I recently made this as a spin on the recipe in October Everyday Food for Turkey with Balsamic Pears. Instead of the turkey, I used 4 small chicken breasts. This recipe seemed to take forever to make! I guess there were just a lot of steps and different combos to cook at different times. It turned out nicely though. If  I made this again, I think I would cook the chicken only about halfway first, then I would add it back in when I added the pears, so that the flavors of the sauce could permeate the chicken more. I might even marinate the chicken in the broth/balsamic/mustard mix for a bit.

I really enjoyed having pears in a completely different way. It was a nice fall meal.

I recently made this as a spin on the recipe in October Everyday Food for Turkey with Balsamic Pears. Instead of the turkey, I used 4 small chicken breasts. This recipe seemed to take forever to make! I guess there were just a lot of steps and different combos to cook at different times. It … Read more →

It was a cold night and I was down in the dumps. The cure? Cozy, warm, fall comfort food. I put together this tian (which is kind of like a gratin, minus all the tons of butter and cream) and let it slowly cook in the oven. It came out perfectly – pretty and tasty. It serves 4 with leftovers.

1 parsnip, peeled, thinly sliced

1/8 large sweet onion thinly sliced

15 baby carrots, thinly sliced

1/2 rutabaga, peeled and thinly sliced

2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

Salt and pepper

Thyme

Olive oil

1/4 cup heavy cream

Cut a 24 inch piece of parchment. Make about a 9 inch circle with the parsnips, layering them over each other around the circle and in the middle. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and thyme. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle half the onions on top. Layer carrots on top of this and repeat salt, pepper, thyme, oil, onion. Then layer rutabaga, repeating seasonings and toppings. Layer potato slices on top, repeating toppings again. Pour cream over the entire thing. Fold the parchment (see Technique page on this blog) – for this one I used the folded ends instead of the twisted ends. Bake at 350 for an hour.

You could add chopped garlic to this, grated cheese (Parmesan would be my pick, included in the layers), or 1/4 cup milk to boost the creaminess. You could also drizzle with melted butter instead of olive oil for a deeper flavor. I liked it being pretty basic and was able to enjoy all the flavors of the vegetables.

It was a cold night and I was down in the dumps. The cure? Cozy, warm, fall comfort food. I put together this tian (which is kind of like a gratin, minus all the tons of butter and cream) and let it slowly cook in the oven. It came out perfectly – pretty and tasty. … Read more →

This is one of my favorite fall dishes. I make it every year. It’s hearty, warm, smoky, rich, and cheesy. It freezes well also. The kids don’t like this very much and Mr. MarthaAndMe is lukewarm about it, but I could eat this every night and be a happy camper.

Peel and cut one butternut squash into even 1 inch pieces. Roast on a baking sheet with a few tbsp of olive oil at 425 for about half an hour, until it is soft and beginning to brown.

Start with 4 ounces of chopped pancetta (you can use bacon if you prefer). Cook it in a large pot. Remove the pancetta when lightly browned, leaving grease. Add 1 chopped white onion, adding a little olive oil if necessary. Cook until translucent.

Add 1 cup risotto and stir to coat it with the oil and onion. Cook for about 2 minutes. Begin adding chicken stock, following instructions on your risotto package for how much water and/or stock to use (I use mostly stock with some water). Add salt and pepper to taste and 1 tbsp thyme. Cook until risotto is done. Add the squash and pancetta. Stir until heated through. Add 8 ounces of cubed fontina cheese. Stir and serve.

To die for. A bowl of this on a fall evening and I feel comfy and cozy and well fed!

This is one of my favorite fall dishes. I make it every year. It’s hearty, warm, smoky, rich, and cheesy. It freezes well also. The kids don’t like this very much and Mr. MarthaAndMe is lukewarm about it, but I could eat this every night and be a happy camper. Peel and cut one butternut … Read more →