another quiet weekend... they are quickly becoming my favorite kind. the fireplace glowed for two days and the sofa was covered in blankets - the girls enjoying 'snow white' for the first time - captivated. i spent a lot of time under those same blankets... and in the kitchen. listening to the beatles and concocting new recipes to share with both my family... and you.
scotch ale, pumpkin & pork stew
{this is another slow cooked stew - cooking all day and filling your home with scents of the season}
~ 2-3 lbs. pork loin
~ 4 c. chicken broth
~ 1 bottle of a good scotch ale {we love burning skye -from a local micro brew}
~ 1 c. water
~ 1 5 oz. pumpkin puree
~ 4 T butter
~ 1 c. sliced carrots
~ 1/2 sliced red onion
~ 1/2 t. cinnamon
~ 1/4 t. cloves
~ 1/4 t. nutmeg
~ 3/4 c. heavy cream
~ salt & pepper to taste
turn the slow cooker to 'high'. add the beer, broth and water - then the pork loin. cook for 3-4 hours until the meat begins to fall apart. take chunks of the pork out and break into bite size pieces and then return to the pot. add the pumpkin and spices. in a pan on the stove, melt the butter and toss in the carrots and onions - lightly salt and pepper. cook until they just become soft then add this to the stew pot. stir the stew and cover - cook another hour. add the heavy cream and cook another hour. turn the soup to warm and serve when ready. i sliced a thick baguette, buttered the slices and sprinkled them with sugar and cinnamon to soak up the broth...
and for dessert, a chocolate-cinnamon mousse pie:
~ pie crust {recipe here}
~ 10 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
~ 6 egg yolks
~ 6 egg whites
~ 1/2 c. sugar
~ 1 t. vanilla
~ 1/2 t. cinnamon
~ 1/4 t. cloves
preheat the oven to 350. roll out the pie crust and shape into a buttered pie pan. using a fork, poke holes on the bottom of the crust so the crust itself does not rise too much during baking. bake for 20 minutes or until it turns a very pale gold color. set aside and let cool completely. separate your eggs - the yolks in one bowl, the whites in another - larger bowl. add 1/4 c. sugar, cinnamon, cloves and the vanilla to the yolks and whisk until they begin to pale slightly. set aside. either in a double boiler or microwave, melt the chocolate - this is quite easy in the microwave - but only heat for 30-45 seconds then stir until the chocolate has completely melted. add about 1/3 of the chocolate mixture to the yolk mixture and whisk until fully incorporated - continue this until all of the chocolate is mixed into the yolks. then begin to whip the whites and remaining 1/4 c. sugar together until stiff peaks form - watch this carefully as you do not want to over whip the whites. working in small batches, begin to very gently fold the chocolate mixture into the whites - very slowly and gently - until you have a light, fluffy mousse. pour into the cooled pie crust and transfer to the fridge. it should set up for at least two hours before you cut into the pie. top with whipped cream spiked with your favorite liquor for the perfect autumn dessert...
** PLEASE NOTE: the mousse recipe calls for raw eggs - if you have any concerns about the consumption of uncooked eggs, do not make this recipe. **
xoox~jla