This was an adaptation on a recipe I found. The amount of curry was too much and I felt like it would have been nicer to just enjoy the mellow taste of the squash.  So this is with just a hint. I also fudged on my broth and had to use some bullion cubes which made it too salty. Unsalted broth would be better so you can just add salt to taste at the table.

This is rich and hearty, perfect for lunch or as a dinner with some fresh bread. This recipe serves 4.

Butternut Squash Soup

2 butternut squashes, halved gutted, rubbed with olive oil, and roasted in the oven at 400′ until cooked through-about 1-1 1/2 hours. let cool until you can peel.

Sautee until soft:

1 TB olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1 clove garlic,minced

add squash in chunks taking care not to scorch

add 6 cups low sodium chicken broth  and 1 tsp curry powder

simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes

remove from heat and stir in 2 TB honey.

blend in blender, in batches if necessary, until smooth

serve immediately with plain yogurt or creme fraiche drizzled on top

This started as a recipe given to me by a friend but I never follow exactly because I never seem to have the exact ingredients so I tend to make substitutions. This would be more flavorful with pork but I used leftover beef roast from the night before and it was fantastic.

I also made fresh corn tortillas to go with it, which was surprisingly easy and very tasty. I would serve with either cornbread or tortillas of your choice.

1 TB oil

1 onion,diced

4 cloves garlic,minced

2 cups cubed meat- beef or pork  (fresh or leftovers work fine)

2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 green bell pepper,diced (you can use a whole if you like,I only had a half)

1/2 cup med salsa

2 cups broth (beef or if using pork I use chicken broth,can use water but will need to simmer longer)

1 TB chipotle sauce (I opened a can of chipotle chilis and used the sauce and saved the rest)

4 oz can diced green chilis

2-15 oz cans black beans,drained and rinsed

Start by sauteeing onions and garlic in the oil. If using raw meat, add this to the pot along with chili powder and cumin and cook meat until done. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer for at least 30 minutes-longer will make the flavors better. Serve hot with sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese garnish.

This served my family of 4 with a little leftover. To adjust the spiciness, change the amount of chipotle sauce.

This idea came from a marinated pork chop recipe, and it was very tasty on grilled Salmon. I always lay the salmon on foil when I grill it; that way the skin sticks and when I serve it my spatula picks the meat right off the burnt skin. It also seems to keep some of the juices and partially poaches the fish, which keeps it incredibly moist and delicious.

I never, ever, use farmed salmon. If you do, the texture will be mushy and not the nice meaty firmness of wild caught. I also prefer to eat it only when it’s fresh in season, but I imagine previously frozen would be fine too.

Ingredients: mix well in small bowl or cup while the grill is warming up

juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup mayo

1 TB dijon mustard

2 TB yogurt

2 tsp dried dill weed

1/2 tsp sugar

Place salmon fillets on foil on preheated grill. Generously spoon sauce on top and cook until salmon is opaque, adding sauce as desired. I usually have almost a quarter inch of sauce on top by the time I serve it, it should sort of bake on. You can also serve remaining sauce on the side. Very good with rice or on a salad!

I think spaghetti sauce in a jar is one of the best scams out there. With all the choices of canned tomatoes and sauces, it’s so easy to make your own version-minus the high sugar,salt,  and no preservatives, and your own flavor. It can be done in about 30-45 minutes if you start your noodles when it starts to simmer.

My family likes a good meaty sauce. You can use hamburger for a milder flavor, I like to use a sweet Italian sausage for a sweeter sauce. Hot Italian sausage would make a good spicy variation as well. Always use tomatoes with no added salt if you can find them. It helps to control your salt intake at least a little. One of the best things about spaghetti is you can mix up the spices and adjust according to your taste but probably won’t ruin the dish.

Brown in saucepan at medium heat:

use 1/2 tblsp olive oil if using a lower fat meat

1- 1 1/2 lbs hamburger or sweet Italian sausage

Add and cook until soft:

1 small onion, diced

1/2 cup green bell pepper,diced (optional)

2 cloves garlic, minced

Add:

1 large (29 oz) can tomato sauce

1 regular (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes

2 tsp dried basil

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp sugar (helps the acidity of the tomatoes)

simmer on low heat for at least 15 minutes, 30-45 will blend the flavors better. Serve over your favorite spaghetti noodle. Try a whole wheat pasta for added flavor and healthy option.

I learned this from a friend of mine, and it’s one of those things that was taught by sight more than following a recipe. As with many, things can be off a little and it still turns out wonderful. A couple of things I would be careful on: lime, fresh cilantro, and stewed tomatoes are a must.  The flavors will not work right if you use diced tomatoes. This seems like a light soup, but with the tortilla chips at the end it can be quite filling.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 lb skinless bonelesschicken, diced

1/2 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic

1/2 TB olive oil

1 tsp chili pwd

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

2 cans swanson low sodium chicken broth (I use 1 box Pacific brand organic chicken broth instead-your choice)

1 can stewed italian style tomatoes (I like to break these up a bit before putting them in)

1 can drained and rinsed corn (I like Niblets)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 minced fresh cilantro

juice of 1 lime

tortilla chips

Put oil in saucepan and brown the chicken. When the chicken is done add garlic.chili powder,cumin and onion, sautee until soft.

Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer; add tomatoes, corn and black beans. Bring back up to simmer.

Turn off heat and stir in lime juice and cilantro (these change flavor if you cook them in) Serve immediatly, with chips-each person can add chips according to their preference.  ( I like a lot!)

May be garnished with sour cream.

This recipe is delicious. The flavor is soaked in by marinating and then a little fresh is served on the side for dipping. Spring is coming and grilling time is here again!

Whisk together in a bowl:

6 TB Mayonaise

6 TB sour cream or plain yogurt

1/2 cup dijon mustard

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 tsp pepper

8 tsp fresh dill, minced, or 5 tsp dried

Set aside about half for later. Pour 1/2 over pork chops and marinate in fridge for 4-6 hours.

Discard marinade, grill chops 9-11 minutes  each side. Brush tops with a little fresh sauce during the last minute then serve the rest of the sauce at the table.

This time of year always makes me want cabbage. I think it’s coming out of winter, craving seasonal veggies. Generally by this time the new veggies aren’t ready and cabbage and potatoes are all that is left in the cellar. I have only gone out once on St. Patricks day. Sometimes we even have a beer with dinner. It’s not like we’re at all Irish descent. I still love the taste of cabbage and this is a great way to cook a full meal in one pot.

This is a delicious way to put everything in that crockpot in about 15 minutes and have a delicious meal with meat, potatoes and veggie. If you cook in cast iron, you can put this in the oven for about 1-1 1/2 hours at about 400′ instead.

Slice 4 potatoes, about 1/4 inch

core and slice 1 cabbage-I like mine kind of chunky

sausages -can be any kind, raw or cooked I used apple-smoked chicken sausages which were very sweet

You may brown these beforehand if you like.

1/4 cup melted butter

salt pepper and 1 tsp thyme (or more if you prefer like I do)

2 tsp cider vinegar

1/2 cup apple juice

Place potatoes in bottom of pan. Drizzle the melted butter over, sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme. Stir to coat. Add cabbage on top and drizzle with the vinegar. Nestle the sausages on top and pour in apple juice.

Crockpot: 4 hours on high or 10 hours on low

Cast Iron pot w/lid: bake at 400′ for 1 hour. Check to make sure sausages are done, or cook more if needed.

Curry has always been a tricky spice for me. Too much and the food gets this dry quality, too little and it just doesn’t taste right.
Lately my goal was to figure out if I could make a crockpot version of curried chicken. I think this is more of a dish called chicken makhani-being a western born and raised white girl my ethnic knowledge is smaller than I’d like. That being said, this turned out fabulous and was ridiculously easy in the crockpot. The only thing I would do differently is I would cut my chicken into bite-size before cooking rather than large chunks. I chose to only use a little cayenne so it was not hot and my kids loved this.
2 lb chicken-preferably boneless skinless thighs, trimmed of all fat and diced
1 onion, sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 TB butter
2 tsp curry powder (get good stuff-it’s worth it)
1/4 tsp cayenne (more if you like spicy-3/4 maybe)
2 tsp garam masala (indian spice mix you can usually find)
1/2 pwd ginger
1 can (14oz) coconut mil
1 can tomato paste * update* I found I prefer about 3/4 of a can.
2 TB lemon juice
Place chicken in crockpot and set to high. Lay onions over the chicken. Add all the other ingredients. You can premix if you like, I didn’t but I stirred the pot about halfway through cooking.
Cook 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low.
Stir in 1 cup yogurt 15 minutes before serving.
Serve over your favorite rice.

I’ve been searching for a better Chili Verde recipe, so when I saw one that suggested grilling the peppers, I was sold. That was the missing link in my green chili recipe. I love this, it combines my favorite mexican dish with my favorite way of cooking-fire grilled. My kids started back into school and immediately brought home a cold. We already did the homemade chicken noodle, and I’m still after something to chase away the sniffles. I don’t make this very spicy (try 1 hot pepper), but hot soup has been wonderful on these cool fall evenings.

Just a note: If you don’t want to grill, you can dice and fry off the peppers. The tomatillos leave whole and simmer gently in water just until they are soft. Another way is to place on a cookie sheet and roast in the oven instead of the grill. Then chop/puree in a food processor or blender.

1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, peeled and washed
5 garlic cloves, not peeled
jalapenos, seeds removed- 2 for spicy, 1 for milder
3 Pasillo peppers( or mild peppers)
1 bunch cilantro leaves, cleaned and chopped
3 1/2 to 4 pounds pork trimmed  and cut into 1 to 2-inch cubes
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
2 yellow onions
3 garlic cloves, pressed
1 Tbsp of dried oregano 
3 cups chicken stock

Remove husks from tomatillos and rinse well. Cut in half and place in large bowl. Clean and seed peppers, and place in bowl. Leave 5 cloves of garlic in husk and set on a small piece of foil for roasting.

Fire up your grill. Place everything in the bowl on the grill, skin sides down. Leave the garlic on the foil. Turn peppers over as the skins start to get bubbly and blackened, remove as they get done. These don’t need to be all the way cook, this is more for flavor. The tomatillos should grill on the skins, and just slightly start to sizzle and soften. When they are all done, set aside to cool slightly.

Grilled peppers and tomatillos grilled jalepenos and roasted garlic

 

Season meat with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large saucepan, add meat to brown well. I did mine in batches so they brown better. As the first bit is browning, put all your grilled veggies, roasted garlic (peeled now) and cilantro in the blender and pulse until finely chopped.

Grilled Goodies

Looks odd, but the smell is to die for!

So all this is done, except it has to simmer. I will add a picture after dinner, if I can catch a picture before it’s all gone. Serve with warm flour tortillas or homemade fresh corn tortillas!

I love the fullness of fall flavors, as the cold starts to set in, and our meals become more hearty after summer. This dish is not overly heavy, but very tasty and filling. I served this with freshly grilled bread (another post), although in the future I would serve over linguine noodles. Steamed broccoli or asparagus would be a wonderful compliment. This is one of those dishes that sound fancy and complicated but it’s really quite simple.

The sauce becomes sweet without any added sugars because of the carmelizing at the beginning. You can make this with pork or chicken breasts, sliced thinly.

Scallopini Marsala

5-6 pieces thin cut boneless pork chop or 3 chicken breasts, sliced in half to make thin.

1/2 cup flour for dredging

olive oil, butter

2 cups sliced mushrooms (variety is nice if you can)

2 shallots  Or 1/4 onion, minced & 1 clove garic, minced

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup marsala wine ( cooking sherry can be substituted)

Lay plastic wrap on hard countertop. Place a single piece of meat in the center and gently pound to tenderize aiming, from the center out. Pound each side and set aside. Heat large frying pan to medium on the stove. Drizzle olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan, add 2 TBs butter. Dredge each piece of meat briefly in flour on each side and lay carefully into hot oil. (Always lay away from you so any oil that splashes won’t splatter on you!) Brown gently on each side, then set aside on a plate.

Add to the pan your shallots and mushrooms. If it seems to dry add a little butter. Cook gently, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken stock and wine, bring to simmer. Add the meat back to pan and simmer until reduced by about 1/3 and meat is cooked through. Serve by placing the meat on a serving dish, pile the mushrooms, then drizzle the sauce over the top. Enjoy the rave reviews!