Pioneer Woman's Butternut Squash Risotto

Watching Pioneer Woman last week lead me to this recipe for Butternut Squash Risotto. Butternut squash is my favorite winter vegetable, so I couldn't wait to try this recipe. And life, well life in my kitchen, came together perfectly this week.

Pioneer Woman adds a little heavy cream to her risotto at the end and serves Parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top. Remember the white cream sauce? Heavy cream and Parmesan cheese, plus a few spices....

Butternut Squash Risotto

- 1/2 Butternut Squash, Peeled/Seeded/Diced (Trader Joe's has pre-cut butternut squash)
- Olive Oil/butter
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Black pepper to taste
- 1/4 tsp Chili powder
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1 C Arborio rice (or Jasmine rice works well, it's cheaper)
- 4 C Chicken broth (I only ended up using 3 C)
- 1/8 tsp ground Turmeric
- 1/4-1/2 C heavy cream (or white cream sauce, modified version at the end)
- Parmesan cheese
- Parsley, minced

1) Heat olive oil in large skillet over M-H heat. Add squash and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Cook for several minutes, turning gently with a spatula, until squash is deep golden brown and tender. Remove to plate and set aside.

2) Heat broth in saucepan over L heat.

3) Add 1 Tbs butter to same skillet over M-L heat. Add onions and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until translucent. Add rice and stir, cooking for 1 minute.

4) Reduce heat to L. In 1 cup increments, begin adding broth to the skillet, gently stirring to combine and as broth is absorbed. As soon as the liquid is absorbed, add another cup of broth. Continue this process, stirring gently as broth is absorbed and rice becomes tender.

5) Taste rice after 3 C broth have been absorbed. Rice should be tender, with a little "bite" left to it- in the words of PW. Continue adding broth until this consistency reached (or no more liquid will absorb).

6) Add squash and turmeric to rice and stir in gently. Add the white cream sauce and stir until just combined. Add salt and pepper as needed. Sprinkle parsley over top and serve!

Pioneer Woman's original recipe can be found here!

 

 

This may be my favorite recipe I've made so far this year- it's creamy, smoky, with tender rice and soft pieces of butternut squash- heavenly! The perfect midnight meal for nights at work- or for sitting on the couch watching Bones when I get called off work :)

 

 

Adapted Heavy Cream Sauce- use 1/4 C of heavy cream and milk and a little less Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.



 

Full moons and White Cream Sauce

 

This is what the moon looked like Saturday night before work....



And this is what my kitchen looked like Saturday night before work....







I usually don't cook on nights before work, but I still had lots of fresh pasta left over from the ragu earlier in the week and needed something to top it with for the rest of my nights at work.

I did a quick google search to find a recipe for an easy sauce that used ingredients I already had, and based my sauce of these. I am very wary of not using a recipe, never had much luck in 'just throwing things together.' Always a first time.

Quick White Cream Sauce

- 1/2 C milk
- 1/2 C heavy cream
- 1 Tbs butter
- 1 Tbs flour
- salt, pepper, Italian seasoning
- Parmesan cheese

1) Melt butter in small saucepan and whisk flour into it. Cook for 2 minutes.
2) Slowly add heavy cream and milk, whisking continually.
3) Add in a pinch of salt and pepper, and some Italian seasoning, to taste.
4) Add in Parmesan cheese at the very end and stir until melted. Serve over pasta!

I had some Italian sausage and spinach that I sauteed up and mixed with the sauce as well! And it was pretty tasty if I don't say so myself ;)

Crockpot Love

I love my crockpot. A 'try to use my crockpot once a week' type of love. This week was a recipe from Real Simple Magazine. I had pulled it out a while ago, but was looking for something that I had most of the ingredients for already, cause I didn't want to leave my house in the 20* weather unless absolutely necessary.

What I didn't have for this recipe was good pasta. So I bundled up and headed to Mona Lisa Pasta, which has all types of flavors of fresh pasta, that they will cut to any shape you want. I asked the guy at the counter which was his favorite and this was his recommendation. And it was absolutely worth leaving the house in 20* weather for this Black Pepper Fettucine to go with this dish.

Pasta with Slow-Cooker Beef Ragu

- 1 large carrot, chopped

- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 Tbs tomato paste
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- salt and pepper
- 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 1.5 lbs beef bottom roast
- fettuccine

1) Combine carrot, onion, garlic, topmato paste, thyme, oregano, 3/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper in slow cooker. Add the tomatoes and juices. Add the beef and turn to coat

2) Cover and cook until the beef is tender, low for 7-8 hours or high for 5-6 hours.

3) When beef is done, shred with a fork and mix it into cooking liquid. Cook pasta according to directions. Toss pasta with the ragu and sprinkle with Parmesan.

The original recipe uses a boneless pork shoulder, I had beef in the freezer, so I used it. The pork may shred better than the beef did, but it still tasted good!

Now I may turn into a spoiled fresh pasta type person...

A first- successful icing!

I'm sitting here watching Pioneer Woman "Cook for One" and my list of recipes is growing. Pasta with Pancetta and Leeks? Definitely on the list to try!

I'm excited about this post for two reasons. 1) The cupcakes were a success- this comes from a co-worker I consider to be an expert food critic, not just me! 2) I remembered to take pictures throughout the process!

Work was having a bake sale to benefit one of unit councils. The same food critic co-worker had put this cupcake recipe in my mailbox at work. Easy decision of what to make!

These cupcakes are from this month's Food Network magazine. They are the featured recipe for the Name This Dish! contest, so they technically don't have a name yet. I call them Strawberry Surprise!

Strawberry Surprise Cupcakes



Yes, I realize baking soda is in the picture,
 but baking powder is in the recipe.
 Do as I say, not as I do.

- 1 1/2 C flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature                      
- 3/4 C granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 C strawberry-flavored milk
- strawberries, hulled


1) Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

2)  Beat butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.


3) Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the strawberry milk, beginning and ending with flour, until just combined.

4) Divide batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 25- 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to a rack to cool completely.


Silicone baking cups-
my new favorite!

                
     



Chocolate Frosting "Insanity"- says the food critic

- 2 C confectioners' sugar
- 1/2 C unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 C heavy cream
- strawberries for garnish

1) Sift confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder into a medium bowl. Transfer half of the sugar-coca mixture to a large bwl; add the butter and 1/4 C cream and beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth.

2) Add remaining sugar-coca mixturea nd 1/4 C cream and beat until fluffy. Transfer to pastry bag.


ASSEMBLE CUPCAKES:

- Remove the center of each cupcake. Use a paring knife. Or if you got a fancy- schmancy cupcake corer from your secret santa, you can use that!

- Stuff each cupcake with a strawberry!





- Frost with chocolate frosting.

I usually fail at frosting. I have never been a big fan of icing, so its never been a big priority for me to perfect icings. However, some cupcakes and cakes are not complete without it! And so I usually buy a can of frosting. But THIS frosting is a keeper! It tastes good and it was easy to make!

Friends and Food Friday!

I has signed up to make dinner for a family at work tonight, and this was a recipe that looked pretty easy and yummy! The recipe was easy to split, so I made a second pan for Virginia and I for dinner tonight. Our Friday evening activities included a trip to JoAnn's to stock up on craft supplies- 40% off sale- and I had coupons ;) Virginia has been quilting away lately - she got fabric for the quilt she is working on and she helped me pick out supplies for my next project!

DInner was Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole- a recipe from my Meals on Wheels cookbook. It was quick to put together and the results were fantastic!

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

- 2 sleeves Ritz crackers, crushed
- 3 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 (10oz) can Cream of Chicken soup
- 1 (10oz) can Cream of Mushroom soup
- 8oz sour cream
- 2 Tbs poppy seeds
- 4 Tbs butter, cubed

1) Spread half of Ritz crackers on bottom of 9x13in casserole dish. Dot with half of butter cubes. Spread chicken over crackers.

2) In a separate bowl, stir together soup, sour cream, and poppy seeds. Pour over chicken.

3) Cover with remaining Ritz crackers and dot with remaining butter.

4) Bake covered at 350* for 25 min. Uncover and continue baking for 5 more minutes, or until crackers slightly browned.

Serve over rice.

    - I used 2 cans of Cream of Chicken soup instead of mushroom because I was making
      this dinner for a family with kids. Or because I accidently bought 2 cans of Cream
      of Chicken and forgot the Cream of Mushroom...

    - You could also melt the butter and toss the crackers in it for more even browning.

No pictures, I forgot and we were pretty hungry by the time it was ready!

But I do have pictures of our dessert :)

Peanut Butter Graham Cracker Bites

1 1/2 C crushed graham crackers
1 C peanut butter
melted semi-sweet chocolate
mini chocolate chips or crushed Heath bars

Mix graham crackers and peanut butter. Roll into balls and place on cookie sheet. Chill for 30 min.

Melt chocolate in microwave. Roll each bite in chocolate and sprinkle with mini chips or Heath bar. Return to refrigerator until firm and ready to serve.





 

My brother and our friends from college arrived not long after we made these. He is a chocolate/peanut butter expert- they passed his (and everyone's) taste test so they are a keeper! 

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

This morning I woke up to a steady drizzle. I was supposed to walk and talk with my mentor and fellow discipleship leader, Dawn, but after a few texts, we decided on coffee and watching the rain.

While I waited for her to arrive, I thought about breakfast. This was about 5 minutes, it doesn't take me long to get thinking about my next meal. My normal breakfast on a day like this is hot oatmeal with honey topped with a little peanut butter and banana. Oatmeal, however, isn't really great for sharing. So with a couple lemons on hand, I searched for a lemon poppy seed muffin recipe. I found one in Joy of Cooking.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

- 2 cups all-purpose flour (I used half AP and half white whole wheat)
- 1 Tbs baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 Tbs poppy seeds
- 2 large eggs
- 1 C milk
- 2/3 C sugar or light brown sugar 
- 1/4 C vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 Tbs grated lemon zest
- 1 Tbs fresh lemon juice

1) Mix flour, baking powder, salt and poppy seeds together. In another bowl, combine remaining ingredients.

2) Slowly add dry ingredients to wet and whisk until dry ingredients are moistened. Do not over mix, batter will not be smooth.

3) Fill muffin cups 3/4 full and bake at 400* for 15-17 minutes.

     Results: Pretty tasty!

I made a few adaptations, in the recipe above, that I would use next time- more lemon zest and using lemon juice. Mine didn't not have as strong a lemon flavor as I like (I base my preference on the Martha White just add water version), but still were good and I would make this recipe again!


I also got to play with a new baking toy with this recipe. My secret santa at work, Nina, got me lots of fun baking tools, including these silicone baking cups.

              


     Aren't they fun?!?           
                                         


   

They also work really well! The muffins popped right out without sticking at all, no more losing half the muffin (or worse, cupcake!) to the wrapper. Thanks Nina!

These muffins with a cup of coffee (or two, or three) and great conversation made for a lovely rainy morning! Happy Monday!

White Bean, Spinach, and Sausage Stew

This soup recipe is from our New Year's Eve celebration. It was delicious so I, of course, asked for the recipe and tried it myself! I made a couple adaptations to it, and had a friend over for dinner to try it with me. Another keeper.

The original recipe used escarole instead of spinach, which was really good, but I couldn't find escarole when I was shopping and had some frozen spinach in the freezer so I used that. I also used dried beans instead of canned beans. Because they are cheaper. And I am anti-cans. Sometimes- you can't beat the fire roasted tomatoes, that come in a can.


White Bean, Spinach, and Sausage Stew

- 1 tsp olive oil
- 8 oz Italian sausage- casings removed, break into chunks
- 5 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 package spinach leaves (or 2 C frozen spinach)
- 3 cups white beans
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 3 T butter
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 1 C fire roasted diced tomatoes, drain most juice
- 2 Tbs chopped parsley
- salt and fresh pepper to taste

1) In a large deep skillet or soup pot, heat olive oil and brown sausage.
             (I would drain and rinse the sausage next time)
2) Add garlic and red pepper- cook about 2 mins.
3) Add spinach- cook, stirring until wilted. If using frozen spinach, add after beans and broth.
4) Add beans and cook 1 minute.
5) Add chicken broth and bring to a gentle boil.
6) Add butter, cheese, tomatoes, and half the parsley. Mix to combine and cook until the soup is heated through
7) Add salt and pepper to taste

Serve in heated bowls, sprinkled w/ remaining parsley, drizzled w/ olive oil and topped w/ grated parmesan. With a side of good crusty bread.

Blog happy

In my last post, I said I was unsure whether this blog was a good idea. And then I immediately start on the next post.

The first week of the new year has been full of opportunity. To catch up with friends, see new movies, discover yet another TV series to follow (Downton Abbey!!), and, the point of this blog, try new recipes! This week alone I have tried a handful already- for those who think I don't work, I am going to work every night this weekend, so I have to have leftovers readily available.

Sunday afternoon I had some extra time, so I was able to make a meal entirely of new recipes. Never would I try this when cooking for other people, I usually stick to one new recipe if I'm cooking for a friend, because if it all tastes bad, what do you eat? If its only me, I can always make a quesadilla.

Sunday was Baja Fish Tacos from the MOW (Meals on Wheels) cookbook, with Fall Harvest Couscous and Sweet Potato Zucchini Fritters. The fish tacos were nothing special. But the couscous and fritters, delicious.

Fall Harvest Couscous recipe- Whole Foods Market

- 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 in pieces
- 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 3 Tbs EVOO
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 C couscous
- 1/3 C chicken broth
- 1 Tbs butter
- 1/3 C dried cranberries
- 1/4 C chopped flat leaf parsley
Opt: 1/3 C golden raisins
        1/2 C chopped pecans

1) Combine squash, onion, EVOO, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Spread evenly on baking sheet. Roast at 425* for 25-30 min.
2) Bring chicken broth, butter, cranberries, squash, and onions to simmer in large saucepan. Add couscous. Cover, take from heat, and let sit for 10 min.
3) Stir in pecans, parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Fluff with fork and serve.
        Can be eaten warm, room temp, or straight from the refrigerator.

Again I apologize for the non-staged, low lighting, iPhone photo. It will get better. As soon as I remember to take a moment to take a decent picture before diving in....

The Sweet Potato-Zucchini fritters were a Pinterest recipe, found
here. I said I would try to make less Pinterest recipes- not none ;)

Will work out for food!

Balance. Something I know is necessary, but have such a hard time achieving. Half of my New Year's resolutions revolve around trying new recipes, new ingredients, new restaurants, and connecting with friends, which so many times happens while eating!

Another group of resolutions focuses on being healthy- losing a few inches would be welcome, thank you night shift...- trying new exercises, playing outside, and routinely going to the gym.

So how do both of these sets of resolutions happen? And which should I devote more of my time and energy too? Well I know which I would like to devote ALL of my time and energy too, but I know I am called to balance the joy I get from cooking/eating good food and honoring this one body I get for this life. So the title of this post will serve as a reminder of trying to achieve balance!

Now onto the good stuff aka food and recipes! I started this new year with having several unexpected days off so I was able to try many new recipes! The first was NYE. My friend Lizzie had brought these incredible Bacon-Wrapped Dates to a Christmas party, so they were my NYE appetizer choice. I texted her for the recipe. She replies, "Buy dates. Wrap them in bacon." Really, it's that easy.

      - 1 package dried, pitted dates
      - Uncooked good bacon (like the applewood smoked thick cut kind)
      
     1) Slice bacon into thirds (or halves if you love bacon more than dates). Wrap around
         dates, pressing bacon shut.
     2) Bake at 350* on a sheet covered in foil for 20-25 minutes, or whenever the bacon
         is done. Serve with toothpicks. Or as finger food :)

Let me be the first to tell you- I don't like dates!! But these are too delicious to pass up! You taste the smoky maple deliciousness of the bacon and a hint of sweetness from the dates, but no real 'date' flavor. They won't disappoint, every party I've been to, these have been a hit!

I was encouraged to start this blog to keep track of my cooking adventures. I had a blog in Africa which was a great way to keep my family and friends updated, while having a record for my own self of what I did while I was there. This is different. So many people have blogs, so many people have cooking blogs- that they make their living from!- who wants to read mine? Hence the reason that I have written the first couple of these without really telling anyone that I am writing them. Cool I know.

This is also the reason these first few posts are sans pictures. I hope to be a little more consistent with photographing things I cook, and life in general. Put that photography class to good use! 

New Year's: Resolutions and Blogging!

I love New Year's. Not the actually NYE party scene and hype (that happens every year...), but the new calendar, time to assess the past year, and set goals for the new year. My list of New Year's resolutions is fairly extensive, 14 resolutions, but all are things I am passionate about following through with. (Fun fact: According to the John Tesh radio show, New Year's resolutions typically have an 88% fail rate)

Last year one of my resolutions was to try a new recipe every week and was one of the ones I actually succeeded at! So this year, I made that resolution again, with a slight caveat. That is, I want to try more recipes from actual cookbooks (2 of which I got for Christmas, more on that later!) than from my dear friend Pinterest. While Pinterest is easily accessible, fun-looking, and full of popular recipes, I have several reasons I prefer cookbooks to Pinterest.
     1. I love cooking/baking things from scratch. To me, it is healthier when I know
         exactly what goes into the food I am cooking and where it comes from, even
         if it does have sugar and butter in it :) Many Pinterest recipes, while tasty,
         start with a boxed cake mix or cans of cream of ______ soup or a store-made
         rotiserrie chicken or loaf of bread. (Though I try to avoid these things, I am not
         anti-convenience at all times. My all-time favorite cake starts with a mix ;)
     2. Many cookbook recipes are tried-and-true recipes. Not just the latest popular
         internet craze. There aren't short-cuts. Unless you want it to taste like a
         short-cut.
     3. There is something about pulling out a cookbook and reading through the pages
         until you find something that makes your mouth water. It's the same as pulling out
         the recipe cards of my mother's recipes, that have stains and smears on them,
         knowing they will be delicious. I spent several days engrossed in my new cookbooks
         and my list of recipes to try is at least 4 pages long!

I got two great new cookbooks for Christmas! The first one I picked out for myself-
                             Made with Love: The Meals On Wheels Family Cookbook
                                                 
This cookbook was a fundraiser for local Meals on Wheels chapter to help end senior hunger in America. Well-known athletes, chefs, writers, and celebrities including Paula Deen, First Lady Barbara Bush, Mario Batali, Joan Rivers, Dr. Maya Angelous, Martha Stewart, and Kurt Warner contributed recipes to this book. It is beautifully photographed and edited and my first week of recipes came from this cookbook.  

The second was an awesome surprise from my momma!
                             The Southern Living Heirloom Recipe Cookbook
                                                  
Couldn't have picked a better one myself, it's full of delicious classic favorites. Mom said, "I looked through it and debated giving it to you or keeping it!" So glad I got it :) Found a recipe for Million Dollar Pound Cake that my momma has been making for years in here.

So we will see, a resolution to blog each week about my new recipe....maybe :) Hopefully I will be able to add a little bit of my travels (Resolutions: Visit 6 new cities; Go on a foreign missions trip), life here in Charlottesville eating and playing with friends (Resolution: Restore relationships with friends I don't see often; Hike monthly; Be involved in a small group bible study), and that Christ's love will be seen through me when sharing my cooking/baking with others (Resolution: Seek Christ above all else).