The Spread

By Amirah Zaveri

Dirty, empty bowls lined with cereal remnants fill up the kitchen sink. Jimmy John’s sandwich wrappers and pieces of foil that once wrapped burritos from Chipotle are scattered around the apartment. The last packet of Ramen noodles sits alone on the kitchen counter looking rather unappealing and unfulfilling. How about canned Campbell’s tomato soup? No. Microwave another Kraft Easy Mac? No.

It’s Friday. It’s been a stressful week. It’s time to kick back, relax and cook a glorious meal. As October arrives and the weather gets colder, apple picking commences and pumpkin-flavored everything is in season, it’s more than appropriate to cook a fall-themed meal.

Start off with a raw kale salad with Gouda, pear and walnuts, make the main entree a hearty beef stew and cap off with pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

Bon appétit.

Raw Kale Salad with Gouda, Pear and Walnuts

http://www.wholeliving.com/132626/raw-kale-salad-gouda-pear-and-walnuts

Start to finish: 15 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of walnuts, coarsely chopped

1 table spoon sherry vinegar

coarse salt and ground pepper

1 bunch kale, tough stems removed and leaves torn into bite-size pieces

2 1/2 oz. of Gouda, cut into 1/2-by-1/4-inch pieces

6 chives, cut into 1-inch lengths

1 pear, halved, cored and very thinly sliced crosswise

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Place walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden brown, tossing once

during baking, 8 to 10 minutes

In a medium bowl, whisk together vinegar and oil; season with salt and pepper

Add in kale, cheese, chives, walnuts, and pear. Toss to combine

Old-Time Beef Stew

 http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/old-time-beef-stew-recipe/index.html

Start to finish: 2 hours and 20 minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

2 pounds of stew beef

2 table spoons vegetable oil

2 cups of water

1 table spoon Worcestershire sauce

1 clove garlic, peeled

2 bay leaves

1 medium onion, sliced

1 tea spoon salt

1 tea spoon sugar

1/2 tea spoon pepper

1/2 tea spoon paprika

3 large carrots, sliced

2 ribs celery, chopped

2 table spoons cornstarch

Brown meat in hot oil

Add water, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaves, onion, salt, sugar, pepper,

paprika and allspice

Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours

Remove bay leaves and garlic clove

Add carrots and celery

Cover and cook 30 to 40 minutes longer

To thicken gravy, remove 2 cups hot liquid

Using a separate bowl, combine 1/4 cup water and cornstarch until smooth

Mix with a little hot liquid and return mixture to pot

Stir and cook until bubbly

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/george-duran/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-cookies-recipe/index.html

Start to finish: 30 minutes

Servings: 60

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tea spoon vanilla extract

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tea spoons baking soda

1/2 tea spoon salt

1 tea spoon ground cinnamon

1/2 tea spoon ground ginger

1/4 tea spoon ground nutmeg

1/4 tea spoon ground cloves

2 cups milk chocolate chips, not semisweet

Nonstick cooking spray or parchment paper

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F

Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray or line them with parchment paper

Using a mixer beat the butter until smooth

Beat in the white and brown sugars, a little at a time, until the mixture is light and

fluffy

Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, and then mix in the vanilla and pumpkin puree

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger,

nutmeg and cloves

Slowly beat the flour mixture into the batter in thirds

Stir in the chips

Scoop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets

and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cookies are browned around the edges

Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let them rest for 2 minutes

Take the cookies off with a spatula and cool them on wire racks