An Inspired Kitchen

Raisin Rosemary Crisps with Quince Jam and Goat Cheese

If you need a quick appetizer for a party ~ try these Raisin Rosemary Crisps with Quince Jam and Goat Cheese!  I was so happy to find that Trader Joe’s carries these new crackers that are similar to some very expensive and delicious crackers I buy on occasion.  For an easy last minute appetizer, put some crackers on a plate with a log of goat cheese and a little jar of quince jam and let your guests make their own crackers.  You can also use fig or apricot jam. 

Thai Butternut Squash and Red Lentil Soup

This is my friend Laura’s recipe and it’s really good.  It seems very healthy and it’s hearty with butternut squash, red dal lentils, coconut milk, bok choy, cilantro, a little peanut butter and ginger.  I cheat and buy already diced butternut squash at Trader Joe’s to make the soup even easier to make.  I made a double batch and froze some in individual containers for a quick lunch.  Click here for recipe….  It’s 8 WW points 

Pumpkin Pie

One of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving is dessert and I especially love a good pumpkin pie.  I have roasted my own pumpkins in the past and made a puree for my pie, but I am happy to use a good quality can of pumpkin and make things more simple.  I never buy the pumpkin puree that already has the spice mix.  I like to add my own.  I use dark brown sugar for a rich caramel flavor in the pie, and evaporated milk and heavy cream in the filling for a rich texture.   I always use a fresh nutmeg seed (buy them in the bulk spice section so you can buy a few at a time and keep them fresher) that I grate into anything I am making, and love to use the other traditional pumpkin pie spices of cinnamon and cloves.  I use leftover pie dough and with some little leaf cookie cutters, make little decorations so each guest has a decoration on their piece of pie.  Click here for the recipe….

Chocolate Truffle Tart with Chocolate Hazelnut Crust and Raspberry Coulis

Tiffany requested a chocolate tart for her birthday and this has to be one of my favorite chocolate desserts so I am glad she asked!  The chocolate ganache is so smooth and silky and the toasted hazelnuts in the chocolate graham cracker crust are delicious.  The contrast of the bittersweet raspberry coulis with the chocolate is a classic pairing. I made the crust in the food processor and pressed it into the tart pan.  The ganache is really easy to make by heating up some cream and adding the chocolate pieces (I used Lindt Excellence bars finely chopped) a little bit of honey and some butter.  You bake the crust for 15 minutes and let it cool completely, and then you add the melted chocolate mixture and put it in the refrigerator to set.  You can also freeze the tart.  I made a raspberry coulis with some frozen raspberries that I slightly thawed and put through a sieve.  I always add powdered sugar to taste because it melts easily into the sauce and the cornstarch in the powdered sugar gives the sauce some body.  You can make it several days ahead.  Click here for the recipe….

Mexican Lasagna

This is a delicious casserole and even though it has a few steps, it is so worth it in the end.  You layer tortillas with taco meat, a cream cheese and sour cream mixture, black beans, salsa and top it off with enchilada sauce and lots of cheese.  This dish freezes well and is also a great dish to take to a pot luck.  Make it as spicy or mild as you like.  Click here for the recipe….

Everyday Menu Planning and Inspiration

I am really enjoying writing my food blog and a huge thank you to all of you who read it and send me comments.  I really appreciate it and I love hearing from people who have made something they saw on my site.  It inspires me to keep writing!  Then it dawned on me… I have quite a few things I make, but probably like everyone else, there are about 10 things I seem to make all the time.  It made me panic that I am going to run out of food I cook on an everyday basis and I can’t keep posting the same things over and over!  I would be a little more experimental with my cooking but my 94-year old father-in-law lives with us, so I try and keep his meat and potato sensibility in mind when I am deciding what to cook.  I have had him stretch his culinary boundaries a bit and he actually likes some Chinese, Thai and Indian food now which makes me happy.  I think it’s important that making dinner most nights not always be a search for inspiration and something new, but a return to basic comfort food and recipes you know by heart and can put together quickly for a healthy, nutritious, homemade dinner.  I came up with a template for winter and summer that I write some of the dishes my family likes as well as a few new recipes so I can glance at it before I go to the grocery store and plan the meals for a few days and not get stuck in a rut with no idea of what to make.  Hope this helps you as well.  Click here to print out….

Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love to bake and these cookies have the unexpected little crunch of Heath Bar chips and chocolate chips which make them really yummy.  You can buy a bag of them in the chocolate chip section.  I sometimes like to put toasted almonds or pecans in them as well.  It’s best to refrigerate the dough before you bake them to make sure they don’t flatten out too much when they bake.  Click here for the recipe….