoes
4 tblsp salted melted butter
Handful of fresh parsley leaves chopped
Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 350F

Pour about 3 tablespoons of the melted butter in the bottom of a shallow baking dish that is large enough for all of the potatoes. Sprinkle in the chopped parsley. Cut the potatoes in half and place cut-side down into the dish. Pour the remaining butter over the top of potatoes and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Place in the over and roast for 25-35 minutes until fork tender and the bottoms are golden brown and crunchy.