Mini chocolate Wine Cake

1/3 Duncan Hines Cake Mix
1 egg
1/3 c red wine
2 T oil

Mix together and bake in a 4 inch round cake pan at 350 for 30 minutes. Cool then slice into thirds. Fill and coat with buttercream frosting. I use a very thin (naked cake style) coating of buttercream on the outside. Chill and cover with chocolate wine ganache - https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2018/01/15/red-wine-chocolate-ganache/

Spaghetti Squash Bolognese

1 large spaghetti squash
1 pound Italian sausage
1 cup baby spinach, coarsely chopped
4 cups tomato sauce
2 t dried basil
1 t dried oregano
or combine these by using Italian Street Food Spice Blend - Smoked black peppercorn, sea salt, garlic, red and green bell peppers, onion, smoked sea salt, sweet onion, sugar, fennel, anise, crushed red pepper flake.
3 eggs

1. Preheat the oven to 425.
2 Halve the spaghetti squash lengthwise.
3. using a large spoon, scrape out all the seeds and lose fibers from each half.
4. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
5. Place the spaghetti squash face down on the baking sheet, and bake for 25 minutes.
6. While the squash is cooking, in a medium pan over medium heat, cook the ground beef until browned.
7. Add the baby spinach, tomato sauce, basil and oregano. Turn to low and simmer.
8. Remove the squash from the oven, and turn the halves over so they are face up. Allow them to cool for 5 minutes. Reduce the oven heat to 350.
9. Scrape the insides of the squash halves with a large fork to create "spaghetti" strands. Put the spaghetti in a 9 x 13 inch glass or ceramic baking dish.
10. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, and add them to the baking dish.
11. Pour the meat and tomato sauce mixture into the baking dish, and carefully stir to combine all ingredients.
12. Bake for 1 hour.
13. Allow the dish to cool for 10 minutes. Cut into squares to serve.

Kansas Caviar

Kansas Caviar – a work in progress

Edamame
Shoepeg corn
Yellow corn
Purchase these frozen – combine and then defrost as needed

Add:
Red onion
Shredded carrots
Diced Red pepper
Parsley

Combine equal parts
Fresh lime juice
Pinch of sugar
Pinch of salt

Toss together

Commodore

2 oz Bourbon
1 oz Doulin vermouth
1 oz Benedictine liqueur
1/2 oz Maraschino liqueur

Pie Crust

2 c flour (240 grams)
1 t salt
Combine. Take out 1/3 cup flour and mix with 1/4 cup water into a paste.
Add
1/3 c butter (227 gams)
1/3 c lard (yes, you heard me...LARD. It's a very natural ingredient and this is a pie.) or Crisco (205 grams)
to remaining flour. Cut in with a pastry blender. Add paste. Form into 2 round discs, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Roll out on fresh plastic wrap to make your life easier. (This makes a 2 crust pie, especially beautiful to make the top crust into a lattice crust. An easier option would be to take the top crust and cut out stars, and then randomly layer the stars on top of the filling.)

Cranberry Sauce with Ginger

This is a "go to" Thanksgiving recipe. I usually triple the ingredients...

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

12 ounces fresh cranberries
Zest and juice of 1 orange
1 cup sugar

Preparation

1. In a large saucepan, warm oil over medium heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add ginger and sauté for 1 minute. Add cranberries, orange zest and juice, sugar and 3/4 cup water, stirring until sugar dissolves.

2. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce has thickened slightly and berries have popped, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature before serving.

Pumpkin Granola

So this recipe is a riff on America's Test Kitchen's Granola...

Preheat over to 325 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. (I just lay a large piece of parchment paper on top of the baking sheet - don't worry about trimming it to size.

5 c old fashioned oats
1/3 c. flax seed (ground) meal - because my eye doctor wants me to sneak in flax meal whenever possible
3/4 c. chopped raw almonds (I found the easiest way to chop almonds is to put them in a zip lock freezer back and whack them with something. A small hammer would work - I just the side of my meat mallet.)

Combine in a large bowl.

In as small bowl combine spices.
1 T cinnamon
1 t. salt
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 t. allspice

Add to the oat mixture and combine.

In the same small bowl, combine..
1/3 c. pumpkin puree (not Pumpkin Pie Mix)
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. real maple syrup
1/3 c. oil
1 T vanilla

Mix into the oat mix and combine thoroughly. Pour the mixture into the baking sheet (lined with parchment paper - see above) and spread to the edges of the pan. Take a large flat metal spatula and press the mixture down to compact. Bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake for another 20 minutes. Take out of the over and cool completely in the pan before breaking into chunks. Add 1/2 - 1 cup of dried cranberries, raisins or butterscotch chips.