Sunday Fall Supper

So this week marks the start of my Sunday night suppers and our pick for the night was grilled pork tenderloin with sauteed vegetables and braised red cabbage. To finish the meal I made a pumpkin cheesecake with a caramel pecan topping. The meal just screamed fall dinner to me. It was a lovely and cool weekend here in NC and this meal was the perfect ending to a wonderful weekend.

One of my favorite fall side dishes is braised red cabbage. I love the sweetness that red cabbage has and it pairs beautifully with pork. Of course it's not the best smelling vegetable to make but it doesn't have the same sharpness that regular cabbage can often have. It is staple in our household now through December. Now when I was planning tonight's meal, I asked hubby what dessert he wanted. Hubby isn't a big dessert eater but he didn't even skip a beat when he requested a pumpkin cheesecake. I was excited at the idea of yet another pumpkin recipe to discover. I searched the internet and my many cookbooks and finally settled upon a Paula Deen recipe. I added my own touch with the caramel/pecan topping and it was a delicious addition. This meal was comforting, warm and a great way to finish the weekend. I can happily get in bed, curl up with a good book, glass of wine and sleep peacefully tonight.

Braised Red Cabbage
1 small head red cabbage
2-3 slices bacon, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups chicken broth
3-4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

In a large dutch oven, cook bacon until fat is rendered. Remove bacon bits and add butter and olive oil to bacon fat. Add the cabbage, vinegar, broth, 1/2tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Cook covered for 20 minutes over medium/low heat. After 20 minutes, remove cover, add the remaining salt and pepper and cook until majority of the liquid dissolves.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust
1 3/4 cup gingersnap crumbs
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 stick butter, melted

Cheesecake filling
3 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 15 ounce canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Caramel/Pecan topping
1/4 cup store bought caramel topping
1/8 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For crust:

In medium bowl, combine crumbs, sugar. Add melted butter. Press down flat into a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.

For filling:

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk,sugar and the spices. Add flour and vanilla. Beat together until well combined.

For Topping: Melt the caramel sauce of medium heat. Once melted add the chopped pecans. Mix together and it's ready for topping on the cheesecake.

Pour into crust. Spread out evenly and place oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours. Once chilled top with caramel/pecan topping and serve with freshly whipped cream.