Butternut Squash Soup

It should come as a surprise to no one that my garnish of choice was bacon.

We've had a giant butternut squash sitting on our kitchen table for awhile now thanks to the roommate's CSA box, so it was high time it turned into something more edible.  I love butternut squash soup, but I've never made it before, nor have I ever peeled and sliced a butternut squash.  It was a fun, albeit time consuming endeavor.  Sadly I did not capture the squash in it's pre soup glory, so you'll have to imagine a giant, fresh, organic squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes, seeds removed.

Ingredients: 1 large butternut squash, 1/4 cup chopped onion, 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1 14 oz can chicken broth, water, curry seasonings, salt/pepper, 1/4 cup milk/cream, bacon for garnish

Start by sauteing the onions and garlic in either butter, oil, or bacon grease.  Once softened, add your squash and seasonings.  I found the curry powder to be a nice compliment, but sage or thyme could be nice too.

I wanted to saute the squash just a little bit without liquids, which may or may not have added any depth of flavor, but I went with it.  I added the can of chicken broth, then a canful of water.  I wanted to barely cover the squash, and as it cooked and the liquid reduced, I'd add a little more water.  Let cook for about 30 minutes.

Once you can smash the squash with a fork or spoon, it's time to blend.  Bust out those immersion blenders, otherwise transfer to a regular blender and blend until smooth.  I then added a little milk here, because I was out of cream, and some more pepper and a little salt.  Season to your liking.  I poured the soup, garnished with bacon, and enjoyed.

Shepherd's Pie

Last night was a meat and potatoes sort of night, so I felt like attempting a recipe I'd never made before: shepherd's pie.  Now as is the story of my life, I didn't have as many ingredients as I would've liked, but I was not about to head out to the grocery store, so I made do, and I was actually pretty pleased with the results. 

Ingredients: 1.25 lb ground beef, 3 carrots peeled and sliced, 1 small leek sliced, 1/4 onion chopped, 2 cloves garlic diced, 1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano, olive oil, salt/pepper/coriander/cumin, 1/4 cup broth or white wine, mashed potatoes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare your mashed potatoes.  I used 3 russet potatoes, mashed them with milk, butter, salt/pepper, and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.  

Begin the filling by sauting your vegetables in a little olive oil with some salt and pepper.  Throw in whatever veggies you have, I would have added mushrooms had they been in my fridge.  After about 7 minutes of softening, add the ground beef. 

Cook over medium heat until browned.  Mix in a dash of spices like cumin and coriander and add your fresh herbs.  If you want to be healthier, drain the fat at this point.  If you don't care add the broth or wine now.  At this point I would have liked to add some tomato paste or sauce, but alas I had none of that either.

Fill a baking dish with your meat and veggies, spread mashed potatoes on top and bake in the oven for about 20 to 30 minutes.  Finish with about 5 minutes under the broiler to get that characteristic golden brown topping. 

The baking allows the carrots to soften, but since everything is already cooked through you can bake as long or as short as you'd like. 

Salmon with Spinach and Bacon Quinoa

Last night was one of those nights I was convinced I had no food for dinner, until I looked in my freezer and put together this little ensemble.  Half a bag of frozen spinach and some salmon inspired this dish.  I realized I had been neglecting the quinoa in my pantry, so rather than rice or potatoes, that was my side.  But since quinoa is incredibly bland when cooked solo, I made sure to spice it up the best way I know how...with bacon.  I'm typically a fan of poaching salmon, to ensure moistness, but last night I decided to go wild and bake the salmon.  The result? Still juicy and delicious.  Phew.  

For baking the salmon: salt, pepper, coriander, cumin, olive oil

For the quinoa: 1 cup red quinoa and 2 cups water, 1/2 bag frozen spinach, 1/4 cup chopped onion, 1 tbsp garlic, 3 slices bacon, 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, fresh chopped cilantro, lime/lemon juice ~ 2 tbsp

Preheat oven to 375.  Cook the quinoa according to package directions.  I often like to cook in broth rather than water, but last night I stuck with water since I was adding so many other flavors later.  

Fresh spinach would obviously be preferable, but if you're using frozen like I was, wilt/thaw it in a saute pan over medium heat with a little water until heated completely.  Set aside in a small mixing bowl and when cooled, drain any excess water.

You can take this time to prepare the salmon for the oven.  Line a baking sheet with foil for easier cleanup.  I then sliced the fish into the serving pieces, coated with salt/pepper and a light sprinkling of the cumin and coriander (use whatever spices you like/have) and drizzled with olive oil.  Put in the oven and cook until your desired doneness.  Mine finished exactly as I finished the quinoa/everything else, probably about 15 minutes. 

 Lastly, chop the bacon and heat in the saute pan you used for the spinach.  Once rendered (cooked to a light crisp), remove bacon to paper towels to drain and add garlic and onion to the bacon grease in the skillet.  About this time my quinoa had absorbed all the water so I threw that in the bowl that was holding the spinach.  When the onions/garlic were sauted nicely, I threw them in the quinoa bowl, with the remaining bacon grease, since I love the flavor and it was only about a tbsp.  Add the parmesan cheese, chopped cilantro, and citrus juices.  Mix it all up so the flavors meld and then add the cooked bacon.  

Plate some quinoa, throw a slice of salmon on top, and enjoy!  You could even mix the salmon in with the quinoa for more of a salmon salad sort of feel, but this way you can take some bites of just salmon, just quinoa, or a bit of both.

Chicken Wellington

I invented this recipe a little over two years ago when I had leftover puff pastry in my freezer and wanted to make a spin on a chicken pot pie.  I may have also been inspired by Costco's Chicken Bake, but it's hard to know for sure.  I even created a legit recipe with amounts and instructions (as opposed to my usual "a bit of this" "as much as you want of that").

1.25 lbs Chicken Breast Tenders

1 14 oz can Chicken Broth

½ cup dry white wine

3 cups water

3 slices uncooked bacon, chopped

½ small brown onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp garlic, minced

½ zucchini, finely chopped

1 cup finely chopped mushrooms

3 oz cream cheese

1 scallion, thinly sliced

1 package Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets

1 egg

1 tbsp water

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  

2. Heat chicken broth, white wine, and 3 cups water in a medium saucepan.  Add chicken breasts to pan and poach until cooked through then chop into 1 inch pieces. (Careful, it will be hot).  Set aside in medium-sized mixing bowl. 

 

3. Heat medium-sized skillet over medium heat and add sliced bacon.  Once cooked, remove bacon with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain.    

4. Add onion and garlic to bacon grease remaining in pan.  Cook until soft, about 5 minutes, then add zucchini and mushrooms.  Saute another 10 minutes until tender.  

5. Remove vegetables from heat and add to the chicken in the mixing bowl.  Mix in cream cheese and once everything is evenly covered, stir in scallions and bacon.  

6. Place Puff Pastry dough sheet on a nonstick cookie sheet.  Spoon chicken, vegetable, and cream cheese mixture into center of the dough sheet, leaving about 3 inches of uncovered dough on the sides and 1.5 inches of uncovered dough on the ends.  Cut ¾ inch strips in the exposed dough sheet sides at 45 degree downward angles.  Fold the strips of dough sheet onto the chicken filling in a crisscross pattern and pinch up the 1.5 inches of dough at the ends, underneath the strips.  

 

7. Prepare an egg wash with the egg and 1 tbsp water.  Brush egg wash over the prepared chicken-filled dough sheet. 

8. Bake in the preheated 375 degree oven for 15-18 minutes, until dough becomes golden brown. Remove from oven, slice, and serve!