Fall for Food--October 5, 2017

October features many fun and fabulous flavors! Pumpkins, apples, cinnamon, sweet potatoes, nutmeg, and much more! We focused on this theme for our October meeting of Recipe Club. We had lots of soups, stews, and chili!

Trudy made a moist and delicious Apple Fritter Bread. With cinnamon and apples, there are two quintessential fall flavors!

I made Chai Apple Butter. A scrumptious spread for bread or muffins, it has some essential Chai spice flavors--cardamum, cinnamon, and ginger. It was made easy by just throwing everything into a slow cooker.

Jan made the hearty Cowboy Stew. with beef, potatoes, onions, and beans, this is a filling dish for dinner on cold autumn nights! 

Karen brought Sweet Potato and Pear Soup. This soup has a perfect blend of sweet and savory with the apples and sweet potatoes. The white grape juice also adds some sweetness to this soup.

Holly made Pumpkin Caramel Cream Cheese Poke Cake. A perfect cake for the fall, and its loaded with pumpkin and spice and everything nice! Canned pumpkin and a boxed spice cake mix make this easy to whip up in a flash. 

Mary brought a Black Bean and Pumpkin Chili. It's a Taste of Home recipe that's good and hearty. Loaded with pumpkin and beans, this is a filling recipe for cold fall nights.

Margaret brought Party Meat Balls. These tasty appetizers are perfect for watching football in the fall, or for any parties! The sauce is easy to make by just combining grape jelly and chili sauce.

I'm getting used to having carrot cake at our meetings! Cherryl brought a delicious and moist Carrot Cake this time. It's easy to make and has the best cream cheese frosting.

Anna brought Zuppa Di Salsiccia Con Pasta E Cannellini (Sausage Soup with Pasta and Cannellini Beans). A warming soup with Italian flavor that uses cannelini beans and escarole for the greens. 

Christ brought Spiced Tea. With nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice, this iced tea is perfect for fall.

Pat brought an Apple Crisp. And it has an oatmeal topping, and is easy to make!

There were many great recipes shared and more to try next time! Getting hungry? Join us November 2 at 6:30pm at Franklin Public Library. The theme is Thanksgiving Practice--Practice making that one dish you bring to Thanksgiving, or try making a new recipe! All you have to do to join is cook a dish from the monthly theme, and bring the dish and the recipe to the meeting! It's as easy as pie! See you soon!

Spiced Tea

The "Spiced Tea" is a Taste of Home recipe.

Submitted by Chris Schram

Zuppa Di Salsiccia Con Pasta E Cannellini (Sausage Soup with Pasta and Cannellini Beans)

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup onions, chopped
• 2 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 3/4 lb. bulk Italian sausage
• 1 pinch dried crushed red chili flakes
• 3 cloves garlic, diced
• 4 cups beef broth
• 3 cups water
• 4 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 (15 oz.) can Progresso cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 small head escarole, washed and chopped
• 4 oz. angel hair pasta, broken in pieces
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• Freshly grates Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. In a large pot, combine olive oil, onions, celery, carrots, adn rosemary, and cook over medium heat until onions are translucent. Add sausage, red chili flakes, and garlic, and cook until sausage is nicely browned.
2. Add broth, water, tomato paste, beans, and escarole. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add pasta, and cook 8-10 minutes, until al dente.
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste and a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

TIP: Season with salt and pepper at each stage of cooking.

Submitted by Anna Restivo, adapted from a recipe found in "Tastes of Italia", November, 2004.

Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

Cake

• 1 (8 oz.) can unsweetened crushed pineapple
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon OR pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Frosting

• 2 (8 oz. each) pkg. cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions:

1. Drain pineapple, reserving 2 tbsp. juice (discard the rest).
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add eggs oil, carrots, pineapple, and reserved juice, beat until combined. Stir in walnuts.
3. Transfer to a greased 13x9x2 inch pan. Bake at 350℉ for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
4. For frosting: In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Spread over cake.

Serves: 12

Submitted by Cherryl Pergande

Party Meat Balls

Ingredients:

• 3 cups bread crumbs
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2-1/2 -3 lbs. ground beef
• 12 oz. chili sauce
• 10 oz. grape jelly

Directions:

1. Mix above and make into small meat balls. Put on greased cookie sheet and bake 25-30 minutes at 325℉.
2. In a sauce pan, heat chili sauce and grape jelly.
3. Put meat balls in crock pot and pour sauce over them. Cook on low 2-3 hours.

*This is a favorite snack/appetizer for watching football on TV. Makes a large amount for a crowd. They are just as good heated up the next day.

Submitted by Margaret Herrick, a recipe from her sister-in-law, Betty Gilligan

Black Bean & Pumpkin Chili

The "Black Bean & Pumpkin Chili" by Deborah Vliet can be found at Taste of Home.

Submitted by Mary Arndt

Vliet, Deborah. "Black Bean & Pumpkin Chili." Taste of Home, https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/black-bean--n--pumpkin-chili . Accessed 18 October 2017.

Pumpkin Caramel Cream Cheese Poke Cake

The "Pumpkin Caramel Cream Cheese Poke Cake" by Erin can be found at Delightful E Made.

Submitted by Holly Leto

Erin. "Pumpkin Caramel Cream Cheese Poke Cake." Delightful E Made, https://delightfulemade.com/2015/09/27/pumpkin-caramel-cream-cheese-poke-cake/ . Accessed 18 October 2017.

Sweet Potato and Pear Soup

The "Sweet Potato and Pear Soup" can be found at Taste of Home.

Submitted by Karen Kunzler

"Sweet Potato and Pear Soup." Taste of Home, https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/sweet-potato-and-pear-soup. Accessed 17 October 2017.

Cowboy Stew (Slow Cooker)

Ingredients:

• 1-1/4 lbs. beef stew meat
• 4 unpeeled potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (28 oz.) can baked beans in BBQ sauce

Directions:

1. Mix beef, potatoes, onion, and salt and pepper in slow cooker. Spread beans over beef mixture. Cover and cook on LOW heat for 8-10 hours or until beef is tender.

Submitted by Jan Luepke

Chai Apple Butter

Ingredients:

• 12 medium apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
• 1 cup apple cider
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp. ground ginger
• 2 tsp. ground cardamom
• 2 tsp. ground coriander
• 2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a 6-qt. slow cooker and stir to combine. Set slow cooker to HIGH for 5 hours, stirring occasionally.
2. Leave lid ajar and continue cooking on HIGH, stirring occasionally until apples are almost broken down, about 2 hours.
3. Using an immersion blender, puree mixture until smooth. Let cool before transferring to jars. Keep refrigerated.

Submitted by Sarah Bublitz

Apple Fritter Bread

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1-1/2 cups flour
• 1-3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 cup milk plus 1 tbsp. milk, divided
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar with 1 tsp. cinnamon.
2. In another bowl, combine apples with remaining 1 tsp. cinnamon and stir to mix. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream butter and granulated sugar. Beat in eggs and add vanilla until completely mixed. 
4. In another bowl, whisk the flour and baking soda, and add 1/2 cup of milk and mix until smooth. Add the flour and baking soda mixture to the butter mixture and stir until blended. Pour half of the batter into a 9 x 5 in. loaf pan that has been sprayed with Pam. Layer half of the apple mixture on top of the batter followed by half of the brown sugar mixture. Gently press the apples into the batter. Add the remaining batter into the pan, followed by the remaining apples and brown sugar mixture. Lightly press the apples into the batter and swirl the brown sugar mixture between the apple chunks and into the batter. 
5. Bake 50-60 minutes in 350℉ oven. Cool 15 minutes on a wire rack. While bread cools, prepare the glaze.
6. In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar with remaining 1 tbsp. milk. Mix until cool and drizzle over cooled bread.

Submitted by Trudy Cleaver