Cranberry Sauce Ice Cream

I've been on an ice cream kick recently. And by recently I mean since the beginning of the summer. It was such a harmless idea. My sister-in-law thought it'd be fun to bring an ice cream machine down to the Cape house to show her kids how to make it from scratch. A great rainy day activity. They loved the ice cream, but were less interested in the process of preparing it. The adults, on the other hand, became obsessed. The vanilla ice cream we made using a recipe from Melissa Clark over at the New York Times was wonderful; smooth, creamy, and not overly sweet. At that point, we were hooked. What would should we make next? 

While there have been a few misses, most have been hugely successful. Favorites were coffee, Oreo, and, the biggest hit, blueberry crumble. I took a short break from making ice cream, but, over the last month, have gotten back into it. Pumpkin was delicious, as was this cranberry sauce ice cream that I prepared for Friendsgiving. Served with apple cake, it was the perfect balance of sweet and tart. Having made four batches of it over the course of a week, I think I could do with my eyes closed.

Part of the joy of making ice cream comes from watching your creation churn in the mixer. For a while, I'd been using a machine that was a gift from my mom. It worked well enough, but it was starting to slow down. Time for an upgrade! I'd heard from a number of people, including my mom, who's also fallen hard for homemade ice cream, that the KitchenAid attachment worked well. So, I reached out to my friends over there, who were generous enough to send it over for me to play with. Since receiving the attachment, I've used it a half a dozen times, and it's worked beautifully on each occasion. I find that the bowl freezes quickly, which was not the case with my last machine. The paddle does a great job scraping the sides of the bowl, too. Overall, I've been pretty happy with it.

Cranberry Sauce Ice Cream

Yield: 1 quart Source:  Adapted from Melissa Clark's recipe

Ingredients For the ice cream base 2 cups heavy cream 1 cup whole milk 2/3 cup sugar 1/4 tsp Kosher salt 1 tsp vanilla extract 6 egg yolks

For the cranberry sauce 12 oz cranberries 1/2 cup fresh orange juice 1/2 cup sugar 1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan set over low heat, whisk together the heavy cream, whole milk, sugar, Kosher salt and vanilla extract until the sugar has dissolved. Add the egg yolks to a separate bowl and give a quick whisk to break them up.

2. When the cream mixture becomes hot, slowly whisk in a third of the liquid to the egg yolks. Then, whisk the egg-cream mixture back into the pot. Continue to heat it, stirring often. Once the base is thick enough to start to coat the back of a wooden spoon, it's done. Remove from heat and let cool.

3. Strain the base through a fine mesh sieve and, once it reaches room temperature, transfer to a container with a lid. Refrigerate for at least four hours.

4. Put the cranberries, orange juice, cinnamon and sugar in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Stir and bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and let cook until the cranberries burst. Stir sauce. Once it thickens a bit, remove from heat and strain through a fine mesh sieve. Let cool to room temperature and then transfer to a container with a lid. Let chill in the refrigerator.

5. Once the ice cream base and cranberry sauce has chilled, churn the base in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions. When it's done churning, prepare the ice cream for the freezer. Start by putting a third of the cranberry sauce in the bottom of a container with a lid, then top with ice cream. Repeat with remaining base and sauce. If you like really soft ice cream, enjoy immediately.  However, if you want your ice cream harder (like you get at the store) place the container in the freezer for at least four hours.

Cauliflower, Fig + Walnut Salad with Tahini Dressing

A chill has arrived in the air. It's crisp and harsh on the nose. Extra layers of clothing and warm, fluffy socks go on before heading out. The pace of our walks has turned brisk.  I look forward to a mug of coffee or tea, as hot as I can get it without burning my tongue, which I'll make as soon as I get home. Maki doesn't seem to want to spend extended periods of time outside either. As soon as we get inside, she immediately curls up on her bed, as if to say, "Ok, I don't need to go out there for a while!".

We're gearing up for our first Friendsgiving dinner in our house. The menu is coming together: a slow-cooked brisket, smoked on the grill and then transferred to the oven for eight hours, and herb and garlic roasted fish. The side dishes are coming along as well. One that will be gracing our table is this cauliflower salad. Or maybe it's a slaw. Whatever you want to call it, there are some great textures and bright flavors in this side. And pomegranate adds a bit of tartness and, of course, that pop of color that makes this so striking to look at.

Cauliflower, Fig + Walnut Salad with Tahini Dressing

Servings: 4-6 as a side

Ingredients 1 head cauliflower, coarsely chopped (some bigger slices are fine) 1/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped 4 Turkish figs, coarsely chopped 1/2 cup arils from a pomegranate 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley 3 tablespoons tahini 1 tablespoon honey 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 teaspoons cumin 2 teaspoons turmeric 1 teaspoon paprika 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons Kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

Instructions

1. Place the chopped cauliflower into a bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the tahini, honey, lemon juice, cumin, turmeric, paprika, salt and olive oil.

3. Pour the dressing over the cauliflower and mix with a spoon. Let sit for 10 minutes.

4. Add walnuts, figs, pomegranate and parsley to the cauliflower and mix to combine. Season with additional salt before serving.

Lentils + Roasted Acorn Squash + Poached Egg

I have to admit something. This dish wasn't a recipe I had been developing for months and months. In fact, the whole concept came together in a matter of minutes. Two of its key components, the lentils and the poached egg, were premeditated. But I had NO idea what else to include. When I looked around the kitchen for guidance, I realized there wasn't much to work with; only a head of lettuce in the drawer and a big bag of potatoes on the counter.  And then I saw a small container of roasted acorn squash that I'd prepared the night before. "That should bring the whole thing together." I thought.

It's a hearty bowl, ideal for these chilly nights, and, like most of the best weeknight meals, can be adapted based on your crew. The poached egg is a nice choice for protein, as the yolk creates a dressing over the lentils, but sliced chicken or a piece of fish or a crumbly cheese would also make for a nice addition.

Lentils + Roasted Acorn Squash + Poached Egg

Ingredients

Acorn squash, halved and seeds removed Olive oil Smoked paprika 1 cup lentils, washed in a colander 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 1 yellow onion, chopped 1 garlic clove, minced Salt and black pepper 1 lemon

For poached eggs

Eggs Water 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Slice acorn squash into 3/4-inch thick half moons. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat.  Season with salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika. Lay the acorn squash slices flat on the prepared baking sheet. Baking in the oven for 15 minutes. Flip slices over and bake for another 15 minutes.  When they're done cooking, remove from oven.

2. While the squash is roasting, cook the lentils. Add the rinsed lentils and 2 cups of water to a pot. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes, or until tender.

3. Transfer lentils to a large bowl.

4. In a pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning.

5. Add sautéed onions and garlic to the bowl with the lentils and mix to incorporate. Season with salt, pepper and chopped parsley.

6. Spoon the lentil mixture into a serving bowl. Top with roasted acorn squash.

7. Fill a small pot with enough water so that it's slightly more than half way full. Set over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt to water. Bring water to a boil. Crack the egg into a small bowl. Using a wooden spoon, give the water 10 good stirs and then carefully pour the egg into the pot. Give the water a few more gentle stirs. Reduce heat to low and set timer for 3 minutes. Keep stirring the water gently. When the timer goes off, use a slotted spoon to remove the poached egg.  Place poached egg over acorn squash/lentils. Sprinkle a little salt and black pepper on top of the egg. Squeeze a little fresh lemon juice over the dish before serving.