Butternut Squash Lasagna

Dig in to this delicious Butternut Squash Lasagna

I love cooking with the seasons. And fall is all about comfort food for me. I love the colors, taste and feel of the root vegetables that are so prevalent. We received a butternut squash from our CSA last week and I was determined to do something fun with it. 

I have had lasagna noodles in my pantry for ages that I hadn't used, so I decided to do a butternut squash lasagna. I looked up a few different recipes, but none of them seemed just right to me. Also, I had no ricotta in the house and I didn't want to go to the store. So, I chose 3 of my favorite recipes and combined them, and played with them, and voila, created a new favorite Butternut Squash Lasagna recipe. It was a huge hit! 

Side note, as my husband was eating leftovers of the lasagna for lunch, he said to me, "I could eat this everyday. Forever." Pretty high praise!

• 1 Butternut Squash
• 1 Box lasagna noodles
• 1 cup marinara sauce (homemade or jarred)
• 1/4 c. roasted red pepper, pureed (homemade or jarred)
• 1 handful of basil leaves, chopped
• 6 sausage links
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 6 Tbsp Butter
• 1/4 c Flour
• 6 cups milk
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

 

Step 1: Make Butternut Squash Puree

Cut Butternut Squash in half.

Brush with olive oil.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake face down at 400 degrees for 1 hour. 

When done, let cool enough to be able to handle.

Scoop insides out, place in bowl and mash.

Set aside.

Step 2: Cook Lasagna Noodles

Boil one box of lasagna noodles according to directions.

I really find spreading out the cooked noodles on a baking sheet or parchment paper drizzled with olive oil makes a huge difference in the finished product.

Step 3: Make Roasted Red Pepper Marinara Sauce

Blend marinara sauce with roasted red peppers.

Mix in chopped basil.

Set aside.

Step 4: Make Filling

In a hot pan over medium-high heat, sautee garlic and onion in olive oil. 

Remove sausage from casings and add to pan. 

Once cooked, remove to a bowl and mix with butternut squash. 

Set aside.

Step 5: Make Bechamel Sauce

Melt flour in a sauce pan over medium heat. 

Whisk flour into melted butter. Continue cooking over low heat, while whisking. You do not want to let the flour brown.

Slowly whisk in milk, raise heat to medium. 

Continue to cook over medium heat, whisking continuously until thickened (about 10 minutes). Add salt and pepper to taste, reduce heat to low and continue cooking another 5-10 minutes. When complete, set aside.

Ready to Assemble (from left): Butternut Squash Sausage filling, cheeses, red sauce, bechamel, lasagna noodles.

Step 6: Put the Lasagna Together

In a 9x13 dish, place a thin layer of Bechamel Sauce.

Add about 5 lasagna noodles on top of sauce, slightly overlapping.

Top with 1/2 of the Butternut Squash Sausage filling.

Top with 1/4 c each cheese

Top with a thin layer of Bechamel Sauce

Add another layer of noodles, Butternut Squash Sausage filling, cheese, Bechamel Sauce.

Top with an additional layer of noodles, Bechamel Sauce, Roasted Red Pepper Marinara Sauce and remaining cheese. 

In the midst of layering: Bechamel, noodles, Butternut Squash Sausage filling

Bake

Cover with foil. Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes. Uncover for the last 5-10 minutes. Let sit for about 10 minutes before cutting. Serve hot.

It was a multi-stop process, as lasagna tends to be, but so worth it! You can easily prep this in stages and can make up to a day ahead to have it ready to pop in the oven for when you need a delicious, hearty meal. You can also bake it ahead and store in smaller serving containers to be available for dinners on the go. 

Fall Dinners from the Slow Cooker

Every fall with back to school and the return of fall sports schedules I struggle with dinners. I do love to use my crockpot, both for the sake of convenience, and for the comfort food meals that we all love as the weather begins to change. 

I just saw this post for 15 Fall Dinners from the Slow Cooker from theKitchn.com and thought I'd share. 

It looked like some new ideas, as well as some new twists on old favorites. 

The recipes included in the post are:

1. Curried Vegetable and Chickpea Stew

2. Slow-Cooker Vegan Pumpkin Curry

3. Slow-Cookier Chicken Burrito Bowls

4. Slow-Cooked Bolognese Sauce

5. Slow-Cooked Brisket & Onions

6. Slow-Cooker White Chicken Chili

7. Slow-Cooker Sausage & Spinach Lasagna

*the only time I tried lasagna in the slow cooker, I did not love it. Not sure I'll try it again.

8. Slow-Cooker Chicken in Milk

*Hmmm.... We'll have to look at this one a bit. Sounds a little bizarre to me.

9. Slow-Cooker Black Bean Enchiladas

10. Slow-Cooker Korean Short Ribs

11. Slow-Cooker Tuna Noodle Casserole

*I enjoy a tuna sandwich, but have never made a tuna casserole. Not sure I'm up for this one either. Plus, the picture has peas. (YUCK!) I'll probably pass on this one.

12. Slow-Cooker Pork Carnitas

*This picture looks so good to me! And I love, love, love pork carnitas!

13. Slow-Cooker Celery Soup with Bacon

14. Slow-Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

15. Slow-Cooker Coconut & Green Curry Pork

I'll be sure to let you know what I try and what we think. Please do the same if you try any!

September Meals

As always, when September rolls around, we suddenly find ourselves busy, like many of you, juggling school schedules, sports, activities, and more. Then throw in a few back-to-school-nights, and the question becomes not only, "what am I going to feed them?" but "WHEN am I going to feed them?" We really enjoy sitting down to a family meal, but it is just not always possible. So I try to look at about 2 weeks worth of our schedule and plan for meals when we can sit and eat together, and plans for eating in shifts. I also plan for days when I'll be able to do some work on the meal before I put it on the table, and for days when I need it to be good to go whenever we walk in the door. So for the first few weeks of school, here are some of the meals we have gone with - it is a mix of some old favorites and some new ones that I pulled from websites and/or magazines. Overall, I'd have to say my family has been pleased.

Old favorites:

Baked Stuffed Potatoes - This is always a favorite in my house and the best part is that it can be easily tailored to individual tastes (and what I happen to have on hand). I bake my potatoes, then slice them in half and scoop out the insides. I mix this with a little butter, milk and salt... AND some steamed, chopped broccoli and cauliflower. It ups the veggie factor of the meal, plus I get to mound the inside on the potato when I refill which just makes it looks so pretty (see photo). Also, if I offer the veggies as a topping, the kids have the option of NOT putting it on, but when it is already inside it, it is a done deal. I usually also add in some shredded cheddar cheese because when I pop it back in the oven, it gets nice and melty. YUM. Then I serve with toppings. Some great ideas: bacon, sour cream, chives, chili, more veggies, more cheese, salsa, and anything else you can think of that your family might enjoy. Serve with a salad and we are good to go!

Chicken Divan - I know we have the recipe on here somewhere. An old family favorite. I have switched from using cream of chicken soup in the sauce to using cream of broccoli soup. AND I always double this - one recipe for dinner, one for the freezer.

Black Bean Soup - This could not be easier and is another recipe that changes based on mood and/or what I have in, but is always a hit at my house. I usually drain and rinse about 3 cans of black beans, add in salsa or diced veggies and a can or two of diced tomatoes, some seasonings, some broth. I like it a little chunky, I usually use my immersion blender to make it soup-like, but still leave some chunks and add cilantro in at the end. I usually serve this with quesadillas and toppings for the quesadillas or soup, such as corn, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, diced onion, salsa, sour cream. 

Tomato Soup & Cheesy Breadsticks - Much like the black bean soup, I throw in a mix of canned tomatoes, broth and veggies and blend. Then I wrap 1/2 mozzarella cheese stick in a crescent roll and bake for time on can. So easy, so yummy. Family favorite! (One of the new recipes I came across adds bacon and white beans to a tomato soup. May have to try this)

Korean BBQ Flank Steak - This recipe is also on the site. It is from Aunt Sarah on a visit a few years ago and has been a go-to grilled steak recipe here since. We love this one and the leftovers are great for a steak salad the next day for lunch.

Fajitas/Tacos/Burritos - Some version of wrapped Mexican-style food, choose meat, fish, bean or veggie and put it together as you wish. Easy to please everyone.

Some New Quick & Easy Favorites:

Thai Pork Wraps - I posted about this recipe that we found in the September issue of Rachael Ray's magazine and it is now a must-have in the rotation. I made our second batch last week and froze in single-size servings to be pulled out when needed before or after practices, etc. to accommodate different schedules. As I was packaging it, Holland came in and asked if she could have a bowl before soccer practice that day. 

Pan-fried Chicken - Marinade: 3 TBSP canola mayo, 2 TBSP low-sodium soy sauce, 2 TBSP fresh lemon juice, 1 TBSP chile pase. Marinate chicken breast in this for at least 15 minutes. Then dredge in 1 1/2 c panko bread crumbs. Heat large nonstick skillet over med high and cook chicken in two batches, 4 minutes each side. The flavor was great. Next time I'll try baking, though. 

Skinny Scampi - Spaghetti squash, cut in half, cut side down in large microwavable dish, add 1/3 c water and microwave on high until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove seeds. Meanwhile, heat 1 TBSP olive oil over med heat, add 1 chopped red bell pepper and 1 chopped clove of garlic and cook about 3 minutes. Add 1 1/2 lbs. large shrimp, peeled and deveined; 1/4 c vegetable broth and 1 TBSP fresh lemon juice and cook, tossing occasionally, until the shrimp are firm and pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1/4 tsp. lemon zest and 2 tsp. chopped flat leaf parsley and remove from heat. Using a fork, rake the spaghetti squash lengthwise to remove the flesh. Toss the squash with 2 tsp olive oil, season with salt & pepper. Serve shrimp on top of squash (serves 4).

Lamb & Turkey Burger - From Cooking LIght, this recipe had mixed reviews, but some are never going to like lamb, and some are never going to like burgers. Those of us that enjoyed it, really enjoyed it. I did not use the sauce with the recipe and instead did a chop of cilantro, mint & parsley, mixed with a little lemon juice and mayonnaise. We served it with a tomato-cucumber salad - thinly sliced cucs and tomatoes, tossed with chopped parsley, olives, lemon juice and olive oil. A bigger hit than the burgers with some!

Hope this gives you some ideas of new recipes to try. Would love to hear some of your favorites.

Fall is here, and it is, perhaps the most beautiful Fall I’ve seen. It has been sunny and warm with soft winds. Really perfect.

To celebrate such perfection I prepared Sautéed chicken with apples and cranberries, healthy, yummy, quick, and very, very Fall-like. Enjoy!

Sautéed chicken with apples and cranberries

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
flour
salt
pepper
butter
¼ c apple jack or brandy
¼ c apple cider, or apple juice
¼ c cranberry juice
¼ c chicken stock
½ c fresh cranberries, or dried if fresh are not available, more if you like
2 apples, preferably tart, Granny Smith
juice of 1 lemon

Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Pound chicken breasts to about ¼" thick cutlets. Dredge cutlets in salt-and-pepper-seasoned flour. Melt butter in hot skillet. Sauté in skillet about 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown, but not completely cooked through. Remove cutlets to plate, cover loosely with foil, and set aside.

Deglaze skillet with apple jack. Add cider, cranberry juice, chicken stock, and cranberries. Return cutlets to skillet. Simmer about 10 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and sauce reduces slightly. Remove cutlets, sauce, and cranberries to serving platter.

Dice apples and toss in lemon juice. Sauté in skillet until slightly golden, but not too soft. Spoon over top of cutlets and serve.

If you prepare this ahead and want to freeze or refrigerate it to serve later, let cool before packaging in airtight container in refrigerator or freezer.
To prepare and serve: If frozen, defrost in refrigerator the day before you plan to serve.
To heat in microwave: Heat at 70% power for about 3 minutes, until heated throughout. Do not over-microwave or chicken will become tough.
To heat on stovetop: Place in skillet over medium-high heat until chicken is heated through, about 7-10 minutes.

Crockpot/Slow Cooker Healthy Meals for the Fall

It is that time of year, again. Back to School (and Back to School Nights) and in my house, it is back to soccer and swimming, religion, and now scouts... There are very few nights in the fall that we will all be home at the same time to sit down and have dinner together. Add to that the cooler weather coming in & for me that means -- Crock Pot Meals. They stay warm and are easy to have ready and serve up when needed.

Here are a few crock pot links with some healthy and delicious looking recipes I am looking forward to trying this fall:

http://www.cookinglight.com/cooking-101/techniques/slow-cooker-classics-00400000001101/

http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-recipes/slow-cooker-recipes.php

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/recipe-collections-favorites/8-slow-cooker-recipes-00000000008818/index.html

http://www.bhg.com/recipes/vegetarian/ideas/10-slow-cooker-vegetarian-favorites/

In particular, I am looking forward to trying these 2 this week:

Pesto Lasagna with Spinach & Mushrooms (I have never done lasagna in the crockpot, looking forward to this experiment)

• 4 cups torn spinach
  2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
  1/2 cup commercial pesto
  3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
  3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded provolone cheese
  1 (15-ounce) carton fat-free ricotta cheese
  1 large egg, lightly beaten
  3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
  1 (25.5-ounce) bottle fat-free tomato-basil pasta sauce
  1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
  Cooking spray
  1 (8-ounce) package precooked lasagna noodles (12 noodles)

Arrange the spinach in a vegetable steamer; steam, covered, 3 minutes or until spinach wilts. Drain, squeeze dry, and coarsely chop. Combine spinach, mushrooms, and pesto in a medium bowl, stirring to combine; set aside.

Combine mozzarella, provolone, ricotta, and beaten egg in a medium bowl, stirring well to combine. Stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan, and set aside. Combine the pasta sauce and the tomato sauce in a medium bowl.

Spread 1 cup pasta sauce mixture in the bottom of a 6-quart oval electric slow cooker coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 noodles over pasta sauce mixture; top with 1 cup cheese mixture and 1 cup spinach mixture. Repeat the layers, ending with spinach mixture. Arrange 3 noodles over spinach mixture; top with remaining 1 cup cheese mixture and 1 cup pasta sauce mixture. Place remaining 3 noodles over sauce mixture; spread remaining sauce mixture over noodles. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan. Cover with lid; cook on LOW 5 hours or until done.

Slow Cooker Ratatouille

• 1-1/2 cups cubed, peeled (if desired) eggplant
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped yellow summer squash or zucchini
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped tomato
• 1/2 of an 8-ounce can no-salt-added tomato sauce
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped red or green sweet pepper
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 4 1/2-inch-thick slices baguette-style French bread
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons finely shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon snipped fresh basil

In a 1-1/2-quart slow cooker, combine eggplant, squash, chopped tomato, tomato sauce, sweet pepper, onion, salt, black pepper, and garlic.
 

Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 4-1/2 to 5 hours or on high-heat setting for 2 to 2-1/2 hours. If no heat setting is available, cook for 4 to 4-1/2 hours.
 

For Parmesan toast: Preheat broiler. Brush one side of each bread slice with olive oil. Place bread slices, oiled sides up, on a baking sheet. Broil 3 to 4 inches from heat about 15 seconds or until toasted (watch carefully to avoid burning). Sprinkle bread slices with 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan cheese. Broil about 15 seconds more or until cheese is melted.
 

Stir basil into mixture in cooker. Serve in shallow bowls with Parmesan toast. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Makes 2 servings.

 

Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes!

I really want to try these soon:) http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipes/sweet-spot-dessert-recipes/Cheesecake-Filled-Pumpkin-Cupcakes
I may have to wait until after the holiday baking is done. We'll see!

Friday night cocktails and appetizers

Part deux. I have some homemade amaretto on the hutch staring me down. My friend Tammy has seasonal cocktails, and my husband usually loves them. I can’t remember what her summer cocktail is right now, but her winter cocktail is amaretto and ginger, and Fred loves it. I’m not a ginger ale person, but you can only drink so many amaretto on the rocks before you’re lying flat on your back, so I came up with amaretto and orange juice. Whether you prefer ginger ale or OJ, serve it in a highball glass, on the rocks.

This evening, we’ll be having our amaretto cocktails with black bean “hummus”. This is a recipe that originally came from my friend Eileen. It isn’t a Mediterranean inspired hummus, it’s more of a Mexican black bean dip, but because of it’s consistency and color, we had trouble coming up with a name for it [that didn’t sound like the punchline of a 5th grader’s off-color joke]. Thus, I’ve taken to calling it “hummus”. Again, one of my favorite things about it is that I usually have all the ingredients on hand, and if I don’t, they’re simple enough that I can remember what they are without writing them down.

Black bean hummus

1 can black beans, drain and reserve liquid
½ jar Mrs. Renfro’s Roasted Garlic Salsa, more if you like
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lemon
½ bunch cilantro, more if you like

Put garlic in a blender and blend until garlic is chopped fine. Add beans, salsa, lemon, and cilantro to blender. Blend until smooth (a hummus-like consistency). Add as much reserved liquid as you like to reach your desired consistency.

Sunday is Football Day in our house this Fall. Youth football games at one o’clock, and the Patriots after that (so far it’s been on tape delay because the games have all conflicted with the 1 o’clock youth games). It has worked for us, though, because I have been able to throw a meal in the crockpot and have dinner waiting when we come in to sit down in front of the game. Last Sunday I tried a new recipe, and (as usual) I didn’t have all the ingredients handy, so I improvised. It made so much that we had some other folks from my son’s team come back and join us, and it was such a hit that my sons asked for it again for dinner on Monday night — and there was enough that they could.

Crockpot pork carnitas (Based on Slow Braised Carnitas from foodtv.com)

3 lbs lean boneless pork loin, roughly chopped
15 ozs red enchilada sauce
15 ozs beef broth
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 chipotle pepper, roughly chopped
4 green bell peppers, roughly chopped
4 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
3 T vinegar
½ bunch fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped (even better if you have a friend to do this for you like I did)
hard and soft taco shells, salsa, guacamole, cheddar cheese, sour cream

Season pork with salt and pepper and sear in skillet until it has a nice golden crust. Place pork in crockpot with enchilada sauce, beef broth, onion, peppers, and tomatoes. Cover, and simmer on low for 6 hours or until pork is tender.

Stir in cilantro and serve with taco fixings.

I served a quick black beans and rice side dish with this. Nothing beats a quick side dish, and I like this one because of the easy proportions, so put this in your mental file (and the ingredients in your pantry) for a rushed night. It would work equally well as a main dish if you add in a sausage like kielbasa or chorizo.

Quick black beans and rice

1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chile peppers
1 can water
1 can rice
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
¼ c cilantro, roughly chopped

Add tomatoes, water, and rice in saucepan, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. At the end of 20 minutes, remove from heat, stir in black beans , and let sit covered for 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro and serve.

Can also be served as a cold rice salad.

P.S. The Patriots won!

Friday night cocktails and appetizers

Most Friday nights you can find some neighbors in my kitchen (and some neighborhood kids of all ages in various rooms in the house), kids generally feast on chips and salsa and pizza, but whomever is in the kitchen is looking for a signature cocktail and a tasty app.

Today felt like Fall. Today’s signature cocktail was apple cider with some dark Puerto Rican rum. Yum. Today’s signature app was red bean dip. For those of you who don’t live in New England, red bean dip is often served at Really New England restaurants (those with lobster specials, early bird specials, and lots of blue hairs). The red bean dip is great with Wheat Thins^® — and all those red beans pack quite the protein punch!

Red bean dip
1 can red kidney beans, drained, rinsed
¼ c ketchup
¼ c relish, drained, squeezed dry
½ t dry mustard
2 T horseradish
2 t worcestershire sauce

Mix all ingredients together. Refrigerate at least 3o minutes. Serve with Wheat Thins^®. Even better the next day.

I just found this link on 30 Fall menus on myrecipes.com today. It’s really a recipe a day for the month of September, but since September hasn’t really felt much like Fall anyway here in Newburyport (I love Indian Summer!), maybe you can use these ideas to get you through the month of October.

Risotto -- Traditional Method

A couple of people have commented that they’d love to try the Butternut Squash Risotto, but they don’t have a pressure cooker. It can still be done.

The traditional method for making risotto is to:

1. Bring broth to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and maintain at a simmer.
2. In a large heavy skillet, cook onion in oil over medium heat until tender (for the butternut squash recipe, you'd want to add the pancetta here too). Add rice and stir to coat well; cook 3 minutes longer. Add wine and stir until absorbed.
3. Stir in 1 cup simmering broth and butternut squash. Cook until broth is almost completely absorbed, stirring frequently, then add another cup of simmering broth. Repeat until only about ¼ cup of broth remains; the process should take about 45 minutes and you'll have a sore arm (and if it’s a day like the first time I made it this way, hot!, you’ll be sweltering). Rice should be slightly firm in center and look creamy.
4. Remove from the heat; add the butter, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper (for butternut squash recipe: add sage). Serve immediately.

A quick search on allrecipes.com turned up a recipe for microwave risotto that boasts minimal stirring. I can’t vouch for it, but if it works, it would save you a lot time and effort:

1. Combine the chicken broth, salt, and pepper in a saucepan, and bring to a simmer. Keep warm over low heat.
2. In a square baking dish, or glass pie plate, heat the butter and olive oil (and pancetta) in the microwave for 2 minutes. Add the onion to the dish, and stir to coat. Cook in the microwave for 4 more minutes. Add the uncooked rice, and stir to coat with oil. Cook for another 4 minutes.
3. Pour the simmering chicken broth and wine (and butternut squash) into the rice, and stir. Cook in the microwave for 9 minutes. Stir, then microwave for another 9 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, butter, salt, and pepper (and sage) as soon as it comes out of the microwave. Serve immediately.

All Things Pumpkin

So, I admit it, I’m in Fall Mode. I am going to start wearing sweaters and browns and oranges and pick apples and pumpkins and make crisps and pies and pumpkin scones. You may have made one variation of my cousin Mary Fran’s scone recipe: traditional, cinnamon, cranberry-orange, blueberry, double chocolate, but now I want to make pumpkin scones from that standard recipe. (You may know I love a standard recipe that is versatile enough to become several different recipes. Fewer things to remember, but you still get to experience variety.)


Pumpkin scones
makes 12 large or 18 medium scones

2 sticks butter
1 t salt
4 t baking powder
4 c flour
1 c brown sugar
1 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground nutmeg
1 t ground cloves
1 t ground ginger
1 c canned pumpkin
2 eggs
1 c milk (I prefer buttermilk)

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine dry ingredients with butter into a coarse mixture. In a separate bowl, combine pumpkin, eggs, and milk. Make an indentation in the dry ingredients and add wet ingredients. Stir together with a fork to moisten. The less stirring the better, stirring makes for tougher scones. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Fall flavors

In my last post, I extolled the benefits of the pressure cooker. Today it’s the crockpot. I’m reinventing the leftovers from last night’s intimate dinner party (roasted pork tenderloin with tomato-pear chutney and sweet and sour butternut squash) to be today’s game day repast for the boys (pulled pork). Nothing says “Fall” like pulled pork, yum. I just pulled out the crockpot out of the cabinet, threw in the little bit of leftover pork tenderloin (which I had roasted only with lemon pepper and garlic last night) and another pork tenderloin, because I’d bought the value pack of tenderloins on sale, along with the leftover chutney (about 2 cups), the leftover squash (about 1 cup), and a cup of my homemade BBQ sauce, put it on low and let it go. When the boys sit down to watch the UMass football game at 3:30, it’ll be falling apart and ready for some crusty bulkie rolls and pineapple-cole slaw. Bear in mind, that you don’t have to have the same leftovers to do what I have done. Whatever flavors you had together as your first meal will meld wonderfully into your new meal. Usually the key to pulled pork is some sweet (fruit or molasses or sugar) and some acid (vinegar), it’s also a good idea to add something spicy (jalapeños). In this case, the fruit from the chutney and the squash will just melt into nothing but flavor when the pork falls apart. You can also use a cheaper cut of pork, but I used what I had on hand because I had bought the value pack. Slow cooking is a great method for tenderizing less expensive cuts of meat, and the crockpot is the best for slow cooking on a day when you have a lot of things going on. As a final note, many of the meals you can cook and leave in the crockpot, you could also cook quickly, at the last minute, in the pressure cooker. Test out your favorites in various methods, or click on these links to try some of mine.

Tomato-Pear Chutney
The first time I made chutney of any kind it was tomato-pear chutney, from the pears from the tree in my yard about 10 years ago. The trees have since stopped producing usable fruit, but I was feeling nostalgic for the chutney.

2 ½ c plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 ½ c pears, peeled and coarsely chopped
½ c raisins
½ c green pepper, diced
½ c onion, diced
1 c brown sugar
½ c white vinegar
1 t salt
1-inch piece fresh ginger
½ t dry mustard
⅛ t cayenne pepper
1 jalapeño, minced

Combine all ingredients in saucepan or crockpot. In saucepan, bring to a boil; boil gently, stirring frequently, until mixture is thickened and reduced about one-half in volume (about 45 minutes), stirring occasionally. In crockpot, simmer on low for 4 hours. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Can be packed in clean, hot jars, and sealed using the pressure cooker, or can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 weeks or in the freezer for 6 months.

Sweet and Sour Squash

3 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium butternut squash (about 2½ lbs), peeled, seeds removed, and cut into 1-inch cubes
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
1/3 c balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 350°. Toss squash with garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper, and place in a single layer in a casserole dish. Bake for about 2o minutes, until squash is golden. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature. Experiment with this dish with your other favorite vegetables. I’ve also done this on the stovetop, and with green beans and shallots or broccoli and golden raisins.

I made the most unbelievably easy comfort food for dinner tonight. It was another one of those crazy, busy days when it was unlikely that we’d sit down for a family dinner, so I pulled out the pressure cooker. What a savior for a busy family! With the crisp, Fall weather, butternut squash was a natural, and nothing is more “comfort” than creamy, cheesy risotto.


The trouble with most 30-minute-or-less recipes, and what most people don’t know, is the ingredient lists. If the recipe says that it takes 30 minutes to complete it, but lists 2 lbs butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed, that means that the squash has to be prepped before you begin the work, the peeling, seeding, and cubing time is not included in the time estimate. So, at 3:08 pm I pulled out the pressure cooker and the ingredients and got started. (I’m a big fan of the chop-and-throw method, that way you don’t have to worry about pre-prepped ingredients, you just chop (or dice or cube) and throw them in the pot as you go.) I poured the olive oil in the pressure cooker, diced and added the pancetta, onion, rice, butternut squash, chicken stock, and white wine (thank God for my neighbor, Ellen basically sharing her pantry with me; I was out of white wine; the payoff is that I sent her some risotto when my son went to babysit for her son), placed the cover on the pressure cooker and brought it to full pressure. I cooked it for 20 minutes, turned it off, and was in the car on my way to my son’s football game by 3:38. Thirty minutes exactly.

Now, the pot just needed to let the pressure come down while I was gone. When I returned from the game I mixed in the butter, parmiggiano-reggiano, and sage (from Ellen’s beautiful pot of herbs), and dinner was ready. If I had been really prepared, I would have had my other son make a salad while I was at the football game, then I wouldn’t have even had to do that before I sat down to eat.

But wait, there’s more, this can be one of those everready go-to recipes for you too. When I buy pancetta, I only need ¼ of the piece, so I cut the rest into individual pieces and store it in the freezer for future batches. I also keep frozen butternut squash on hand so I’m always ready.

And, even my anti-vegetable son had seconds ... it’s amazing how a little cheese and rice can change the character of a vegetable.

Butternut squash risotto with pancetta and sage

2 T olive oil
4 ozs pancetta
1 medium onion
2 c arborio rice
1 small butternut squash
6 c canned low-salt chicken broth
1 c dry white wine
2 T butter
½ c parmiggiano-reggiano cheese
6 fresh sage leaves

Place the pressure cooker on the stove over medium heat. Add olive oil. Coarsely chop and add pancetta, sauté until it’s a little crispy. Finely dice and add the onion until it’s a little soft. Add the rice and stir to coat. Chop the butternut squash into large pieces and add them (when the risotto is done, you will have some larger pieces of squash in there, if you like a smoother risotto, cut your squash into smaller pieces).

Add chicken stock and white wine, place the cover on the pressure cooker, and bring it to full pressure. Cook for 20 minutes, turn it off, and let the pressure come down. (If you’re in a hurry, you can run it under cool water to bring down the pressure more quickly.)

While the pressure comes down, grate your parmiggiano-reggiano and chop your sage leaves finely. Once pressure is down, mix in the butter, parmiggiano-reggiano, and sage. Serve immediately, with freshly ground pepper and more parmiggiano-reggiano for the top.

Back to School...

and back to after-school activities. What is everybody making to get through busy nights?

So, I bought my first Princess Lunchbox last week. (Well, not mine, but my daughter’s off to preschool, she needs lunch and snack, so a Princess Lunchbox it is.) The very next day, she was so excited to use the lunchbox that we packed her lunch along with her brothers’ and took it with us on our day of errands and such. She proceeded to eat the cheese stick, the Oreos, the juice box, and the grapes. The sandwich (which she had selected) was still sitting pretty with Cinderella, Snow White, and Belle when we returned home.

So, how can you be sure your kids aren’t throwing their lunches in the trash? You can’t go sit with them and make sure they eat. You can’t be a fly on the wall, though we all wish we could!

So, what’s the next best alternative? Give them they like! Make it fun! Sounds logical, right? But it may be easier said than done without sending Lunchables everyday.

First, let’s hope we’ve helped them develop some reasonable healthy eating habits. Of course, they won’t eat every healthy thing you ask of them, but maybe the kid who turns his nose up at a traditional sandwich will embrace a sandwich deconstructed (some cheese, a slice of turkey or two rolled up (maybe around a pickle), and some crackers or cocktail bread), or some mixed nuts and yogurt or cheese sticks and cut-up veggies (check out the produce section for baby carrots and dip individually packaged for convenience). Now my daughter’s in a nut-free school, and alot of schools have gone that route, so that’ll be my last mention of nuts or peanut butter in a lunchbox. But if it's OK at your school and PB is your child’s first love, substitute peanut butter where I suggest cream cheese or other cheese spreads.

For snacks, I love a couple of real retro ideas from my own school days, for example, Ants on a Log — celery with cream cheese or Wispride, also topped with raisins or granola.

Remember to think outside the box — or the bread — when it comes to offering your kids lunches they will love. That can mean replacing sliced bread with pita, wraps or bagels, or even adding crackers or pita chips or tortilla chips into your childs’ lunchbox. You can also skip the sandwiches all together by sending in leftovers: a few chicken nuggets or some sliced grilled chicken breast with a little yogurt or ranch dressing as a dip, perhaps. Two of my favorite finds this Fall have been Chicken Summer Rolls and Cheddar-Carrot Spread (not that I'll be sending Chicken Summer Rolls to school with my kids (note that they have peanut butter) — I’ll reserve them for my husband and myself.

Chicken Summer Rolls
These crunchy Vietnamese-style rolls are healthy and light, and the addition of rice makes them filling. They're gluten-free, but anyone — even adults — will love them.

1/4 c rice vinegar, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons
1 T sugar, divided
2 c shredded, cooked chicken (from a rotisserie or other leftover chicken)
1 medium-large carrot, shredded (about 1 cup)
12 (8 1/2-inch) rice paper wrappers (sold in Asian food aisle in supermarkets or Asian markets)
1/3 English cucumber or 1 kirby cucumber, peeled, julienned, about 1 cup
4 scallions (white and green parts) finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 c fresh mint leaves, basil or cilantro
About 12 Boston lettuce leaves
1/2 c cooked brown or white rice
1/2 c chunky peanut butter
2 T soy sauce
3 T water

Whisk 1/4 cup rice vinegar with 2 teaspoons sugar in a medium bowl until sugar dissolves. Add chicken and carrot, season with salt to taste, set aside.

Fill a large bowl with warm water. Working with 2 sheets of rice paper at a time (keep others covered with a barely damp cloth to prevent curling), immerse papers in the warm water until slightly softened (about 15 seconds). Remove and spread out on a clean surface or cutting board. Pat dry with a towel to remove excess water. Lay 2 pieces of lettuce over the bottom third of the rice paper, leaving about 1/2-inch clear on edges. Place about 1/3 cup chicken and carrot mixture on the lettuce, top with 4 to 5 pieces cucumber, scallion, several mint leaves and about 1 heaping tablespoon of rice. Roll up the paper halfway into a cylinder. Fold both edges in to tuck while continuing to roll the paper to seal. Place the rolls on a plate covered with a damp towel so they stay moist as you prepare the remaining rolls. Cut rolls in half and wrap in plastic wrap or place in an air-tight container.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the peanut butter with the remaining 1 to 2 tablespoon rice vinegar, 2 teaspoons sugar, 2 tablespoons soy sauce and water until smooth. Put sauce in sealed containers.

Tuck rolls and sauce into a lunch sack with a cold pack and send off to school.

Time Saving Tip: Use leftover rice to make these quicker. Make them the night before or prep all ingredients including chicken and carrot mixture so in the morning you just need to roll.

Copyright (c) 2008 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved

Cheddar-Carrot Butterfly Sandwiches

4 ozs cold cream cheese
2 ozs yellow cheddar cheese, finely grated (about 1 cup loosely packed)
1 carrot, finely grated (about 1/2 cup)
Pepperidge Farm butterfly crackers

In a medium bowl, with a wooden spoon, combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and carrot. With moistened hands, gently form 12 balls, each equal to 1 level tablespoon of mixture. Serve or refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap, up to 2 days.

Spread cheddar-carrot mixture on butterfly crackers and top to create sandwiches.

Based on a recipe from Everyday Food

Cool-weather Soups

I always love to have soups during this time of year. It makes me feel warm and toasty, add salad and a bread, and I am in heaven!

Last night, I made a butternut squash soup. I roasted the squash with a little olive oil, s&p at 400 for about 45 minutes, until it was tender. Then, sauteed a little onion and garlic, added the squash pulp and some chicken stock, nutmeg and sage. Brought the soup to a boil and let it simmer. Then, pureed in the blender until smooth. Drizzled a little molasses on top before serving. It is good, but I would be more than welcome to trying other butternut squash soup recipes, as well as other soup recipes in general. 

I will come back shortly and post a few of our favorites.

Necessity is the mother of invention,
or discovery. My kids were clamoring for some cocoa, but we were out. It hadn’t really been cold enough, but today has become rainy and raw. So, I found this lovely alternative on the Family Fun web site. It’s easy, easy, easy, and my husband, who doesn’t love chocolate, really liked it.

Hot vanilla

1 cup of milk
2 teaspoons of sugar
½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
whipped cream, optional
chocolate syrup, optional
cinnamon, optional

For each hot vanilla, microwave 1 cup of milk and 2 teaspoons of sugar in a mug for 90 seconds. Stir in ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract. Top with a dollop of whipped cream, a drizzle of chocolate syrup, and a dash of cinnamon, if using.

And, welcome to the neighborhood baby Kate Alexandra Mellet! We’re so happy you’re here.

By popular request ... On Friday night, we had friends over to visit while the kids were trick-or-treating. I thought I’d augment the candy “take” with some appetizers. No one’s going to eat a real meal with all that candy going on.



So, I prepared my favorite Friday night meal: Appetizers. This easy, easy appetizer from my friend, Marilyn, was the hands-down favorite. (Forgot to take a picture of it though. I am trying to be better about adding “visual interest” to my blog; I recently read a comment from someone who doesn’t even try a recipe if there isn’t a picture: “If it wasn’t good enough to photograph, it probably wasn’t good enough to eat.” Mind you, I don’t necessarily subscribe to that theory, if there’s not a photo with one of my blogs, I probably had some number of my four kids vying for my attention while I was trying to get whatever I cooked on the table, or whatever I wrote posted to this blog. Or they ate it before I could find the camera. Anyway, from here on out, I’ll be making the effort to include pictures, hopefully of the food.)

And so, back to the food, these Bacon-wrapped breadsticks are so easy, and so different, and so good. They’re always a hit! And you can easily keep these four simple ingredients on hand. My sister, Regina, often substitutes prosciutto where bacon is called for. She read it’s lower in sodium and my parents and her husband both need to watch their sodium intake (I think it’s lower in sodium mostly for the fact that you use a thinner piece, but the substitution would probably work here). It’d also be interesting to play with other spices and sweeteners (a pinch of cayenne pepper with brown sugar will make is more fiery, maple syrup and crushed pecans for crunch, brown sugar and dried mustard for bite). I haven’t yet, because I don’t make them often enough that I’m looking for a change just yet, and my family definitely subscribes to the “If it’s not broke, don’t mess with it” theory. If you do try other combinations, please let me know.

Bacon-wrapped breadsticks

1 package long, thing breadsticks (I use Pastene, Marilyn uses another brand that escapes me now, Stella D’Oro are too thick)
1 pound bacon
¼ c brown sugar
¼ c chili powder

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine brown sugar and chili on a plate. Place foil on a rimmed cookie sheet.

Wrap each breadstick in bacon, spiraling it about halfway down the stick. Roll bacon in brown sugar-chili mixture. Place on baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, until bacon is cooked and starting to crisp.

Remove from oven and let stand about 5 minutes, until bacon firms up. These are great served in a tall mug or glass for visual interest on the table, just make sure the bacon is no longer flacid or they droop, and that’s not a pretty sight.

Have you ever been “BOO”ed? Here’s how it works:

1. Copy this poem, these instructions, and this ghost TWICE.
   
   
2. Pass TWO "scare" packages (include Halloween-themed treats, candy, stickers, face paint, you get the idea) on to your neighbors.
   
   
3. Once you've been “BOO”ed, place this ghost in your window for neighbors to see. That’s how they’ll know not to ghost you again.
4. Watch to see the fun spread around the neighborhood.

The air is cool, the season fall

Soon Halloween will come to all

The spooks are after things to do

In fact, a spook brought this to you

This “BOO” is a shield from witching hour

Just hang it up and watch its power

On your front door where it works

It wards off evil spirits and scary jerks

The treats that came with crypted note

Are yours to keep, enjoy them both

The power comes when friends like you

Will copy this and make it TWO

Then others here among our friends

Will give warm fuzzies that do not end

We’ll all have smiles upon our faces

No one will know who “BOO”ed whose places

Just one short day to work your spell

And don’t forget a nifty treat,

Like something cute or something sweet

Please join fun, let’s really hear it

And spread some “BOO”s and Halloween spirit