Our go-to pasta. The simple garlic butter sauce with a kick goes with any combination of veggies and meat, so substitute with whatever you have on hand!
Ingredients: 1 pound penne pasta (we like Barilla Protein Penne) 2 heads broccoli, trimmed to florets (about 2-3 cups) 2-3 chicken breasts diced 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 4 tablespoons butter 3 garlic cloves, grated 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Directions: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally. After 5 minutes, add the broccoli florets to the pasta and stir and cook for another 4 minutes. Drain pasta and broccoli, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
In a medium skillet cook the diced chicken with a drizzle of olive oil and garlic salt.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 5 minutes. Add the broccoli, pasta, chicken, salt and pepper and toss. Add some of the reserved pasta water, if necessary, to make a light sauce. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with Parmesan.
This is my go-to brownie recipe. They are on the fudgy side! Yum!
Ingredients:
1 1/2 stick butter
2c. sugar
2t. vanilla
4 eggs
1 1/2c. flour
1/2c. cocoa
1/2t. baking powder
1/4t. salt
1 1/2c. chocolate chips
Directions:
Melt butter in microwave safe bowl. Stir in sugar and vanilla. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt and add to wet mixture. Add chocolate chips. Spread into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350.
There is nothing fancy about this meal, but it's good and both my men love it!
Add as little or as much of each ingredient as you'd like!
Ingredients:
medium onion, chopped
1lb ground beef
1 14oz can of diced tomatoes
6oz of tomato paste
6oz of water
1 T of Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
ketchup
shredded cheese
1lb of cooked macaroni
Directions:
Saute the onion until translucent, then add the ground beef and cook until brown. Add the diced tomatoes, paste, water, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Once that is mixed together add the ketchup, I usually start with about 1/4c. and adjust until I like the way it tastes. Add the macaroni and mix together. Top with shredded cheese and cover until the cheese melts.
This is one of our Rachael Ray FAVES (though I think our recipe has evolved slightly from her original)!
Thankfully I actually watched the show where she made this pizza and saw how easy it was, because just seeing the long ingredient list would have been enough to keep me from attempting what turned out to be a Wonderful Treat! This is the perfect pizza if you are looking for something totally different- it’s sweet, spicy, savory, fresh and full of flavor! It you are feeling adventurous give it a try, I’ve found it to be quite the crowd pleaser!
Ingredients:
(for pizza)
1 pizza dough
½ cup duck sauce
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups shredded monterey jack or provolone cheese
½ red bell pepper thinly sliced
(for chicken)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 rounded teaspoon peanut butter
2 teaspoons hot sauce
2 teaspoons steak season (montreal steak seasoning- or another that you like)
½ pound thinly sliced chicken (about 4 breast cutlets)
(cucumber garnish- after pizza comes out of the oven)
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or cider vinegar
¼ seedless cucumber peeled and cut into matchsticks
( garnish- after pizza comes out of the oven)
1 cup bean sprouts
4 scallions chopped
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
Form pizza crust on pizza pan or cookie sheet. Top with duck sauce - spread it around like you would pizza sauce. Sprinkle the pizza with some crushed red pepper flakes then top with cheese and peppers. Bake until golden and bubbly, 15 to 17 minutes.
Preheat a frying pan over medium-high heat. Combine vegetable oil, soy sauce and peanut butter with hot sauce and grill seasoning. Use the microwave to loosen up peanut butter if it is too cold to blend into sauce, 10 seconds ought to do it. Add thinly sliced chicken and coat evenly with mixture. Let stand 10 minutes then pan fry chicken until cooked through.
While chicken cooks, mix honey and vinegar and add the cucumber. Turn to coat evenly.
Top the hot, cooked pizza with chicken, scallions, and sprouts. Drain cucumbers and scatter over the pizza. Enjoy!
This recipe makes enough to feed an army! The first time I made it I didn't realize just how much it makes and ended up freezing some. Despite the cream and sour cream it was still great defrosted.
Not exactly health food, but it sure is good!
I hope to put up a picture soon.
Ingredients:
4 boxes Rice a Roni Long Grain and Wild Rice
5 cups cooked chicken, cubed or shredded
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups cream
2 cups sour cream
2 or 3 tubes Ritz crackers, crushed
3 T butter
Poppy seeds
Directions:
Cook the rice according to package direction and spread in an 11x15 pan. Mix the cream of chicken soup, cream and sour cream together. Place chicken on top of rice and pour sauce on evenly. Sprinkle with poppy seeds. Crush the Ritz medium fine and mix with butter. Spread Ritz crackers over casserole. **Bake on lower rack** uncovered one hour at 350 degrees.
You can make this ahead of time and place in the fridge - you'll just need to bake it longer. Don't put the crackers on until just before baking.
Pizza night is a weekly thing around here and has been for the last 4 years or so. We're always looking for new ways to make the crust and new toppings. We usually have a simple green chile and turkey pepperoni pizza and them something else like a Philly Cheese Steak pizza or maybe BBQ Chicken (my husband's favorite!). For now I will share our crust recipe and then later add now we make the toppings for our specialty pies.
The recipe below can be split in half for two smaller pies or used for one larger pie. You can use half wheat and half white if you'd like. I often add ground flax or wheat germ for an added nutritional boost. You can also substitute garlic salt for regular salt and add in whichever herbs you like.
Pizza Crust
Ingredients:
1 packet yeast or 2 1/4 teaspoons
1 cup warm water
Sprinkle of sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp oil
2 1/2 cups flour
Directions:
Add yeast to the warm water and sprinkle with sugar. Allow the yeast to activate for a few minutes.
Mix together 1 cup of flour with the salt. Once the yeast has activated, add to the flour and mix. Add the rest of the flour little by little until you have a nice dough. It may not take all of the flour!!
Roll out the dough and place on a greased pizza sheet. (At this point you can roll the edges out a bit thinner and then add cheese to the outside of the crust. Roll the crust over and seal with water. Now you have a cheesy crust! Yum! I will then add some butter, garlic salt and Parmesan cheese to the crust just before baking.) Prick wholes with a fork in the dough. Allow the dough to rise for 15-30 minutes.
Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Add your toppings and then cook for another 15 minutes or until your cheese is melted.
The nausea is getting more manageable and I have begun stepping into the kitchen again! Thank you, Lord! I hope to start putting up more recipes in the days to come, but until then I thought I would pass on some recipes I have found online and really loved. Hopefully it will help if you're having trouble with this weeks meal planning.
P-Dub's chicken parmigiana. This was so easy and everyone loved it, you may even want to serve them with her rosemary dinner rolls - super delish and very easy.
Bronzed sea bass with lemon shallot butter. I made mine with cod from the frozen section at Sam's - cut me some slack, I live in a small town :) Be careful not to use too much oil when cooking the fish and to use a lower heat when making the butter sauce. I messed those two elements up and this was still wonderful! I served mine with mashed potatoes and veggies. This was a recipe from Pastor Ryan, a contributor to The Pioneer Woman, and everything I have made of his has been met with rave reviews! He is also doing a food week at his blog, and today he had some great tips!
And who could leave out good ol' Paula Deen? My husband loves banana pudding, and while I can usually do without it, this takes banana pudding to a whole new level! It really isn't Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding!
Again, this is one of those recipes where everyone has their own version. This just happens to be mine!
INGREDIENTS: 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 pound cubed beef or pork 1 onion, coarsely chopped Salt and pepper 1 32 ounce container chicken broth, plus 2 cups 1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained 4-6 potatoes, peeled and cubed 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Green chile, to taste (We use fresh roasted chile, peel it, coarsely chop, and leave the seeds. If you prefer, you can buy frozen green chile that is already prepared; however you may want to add some crushed red pepper or cayenne pepper if you want the heat.)
DIRECTIONS:
Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the meat. Salt and pepper generously. Cook until no longer pink. Push meat to the side of pot and add onion. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until onion is transparent. Add the broth, tomatoes, chile, potatoes and garlic powder. Cover and simmer over low heat until potatoes are cooked through. About one hour. Taste and add any additional seasonings. Serve with tortillas or, our favorite, Mimi's cornbread (recipe to come!).
I've never made acorn squash before, but this was a hit and it made the house smell wonderful! I may cut down on the rosemary next time, but it could have to do more with first trimester nausea than anything because everyone else around the table thought they were perfect!
Place the squash in a baking dish and lightly sprinkle with salt. Drizzle on the olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes in a 35o degree oven. Meanwhile, mix the butter, brown sugar, dash of salt and rosemary together to make a paste. After the squash have cooked for 20 minutes take out of the oven and put some of the paste on each of the squash wedges. Let roast for another 30 minutes or until slightly browned on the edges. 15 minutes through the 30 minute session brush the squash with the butter. Enjoy!
I have a sweet friend that loves biscotti in the morning. It became my personal ambition to find the best biscotti recipe out there. While my quest is far from over, this is the recipe that Brittany most often requests. I have to say, the are delish! I have tried dipping them in white chocolate or swirling it on top, but this time I reduced the amount of pistachios to 1 cup and put about 3/4 cup of white chocolate chips in. Also, finding unsalted pistachios around here is next to impossible so I just use the salted ones and leave out the 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Enjoy!
In a large bowl mix together oil and sugar until well blended. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts, then beat in the eggs. Combine flour, salt and baking powder; gradually stir into egg mixture. Mix in cranberries and nuts by hand.
Divide dough in half. Form two logs (12 x 2 inches) on a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Dough may be sticky; wet hands with cool water to handle dough more easily.
Bake for 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until logs are light brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 275 degrees.
Cut logs on diagonal into 3/4 inch thick slices. Lay on sides on parchment covered cookie sheet. Bake approximately 8 to 10 minutes, or until dry; cool.
Chicken and dumplings. Ultimate comfort food! I chose to double the filling recipe and freeze half for a busy day. In the event that dumplings aren't your thing, switch it up with a pot pie crust instead!
INGREDIENTS:
Dumplings
* 1 3/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (chives, parsley), or 2 tablespoons dried (optional)
* 3/4 cup buttermilk
* 1 large egg
Pot Pie Filling
* 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
* 1/2 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
* 3 cups chicken stock, or a combination of stock and leftover gravy
* 1 teaspoon dry thyme
* 1 bay leaf
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
* 4 cups diced cooked turkey or chicken (I oven roasted my chicken breasts. I opted for breasts with rib meat and left the skin on. Once cool, I removed and threw away the skin and bones and shredded the meat. I also added the juices from the chicken to the butter and flour when I started to make the filling.)
* 2 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
DIRECTIONS:
1. For the dumplings: Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. Stir in the herbs, if using. Cover and refrigerate this mixture while you're making the pot pie filling.
2. For the pot pie filling: Melt the butter (and chicken juices) in a 5-quart pot over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the stock 1/2 cup at a time, whisking it into the roux to prevent lumps. When all the stock and/or gravy is added, season with the thyme, bay leaf, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer the sauce for 15 minutes, then stir in the meat and vegetables.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
5. To assemble: Once the oven is preheated, whisk the buttermilk and egg together, and add, all at once, to the dry mixture.
6. Stir together until evenly moistened.
7. Scoop the batter on top of the simmering liquid, leaving space between the dumplings (they'll almost double as the cook). Put the lid on top, and bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes.
A few weeks ago, you might remember that Susan posted this picture and recipe for an Apple Galette. Well, I made that recipe this past weekend and I'm here to tell you that you NEED to make it right now! It is truly one of the best recipes I have tried to date! The crust makes the recipe! The fact that we're amidst apple season might help the recipe's cause a little too! Seriously though, make it. You'll be a hero wherever it's served!
Note: The recipe called for the crust to be made in a food processor, however, I made it with a pastry cutter and it turned out just great! I just cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembled coarse meal and then stirred the water in with a rubber spatula.
A few weeks ago, after a failed attempt at dinner rolls, I came across this video on King Arthur Flour's website. Needless to say, it rocked my world and righted my rolls. In the event that no one has ever taught you the "proper" way to measure flour either, please watch! I promise it will change your life! Okay, at least your baking :)
It would putting it mildly to say that "pregnancy nesting" has kicked in. I am BEYOND nesting and I cannot stop cooking and freezing food. Jer thinks it's hilarious and has been (nicely) teasing me that I am preparing for a seven year famine! What can I say?! Welcoming this third baby just might bring exactly that! :)
Anyway, in in effort to multiply the fruits of my labor, I've been pouring through gads of recipes in search of tasty meals that freeze and reheat well. This King Arthur Beef Barley Soup fit the bill but beyond that, it was amazingly good! Nothing like the canned stuff! Although it was a bit cumbersome to make (lots of cooking/cutting/and clean-up) it made about 2 gallons of soup. Definitely worth it's work in finished weight!
If you're interested, I chose to pair it with King Arthur Flour's Soft White Dinner Rolls, but any soft dinner roll or crusty loaf would be just great!
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup (2 1/4 ounces) plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and halved lengthwise
2 pounds beef chuck stew meat, cut into 1-inch chunks and patted dry (I increased this to 3 lbs because we like more meat!)
1/8 to 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 quarts beef stock or broth
1/2 pound medium pearled barley, rinsed in cool water and drained (NOT THE QUICK COOK!)
2 yellow onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, cleaned, trimmed, and cut into 1/2-inch slices
6 large carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch slices
6 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 28-ounce cans plum tomatoes, drained (I cut these up before adding)
DIRECTIONS:
NOTE: I didn't want to use my 10 quart stock pot-I feel like it takes too long to cook in and it cooks unevenly. Instead, I chose to use 2-5 quart stock pots. I cooked half of the meat in each pot and then added 2 1/2 quarts of broth to each pot. I split the rest of the ingredients between the pots as well and it worked just great!
I also chose to dredge my meat in flour (seasoned with s&p) which the recipe does not call for. I liked the end result. The broth seemed thicker than it would have otherwise been. I would definitely do that again!
Heat 1/2 cup olive oil over medium heat in a 10- to 12-inch skillet. Add the garlic and cook until golden. Using a slotted spoon, remove and discard the garlic. Working in batches, add a single layer of beef cubes to the skillet and sear on all sides. Remove each batch with a slotted spoon, and sprinkle with black pepper. Leave the remaining oil in the skillet, and set it aside.
In a 10-quart soup pot, bring the stock or broth to a simmer. Add the browned beef and rinsed barley, cover, and return to a full simmer. Reduce heat and cook gently for about 1 1/2 hours.
Return the skillet to medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Heat and add the onion, celery, carrots, and potatoes. Stir in the oregano and thyme. Cover the skillet and cook over very low heat for about 15 minutes.
Transfer the vegetables to the simmering soup, then add the chopped tomatoes. Simmer for 15 minutes before serving. Yield: about 22 servings.
These are a childhood favorite of Kurt’s and definitely one of the most delicious oatmeal chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever tasted! Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS: 1c. butter (2 sticks) 1 c. white sugar 1 c. brown sugar 2 eggs 2 tsp. vanilla 2 c. flour 2 1/2 c. blended oatmeal 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 12 oz. choc. chips 4 oz. grated Hershey bar 2 c. chopped nuts
DIRECTIONS: Cream margarine and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir together flour, oatmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix with butter/sugar mixture. Add chips, candy, and nuts. Roll into one inch balls and place 2″ apart on cookie sheet. Bake 10-15 min. at 375. Makes 5 – 5 1/2 doz.
Everyone has their favorite "go-to" enchilada recipe. This just happens to be our family's favorite! It used to be on the back of the Bueno Green Chile container and for some reason, they removed it. For fear of losing it, I figured I better immortalize it by putting it on the web!
INGREDIENTS: 3-5 chicken breasts, boneless
1 medium onion, chopped
3 Tbsp. margarine
1 10 oz. can cream of chicken soup
1 10 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
1 ¾ cups frozen BUENO® Chopped Green Chile, drained
½ cup broth saved from chicken
1 12 ct. pkg. BUENO® Corn Tortillas
1 lb. cheese, grated (Cheddar, Jack or mixture)
DIRECTIONS:
Boil chicken, cool and shred (save broth). Preheat oven to 325º F. Saute onion in margarine until slightly soft. Combine onion with soups, chile,broth and stir. Tear 6 tortillas into small pieces and cover the bottom of a 9" x 13" pan.Spread ½ the chicken over the tortilla pieces, then ½ the sauce, and ½the cheese. Repeat layers.Bake 30-40 minutes, until very hot, bubbly and slightly browned.Makes eight to ten 8 oz. servings.
I usually double this recipe and freeze one pan of enchiladas for a crazy day! Just assemble and freeze without baking. Cooking instructions are the same for frozen enchiladas, however, you may have to adjust the baking time slightly to make sure they're warmed through.
I LOVE fall! So much, in fact, that I have been cooking and baking like a fool and still had the inspiration to blog it out. (You'd be shocked how much is intended for the blog but never makes it!) Anyway, my canned pumpkin stock has been beckoning from the cabinet and after seeing Dani's Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies this weekend, I was inspired to whip out this quick bread. And, in my opinion, the best part about this recipe has to be that it makes 2 loaves. One for now and one for later, baby!
DIRECTIONS:In a large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt and baking soda. In another bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into two greased 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350° for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Yield: 2 loaves.
Just like the Chocolate Chips ones, only with a few different ingredients! Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS: 1 package white cake mix 1 package vanilla pudding mix 4 eggs ¾ cup water ½ cup vegetable oil 1 teaspoon almond extract 1 1/2 cups cherry chips (I found mine at Albertson's)
DIRECTIONS: Combine cake mix, dry pudding, eggs, water, oil and extract. Mix until smooth. Beat in chips by hand. Pour the batter into lined muffin tins, and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean. Be careful not to overbake, as the muffins will be dry. Store in airtight container or wrap individually and freeze. Makes 12 jumbo muffins.
Don't let the blah color fool you. This soup is inexpensive, freezes well, and goes along great with a BLT or as a first course for a fine meal!
INGREDIENTS: 4-6 slices bacon, chopped (use gluten free for a GF meal) 1 medium onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 2 1/2-3 1/2 cups of water 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon pepper 6-8 medium zucchini, sliced 1 16 oz. container sour cream*
DIRECTIONS: Cook bacon in large pot until light brown. Add onion and garlic, saute lightly in grease. Add remaining ingredients except sour cream. Simmer, uncovered, until zucchini is tender, about 15 minutes. Cool about 15 minutes and blend 2 cups at a time. Return to pot. Mix in sour cream* and reheat. Serve warm. Serves 4
NOTE* I opted to double the recipe and freeze half. In the event that you would like to do the same, refrain from adding the sour cream until you are ready to serve it.
Hello All! I am Dani Sorenson. Sarah has asked if I would like to contribute to Chow City! Besides being slightly intimidated to be on the same page as these two Masters of Deliciousness, I am giddy with excitement at being allowed to post some of my favorites! Hope you enjoy!
Fall is in the air in Albuquerque! In our house this means all things PUMPKIN! These cake-style cookies are delicious right out of the oven, room temp or chilled in the refrigerator. Though they are cookies, do not be surprised if they find their way onto your breakfast plate alongside your morning coffee...yum!
INGREDIENTS: 1 (heaping) cup canned pumpkin 1 cup white sugar 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 egg 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon milk 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 2 cups mini-semisweet chocolate chips DIRECTIONS: Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg. In a separate bowl stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir in. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Add vanilla and chocolate chips. Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until lightly brown and firm.
An easy and tasty soup recipe from Whole Foods. Serve with a salad and crusty bread. Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS: 2 tablespoons olive oil 2/3 cup diced carrot (about 1 (8-inch) large carrot) 1/2 cup diced celery (about 1 (11-inch) large stalk) 2/3 cup diced onion (about 1 medium onion) 4 cups cubed butternut squash (about 1 medium squash) 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme 4 to 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste DIRECTIONS:
Heat olive oil in a large soup pot. Add carrot, celery and onion. Cook until vegetables have begun to soften and onion turns translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add butternut squash and thyme. Stir to combine with vegetables. Stir in chicken broth and season with salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until squash is fork-tender, about 30 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree soup. Alternatively, let the soup cool slightly and carefully puree in batches in a traditional blender.
Variations:
Apple, Gorgonzola and Almond Follow recipe above and stir a cup of applesauce into pureed soup. Garnish each serving with a tablespoon crumbled Rogue Creamery Gorgonzola, a tablespoon of toasted whole almonds, a few slices of thinly sliced apple and a small sprig of fresh thyme.
Thai Flavors Stir a tablespoon red curry paste and 2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger into carrot, celery and onion mixture. Cook until vegetables are tender and ginger is aromatic. Add squash, cook until tender, then add broth and 1/2-cup light or regular coconut milk. Season with salt and pepper. Puree soup and garnish each serving with 1 or 2 pappadums, a tablespoon toasted coconut flakes and a tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro. NOTE: Pappadums are available on the snack food aisle.
Southwestern Spin Add a tablespoon chopped chipotles in adobo to carrot, celery and onion mixture. Cook until vegetables are tender. Add squash, cook until tender, then add broth. Season with salt and pepper. Puree soup and garnish each serving with 2 tablespoons crumbled queso fresco, a tablespoon cumin-toasted pumpkin seeds and a tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro. NOTE: Canned chipotles in adobo sauce are available on the Mexican food aisle.
I love to bake. I love to bake things that taste good. I also love to bake things that taste good and that can be good for you as well. Now don't get me wrong, I love the sugary, white flour desserts just as much as the next person down the line but if it can be made a little healthier and without compromising taste, I'm ALL for it. Up till now, I've honestly had trouble finding recipes where whole grain flour can be substituted for all-purpose bleached. Usually "those" kind of recipes are formulated more for health than taste and it shows. Pretty much any attempt on my own has ended in defeat as well. Yeah, those amazing soft, chewy, flaky sugar cookies?! Dark, dense, flat and coarse when made with whole-grain flour. Just not the same. So, when I came across King Arthur Flour's recipe for whole-grain brownies, I was a little skeptical. I knew they had a published recipe book with tons of whole-grain baking recipes but I honestly doubted how good they could be. Nevertheless, they seemed easy enough and the ingredient list was relatively small so I gave them a whirl. Let me tell you, they were fantastic! The only negative thing about them was waiting the 24 hours for the bran to soften! If you're contemplating trying your hand at whole-grain baking, I would definitely recommend these!
INGREDIENTS: 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups light brown sugar
3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional but recommended
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour, organic preferred
2 cups of chips, nuts, dried fruit, whatever you'd like!
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan; line the pan with parchment paper if desired.
2. In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, or in a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine.
3. Return the mixture to the heat (or microwave) briefly just till it's hot (about 110°F to 120°F) but not bubbling. Don't worry if it separates; just stir it briefly to recombine a bit. Heating this mixture a second time will dissolve more of the sugar, which will yield a shiny top crust on your brownies.
4. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, and stir in the cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder if using, and vanilla.
5. Add the eggs, stirring till smooth.
6. Then add the flour and chips, again stirring till smooth. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.
7. Bake the brownies for 30 minutes, until a cake tester or sharp knife poked into the center reveals wet crumbs, but not raw batter. The brownies should feel set on the edges and in the center. Remove them from the oven, and cool completely on a rack.
8. Cover and let sit overnight before cutting and serving; this gives the bran a chance to soften and become "invisible" in your mouth.
It's that time of year...time to put away the hot dogs, brats, and corn on the cobb, and start working on reducing the abundance of squashes and gourds that we all grew so enthusiastically this summer. These Acorn Squash are from Uncle Shaan's garden. Just the perfect size for individual portions, they invite you to stuff and bake them! Although, we usually eat them sweet, with cinnamon and marshmallows, tonight I decided to take a savory approach. Delicious!
INGREDIENTS: 4 small acorn squash 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces 1 package Jimmy Dean All Natural Pork Sausage 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/4 cup chopped onion 1/4 cup chopped celery 1/4 cup chopped carrot Several handfuls of fresh baby spinach, chopped kale or swiss chard. 1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth 1 1/2 cups cooked rice of any sort (I like to use a package of Rice-a-Roni Nature's Way Long Grain and Wild Rice) Generous pinch kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper Swiss cheese, for topping
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut each acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds. If necessary in order for the squash to sit level, cut off a small portion of the bottom. Put 1 of the 8 pieces of butter in the cavity of each squash. Set squash on a sheet pan lined with tin foil. Set aside.
In a large saute pan over medium heat, brown the ground pork until no longer pink. Remove the meat from the pan, add the olive oil and saute the onion, celery, and carrot, and greens until they begin to soften, approximately 7 to 10 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the white wine or stock.
Return the pork to the pan along with the cooked rice. Salt and pepper, to taste. Stirring constantly, heat mixture thoroughly, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Divide the mixture evenly among the squash, top each squash with cheese. Cover with tin foil and bake for 1 hour, or until the squash is tender. Remove tin foil for last 15 mintues. Serve immediately.
Our go-to pasta. The simple garlic butter sauce with a kick goes with any combination of veggies and meat, so substitute with whatever you have on hand!
