Professional Recipes Blog

October, what a great time of year. Halloween is such a fun holiday and combined with the harvest festivals and farm festivals that come right before, I always have fond memories of this time of year. October also means playoff MLB Baseball, the start of the NHL season and the NFL is in full swing. Lots of sports activities and lots of opportunities for some good eating!

The harvest brings out some fantastic foods such as apples, pumpkins, different varieties of squash, sweet potatoes and yams and all sorts of great fall food. I love pumpkins and squash myself and especially the apples. Hand picked right off the tree and fresh, delicious! And Apple Cider! Always a fall favorite whether chilled, warmed, or spiced with cinnamon. Hot Apple Cider on a cold October day warms the soul.

I always loved picking pumpkins and enjoy taking my own kids to pick pumpkins too. I always end up spending too much money but we enjoy decorating them for Halloween and making crazy designs. I’m the pumpkin artist in my family too, I guess you could say. Every year I try to do one intricate carving and something different from previous years and I usually take a few pictures so I’ll try to post some when I take some new ones.

The pumpkin pie always tastes best this time of year too. Here’s a quick and easy recipe for some homemade pumpkin pie:

Harvest Pumpkin Pie

Servings: 10; Cooking Time: Prep: 25 minutes, Cook: 105 minutes

Ingredients:
2 deep dish, unbaked pie shells, thawed
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten (for the leaves)
1 can (or 16 ounces fresh cooking pumpkins) pumpkin puree
⅔ cup firmly packed, light brown sugar
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground allspice
1 cup heavy cream
⅓ cup milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Roll out one pie shell with a rolling pin.
2. Using a paring knife, cut out leaves (as best as you can) of different sizes and then a large pumpkin shape. Make vines by wrapping dough around rolled up strips of tin foil.
3. Place the cut-outs on a baking sheet. Brush each with the egg yolk and bake until browned, about 2-4 minutes.
4. Remove decorations with a spatula and cool. Carefully slide the vines off of the foil to avoid breaking them.
5. Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and increase the heat to 400 degrees.
6. Place the remaining pie shell in a deep dish pie plate. Line the crust with foil. Fill the foil with dried beans and then bake for 8 minutes.
7. Remove beans and foil and prick the dough with a fork. Bake an additional 6 minutes, then transfer the pie plate to a wire rack to cool (completely).
8. In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, ginger, nutmeg and allspice. Mix it well.
9. Stir in the cream, milk, eggs and vanilla. Pour into the cooled crust.
10. Bake until the filling is just set and a knife or toothpick, inserted into the center, comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
11. Arrange pumpkin cutout in the center of the pie. Arrange the vines and leaves around the pie in a decorative pattern, placing the leaves around the outside edge.

Bake the filling without the crust in a greased, rectangular pan. Serve squares with a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon for a Harvest Custard. Also, when rolling the dough, lightly flour the rolling pan and work area to prevent the dough from sticking. You can also use wax paper on the top and bottom, and roll the dough between them.

You can print this recipe here: Harvest Pumpkin Pie

And here’s a recipe for some Candied Yams:

Candied Yams

Servings: 6-8, Cooking Time: Prep: 5-10 minutes, Cook: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients:
2 large cans of yams
2 cups of mini marshmallows
1 cup brown sugar
4-5 tbsp butter

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. Drain the juice off of your yams and place into a well-buttered glass baking dish.
3. Sprinkle the brown sugar over top and then top with the marshmallows.
4. Melt 2 tbsp of the remaining butter and sprinkle overtop the of marshmallows.
5. Increase or decrease brown sugar or marshmallows according to taste.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the marshmallows are lightly browned.

Simple, easy recipe for Thanksgiving or anytime. To increase, you can easily make 1 ½ or double the recipe.

You can print this recipe here: Candied Yams

Making Irish Potatoes for Saint Patrick’s Day is one of those things I look forward to every year. Not only does it mean that Saint Patrick’s Day is coming (when everyone becomes Irish for a day), but it means that Spring is right around the corner and the winter snow and cold weather is moving out for a while. We make these every year and often make extra to share with family and friends. It’s a classic recipe and so easy to make.

Here is the recipe for Irish Potatoes, which is our Featured Recipe:

Servings: 6-10

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 8oz. cream cheese, soft
• 16 oz. coconut, shredded
• 2 lbs. confectioner’s sugar
• 3 tbs. vanilla extract
• Ground cinnamon for topping and garnish or melted chocolate

Instructions:

• Mix together all of the ingredients, except the cinnamon, thoroughly.
• Roll into 1 to 1 & ½ inch balls (potatoes!)
• Roll in ground cinnamon, or melted chocolate according to taste!

This is our featured recipe on Professional Recipes, please vote if you like it!

You can print the recipe here: Irish Potatoes.

My wife loves my variation on the classic Chicken a l’Orange recipe and the other night I decided to whip it up for dinner. There was one problem; I was out of white wine! I know, I couldn’t believe it either. It was Sunday though and the liquor store was closed, unfortunately, so I looked around and bam! We had champagne! Champagne is a good substitute for white wine being similar in flavor and infuses quite well. We both love mimosa’s and I figured, what the hell, let’s make it a little different tonight. Out came the champagne and voila, Mimosa Chicken was born. Here’s the recipe:

Serves: 2

Time: 5 minutes prep, 30 minutes cooking time.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken breast, split and trimmed. If you wish, to cut the cooking time down, you can use a tenderizer to flatten the chicken some, reducing the cooking time in the oven.
• 1/2 cup champagne
• 1 cup orange juice, not concentrated
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• A pinch of fresh rosemary
• 2-3 drops of vanilla extract
• Salt and pepper to season the chicken, if desired
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil or whatever oil you desire (other oils add different flavors).

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 350° F.
• Season the chicken with the salt and pepper.
• In a medium skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium to medium-high heat.
• Add the chicken breasts to the pan and sear 5 minutes per side.
• Remove the chicken from the pan and place onto a baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.
• Using the same pan, over medium heat, add the champagne to deglaze the pan. Reduce by half.
• Add the orange juice, vanilla extract and rosemary and bring to a low simmer.
• Stir in the brown sugar until it dissolves. Simmer for 5 minutes.
• Remove the sauce from the burner and strain out the rosemary with a sieve.
• Return the sauce to the pan and bring it back to a low simmer.
• To thicken the sauce, use a tsp of corn starch mixed with water and slowly stir into the sauce to desired thickness.
• By this time the chicken should be cooked throughout. Serve the chicken over a bed of rice pilaf, or plain white or brown rice, and pour the sauce liberally over the top.

And there you have it. Simple, easy and it really does taste delicious! Feel free to omit the rosemary or vanilla extract, they just add a little extra, interesting flavor to the dish.

Being an avid fan of the Philadelphia Phillies, I follow a number of other Phillies fans on Twitter and I came across a particular tweet from a blogger who runs Phillies Nation putting together a cookbook for tailgating at baseball games. That’s right up my alley and I know I have some killer grilling recipes that are sure to be a hit with tailgaters everywhere. With spring training in full swing and baseball season fast approaching, this cookbook will be in the hands of tailgaters everywhere in the Philadelphia area and possibly beyond. What a great way to get some free publicity.

I submitted my Steak and Shrimp Kabobs recipe for inclusion into the cookbook. The way it works is the cookbook authors are going to try out each and every recipe submission and decide whether or not it’s worthy. I have a feeling they’ll be pleasantly surprised with this one. If not, I have a few more I might submit as well. Once I hear back, I’ll post an update here on the blog and pass along any information I find out about when it will be published.

Do you have a recipe that you think might make the cut? Send it in here: Philly Tailgate Cookbook.

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and it’s not always about how much money you spend for this day, but more often about the thoughtfulness of a gift or idea. One way to surprise your special someone is to bake them a delicious cake to enjoy after a romantic dinner. Here’s a hint guys, women really love it when a man can cook!

This Valentine’s Chocolate Heart Cake is sure to do the trick. It’s the Featured Recipe and a nice way to say Happy Valentine’s Day to your special someone:

Servings: 12

Preparation: 30-45 minutes / Cooking: 45 minutes

Ingredients:
* 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
* 1 cup less 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1 ¼ tsp baking soda
* 1/8 tsp salt
* ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) butter
* 2/3 cup granulated sugar
* 2/3 cup, firmly packed, brown sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 2 tsp vanilla extract
* 1 ¾ cups buttermilk

For the Frosting:
* 2 cups prepared frosting
* 2 cups whipped cream
* 1 pint fresh raspberries

Tools:

* 9-inch heart-shaped cake pan
* 2 pastry bags with small star tips
* Waxed paper

Instructions:
* Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of the pan with waxed paper. Grease the paper and all sides of the pan, and then dust with flour.
* In a medium bowl, mix flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
* Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla; mix until blended.
* At low speed, alternately beat flour mixture and buttermilk into butter mixture just until blended. Pour batter in prepared pan.
* Bake the cake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to wire rack; cool for 10 minutes.
* Turn out and remove the waxed paper. Turn the cake topside up and cool completely.
* Frost the cake evenly with chocolate frosting. Run the tines (forks) of a fork across the top of the cake to form a wavy pattern south-to-north across the cake (from the bottom of the heart to the top).
* Spoon any leftover frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Starting an inch from the edge, pipe out stars in a heart shaped pattern, following the edges of the cake. To make a star – squeeze the bag and lightly lift the tip to form the star.
* Fill another pastry bag with the whipped cream, fitted with a small star tip. Pipe around the top, outer edge, and along the bottom of the cake, forming a scroll pattern.
* Garnish with the raspberries!

You could substitute the chocolate frosting with white chocolate frosting or whipped cream!

Serve this dessert as a romantic finale to your Valentines’ Day with your sweetheart. If fresh raspberries are not available, use fruits in season or what is available like strawberries or blueberries.

Print this recipe here.

Be sure to check out the Featured Recipe page on the main site and place your vote for the Valentine’s Day Chocolate Heart Cake!

I’ve successfully moved the blog and all of its content to a new server and integrated it with the website, including a sleek new design! I hope everyone likes the new look of the blog and, when it’s finished, the new version of the main site. Check there for more recipes: Professional Recipes.

The blog has been reorganized by Topics and there is a Topic menu on the right side in ABC order for easy browsing. You can find the Latest Recipes from the website are also listed on the left with an RSS icon where you can subscribe to the Latest Recipes Feed! And lastly the blog is integrated with our Twitter account and Facebook page as well.

If you have any comments or suggestions for the blog or the new site coming soon, please leave a comment!

This is a nice recipe from Gordon Ramsey recipe with some personal touches added by our friends at Real Food Direct: Roast Leg of Lamb with Apples and Cider.

Enjoy!