Flavors of Winter

I happened to be shopping at the Farmer's market on Saturday, looking for avocados.  I only had twenty bucks.  I happened to spend all $20 on other things that took my fancy (including avocados).

The first thing I got a gander at was kabocha squash, marked down to $1/lb.  Man, this stuff is so good.  The same stall had these beautiful heads of delicate lettuce, so I snagged one of those.  And some pistachios made their way into my bag too.  But they were up a buck from last week.  Ouch.

I've really been trying to up the produce intake lately.  I generally eat a lot already.  But it's cold and flu season, so I figure that more veggies will help with keeping the immune system strong.  Alas, I caught the cold my husband had, so it's my third of the season.  There are several folks out at work with the flu, so here's to hoping I don't get that.  The whole family has gotten the flu shot, but the baby only got his less than a week ago, and it takes 2 weeks to take effect.  I'm a little bit paranoid about the flu, mostly because some people are stupid and they go to work sick.  But I digress...

A taste of what we've been eating this week:

Kabocha squash, roasted

Sauteed green beans (originally frozen) and mushrooms in a garlic-soy glaze.

Here's the squash alongside chicken, potato, and pea curry.  So I discovered this red curry sauce from Trader Joe's...yum!

Roasted red potatoes.

I also roasted the red potatoes last night with broccoli and carrots.  Today I was home sick (but working).  My husband came home early to take a nap.  Because he was home, I was able to cook dinner (or we'd have been SOL!)  I made skillet pasta (except I don't have the right kind of skillet anymore, so I use my dutch oven) and a salad.  We now have enough pasta for dinner for the next two nights - score!

Merry Christmas...enjoying the season

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas!  I sit here on Christmas morning enjoying my family.  Boy how times have changed.  Before we had kids (and even for a  year after), we would always be flying to the northeast to spend holidays with family.  This was a mixed blessing, because traveling over the holidays really sucks, someone is usually sick (or gets sick), and the weather is the big unknown.  But family is awesome.

Most of the time these days, we stick to our little corner of So. Cal. for Christmas.  We had many years of inviting friends over for the holiday dinner.  But now our kids are in school, and all of our vacations are on the school schedule, so our friends tend to be traveling.  And that's okay.  Now with the two kiddos, I have to say that it's nice to just chill out.  Especially today when the baby has a cold...sounds like a barking seal ... poor guy.  He's still sleeping and his big brother is working on the first of many Star Wars Legos.

The advantage to keeping it small is that I can decide which day to do the big dinner (or to do none at all).  This year, the big dinner (ham this year) is today on Christmas day.  We often do it on Christmas eve.  Last night, we kept it simple with leftover crockpot lasagna, roasted butternut squash, and crackers with spinach and artichoke dip.

Santa was good to me this year.  Aside from time with my wonderful family, I got great kitchen items... a salad dressing bottle (with recipes), a new nonstick skillet (mine seem to wear out every 6 months), a new cast iron skillet, and a new rice cooker.  I also got a magazine subscription and four new shirts/sweaters (the pre pregnancy shirts do not fit over the nursing-mother and post pregnancy body).

For my family, I sewed a bag for my husband's tablet computer (from the bottoms of my son's holey-jeans-turned-shorts), and I sewed a Star Wars blanket and pillowcase for my son.  For the baby we wrapped some hand me down toys. :)  I feel very blessed.  I have friends who are out of work and have to scrounge and sell items in order to buy gifts for their kids.

I'm sure the day is going to be full of building the pile of Star Wars legos that my older son got. I've already started on the Zicam and Vitamin C (babies...they cough and sneeze ALL OVER YOU).

Chicken Spaghetti Squash Parmesan, and my first brisket

Chicken Parm

Last night's dinner was chicken parmesan.  Now, I've made versions of this from scratch before.  As in, debone the chicken breasts, pound them out, bread them, fry them, make the marinara sauce, etc. etc.

This was not that kind of chicken parmesan.  I did use spaghetti squash instead of pasta and had to roast the squash.  It was good, but the only pesto I have left in the freezer is arugula pesto, and it wasn't as good as basil pesto would be.

Spaghetti squash chicken parm
1 spaghetti squash
16 oz marinara
olive oil
1 small onion
10 oz sliced mushrooms
2 cubes frozen pesto
4 cloves garlic
mozzarella and parmesan cheese
frozen breaded chicken tenders (From TJ's)

Slice the squash in half and scoop out seeds.  Place face down in a pan coated with cooking spray. Roast 1 hour at 375F.  Let cool.  Remove strings with a fork.

Saute onion and mushroom in oil.  Add squash strands.  Add pesto and combine well.

Spray a 9x9 pan with cooking spray. Layer veggie mixture out.  Place chicken tenders on top.  Top with marinara and the cheeses.

Bake covered at 350F for 15 min.  Increase to 375F, remove foil, and bake for 15-25 more min.  Delish!

I roasted the seeds!

Brisket

I also bought my first brisket at the farmer's market. I found a decent crockpot recipe.  And...we didn't like it.  The sauce was good, but the brisket was way too fatty and chewy.  So, maybe we screwed it up (spouse did it today - he had the day off).  How can you screw up a crockpot recipe?  Anyway, next time I just go with pot roast.

We also steamed up some baby kale and cabbage leaves and I made a cream sauce with milk, parm, cream cheese, garlic powder, and lemon juice.  I don't have a final photo, but THAT was great.

Potato burritos and Kabocha

It's the squash time of year again!  Last year, I finally tried kabocha squash, after reading about it all over various blogs.  I'm a butternut kind of girl (and delicata).  Well, kabocha is delicious!  Maybe even a little better than butternut.

So at the market last weekend (farmer's market), I bought one.  Last night I simply cut it in half, scooped out the seeds, and sliced it (okay, that's a pain).  Salt, pepper, olive oil, roast it 30 min at 400F.

I served this with potato, onion, and cheese burritos.  The CSA starts up next week, so by Thursday we're running low on veggies.  I fried up some onions and potatoes and shredded cheese.  I had two HUGE avocados for guacamole.  And that, my friends, was dinner.  I forgot to take pics at the beginning.  Oops!

A brief week in pictures

The blog has been winding down lately, as I'm sure you've noticed.  There are a few reasons for this: work craziness (I now have four people working for me, and it's crunch time), husband traveling, and bronchitis.  Yay for me.  I find myself passing out between 8 and 8:30 in the evening (many times before my child), waking up at 1 am with insomnia for a couple of hours, and then awaking again at 4 or 5 in the morning.  Lovely.
So my energy level isn't that great, and the whole family is ready for the bronchitis to be over.  Here's a bit of what's been going on:

Last weekend a really great friend of ours came by for a visit.  He was in our wedding, and my hubby was his best man.  He's from Santa Fe, and he was on a business trip in San Francisco, so he swung by for a weekend.  His wife wasn't able to make it.  We had such a great time.  You know how you've got old friends (we've known him for...19 and 21 years I think) who, no matter how long you've been apart, you go back seamlessly into a great fun relationship?  Yeah, it's one of those.  He's a vegetarian, so we did a combo of cooking and eating out while he was here.
Friday night (I had the day off): homemade pizza
Saturday morning: eggs and toast
Saturday lunch: farmer's market, went wine tasting, ate sandwiches at a great deli
Sunday dinner: made black bean burritos and kale chips
Sunday breakfast: out (we love breakfast out).  Tried a new place.  It was "meh".
Sunday lunch: veggie burgers
Sunday dinner: skillet spaghetti and salad
Monday breakfast: scones.  See below...

Acorn Squash Risotto

Have I mentioned that I am in love with risotto? Especially in the pressure cooker? I think I have.

Today, it was even worth the blister on my thumb (from cutting and peeling and dicing a couple of acorn squash).

I am always looking for a good squash recipe. But the first gazillion acorn squash recipes you find are sliced and stuffed. Not really in the mood for that. But then I thought "risotto", and hit pay dirt.

My ending recipe was a combination of two found here and here. Now, you probably can't go wrong with Mario Batali (but really, he goes a little heavy on the butter). And the other one I just like because it's stored at www.cs.cmu.edu. So what are recipes doing in the computer science department at CMU? I dunno, but it's my alma mater, so I had to use it.

Acorn squash risotto
2 T olive oil, divided: $0.22
1 small acorn squash, peeled, seeded, and diced into 1/4 inch pieces: $2.00 (just a guess, we got this from the CSA)
1 onion, diced: 0.25
2 cups arborio rice: 2.50
1/2 cup white wine: 0.40
3.5 to 4 cups vegetable broth: 0.50 (I used water and a veggie broth cube)
1 T. butter: 0.06
1/2 cup grated parmesan: 0.63
salt and pepper to taste
Total: $6.56 for about 8 cups, or $0.82 per cup

Saute onion in 1 Tbsp olive oil in pressure cooker for about 5 min, until softening. Add squash and continue to cook, stirring, for 10 min.

Add rice and other Tbsp olive oil, and toast rice a bit. Add wine and broth. Put cover on pressure cooker and lock into place.

Bring to high pressure over high heat. Once at pressure, reduce heat to maintain high pressure. Cook for 5 min at high pressure.

Remove from heat, run under cold water (quick-release method). Stir. It might be pretty soupy. Add butter and parmesan and stir some more.

This was SOOOO delicious. Yum yum yum. I served it with baked chicken, baked marinated tofu, and salad.

Spaghetti Squash Casserole

So, I struggle with spaghetti squash. Today, I made a casserole. It's not very pretty. But it tasted very good.

I also tossed the seeds with olive oil, s&p, cumin, and a teeny pinch of brown sugar and roasted. Yum! My toddler asked for more (truthfully, I only gave him the last few).

Spaghetti Squash Casserole.

1 spaghetti squash: $2
1 onion, diced: 0.30
1 T canola oil: 0.03
1 zucchini, diced: 0.60
1 red bell pepper, diced: 0.60
1 carrot, diced: 0.10
2 cloves garlic, minced: 0.10
a bunch of fresh tomatoes, chopped: 0 (that one darn tomato plant...) Probably about 3 cups.
salt, pepper, basil, oregano to taste
2 cup of cottage cheese: 1.75
1/4 cup parmesan cheese: 0.38
1 oz mozzarella cheese (basically one piece of string cheese): 0.25

Total: $6.11 for what looks like about 8 cups. I'm just guessing though. $0.76 per cup

1. Cut squash in half. Scoop out seeds (save seeds to roast). Put cut side down in a baking dish with 1-2 cups water. Bake at 350F for 1.5 hours. Let cool. Scoop out squash with a fork.

2. Saute onion in oil until soft and golden. Add squash, carrots, peppers and saute until soft. Add garlic, diced tomatoes, salt and pepper, and basil and oregano. Simmer a long time, until cooked down. Add a little red wine if you like.

3. Add spaghetti squash and stir.

4. In an oiled casserole dish, layer 1/2 of the veggie mixture. Top with cottage cheese. Add remaining veggie mixture. Top with parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350F for about 30 min.

This was a little runny (as happens when you've got watery veggies - like zukes - in a casserole). But still, very very tasty. We had our neighbors over for dinner. Ate this with bread, fresh limas with blue cheese, and some great homemade carrot soup made by the neighbor.

Tex Mex Macaroni and "Cheese"

"Cheese" in quotes, you note.

This is based on a Weight Watchers recipe. I have made Tex Mex versions of Mac and Cheese before (from Rachael Ray). Now, Rachael Ray isn't the healthiest cook. This version is much healthier, and allowed me to use up some butternut squash from the CSA. I adjusted the recipe's amounts based on what I had.

Tex Mex Macaroni and Cheese:
8 oz whole wheat penne: 0.70
2 cups cooked mashed butternut squash: 1.00
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk: 0.23
1 cup canned diced tomatoes: 0.28
4-oz can diced green chiles: 0.75
3 oz shredded cheddar cheese: 0.40
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder: 0.01
1/2 c. salsa: 0.50

Total: $3.87 for 6 servings. $0.65 per serving.

Cook pasta al dente to package directions.

Mix milk powder and water with a whisk. Heat in a saucepan with the butternut squash until bubbling. Add diced tomatoes, salt, cheese, and green chiles. Continue to cook, stirring, keeping warm.

Drain pasta, put back in pot, mix with squash and cheese sauce. Serve topped with salsa.

It was quite tasty, my toddler scarfed it down.

Sunday meal

Well, I've cooked 8 things this weekend. With all those dishes (I'd complain, but Mike did 3-4 loads of laundry), I'm too tired to post actual recipes of some of the stuff.

Yesterday: red lentil curry (recipe posted), collard chips (search for roasted kale for recipe), aloo gobi, and roasted chicken.

Today: pumpkin apple streusel muffins, syrian bread, italian pasta bake, and roasted delicata squash.
Italian pasta bake:
1/2 to 2/3 lb whole wheat pasta, cooked: 0.40
3/4 lb frozen mixed vegetables, cooked and chopped in food processor: 0.75
1 onion, chopped: 0.20
1/2 lb ground beef: 1.00
2 14-oz cans diced tomatoes, pureed: 1.20
2T tomato paste: 0.20
3 cloves garlic: 0.15
basil, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, oregano: 0.20
salt and pepper
1 bunch collard greens, steamed, squeezed dry, pureed: 1.50
1 cup cooked kidney beans: 0.24
some sliced kalamata olives: 0.30
4 oz shredded mozzarella (or so): 0.60
Total: $6.74 for about 10 servings, or $0.68 per serving.

Cook the beef and onion. Add the vegetables, tomatoes, paste, and spices. Basically making a chunky meat/veggie sauce. Add in the cooked pasta. Pour in a 13x9 pan. Top with cheese. Bake until bubbly. Like a lasagna but a little less work. This made probably 4-5 meals worth.

Pumpkins!

This is the first year since we joined our CSA - oh, 8 years ago or so - that we've gotten more than one pumpkin. Last week I chose a carving pumpkin. I chose it pretty poorly, darned thing won't stand up - so we'll have to carve it to look like it's been knocked over somehow.

This week we got another pumpkin. I walked into the field to choose (that's just so much fun), and got into a conversation with a 7-or-8 year old girl on the virtues of an "eating" pumpkin vs. a carving pumpkin. She chose to pick up a very large sugar pumpkin (one that I decided was too big). I selected a slightly smaller sugar pumpkin.

Then on Friday night I roasted it. First, I microwaved it to soften the skin (3 min on high). That's a tip I learned here on the internet. Then, I sliced it in half crosswise, scooped out the seed (1.5 cups!) and placed the halves face down in two baking sheets (with lips) - lined with foil. I added a little water. Then I roasted it for 1.5 hours at 375. I flipped over the halves so they would cool, scooped out the flesh, and put it in the fridge.

I got a fair bit of water, a couple of cups. I suppose I could have saved it for soup, but I just dumped it. I also got about 5.5 cups of pumpkin. I roasted the seeds.

Saturday morning I baked Pumpkin Apple Muffins, & packed up the rest of the puree into the freezer. I had planned on giving a bag to our friends with the 6-month old baby, but forgot (perfect baby food!) Maybe we'll drop some off in the coming weeks.

Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins:
1.5 c. all purpose flour: 0.28
1 c. whole wheat flour: 0.22
1/2 c. sugar: 0.19
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten: 0.42
1.5 tsp cinnamon: 0.25
0.5 tsp ground ginger: 0.05
1/4 tsp nutmeg: 0.05
1/4 tsp ground cloves: 0.05

1 cup organic pumpkin puree: 1.00
1/2 c. vegetable oil: 0.25
2 cups chopped apple (organic): 1.33
1/2 c. raisins: 0.22

Streusel:
2 T. flour: 0.02
2 T sugar: 0.05
1/2 tsp cinnamon: 0.08
4 tsp butter: 0.08

Total: $4.54 for 20 muffins, or $0.23 each

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease 18-20 muffin cups.

2. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, spices, baking soda, and salt. In separate bowl, mix together eggs, pumpkin, and oil.

3. Add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients. Stir just to moisten. Fold in apples and raisins. Spoon into muffin cups.

4. Mix streusel topping in a small bowl. Sprinkle over muffins.

5. Bake for 35 min, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Butternut Squash Soup

My family has belonged to the local CSA for about 6 years now. In the winter, we get a lot of butternut squash, and I am always looking for healthy and easy recipes for it. But I really refuse to cut and peel it, which means my recipes are limited.

I am not much of a soup person...I prefer stews, nice and thick. But this is a recipe that I got from my mother-in-law, who I think got it from her local newspaper. In any event, it's healthy, pretty cheap, and quite yummy. It has the added bonus of not having cream or cheese in it (so our Chinese friends like it), and it can easily be made vegetarian by substituting vegetable broth for the chicken broth.

It's also quick and simple to make, particularly if you use my freezing roasted squash trick (below). We had it for dinner tonight, and actual hands-on time was probably 30 mins (15 to dice the veggies, 5 to make the butter, 10 to puree).

Soup:
1-2 Tbsp butter
2 lb of butternut squash (my MIL buys it frozen. We use the fresh from the farm.)
3/4 c. chopped onion
3/4 c. chopped celery
1/2 c. apple juice
6 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Ginger butter
4 T. butter
1 T. grated fresh ginger
1 tsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp ground ginger

If using full butternut squash, cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, and roast it facedown in the oven until it's soft. You know, 400 degrees for 40 min, 350 degrees for an hour or 90 min, I don't really know. I just roast it until it looks good. Definitely a Sunday-afternoon thing. (TIP: I actually roast my squash and freeze it until I need it later.)

Melt butter in large saucepan. Add onion and celery and cook until soft, about 5 min. Add apple juice and cook for 1 min. Add chicken broth.

Add the squash here, whether roasted or diced. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 20-30 min (or until squash is tender if you didn't roast it first).

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Let cool a bit. Puree in blender in batches. You really don't want to fill it more than half full, or it will overflow and be HOT (hubby figured this out the hard way). Put pureed soup back in pan and re-heat. Serve with a dollop of ginger butter.

Ginger butter: Heat 1 T butter in small skillet over medium heat. Add grated ginger. Cook 30 sec. Add syrup and ground ginger. Cook 1 min. Remove from heat, let cool, and combine with remaining butter.

This soup freezes well, you'll just need to remake more ginger butter.

My estimates on cost: Makes about 8-10 cups, one cup per serving.

1 squash: $0.99
1 onion: 0.15
3-4 stalks celery: 0.40
2 T butter: 0.13
apple juice: 0.33 (just buy a small bottle because we don't drink it)
chicken broth: 3.00 if you buy it, practically free if you make it.
1 1/2 tsp vanilla: eh? 0.38 I think

4 T. butter: 0.25
1 T. ginger: 0.05
1 tsp maple syrup: 0.05
1/2 tsp ground ginger: 0.05

Total cost for 8-10 servings is $5.40 or $2.40, depending on where you get your chicken stock. That's 0.24 to 0.54 per serving.