The Start of Winter Goodness

The snow has started to fall. The weather is consistently below 40°F. Holiday songs have taken over the radio. Winter has arrived. And so, the time has come for hearty meals full of winter goodness: squashes, potatoes, beets, cabbage, & carrots...not to mention holiday sweets and treats. This week Brendan and I are eating a wonderful winter compilation: squash minestrone, beef stew, and maple-bacon roasted vegetables. The squash soup is super easy to make (the way I made it, not the Bon Appetit directions) and the roasted veggies are insanely good. The beef stew is yummy, but it takes a long time to make (upwards of 3 hours); so I'm not going to bother posting that recipe (if you're truly interested in it you can always email me).  I have also started the inevitable holiday baking marathon. First in the oven: the cranberry-chip cookies I made for last year's New Year's Eve party. These are my go-to cookies--decadent, delicious, and pleasing to the masses. Is anybody else feeling the need to make scrumptious winter recipes or bake all the time? 

Butternut Squash Minestrone (adapted from Bon Appetit)
Serves 4

Ingredients:
-4 bacon slices, chopped
-1/2 onion, chopped
-1 leek, rinsed well and chopped
-2 celery stalks, chopped
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-1/2 butternut squash, sliced and cut into 1/2" cubes
-1 cup frozen peas, thawed
-4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
-2 cups water
-1 can 15oz. navy beans (no salt added), drained & rinsed
-1/4 cup parsley, chopped
-1 bunch kale, chopped

Directions:
1. In a soup pot, cook the chopped bacon over medium heat until it starts to crisp. 
2. Add the onion, leeks, celery, and garlic. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook for an additional 15 minutes, until veggies start to soften.
3. Add squash to pot and cook for 2 minutes. 
4. Add the peas, broth, water, and beans. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes until squash is tender. 
5. Add the parsley and kale. Cook for an additional 2 minutes, until kale is wilted. 
6. Add salt and pepper to taste. 
*This tastes great with parmesan cheese on top and a side of rustic bread

Maple-Bacon Roasted Vegetables (adapted from Eating Well)
Serves 6

Ingredients:
-1/2 butternut squash, cut into 1" cubes
-2-3 small celeraic (i.e. celery root), cut into 1" cubes
-2 apples, cut into cubes
-1/2 onion, cut into 3 chunks
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-4 bacon slices
-1/4 cup maple syrup
-2 teaspoons dried rosemary

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F
2. In a medium bowl, combine squash and celeraic with olive oil. Spread veggies on a baking sheet. 
3. Place onion chunks in the bowl and rub them with the leftover olive oil. Place onion on the baking sheet. 
4. Roast for 15 minutes, stirring the veggies halfway through. After 15 minutes, add the apple chunks and roast for another 7 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, cook bacon slices in a pan over medium-high heat, until crispy and browned. Line a plate with paper towels and place cooked bacon on top. 
6. Measure 2 teaspoons of bacon fat--keep this in the pan--and pour remaining fat into a glass container (use the leftover fat for a later time).  
7. Over low heat, add maple syrup and rosemary to pan with bacon fat. Cook for 2 minutes--mixture will bubble and create a syrup.
8. Add cooked squash, celeraic, & apples to the pan. Coat with maple-bacon syrup. Pour veggies back onto baking sheet (along with any leftover syrup) and roast for an additional 5 minutes. 
9. While they roast, slice the roasted onion into chunks and crumble the bacon. 
10. Remove veggies from oven and toss with chopped onion and bacon bits. 
*Tastes great as a side dish or as a salad with some quinoa and greens. 

Apple City

A few weeks ago Brendan and I went on our annual apple-picking adventure. We picked about 10 pounds of apples (if not more), ate a couple homemade apple-cider donuts, bought 2 gallons of freshly pressed apple cider, and bought our Halloween pumpkins. A wonderful fall excursion. However, the following week in our CSA (community supported agriculture) share, we received an additional 20 apples. Two weeks later, another 20+. We had a gigantic stash of apples just sitting in our house, waiting to be eaten or cooked...an apple city, if you will. There was no way we could simply eat all the apples raw--an apple a day, or two, or three, wouldn't even make a dent in our pile. So, two weekends ago I went on a cooking rampage and made as many apple recipes as possible. The following weekend we still had a huge pile of apples remaining--so I continued to cook apple-inspired recipes. We are finally down to our last bowl of apples. I figured that there must be some other people out there who have indulged (perhaps a bit too much) in the fabulous fall flavor of apples and could likewise use some recipes to help decrease their stash. C'mon down to apple city!

Good Morning Muffins (from Flour Bakery Cookbook)

Makes 16 muffins (or 12 muffins and 8 mini muffins)

Ingredients:

-1/2 cup wheat bran

-1/2 cup hot water

-1 small zucchini, grated

-1/2 cup raisins

-1/2 cup pecan halves

-1/2 cup coconut flakes

-1 apple, peeled, cored, and chopped into small pieces

-2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

-3 eggs

-3/4 cup canola oil

-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

-1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

-3/4 cup old-fashioned oats (not instant!)

-2 teaspoons baking powder

-1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

-1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and oil a muffin tin with cooking spray

2. In a small bowl, combine the wheat bran and hot water until the bran is completely moistened.

3. Add the zucchini, raisins, pecans, coconut, and apple to the bowl and mix well.

4. In another bowl, combine all the dry ingredients—oats, flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

5. In a separate bowl, use a mixer to beat the sugar and eggs until the mixture has thickened (about 5-8 minutes). On slow speed, gradually add the oil and vanilla into the bowl (should take about 1 minute to add it all).

6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Fold carefully until everything is just combined.

7. Add the bran, zucchini, etc. mixture. Mix slowly, until just combined.

8. Spoon the mixture into the muffin tins. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the tops are nicely browned and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle.

9. Let cool about 20 minutes in the pan before removing.

Butternut Squash Soup with Apples (Fight Back With Food)

Serves 3 (can easily be doubled to serve more!)

Ingredients:

-2 teaspoons olive oil

-1 onion, chopped

-2 apples, peeled and thinly sliced

-1/2 medium-size butternut squash, peeled and thinly sliced

-1 Yukon potato, peeled and thinly sliced

-1 teaspoon curry powder

-1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

-1/2 teaspoon salt

-1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

-1/2 cup milk (1% is best)

-2 tablespoons cashews, chopped

Directions:

1. In a large soup pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Cook the onion for about 5 minutes, until it is golden brown. Be sure to stir frequently.

2. Add all the ingredients from apples through cinnamon to the pot. Stir to combine well.

3. Add 1 ½ cups of water to the pot. Cover the pot, bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes.

4. Turn the stove off and remove the pot. Using an immersion blender, food processor, or blender, process the soup until well blended.

5. Return the soup to the pot, add the milk, and then cook over low heat until the mixture is heated through.

6. Serve hot with cashews sprinkled on top.

Pumpkin and Apple Muffins (from Southern Living: Annual Recipes Cookbook, 20^th anniversary edition)

Makes 24 muffins or 12 muffins + 1 loaf

Ingredients:

-1 cup all-purpose flour

-2/3 cups whole-wheat flour

-1 teaspoon baking soda

-1/4 teaspoon baking powder

-1/4 teaspoon salt

-1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

-1 cup sugar

-1 cup canned pumpkin (I prefer Libby’s brand)

-1/2 cup butter, melted

-2 large eggs

-1 apple, finely chopped

-3 tablespoons sugar

-1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Note: ½ cup of chocolate chips are a great addition to these muffins! If using, add to the batter when you add the apples.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and oil a muffin tin with cooking spray. If you only have one muffin tin you will need to cook the first batch of muffins and then reuse the pan for the second batch.

2. Combine dry ingredients (flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, spice, and sugar). Mix well.

3. In another bowl beat the eggs lightly. Mix in the canned pumpkin and melted butter.

4. Add the wet ingredients (eggs, pumpkin, butter) to the dry ingredients. Mix until batter is just combined and you no longer see any dry ingredients.

5. Fold the apples into the batter.

6. Spoon the batter into the muffin tin. Bake for 20 minutes.

7. Remove muffins from pan as soon as you take them out of the oven. Cool on a rack.

Applesauce

I have continued to make a gigantic vat of homemade applesauce each week, since it uses between 10-15 apples per batch. It tastes great on top of oatmeal, as a snack with some sunflower seeds sprinkled on top, or with some vanilla ice cream, as an evening treat. See my recipe from a previous blogpost on how to make homemade applesauce!

Apple Crisp (adapted from Moosewood Restaurant: Cooking For Health)

Filling Ingredients:
-6 apples, peeled and sliced
-1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-1 tablespoon cornstarch
-1/3 cup pure maple syrup (or brown sugar)
Crumble Topping Ingredients:
-1/2 cup rolled oats (not instant)
-1/2 cup whole grain cornmeal
-1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)
-1/4 cup brown sugar
-1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375°F
2. In a bowl, stir together all the filling ingredients. 
3. Spread mixture in an unoiled baking dish and bake for 30 minutes
4. Meanwhile, combine all the crumble topping ingredients in a bowl. Mix well. 
5. After 30 minutes, evenly spread the crumble topping on the baked apples. Bake for another 15-20 minutes, until top is browned. 
6. Serve warm with a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream, frozen yogurt, or my personal favorite: whipped cream.

Summer and Fall Flavors

To me, nothing beats the summer flavors of tomato and basil. A simple caprese salad (tomato, basil, mozzarella, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil) is one of the most satisfyingly delicious meals you can eat. And after purchasing an additional 20 pounds of tomatoes from our CSA, Brendan and I had our fill of the tomato-basil combo. But just as satisfying as those summer flavors is the warm taste and smell of fall vegetables being roasted in the oven, with just a hint of olive oil, salt, and pepper. This post is a tribute to the best of summer and best of fall flavors.  

Best of Summer: Tomato-Basil Quinoa
Serves 4
Ingredients:
-1 cup quinoa
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
-1 tablespoon tomato paste
-3 small tomatoes, diced
-1 bunch of swiss chard, chopped
-1/4 cup basil, chopped
-1 15oz. can low-sodium navy beans, drained & rinsed
-Parmesan cheese
-salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Cook quinoa according to package
2. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and stir for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and stir for another 1 minute. 
3. Add the diced tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes
4. Add chopped swiss chard and cook until wilted (3-5 minutes)
5. Toss in the basil, beans, and cooked quinoa. Mix well to make sure everything is heated through (particularly the beans).
6. Serve with Parmesan cheese grated on top. 

Best of Fall: Roasted Harvest Vegetables 
Modified from: Fight Back With Food, by Editors of Reader's Digest
Serves: 6

Ingredients: 
-1 pound brussels sprouts, halved
-1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
-1 head of cauliflower, chopped into bite-size pieces
-2 apples, chopped into large chunks
-1 onion, quartered (skin still on)
-3 tablespoons olive oil (remember, 3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon)
-1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
-2 green onions, sliced
-1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
-1 tablespoon dried rosemary
-2 teaspoons garlic powder
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Mix brussels sprouts with 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Mix well.
3. Spread sprouts on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, until browned and crispy. 
4. Repeat steps 2 & 3 for squash, cauliflower, and apple. Spread onion quarters with remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil and roast on the corners of one of the baking sheets.
*My oven fits two baking sheets, so I was able to do two rounds of roasting veggies.
5. When onions are done, peel off the skin and chop the roasted onion into bite size pieces. 
6. Combine all roasted veggies (and apple!) in a large bowl. 
7. Add remaining ingredients to the bowl (sun-dried tomatoes through pepper) and mix well. 
8. Serve hot or at room temperature. 

Best of Summer & Fall: Roasted Beet Salad with Basil Dressing
Modified from Cooking Light
Serves 6

Ingredients for salad
-4 beets, roasted and sliced 
-1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
-fronds from fennel bulb, chopped
-1 small head of endive, sliced
-1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
-6 cups baby spinach, or any other type of salad greens
-3 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese (or whatever type of cheese you prefer)
-salt & pepper, to taste

Ingredients for salad dressing
**The salad dressing is out of this world, crazy-good. Be prepared to fall in love. 
-3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
-1 tablespoon honey
-1 teaspoon grated orange rind
-orange juice from 1/2 an orange (should be about 2 tablespoons)
-2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
-2 teaspoons olive oil
-2 teaspoons dijon mustard
-1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
You can follow the exact directions from Cooking Light, but I recommend my way of roasting the beets. And you can add the cheese at the very end.
To roast beets: 
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Place whole beets (with skin) in an oven-proof container, with just a bit of water in the bottom, covered with aluminum foil. 
3. Roast for 50 minutes. 
4. When you can easily pierce the beets with a fork, the beets are cooked. 
5. Let the beets cool. 
6. Once you can handle the beets, use your hands to peel off the skin--it should slide right off. 
7. Cut the beets into slices for the salad.

The Best Soup EVER

I am not a soup connoisseur...I haven't been cooking long enough to be one. But this past Monday I made a soup that, thus far in my life, is the best soup EVER. And I'm not being biased because I made it. Brendan's reaction was just as amazed as mine. He took a bite of soup and said, "Gina, this is one of the best soups you've ever made. No joke". Though I cannot take credit for the recipe, I will take credit for doing a terrific job of following instructions! Seriously, if you have time to make this soup over the weekend or sometime in the near future, DO IT. It is so frickin' easy to make and will blow away your taste buds when you try it. You will not regret the decision to make this amazing recipe. 

Sweet Potato, Apple, and Chipotle Soup (from Moosewood Restaurant: Cooking for Health)
Serves 10 (1 cup servings) or 5 (2 cup servings)

Ingredients:
-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
-1 large onion, chopped
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-3 celery stalks, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
-2 large sweet potatoes, peeled & thinly sliced (about 5 cups)
-1 large apple, chopped
-1 tablespoon canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced (add extra for more heat!)
-4 cups vegetable broth
-1 cup water
-1 1/2 teaspoons salt
-1/2 heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon
-1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
-1 cup unsweetened apple juice

Directions:
1. In a medium soup pot, warm the oil. Add the onions & garlic and cook for 5 minutes. 
2. Add all remaining ingredients, except for the apple juice. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes. 
3. Turn the heat off. Add the apple juice to the pot. Using an immersion blender, or working in batches in a blender, puree the soup until it is smooth. 
4. Enjoy! 

*Note: depending on how much chipotle pepper you use, this soup will be pretty darn spicy. Be sure to have some good bread, cheese, or a glass of milk on the side!