Fall Recipe Preview....

I was in AC Moore this morning and all I saw was fall flower arrangements, Halloween decorations and crafts. As much as I love summer, fall is my favorite season. I love decorating for Halloween, trick or treaters, apple picking, cooking Thanksgiving dinner, sitting in front of a fire in my den. So...now that I am all in the mood for fall...LOL.....

Spiced Hot Apple Cider

2 quarts apple cider
2 cinnamon sticks
6 whole cloves
1 teaspoons whole all spice
1/4 cup brown sugar
8 orange slices

Combine all ingredients except oranges in a sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve into mugs or glass pitcher. Garnish with orange slices.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

For the crust -
1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick melted salted butter

For the cheesecake -
3 - 8 oz packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 - 15 oz can pumpkin puree
3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In medium bowl, combine crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter. Press down flat into a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.
Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, sugar and the spices. Add flour and vanilla. Beat together until well combined.
Pour into crust. Spread out evenly and place oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Beef Stew with Barley

2 pounds beef chuck for stew
1 cup barley
1 package mushrooms
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 carrots, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
4 cups beef stock
1/2 cup red wine
Salt and pepper

Lightly coat a large dutch oven with oil and place over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot and working in batches, add a layer of meat to the bottom of the pot. Let sear for 2 to 3 minutes until golden-brown. Do the same for all side of the beef cubes. Sear the remaining meat in batches. Place the seared cubes in a dish and keep warm. If there are any dripping in the pot after the last batch is finished, pour it over the cubes.
Heat one teaspoon of oil in the pot and cook the onions with a pinch of salt until they are translucent and brown around the edges. Add the mushrooms and another pinch of salt and cook until golden-brown. Add the celery and carrots and cook until just softened.
Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the thyme and bay leaf.
Pour the wine into the pan scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the wine reduce down until almost evaporated.
Add the meat and any drippings back to the pot. Pour in the beef broth and top with enough water to just cover the meat and vegetables. Bring the stew to a boil, then reduce the heat to very low.
Cover the pot and let it simmer for 1 hour. Add the barley and cook for another 45 minutes until the barley is cooked and the meat is almost falling apart. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with crusty Italian bread or over buttered egg noodles.

Butternut Squash Soup

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed, about 6 cups
5 cups water
1/2 cup half and half
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 large onion, diced
2 chicken bouillon cubes
2 garlic cloves, minced
Sour cream

In a Dutch oven combine the squash, water, potatoes, onion, bouillon and garlic. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Using an emulsion blender, puree mixture. Return to a low heat and stir in the half and half, cooking until heated through. Place soup into serving bowls and serve with a dollop of sour cream.

Footnotes - They sell frozen cubed butternut squash in the frozen vegetable section. This saves the time it takes to cook the squash yourself.