Butternut Squash, Brussel Sprouts and Bread Stuffing with Apples

We're usually Pepperidge Farm stuffing people. Last year, we finally expanded to adding celery. So a vegetable stuffing is really moving up for us.

"Tainted Love" Soft Cell

From Food52

Ingredients

• 1 pound butternut squash, cubed
• 1 pound brussels sprouts, halved
• 1 medium gala apple, cut into a 1/2 inch dice
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided into 2 tbsp and 1 tbsp
• 1 cup onion, diced
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 10 slices bread of choice: crusty sourdough, dry cornbread, whole grain, or, if you are gluten free, millet bread from Food For Life will work nicely. Prior to preparing the recipe, leave bread out for a day to become slightly dry, then cut into cubes.
• 1 1/2 cup vegetable broth (plus extra as needed)
• 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup pecans or walnuts
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss the squash, brussels sprouts, apples, and shallots in 2 tbsp oil and season well with salt and pepper. Roast till vegetables are very tender (I actually like my sprouts a bit singed) and remove from oven. Reduce oven heat to 350.
Heat other tbsp oil in a large pot. Sautee the onion and celery till translucent (about 5-8 min). Add the bread cubes and allow them to get golden brown with the veggies in the oil. Add a dash of salt and pepper.
Add the roasted vegetables, vegetable broth, cranberries, pecans, and seasonings. Stir the mix till the broth has almost entirely absorbed in the toasted bread. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Autumn Sweet Potato Soup

 The first weeks of schools have started, and temperatures are finally starting to reflect the month.

 I am proud to announce: fall has arrived! 

And what better way to welcome it than soup is there?

 "Everyday Superhero" Smash Mouth

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large brown onion, peeled and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 1/2 lbs orange sweet potatoes (yams), peeled and cubed
• 1 lb zucchini, sliced
• 2 qts (8 cups) yellow vegetable stock or chicken stock
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• Pinch of cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
• 3 medium tomatoes, peeled and diced (or 1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes)
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• Salt and pepper
• Chopped roasted peanuts or fresh thyme leaves for garnish (optional)

 Directions

Heat olive oil over medium till hot (not smoking). Sauté onion in the oil till it begins to turn golden, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and continue to sauté for 3 minutes more.Add sweet potatoes, zucchini, chicken or vegetable stock, thyme leaves, cumin, ginger, and cayenne to the pot. I like to use ¼ tsp of cayenne, which gives a nice spicy kick to the soup. If you’re sensitive to spice, start with 1/8 tsp. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce to a light simmer for 20 minutes. Add diced tomatoes to the pot. Simmer for 5-10 minutes more until all the vegetables are tender. Stir the peanut butter into the broth until it dissolves. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add more cayenne for heat, if desired. Soup may be served as-is (chunky with texture), or you can puree the soup with an immersion blender till smooth. Serve garnished with chopped roasted peanuts or fresh thyme leaves.

Sweet Potato Fries

Some of these got pretty burned as you can see from the picture,

but those that weren't literally burnt to a crisp were salty perfection, as is the way with fries.

"Tainted Love" Soft Cells

Ingredients:

• Olive Oil, for tossing
• 5 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch long slices, then 1/4-wide inch strips, using a crinkle cut knife
• 1 tablespoon salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Line a sheet tray with parchment. In a large bowl toss sweet potatoes with just enough oil to coat. Sprinkle with House Seasoning and paprika. Spread sweet potatoes in single layer on prepared baking sheet, being sure not to overcrowd. Bake until sweet potatoes are tender and golden brown, turning occasionally, about 20 minutes. Let cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

From Food Network

Strawberry Salad with Walnuts and Red Onion

 I'm always a bit skeptical of salad "recipes" because, let's face it, a salad is just tossing a bunch of things together.

Why the need for a recipe?

This one is a personal favorite of mine, and though it's usually done with my despised raw spinach, with lettuce it steals number one.

 So I guess with Labor Day weekend, end of summer strawberries might be hard to come by but salivating at the pictures is almost as good!

 "Ordinary Day" Vanessa Carlton

Ingredients:

• stawberries, sliced
• feta cheese, crumbled
• red onion, chopped
• walnuts, chopped
• spinach or lettuce
• balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Toss ingredients in balsamic vinegar.

Grilled Vegetable Sandwich

I've loved this song, "Us" by Regina Spektor, for a while. Its just so bouncy! I'd also recommend "Fidelity" by her, though that one is a little repetitive for me.

 (I had it stuck in my head all week).

 

"Us"

 

"Fidelity"

 

I don't like mushrooms or zucchini, but I did like this sandwich. These were not actually grilled. They were broiled. (Sorry, I don't grill when it's 30 degrees outside)

 

Inspired by California Grilled Vegetable Sandwich

Ingredients:

• 1/2 a zucchini
• 2 portabella mushrooms
• 1/4 medium red onion
• 1/4 cup of sliced cheddar cheese
• 2 lettuce leaves
• Italian salad dressing
• 2 slices of bread

Directions:

1. Soak chopped veggies in oil and set on aluminum foil under the broiler (or directly on the grill)
2. Spread Italian dressing on bread and layer lettuce on top.
3. Place cooked veggies on sandwich
4. Put cheese on top of that.

Tortilla Soup

I first heard this on a Pandora station for Regina Spektor.

New Soul by Yael Naim

 

This was so good. 

You know when a soups really thick?

Yeah. 

So warm. So good. So thick.

   

Inspired by Pioneer Woman's Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 8 oz. mixed beans (pinto, black, chili, kidney)
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• small onion
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 can (8 oz) diced tomatoes
• 3 cups canned tomato sauce
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Heat oil. Saute onion. Add two tablespoons of chili powder and 1 tsp. of garlic powder.
2. Add carrots and celery.
3. Once the veggies are cooked, add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, frozen corn and beans.
4. Simmer for 20 minutes
5. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and tortilla chips. 

 

Lettece Wrap Filling/ Stir Fry

Got peppers? 

Got carrots? 

Got broccoli?

Got mushrooms?

Get stirfrying!

It's been a rough two weeks, so I'm only now getting to posting this. I first heard of lettuce wraps in January. We buy those huge four heads of lettuce pack from Costco, so it seemed like an ideal way to get rid of the stuff. It's a bit like a taco- if you can imagine lettuce as the shell. It's a little strange, but really good. I've been meaning to try it with re-fried beans, olives and salsa, but for now it's stir fry.

 Alice's Restaurant by Arlo Guthrie

 

I was driving, and my dad was in charge of the radio. I'm not sure if this is truly a song, but it is hilarious. 

 

Chop carrots, peppers, celery, broccoli, and mushrooms. In a medium frying pan (or a wok),

 heat oil and soy sauce. Add chopped carrots, broccoli, and celery to pan. When broccoli florets are bright green, add mushrooms and peppers

 

Add chopped carrots, broccoli, and celery to pan. When broccoli florets are bright green, add mushrooms and peppers

 

When the veggies are done, you can take whole lettuce leaves with a little bit of rice in them and add the veggies. You eat it like a taco.

Ingredients:

• 4 portabella mushrooms
• 1 head of broccoli
• 1 whole carrot or 8-10 baby carrots
• 2 bell peppers
• 1 head of lettuce  

Directions:

1.  Chop carrots, peppers, celery, broccoli, and mushrooms.
2.  In a medium frying pan (or a wok), heat oil and soy sauce. 
3. Add chopped carrots, broccoli, and celery to pan. When broccoli florets are bright green, add mushrooms and peppers.
4. When the veggies are done, you can take whole lettuce leaves with a little bit of rice in them and add the veggies. You eat it like a taco.

Au Gratin Asparagus

I love asparagus. Love it. With butter. With cheese. All by itself. Warm. Cold. I love it.

So Au Gratin Asparagus seems like an unnecessary addition to perfection.

I had a little trouble cooking the aparagus through (I had to leave it in for nearly twenty more minutes)

                              "Twist and Shout" from the Beatles

 

 

In a saucepan over medium low heat, melt butter; stir in salt and flour.

 

Cook for about 4 minutes

 

Then add milk gradually, stirring. Add grated cheese and cook, stirring, until thickened. Remove from heat. Combine cracker crumbs with the walnuts. Reserve a few tablespoons for topping. 

 

In a buttered casserole, place a layer of asparagus, a layer of cracker mixture, then a layer of sauce. Repeat the layers, ending with the reserved crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until top is browned.

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup grated cheese
• 1 1/2 cups cracker crumbs
• 1 cup walnuts
• 2 cups asparagus

Preparation:

In a saucepan over medium low heat, melt butter; stir in salt and flour. Cook for about 4 minutes, then add milk gradually, stirring. Add grated cheese and cook, stirring, until thickened. Remove from heat. Combine cracker crumbs with the walnuts. Reserve a few tablespoons for topping. In a buttered casserole, place a layer of asparagus, a layer of cracker mixture, then a layer of sauce. Repeat the layers, ending with the reserved crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until top is browned.
Serves 4.