Make Ahead Gingerbread Coffee Cake (On My To Do List)

Gingerbread Coffee Cake with Cranberry Pecan Streusel

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Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking, heavily adapted from Joy of Baking
Yields: 9-12 servings

This moist, gorgeous Gingerbread Coffee Cake is the perfect combination of sweet, spiced, crunchy, and comforting. The best part (besides the taste!) is that it can be made in advance and refreshed in the oven for just a few minutes before serving. You can even divide the preparation over a few days to ensure it fits into your holiday schedule. This was Mike’s favorite dish on our holiday breakfast table.

Coffee Cake Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup unsulphured molasses*
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
*Tip from Joy of Baking: To prevent the molasses from sticking to the measuring cup, first spray the cup with a non-stick vegetable spray.

Cranberry Pecan Streusel Ingredients:
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons cold butter
1 cup chopped pecans (Oh Nuts! sent me Cranberry Pecans and they were so awesome for this!)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup apple cider

Directions:
NOTE: If you wanted to make this cake way in advance, you could complete this recipe up to the point of wrapping and refrigerating the cake. Instead, you’d double wrap it and freeze it. Then you could just thaw it overnight in the fridge before warming it through in the oven and serving it.

2 days in advance: Place the cranberries and apple cider for the streusel into a small bowl and cover. Refrigerate to rehydrate the berries.

1 day in advance: Make the streusel. First, drain the cranberries. Combine the flour and brown sugar in a medium bowl and using two knives or a pastry cutter, cut in the cold butter until you have crumbly streusel. Mix in the pecans and drained cranberries. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and make a foil sling for a 9-inch square baking pan: tear off 4, 16-inch long pieces of aluminum foil and fold them in half. Situate two side-by-side in the pan, covering the bottom of the pan to the edge (they will overlap). Situate the other two strips in the same manner, but perpendicular to the first. The overhanging foil of the sling will make it easy to remove the cake from the pan after baking and cooling. Butter and flour the sling. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. Set aside. In a separate large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy (at least 2-3 minutes). Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the molasses, pausing to scrape down the sides of the bowl when you need to. Gently mix the sour cream and milk in a measuring cup. Add the dry ingredients and milk mixture alternately, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat until just combined. 

Pour the batter into the buttered and floured baking pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for about 25 minutes before sprinkling the streusel evenly over the top of the cake (and kind of pressing it on). Continue baking for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely. Remove it from its pan using the foil sling and wrap it tightly with plastic wrap (I wrap the foil sling and all so I can just pop it back in the pan to refresh later on) and stick it in the fridge.

The morning of: Let the cake sit out and come to room temperature while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pop it back in its pan and into the oven for a few minutes until warmed through. Let it cool for about 10 minutes. 

Vegetable Lasagna

photo from here

*Double the recipe below + make two - eat one today and freeze the other before step 9. Be sure to add a disposable aluminum baking dish to your grocery list for the lasagna you'll put in the freezer. When you're ready to eat the frozen one, simply defrost the second the night before you want to eat it and cook according to step 9.

• 1 large eggplant (1 1/2 pounds)
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium zucchini, trimmed and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 2 red bell peppers, quartered lengthwise
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 6 garlic cloves, smashed (this is a lot of garlic bc we love garlic)
• 1 cup Italian Fontina, coarsely grated
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano or Pecorino 
• 8 ounces ricotta
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella & 1/2 cup mozzarella (separated)
• 1/3 cup milk to taste
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
• 5 (6 3/4- by 3 1/2-inch) or 10 (7- by 6 3/4-inch) no-boil lasagne noodles
• One jar store-bought marinara sauce or homemade

1. Preheat oven to 425. Arrange vegetables and garlic in a single layer on lightly oiled baking sheets. Season with salt and pepper.  (You can also slice the veggies ahead of time, place in a gallon ziplock bag with a little oil, salt and pepper. Shake and store).
2. Bake for 20-30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until veggies are cooked through to your liking.
3. While the veggies bake, prepare the lasagne noodles as directed on the packaging (if needed).
4. While the veggies bake, mix the ricotta, mozzarella, fontina & basil together in a bowl. If needed, add a little milk to slightly thin out the cheese.  You could also use an egg instead of milk #eggallergies
5. Spread a layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of a 8" square baking dish.
6. Remove the garlic from the baking sheet and mix in the with the cheese mixture.
7. Layer alternating lasagna noodles, cheese, vegetables and sauce until you've filled the pan, topping with a layer of pasta noodles.
8. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 c mozzarella and the parmigiano on the top.
9. Bake until bubbly, 25-30 minutes. Let stand 15-20 minutes after cooking.

Very loosely adapted from here by me.

Corned Beef & Cabbage (Slow Cooker)

photo from here

I always double this recipe (doubling everything but the cabbage) because it's perfect for the freezer.  If you plan to make one (or two) for the freezer, simply place the veggies (except the cabbage) and the meat in a gallon-sized freezer ziploc.  On the day you want to make your freezer corned beef, you can either move it to the fridge the night before or cook it straight from the freezer, picking up the instructions at step 3.  Just be sure to add a head of cabbage to your grocery store list that week.  The corned beef also makes for great sandwiches for leftovers.

Ingredients:

- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 4 carrots, chopped in big chunks
- 4 to 6 red potatoes, quartered
- 1 onion, quartered
- (1) 4lb corned beef brisket
- 12 ounce stout or dark ale
- 1 tbsp corned beef spices (or the packet that comes with the brisket)
- 1 medium cabbage, cut into six wedges
- grainy mustard and horseradish sauce for serving

Directions:

1.  place celery, onions and potatoes in bottom of slow cooker.
2. rinse the brisket and place over veggies
3. add the beer, spices and enough water to just cover the meat.
4. cook on low for 8-9 hours.
5. 1 hour before done, add the cabbage.
6. slice brisket and serve with veggies, mustard and horseradish

Bahn Mi Chicken Sandwiches (Slow Cooker)

photo from here

This is another one that is super easy to double and freeze.  I have no idea where this recipe originally came from, but it's a good one. If doubling, be sure not to buy second set of rolls, cilantro and slaw mix until the week of. 

VIETNAMESE CHICKEN SANDWICHES

--4-6 chicken thighs (my thighs had skin and bones)
--1 1/2 Tbl soy sauce + 1 tbsp soy sauce
--1 1/2 Tbl fish sauce (if you don't have fish sauce, you can use worstershire sauce)
--1 1/2 tsp white sugar +2 tsp sugar
--1/2 tsp black pepper
--4 cloves chopped garlic
-- 3-4 tbsp rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
--baguette or hero rolls
--cilantro for garnish
--1-2 cups red cabbage /brocolli slaw mix
-- mayo

Directions:


1. Combine 1 1/2 tbs soy, fish sauce, 1 1/2 tsp white sugar, garlic, pepper in a ziploc or bowl and add chicken. My chicken was frozen solid and I worried that the flavor wouldn't sink in as nicely as it would if I had marinated it for a while--it was fine.

2. Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours, or on high for 3-4. The cooking time is dependent on how thick your chicken pieces are, and if they are fresh or frozen. 

3. Mix slaw vegetables with 1 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp sugar, and rice wine vinegar in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate anywhere from 15 minutes to overnight.

4. nce chicken is done, remove and shred chicken and set aside, reserving a few tablespoons of the juice.  You can also mix in a little of the juice from the slow cooker.   Assemble sandwiches on lightly toasted bread, spreading mayo on bread and adding the chicken, slaw and cilantro to taste.


Ps - you can also do this with pork or beef.

Mu Shu Pork or Beef (Slow Cooker)

photo from here

This is another good "make one now, make one for later" dish, since you can follow steps 1 through 3, placing the ingredients in a gallon ziploc bag first and then into the freezer.  Then, when you're ready, just pick up at step 4. No need to defrost - I've done it right from the freezer.  Just be sure to buy your veggies and tortillas the week you plan to make your second batch.

The Ingredients:

4 pounds boneless beef or pork roast
1/2 cup  soy sauce
1/2 cup  hoisin sauce
6 tablespoons ketchup
6 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons Chinese 5-spice powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder (or 6 cloves, minced)

Serve with:
small, soft tortillas or butter lettuce (as a lettuce wrap)
plum sauce
red cabbage and carrot slaw (see banh mi recipe for slaw instructions)
scallions, chopped (optional)
peanuts, chopped (optional)

The Directions: 

1. Trim any visible fat from the meat, and place it into your stoneware.
2. Sprinkle the dried spices directly onto the meat, and top with the ketchup and honey.
3. Pour in the soy and hoisin sauces.
4. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours, or until meat shreds easily with a fork. You may need to take the meat out and cut in chunks after 8 hours, then turn to high for an hour or so to get it to shred nicely (I did this).
5. to serve, spread the plum sauce on a warmed tortilla or on a large piece of butter lettuce and top with the mu shu, slaw and scallions. You could also top with chopped peanuts, which we don't do #allergies.


Recipe adapted from here

One for Now, One for Later Meatloaf

photo from here

The quantities below yield two meatloafs (meatloaves?), one for now and one for later.  Follow all instructions,

Ingredients:

Set One:
2lb meatloaf (three meat) mix or ground turkey
1onion minced
3garlic minced
1/2 c parsley minced
1/4c Italian bread crumbs (maybe less)
1 egg (or egg substitute - I use flax seed & water with no problem)  #allergies
1tsp dried thyme
salt & pepper

Set Two:
4-5 dash worstershire
3tbs sweet chili
2tbs Dijon mustard
6oz can tomato paste

1/4c ketchup

(if freezing one, also buy disposable aluminum loaf pans).

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Mix Set One of ingredients together in a large bowl.
3. In a separate, small bowl, mix Set Two of ingredients.  Add one half of this mixture to the meat mixture and mix well.
4. Place meat mixture into two loaf pans.
5. Add 1/4c ketchup to the remaining bowl of Set Two ingredients, and spread atop the meat mix.
6. Bake one loaf for one hour, and wrap the second in plastic and foil and place in the freezer.
7. When you're ready to make the second loaf, simply move the loaf to the fridge the night before and cook the following day according to the same instructions.

We love meatloaf sandwiches with havarti, mustard and thin sliced jalapenos on toasted bread. It reminds us of this restaurant in Brooklyn.

One For Now, One For Later Chicken Pot Pie

photo from here

This makes two pot pies, one for now and one for later, as well as some extra filling left over which can be frozen in individual ramekins for one-person servings. 

Ingredients:

• One store-prepared rotisserie chicken 
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 5 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 cups yellow onions, chopped (2 onions)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup milk (I used whole milk)
• 2 cups medium-diced carrots
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas (2 cups)
• One potato, cubed
• 1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
• (4) 9 inch pie crusts (they usually come in sets of 2)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4 to 6 cups of cubed chicken.  

3. In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock.  Bring to a boil and add carrots and potatoes for about 5 minutes.  Turn off heat. Remove vegetables from broth, being sure to reserve all the broth.

4. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. 

5. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. 

6. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and heavy cream (or whole milk). 

7. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, potatoes peas, onions and parsley. Mix well.  Fill two 9" pie crusts with the filling.

8. remove the remaining two pie crusts from their pans and gently press atop the filled pot pies, poking 4 vent holes into the crust.

9. Cook for up to an hour, until the top is golden brown and cooked through. 

For frozen, move pie from freezer to fridge the night before and cook according to instructions above.

Adapted from Ina Garten's recipe

Chicken Tikka Masala (Slow Cooker)

photo from here

I haven't tried this one yet but plan to. 

Can be doubled, one for now, one for freezer

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

Serves 4

Hands-on Time: 10m

Ingredients

·         1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes

·         1 medium onion, chopped

·         2 cloves garlic, chopped

·         2 tablespoons tomato paste

·         2 teaspoons garam masala (Indian spice blend)

·         kosher salt and black pepper

·         1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 8)

·         1/2 English cucumber, halved and thinly sliced

·         1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

·         1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

·         1 cup basmati or some other long-grain white rice

·         1/2 cup heavy cream

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Directions

1.  In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, tomato paste, garam masala, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables, cover, and cook until the chicken is tender, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours (this will shorten total recipe time). 2.  In a small bowl, toss the cucumber and cilantro with the lemon juice and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours. 3.  Twenty minutes before serving, cook the rice according to the package directions. 4.  Just before serving, stir the cream into the chicken tikka masala. Serve over the rice with the cucumber relish.

from RealSimple.com