Thai Pumpkin Soup

Spicy Tasty Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:
2 small winter squash I like acorn squash, pumpkins, or kaocha squash. Mixing different squash types works well
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
1 teaspoon (or more) red Thai curry paste
vegetable broth
2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt (or to taste)

pinch of cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg

salt and pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375

Cut squash into similar sized chunks, halves or quarters. Cover each piece in butter, sprinkle with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Place on baking sheet skin side down, place in oven, and roast for about an hour and fifteen minutes. Squash should be tender throughout

While squash is cooling so that you can handle it. Scoop cream off of the top layer of the coconut milk and the curry paste and simmer it in a large pot over medium-high heat stirring frequently for about 10-15 minutes. The cream should start to separate into a puddle of colored oil and coconut solids. The curry paste should be starting to fry and should be very aromatic.

Add in the remaining coconut milk.

Scoop pumpkin into the pot.

Remove from heat and puree with a hand blender.

Add vegetable broth (or water) a cup at a time pureeing in between to get a desired texture.

Return to heat and bring to simmer. Add spices (cinnamon and nutmeg) and salt and pepper. Add additional curry paste to get desired spice level.

Source: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/001525.html with cooking modifications based on techniques from Cooks Illustrated
Servings: Approximately 4 people

Due Today (or Tomorrow): 30 minute meals

Next week:  Pastries

Stack a dinner

Something my kids still like........

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
½ Cup chopped onion
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
¼ Cup catsup
½ teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed
3 Drops hot pepper sauce
2 Cups uncooked rice
1 10-oz package frozen peas
4 oz sharp shredded cheese
1 Cup sour cream

Directions: Prepare rice. In skillet brown meat and onion; drain off fat. Add tomato sauce, next 3 ingredients, ¼ teaspoon salt and dash pepper; bring to boiling, stirring often. Cook peas.

On plates, layer rice, peas, meat mixture, cheese and sour cream.


Source: Cooking for Two

Servings: 6

Mexican Spiced Hot Cocoa

Ingredients: 1 T unsweetened cocoa powder
2 t dark brown sugar
¼ t cinnamon
¼ t nutmeg
1 T boiling water
1 C 1% milk
½ t vanilla extract
⅛ t almond extract

DirectionsIn a large mug, stir together first four ingredients. Add the boiling water and stir until smooth.

In a saucepan, heat the milk for 3 minutes over low heat or until hot. Stir the milk into the cocoa mixture until well combined. Stir in vanilla and almond extracts and serve.

Servings: 1 Serving

Morning Smoothie

You want a lot of fiber to make a breakfast drink last through the day....  This has fiber and is tasty.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
Frozen Rasberries
Coconut Water
Banana
Yogurt/Milk

Optional:
Coconut Milk
Flax Seed
Instant Breakfast
Whatever fruit you have laying around

Directions:
Throw everything together and grind it all up with a hand blender.  You are ready to go!

Source: Me!
Servings: Depends on how much you make!

Eggnog

We make this eggnog every New Year's Eve. It's too rich to make more than once a year, but perfect for a special occasion. Once again, I recommend pasteurized eggs for my recipe.

Preparation Time: About half an hour

Ingredients:
4 eggs, separated

1/2 cups sugar

2 cups milk

1/4 cup bourbon (or rum)

1/4 cup rum

3 tablespoons Kahlua

1 cup heavy cream

Directions:
In a large bowl, beat yolks with sugar until thick and light yellow. Beat in milk, whiskey, rum and Kahlua. Clean your beaters.

In a second bowl, beat egg whites until stiff but not dry.

In a third bowl, beat the cream until stiff peaks form.

Fold the whites and cream into the first big bowl.

Enjoy!

Source: Our friend Stu
Servings: 8 cups

Orange Punch

This a cool and refreshing punch. It is great for a Halloween party too.

Ingredients:
1/2 gallon orange sherbet
12 oz. can frozen orange juice
2 large bottles Sprite or 7-up (2 liters)

Directions:
Soften sherbet and frozen orange juice for about 20 minutes. Mix all ingredients together in a punch bowl. I have made ice rings with flowers frozen in them, or spooky gummy worms for Halloween.

Source: Phyllis
Servings: It depends how thirsty people are!

Mango Lassi

Preparation Time: less than 10 minutes

Ingredients:
1 can of sugary mango pulp
1 cup of plain yogurt

Directions:
Mix ingredients in a blender. Add more yogurt if you want a smoother texture. I tried this with fresh mango and sugar but it didn't taste good at all.

Source: Me

Due Tomorrow: Drinks, Smoothies, and Shakes

Next Week:  30 Minute Meals

Pork chop supper

In always like making this in the fall.

Preparation Time: About 15 Minutes

Ingredients:
4 pork chops
1 cup rice
4 tablespoons chopped onions
2 cups water
2 teaspoons instant chicken bouillon granules
1 cup chopped apples
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup sliced apples


Directions:
Trim fat from chops. Brown pork chops in a skillet. Set chops aside. In same skillet, cook rice and onion stirring constantly until rice is golden brown. Stir water and bouillon granules. Bring to a boil. Stir in chopped apples. Put mixture into a 9x13 baking dish, arrange pork chops on top. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Combine butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Brush sliced apples with mixture. Arrange around chops. Bake uncovered until apples and pork are tender, about 20 minutes.

Source: Adapted by Phyllis
Servings: 4

Cranberry - Apricot Pork Roast

This is wonderfully tasty.  I always feel like it would be even tastier with more apricots, but I don't recommend adding more.  It turns out horribly sweet!

Preparation Time: 2-9 hours depending

Ingredients:

1 can (16 oz) whole-berry cranberry sauce
½ cup quartered dried apricots
½ teaspoon grated orange peel
¼ cup fresh orange juice
1 lg shallot, chopped (1/3 c)
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 lbs. boneless pork loin roast, well trimmed
Snipped chives (garnish)


Directions:

Mix cranberry sauce, apricots, orange peel and juice, shallot, vinegar, mustard, salt, and ginger in 4-quart or larger slow cooker. Add pork and spoon some of cranberry mixture on top.

Cover and cook on low 7 to 9 hours or until pork is tender.

Remove pork to cutting board. Spoon off any fat from top of cranberry mixture in slow cooker. Slice pork into 6 thick slices. Serve topped with sauce. Garnish with chives, if desired.

I actually do all of this in the pressure cooker for 99 minutes (can you tell my electronic display only has two digits?).


Source: prevention.com (apparently cranberries are good for your heart!)
Servings: 6

Due Today: Pork

It's what's for dinner!

Next Week:  Drinks/Smoothies/Shakes

We're running out of topic ideas!  If I don't get some new ones we'll have to start cycling back through the old ones.

Any votes for next week's topic?

No recipe

Sorry that I didn't get a chocolate recipe posted. I am at Jekyll Island for the week, so maybe I will post some wonderful grits or collard greens recipes!! Phyllis

Magic Shell

This is a bit of a cheat since it is so simple and I've already pasted it to facebook, but it is sooooo tasty.  We haven't been able to get enough of it lately.

Preparation Time: About 10 minutes tops.

Ingredients:
2 parts coconut oil
3 parts chocolate
salt, oil-dissolvable extracts, etc.

Directions:
Melt coconut oil in a small sauce pan.  Coconut oil melts very quickly and had a high heat tolerance, so don't worry too much about burning it.  Drop in your chocolate and extras and stir until mixed thoroughly.  Pour immediately into a glass container or let cool and pour into an old magic shell bottle.

A couple of observations:
 * Unrefined coconut oil will taste like coconut.  Refined will not.
 * This is much more liquid-y at room temperature than regular magic shell, but hardens faster and better.
 * Since it is oil based, I don't recommend getting it on your clothes.
 * Make some homemade ice cream bars and then dip them into a pint jar of magic shell.
 * I want to buy a tiny ice cube tray and use it to make Dibs-like creations.

Source: All over the interwebs

Due Today: Chocolate

Next Week's Topic:  Pork

Votes for the following?

Flourless Chocolate Mousse Cake

I started making this when I fell in love with Whole Foods' mousse cake and needed a good flourless cake recipe to keep from going broke. It's a great option for any chocolatey occasion. Be aware that it's a very short cake, less than two inches high when done, so you may need to dress it up on a pedestal or other special plate. The recipe includes reserving 1/3 of the batter and using it as icing, so we always use pasteurized eggs.

Ingredients:
11 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 3/4 sticks of unsalted butter (mmmm butter!)
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
11 large egg yolks
1 T brandy or rum
8 large egg whites
pinch of cream of tartar
cocoa powder for dusting
9 inch spring form

Directions:
In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and butter together. Move to a large bowl to cool. Butter the pan and dust with the cocoa.

Beat yolks in different bowl until cream colored, then add 1 and 1/3 cups of the sugar (not all the sugar, some mixes with the egg whites) a little at a time beating the entire time until the mix comes off the beater in ribbons.

In yet another bowl, beat whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks, then add remaining sugar a bit at a time while beating untill stiff and glossy. Add the brandy and beat once more.

Stir 1/3 of yolk mix in with the chocolate. Fold in the rest (folding is important to keep it airy). Do the same thing with the mirage, mix 1/3 and fold rest.

Spoon 2/3 of the entire mixture into the springform pan and bake for 25 minutes at 350. It will look as if it's not done, but take it out anyway. If you panic and leave it in longer, you MUST take it out at 30 minutes, or it will be dry.

Leave the other 1/3 of the mix room temp because you'll use it to ice the cake.

Let the cake cool, take off pan, level the cake and ice the cake with the remaining 1/3 of the mix. Dust with cocoa if you wish. Refrigerate. Bring to room temp before serving if you wish; I prefer it cold.

Source: My friend Anique's mom found it in a magazine: Gourmet? Epicurious? No one is sure, but she's used it for years.
Servings: 4 (gourmand) - 16 (gourmet)

Mini Chocolate-Hazelnut Cheesecakes

Preparation Time:  This takes about 1 hour to complete

Ingredients:
15 oreo cookies
2 T raw or roasted hazelnuts, skinned
2 T softened butter
8 oz cream cheese, softened
¾ C Nutella
½ C sour cream
2 large eggs
2 T sugar
2 T mini choc chips

Directions:
Preheat oven 350..line muffin tin w/paper liners, spray liners with veg oil spray. In food processor combine cookies, hazelnuts and butter to very fine crumbs. Divide crumbs among cops and using a flat-bottomed glass, press on crumbs to compact them. Bake for 5 min.

Wipe out food processor bowl. Add cream cheese, Nutella, sour cream, eggs and sugar..puree until smooth. Spoon filling into cups until near the top. Sprinkle choc chips on top and bake for 20 minutes until risen and surfaces lightly cracked. Cool slightly then transfer tin to a rack and freeze for 10 min. Serve at room temperature.

Can be refrigerated in airtight container for 3 days

Basil Tomatoes

This is wonderful served on slices of Italian bread!

Preparation Time: About 15 minutes

Ingredients:
1 Cup chopped tomatoes
1 Tablespoon finely chopped basil
1 Tablespoon finely chopped lovage
1 Tablespoon crushed garlic
1 Tablespoon red or white wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Season with salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Mix everything together and refrigerate a couple of hours.

Hot Wings

There are several variations so they are GREAT for everyone. It has really easy cleanup with the foil lined pan. For those who don't like "bones" this can be used with boneless chicken pieces...just cook for about 30 minutes instead.

Preparation Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:
2 T flour
1 t salt
2 # chicken wings/drumettes
2 ½ T red hot sauce (we use Louisiana Hot Sauce)
2 T butter melted
Determine the sauce from below to determine what else is mixed with the flour and salt before cooking...

Directions:
Preheat oven to 500°. Line a large baking sheet with foil and spray with vegetable oil. In bowl, mix flour, and salt (I use a ziplock bag instead). Add chicken and coat. Spread chicken on baking sheet and spray with veg oil. Roast chicken for 45 min, turning 1 or 2 times until browned and crispy.

In a bowl, toss chicken with sauce and serve.

Sauces:

For Old Bay, add 1 T old bay to flour, then add 2 T Worcestershire sauce to sauce before tossing.

For Mango-Curry, add 2 t hot madras curry powder to flour, then add 2 T chutney to sauce and top with chopped pistachios.

For Ginger-Honey, add 1 t ground Sichuan peppercorns and ¼ t five-spice powder to flour, then add ½ T soy sauce and 2T each of honey, minced fresh ginger and scallions to sauce.

For Sweet & Sticky, add ½ t each of dried garlic and onion powder and 1 t smoked paprika, then add 2 T melted hot pepper jelly to sauce.

We like the Old Bay the best, but have tried the sweet and sticky and it is equally good.

Always serve with chunky blue cheese for dipping! Enjoy

Source: Think it was Food and Wine Magazine

Fried Squash Blossoms

One of the fun things about being a mom is the fact that you get to meet all sorts of other moms.  And in previous lives those moms had all sorts of fun and interesting jobs.  One of the moms that I've recently come to know used to be (and really, still is) a chef.  A couple of weeks ago, she told me what the squash blossoms you can sometimes find at farmers' markets are for.

Preparation Time: Maybe 20 minutes to stuff a dozen and another 10 to batter and fry.

Ingredients:
One dozen squash blossoms
some soft cheese or other filling
oil
egg
flour

Directions:

Waiting to be fried

Very carefully open the blossom, trying not to tear it.  Into the blossom, slide a couple of cheese slivers or some other stuffing.  Twist the blossom closed.  When you have all of your blossoms stuffed, start heating some oil in a pan, enough to fry the blossoms, not just saute them.  I used about half an inch.

In a small bowl whisk one egg with a tablespoon or two of water and place some flour in another bowl.  Individually dip each blossom in egg and then coat with flour.  Drop into the hot oil.  Once I got all of the blossoms into the oil I flipped them over (too cheap to use enough oil to cover them in the first place) and I took them out and placed them on a paper towel when they started to look crunchy.

Notes:
I'm sure these look prettier when done in a restaurant by a professional chef.  I've never actually fried anything before, so be nice ;).

I'm not sure where one finds squash blossoms.  We have them at our farmers' market for $2/dozen which Laura tells us is a really good price.

Even Cory liked them :)  Although next time I think I'll use goat cheese instead of Brie.  I always try to convince myself I like Brie and I usually fail.

Source: Laura
Servings: 4 or so