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My family loves any excuse to get together for a lovely evening and celebrating something - anything really.  Halloween happens to be one of my favorites and we created a tradition a few years ago with this delicious Roasted Potato Soup; new this year - my Pumpkin Walnut Cookies...

Recipes:

Roasted Potato Soup {serves 6-8}

~ 6 large Russet potatoes {cubed}

~ 1 T. olive oil

~ 2 cloves of garlic {minced}

~ salt & pepper

~ 1 stick of butter

~ 1 small white onion {chopped}

~ 6 c. chicken stock

~ 2 c. heavy cream

~ 8 oz. cheddar {shredded}

Begin by tossing the chopped potatoes in the olive oil, garlic and a bit of salt and pepper; pour onto a baking sheet and roast at 425 for 20-30 minutes or until golden.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large stock/soup pot.  Add onions and saute until they begin to turn a deep golden color; add chicken stock and let simmer for 15 minutes.  Add heavy cream and cheese - whisk in and bring to a slow boil - turn heat down and simmer for 30 minutes.  When the potatoes are done - add them to the soup {it doesn't matter at what point they go in - just keep in mind the earlier they go in, the softer they will be in the end}.  If you prefer a thicker soup, add a slurry of milk and cornstarch.  Serve with toasted baguette slices and garnish with shredded cheddar.

Pumpkin Walnut Cookies

~ 2 sticks of butter

~ 1 1/2 c. sugar

~ 2 eggs

~ 1 t. vanilla extract

~ 1 c. canned pumpkin

~ 3 c. flour

~ 2 1/2 t. baking soda

~ 1 1/4 t. cinnamon

~ 1/4 t. nutmeg

~ 1/8 t. cloves

~ 1 c. walnuts {finely chopped}

Preheat oven to 350.  Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy; add eggs and vanilla and mix thoroughly.  Add pumpkin and mix well {batter will look broken - don't worry - it's not}.  In another bowl mix all of the dry ingredients - slowly add to wet and then fold in walnuts.  On a prepared cookie sheet lined with parchment - scoop out dough into 1 1/2 inch balls - do not flatten the dough.  Bake for 15 minutes and let cool for a few minutes before moving to a cooling rack.   These are best served warmed as they have a wonderfully light, cakey finish - warm in the toaster oven and serve with a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream...

At least once a month we try to come together as a family to take a slow meal by the Sabbath lights.  Laughter and song fill the air and we take joy in just being together.  Last night happened to be one of those special nights.  For the occasion, I made a delicious Apple-Brandy Roasted Chicken {an idea that came to me after my Dad gave me his insanely yummy Thanksgiving turkey recipe several years ago - more to come on that}, Roast Potatoes and Apples with Tarragon {Mom's ingenious idea to toss apples into the mix} and Chocolate Cinnamon Walnut Mandel Bread {or Mandelbrot - basically Jewish Biscotti}...

Note:  If you plan on replicating this whole menu, start with the Mandel Bread either earlier in the day or even the day before.

p.s.  forewarning - this recipe is not exactly kosher - but neither are we...

Recipes:

Apple Brandy Chicken {serves 6}

~ 4-5 lb. organic whole roasting chicken

~ 8 oz. butter

~ 1/2 c. apple butter {jarred or your own - recipe for this coming soon}

~ 1/2 c. brandy

~ sea salt and fresh cracked pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine apple butter, 4 oz. of butter and brandy on stove top to melt or in microwave - heat until just melted and whisk until combined - set aside.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper rubbing all over the skin.  Gently slip hand near neck cavity of the chicken and begin to slowly and carefully separate the skin from the body - you are not removing the skin, just creating a pocket to add flavor.  Work the entire topside of the bird including the leg area  - be very careful not to tear the skin. 

Place a large pot on your strongest burner - melt the remaining 4 oz. of butter over the heat.  Stand the chicken up on it's legs and pour about 3/4 of the apple brandy mixture into the envelope you have created.   Once the bird is full and the butter has melted, place the bird topside down into the pot.  The butter should be hot enough that this contact results in delightful sizzling and popping sounds.  Brown each side for a few minutes {3-5 min}.  When all sides have been browned, baste the bird with some of the remaining sauce and place the entire pot into your oven uncovered.  Due to the sugar content in the brandy and the apple butter, it will brown {sort of caramelize} quite quickly.  Keep an eye on it and cover the pot with tin foil once it has achieved your ideal for color.  Baste every 20 minutes or so - roast for 1 hour 40 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 160.

Roast Potatoes and Apples with Tarragon {serves 6}

~ 5 large red potatoes {washed and chopped into large chunks}

~ 3 Gala apples {cored and sliced}

~ 2 t. cinnamon

~ 1 T. finely chopped tarragon

~ sea salt and fresh cracked pepper

~ 2 T. olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 {or add to oven while chicken is roasting}.  In one bowl, combine potatoes, 1 T. olive oil, tarragon, salt and pepper.  Toss well until potatoes are completely and evenly coated.  In another bowl add apples, 1 T. olive oil and cinnamon - toss until evenly coated.   Pour potatoes onto a baking sheet and roast in oven for 15-20 minutes {until they just begin to soften}.  Remove from the oven and place in large bowl, add apples to this bowl and toss everything together until well combined {potatoes should now have a bit on cinnamon on them - apples of bit of tarragon}.  Pour entire contents of bowl back onto the baking sheet and return to oven.  Bake for additional 25 minutes or until golden.

Chocolate Cinnamon Walnut Mandel Bread

~ 3/4 c. sugar

~ 1/2 c. canola oil

~ 2 eggs

~ 2 t. vanilla

~ 1 1/2 t. baking powder

~ 2 c. flour

~ 1 T. cinnamon

~ 1/2 c. walnuts {finely chopped}

~ 2/3 c. semi-sweet baking chocolate {chopped}

Note:  I prefer to use chopped baking chocolate as opposed to chocolate chips as the varying sizes of the chopped chocolate lend themselves beautifully to the dough - some are so small they dissapear into chocolate ribbons in the cookie - others remain as tempting chocolate chunks.

Preheat oven to 350.  Whisk sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla in bowl.  In another bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  Combine and mix thoroughly - fold in walnuts and chocolate.  On a baking sheet covered with parchment, create a long log shape with the dough - flatten it slightly.  Place in oven for 25 minutes.  Pull from oven and let cool for 15 minutes and turn oven down to 325.  After the cookie has cooled a bit, carefully lift the parchment paper from the baking sheet onto a large cutting surface.  Place a new sheet of parchment on the baking sheet.  Using a serrated knife, cut the log into pieces - carefully sliding each one on the knife {as not to break} and returning to the baking sheet.  Once all pieces are on the baking sheet, return to oven for 7 minutes.  Pull from oven and carefully turn each cookie over - bake additional 7 minutes.  Let cool for at least 30 minutes before eating or 1 hour before storing.  Absolutely delicious dipped into espresso and cappuccino. 

The sun has continued to hide behind walls of gray for nearly five days now... that is soup weather.  This is one of my favorites that I adapted from my mother's recipe for Mexican Chicken Soup - it is thick and hearty - perfect for such delightfully foul skies.

Recipe:  Chicken and Ale Stew {serves 6 - at least}

~ 4 organic skinless/boneless chicken breasts

~ 1/4 c. butter

~ 1 med. white onion {chopped}

~ 2 c. organic whole milk

~ 2 c. chicken broth

~ 1 bottle of your favorite ale

~ 1 pkg of frozen corn

~ 8 oz. cream cheese

~ 8 oz. shredded cheddar

~ 8 oz. shredded Monterey Jack

*This is best prepared in a Crock Pot - plus the fact that your house will smell like soup all afternoon - truly wonderful in the Fall!  It can be easily prepared stove top as well.

Turn the Crock Pot onto high and add chicken broth.  On the stove top, melt butter in pan and saute onions until they turn golden - season with salt and pepper.  Add milk and butter/onions to Crock Pot - add beer - add corn and chicken.  Let cook for up to four hours.  At that point the chicken should be cooked through - remove from the pot and chop into bite size pieces {try to not to eat it all at this point - it has cooked to perfection in ale and milk - delish!!}.  Return the chicken to the pot and add block of cream cheese.  Let cook for 15 minutes or until melted - add additional cheeses.  Stir until all of the cheese is completely melted.  If you want a thicker consistency {as pictured} simply add a slurry of milk and cornstarch.  Season to taste and serve!

We are going through a fun little period in our home where the girls will only eat pasta for dinner; in any shape or form, pasta, pasta, pasta.  One of my girls' favorites - and a dish that I ordered time and time again while living and traveling throughout Italy, is Penne al Salmone.  It is rich, delicious and easy to make...

Disclaimer:  Please note that I have never come close to suggesting that I cook or bake at a professional level.  Though I can be a little Martha Stewart-psycho when I entertain, I have found that with three babies under four years of age - easy works best.  As such, you will see my "interpretations" of things like Bechamel Sauce {below} that a chef would die after reading - oh well.  My methods are quick - usually fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants and most of the time, pretty tasty... so if you don't mind a pinch of this and bit of that thrown in, you are in the right place!

Recipe:  Penne al Salmone {for 4 or mama, papa, two babies and leftovers for papa to take to work}

~ 4 fillets of salmon {preferably Wild Sockeye}

~ 2T. tomato paste

~ shot of brandy

~ 2 cloves of garlic {minced}

~ olive oil

~ salt and pepper

Bechamel Sauce

~ 1 c. organic whole milk

~ 1/2 stick of butter

~ salt and pepper

~ 2 t. cornstarch and water {slurry}

Start with the Bechamel - melt the butter in a sauce pan, then whisk in the milk.  Whisk often until it begins to boil.  Turn down the heat and mix your slurry {in a small bowl add cornstarch and about 1/4 c. of water - mix with your fingers ensuring you break up all the chunks of cornstarch}.  Slowly whisk this into your sauce - work slowly as this is an incredibly effective thickening agent - add a bit at a time and whisk until you have reached your desired consistency {some people like thicker sauces - some thinner}.  Add salt and pepper - whisk in and set aside.  If your sauce ends up a bit too thick, you can add more milk to thin it out.

Begin to boil your pasta according to the instructions on the box.  Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a medium size pan and add garlic.  When the garlic just begins to turn gold, add the salmon - breaking it into pieces.  When the salmon is nearly cooked through, add the brandy and the tomato paste - work this into the salmon until well combined - the tomato paste will give the dish a lovely salmon-colored hue.  When the salmon is cooked through, slowly stir in the Bechamel - mix thoroughly.  When the pasta is ready, drain and return the penne to pot - add sauce and toss well.  Top with Pecorino or Romano - eat and be happy!

The weather refuses to accept that it is Fall - and though I am aching to pull on my Frye boots and step out into the chill, the Indian Summer allows for a few late season indulgences.  Dinner tonight was one of my favorite {and easiest} summer treats - it is simple, fast and oh so satisfying:  Seared Scallops and Penne.

Recipe:  Seared Scallops and Penne

~2 lbs. sea scallops

~ sea salt and fresh black pepper

~olive oil

~butter {the real stuff}

~2 cloves of chopped garlic

~4c. whole wheat penne

Boil water for pasta salting generously - add penne and cook according to box.  Heavily coat a non-stick pan with olive oil; when thoroughly heated, add garlic and cook until it begins to turn gold - add scallops - salt and pepper once they are in the pan.  Cook about 3-4 minutes per side - they should obtain a golden crust-like surface and become opaque. 

Drain pasta and toss with 3T butter, 1T olive oil and salt and pepper.

Spoon pasta onto your plate, top with seared scallops - be sure to add all the gooey-sticky goodness in the pan to your pasta - garnish with lemon slices...

... to Athena Eats.  For those of you finding me though my design blog, Athena Says, you may remember my background with the culinary arts.  Cooking and baking have always had a very special place in my heart and I wanted to devote a place to collect my new passion for food photography and my timeless passion for crafting beautiful meals.  I hope to inspire you to find beauty in what you eat everyday... welcome.