Week 42 - 10 Weeks to Go!

In my last "chili" recipe, it called for 2 cups of butternut squash. However, butternut squash at the average supermarket are HUGE so we had a lot of leftover squash that I didn't want to go to waste. I've of course roasted squash and baked it with cinnamon and brown sugar, but I was skeptical that it would really be tasty in this kind of dessert.

It ended up being great in this kind of dessert, however. It added some great texture and a nice change to a dish that could have been very forgettable.

BUTTERNUT APPLE CRISP

Source: allrecipes.com

3/4 C. packed brown sugar, divided - 1 tsp. ground cinnamon - 1/2 tsp. salt - 2 lbs. butternut squash, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced - 1 21-oz. can apple pie filling - 2 T. lemon juice - 1/2 C. all-purpose flour - 1/2 C. quick-cooking oats - 6 T. cold butter

1. In a bowl, combine 1/2 cup brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add squash, pie filling and lemon juice. Pour into a greased 9-in. square baking dish. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, oats and remaining brown sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over squash mixture. Bake 45-50 minutes longer or until topping is golden brown and squash is tender.

Week 41 - Not-So-Chili

This one sprang from a combination of 1) a desire to use the crockpot and 2) the realization at work on Friday that I needed to buy ingredients on my way home but didn't have any of my books with me. Thank you Internet.

I don't know what Jersey Bites is but I was pretty impressed with this recipe. By no stretch would I call it a "chili," but it was thick and hearty and perfect for the slow cooker. I used chicken sausage instead of turkey sausage (a budgetary decision) and I can't see that it would've made any difference. Brian would've preferred no sausage at all, but what does he know... :-)

BUTTERNUT SQUASH CROCKPOT CHILI

Source: jerseybites.com

1-2 T. olive oil - 5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs - 5 Italian turkey sausage links - 1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes - 1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained - 1 8-oz. can tomato sauce - 2 C. peeled, seeded and cubed butternut squash - 1 medium onion, chopped - 1 C. chicken broth - 2 T. chili powder - 1 T. ground cumin - 2 cloves garlic, minced - 1 head of Escarole, rinsed and chopped

Brown thighs and sausage in olive oil. Salt and pepper thighs before browning if you wish. Remove meat to plate and deglaze pan with 1/2 cup chicken broth. Pour liquid from deglazing into crockpot. Add second 1/2 cup chicken broth, tomatoes, sauce, chickpeas, onion, garlic, spices and stir. Add Butternut squash, meat and toss to coat. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Remove sausage and cut into bite-size pieces. Return to crockpot with chopped escarole. Stir in escarole and cook until wilted, approximately half hour. Ladle into soup bowls and serve with whole grain bread or over brown rice.

Week 40 - Not Really That Far Behind

The changing of the seasons up here this year has been incredible. The leaves changed fast, but were brilliant shades of fall and lasted longer than I thought they would. Even though I've thoroughly enjoyed the change, I haven't been quick to adjust to the cooler weather so soups have started sounding great.

This recipe seemed reasonably simple and I've really been wanting to learn more about using lentils since they're so inexpensive and chock full of protein. What I really learned from this recipe, though, is that RED lentils are very difficult to find but can be handily replaced with their cheaper brethren known as green lentils (they didn't take any longer and still tasted fine). I did find a bag of split red lentils at the grocery store, but it was a huge bag that cost about $14 so I took a big risk and thankfully it paid off.

This was a great little soup that was quick and flavorful. There was just enough lentils to make it feel fairly "hearty" and serving it with fresh-from-the-freezer naan was just the right tough. It's not spicy or too strong so it's great for people who prefer more mild flavors.

INDIAN-STYLE RED LENTIL SOUP WITH COCONUT

Source: The Best 30-Minute Recipe

4 C. low-sodium chicken broth - 2 C. water - 2 C. split red lentils - Salt and pepper - 1 T. vegetable oil - 1 onion, minced - 4 garlic cloves, minced - 1 T. grated fresh ginger - 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala - 1 (14-oz) can light coconut milk - 1/2 cup minced cilantro - 3 plum tomatoes, cored, seeded and chopped coarse

1. Bring broth, water, lentils and 1/2 teaspoon salt to boil, covered, in large saucepan. Reduce to simmer and continue to cook, covered, until needed in step 3.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until softened and lightly browned, 3-5 minutes.

3. Stir in garlic, ginger, and garam masala and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in broth mixture and coconut milk, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to a simmer and cook until lentils are tender and soup is thickened, about 15 minutes.

4. Off heat, stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle individual bowls of soup with chopped tomatoes before serving.

Week 39 - Meatloaf smeatloaf, double beatloaf

Sorry, I just can't think about meatloaf and not think about "A Christmas Story." This was one of the things I've been wanting to make all year and to find a recipe I had no choice but to go straight to the source of all things comfort food - Paula Deen.

I was very happy with that choice. For simple ingredients, this really had a good, classic meatloaf-y flavor with fun chunks of vegetables that kept it from being too dense. I even enjoyed the topping which surprised because I am pretty anti-mustard most of the time.

This made a ton so we ended up throwing a little away - there's only so many times you can eat this in one week, even if it is delicious - but it was economical and easy and I'm happy that I finally got around to making it.

OLD-FASHIONED MEATLOAF

Source: PaulaDeen.com

1 lb. ground beef - 1 1/4 tsp. salt - 1/4 tsp. black pepper - 1/2 C. chopped onion - 1/2 C. chopped bell pepper - 1 egg, lightly beaten - 8 oz. canned diced tomatoes (no juice) - 1/2 C. quick cooking oats

Topping: 1/3 C. ketchup - 2 T. brown sugar - 1 T. prepared mustard

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all meat loaf ingredients well and place in a baking dish. Shape into loaf.

Mix topping ingredients and spread on loaf. Bake 1 hour.

Week 38 - Break Out the Wooden Clogs

We're going Dutch, baby. I've only ever had a Dutch baby at the Pancake House and could not believe my eyes when I beheld this recipe and realized they are SO freaking easy to make. Minimal preparation, minimal dirty dishes, maximum deliciousness.

Brian requested this for breakfast again tomorrow but, tragically, we used all of our eggs on the first one and didn't pick up more. So it will have to wait. But this will definitely get busted out next time overnight guests are around probably fairly often from here on out when we feel like a big fatty breakfast.

DUTCH BABIES

Source: The Red Rock Ranch Collection

1/3 C. butter or margarine - 5 large eggs - 1 C. milk - 1 C. flour - powdered sugar - syrup - lemon wedges

Place butter in 9x13 baking dish and set in 425-degree oven to melt. Put eggs in blender and blend on high for 1 minute. Gradually add milk then flour and blend on low for 30 seconds. Pour batter into hot baking dish and return to oven, baking until brown and puffy, 20-25 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with syrup or fresh fruit.

Week 37 - I Wish I Had a Halibut Pond

I took this recipe from a library book early in the year and I had been dying to make it ever since. I kept putting it off because of the price of halibut but finally sucked it up this week since it could be the last expensive meal we eat for a very long time.

The name on this is a little misleading - I was picturing halibut cooked a la chicken parmesan but that is not the case. There's not enough parmesan to form nice, thick bubbly cheese layer on top (although I suppose one could add more if one so desired). Also, I spooned the sauce on pretty thick since that's what the recipe said and it was a little too much for Brian. The mayo really dominates so I would cut back on that and do a more minimal layer of sauce.

On the plus side, I LOVE halibut and wish that they could live in a pond in my backyard so I could eat them. I don't like very many fish and can't afford to buy this one too often so in that respect it was a real treat. We served it with baked potatoes and salad and overall it was a hearty, satisfying meal.

BAKED HALIBUT PARMESAN

Source: Not Your Mother's Weeknight Cooking

4 halibut steaks (about 2 lbs.) - 1/2 C. sour cream - 1/3 C. grated parmesan - Pinch of dried dillweed - Paprika for sprinkling - Salt and pepper - 1/4 C. mayonnaise - 1 T. dry white wine - 2 T. unsalted butter, melted - 1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with parchment paper and spray it with nonstick spray. Place steaks in a single layer and season with salt and pepper.

Whisk to combine sour cream, mayo, Parmesan, wine, dillweed and butter. Cover the fish evenly with a thick coating of the sauce and sprinkle with dusting of paprika. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until fish loses its translucency and flakes with a fork. Serve with the lemon wedges.

Week 36 - Hooray for Gardens

I got back from the cruise to discover that the green bean plants I thought would be ready dead and ready to be pulled had actually produced a huge new harvest of fresh green beans. Since this is our only vegetable that really took off this year, I wanted to make the most of it by finding a new recipe for them since we've just been eating them as delicious raw snacks or with salads.

Having said that, we destroyed a bit of the "healthy, fresh" specialness of them by putting them in fritters. But they sounded good at the time and we had all the ingredients which was a big bonus.

I had never really had fritters but Brian said these were pretty good (as compared to the corn ones he's had in the past). They were not complex to make and extremely quick to fry but they were noticeably bland. I think that's probably how fritters are, but if I were to do them again as an appetizer or something I might try to add something to make them a bit more memorable. Maybe some kind of herb or something...

GREEN BEAN FRITTERS

Source: About.com

2 C. fresh green beans, cut in 1/4-inch pieces and cooked until crisp-tender - 1 1/2 C. all-purpose flour - 1 T. baking powder - 3/4 tsp. salt - 1 egg, beaten - 1 C. milk - Oil for deep frying

Heat oil in deep fryer to 370 degrees. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk egg with milk; stir in beans. Add bean mixture to dry ingredients, mixing until just moistened. Drop batter by tablespoonfuls into hot oil. Deep-fry in batches until golden brown, or for about 3-4 minutes. Remove to paper towels to drain. Makes about 18-24 fritters.