Pumpkin Caramel Salmon

Long before Pumpkin Spice Lattes and pumpkin everything, I have awaited fall the very day it ended. It's my season, and it has been since I was a little girl. I could always smell fall before it came. I remember asking my mom when I was very little, "How come I can smell fall coming? I can't smell any other season." I remember her saying, "Probably because it's you're favorite season. People can smell their favorite season." Whether or not she meant it or was making it up, I don't know (if Mama doesn't know the answer to a question asked, she often makes something up and is known to be right on more than one occasion). But I do know, fall is the only season I can smell, and it happens to be my favorite.

Grocery List:

Caramel sauce:

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 tbsp Kahlua Pumpkin Spice Liquor

1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/8 tsp salt

Salmon:

4 salmon center-cut filets - skin off

Olive oil

Kosher salt

Pepper

Pecans - toasted and roughly chopped

Directions:

Step 1:

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Make the sauce. Over high heat, combine sugar and water in a large saucepan. Stir once and let sit until it starts to bubble and turn light brown color (do not stir when it boils). Use a candy thermometer, and when the sauce gets to 230-250 degrees, turn the heat down to medium. Let the sauce sit until it's amber in color. Remove from heat and add the heavy cream (stand back when you do this, the sauce will come to an extreme bubble). Add the liquor, pumpkin spice, and salt. Stir to combine. As it sits off the heat, the sauce will harden. To keep it smooth and warm, simmer.

Step 2:

Heat a pan with a splash of olive oil to the highest heat (like you're going to boil something) until the oil smokes.

Prepare salmon by brushing on about 1 tsp of olive oil and sprinkling 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper on each filet. When oil is smoking, put salmon face down in the pan and don't move for 2-3 minutes (this creates a perfect crust). Flip salmon and let cook on the stovetop for 1 more minute. Put pan in the oven for 3-4 minutes (If you don't have an oven safe pan, transfer salmon to a baking sheet).

Step 3:

Plate the salmon. Put one filet down on each plate and top with caramel sauce and chopped pecans. Serve with mashed sweet potatoes or roasted pumpkin!

CHEERS TO HAPPY EATING!

Pumpkin & Short Rib Chili

I smelled it today... The smell of fall. All it takes is stepping outside in 60-70 degree weather, a small breeze blowing, pumpkins displayed at markets and grocery stores, and chili in the Crock-Pot. As a young girl, I remember my mom making the best chili ever. Chili always meant fall. Fall is a comin, and while I'm certain there are plenty more chili recipes I'll create this fall, I put a little spin on the typical Crock-Pot chili - pumpkin, short ribs, and Red Gold tomatoes! No matter how you make yours or what recipes you try out, Red Gold tomatoes are THE way to bring out the true flavor of your chili. Sweet, crisp, and fresh, you would never know these tomatoes came directly from a can. The Red Gold Diced tomatoes are perfectly chopped, so all you have to do is dump them into your crock pot - no knife skills necessary! And the Red Gold Petite Diced tomatoes with Green Chilis give your chili a tiny amount of heat without over powering it!

For a rundown of the recipe and complete review of Red Gold tomatoes, watch the video!

Grocery list (4-6 people):

2-3 lbs short ribs

2 bottles pumpkin beer

Kosher salt

Pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion - chopped

2 garlic cloves - minced

1 orange bell pepper - chopped

3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce - chopped 2 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

2 tbsp brown sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 (14.5 oz) can of RED GOLD DICED TOMATOES

1 (14.5 oz) can of RED GOLD PETITE DICED TOMATOES WITH GREEN CHILIS

2 cups beef broth

1 can pumpkin purée

1 can black beans - drained 

4 cloves

1 1/4 tsp cinnamon

Green onions - chopped (for garnish)

Sour cream - optional

Directions:

Step 1:

Prepare the ribs (to save time, I do this the night before). In a large pot, combine beers and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil and add short ribs. Simmer and let the ribs sit for 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry to remove some of the fat from the ribs. Heat olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Salt and pepper all sides of the short ribs and brown the ribs in batches - about 5 minutes for each batch. Set ribs aside.

Step 2:

In the same pot, add onions, garlic, bell pepper, and a pinch of salt. Cook veggies until soft. Add chipotle peppers, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and brown sugar. Stir together and let cook for about 2 minutes. Step 3:

Dump cooked veggies into slow cooker. Add maple syrup, diced tomatoes, petite tomatoes, beef broth, pumpkin purée, black beans and stir to combine.

Add short ribs into the liquid. Add cloves at the very top so you can find them to discard later. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Step 4:

Uncover the cooked chili and discard cloves. Transfer short ribs onto a plate or cutting board. Remove the bones and fat and discard. Shred the short rib meat into small pieces with two forks or your hands. Skim the surface of the chili to remove any extra fat that floated to the top. Add the shredded meat back into the slow cooker and stir to combine. Stir in the cinnamon. Taste the chili and add 1/4-1/2 tsp of salt if needed. Serve in bowls and top with green onions and sour cream if desired.

CHEERS TO HAPPY EATING!!!