Italian Stuffed Acorn Squash

Italian Stuffed Acorn Squash

by Laura Muir, freshandhappy.com

Ingredients:

For Roasted Acorn Squash

3 Acorn Squash, halved and seeds removed

1/4 C olive oil

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend

salt and pepper to taste

2 tesapoon brown sugar

For Tomato Veggie Sauce

4 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 cup yellow onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 zucchini, cubed (about 1 1/2 cups)

2 medium carrots, peeled and grated

1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar, or more to taste

2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning blend

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

salt and pepper to taste

For Acorn Squash filling and topping:

3 cups ground Italian sausage, browned

2 cups, jalapeno white cheddar (or pepper jack), shredded

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Wash, halve and remove seeds of acorn squash.  Place rush the cut side and inside of squash with olive oil.  Season with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning blend and a light sprinkle of brown sugar.  Bake in oven for about 1 hour.  When done, squash will be fork tender.

In a large saucepan, melt butter.  Add olive oil, diced onions, minced garlic, cubed zucchini and grated carrots.  Saute over medium heat for 10 minutes or until garlic starts to brown lightly, and onions are slightly translucent. 

Add crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes.  Bring to a slow boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer.  Add milk brown sugar soy sauce, cinnamon, Italian seasoning blend, salt , pepper, and chili powder.  (Make sure to season well with salt to taste.)  Allow to simmer for 30 minutes. 

While sauce is simmering and squash is roasting in the oven, brown the ground Italian sausage.  Drain excess grease, and set browned meat aside.

When squash is done roasting, remove from the oven.  Fill the hollow bowl of the acorn squash with 1/2 cup browned Italian sausage.  Top with 1/2 cup vegetable tomato sauce and some shredded cheese.  Return to oven and change oven temperature to broil.  Remove from oven when cheese is melted.  Serve hot.

Kielbasa, Pepper, Onion and Potato Hash

via The Two Bite Club

Ingredients

• 1 (14 ounce) package turkey kielbasa, cut into 1/4 inch rounds
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 yellow, red or orange bell pepper, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 small or 2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. In a heavy bottomed skillet (I like to use my cast iron), heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the potatoes to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Fry until golden brown and cooked through, around 8-10 minutes, stirring a few times to ensure even browning.  
2. In a separate skillet, brown the sliced kielbasa for around 5 minutes in 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium high heat.  Remove the kielbasa from the pan and set aside.  Add the peppers and onions to the skillet and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.  Cook for 5 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally.  
3. Add the cooked potatoes and kielbasa to the skillet with the onions and peppers and mix everything together.  Serve nice and hot!

Notes

• I use two skillets to make this recipe.  I used to make it in one, but something always came out wrong.  I've learned that when I cook my potatoes in a separate skillet they cook more evenly and stay nice any crispy when they're added to the other ingredients right before serving.
• Sometimes I'll add some minced garlic to the peppers and onions, but it tastes just as good without it.

Slow-Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

via Tasty Kitchen

Good homemade Indian food did not seem like a real possibility.  This was really, really tasty.  Served with TJ's naan.  Yum.  A little involved.

Ingredients

• FOR THE CHICKEN:
• 9 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
• 1 Tablespoon Ground Coriander
• 1 Tablespoon Ground Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1 cup Yogurt
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 whole Jalapeno Pepper, Stem Removed, Pepper Pierced Several Times With A Sharp Knife
• FOR THE SAUCE:
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 whole Large Onion, Peeled And Diced
• 6 cloves Garlic, Peeled And Minced
• 1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
• 3 Tablespoons Garam Masala
• 1 piece Fresh Ginger, About 2-3 Inches, Peeled And Grated
• 4 cups Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 Tablespoon Raw Sugar (can Substitute White Granulated If Necessary)
• 2 teaspoons Cornstarch Or Cleargel
• 1-½ cup Heavy Cream
• TO SERVE:
• Hot Buttered Rice And Peas
• Chopped Fresh Cilantro

Directions:

Cut the boneless, skinless chicken thighs into 1- 1 1/2 inch pieces. Sprinkle the coriander, cumin and salt over the chicken, then stir in the yogurt until all the pieces are evenly coated. Cover lightly and let sit for 10 minutes before proceeding.

Melt 1 tablespoon the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Raise the heat to medium high and quickly brown about 1/4 of the chicken. Transfer browned chicken to the slow cooker as it is finished, using 1 tablespoon of butter per batch, and repeat until the chicken is all in the slow-cooker. Throw the pierced jalapeno in on top of the chicken.

Prepare the sauce. Return the pan to the heat and melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the onions, garlic, and kosher salt, then stir. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to lightly brown around the edges.

Stir in the garam masala and ginger and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute) before raising the heat to high and adding the crushed tomatoes and raw sugar. Stir well, scraping the caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan, and bring to a boil. Pour over the chicken in the slow-cooker.

Cover and cook on LOW for 5 hours, or until the chicken is very tender.

Use a fork or whisk to stir the cornstarch or cleargel into the heavy cream until smooth. Pour into the slow-cooker and stir gently until the colour is even. Replace the lid and let cook for 10 minutes or until bubbly around the edges.

Serve over hot rice and peas, topped with a generous amount of chopped cilantro.

Peach Ice Cream

via Taste of Home

To satisfy a craving.  Makes tons--could easily be halved.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups half-and-half cream (I used whole milk)
• 3-1/2 cups sugar (I cut sugar by 1/4)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 eggs, lightly beaten
• 4 cups heavy whipping cream (I used 3.5 cups)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 6 to 8 medium peaches, peeled and slicedor 4 cups frozen unsweetened peach slices

Directions: 

1. In a large saucepan, heat half-and-half to 175°; stir in the sugar and salt until dissolved. Whisk a small amount of hot cream mixture into the eggs. Return all to the pan, whisking constantly. Cook and stir over low heat until the mixture reaches at least 160° and coats the back of a metal spoon.
2. Remove from the heat. Cool quickly by placing pan in a bowl of ice water; stir for 2 minutes. Stir in whipping cream and vanilla. Press plastic wrap onto surface of custard. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
3. Place peaches in a blender, cover and process until pureed. Stir into the custard. Fill cylinder of ice cream freezer two-thirds full; freeze according to manufacturer's directions.
4. Refrigerate remaining mixture until ready to freeze, stirring before freezing each batch. Allow to ripen in ice cream freezer or firm up in the refrigerator freezer for 2-4 hours before serving. Yield: about 3 quarts.

Cheddar Baked Chicken

via AllRecipes

• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 egg

• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 cup crispy rice cereal
• 3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut in half
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat a medium baking dish with 1/4 cup melted butter.

1. In a bowl, mix the flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. In a separate bowl, beat together the egg and milk. In a third bowl, mix the cheese, bread crumbs, cereal. Dredge chicken pieces in the flour mixture, dip in the egg mixture, then press in the breadcrumb mixture to coat. Arrange in the prepared baking dish. Drizzle 2 tablespoons butter evenly over chicken.
2. Bake 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until coating is golden brown and chicken juices run clear.

Chili Cheese Mac

via the Baker Chick

ingredients

• 1 large onion, small diced
• 2 tablespoons of chili powder
• 2 tablespoons of cumin
• 1 tablespoon of spoked paprika
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 lbs ground turkey (beef or chicken would work too)
• 2 bell peppers, small diced
• 1 15 oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 15 oz cans of tomato sauce
• 16 oz of elblow macaroni
• 2 cups of shredded cheese (we used cheddar and some jack)

instructions

1. In a large pot or dutch oven heat 2 tablespoons of oil on medium high until hot. Add the onions and spices, and cook for 3-5 minutes until soft. Add the peppers and garlic, and cook for a couple minutes more, or until the onions are starting to brown and the garlic is fragrant.
2. Add the ground turkey. Break apart with a spoon and cook, stirring frequently, until all the meat is cooked through.
3. Into the pot add the beans, tomato sauce, 4 cups of water and the macaroni. Raise heat to high, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook for 8-12 minutes, or until the macaroni is cooked.
4. Stir in the cheese until melted. Enjoy!

Sauteed Chickpeas with Broccoli and Parmesean

via My Recipes

2 tablespoons olive oil 

1 small onion, thinly sliced 

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Salt and pepper

1 1/2 heads broccoli, including stalks, trimmed and chopped (2 cups)

1 (10.5 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/3 cup chicken or vegetable broth 

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/3 cup Parmesan shavings

In a large skillet (preferably one with a lid), warm olive oil over medium heat until hot. Carefully add onion, garlic and salt, and sauté, stirring often, until onion becomes transparent and garlic just begins to turn golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes.

Toss in broccoli; sauté for 3 minutes. Add chickpeas, broth and red pepper. Stir once, cover and cook for 3 minutes more, just to heat through and finish cooking broccoli.

Uncover, season with pepper, sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.

Beef Stroganoff

via Lizzy Writes

2 pounds beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1/2" thick strips (against the grain)
1 stick (4 ounces) butter
4 green onions, sliced
4 Tablespoons flour
1 (10 1/2 ounce) can beef broth
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 cup Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup white wine*
salt and pepper, to taste

Melt butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Season beef with salt and pepper and add to pan when butter is bubbling. Brown beef strips for 5 minutes and then push to one side of the pan. Add the green onions to the beef juice and butter and saute for 4 - 5 minutes, then push to side with the beef. 

Stir the flour into the juices and the melted butter until combined and thick. Slowly pour in beef broth, stirring continuously, and bring to a boil. Stir beef, onions and sauce all together along with the mustard. Lower heat and cover. Simmer for one hour over low heat, stirring occasionally.

After meat is tender (should take the full hour), stir in mushrooms, sour cream and white wine. Let simmer another 10 minutes and season with salt and pepper. Serve over cooked egg noodles. 

*if you don't want to use white wine, you can use a 1/4 cup of beef broth just to thin the sauce a little.

Brussel Sprout Salad

via The Endless Meal

A tasty, tasty salad that was part of our 2013-14 conversion to the brussel sprout.

Ingredients

• 2 strips thick cut bacon
• ½ cup toasted walnuts
• 3 cups (6 ounces) shredded brussel sprouts (see note)
• ½ cup (3 ounces) chopped dried apricots

For the dressing:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon honey
• A pinch of sea salt and fresh cracked pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 420 degrees. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2. Lay the bacon on the parchment lined baking tray and the walnuts on a separate baking sheet. Bake the bacon for 13-15 minutes, or until it is quite crispy. Remove it from the oven and, when it is cool enough to handle, crumble it into small pieces.  the walnuts in the oven at the same time as the bacon for 10 minutes, or until they are fragrant and light brown. Remove them from the oven and, when they are cool enough to handle, roughly chop them into medium-sized pieces.
3. Combine the crumbled bacon, toasted walnuts, shredded Brussels sprouts and apricots in a large bowl.
4. In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt and pepper.
5. Pour the dressing over the Brussels sprouts and toss to coat well. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Make ahead: Prepare the salad ingredients and dressing up to 2 days in advance and store them separately. Toss the salad just before you serve it.

Notes

To shred the Brussels sprouts: cut off the hard end piece then cut them in half so you have 2 identical pieces. Then starting at the tip (or top) thinly slice the brussels sprouts working your way to the bottom.

Make ahead: Prepare the salad ingredients and dressing up to 2 days in advance and store them separately. Toss the salad just before you serve it.

Simple Vinaigrette

via Serious Eats

Great tutorial on making vinaigrette available on this same website.

Ingredients

• 1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1 small clove garlic, minced (about 1/2 teaspoon)
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Procedures

1. 1
   Combine shallot, garlic, mustard, vinegar, and water in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in olive oil. Alternatively, place all ingredients in a tightly sealing jar, seal, and shake vigorously until emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Vinaigrette will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.