Christmas Morning Bread

One of the things I love about the holidays is the foods that to me just say Christmas. I love how families eat the same meal every Christmas year after year and when someone suggests a change it always ends up that everyone really wants the same meal as last year. Well one food tradition in my family growing up was eating homemade Cinnamon Swirl Bread every Christmas morning. Our parents would give us a certain time that we were allowed to go downstairs and look in our stockings. Shortly after we pulled everything out of our stockings our parents would come downstairs and see what Santa brought and start a pot of coffee for my Dad. We would eventually all sit down at the kitchen table to a breakfast of eggs, fruit and the most wonderful warm cinnamon swirl bread. It was one of the best times of the morning as we were all right there together and enjoying Christmas morning. Now we all have our own homes and consequently our own Christmas morning traditions. I know Russ and I look forward to Christmas morning with just the two of us and Cash as our time together to share presents, sit by the fire, and enjoy a quiet morning together in our pajamas. As much as I love our Christmas morning together I still miss the cinnamon swirl bread, so this year I have decided to bridge the old and new traditions and make small loaves of it for everyone.

To make the bread be sure and allow ample time for rising. The dough rises three separate times during the process. Aside from that it is a fairly straight forward yeast bread. I happen to love yeast breads and this is my favorite. The combination of cinnamon and sugar with the yummy yeast bread is just perfect. It is great at room temperature, warm, or toasted. Russ rates the bread a 9.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread, based on a recipe from Better Homes and Garden cookbook
(makes 2 large loaves or 6 small loaves)

1 pack active dry yeast
2 cups milk, scalded
½ cup sugar
½ cup shortening (Crisco)
2 t. salt
7 and ½ cups sifted all purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten

Filling:
¾ cup sugar
1 and ½ T. cinnamon
Soft butter

Active yeast in warm water. Pour scalded milk over ½ cup sugar. Add shortening and salt. Stir to dissolve and then cool to lukewarm.

Add 3 cups of flour and mix well. Stir in the softened yeast and beaten eggs. Add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Let dough rest 10 minutes. Knead until smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly greased bowl, let rise until doubled. Then push down and let rise again. Punch down and divide dough in half (if making two large loaves). Let rest 10 minutes. Roll each half into a rectangle and spread soft butter on dough. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon / sugar mixture on each and sprinkle with water. Roll up and place seam edge down in greased loaf pan. Sprinkle top with cinnamon / sugar and let rise until doubled (covered, in a warm place). Bake at 350 F for 30 to 35 minutes.

Better Neighbors...

While it isn’t quite the new year and I do have a few more days I have not decided what resolutions I am going to make for 2008 yet. In fact I am not sure what my 2007 resolutions were… Anyway, one that I am considering for 2008 is being a better neighbor. Russ and I love our house and our street and we know the neighbors around us and speak to them when we see them and there are a few others down the way that we say hi to when we see them and others we wave to in passing, but we don’t really know that many of them. We are not looking to find new best friends in our neighbors, but I feel like we should know a few more than we do. It is not that Russ and I aren’t great neighbors because we really are in the sense that we keep our house and yard up and Cash is friendly and not a barker, but we don’t really go out of way to meet new neighbors or go see any of the approximate million new babies that have been born on the street since we moved in almost two years ago. This is mainly because Russ and I are both relatively shy especially around people we don’t know or don’t know well. We have broken out of shells to go to the annual Halloween street party the last two years, but it is hard to meet neighbors who are all chasing their toddlers and tending to crying infants and the only neighbors who come to the street party besides us are those who have toddlers or crying infants. I am not exactly sure how we will try and become better neighbors, but I thought a good start would be to deliver a small holiday baked good to the neighbors on either side of us and across the street. So, I made small loaves of my mother in law’s recipe for pumpkin bread and Russ sweetly delivered them only to discover that the neighbors on either side were out of town and the one across the street who was at home and appreciated the bread is also trying to sell their house and will probably be gone soon anyway… Oh well, at least we are trying, right?

I am not posting the pumpkin bread recipe as this is a family recipe that may well be put to good use one day when Jane opens a restaurant or café or writes a cookbook. It is very yummy and the perfect blend of pumpkin and spice. Russ rates it a 9.

Holiday Treats for Cash and his Buddies

Russ and I knew we wanted a dog before we got married, but we decided to wait until after we were married and settled into our new house to start looking for one. After a couple months of settling in to married life and our new home we started looking through dog books. We looked up all sorts of pure breeds including some rather unusual ones where the closest breeder was in Wisconsin. While Russ and I agree on most things we couldn’t come to an agreement on a breed as they were either too small, too big, too much of a herder, too active, not active enough… After much deliberating we decided that what fit our family best would be for us to adopt a shelter or rescue dog. Since most shelter / rescue dogs are mixes and not much is known about their background we couldn’t be as picky, so our list of what we were looking for was much shorter – a sweet, male puppy that would grow to be a medium sized dog.

Like most of our searches we turned to the Internet to start our search and were pleased to find that all the local shelters and rescues have their pets listed online. We found a few puppies that fit what we were looking for and emailed for more information. The one we grew fondest of was a sweet looking little lab mix with black fur and little white paws. He was housed with a foster parent through the West Alabama Animal Rescue (WAAR) and was the last of his litter waiting for adoption. We emailed back and forth about his story, health, and temperament for a couple days with the WAAR contact. The more we learned the more we fell in love with this little guy. We finally set up a meeting time for us to pick him up. As it came closer to the time we were supposed to meet him I started to panic. We were about to adopt a puppy we had never met before, so I emailed her back and she calmed my nerves by saying that if after the weekend it wasn’t a match to let her know and they would relocate him. Well, as soon as we set eyes on him I knew that there was no way we would be returning him. Cash has been a part of our family since October 2006 and we have loved having him every minute… well except a few like when he dug up part of the new sod or chewed a chair leg….

Cash shows up on the blog fairly frequently and I have mentioned several times how he is my constant cooking companion. He just loves being in the kitchen while I cook and is usually either sprawled out on his bed, under my feet licking up anything that might have dropped, or playing tug of war with Russ. Since he is such a good little kitchen helper I decided to make him some holiday treats that he could also share with his buddies – Hugo, Wagg, Chester, and Kilkee. Based on Cash and his friends’ feedback I think these were a hit with two paws up!

Apple Peanut Butter Biscuits (recipe found online source unknown)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons canola oil

2 tablespoons honey

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, whisk together flours. In a medium bowl, whisk together applesauce, peanut butter, water, oil and honey until smooth. Add the dry ingredients, one cup at a time, into the wet and stir until combined. Scoop the mixture out onto a floured surface and knead a few times until it completely comes together and is smooth, adding enough additional whole wheat flour to keep it from sticking. Roll the dough about 1/4" thick - cut out as many shapes as you can and place them on parchment lined baking sheets. Repeat rolling and cutting until you have used up all of the dough. Bake until the biscuits are golden, about 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pans halfway though. Remove and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Depending on your biscuit cutter size, the recipe can make a couple to several dozen biscuits.

A Frozen Gift

I am sure many of you can almost impossible to buy gifts for my Mother. She always says she doesn’t need or want anything and she truly doesn’t want any “stuff” for the house or clothes for her closet. So, as December rolled around this year Jessica, Will, and I were back to trying to figure out what to get Mom for Christmas. The only things that Mom ever needs are more hours in the day or more energy to get through them. Since we can’t exactly give her either of these we decided we would go out on a limb and try a new gift idea for her – homemade frozen food. She and my Dad both love home cooked meals, but some days it is hard for Mom to find the time or energy to make them. This way she will be able to have a few stored up in the freezer for days when she wants a break, but doesn’t want to pick up Chinese food or go out to eat. After running the idea past our Dad and Mom’s sister, Aunt Judy, we decided to make one frozen meal each for her and then supply her with coupons for more meals at later dates.

For my frozen meal I decided to make a version of my mother in law’s Beef and Vegetable Soup. To make the soup you use either leftover roast beef or brown ground beef with some onions. You then add any mix of vegetables (canned, frozen, leftovers from the week, fresh), some canned tomatoes, a can of Rotel, salt, pepper, and a little Tony’s and let is simmer away. You can also add rice or pasta if you like. I used ground beef and a mix of frozen and fresh vegetables. Russ and I did a taste test and thought it was yummy and would make a great gift for Mom. I divided it into three containers and froze them. (This is pretty much the recipe, but I'll post the full recipe shortly.)

Mom loved our new gift idea and will hopefully love the soup when she tries it in the near future! The soup is hearty and filled with lots of yummy different flavors from the various vegetables. I really like the vary the sizes of the vegetables which not only gives the soup a good look, but a nice variety of textures. We served it with a piece of cheese toast per Russ' request. It is delicious for lunch or dinner and freezes and reheats very well. Russ rates the soup a 10. (I didn't get a picture of Mom from Christmas, so instead I included one of her favorite child, Bernie.)

The Manly Sandwich

Early on when Russ and I were dating I learned that he is without a doubt a meat and potatoes kind of guy or more specifically a cheeseburger and French fry kind of guy. I am pretty sure that there is nothing that Russ prefers to eat over a good cheeseburger with a side of fries. If he let himself then he could eat them several nights a week without getting tired of them. I too enjoy a good burger, but for me it is more of an every now and then kind of food. Despite Russ thinking I try to sneak vegetarian meals in on him we eat meat at most every meal, however, I would not describe our diet as a meat and potato one. While I know Russ enjoys the meals I make ever now and then I try to make something that I know caters to his meat and potato side. Tonight it came in the form of a sandwich that I knew not only Russ, but also Allen would more than appreciate.

Seeing as I have a blog I do enjoy checking out other blogs especially other food blogs. I ran across The Pioneer Woman Cooks a while back and have enjoyed following her food and non-food blog ever since. This is her husband’s favorite sandwich and I think it may now be my husband’s favorite too. To make the Marlboro Man Sandwich you sauté onions (and I did mushrooms too) in a cast iron skillet with butter. While the onions cook you cut cube steak across the grain and sprinkle it with Lawry’s season salt. Once the onions are cooked you remove them and add more butter to the skillet. Then you add the beef and once it browns you add Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, and a little more butter to it. While it finishes cooking you butter the buns and toast them on a buttered skillet. Once everything is done you layer the beef, onions, and mushrooms on the bun and I topped it with some of the sauce and sliced mozzarella cheese. To try to put something a little healthier on our plates I served it with a simple salad of mixed greens and homemade balsamic vinaigrette.

Let’s just say Russ and Allen fell in love with the sandwich and said they would be just fine eating these every day for the rest of their lives… well not the rest of their lives, but they did say they wouldn’t mind having these at least once a week. I’m pretty sure we don’t need to eat this much butter once a week, but I could see these becoming a traditional beer brewing dinner. Russ rates them a 10 and if our rating scale went higher I imagine so would the rating on this sandwich.

Holiday Cookie Baking

In elementary school I would each invite all the girls in my class over for a Gingerbread House and Cookie Decorating party every December. Mom made gingerbread houses out of graham crackers using a melted sugar mixture as glue and sugar cookies in different holiday shapes in advance. Each child would get their own house to ice and decorate with colored hard candies, gum drops, and candy canes. We would also ice and decorate sugar cookies with different colors of icing and sprinkles. This was a holiday tradition in our house for years that not only I participated in, but also Jessica and Will and there classmates. After elementary school we no longer had the individual parties or decorated gingerbread houses. However, my Mother would still make her holiday sugar cookies along with her fudge and my Dad would make his famous peanut brittle and Aunt Bill’s (a candy similar to blonde fudge). As the years passed and we all went to college and moved out of the house many of these traditions became a thing of the past. A couple years ago Jessica and I decided to begin a new family tradition of having a Saturday in December dedicated to holiday baking. For the past few years we collect different cookie recipes and narrow it down to a select few to try. The past two years Dad has joined us to help make his famous holiday candies. It has become a day that Jess and I both look forward to and enjoy spending together. From what we hear it sounds like our family and friends who are recipients of some of the goods enjoy it too!

This year we decided on three cookie recipes and two candy recipes. Apparently we were being a little overzealous as we didn’t end up having time to make one of the candies. In order to have plenty to share we tripled one cookie recipe and doubled all the others. We really put Jess’ Kitchen Aid mixer to the test this year, so next year we plan to use both our mixers to accommodate the larger quantities. The selections this year were Linzer Cookies, Chocolate Butter Cookies, Nut Crescents, and Dad’s Peanut Brittle.

Russ gave me an early Christmas gift of a Christmas Linzer Cookie set. It had a recipe that came with it that looked really yummy with only four ingredients including orange extract. The dough did require lots of chilling in the fridge at different stages, so despite the few ingredients it took a while to have it ready to roll out. Once they were baked we decided that we probably should have rolled it a little thinner. The flavor with the hint of orange and the buttery texture were wonderful. We used apricot (homemade by Elizabeth) and raspberry jam in between the two cookies which added both great color and fantastic flavor that worked with the hint of orange. I love the beautiful look of linzer cookies with their window effect and the color of the jam contrasting with the dusting of powder sugar – picture perfect!

Both the Chocolate Butter Cookies and the Nut Crescents came from the holiday baking issue of Cooks’ Illustrated. The Chocolate Butter Cookies started out well with the dark dough coming together and forming easily into smaller portions to chill in the fridge. When the dough came out we rolled it out attempting to get it to be 3/16 of an inch thick. The problem is that the dough is very difficult to work with and has to stay cool in order for you to cut the cookies out and move them to the baking tray. As you roll it out in order to get it that thin the dough warms up too much and becomes very sticky and soft. It was quite an ordeal, but in the end we rolled them slightly thicker, cut them out, put them back in the fridge to chill again and then removed them and placed them on the baking sheet. Once they were baking we had two trays with silpats and two with parchment paper (the recipe calls for parchment paper). Well, the cookies on the parchment paper burned on the bottom making them inedible…. So, we only baked them on the silpats from then on and were thankful we had doubled the recipe since we had to throw out the burned ones. The next night we go to decorate these with melted white chocolate. Let’s just say that turned into a sticky mess, so we opted for undecorated cookies. The flavor was delicious with a distinct chocolate and espresso flavors and the texture was perfect from the butter. All in all these cookies were a huge hassle and consequently we won’t be making them again which is a shame as they were quite tasty. On the other hand the Nut Crescents (usually called Mexican Wedding Cookies) came together without any trouble. We used pecans in our batter and then formed the dough into rings instead of crescent shapes. They baked up perfectly and looked pretty with their powder sugar dusting. If I don’t say so myself I think this may be the best Nut Crescent style cookie I have ever tasted. They were not dry at all as I sometimes find this kind of cookie. They had a wonderful somewhat crumbly texture that was still moist and full of flavor from the pecans. These are definitely a recipe to be repeated! So, Cooks’ Illustrated is currently 1 for 1 which means we’ll probably still seek out their holiday baking issue next year, but we’ll keep an eye out for pesky recipes!

Dad has been our guest chef for two years in a row now and we love having him join us. This year he came and made his homemade Peanut Brittle which is his Dad’s recipe. It is a fairly simple recipe with only a few ingredients, but it comes out with a great crunchy texture and tons of yummy peanuts! He hasn’t made it in several years now, but it tasted just as we remembered it.

Russ gives the Peanut Brittle a 10, the Nut Crescents and Chocolate Butter Cookies 8s and the Linzer cookies a 9. It was a very fun afternoon and a tradition that I look forward to each holiday season.

Linzer Cookie Recipe

1 cup butter
2 cups sifted Cake Flour
1 tsp. Orange Extract
1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
1 jar Raspberry or Apricot Jam

Mix butter, orange extract and sugar. Stir in 1 cup of flour at a time, mixing well. Chill the dough at least 2 hours. Roll out 1/2 the dough on cookie sheet to 1/4 inch thick and chill 30 more minutes. Cut with the Linzer Cutter without an insert. Remove excess dough and bake immediately at 350F for 12 minutes. Roll out the other half of dough on a second cookie sheet and chill for 30 minutes. Cut with the Linzer Cutter with your choice of the 6 inserts in place. Remove excess dough and bake immediately at 350F for 12 minutes. Cool completely. Dust tops with powdered sugar. Spread 2 teaspoons jam on each cookie bottom. Place tops over bottoms to create the sandwich effect. Makes 10 - 12 cookies.

Other recipes and more pictures are coming soon. The pictures above are not great since my regular photographer was out of town duck hunting. The good news is he brought home duck... so stay tuned for my first attempt at cooking duck!

Fish as Comfort Food

For the past couple of years Russ and I have stayed fairly healthy. I'd like to think that this is in part to the fact that we eat pretty healthy with a few exceptions for wings and Jelly Bellies from time to time and we run pretty regularly with a few off weeks every now and then... However….when it comes to the first week in December I am cursed. On December 1st Russ and I ran the Jingle Bell Run and while I was running I was contemplating how good I felt as opposed to last year at this time when I stood on the sidelines with Cash because I was under the weather. Well lo and behold I wake up on Sunday and I am feeling a little under the weather. Just like last year I have a bad cold that turns into a pesky cough that takes f-o-r-e-v-e-r to go away. All this to say that I can’t wait until the first week of December next year…

On a more positive note, Russ did take great care of me and picked up every kind of take out soup that Birmingham has to offer in the last week and a half. I am still coughing and don’t have all my energy back yet, but I am back to cooking at least for tonight. Since I have had a lot of soup recently I decided against my first instinct to make a warm pot of hearty soup. I still wanted a comfort food type of meal, so I decided on Giada’s Salmon Baked in Foil which is as simple to prepare as its name makes it out to be and very yummy. You simply slice two shallots, drain a can of diced tomatoes, add some lemon juice, olive oil, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt and pepper in a bowl. Then tear off a piece of aluminum foil and rub the salmon fillet with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and place it in the center of the foil. Then spoon some of the tomato mixture over the top of the salmon and wrap the foil up sealing it off. Let the salmon packets bake at 400F for 25 minutes. When they are done you open them up to find perfectly cooked, moist salmon with tons of yummy goodies on top.

This may not be comfort food to everyone, but to me tonight it is perfect! I served it with green beans and couscous. This meal is so easy to make and it comes out perfect every time. While the recipe is for four servings I don’t half any of it except for the salmon when I make it for the two of us. The shallot / tomato mixture is so tasty that I like having tons of it. This would be a great meal for entertaining as the packets can be prepared up to six hours in advance. Then when your guests arrive you can simply toss them in the oven. If you like eating fish, but are nervous about cooking it then I highly recommend this as a great recipe to try. Actually if you like fish at all I think you should try this recipe. If you don’t like salmon you can use another type of fish as long as it is not too delicate or thin of a fish. We have done this recipe with swordfish before which worked well; however, we prefer the salmon with this one. Russ rates it a 10!

Salmon Baked in Foil

3 tomatoes, chopped, or 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes in juice, drained
2 shallots, chopped
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about ½ lemon)
1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh oregano or ¾ teaspoon dried
1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or ¾ teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 salmon fillets (about 5 oz)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a medium bowl, stir in the tomatoes, shallots, 2 tablespoons of oil, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. In the center of each of four large sheets of aluminum foil, spoon ½ teaspoon of oil. Place 1 salmon fillet atop each sheet of foil and turn to coat with oil. Sprinkle the salmon fillets with the remaining ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Spoon the tomato mixture over the salmon. Fold the sides of the foil over the fish and tomato mixture, covering completely, and seal the packets closed. Place the foil packets on a large, heavy baking sheet. (The salmon packets can be prepared up to this point 6 hours ahead. Refrigerate until ready to bake.)

Bake until the salmon is just cooked through, about 25 minutes. Using a large metal spatula, transfer the foil packets to plates and serve. (You may want to unwrap and plate the fish in the kitchen before serving.)

My Notes: I use canned tomatoes and dried herbs and in this recipe as they work just as well as fresh in this recipe in my opinion.

Recipe from Everyday Italian by Giada De Laurentiis

Reconciliation with Orange Juice

I grew up drinking orange juice almost every day with breakfast. My Mother has never been a coffee drinker, but she has to have a glass of orange juice each morning to kick start her day. So, as a child I did the same. As I grew older I discovered coffee and loved it, so my morning juice was replaced by hot cup of coffee. I still would drink orange juice from time to time until one day…. I spent spring semester of my sophomore year studying in Granada, Spain. I loved absolutely everything about it including the food and drinks. My host mother, Gloria, was an amazing cook that made the most fantastic paella, fish soup, tortilla, and the list goes on and on. I also found a love for espresso, Cola Cao, different teas, and a renewed love of fresh squeezed orange juice. Most weekends I would travel either with my program or my two sisters, Jess and her best friend Gail, who were both working in Granada while I was studying. In general the cheapest and fastest ways to travel short distances in Spain is by bus. One of my last weekends in Granada, Gail and I decided to make a day trip to Córdoba so I could see the amazing Mosque there. We left early that morning and despite Gloria leaving breakfast sitting on the table for me I was in such a hurry that I decided to just grab something at the bus station. That morning I wasn’t too hungry, but I couldn’t pass up a large glass of fresh squeezed orange juice. Let’s just say that the combination of an empty stomach, a large glass of juice, curvy roads, and a packed bus didn’t work out very well for me. That was over five years ago and since that day I have not picked up a glass of orange juice or cooked with orange juice until the last few months. I guess I have finally gotten over my association of orange juice and the bus ride to Córdoba. Tonight’s dinner is one that even six months ago I would have passed by, but now that I am slowly learning to love orange juice again I decided to give it a try.

Tonight I made Orange Chicken with Scallions from the November issue of Fine Cooking. To start you use a vegetable peeler to peel large pieces of zest from an orange. You then juice the orange and add soy sauce, rice vinegar, crushed red pepper flakes, and light brown sugar to it. You set all of this to the side. You then use a mini food processor to combine the cornstarch, egg whites, and salt. Then you cut up the chicken into small pieces and sprinkle it with the remaining salt. The chicken is then tossed with the cornstarch mixture and sautéed in a hot non-stick pan with a little oil. You need to do the chicken in two batches in order to allow room for the chicken to not touch and be able to brown. The chicken is then removed from the skillet and placed on paper towels to drain any excess oil. You then put the large pieces of orange zest in the skillet for about 30 seconds and then add the orange juice mixture. The chicken and white scallions are then added to the skillet for a few minutes until the sauce reduces and glazes the chicken. I served the chicken over brown rice with a side of green beans.

Russ and I really liked this dish; however, there was a slight bitter taste to it that most likely came from the zest. The pieces of zest I used did not have any pith on it, but the vegetable peeler does go deeper into the skin than a zester does. I would recommend not using the vegetable peeler and going with a zester which is not only quicker, but also should eliminate the bitterness. Overall the taste was wonderful and we liked the small pieces of chicken and the orange flavor. Russ rates the meal an 8.

Orange Chicken with Scallions, Fine Cooking November 2007
Serves two to three.

1 large navel orange
1 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. rice vinegar
2 tsp. light brown sugar
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
¾ tsp. kosher salt
2 large egg whites
1/3 cup cornstarch
3 to 4 Tbs. canola or peanut oil
4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced (keep whites and greens separate)

Using a vegetable peeler, shave the zest from the orange in long, wide strips. If necessary, remove any large patches of bitter white pith from the zest strips with a paring knife. Juice the orange in a small bowl and mix with the soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes.

Sprinkle the chicken with ½ tsp. of the salt. In a mini food chopper or food processor, process the egg whites, cornstarch, and the remaining ¼ tsp. salt until smooth. In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with the cornstarch batter.

Heat 2 Tbs. of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet or large stir-fry pan over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Using tongs, transfer about half the chicken to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, flipping every minute or so, until the chicken browns and crisps all over and is firm to the touch, 3 to 4 minutes. With clean tongs, transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil to the skillet (or 2 Tbs. oil if the pan seems very dry) and repeat the cooking process with the remaining chicken; transfer to the plate.

Put the orange zest strips in the skillet and cook, stirring, until they darken in spots, 15 to 30 seconds. Stir the orange juice mixture and add it to the pan. Let it boil for about 10 seconds and then add the chicken and the scallion whites. Cook, stirring often, until the sauce reduces to a glaze and the chicken is just cooked through – check by cutting into a thicker piece – 1 to 2 minutes. If the chicken isn’t cooked through but the glaze is cooking away, add a couple tablespoons of water and continue cooking. Serve sprinkled with the scallion greens.

The First Blog Repeat

If you are a regular follower of this blog (which to be perfectly honest I am not sure if anyone outside of my parents, Russ, and Jess is – hey guys!) then you’ll know that most recipes don’t get repeated in our house. It is not that we don’t find recipes that are tasty enough that we would want to have them again, but quite frankly there are just too many recipes that I want to try to take the time to repeat an old one. As with most blanket statements there are exceptions such as a few dishes that are quick and easy for a weeknight meal when I don’t want to be in the kitchen very long (such as chicken taco salads, spaghetti sauce etc.) and then there are those that we love so much that we bypass the recipes that are waiting to be tried to repeat an old one. A few weeks ago one of these showed up on the blog, the Cheddar, Chicken Chowder, however, I had not made it since I started this blog. So, tonight the first true repeat shows with its second blog entry… drum roll please… for the second time….Tortilla Soup!

Now if you think the fanfare for this Tortilla Soup is silly then you obviously have not tried it since I last blogged about it in March. Like the cookies in my last post this is for me the look no further best ever recipe for Tortilla Soup. It is simple to make with only a few ingredients, but the chopped corn tortillas that are added at the beginning and break down as you simmer the soup make this soup fantastic. The tortilla pieces add a richness and thickness to this soup that for me makes it stand above other recipes. It also has the right amount of chicken and seasonings to it. The cayenne pepper gives it some heat without making it too hot. This soup also reheats really well, so Russ and I plan to enjoy it for lunch this week. It really is the best tortilla soup I have ever had. Russ rates the soup a 10.

(I've included a few pictures from Thanksgiving at the beach.)








Here is the recipe and the link to my previous post on it:

Tortilla Soup ("Stop and Smell the Rosemary" - with a few changes I made)

6 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used a little less than 3)

8 corn tortillas, chopped

6 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 medium onion, chopped

1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can (14 oz) petite diced tomatoes, undrained

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon chili powder

3 bay leaves

6 cups chicken stock (I used reduced sodium)

1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt (start with a half and then add more only if needed)

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add tortillas, garlic, cilantro, and onion. Saute 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes. Bring to a boil and add cumin, chili powder, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Return to a boil. Reduce heat. Add salt and cayenne. Simmer 30 minutes. Remove bay leaves and stir in chicken. Reheat. Garnish with monterey jack, avocado, sour cream, and tortilla strips. (I cut some of the leftover corn tortillas into strips and bake them. I then salt them when they are done and serve them with the soup.) Serves 6 (1.5 cup servings)

The Almost Perfect Dinner and The Perfect Dessert

I have been cooking and baking with an active interest in it for a few years now. While I still consider myself a novice in the kitchen I do think that there are some basic dishes that I should have made by now. Now in the past year I have made some progress by making lots of firsts for me such as a tiered cake, fruit cobbler, lasagna, pot roast…. However, there are still several dishes out there that I think are classic dishes that I surely should have made by now. One such dish is chicken pot pie. I have never made it and while I have found several recipes for it that looked tasty I have simply passed them by. Well, that changed tonight as I decided to finally cross chicken pot pie off my list by giving Ina Garten’s Chicken Stew with Biscuits (her version of chicken pot pie) a go.

I will start out by saying that this is a very time consuming dish to make. It is an enjoyable one to make, but be sure you have plenty of time set aside for it. I started by roasting the chicken. This is not the first time I have followed Ina’s method of roasting chicken breasts and they always turns out perfect – moist and flavorful! It is very simple to do and yields great results, so even if you don’t make the rest of this recipe try roasting chicken breasts (on the bone with skin) like Ina. While the chicken roasted I chopped all the veggies and parsley (including celery and red potatoes which were my addition). I also put the chicken broth and bouillon cubes in a pot and let them heat up. You then blanch the carrots in one pot and sauté the onions and celery in a little butter in a dutch oven. Once the onions are translucent you add the flour in while stirring. Then you add the broth, cream (I used half and half), veggies and chicken and mix it all together. The chicken stew then goes in a baking dish and bakes for about 15 minutes uncovered. While it is baking you make the biscuits by combining the dry ingredients and then working the butter into them. Then you add the half and half and parsley and work it all together. The dough gets rolled out and cut into somewhat thin biscuits. The biscuits are then added to the top of the stew and brushed with an egg wash. The whole dish goes back in the oven for about 20 more minutes.

Russ, Allen, and I all enjoyed the chicken stew with biscuits. The flavor of the stew was excellent and the biscuits were the perfect topping. The stew was thick and creamy and the biscuits added great texture. The only problem was that the carrots should have blanched for longer and I should have blanched the potatoes too. We all thought the potatoes were a good addition they just weren’t cooked through. I even thought about pre-cooking the potatoes and then didn’t do it… Next time I’ll make sure that the carrots and potatoes are almost completely cooked through when I add them to the stew. Despite the crunchy vegetables Russ rates it a 9.

Now, since it was Saturday night and we were in Mentone I couldn’t make a hearty, comfort food dish for dinner and then not serve dessert… so I took the opportunity to try a recipe I saw on Smitten Kitchen for Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip Cookies. These are a fairly straight forward cookie recipe with one small twist that takes these cookies from good to over the top amazing! You add a little orange zest to the cookie dough and it really just makes these cookies fantastic. The cookies are not too crunchy or too chewy and have a great balance of oatmeal and chocolate chips. Smitten Kitchen also adds chopped nuts to hers, but since Russ doesn’t like nuts in cookies I left them out. I really think this could be a look no further this is it perfect recipe for Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip Cookies. Since Russ did the shopping and bought the largest bag of chocolate chips I have ever seen and since the holidays are coming up I may be making another batch of these sometime soon. Russ rates the cookies a 10!

Colorless Chicken

In Junior High School I took nine weeks of home economics. My strongest memory of it is of making homemade biscuits. I remember my team doing really well with our biscuits until we realized that we failed to preheat the oven. My Mother on the other hand took more than nine weeks of home economics when she was in school. I am sure she has more than one memory from it, but the one the I know of from hearing it over the years is that her teacher would always tell them that when you plate a meal it should not all be the same color. From what I know her teacher felt like having different colors on the plate not only looked better, but also that it was more healthy. I am not sure I agree one hundred percent with this as I can think of a few exceptions such as several Indian dishes where everything is yellow, but at the same time it is full of vegetables and very delicious. Despite a few exceptions I still think she has a valid point. While one of the things I like about cooking is that there are not any real rules to it... I think tonight's dinner would have been better if I had headed Mom's home economics teacher's advice.

For dinner tonight I tried a new Cooking Light recipe that I saw in October issue for Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Garlic and Goat Cheese. To make the dish you roast a head of garlic which is then mixed with the goat cheese and stuffed in the chicken. You saute the chicken for a couple minutes on each side before putting it in the oven to finish cooking. I served it over polenta, as Cooking Light suggested, with a side of sauteed spinach with mushrooms. While the spinach added beautiful color to the meal everything was soft in texture. The stuffed chicken was very good, but lacked color and a little something else. Everything was good, but the meal has potential to be a lot better. I think I should have stuffed the chicken breasts with the garlic / goat cheese mixture and the spinach and served a side dish with more crunch to it. While I probably won't follow this recipe again I do think I'll keep an eye out for more stuffed chicken recipes.

Russ rates the stuffed chicken with polenta an 8.

A Formal Dinner

Russ and I have been married for almost a year and a half now and we have yet to use our wedding china, silver, and crystal. I thought about cooking a nice meal for our anniversary and using it and I’ve joked to Russ that maybe I would pull it out sometime when we were having burgers and beer, but I still haven’t used it. I guess I always thought that something would come up where I would need to serve a dinner on fine china. The reality is that Russ and I are just not that formal and we don’t have situations that come up where wine needs to be served in crystal goblets and meat must be cut with a silver knife. So, I decided that I would make a reason to pull out the china plates, beautiful chargers, silver forks and knives, crystal goblets, and linen napkins - we invited my parents over for dinner. We have had them over before and used our regular everyday plates and glasses and they have always enjoyed it. While I know they would be happy even if we used paper plates I also know that there is not a single person that would appreciate my using all these beautiful things more than my Mother. So, tonight we are pulling out all our finest things and having a formal dinner… well kind of formal as I’m wearing jeans and Crocs and Russ is in jeans and tennis shoes.

For our formal dinner we decided to serve beef tenderloin, roasted asparagus and brussel sprouts, and mashed red potatoes. While Russ has lots of experience on the grill he has never cooked a whole beef tenderloin before and always wanted to give it a try. Tonight he marinated it in Mr. P’s for about an hour and then grilled it perfectly on The Egg. It was fantastic! The meat was juicy, tender, and flavorful. Russ rates it a 9.

The October issue of Fine Cooking had a section on brussel sprouts. I love brussel sprouts and Russ hates them. I have cooked them once before just for me, but since I know my Dad also loves them I put them on the menu for tonight. All the recipes in the section looked wonderful, but I decided on their To prepare the brussel sprouts you quarter them and then toss them with Dijon mustard, olive oil, and Worcestershire. The recipe also calls for Caraway seeds which I thought I had… but I don’t, so I left them out. These roast for about 20 minutes and then are topped with fresh bread crumbs that are toasted with a little bit of butter and chopped walnuts. They were very tasty and Dad loved them! The beef took a little longer than Russ expected, so the brussel sprouts got a little over done, but they were still very tasty. Russ ate a quarter of a brussel sprout, but he is going pass on rating them. I give them an 8.

For the asparagus we went with a Cookling Light recipe that we have made before and loved, Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Browned Butter. It is super simple and usually a 10. You roast the asparagus with a little salt, pepper, and cooking spray. When you pull them out you drizzle them with melted butter that has soy sauce and balsamic vinegar mixed in it. Tonight the asparagus got a little overcooked and they turned out okay, so Russ gives them a 9. When they are not overcooked then these are very tasty and a 10.

Bruschetta for Book Club

There are so many recipes that I want to try and with each new issue of Cooking Light or Fine Cooking even more get dog eared and added to the list. I have a small bookcase full of wonderful cookbooks and a list of other ones I want despite the fact that I haven’t even cooked out of some of the ones I have. Yet I still find myself at a loss of what to make sometimes. Sometimes it is that I am not exactly sure what I am in the mood for or that I need something that fits certain requirements such as it can be made in advance, feed a crowd, travel well, etc. This happened to me this week as it is Book Club week. Book Club meets at six o’clock which presents a small challenge to come up with something that I can pretty much grab or put a finishing touch on when I get home from work and then have it be ready to go. I wanted to take something in the heavy appetizer realm that wasn’t a dip. There are so many appetizers I want to try in fact I just got a special edition of Fine Cooking all on appetizers, yet I couldn’t come up with anything that caught my eye and fit the requirements. It came down to today where I had to pick something or go empty handed, so I reverted to an old stand by of bruschetta. It is a different version than I have done before with mushrooms, but it is still not exciting. I am sure that no matter how many cookbooks or magazines I have I’ll still find myself at a loss of what to make again, but a few more cookbooks might help, right? Just kidding Russ… we’ll kind of….

To make the Mushroom and Parmigiano Bruschetta you deseed a tomato and chop it. You add sherry vinegar, fresh basil, salt, sugar, capers, and red pepper to it. Then you sauté the sliced mushrooms, green onions, and garlic in a little butter for a couple minutes. Once the mushroom mixture is done you toss it with the tomato mixture and serve it over slices of baguette. I decided to double the recipe and toast the baguette slices for a minute in the broiler.

The bruschetta turned better than I had thought. They were quite tasty and I loved how it showcased the flavor and texture of the mushrooms. Russ rates the bruschetta a 8.

A Love of Soup

There are lots of reasons why I love to cook and bake. I enjoy chopping vegetables, slowly adding broth to risotto, mixing dry and wet ingredients to make muffins, mincing garlic, tossing pasta with a sauce and the list goes on and on. When Russ and I have a night at home with no plans there is nothing I enjoy more than making dinner for just the two of us. There is something especially relaxing and therapeutic to me about making soup now that the weather is cooler and it is turning dark earlier. Tonight I made a large pot of an old favorite soup of ours. It is a thick hearty chowder that involves chopping fresh vegetables, shredding chicken, sautéing them together, letting it all simmer in a bath of chicken broth, and then thickening it up with mixture of flour and milk. Stirring a large pot of thick simmering chowder on a cold night with Russ sitting at the kitchen counter and Cash sprawled out on the floor snoozing represents all that I love about cooking.

Tonight’s soup is an older CL recipe for Cheddar Chicken Chowder. I have made this recipe a couple times before so I don’t follow the amounts on the recipe, but more eyeball it. I cooked two chicken breasts in water and then shredded them. I sautéed the onion, red pepper, and garlic in a little olive oil since I omitted the bacon. I then added the chicken, potatoes and broth. I used red potatoes and left most of the skin on them because I like the color and flavor of the skin. This comes to a boil and then is reduced to a simmer and left covered for about 20 minutes. Then you add the flour / milk mixture and corn. I put the milk out on the counter earlier to let it come to room temperature. You then let it simmer until it thickens and is hot. Lastly stir in the cheese and serve.

This is a hearty soup with great flavor and texture. The broth is warm with a thick potato base to it. The red pepper not only adds great color, but also fantastic flavor – don’t leave it out or you will be missing out. I shred the chicken because I like its texture to be a contrast to the chunks of potato. The corn adds a slight sweetness to the soup and another great texture. This is a comfort food type of soup that Russ and I both love. Russ rates the soup a 10.

Family Recipes

The best thing about living in Birmingham for Russ and me is our family. Our parents, all our siblings, and Russ’ grandfather all currently live within ten minutes of us and we love it! Not a week goes by when we don’t see at least one or more family member. Just this past week Jess, Scott and Hugo came over for dinner, we ate lunch with my Dad, and we hung out in Tuscaloosa at the Alabama game with all of Russ’ siblings. Our families have lots of things in common including a love of food and sharing meals together. Not long after I started this blog I realized I needed a category for family recipes. Maybe I am a sap, but there is something really special to me about making a recipe that I remember my Mom or Dad making when I was younger or learning a family recipe from Russ’ Mom. Both our families have recipes that go back several generations and that is an incredible gift to have. When it comes to family recipes I always ask if I can put the recipe up on my blog. Usually the answer is yes, but sometimes like tonight’s dinner the answer is I’d rather keep this one in the family. I can appreciate that some family recipes are just that recipes for the family. Its not that Mom is worried that someone might go make a million dollars off of her Stroganoff, but there is something special about keeping some recipes just in the family.

For Bachelor Night tonight Russ and I hosted and served Mom’s Beef Stroganoff over egg noodles. Elizabeth and Seth brought a Cesar salad and bread and Emily and Dowe brought cheese and crackers and chocolate chip cookie bars. Everything was yummy! Russ rates the stroganoff a 10.

Since I didn't post on Halloween and there have been a few requests I am posting a picture of Russ and me in our costumes (Mario and Princess Peach) from last weekend.

Butternut Squash and Eggplant Night

When I first moved back to Birmingham I lived on the second floor of an apartment building near by. A sweet older woman lived alone beneath me I was lucky enough to have her take me under her wing. I would frequently come home from work to find a slice of her rum cake or a container of her homemade chicken salad on my doorstep with a note from her. I was still new to cooking and just starting to get into it, so I was always very excited to find anything from her kitchen outside my door. When I moved out the apartment I was sad to leave a wonderful neighbor. I also thought my days of food being dropped off at my door were over, however, I was wrong. It is not uncommon for me to come home now to a baked good or sack of fresh vegetables at our front door. Jess and I love to cook together and we also love to share our food with others especially each other. She will drop off a loaf of homemade banana bread at our house and I’ll drop some apple muffins off at hers. A big part of what I love about baking and cooking is sharing it with others and Jess is the same way. So, recently Jess and Scott dropped off the bounty of vegetables and I decided that this time instead of leaving food at her door that we should have them over for dinner.

I knew exactly what I wanted to have for dinner tonight. I love eggplant and Russ doesn’t particularly care for it. However, if it is mixed in with other things he likes he always ends up eating it… Knowing this and that Jess and Scott like eggplant I decided to try Ina Garten’s Roasted Eggplant Spread for an appetizer.

To make the spread you peel the eggplant and cut it into 1 inch pieces. You also cut the red onion and red bell peppers into 1 inch pieces. You then toss them with olive oil, salt, pepper, and minced garlic. These go in the oven to roast at 400F for about 45 minutes. Once they are done you let them cool slightly and the put them in the food processor with a little bit of tomato paste and pulse it about 3 or 4 times. Then you are done. Yes, it was that easy.

The spread had a wonderful roasted flavor and you could really taste both the eggplant and the red peppers. I served it with multi grain pita chips. It was delicious and Russ did eat it! Russ rates the dip a 8.

For dinner I knew I wanted to make the Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Galette I had seen over on Smitten Kitchen recently. As you probably know by now if you read my blog I love all things butternut squash and all things onions. So, this recipe was a must make for me and I knew that Jess and Scott would love it too!

I skimmed the recipe before getting started and realized I should have started it about an hour before, so be sure and read the recipe carefully on this one. You start by putting the flour and salt in one bowl and then cut the butter into cubes in another bowl. Both bowls then go in the freezer for 1 hour. This was the part I managed to not read before I started… Once it has been in the fridge for an hour you form a well in the flour and cut the butter into it. In a separate bowl you combine the sour cream, lemon juice, and ice water. This then is incorporated in batches into the flour / butter mixture. This becomes a sticky, yummy dough that you form into a ball. I was a little worried as my ball was a little more crumbly than I thought it might need to be. The ball is wrapped in plastic wrap and goes in the fridge to rest for 1 hour. While it is resting you roast the squash and carmalize the onions. Once the dough has rested you roll it out into a circle and place it on a baking sheet. You then combine the squash, onions, cheese, sage, and cayenne in a bowl. Take the squash mixture and place it in the middle of the circle of rolled out dough and then pull the sides up around it. This goes in the oven at 400 to bake for about 30 to 40 minutes.

The galette was well worth the wait! It was delicious! It was the perfect combination of butternut squash, onions, and pastry. The cheese and sage added the perfect accompanying flavors to the dish. This is certainly on the time consuming side, but it is well worth the effort and time. If you are taking a dish to Thanksgiving this year and looking for something a little different I would highly recommend this galette. Russ rates the galette a 9 and if it had meat I bet he would give it a 10.

Russ grilled steaks and asparagus to go with the galette. As always he did a wonderful job with them We enjoyed having Jess and Scott over and sharing some of our dishes with veggies from the bounty!

Even More Apples...

When Russ and I stopped at the apple orchard I picked out two and half pecks of apples to take home and I am came very close to getting another peck or two. I was worried that I wouldn’t have enough apples to make tons of apple dishes and share some with Jess and Mom. On the drive home Russ and I were talking about what to do with the apples and Russ requested homemade applesauce. When we got home I looked at the recipe and remember thinking that I would not have enough apples left to use 12 plus apples to make applesauce. Well, I shared some with Jess and Mom and I made several apple dishes and I still have more than enough apples to make applesauce. I am really starting to think that the apples are multiplying as it doesn’t seem to matter how many I use there are still tons left. I’m not complaining about having too many apples as there are more things I’d like to make with the remaining apples, but I am just saying that I’ve found out that two and half pecks of apples is really a lot of apples.

Since I have tons of apples left I decided to try making applesauce on Saturday, but before I get that Russ had also requested waffles and since I woke up hungry…. no starving on Saturday morning I decided to make the waffles first. I just got the December issue of Fine Cooking (even though it is still October!) and it had a pull out on breakfast dishes including their recipe for Light, Crisp Waffles. Even though I love Dad’s waffles I couldn’t pass up trying a new recipe.

To make the waffles you mix all the dry ingredients (flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, and baking soda) in a bowl. In a separate bowl you mix the buttermilk, milk, vegetable oil, and egg yolk together. In a third bowl you beat the egg white until soft peaks form. Then you sprinkle the sugar and add the vanilla and keep beating until firm peaks form. Then you combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients (not the egg white) and stir them until combined. You then dollop the egg white on top of the waffle batter and fold them into the batter. Then you cook the waffles on the waffle iron and put them in the oven (200F) after you make them until you have made all the waffles.

The waffles were yummy! I asked Russ if he thought these or Dad’s were better and he couldn’t say unless he had them both next to each other as they are very similar in taste and texture. So, that decided it for me that I like Dad’s better as they do not require three bowls and a mixer and they have wonderful memories in every bite. Russ rates the waffles a 8.

Once I was no longer starving I decided to start on the applesauce. I decided to go with Ina Garten’s recipe for her Homemade Applesauce. To make the applesauce you zest one lemon and two oranges and then juice them into a large oven proof pot. You then peel, core and quarter approximately 12 to 16 apples and mix them with the zest and juice. I ended up using a mix of the three kinds of apples I picked up at the orchard – Mutsu, Arkansas Black, and Rome Beauty. They varied in size, but I used 13 apples total. Once they are in the pot then you add the cinnamon, all spice, and butter. I also threw in some of the peel from the Rome Beauties for color. The pot then goes in the oven covered for one to one and half hours at 400F. Once they are done you remove the peel and then whisk the apples until you get the consistency you like.

While the apples were baking our house smelled AMAZING! It smelled like we had a large vat of spiced apple cider simmering in the kitchen. The applesauce was very easy to make and it had a pretty color and great texture. It is definitely more of a spiced applesauce than just regular applesauce as the cinnamon and all spice add a lot of flavor. Russ and I both really liked the flavor, however, I think I’ll cut the spices back a little bit next time. I shared some with Mom and Dad and Mom thought I could just leave the all spice out next time. Jess and Scott got some too and Jess felt like it would be great with food such as oatmeal or for those who eat pork (not me) a pork loin. I think this is definitely true and I plan to try it over oatmeal for breakfast one day this week. Russ rates the applesauce a 8. Don’t worry… I still have more apples left!

Light, Crisp Waffles, Fine Cooking December 2007

Yields four to five 8 inch waffles.

A required rest in the oven not only adds to the crispiness of the waffles, but also allows you to make a big batch, so everyone can eat at once.

3 1/2 (3/4 cup) bleached all-purpose flour

1 oz. (1/4 cup) cornstarch

1/2 tsp. table salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup milk

6 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 large egg, seperated
1 Tbs. granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Heat the oven to 200F and heat the waffle iron. Mix the flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Measure the buttermilk, milk, and vegetable oil in a Pyrex measuring cup; mix in the egg yolk and set aside.

In another bowl, beat the egg white almost to soft peaks. Sprinkle in the sugar and continue to beat until the peaks are firm and glossy. Beat in the vanilla.

Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk until just mixed. Drop the whipped egg white onto the batter in dollops and fold in with a rubber spatula until just incorporated.

Pour the batter onto the hot waffle iron (1/2 to 2/3 cup depending on your waffle iron) and cook until the waffle is crisp and nutty brown (follow the manufacturer's instructions for timing at first and then adjust to your liking). Set the waffle directly on the oven rack to keep it warm and crisp. Repeat with the remaining batter, holding the waffles in the oven (don't stack them). When all the waffles are cooked, serve immediately.

Finally Some Soup Weather

It is finally cold outside which to me means SOUP WEATHER! Russ keeps trying to hold me off from declaring soup weather since the temperatures have mostly been in the 70s lately. However at least for the next couple days it is cooler and we’ll be celebrating the lower temperatures with soup. As I mentioned in a previous post Jess and Scott gave Russ and I a bounty of veggies from the farmer’s market and I am having a fun time figuring out how I am going to use them. The bounty includes five smaller sized butternut squash. I have been torn between two new recipes for them and I decided this morning that I just can’t pick between the two, so I’ll make both over the next few days. Tonight I’ll make Ina Garten’s Butternut Squash and Apple Soup, but I’ll cut the recipe in half and save the rest of my butternut squash for the other recipe (which you’ll have to wait to see what it is).

Russ and I have a favorite butternut squash soup recipe that we love and I have no doubt it will show up on this blog sooner or later, however, we still have apples from the orchard I thought this was the perfect time to try Ina’s recipe for a change. To make the soup you first sauté chopped onion and curry powder in a little butter. While this is sautéing you peel and cut the squash and apples. These then go in the pot with water (only I decided to use chicken broth to give it a little more flavor). Bring this to a boil and then throw the lid on and bring it down to a simmer for about 30 to 40 minutes. When the apples and squash are soft then you puree the soup. You can use a blender, but I use the hand blender so then I don’t have to transfer the soup out the pot. Once it is pureed you add the apple juice and salt and pepper to taste. Then it is ready to serve.

I decided to serve the soup with a salad and a baguette. Wait… where’s the meat? Tonight's meal almost came out of our kitchen with no meat in it, but just for Russ there was some turkey on the salad. Russ is convinced he cannot get full from a meal that doesn’t include meat in it, so the turkey helped solve that problem. The soup was really tasty with rich thick texture and a sweet / savory flavor. The sweetness from the apples and apple juice complemented the butternut squash really well. I think the key ingredient may have been the curry powder that added a subtle extra layer of flavor that was delicious. I also liked that the soup had a very clean flavor since it is predominately made up of pureed vegetables and fruit. Russ and I enjoyed the soup, but we still think our tried and true butternut squash soup is even better. Russ rates the soup a 8.

A Better Bachelor Night for Us

Tonight is Bachelor Night and since Russ and I have not had great results with our food the last couple times the pressure is on... Emily and Dowe are hosting and serving steaks, so Russ and I are in charge of the sides. Since the apple bar disaster I have been thinking about what kind of sides we could do. We still have some of the apples from the orchard and I love including fruit in salads, so I knew that I wanted to do a salad with apples for tonight. However, I wasn’t sure what else… until I stopped by my sweet sister’s house to pick up some goodies she got us from the farmer’s market this weekend. I was super excited to get a bunch of zucchini, butternut squash, eggplant, tomatoes, pattypan squash (a new to me veggie!), and onions! Russ is still learning to love zucchini, so I decided to do it for tonight so that Russ can eat just a little bit of it and hopefully the others will love the rest of it with me. Since I know he doesn’t love zucchini I decided to do mashed red potatoes too.

Since I have been eyeing apple recipes for a while now I decided to go back to the September CL and make the Spinach-Apple Salad with Maple-Bacon Vinaigrette. Russ' Mom invited his sisters and me to meet for a pedicure after work, so I called Russ to tell him that was in charge of getting our food started. He was a little nervous, but up for the challenge. I told him to start with the salad dressing, but he started with a beer and then the dressing. I called on my way home and Russ said he finished the dressing and it was really thick. Ends up he left out the olive oil, but once added the dressing was perfect. He did really well with it and I have cute painted toes!

For the salad dressing you start by combining the mustard, maple syrup, and red wine vinegar. Next you mix the olive oil in while whisking it. Last you add the chopped chives and bacon (or turkey bacon). For the salad you combine sliced red onion and apple slices to fresh spinach. We waited to dress it until we served it.

The salad was really good. I loved the mix of apples, red onion and spinach and the dressing had a wonderful sweet, tangy flavor. We did end up doubling the liquid portions of the salad dressing and next time I think we’ll just double the whole thing. It really needed all of it and would have been a little dry if we hadn’t added to it. Russ rates the salad a 9.

For the zucchini I decided to try a recipe of Ina Garten’s for Zucchini with Parmesan. You start by sautéing chopped onion in olive oil. You then add the zucchini and sprinkle it with a little salt and pepper. At the very last you add grated parmesan cheese to the zucchini and then serve.

The zucchini was delicious! Russ even ate a few pieces. The only problem was that I didn’t head her warning about overloading the pan with the zucchini, so it ended up steaming more than sautéing it. Even though it steamed a little bit I think it still turned out tasty. I’ll definitely repeat this and next time keep the batches smaller and get it to sauté instead of steam. Russ rates the zucchini a 8. I think the zucchini is growing on him...

I also made mashed potatoes with small red potatoes and added a little sour cream, buttermilk, butter, salt and pepper to them. Emily and Dowe grilled beautiful steaks that were very tasty! Seth and Elizabeth each brought their own appetizer tonight. Elizabeth brought a bruschetta with sliced baguette that is brushed with garlic and olive oil and topped with fresh tomatoes and feta. Seth made the classic ants on a log (which were apparently exhausting to make). Both were yummy! Russ and I feel some relief now as everyone seemed to enjoy our sides. We'll still have some pressure next time we host after the not so great shish kebabs, but overall this was our best Bachelor performance on the food side this season. As always it was a fun night and a very entertaining episode!

Russ and I still have lots of yummy vegetables left from Jess and Scott’s farmer’s market run. I am excited to find some new recipes to try with them! Right now I torn between two totally different recipes for the butternut squash, I have one idea for the eggplant so far, and I am still perplexed on what to do with the pattypan squash. So, I’ll be doing some major recipe searching and decision making over the next few days.