A Dinner to Remember

Last night, I made a feast. I spent the day cooking - my absolute favorite thing to do. I think my boyfriend thought I was crazy, willingly choosing to spend the day at the stove, rolling out pie crust and hovering over a hot pot of stew. But, cook I did and loved every minute of it. I get the greatest joy from watching the people close to me enjoy a wonderful meal of my own design and creation. It's such a pure form of happiness and bliss. That smile one makes after the first bite of something delicious is unforgettable. Not a word is necessary. No praise, no thank you, no applause needed. You know just by the smile that you did good.

Now that I've gotten a little overly emotional and metaphorical, we'll get to the good stuff - the recipes. Dinner last night started off with a Spinach and Fig Salad with Gorgonzola and Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette. The entree consisted of Autumn Vegetable Pot Pies with Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Biscuits and Maple Sage Butter. The pot pies were savory and hearty; Totally comforting on a cool autumn evening. For dessert, we had Pear Tart Tatin with Chai Ice Cream and Chocolate Lace. The meal was a perfect tribute to early fall produce and chilly fall nights. Don't be intimidated by the long list of ingredients in the pot pie! They are all readily available and inexpensive. The end result is absolutely worth it.

Spinach and Fig Salad with Gorgonzola: Yields 4 Servings

8 oz spinach leaves

1 cup halved figs (dried figs could be substituted)

1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

4 oz Gorgonzola cheese, cubed

1 recipe Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette (recipe listed below)

Toss all ingredients. Serve immediately.

Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette: Yields 4 Servings

2 t Dijon mustard

2 t honey

2 T fig balsamic vinegar

4 T olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

Whisk together Dijon, honey and vinegar. Slowly whisk in olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Autumn Vegetable Pot Pies: Yields 8 Servings

3 T olive oil

8 oz baby carrots, halved diagonally

1 lb Cippolini onions, peeled and halved

2 large stalks of celery, sliced diagonally 1/4-inch thick

10 oz cremini mushrooms, quartered

salt and pepper, to taste

3 cloves garlic, chopped

6 sprigs fresh thyme

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

1 cup white wine

2 T chopped fresh sage

1 1/2 lb butternut squash, cubed

1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets

1/2 lb green beans, sliced diagonally into 1-inch pieces

2 ears of fresh corn, kernels cut off the cob

2 cups vegetable stock

2 cups water

1 T cornstarch

1 recipe Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Biscuits (recipe below)

1 recipe Maple Sage Butter (recipe below)

1. In a large heavy stockpot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add carrots, onion, celery, and mushrooms. Saute until liquid has come out of mushrooms and vegetables are starting to caramelize, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Add garlic, thyme and rosemary to pot. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Pour in wine to deglaze pan and continue cooking for 4-5 minutes.

3. Add sage, squash, cauliflower, beans, corn, stock and water. Stir to combine. Bring stew to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour, or until flavors have developed.

4. Readjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Whisk cornstarch with 1/4 cup of the liquid from the stew. Add back to pot and continue simmering until slightly thickened. To serve, top with a Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Biscuit and a dab of Maple Sage Butter.

If desired, stew can be transferred to a slow cooker at stage 3 and simmered on low for 4-6 hours.

Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Biscuits: Yields 8 Servings

2 1/4 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour mix

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 1/4 t baking powder

1/2 t baking soda

1/4 t ginger

1/2 t cinnamon

1/4 t xanthan gum

1/4 t salt

1/8 t nutmeg

4 T cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 egg

1 T honey

1 cup mashed cooked sweet potato

1/4 cup buttermilk (I actually used Plain Yogurt Drink)

cinnamon sugar (for topping)

1. Heat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, xanthan gum, salt and nutmeg. Add butter; using fingertips, incorporate it into the dry ingredients.

3. Make a well in the center of the bowl and add egg, honey, sweet potato and 1 T of the buttermilk. Slowly mix together to form a soft but not too wet dough. If dough is too dry, add additional buttermilk.

4. Scoop out dough to form 8 biscuits and place on prepared pan. Brush with remaining buttermilk and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake for 15 minutes, or until bottoms of biscuits are golden and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Maple Sage Butter: Yields 8-10 Servings

4 T unsalted butter, room temperature

1 T chiffonaded sage

1 T maple syrup

1/4 t salt (or to taste)

Mix together ingredients. To form a log, place on a piece of parchment paper. Using the paper, gently roll the butter into a log. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

This is a lot of recipes for one post. Sorry to do this to you, but the recipes from dessert will have to wait for another day! Just means that you'll have to check back later. Trust me, it will be worth it.