Coconut Maple Pie

As I’ve mentioned, D has a soft spot for coconut; I’m usually trying to come up with some new way to use coconut just for him. This a play on a coconut cream pie: there is coconut and meringue mixed right into the filling. The top gets a little crunchy while the pie bakes, which makes each slice extra special.

You will need:

• 1 9-inch pie crust
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/4 c sugar
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/2 c milk
• 2 T unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 T maple syrup
• 1/4 t ground ginger
• 1 c sweetened coconut

Then you will…

1. Line a 9-inch pie dish with the crust. Place the dish on top of foil on a baking sheet.
2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
3. Separate the eggs; put the yolks in a large mixing bowl and the white in a smaller one.
4. Beat the yolks well.
5. Add the sugar and salt to the yolks and beat until well mixed.
6. Add the milk to the yolk mixture and beat well.
7. Mix the maple syrup, ginger and coconut in the yolk mixture.
8. Then, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form but they aren’t dry.
9. Gently fold the egg whites into the yolk-coconut mixture.
10. Pour the filling into the crust.
11. Bake 35-45 minutes or until set through and golden on top.
12. Allow to cool 15 minutes before slicing.

Eastern Spice Roasted Zucchini

This is a very aromatic dish, because you add lots of fresh garlic along with some curry powder and ground cumin to the sauce. It would make a great side dish for some roast chicken or lamb. I ended up using it as the veggies in a quiche, which was also really delicious.

You will need:

• 2 T olive oil
• 2 large yellow onion, sliced thin
• 8 large cloves of garlic, minced (I also recommend crushed into a paste)
• 1.5 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 T tomato paste
• 2 t ground cumin
• 1 t curry powder
• 1 t oregano
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t ground pepper
• 4-6 zucchinis, cut into 1/4-inch slices (you will want about 4 cups worth)

Then you will…

1. Heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large ovenproof skillet. Add the onions and reduced the heat slightly.
2. Allow the onions to caramelize slowly; this should take about 15-25 minutes with you stirring every ten minutes or so.
3. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
4. Mix the garlic into the skillet. Allow to cook 1-2 minutes, or until you can smell it and it is slightly golden.
5. Stir in the tomatoes and lemon zest.
6. In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice with the tomato paste, cumin, curry, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix well.
7. Stir the spice mixture into the skillet. Reduce to a simmer.
8. Allow to cook about 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes have softened and most of the liquid is cooked off.
9. Remove from heat. Mix in the zucchini slices.
10. Cover the skillet and bake 35 minutes.
11. Remove the cover and cook another 15-20 minutes, or until the liquid is mostly cooked off.
12. Remove from the oven and stir the dish. Allow to sit 10 minutes before serving, as the vegetables will be very hot!

French Onion Soup

My apartment smelled awesome after making this soup. It is a soup that requires time, because you want to caramelize the onion really, really slowly. However you just let it do its thing, so it is not very hands on intensive. It was the perfect end to a snowy day. If you want to go all out, add some crusty bread and shredded Gruyere cheese.

You will need:

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 5 large yellow onions, halved root to tip and sliced thin
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 c red wine
• 2 t Worcestershire sauce
• 8 cups stock (I recommend half chicken and half beef)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Then you will…

1. Melt the butter in a large stock pot over medium-low heat.
2. Add the onions and stir to coat with the butter.
3. Cook 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Cover and cook another 90 minutes over low heat, stirring every 20-30 minutes.
5. Stir in the thyme and bay leaves.
6. Remove the cover and continue to cook over medium-low heat until any excess water is gone and the onions are caramelized deliciously.
7. Add the garlic and half of the wine to deglaze the pan. Allow most of the wine to cook off.
8. Remove the thyme stems.
9. Mix in the remaining wine, Worcestershire and the stock.
10. Bring to a simmer and then allow to simmer another 30-45 minutes.
11. Remove the bay leaves.
12. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
13. Enjoy with some crusty bread and Gruyere cheese melted on top!

Baked Potato

Baked potato? Really? Just that? Yes! Baked potatoes are a great canvas and, when done well, are incredibly addictive. These will give you a crispy, seasoned outside while the inside stay fluffy and wonderful. I served them topped with roasted broccoli and cheddar cheese.

You will need:

• Russet potatoes
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Then you will…

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Scrub your potatoes and trim any dark spots as needed.
3. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil.
4. Pierce the potatoes several times with a fork.
5. Rub with olive oil until evenly coated.
6. Season liberally with salt and pepper.
7. Bake 40-60 minutes, turning the potatoes over every 20 minutes.
8. They are done with a fork pierces easily or they give a little when pressed from the sides.
9. Serve however you like ’em!