Sweet potato, Apple, Bacon Sage Brown Butter Risotto

That was a mouth full, and believe me, it's just as good as it sounds. I apologize that the pictures for this aren't my usual but without natural light food photos do not look as good as they could be. My 2 month old was also tired of me cooking so that is what you get pictures wise. Pictures are still good to show an example.

Today was crazy, full of coding the new look for the blog, and seriously enjoying the name!

I've made a Lobster white truffle oil quinoa risotto almost a year ago in the Fall, and it seems to be a trend with me. I love a nice risotto, one that goes with my fall obsession is even better. Who doesn't love warm apples, sweet potatoes and bacon? Lets get started and hopefully this will be as much of a hit in your home as it was mine.

Don't skip on the water towards the end as if you add too much stock, you will end up with very salty risotto because remember, you're adding bacon as well!

Ingredients: 

1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
yellow onion (amount of your choosing)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cup brown rice
1 1/3 cup dry white wine (cooking wine if that's all you have)
2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
water as needed to the rice

Brown butter: 

3 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 pink lady apples, sliced and chopped well
pinch of cinnamon and cardamom to taste
1/4 tablespoon sage
1/4 cup butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 C), cut sweet potato into large slices, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, pepper, nutmeg and whatever other seasonings you would like to it and toss well. Place on foiled baking sheet and cook for about 30 minutes or until soft. Remove from oven and mash until almost pureed.

(You could cook the bacon in the oven or on the stove top now. Place bacon in food processor and once in fine pieces set aside)

Heat a saucepan and on medium-low heat add vegetable stock and heat until hot. If it boils turn it down.

In another saucepan, add olive oil, and butter (not the brown butter) then add onions, and cook until soft, then add minced garlic and cook for a few seconds. Increase heat slightly and add rice, stirring to combine. Cook for about 4 minutes, continuing to stir as the rice begins to toast. Reduce heat to medium-low and add in wine. Stir until most of the wine is absorbed into rice. Add in 1/3 cup of the warm vegetable stock and repeat the process and stir until the stock is absorbed and the rice is fully cooked. Towards the end, you will add water to cover the brown rice and cook until desired consistency. My rice took about 50 minutes total as normal for brown rice to cook. Add more liquid if needed.

Once the rice is cooked, reduce heat to low and stir in the mashed sweet potato. Really stir so that it is well combined. Now, add butter to a small pan, along with the sage and cook until the butter is beginning to brown - cook on low and add apples until soft, combine this to the risotto.

Finally, add bacon and serve while warm!

We had this dish with pan seared pork chops and it was delicious! What is your favorite fall meal? If you made this, what would you add or change?

Four Cheese Bacon Chive Scones + Honey Butter

These were absolutely delicious. Only thing I'd do differently is not put as much flour in the dough because it was too sticky. Definitely add a bit more flour but not too much, or they won't be extremely light and flakey. Trial and error is the name of the game when you're cooking, so don't fret they will still be flakey, savory and out of this world delicious, just won't rise like you'd like. Learn this lesson now, from me and then yours will be far more airy and fluffy than mine!

I made these so my husband could take something to work, or to have a quick breakfast in the morning since he works twelve hours a day, and gets up at 4:30am. So, this was brain stormed, a delicious scone and he could quickly make eggs to go with if he wanted to! Perfect. This recipe is an adaptation from Ambrosia Baking but I obviously made it my own, just use her's as a baseline for the dough. Lets get started -- the chives, garlic, and 4 cheese blend were a great addition to this recipe, very happy I decided to add them!

Ingredients:
Makes about 2 dozen scones.

• 4 Thick Slices of Bacon
• 2 cups All Purpose Flour (you will need a bit more when kneeing the dough if too sticky)
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 cup Shredded 4 Cheese Blend
• 2 tablespoons Fresh or Dried Chives
• 2 Garlic Cloves chopped finely
• 1/4 teaspoons Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Pepper
• 1 stick Unsalted Cold Butter - cut into pieces
• 1 Large Egg
• 3/4 cup Buttermilk (you can easily make your own with whole milk & lemon juice)

Honey Butter:

• 1/3 cup Butter
• 1 teaspoon Brown Sugar (optional)
• Honey (I didn't measure this out)

Preheat your oven 400°, line a baking sheet with baking/wax paper to ensure no sticking.

In a frying pan, cook bacon until lightly crispy. Place on paper towels and dab extra grease away. Chop the bacon into fine pieces or use a food processor to cut it. Set aside.

In a food processor (If you have one, I didn't, I used a mixer and my hands. Gotta use what you got) combine the flour, salt, pepper, cheese, chives, garlic, and baking powder together to mix nicely. Once mixed, add the butter until small bread crumbs begin to form. Whisk together egg and buttermilk, then add to the dry ingredients. Pulse, hand mix, or use a hand mixer until the dough begins to form. It will be sticky and if it is, add just a bit more flour - not a lot as per my warning up top.

Place dough on a flat, floured surface and knee the bacon into the dough. Roll out dough until only about 1/2 inch thick. Take a round cutter and cut pieces out of the dough placing them on the waxed paper on a baking tray ready for the oven. Re-ball up the dough and roll out again to continue to cut more pieces out.

Bake until the scones are lightly brown - ** They may not get lightly brown depending on your oven and the type of flour you use, that is okay. Adjust cooking time as well. Mine only took less than 12 minutes to cook, but you can cook them for up to 14. Overcooking them, will obviously make them hard and not have a soft center. Watch these carefully!** Take out of the oven once they are done, and place them on a cooling rack and serve a little warm.

For the honey butter, you'll need to mix the butter, brown sugar and the amount of honey you deserve until well combined and almost a cream texture or however you desire. Brush on top of scones and you've got an awesome quick breakfast, finger food, or even just scones to add to your dinner! Enjoy.

Pan-Seared Scallops with Apples and Bacon

This recipe is one I'd recommend for a special family dinner, or for a romantic date with that special someone that you can easily make at home. However you choose to serve it, I promise it will be a hit. Here is what you will need:

Large Sea Scallops - Pat Dry
2. tbsp Apple Cider
Golden Delicious and Gala Apples
Onions
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil
Butter
Panko Bread Crumbs
Garlic
Bacon

To make the Apple Topping:
On medium, to medium low heat in a large skillet or frying pan, warm olive oil. Add onions (optional) stir often until soft. Add the chopped apples to the onions until the onions are brown and the apples are softened. Add 2. tbsp apple cider - salt, pepper, and then remove from the heat until later.

Now, you will need to cook the bacon. I prefer to cook bacon in the oven, less fatty and extremely easy clean up. For oven bacon, preheat the oven on 400 for thin bacon and 375 thick bacon. Place bacon on foil for easier clean up. Cook thin bacon for 12-14 mins, turn over half way through, and for thick bacon, bake for 10 mins and turn bacon over half way through as well. Once done, also set this aside.

In a bowl, add Panko bread crumbs to patted dry scallops. Transfer over to a hot, smaller skillet or frying pan, already coated with olive oil and butter, then sprinkle a little garlic and pepper over the scallops. Cook for 3-4 mins on each side until brown. Add a little Parmesan cheese on top. You should use medium high heat. Once done, add to a plate with a nice side.

Reheat the apples, just a bit and either add under, beside, or on top of scallops. However you prefer. Last, add the bacon and make into small pieces and place on top of scallops. Serve and Enjoy! Hope this is a hit at your home.