Harvest Fruit Salad

This salad was inspired by the best salad in the world, Cosi's Signature Salad.


Ingredients:
2 cups mixed greens
1/2 cup red seedless grapes, sliced in half
1 Bosc pair, cut in small chunks
3 Tablespoons blue cheese
1/4 cranberry walnut salad topping (found near croutons)
Sherry salad vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Sherry salad dressing:

• 1/3 cup Sherry
• 1 tsp chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

To make dressing mix first 5 ingredients in a glass jar.  Add olive oil.  Shake vigorously before dressing salad.

Directions for Harvest Fruit Salad: Use enough dressing to lightly coat lettuce leaves.  Add grapes, pears, blue cheese, and cranberry walnut mix.

Gently toss.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Refrigerate left over sherry vinaigrette.  

Recipe serves 4-6 people.  

Easy Pumpkin Pie

This recipe makes two pies.  One pie for me, and another to share with the family.  

Feel free to use homemade pie crust or prepared frozen shells in this recipe.  If you can find French Picnic pastry circles, however, I highly recommend that product.  The dough is decadent, rich, and tastes homemade, without the hassle of making your own dough.  French Picnic pastry circles, if available, can be found in the frozen foods section.  

Ingredients (for 2 pies):

• 1 (30 ounce) can pure pumpkin (not canned pumpkin pie filling)
• 2 (14 ounce) cans fat free sweetened condensed milk
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 pre-made pie crusts

Directions:  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Prep pie crusts accordingly. 

Note: I thaw the frozen French Picnic pastry circles for 10 minutes and then mold the dough into pie pans.  This step does not have to be perfect people.  

Mix pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, and spices in a large bowl.  Pour pumpkin mixture evenly into each prepared pie crust.  

Bake the pies at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.  Then reduce heat to 350 degrees and cook an additional 40 minutes.  When the pie is done a knife inserted 1 inch from crust should come out clean.  Allow pies to cool before garnishing.  

I make these pies the night before serving allowing adequate time for pies to set.  I love sweetened and condensed milk alone, but it really adds to this recipe.  The pie is subtly sweet with a nice hint of spice and not too dense.  Combined with the French Circle pastry and you have a perfect buttery, light crust.  It's a winner all around.  

Whip cream makes an easy topping, but for something a little more special stay tuned for my easy glazed pistachio and bourbon cream topping.  

Mom's Delicious Cranberry Sauce

I apparently took a temporary hiatus from blogging, but I'm back in time for Thanksgiving.  To save time and frustration make some dishes ahead, like my mom's amazing and delicious cranberry sauce.  


Ingredients:

• 12-ounces fresh cranberries
• 1/2 cup organic raw cane sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice (squeezed from about 2 oranges) 
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/4 cup water

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Once boiling, reduce heat, and simmer for 12 minutes stirring occasionally.  Mixture will become thickened.  Cool completely and remove cinnamon stick.  Serve or refrigerate up to two days.  

Verdict: This cranberry sauce is a perfect mix of sweet and tart, with nice warm undertones.  For cranberry sauce phobics a bite of this fragrant sauce and they will become cranberry loving converts.  Don't thank me for bringing people to the cranberry bandwagon, thank my mom.