What a glorious fall weekend in Savannah - crisp and cool during the day, chilly at night. Love it. After I saw the weather forecast I had grand plans of taking advantage of nap times this weekend to make chicken stock and pumpkin bread. Instead, I spent it scrubbing floors due to a sick dog and rewashing and refolding three, yes, three, baskets of clothes that were already clean until they were christened by a vengeful cat (apparently, shutting him in the laundry room with the aforementioned dog did not please His Highness). Awesome. Can't think of anything I'd rather do on a sunny, 65 degree day.
Despite all that fun, I did manage to make a huge pot of butternut squash soup. And all I have to say is: Yay for me. We spent late afternoon/early evening today out on the soccer fields and playground, and didn't come home until it was downright chilly outside (ok, around here that means it was high 50's, but we were all seriously shivering). Walking into the house to the smell of soup on the stove that just had to be reheated for a minute and served with quick grilled cheese sandwiches...such a treat.
I love, love, love this recipe. It's quintessential fall to me, with the squash and apples, and for those of you who are planning ahead for the holidays, it's perfect for Thanksgiving. I've already popped half the batch into the freezer to serve at lunchtime on Thanksgiving day, since we always do the Big Meal in the evening. (Atlanta Mom likes to make a batch to have with turkey sandwich leftovers the next day.) But be forewarned: it's time consuming to make and my kids, who are generally great eaters, don't like it - probably because it's a bit on the spicy side. That said, it really is worth trying.
Ina Garten's Butternut Squash Soup:
Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons good olive oil
4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 large)
2 tablespoons mild curry powder
5 pounds butternut squash (2 large)
1 1/2 pounds sweet apples, such as McIntosh (4 apples) (Note: I can never find big McIntosh apples, so I find I need about 7 of the little ones)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups water
2 cups good apple cider or juice
Directions
Warm the butter, olive oil, onions, and curry powder in a large stockpot uncovered over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the onions are tender. Stir occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pot.
Peel the squash (note: for some reason, butternut squash leaves some kind of weird residue on my hands that I can't easily wash off. I have taken to wearing latex gloves when I peel the squash. I know - that sounds like the kind of instruction that would promptly make me abandon the recipe altogether, but don't let it scare you off! If you don't have a little box of latex gloves around the house, you should. You'll be surprised at just how handy they are. Why, I went through about 10 of them just this weekend because the dog...never mind), cut in half, and remove the seeds. Cut the squash into chunks. Peel, quarter, and core the apples. Cut into chunks.
Add the squash, apples, salt, pepper, and 2 cups of water to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, until the squash and apples are very soft. Process the soup through a food mill fitted with a large blade, or puree it coarsely in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. (I don't know Ina has against an immersion blender, because all her recipes call for this method when there's a soup to smoothed out. Just use your immersion blender here and you don't have to get your food processor dirty. If you don't have an immersion blender, put it on your Christmas list! Best kitchen tool ever. Seriously.)
Pour the soup back into the pot (or, if you have very cleverly used your immersion blender, just leave it there where it belongs).
Add the apple cider or juice and enough water to make the soup the consistency you like; it should be slightly sweet and quite thick. Check the salt and pepper and serve hot.
Happy eating!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
Oops!
The temperature for roasting chicken from Wednesday's post (For Kids or Adults?) should be 350, not 425!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Easy, Easy, Yum
First: What exactly is candy corn? Mine says it is "Made With Real Honey!", but all I can figure is that it's some kind of chewable wax. And yet I can't stay away from it - some idiot put it in a big bowl at the bottom of the stairs, which I must pass 30 times each day, and I can't stop myself from grabbing a few pieces every time I go buy. Arg!
Next: a guest blog from Attorney Mom. It's a good thing I have friends, or I would have no blog these days since life is so crazy...notes in bold are my editorial commentary.
***
Here is what I call a one-pot wonder of a meal: it's easy, delicious, and the clean-up is so fast we make it out the door in time for an after-dinner walk!
Dinner for 2.5 (2 adults, plus toddler):
One fresh Italian sausage, about 1/2 pound (now, what makes this super delish is that the sausage is from our local Fresh Market, and it's spicy, organic and stuffed full of good flavors, including fennel. It's totally worth the trip) (If you live in a real city, you may have a Fresh Market just down the road that you can pop into frequently. Sadly, where we live, it's so far away that yes, we actually have to consider whether it's "worth the trip.")
8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, chopped
1 head broccoli, chopped
1 red or orange pepper, sliced
1 jar tomato sauce (I prefer Paul Newman's brand, any flavor)
Penne, or any pasta shape that your toddler will try
Chicken stock, about 3/4 cup (I like the Kitchen Basics brand)
Start pasta water boiling. Slice sausage, and start sauteeing in chicken stock, about 5 minutes, adding additional stock as necessary. Cover briefly. I like my veggies crunchy, so when the sausage looks about done, I thrown in the broccoli, mushrooms, and pepper, and saute another few minutes. Once sausage and veggies look done, I add tomato sauce to heat. Pasta should be done by now, so drain (do not rinse), and add to the tomato sauce mixture. Voila! A glass of wine and some fruit completes dinner for us (and, happily, if darling toddler tries everything on her plate, we get dessert too!).
Enjoy!
Next: a guest blog from Attorney Mom. It's a good thing I have friends, or I would have no blog these days since life is so crazy...notes in bold are my editorial commentary.
***
Here is what I call a one-pot wonder of a meal: it's easy, delicious, and the clean-up is so fast we make it out the door in time for an after-dinner walk!
Dinner for 2.5 (2 adults, plus toddler):
One fresh Italian sausage, about 1/2 pound (now, what makes this super delish is that the sausage is from our local Fresh Market, and it's spicy, organic and stuffed full of good flavors, including fennel. It's totally worth the trip) (If you live in a real city, you may have a Fresh Market just down the road that you can pop into frequently. Sadly, where we live, it's so far away that yes, we actually have to consider whether it's "worth the trip.")
8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, chopped
1 head broccoli, chopped
1 red or orange pepper, sliced
1 jar tomato sauce (I prefer Paul Newman's brand, any flavor)
Penne, or any pasta shape that your toddler will try
Chicken stock, about 3/4 cup (I like the Kitchen Basics brand)
Start pasta water boiling. Slice sausage, and start sauteeing in chicken stock, about 5 minutes, adding additional stock as necessary. Cover briefly. I like my veggies crunchy, so when the sausage looks about done, I thrown in the broccoli, mushrooms, and pepper, and saute another few minutes. Once sausage and veggies look done, I add tomato sauce to heat. Pasta should be done by now, so drain (do not rinse), and add to the tomato sauce mixture. Voila! A glass of wine and some fruit completes dinner for us (and, happily, if darling toddler tries everything on her plate, we get dessert too!).
Enjoy!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
For Kids or Adults?
A guest blog from Atlanta Mom today. I'll confess I haven't tried this recipe yet because SHE JUST SENT IT DESPITE ME ASKING FOR IT FOR WEEKS AND WEEKS (ahem), but it's definitely going on next week's menu plans. Mmmm
***
Today is my high school BFF’s birthday. We have known each other since we were four, and though we don’t get to see each other very often, we don’t skip a beat when we are together, and it’s so fun to watch our children becoming friends. It seems appropriate to post a recipe that she passed on to me today, one that is very often requested by her 3rd grade daughter. I was hoping to have similar results in my family, but it was my husband who loved it the most! Regardless of who likes this dish, it is very kid-friendly and quick to prepare.
Poppy-Seed Chicken
1 package of fried rice flavor Rice-a-Roni
3 to 4 cups shredded cooked chicken (she uses a rotisserie but you can also use Ina Garten’s roasted chicken breasts*)
1 cup low-fat sour cream
1 can Healthy Requests cream of chicken soup
36 buttery crackers (Club crackers work best, and I used the reduced fat kind)
½ stick butter, melted
1 T. poppy seeds
Preheat oven to 375. Cook rice according to directions. Spoon rice into bottom of 11 x 7 baking dish (2 qt). Combine chicken, sour cream, and soup in a medium bowl, then spoon evenly over rice. In the same bowl, combine crushed crackers, butter, and poppy seeds. Bake 25-30 minutes, until bubbling and browned.
*Bonus recipe for Ina’s roasted chicken breasts: Using bone-in chicken breasts with skin on, brush with EVOO and sprinkle with generous amounts of kosher salt and pepper. Roast on a cookie sheet/half-sheet pan in 350 deg. oven for 35-40 minutes. When cool enough to handle, pull chicken from bone, and either shred it by hand or chop it. Super moist and delicious—perfect for casseroles! I usually roast 3 at a time.
***
Today is my high school BFF’s birthday. We have known each other since we were four, and though we don’t get to see each other very often, we don’t skip a beat when we are together, and it’s so fun to watch our children becoming friends. It seems appropriate to post a recipe that she passed on to me today, one that is very often requested by her 3rd grade daughter. I was hoping to have similar results in my family, but it was my husband who loved it the most! Regardless of who likes this dish, it is very kid-friendly and quick to prepare.
Poppy-Seed Chicken
1 package of fried rice flavor Rice-a-Roni
3 to 4 cups shredded cooked chicken (she uses a rotisserie but you can also use Ina Garten’s roasted chicken breasts*)
1 cup low-fat sour cream
1 can Healthy Requests cream of chicken soup
36 buttery crackers (Club crackers work best, and I used the reduced fat kind)
½ stick butter, melted
1 T. poppy seeds
Preheat oven to 375. Cook rice according to directions. Spoon rice into bottom of 11 x 7 baking dish (2 qt). Combine chicken, sour cream, and soup in a medium bowl, then spoon evenly over rice. In the same bowl, combine crushed crackers, butter, and poppy seeds. Bake 25-30 minutes, until bubbling and browned.
*Bonus recipe for Ina’s roasted chicken breasts: Using bone-in chicken breasts with skin on, brush with EVOO and sprinkle with generous amounts of kosher salt and pepper. Roast on a cookie sheet/half-sheet pan in 350 deg. oven for 35-40 minutes. When cool enough to handle, pull chicken from bone, and either shred it by hand or chop it. Super moist and delicious—perfect for casseroles! I usually roast 3 at a time.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Sock it to Me
Whew!
We are home from an absolutely fabulous long weekend trip with our almost-five-year-old for his fall break. It is just amazing how airplanes, taxi rides, subways, and sleeping in a hotel can be so thrilling for a little boy. I swear he could have skipped the museums and just used public transportation all weekend and he would have been delighted. What fun to see these things through the eyes of a little one...
I am always truly astounded, though, at how hard it is to eat healthy when traveling. Hats off to folks who travel for work frequently and manage to do it...
Since we just got back, I've not cooked a meal, gone to the grocery store, or done any meal planning in several days. But I do have one dinner idea to share:
You may remember last month I was making Ina Garten's spaghetti and meatballs (heaven in a dutch oven) and doubled the sauce recipe & popped the extra in the freezer. Hello!! Genius!! Wednesday afternoons are soccer practice for us, and I like to do a baked pasta dish that night, because I can put it in the oven before we go, and then walk in the house and supper is ready for us. Last Wednesday I took spinach and mozzarella ravioli (from Costco, in the frozen section - if you have a Costco in your town and are not getting this ravioli on a regular basis, honey, you are missing out!), dumped it into one of my pyrex baking dishes, topped it with the homemade marina sauce, sprinkled with a generous handful of freshly grated parmesan cheese, covered with a lid, and baked at 350 for 50 minutes (remember, "delay start" on your oven is truly your BFF).
Oh. My. Goodness. So delicious. The sauce, since it was made with the brown bits of the meatballs, had a wonderful meaty taste to it and was perfect with the spinach in the ravioli. And bonus points: with the tomatoes in the sauce and the spinach in the ravioli, no separate vegetable needed to be prepared. A true one pot meal and will be making the regular rotation.
Happy eating!
We are home from an absolutely fabulous long weekend trip with our almost-five-year-old for his fall break. It is just amazing how airplanes, taxi rides, subways, and sleeping in a hotel can be so thrilling for a little boy. I swear he could have skipped the museums and just used public transportation all weekend and he would have been delighted. What fun to see these things through the eyes of a little one...
I am always truly astounded, though, at how hard it is to eat healthy when traveling. Hats off to folks who travel for work frequently and manage to do it...
Since we just got back, I've not cooked a meal, gone to the grocery store, or done any meal planning in several days. But I do have one dinner idea to share:
You may remember last month I was making Ina Garten's spaghetti and meatballs (heaven in a dutch oven) and doubled the sauce recipe & popped the extra in the freezer. Hello!! Genius!! Wednesday afternoons are soccer practice for us, and I like to do a baked pasta dish that night, because I can put it in the oven before we go, and then walk in the house and supper is ready for us. Last Wednesday I took spinach and mozzarella ravioli (from Costco, in the frozen section - if you have a Costco in your town and are not getting this ravioli on a regular basis, honey, you are missing out!), dumped it into one of my pyrex baking dishes, topped it with the homemade marina sauce, sprinkled with a generous handful of freshly grated parmesan cheese, covered with a lid, and baked at 350 for 50 minutes (remember, "delay start" on your oven is truly your BFF).
Oh. My. Goodness. So delicious. The sauce, since it was made with the brown bits of the meatballs, had a wonderful meaty taste to it and was perfect with the spinach in the ravioli. And bonus points: with the tomatoes in the sauce and the spinach in the ravioli, no separate vegetable needed to be prepared. A true one pot meal and will be making the regular rotation.
Happy eating!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Chock Full of Chips
A quick follow-up today:
I posted a recipe a few weeks ago for the best ever buttermilk pancakes. These are fabulous all on their own. But if you're looking for a special dinner for two little boys who were very, very brave when getting their flu shots, make these with a big handful of mini-chocolate chips. Just stir the chocolate chips right into the batter, and cook on the griddle as you normally would. All will soon be right with the world.
I posted a recipe a few weeks ago for the best ever buttermilk pancakes. These are fabulous all on their own. But if you're looking for a special dinner for two little boys who were very, very brave when getting their flu shots, make these with a big handful of mini-chocolate chips. Just stir the chocolate chips right into the batter, and cook on the griddle as you normally would. All will soon be right with the world.
Monday, October 5, 2009
To Be, Or Not To Be (Fall)
Savannah weather just cannot make up its mind. This weekend was a beautiful fall weekend, cool overnight but warm and sunny during the day. Gorgeous. But now they're saying we'll see 90 degrees again by the end of this week - Arg! So much for pot roasts; we'll be breaking out the popsicles and pasta salads.
I did take advantage of the cooler weather this weekend to make one of our all time favorites for dinner Sunday night - roasted chicken and wild rice soup. I've been making this recipe for years and years and everyone loves it, including my 4 year old who has been known to literally lick the bowl. (Hmmm...that may be more of a statement on his table manners than the fabulousness of this soup, but I'll take what I can get). This recipe makes about 8 generous servings, and freezes beautifully.
Roasted Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
1 6oz box of long grain & wild rice (I like Uncle Ben's)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion, diced
4-6 carrots, peeled and diced
4-6 celery stalks, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 80z package of mushrooms, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 cups of chicken broth
1 12oz can fat-free evaporated milk
Shredded meat from a rotisserie chicken - use all the chicken you can get off the poor sucker
Prepare rice according to package directions, set aside. Heat oil in large dutch oven. Saute onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and mushrooms over medium heat until they are tender, about 15 minutes. Add flour, salt, and pepper, stir well. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring the whole time. Add chicken broth, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer. Add Worcestershire sauce and evaporated milk, stir well, cover, and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Add chicken, cover, and let simmer for another 20 minutes. Add rice, and continue to simmer covered for another 10 minutes. Soooo good.
Happy eating!
I did take advantage of the cooler weather this weekend to make one of our all time favorites for dinner Sunday night - roasted chicken and wild rice soup. I've been making this recipe for years and years and everyone loves it, including my 4 year old who has been known to literally lick the bowl. (Hmmm...that may be more of a statement on his table manners than the fabulousness of this soup, but I'll take what I can get). This recipe makes about 8 generous servings, and freezes beautifully.
Roasted Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
1 6oz box of long grain & wild rice (I like Uncle Ben's)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion, diced
4-6 carrots, peeled and diced
4-6 celery stalks, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 80z package of mushrooms, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 cups of chicken broth
1 12oz can fat-free evaporated milk
Shredded meat from a rotisserie chicken - use all the chicken you can get off the poor sucker
Prepare rice according to package directions, set aside. Heat oil in large dutch oven. Saute onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and mushrooms over medium heat until they are tender, about 15 minutes. Add flour, salt, and pepper, stir well. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring the whole time. Add chicken broth, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer. Add Worcestershire sauce and evaporated milk, stir well, cover, and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Add chicken, cover, and let simmer for another 20 minutes. Add rice, and continue to simmer covered for another 10 minutes. Soooo good.
Happy eating!
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