Pulse Perspective by Megan Foster

Fall. The time of year when everything changes color. Leaves crisp over, crackling and crunching with every step. The wind whistles, the rain falls and all feels right in the world again.

From the perspective of a girl born and raised in Washington; this is the best time of the year. The coziness is embedded in the season.

Alongside the festivities that fill this season is, of course, the delicious food. Comfort food fits hand in hand with the comfort of fall.

To aid you in your own cozy season, here is my list of the five coziest fall recipes.

1. Red Beans and Rice

My dad has southern roots, which has inspired much of the comfort food I have come to know and love. Red beans and rice became a staple in our household, especially in times we’re longing for comfort and warmth.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil
1 lb. of dried red beans
1 ½ cups cooked white rice
1 lb. cajun andouille sausage sliced
1 large or 2 small ham hocks
¼ lb. cubed ham (optional)
6 cups chicken stock
1 green bell pepper diced
4 stalks of celery diced
1 large yellow onion diced
4 cloves of garlic diced
4 bay leaves
1 tsp creole seasoning
½ tsp cayenne
1 tsp paprika

1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp chopped parsley
½ tsp thyme
½ tsp sage
Salt
Pepper

Instructions:

The night before you make your red beans and rice, place your dry red beans in a bowl and fully submerge them in water. Allow them to soak overnight in the refrigerator.
Add oil to a large pot or Dutch oven. Cook sausage over medium heat until nice and browned. Remove from the pot and set aside.
Add onion, bell pepper and celery to the pot and sauté until translucent. Add garlic and cook for another minute or two.
Drain and rinse your soaked red beans. Add your drained and rinsed beans to the pot, then add chicken broth. Stir to combine, be sure to scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pot.
Add your seasonings, stir and bring to a boil.
Add your ham hocks to the pot and place on the lid.
Boil the contents of the pot for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Remove the lid and check the beans. If tender, remove one cup of beans from the pot and smash using a whisk or fork. Once beans are smashed, return to the pot and stir.
This will help your red beans thickenTake out the ham hocks. Take meat off bone, discard bones and return meat to pot.
Return sausage to pot. Allow the contents of the pot to simmer without the lid until thickened, typically 45 minutes – 1 hour.
Once thickened, add chopped parsley and salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with rice and buttermilk biscuits. Enjoy.

2. Beef Stew with Mashed Potatoes and Homemade Brown Gravy

Growing up we often went to Sunday dinner at my grandparents’ house. I longed for this time because Sunday meant grandpa's famous beef stew. Over the years I have adapted the recipe, but it remains my favorite Sunday dinner.

Ingredients:

¼ cup olive oil
1 lb. beef stew meat
4 cups beef stock
¾ cup red wine
4 celery stalks chopped
4 large carrots peeled and chopped
1 yellow onion chopped
4 garlic cloves diced
1 tbsp tomato paste
5 potatoes peeled and chopped
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup sour cream
1 cup finely grated parmesan
8 tbsp butter
Salt
Pepper
2 bay leaves
½ tsp thyme
½ tsp parsley
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp cayenne
4 tbsp flour

Instructions:

In a Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat.
Combine stew meat, flour and all seasonings. Stir to combine.
Brown meat in batches, once all meat is browned on all sides, place in a bowl and set aside.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Add onion, carrots and celery to the Dutch oven and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook for another minute or two.
Add tomato paste and stir to combine. Cook for roughly five minutes on low heat.
Return browned meat to your Dutch oven before adding 3 cups of your beef stock, red wine and bay leaves. Stir to combine.
Place your covered Dutch oven onto the middle rack of your preheated oven to braise for 1 ½ - 2 hours.
When the stew has an hour left, begin to prepare your potatoes.Then, place your peeled and chopped potatoes in a large pot submerged in water to boil.
Once your potatoes are fork tender, strain and return to the pot.
Smash potatoes before adding heavy cream, 4 tbsp butter and sour cream.
Add parmesan, salt and pepper to taste. Stir until smooth and creamy.
Remove the Dutch oven and let it cool slightly before serving.
While Dutch oven cools, heat 4 tbsp butter in a small pan over medium heat.
Once the butter melts, add 4 tbsp flour to create a roux. Stir constantly to prevent butter from burning.
Cook your roux until deepened in color; the darker the roux, the darker the gravy. Typically at ten minutes it’ll start to darken, from here you can use your judgment or personal preference.
Slowly add the remainder of your beef stock, whisking to incorporate. Thicken your gravy to your preference, the more stock you use the thinner your gravy will be.
Turn off heat. Serve stew atop or aside your mashed potatoes and homemade brown gravy. Pair with the red wine you used in your stew and French bread for dipping. Enjoy.

3. Tomato Basil Soup

Grilled cheese and tomato soup was a childhood favorite of mine. As an adult I find myself longing for the comfort that a simple bowl of soup can provide. This tomato basil soup is a family favorite, it’s still perfect for grilled cheese or my personal favorite, crispy French bread topped with melted parmesan.

Ingredients:

¼ cup olive oil
1 small yellow onion chopped
2 large carrots peeled and chopped
28 oz. can of whole Italian style tomatoes
2 cups chicken stock
8 oz. heavy cream
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp dried basil
Fresh basil for garnish

Instructions:

In a large pot over medium heat, warm olive oil before adding your chopped onion and carrots. Stir occasionally until onions become fragrant and translucent.
Add dried basil, stirring briefly before adding your can of tomatoes and their juices. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Add dried basil, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Bring the contents of the pot to a boil. Reduce Heat to low and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.
Remove the pot from the stove. Blend the soup and return to the pot.
Return the pot to the stove on medium heat. Stir in cream and season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
Serve when warm. Garnish with fresh basil and a dash of cream. Enjoy.

4. Cinnamon Apple Rolls

I think of this as a cinnamon roll meets apple pie. The perfect cozy classic, with a fun apple twist. If you are not an apple fan, remove the apples for a classically delicious cinnamon roll recipe.

Ingredients:

Rolls:

¾ cup warm water
2 ½ tsp active yeast
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
1 egg and 1 egg yolk
1 tbsp salt
1 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp cinnamon
¾ cup softened butter
¾ cup apple jam or apple pie filling
¼ cup heavy cream

Icing:

½ cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 tbsp milk (optional)

Instructions:

Combine warm water, yeast and 1 tbsp sugar. Let rest for 5 minutes.
Combine rested yeast mixture with flour, sugar, salt, eggs and 4 tbsp melted butter. Mix until a shaggy dough ball forms.
Remove dough from bowl and knead on a floured surface until smooth, typically 7-10 minutes.
Place the dough ball in a clean, floured bowl and let rest covered until doubled in size, typically 1 - 2 hours.
Once the dough is doubled, transfer to a floured surface. Roll out dough until even thickness is reached, aim for roughly ½ inch thickness.
Combine softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Spread evenly across dough.
Glaze the apple jam/apple pie filling evenly atop the cinnamon, sugar and butter mixture.
Tightly roll the dough together to form a log.
Cut the log evenly using a piece of string. Wrap the string under the log 1-2 inches from the top, pull the strings over the top to create a clean slice. Repeat for the rest of the log.
Place rolls evenly, sliced side down, in a greased baking dish.
Cover rolls and allow to rise for 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Once your rolls have had time to rise, cover each roll with 1-2 tbsp of heavy cream.
Place your rolls in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
While your rolls are baking, brown ¼ cup of butter in a saucepan.
Remove browned butter from heat and let it cool.
Once cooled, add the ¼ cup of remaining softened butter and vanilla. Stir to combine.
Sift in powdered sugar and whisk. Add milk if necessary to reach desired consistency.
Remove your rolls from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes.
Serve with icing. Enjoy.

5. Pumpkin Pie Danish

A seasonal twist on the classic cheese danish. Pumpkin flavored anything screams fall, so what better than a crispy and delicious pumpkin pie danish! A simpler treat that is easy to assemble and perfect for fall.

Ingredients:

1 box of thawed puff pastry
4 oz. of cream cheese softened
1 ½ cup sifted powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 whole egg and 2 egg yolks
¼ tsp salt
½ cup of pumpkin puree
⅓ cup brown sugar
1 tsp pumpkin pie seasoning
1 tbsp water
1-2 tbsp milk

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Unfold your thawed puff pastry and cut into equal rectangles.
Using a knife, slightly indent the dough to create a smaller rectangle inside – don’t cut all the way through. Set aside.
Combine cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, a pinch of salt and 1 egg yolk in a bowl.
Combine pumpkin puree, brown sugar, pumpkin pie seasoning, 1 tsp vanilla, a pinch of salt and 1 egg yolk in another bowl.
Pipe or spoon your cream cheese mixture evenly over the inside rectangle of your puff pastry.
Pipe or spoon a line of your pumpkin mixture down the middle of the cream cheese mixture.
Mix 1 egg and 1 tbsp of water to make an egg wash. Spread egg wash on the uncovered edges of your puff pastry.
Bake for 12-15 minutes.
Serve as is or mix ¼ cup powdered sugar and milk to create a glaze. Drizzle over top. Enjoy.

Top Five Coziest Fall Recipes