Butternut Squash Bean Chili

Difficult season of life right now...

My Dad is terminally ill with cancer. My father-in-law had a major car accident and is living with us for a bit. 

At this point, functioning is difficult. Writing complete, coherent sentences with correct spelling is a challenge. Please forgive my choppiness. I need sleep. 

I'm taking comfort in food which is a dangerous place to be. I know me - stress equals eating. 

I need to make healthy things. Vegetarian chili comes to mind. We have a butternut squash and out came this. Warm comfort in a chocolate bowl.

Butternut Squash Bean Chili

Ingredients

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

2 onions, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 jalapenos, seeded and minced

2 tbsp chili powder

2 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp oregano

1 tbsp lime juice

2 14.5 oz cans tomatoes, undrained

2 14.5 oz cans any beans (black, red, pinto, etc), drained and rinsed

2 c butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1lb)

Salt and Pepper

Sour cream 

Chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in pot over med-high heat. Add onions and cook until soft and beginning to brown, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and jalapenos, stir 1 minute. Add spices: chili powder, cumin, oregano and lime juice, stir 1 minute. Add in tomatoes with juice, beans, and butternut squash. Cook with lid on until squash is soft, about 20 minutes. Stir the pot around 10 minutes, add water if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with sour cream, cilantro, and lime wedges.

 

Gazpacho - Cold Tomato Soup

It's the end of summer and I love this time of year. For me, it's the change in seasons that I adore. When winter ends and spring begins I feel alive and joyful. When summer warmth comes I am ready to run around in flip flops and tank tops. I have to say, I really think fall is my favorite. Warm days with crisp nights. We get out the marshmallows and drag branches to the fire pit for smores bonfires with friends. We go camping and hang out watching the starts. Fall is bliss.

I've worked all summer long, in the garden and the harvest is paying off, but these days my garden is winding down. The beans are finished, the squash kaput, the peppers producing less each day. Today we pulled up two dead tomato plants, but at least the other are still going. We have different varieties of tomatoes planted. Last year I introduced the mini orange ones and they were amazing. This year, my new plants were Cherokee Purple and Mr. Stripey heirloom. Both had interesting color, but tasted not as bold as the traditional Better Boy that is our mainstay. They were also not as pest resistant. In fact, I'm pretty sure more bugs enjoyed my Mr. Stripey than I did! 

Better Boy, Purple Cherokee, Mr. Stripey all ready for soup

I did can (that soooo should be "jar") some of these tomatoes, which I will share with you tomorrow. It was pretty easy considering I usually only can jam. The canning jars look beautiful with the different color tomatoes in them.

Today however, I wanted to enjoy the end of summer. Today I made gazpacho. I have to say, I've never...ever had gazpacho. I'm sure it wasn't for lack of it being offered. My Mom loves the stuff, so I know she tried to get me to like it. I always declined. As usual, my Mom was right, I should have come around much sooner than this.

I'm pretty sure it was the name that put me off. It sounds so...so....tough. Like it might grow hair on your chest tough. Like take your lunch money away tough. Gestapo tough. I was intimidated. But as I've said before with souffle - wusiness needs to be confronted. I had to make this stuff. I'm proud to say...

I...have..conquered...gazpacho!!! And I actually liked it.

Of course, now that means I want you to conquer gazpacho as well (or at least be able to spell it). You may be an old pro at it like my Mom, or you may be a wussy newbie like me, but if you like fresh tomatoes, you are going to love this recipe. All you need is a food processor - no cooking involved. That's my kinda summer cooking.

Gazpacho
from Southern Living

8 tomatoes, peeled and chopped (I used several types of tomatoes, just be sure they are flavorful and ripe)
2 cucumbers, peeled and seeded
1 large bell pepper
1 small red onion, peeled
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded
1 large clove garlic
1- 32 oz bottle of tomato or vegetable juice
1 lemon, need 1 tbsp zest, 1/4 c juice
1/3 c red wine vinegar
2 dashes of hot sauce
3 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp paprika
sour cream
avocado

Cut tomatoes, cucumbers, pepper, and onion into quarters. Put all the chopped vegetables, the jalapeno and the garlic into the food processor. Pulse until chunky (or you can keep going til it's smooth if you don't like texture in your soup), scraping the sides when necessary. Pour into a large plastic container and add the rest of the ingredients. Stir, cover and put in the fridge for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Serve with sour cream and a sliced avocado. 

If the Tomato Peach Salad is summer on a fork, this is summer on a spoon! Thanks Mom for having patience and letting me grow into my taste buds.

 

Chicken Feta Soft Tacos - Fast Weeknight Dinner

You know I avoid the kitchen most all summer long. I just don't love being in there where it is hot. I get all whiny and complaining, kinda like my kids and it isn't pretty. I LOVE cooking on the grill in summer. I mean it's already hot outside, so cooking out there doesn't change much. It's already 92 in the shade.

Actually, I guess I should say, I love getting my HUSBAND to grill. I do all the prep work and then he stands out there sweating and feeling very manly. Works out great for everyone involved.

This recipe was born of leftover grilled chicken. I often have the Grillmaster cook a couple of extra pieces of chicken to have for salads the next day. This night, I needed fast and had the extra chicken already done, but it's really fast even when starting from nothing. I just happen to have these ingredients in the fridge, so I set them all out. Thankfully it came together beautifully. Really, simple, delicious, fresh...exactly what summer is all about.

Chicken Feta Soft Tacos

chicken breasts

feta cheese

cilantro

cabbage (or lettuce)

limes

pumpkin seeds, roasted and salted

sour cream

tortillas

Drizzle some olive oil over the chicken and sprinkle with some salt and pepper (oregano is good too if you have it). Make sure the chicken is at room temperature before putting on the grill. Grill with indirect heat on medium for about 10-15 minutes until the juices run clear. After the chicken comes off the grill, let it rest for 10 minutes and then chop it into small pieces. Serve all the ingredients in a divided chip tray (like Help Yourself Oatmeal) with warmed tortillas. Let everyone custom make with their choices. My kids especially love the pumpkin seeds, so pick these up next time and keep in the pantry. Summer is served!

 

Kid Creations - Mini Meatloaves

My oldest has decided I'm boring in the kitchen. He has reached the tender age of 8 1/2 and is "bored" with my menu choices. The child is a budding foodie. He has exotic and varied tastes and I love that about him.

In our house, whenever I hear complaining, I figure that person needs to come up with a solution to whatever problem is bugging them. Since I wasn't doing the complaining about the food, I didn't think I need to change. I pulled out the kid cookbooks and said, "pick what YOU want to make for dinner". He actually thought about it seriously, read through the cookbook, and then showed me his pick...Everyday Drumsticks. This recipe is from a very old Betty Crocker's Children's Cookbook that my Mom used to cook from as a child.

The recipe actually cracks me up. In essence, it's a meatloaf on a stick, creating a "drumstick". I figured we really didn't need weapons sticks at the table, so we settled on just the "drum" part of the recipe. These have nothing to do with what you usually think of in terms of drumsticks. There is no chicken involved in the recipe. It's an easy recipe that Super Bear made ALL by himself. I seriously did not help him except to stir the cranberry sauce. See?? I told you to buy those extra bags of cranberries over Thanksgiving and put them in the freezer.

Mini Meatloaves
1 lb ground beef (I used venison)
1 c soft bread crumbs
salt and pepper
2 eggs
bacon (optional)
2 c cranberries
1/2 c water
1/2 c sugar
zest of one orange
1 tsp nutmeg


Combine all in a large bowl and knead with your hands to really get it mixed well. Shape into mini balls or rectangles. Wrap with 1/2 bacon strips. Place on a slotted baking sheet or wire rack on top of a baking sheet to catch the grease. Broil for 10 minutes. Watch carefully for burning bacon!


In the meantime, combine cranberries, water, sugar, zest, and nutmeg into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries are popped and soft. The mixture will thicken. Serve over meatloaf.

Creamy Spring Green Risotto

Secret Recipe Club time! It's funny how you start to know many of the foodies in the Club as you participate month after month. When I got my assignment, I already "knew" Kate and her blog, A Spoonful of Thyme. I had tried to eat my way through the computer screen with her Pulled Pork Sandwich. Her husband has the most awesome looking smoker! Serious man grilling.

I eventually chose Kate's Spring Green Risotto since it's fresh and uses all the of the spring veggies I love like peas and asparagus. We eat asparagus all the time. My favorite way is tossed with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and thrown on the grilled for a few moments. The kids are big fans of the little charred bits that happen.

I adore risotto and normally serve it during the colder months. But Kate proved to me risotto could be a warm weather dish with the addition of fresh green veggies. It turned out delicious! My husband declared it restaurant quality and we agreed it should be "on the rotation" just like Kate said.

I made a few changes and rewrote the recipe because it seemed a little confusing to me and I thought it could read simpler. (I'm sure that had something to do with the fact that is a recipe from Ina Garten - just saying.) I did leave out the fennel, because it just didn't look good at the grocery store when I went. I added mushrooms because that's one of my favorite risotto ingredients and I added lima beans to up the protein. You could easily make this a vegetarian recipe by using veggie stock. It may seem like a lot, but it is just one dish and we made it our main meal. I added a couple of pieces of tilapia and some sweet pumpernickle bread and dinner was done.

Spring Green Risotto

from a Spoonful of Thyme

Ingredients
1 lb asparagus
5 oz lima beans
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp butter
3 c finely chopped leeks, white and light green parts (1 leek)
8 mushrooms, sliced 
1 1/2 c Arborio rice
2/3 c white wine
4-5 c chicken stock
5 oz frozen peas, defrosted
1 tsp pepper
2 lemons, zest and juice
1/3 c mascarpone cheese or cream cheese 
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese 
3 tbsp chives, minced 

Bring a medium pot with a small amount of water (maybe 3 inches) to a boil. Put ice in a large bowl and add water to make an ice bath. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and give to your very grateful chickens. Then cut the asparagus spears into 1 1/2-inch lengths (on the angle if you want to be fancy).  Put asparagus and lima beans in the boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Drain and plunge the veggies immediately in the bowl of ice water. Dry your pot over low heat to use for the next step. Drain the vegetables.
Heat the olive oil and butter in the dry pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and mushrooms, cook for 6 mins. Add the rice and stir for 3 more minutes. {There is a lot of stirring coming up, about 25 minutes of it, so if you can rope in a sous chef, this is the time. You really don't have to stir constantly, but you do need to stay with it. It's worth it - really.}

Add the white wine and simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until most of the wine has been absorbed. Add the chicken stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring almost constantly and waiting for the stock to be absorbed before adding more. Immediately after adding the last cup of stock, add the asparagus, lima beans, peas, and pepper. Zest both lemons right into the pot.

Squeeze the lemon juice from both lemons into a small bowl, add the mascarpone. Whisk together with a fork.

After a total of about 25 minutes of cooking and stirring the risotto, all the liquid should be absorbed. Then you are ready for the next step. Turn off the heat and add the mascarpone-lemon mixture plus the Parmesan cheese and chives.

Serve with an additional garnish of Parmesan cheese and chives if you want to fancy it up.

Grilled Salmon with Herb Lemon Butter

This recipe was just what I needed after the week of "junk" food on our vacation. I paired it with potatoes and fresh green beans. Finally...what dinner should look like.

Grilled Salmon with Herb Lemon Butter
adapted from Food Network.com

Ingredients

1/4 c butter, softened

2 Meyer lemons, zested

1/2 tsp dill

1/2 tsp chives

1/2 bunch thyme, finely chopped or 1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 small clove garlic, smashed and finely chopped

salt and pepper

4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, skin-on

olive oil

Remove the salmon from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature. In a small bowl, combine the butter, zest, herbs and garlic to make a compound butter. Mix well. Preheat grill to medium hot.

Coat the fish with olive oil. Place the salmon, skin side down, on the clean, preheated grill. Cook for 8 minutes. As the salmon cooks it will turn from translucent orange to opaque pink.

Turn the salmon over and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the grill and top with the room temperature compound butter. The butter should act as a sauce and melt over and coat the grilled salmon.

Bring on the summer!!

Anise Dusted Venison with Red Wine Grape Sauce

It's Secret Recipe Club time again!! I was pretty excited when I was assigned a blog from outside the US called Lavender and Lime. Tandy is from South Africa, a country where I know exactly two people...Ronald and Lize. I met Ronald in Australia, where he told me many South Africans often come to visit or live. I met Lize our preschool where I got to teach her precious daughter Neika at Vacation Bible School. So Tandy makes three people, wow, I'm on a roll.

I was charmed by the language used in Tandy's writing. For instance, the word "dessicated" which you never see used in the US, (we say dried) but dessicated sounds so much more intense. I also loved how her recipes are in grams. We really should have stuck with the metric system in the United States, it makes a lot more sense.

When I was browsing Tandy's blog I noticed she eats lots of foods that are not common here in the US: ostrich (which was yummy when I had it in Australia), springbok, lamb, liver, and crawfish. Talk about an adventurous eater, but maybe not by her country's standards. For all I know, ostrich may be a South African staple. That's why I like taking my kids to eat at different ethic restaurants. There they can learn people eat different things, look different, talk differently and dress differently. Respecting differences is something I was taught as a child and it's never left me. It's my hope that raising my kids this way, will teach them God created people to treasure differences. The only hard part is when they learn that not every kid has this respect. It wasn't until my son starting taking his lunch to the homeschool co-op that he even knew it was "unusual" for kids to eat sushi, liverwurst, deer burgers or Cesar salad. It actually broke my heart a little the first time he came home and told me the other kids said his lunch was yucky and weird. How sad is that? Especially when his lunch was SOOO much more delicious than the applesauce cup and Lunchable the other kids had.
I had some serious trouble deciding which recipe to make when I browsed through all the choices. The Orange Marinated Duck sounded delicious and I can see making it with chicken. I also really wanted to make these Cranberry Oat Slices because you know I'm a little obsessed by cranberries. I'm guessing I will make this outside of today's post.

When it came down to it, I decided to make two things from Lavender and Lime. Her Venison dish with anise and grapes got my attention since I have a freezer shelf full of deer thanks to my hunter husband. This dish sounded like something I would order at a restaurant - something fancy - something I would not normally make at home. I had to give it a go. I also decided to make her chai tea mix. I'll share that one tomorrow.

I did change Tandy's recipe a little just to accommodate my family. I choose to do a large venison roast so I could feed the entire family. I usually save the tenderloins for DNI. I marinated the venison overnight (which I do with all of the whole cuts, not the ground). We also cooked it on the grill since it was a beautiful spring day, but that meant I didn't have the pan drippings that Tandy did. I used anise seed because I had it and I didn't have the star anise. Never in my life would I have thought of putting anise and meat together, but it was a beautiful pairing and everyone loved it.

Anise Dusted Venison with Red Wine Grape Sauce
Adapted from Lavender and Lime

Ingredients
2-3 lb venison roast (you could use a piece of beef)
3/4 c apple cider vinegar
1/4 c soy sauce

2 tsp anise seeds (or 2 star anise or 2 tsp five spice powder)
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 c red wine
1 bunch of red or black grapes cut in half (apprx 20 grapes)

Combine the vinegar and soy sauce in a large zip lock bag and add venison. Marinate 2 hours or more (I leave overnight) in the fridge. Dump marinade and pat the meat dry with a paper towel. Let rest on a plate so it comes to room temperature. You never want to grill a cold piece of meat. Crush the anise seed in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Combine anise, pepper and salt together and dust over the meat on both sides. When meat is room temp (about 30 minutes of sitting out) grill over med high heat for 25 minutes, turning once.

While it's cooking, melt the butter, olive oil and wine over med-low heat in a skillet. When butter is melted add the halved grapes and stir around for a minute or two. Remove from heat. When the roast is done, put on a clean cutting board. Let sit for a few minutes before slicing into 1/2 inch pieces. Serve with grape sauce over the sliced venison.

Delicious, thanks Tandy!

PS. This was my recipe that was made over on Foodness Gracious. It's my Moist Chocolate Buttermilk Cake with Cream Cheese Icing.

Pizza Soup - Fast and Easy

When I was busy recovering from my fourth cesarean section with our last baby (who is now 16 months old - yikes) a neighbor made this wonderful soup for us. I was a little unsure over the name Pizza Soup, thinking it would be more of a "kid recipe". I am not the biggest pizza fan unless it's really good pizza. So far I haven't found a pizza joint in Roswell that I love. I guess I just prefer making it, kinda like how I am about Mexican food too. Do I sound high-maintenance? I don't feel that way, but when I actually say it out loud, I sound like a food snob. I'm not, I promise. In fact the food item I craved most when pregnant with all four of the kids was McDonald's french fries. Nothing else would cure that craving - nothing. And yes, I now they are soooo bad for you and contain all kinds of preservatives and sodium levels off the charts, but it's what my body said it NEEDED and who was I to deny? Since the kids turned out healthy and *mostly* sane, I guess I didn't do any damage. All that to say I do like junk food occasionally. I'm not much of a Mexican food fan (unless it's homemade), I don't like hot dogs and I don't crave pizza, but those McDonald's fries are my weakness.

I do have a twist on junk food with this pizza soup. It breaks the pizza mold by going into a bowl, not a crust. I loved it. It was a creamy soup with a little kick from the pepperoni. The great thing about it, well actually there are two. One, you can customize the recipe so easily just like making your pizza the way you like it. Two, the basic recipe is SIMPLE. Don't thank me, thank Sybil, who introduced me to the simple pleasure of....

Pizza Soup

1 jar of spaghetti sauce

6 oz cream cheese, I used non-fat

1 c milk, I used skim

Assorted pizza toppings: pepperoni (we like turkey pepperoni), candian bacon, mushrooms, black olives, spinach, mozzarella, oregano, hot pepper flakes, whatever you like

Put the sauce, cream cheese and milk in a pot and stir until it's all melted. Add toppings to warm the up and serve. How easy is that??? Dinner's ready in a hurry!

Apple Pie Soup

Yea!!! Apples are here. We took the kids apple picking up in Ellijay (Georgia's apple capital) and had another wonderful time. We go to R & A Orchards owned by Richard and Ann, who still drive the tractor and hand out the picking bags. They are a caring couple who's kids and grandkids can be found out in the orchard working with them. I love seeing a family business succeed, so I'm happy to support them.

Their apples are priced very reasonably and taste waaay better than store bought. We picked two pecks and bought another peck that was filled with seconds (smaller apples I used for apple sauce, apple butter, and apple muffins). Can you tell we REALLY like apples around our house? I had trouble getting the kids to let me cook with them because they just wanted to eat them straight out. My husband loves them best like this.

Apple Pie Soup is a recipe worth the small effort. It's delicious! It comes from a combination of a recipe I learned at the Whole Foods Cooking School, where I volunteer, and a recipe out of the Palmetto Palate Cookbook. Both of those recipes serve this as a chilled soup but I really like it warm. When it's warm it reminds me of apple pie...delicious! Serve it however you like, no matter, you and your kids are going to love this one.

 

Apple Pie Soup

12 apples, peeled and sliced or chopped

3 c apple juice or cider

3/4 c sugar

1 cinnamon stick (or you can use 1 tbsp ground cinnamon)

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp vanilla

2 c half and half

Cook apples with juice, sugar, cinnamon and ginger in pot. Bring it to a boil with the lid on, then turn down the heat and remove the lid, let it simmer for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally and break up the apples as they get mushy. Take out the cinnamon stick if you used it and add the vanilla extract. Puree the soup in a blender or with an immersion blender (my personal favorite kitchen tool). Where you go from here is your choice. Put back in your pot or chill in fridge. If you want to serve this warm, you add the half and half slowly bringing the soup back up to a warm temperature. If cold wait until the base is well chilled and then when you are ready to serve, add the half and half and mix well. Serve in bowls with a few slices of apple and some cinnamon sprinkled over the top as a garnish.

 

I finally broke down and got an apple peeler this year and now all I'm thinking is, "what took me so long"? These things are great! It makes fast work of getting an apple peeled, cored and sliced and the kids can even do it with me.

Burrito Bowl

 

This is one of my favorite summer recipes. It doesn't require heating up the oven or too much cooking at all, when I often find my kitchen motivation waning since it's just TOO hot.

If you've ever been to Chipotle, you've heard of a burrito bowl. We have some friends who moved to Australia (the ones I made the Pavlova for, which is another amazing summer recipe) who introduced us to Chipotle. I figured for a fraction of the cost, I could make something like their burrito bowl at home.

Burrito Bowl

(this is one of those recipes where "exact" doesn't enter the picture)

steamed rice
black beans
chopped lettuce
chopped tomatoes
chopped avocado
shredded cheddar cheese
chopped black olives
sour cream
The only cooking part of this recipe is the black beans. I rinse out the can of beans and dump them into a pot. I add salt, pepper, cilantro, minced onion and minced garlic. Give it a big stir and add olive oil and some chicken stock. Let these simmer on the stove for 30-60 minutes.

When ready to serve you can use my taco/ oatmeal trick or plate them up yourself. Start with the rice and then beans. Add all of the other toppings as you like. You can "mix, mix, mix" like Bee Bim Bop or just enjoy the randomness of what appears on your forkfull.

Peanut Butter, Apple and Bacon Sandwiches

The first time I saw this recipe, I was not to sure. I mean, it sounds like something Elvis would eat. But I was a little intrigued and I like to try new things. I also like to get my kids out of their pb and j rut every once in a while. Ever add bananas, cinnamon, apples, or shredded carrots to their normal pbandj? Sometimes we eat them on bagels, raisin bread, Hawaiian rolls, pita, or even rice cakes. So, in our house, unusual is good and celebrated. But this sandwich was strange even by our standards (someday I'll share the craziest sandwich recipe of all with you. We use it to haze and thereby induct in-laws into our family).

Anyway, I made this delicious sandwich one day and we all loved it! Well not the hubby, he thought it was a little too far fetched for his taste. I think I liked it because it was creamy with the peanut butter, crunchy with the apples, and salty with the bacon. I culinary trifecta! Try it for your next lunch - I dare you.

PB, Apple and Bacon Sandwiches

margarine

wheat bread

peanut butter

tart crisp apples, thinly sliced

cooked bacon, preferably applewood smoked

dash of cayenne pepper (optional)

lettuce

I like to cook my grilled sandwiches in my cast iron skillet, but whatever pan you start with, heat it up. The rule in the pro kitchen is.. "the pan waits on you, you never wait on the pan". So put your skillet on a med heat.

Spread peanut butter on one slice of bread. Sprinkle a little of the cayenne pepper on if you want some heat. Layer the bacon strips on top. Close the sandwich together and spread the top with some margarine. Place in the skillet, buttered side down. Carefully spread some margarine on the top of the sandwich while it's cooking in the skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until golden brown and crispy on each side. After you get it out of the skillet, carefully pull it apart and insert the apple and lettuce.

It sounds crazy, it looks strange, but it tastes wonderful!

Amazing Three Onion Soup

I'm a huge fan of soup. I really only started making my own in the past two years. I learned a ton from the Salud Cooking School and by trial and error. I learned quickly it's all about the base stock. You can't start from watery broth and expect it to turn heads. Most soups I make don't take very long, they are fast and warm and often creamy like Pumpkin soup and Corn Chowder. This one is clear beef broth based and takes a little while to make, but it's ohhhh so worth it. You can even take it over the top and serve it like french onion soup with a little piece of toasted bread and a sprinkle of cheese. This recipe makes a ton of soup, but then you can easily freeze the extras for another day without any of the work!

Three Onion Soup

(makes 10 c of soup, can be easily halved)

2 tbsp butter

5 large Vidalia onions

2 red onions

1 bunch green onions

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 c brandy

1 c sherry

8 c beef stock

2 tsp minced thyme

2 bay leaves

salt and pepper

french bread, thinly sliced

white cheese slices: monterey jack, provolone, muenster, or swiss (don't use cheddar)

Slice onions into thin strips and chop green onions. Melt butter over med heat in large dutch oven, add onions. Cook onions until browned and sticky. You will have to stir your pot from time to time to keep the onions from burning and rotate them around in the pot as they cook. This will take a good 20-30 minutes. You don't want to rush this step because browning the onions is what brings out their flavor and makes for the best soup. Once they are browned, add the garlic and cook for a few more minutes.

Add brandy and sherry (you may be tempted to skip these, but they add so much flavor and all the alcohol will be cooked out). Add beef stock and seasonings. Bring the whole mess to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer. Take a little taste, it may need more salt and pepper depending on your stock and I usually add a tablespoon of sugar at this time for a little sweetness.

Toast your bread slices very crispy to create a crostini. Pour the steaming hot soup into a bowl and float a crostini on top. Add a slice of cheese. If you want it more melted, pop it in the microwave for a few seconds (real restaurants will put the bowl of soup under a broiler to brown it, but I don't have any super cool oven proof serving bowls.)

Toralene Casserole - Great Winter Food

My favorite dish as a kid and still a favorite with me and my family. This is what we call Toralene. No one knows why it's called this weird name, just like the Russian Tea. It doesn't really matter what it is called because it's cheesy pasta goodness. This is one of the rare pasta dishes I do make. It's a great dish for cold nights and another fantastic excuse to use my amazing Lodge enameled cast iron pot. I could seriously be a spokesperson for them..anyone from Lodge out there listening??

As always, you can make this your own and adapt depending on what you like and don't like. You really can't go wrong. Change it to ground turkey and fat free cheese (which in my opinion is gross but to each their own), leave out the olives, add in mushrooms. Whatever your family might like. I'd love to hear your adaptations in the comment section.

Toralene


1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp oil
1 lb ground beef
salt and pepper
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 can tomato soup
1 can chopped tomatoes (with garlic and onions if you like)
1 can water
2 1/2 c uncooked egg noodles
1 can corn (or 15 oz of frozen)
1 can black olives
1 1/2 c grated sharp cheddar cheese


Heat oil in large dutch oven (aka a pan you can use on the stove and in the oven). Cook onions until soft, add beef and cook until browned. Drain beef fat off into an empty can (don't put down the sink drain.). If you put it in a can, it will harden and you can toss it in the trash.

Add the garlic. Add soup, tomatoes, a soup can of water, noodles, corn, olives and 1 c of cheese. Mix well. Put remaining cheese on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Butternut Squash Risotto - Vegetarian

As I've mentioned before, I have a little thing with risotto. It's like creamy heaven to me and perfect for fall weather. I adapted this dish to make it for a vegetarian friend and it was incredible even without the pancetta. I used basil in my dish because it's what I had growing out back, but tarragon would be nice too. Either way, your whole family will love this!

Butternut Squash Risotto

Adapted from myrecipes.com (serves 4 main dish portions)

1 1/2 lbs butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped into 1/2" cubes

2 c vegetable (or chicken) broth

1 1/3 c water

2 tbsp marsala wine (can be purchased at the grocery store in the cooking wines)

1 tbsp minced fresh tarragon or basil

1 c finely chopped onion

1 tsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 c uncooked Arborio rice

2/3 c monterey jack cheese, cut into small cubes

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 tbsp toasted pine nuts for garnish

fresh tarragon or basil for garnish

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

Spray jelly roll pan or cookie sheet with cooking spray and dump squash onto pan. Spread out and bake in oven for 20 mins, turning once halfway through cooking time. Reduce oven temp to 325 degrees.

In large ovenproof dutch oven, heat oil. Add onion and saute until soft and brown (about 10 minutes). Add garlic and saute another minute. Add rice to pot and stirring often, cook 1 minute. Stir in broth, water, wine and tarragon. Bring this to a boil over med heat (do not rush it). Then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Put dutch oven pot in the oven you still have going at 325 for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir in the squash, cheese, salt and pepper.  Let this stand for a few minutes in the pot. Then when you are ready to serve scoop into bowls or plates and sprinkle with the pine nuts and tarragon for garnish.

Salmon Cakes

This is a frugal recipe while still getting fish in your diet. Even non-fish people will like this one. So yummy and makes a perfect meal with fresh corn on the cob and sauteed zuchini - right in season!

Salmon Cakes

1 14.75oz can of salmon
2 c soft bread crumbs
1/3 c minced onions (or use 1/8 c dried minced onions)
1/4 c milk
2 eggs
2 tbsp minced parsley
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dill weed
dash of pepper

Drain the salmon and pull out the larger vertebra bones. You don't have to worry about the other fine bones becuase they will get mashed up and they are harmless, in fact they add calcium to the dish. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Shape into eight patties. Fry in 2 tbsp oil in skillet. Cook about 4 minutes each side until browned and crispy on the outside. Place on a paper towel to drain while you cook the rest. You can serve with tarter sauce, but my family loves these plain. Even the two year old gobbles them up!

Disappearing Pork Tenderloin

This is the most fabulous pork tenderloin recipe I have ever had. We make it several times a year and it's perfect for an ordinary weeknight, but it's great for company too! Here I served it with mashed potatoes, green beans with crushed gorgonzola crackers and sauteed apples. Delicious! Everyone we've ever served it to enjoys it and our kids scarf it up.

This recipe comes from Weber's Big Book of Grilling, which I highly recommend to anyone who grills.  Every recipe in it is yummy, at least the hundred or so we have tried. I like this book because it teaches the basics of grilling (it'd be a perfect wedding gift) and has recipes that are not made on the grill, but complement grilled food.  For instance...tequila orange marinade, raisin pine nut couscous, and oatmeal molasses cookies. It also includes more unusual recipes that you might not think would cook on the grill, but do, like...warm cherry pudding, beet and onion salad, pizza, and mashed sweet potatoes (a personal fave).

I digress, which happens often when I'm talking about food. The recipe I've promised is for pork tenderloin.

Disappearing Tenderloin

Ingredients:

2 pork tenderloins, about 1 lb each

the Marinade:

1/2 orange juice

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (which I just learned has anchovies in it!)

1 tbsp molasses

1 tbsp minced garlic

the Rub:

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp black pepper (I like to use coarse ground on all our grilling meats)

1 tsp salt (again, here I use coarse salt)

1/2 tsp cumin (which you should already have from making hummus here)

1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp granulated garlic (invest in granulated instead of powder because it's big like the salt and pepper and therefore stands out more in your mouth)

Whisk together the marinade ingredient. I usually just put them all the my marinade container from Tupperware and give it a really good shaking. Separate the tenderloins and trim any excess fat from them. Put them in your container (or a ziplock bag) and shake them up with the marinade. You could do this in the morning, but it really only needs an hour or two to marinate in the fridge.

Remove the tenderloins and toss the marinade. Coat both loins with the rub by patting it all over. Make sure the meat has enough time to come to room temperature before grilling. Just take it out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter for a little while, about 20 minutes.

Grill over indirect medium heat for about 25 minutes until the internal temp reads 155 degrees with an instant read thermometer or a handy remote thermometer. Either way, when it's done take it off the grill and put it on your clean serving platter. Then make a tent out of aluminum foil and put it over the pork. Let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

The recipe also calls for serving it with a pico de gallo (kinda like a salsa) but I think this ruins the dish. It is perfectly seasoned with a little heat (the chili powder) and sweet (the molasses and oj). It needs no sauce on the top, just tasty side dishes. This is a perfect dish anytime, but since the weather is so great now, get out there and grill!

Easy Roasted Chicken

Crunchy, crispy skin - that's what half of my family goes for. I am in the other half with tender, moist meat. Whichever side you pick, this roasted chicken has it all. It's as easy as picking up a rotisserie chicken from the deli and much tastier, not to mention cheaper. For about $.70/lb you can easily get two, maybe three meals out of a whole chicken. It's a great meal to make for company since it looks very delicious. My favorite recipe for roasting chicken comes from a Dacor oven cookbook. It's meant for a convention microwave (I was lucky enough to get one of these beauties when we moved into our house and it is incredible) but I have converted the recipe to a traditional oven for those of you mere mortals. Superpowers are found in the convention microwave. Where else can you bake brownies and muffins, turn around and roast a chicken, nuke some frozen veggies and top it all off with popcorn? If you have a convection microwave, you don't need anything else (well except an oven big enough for Thanksgiving day).

Roast Chicken

1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground coriander
dash of pepper

5-6 lb roasting chicken (thawed, emptied of disgusting giblets, rinsed with water and patted dry)
2 tbsp margarine, melted
1/2 c minced onion (and yes, I've substituted 1/4c dried minced onion)
1/2 c plain yogurt (again, I've used Greek and when desperate vanilla, but I wouldn't recommend strawberry)
1/2 c half and half (or whipping cream or whole milk)
1 tsp turmeric (this I never have, but I'm gonna invest one of these days)
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. The official recipe says to combine the first three spices and rub them into the chicken. I'm not a fan of rubbing chickens. When I get that intimate with them, I only think about our Girls in the backyard, not good for my appetite. So I cheat and combine all the spices with the melted butter, yogurt, and half and half. Then you spread this mixture all over the chicken with a sauce brush  - no touching necessary. Once the chicken looks like a kid who's overprotective mom slathered them with a little too much sunscreen, you are ready to cook.

Put in the oven for about an hour. The white meat should no longer be pink and the leg should come out easily. Take it out of the oven and let it rest for a while. You can build the chicken a little teepee out of foil to keep it moist during it's naptime if you like.

There it is, no trussing, tying, stuffing or even touching the bird. A very easy main dish. Keep napkins nearby when eating this, because it's crispy, crunchy, moist AND tender! And leftovers are perfect for any meal calling for cooked chopped chicken. Although, it's likely you won't have enough leftovers because this stuff makes the best chicken sandwiches.