Butternut Squash Bread

So after we moved I decided to sign up for Bountiful Basket, if you’ve never heard of it, it’s a food co-op that distributes fresh and organic produce once a week.  You sign up and every Monday afternoon you login to, pick your basket and if you want any of the others options offered for that week and pay.  Price starts at $15 and goes up if you have other options.  I paid $40 for a laundry basket full of organic fruits and veggies, along with five loafs of homemade bread.  In our basket we  had two Butternut Squash… Squashes?  I didn’t know what to do with it because I didn’t know what it tasted like.  EXPERIMENT TIME!!  *Evil laughter*  I figured, I rather I try something and end up tossing it cause it tasted terrible and learn from this, than have it go bad in my fridge, make a mess and have to throw it away. 

I cut it open and the first thing that popped in my head was that it smelled, had the same color, and seeds as a pumpkin.  Ding!  *Light bulb goes off* I’ll make bread or attempt to make bread with it.

So after I cut it in half and scrapped out the seeds I placed the cut-side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet. Baked in a preheated 375°F oven until soft, so about 50 minutes. Once it cooled I scraped all the gooey-ness (technical term) into my food processer and made baby food… er… puree.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3/4 cup squash puree
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white

Make it:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.
2. Whisk all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, allspice and cloves in a medium bowl until combined.
3. Beat squash puree, sugar, honey and oil in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in egg and egg white. Turn off the mixer, add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until combined. Scrape into the prepared loaf pan.
4. Bake the bread until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes more. Serve warm.

Burritos

Here is another relatively simple dinner idea, and filling!

Ingredients:

1 lb. Hamburger
1 whole yellow onion, diced and divided (see instructions)
Mrs. Dash Chipotle seasoning
Chili Powder
Onion Powder
Salt and Pepper
Burrito tortillas

Rice A Roni- Fajita flavor
Can of refried beans

Toppings:

Lettuce
Shredded Cheese, your preference
Sour Cream
Tomatoes, diced
Onions, diced
Sriracha or other hot sauce
Put it together:

Follow instructions on making Rice A Roni. You'll want to start this first since it has to cook for 15 minutes or so.
Also empty can of refried beans on low to start warming up but not burn, make sure to stir it to warm thoroughly.
Season the hamburger with Mrs. Dash Chipotle seasoning, chili powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. This is all by taste, that why there are no measurements. Add diced onions, again per taste, I believe I used about 1/4 cup this time.
Drain hamburger
Chop up lettuce, tomatoes, and onions.
Now you are ready to assemble!

How I layered my burrito is not the only way to do it, but this is how I did it:
Tortilla, a layer of refried beans, layer of rice, seasoned hamburger, lettuce, and onions.
If I liked tomatoes I would have put them here, but I don't... so I skip to the cheese and sour cream.
The hot sauce is optional, along with the design. Roll it up burrito style or as close as you can and enjoy!

Baked Pasta

If you know me, you know I love my carbs and love my pasta. This recipe is really fast and simple, which makes it a great week night dinner and for every skill level of cooking.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef or ground turkey
3 cups penne pasta, cooked
1/2 cup reserved pasta water
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1/3 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
1-1/2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Italian seasoning, to taste

Make It:

Heat oven to 375°F.
Brown meat in large skillet; drain. Add pasta, sauce, reserved water and half the Parmesan; mix well.
Spoon into 13x9-inch dish; top with remaining cheeses.
Bake 20 min. or until heated through.

Serve with garlic bread and side salad.

Coconut-Pecan Frosting

The first time I made this frosting was for Houston's Birthday on a German chocolate cake. Luckily, this recipe makes quite a bit of frosting because I was eating it out of the bowl. I've used this recipe on three different types of chocolate cake and it was perfect on all three.

Ingredients:
4 egg yolks
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine
1 pkg. (7 oz.) BAKER'S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut (2-2/3 cups)
1-1/2 cups chopped PLANTERS Pecans

Make It:
Beat egg yolks, milk and vanilla in large saucepan with whisk until well blended. Add sugar and butter; cook on medium heat 12 min. or until thickened and golden brown, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
Add coconut and nuts; mix well. Cool to desired spreading consistency.

**Note**
Makes enough to frost top and sides of 3 (8- or 9-inch) cake layers, tops of 2 (13x9-inch) cakes or 36 cupcakes.

Fresh Apple Pie

Found a plus side about living in the middle of a farming community, fresh fruits and vegetables. And lucky for me we have an apple tree in the back yard that is dropping apples with a slight breeze, so what do I do? Besides let Houston make 5-gallons of apple wine? Make an apple pie, of course!

I have not yet had the courage to make my own crust, so I cheat and buy either the frozen shells or the refrigerated type.

Ingredients:

1 whole Unbaked Pie Crust
Filling:
3 whole large (4 Or 5 Small) apples. Peeled, cored, and sliced or cubed.
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup White Sugar
1 Tablespoon All-purpose Flour
1 cup Heavy Cream
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1/8 teaspoon Cinnamon
Topping:
7 Tablespoons Butter
3/4 cups All-purpose Flour
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Pecans (more to taste)
Dash of Salt

Make it:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out pie dough and place it in a pie pan. Decorate the edges as desired. Or take out of the plastic wrap...

Add apples to a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together cream, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, vanilla, and cinnamon. Pour over apples and mix until evenly covered. Pour apples into pie shell.

In the bowl of a food processor (or you can mix by hand) combine butter, flour, sugar, pecans (chop if you're not using a food processor), and salt. Mix until everything comes together in clumps. Pour topping over apples.

Attach foil to the edges and lay a piece of flat foil loosely over the top of the pie. Place pie pan on top of a rimmed cookie sheet and bake for one hour. At the end, remove foil and allow to finish baking and browning. Can bake for up to 15 or 20 minutes more if necessary.

*Note* It is easier to put the pie on the cookie sheet first and then put the foil on. And to save yourself scrubbing and cursing later, please do not forget the cookie sheet.

Remove from oven when pie is bubbly and golden brown.
Serve warm with whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

May recipes and pictures

May's recipe swap has come and gone.  Special thanks to our host Kathy for opening her home to us.  Here is what we enjoyed!

 

Italian Schmeer and Cucumbers

By Pat

12 oz Cream cheese, softened                          1 cup Real mayonnaise

1 pkg Italian salad dressing seasoning               1 pkg French bread, sliced

2 cucumbers, sliced                                          1 Tbsp Bacon bits (optional)

Combine cream cheese and mayo until smooth; add Italian seasoning and bacon bits.  Chill approx. 1 hour or until mixture is firm.  Spread French bread slices with mixture and top with cucumber.

Blueberry Blintz Cake

By Kim

3 eggs, divided                           1/2 cup butter, softened

8 oz cream cheese, softened       3/4 cup milk

1 cup cottage cheese                  1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup sugar, divided                1-1/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder                  1 cup blueberry pie filling

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat 1 egg, cream cheese, cottage cheese, and 1/4 cup sugar with whisk until well blended.  Add butter and remaining sugar in large bowl; beat with mixer until light and fluffy.  Beat in remaining eggs, milk, and vanilla.  Add combined flour and baking powder; beat until well blended.  Pour half the batter into greased shallow 2-gt. baking dish.  Carefully spread cream cheese mixture over batter in dish; top with layers of pie filling and remaining batter.  Bake 45 minutes or until puffed and lightly browned.

Zucchini Crescent Pie

By Kath

4 cups thinly sliced zucchini             1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 cup chopped onion                       1 lb hamburger browned/drained

1/2 cup margarine                           2 eggs beaten

1/2 tsp each salt/pepper                  8oz shredded mozzarella

8oz can crescent rolls                       2 tsp mustard

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Brown hamburger and set aside.  Combine zucchini, onion, and margarine in a skillet and cook for 10 minutes.  Mix eggs with mozzarella cheese then add to zucchini mixture.  Add hamburger.  Press crescent rolls into 8" ungreased pie pan forming the crust then spread with mustard.  Pour zucchini mixture into pie pan.  Bake for 25-30 minutes.  Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Stuffed Mushrooms

By Beth

24 large mushrooms (approx.)                      1/4 cup chopped green onions (approx. 5)

1 clove minced garlic (approx. 1/2 tsp)         1/4 cup butter or margarine

2/3 cup croutons (finely chopped)                 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Clean mushrooms; remove stems; put caps to side.  Chop stems to make approx. 1 cup.

In medium sauce pan combine chopped stems, onions, garlic, and butter/margarine and cook and low heat until tender.  At least 10 minutes.  Add crouton crumbs and cheese, cook until cheese in melted.  Spoon stuffing into mushroom caps.  Place caps in a 15x10x1 inch baking pan.  Put 1/4 cup water in bottom of pan, optional.  Bake 8-10 minutes.  Serve while warm.

Vegetarian Lasagna

By Chris

12 lasagna noodles                               3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

2 heads fresh broccoli, chopped           2 small zucchini, sliced or shredded

2 carrots, thinly sliced or shredded        3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 large onion, chopped                         2 green bell peppers, chopped

2 tbsp olive oil                                     1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3 cups milk                                         10oz pkg frozen chopped spinach

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese                    8oz small curd cottage cheese

1/2 tsp salt                                          2 Tbsp parsley flakes

1 tsp sugar                                          1 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp white pepper                           16 oz can whole tomatoes

8 oz tomato sauce           

16 oz tomato and basil sauce, or 32 oz with no extra tomato sauce or whole tomatoes.

Heat oven to 375 degrees

Direction for vegetables:

Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat, when oil is hot add broccoli, carrots, onions, bell peppers, zucchini, and garlic.  Saute for 7 minutes and set aside.

Directions for spinach mix:

Prepare frozen spinach according to directions on box, let stand.

Place flour in a medium saucepan and gradually whisk in milk until well blended.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, cook 5 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly.  Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, salt, and peppers(s); cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat; stir spinach, reserve 1/2 cup spinach mixture, combine rest with cottage cheese, stir well.

Preparing sauce mixture:

In a medium bowl, mix 16 oz tomato and basil sauce with, 1 can whole tomatoes, 1 can tomato sauce, 1/2 tsp of white pepper, 1 tsp of dried parsley flakes, 1/2 tsp of salt, and 1 tsp of sugar.  Mix well, set aside.

Cook lasagna noodles according to box and drain.  Using a 9x13 inch pan, add about a cup of sauce mixture and 1/2 cup of reserved spinach mixture to the bottom of the pan, add 4 lasagna noodles of top.  For the next layer; use vegetable mixture, cottage cheese/spinach mixture, with mozzarella cheese to taste.  Leave enough of the vegetable mixture, cottage cheese/spinach mixture, mozzarella (or any Parmesan left over) to cover the last layer.  Use last 7 noodles to cover the top of the lasagna and add any of the vegetable, cottage cheese/spinach mixtures and mozzarella to top off the lasagna.

Caramel Popcorn

By Sandra

3-qt popped popcorn, unpopped kernels removed       1 cup light or dark brown sugar

1/2 cup Fleischmann's original margarine                      1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/2 tsp vanilla                                                              1/2 baking soda

Place popcorn in 14x10x2 1/2 inch roasting pan; set aside..  Heat sugar, margarine, and corn syrup in heavy 1 1/2 quart saucepan over medium heat to a boil.  Boil 5 minutes without stirring.  Remove from heat.  Stir in vanilla and baking soda.  Pour over popcorn; stir to coat evenly.  Bake in preheated 250 degree oven for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.  Spread mixture onto baking sheet(s) to cool, stirring occasionally to break apart.  Store in airtight container.  Optional nuts can be added.... 2 1/2 cups to recipe.

April's Recipes

Oh my! April has passed and we had another yummy swap! The theme was food from your background. Thanks to our wonderful host Joy for opening her home to us Swappers! Here is some of what we enjoyed.


Everyday Irish Bread
From cooks.com made by Kathy

2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp sugar (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup buttermilk or yogurt
Optional: raisins, Craisins, citrons or currants, 1/2 cup

Brush a cookie sheet lightly with butter or spray with olive oil spray. Place cookie sheet on middle rack of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
Combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add buttermilk and stir until well mixed. Knead lightly and form into a ball. Flatten and make an 'X' slash in the top with a sharp knife. This slash is traditionally made in the top of the loaf to "let the devil out", but a more practical purpose is for allowing the excess bubbles and steam to escape while making for a decorative presentation.

Place the loaf on the preheated cookie sheet and bake 30 minutes or until bottom has browned and the bread sounds hollow when tapped.

Note: This bread takes only a few minutes to make and is foolproof and economical. This recipe makes a small batch suitable for everyday. It doesn't keep well; next day use thin slices for french toast or spread with butter, toast lightly and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Recipe may be doubled to make two small loaves; freeze one loaf for later.


Buttermilk Aebleskivers (Poffertjes)
By Sandra

2 cups buttermilk
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp sugar
3 eggs (or more if you wish) separated
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Sift dry ingredients and add to beaten egg yolk and milk. Beat egg whites to stiff peaks and fold into wet mixture.

Put a dab of Crisco into each cup of your heated pan. Ladle in batter to almost fill the cup; it does expand. When this side is done flip ball over in same cup to fry up the other side. Repeat until all batter is used. You can set oven on low (200/250 degrees) to keep warm while fixing each batch.

Dip into powdered sugar or spread with jellies Dried fruit can be added to the batter.



Old German Honey Cookies
By Kim

1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/4 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup butter
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground ginger

Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
In a sauce pan over low heat, melt sugar, butter, and honey. Let cool.
Mix together eggs, vanilla, baking soda, and ginger. Gradually add to cooked honey mixture. Slowly add flour to mixture until well blended. Will like a cake batter consistency. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden.

Note: This is a great base cookie to add fruits, nuts, or chocolate.


Kimchi Jigae (Kimchi stew)
By Joanne

Non-orthodox- Lazy college kid inspired

1 1/2 cups sliced kimchi (cabbage kimchi)
1 tsp hot red pepper paste
1 tsp fine red pepper powder (not crushed peppers)
1 1/2 tsp beef flavored soup stock
2 Tbsp sesame seed oil
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp kimchi "juice" (the liquid in the kimchi jar)
19 oz tofu

Combine the above ingredients into a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for about 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally as to not burn the ingredients. Once the kimchi begins to turn a bright orange and slight translucency, add 1 package (19 oz) cubed tofu and just enough water to cover the tofu (about 1 cup), Mix slightly as this is the stage where the tofu will need to absorb the kimchi flavor and add 1 tsp of salt. Let boil for 10 minutes then add in additional 1 1/2-2 cups of water. Taste to see if additional salt could be used. Once the soup has come to another full boil, the soup is finished; however, the longer it boils, the more the taste comes to life.

For additional flavor, thinly sliced meat such as beef or pork is often added to the soup, as are miscellaneous garnish vegetables like cucumber, carrots, or green onions.

Note: the soup is usually best made with older, more fermented kimchi.


Lumpiang Shanghai
By Joy

1 lb ground pork
1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup onions, finely chopped
1 cup carrots, grated
2 eggs
1/4 cup soy sauce
Lumpia wrappers (spring roll wrappers)
Salt and pepper
Oil for frying

Mix all ingredients together.
Lay out a few wrappers at a time on a flat surface, and place about 2 tbsp of the filling in a line down the center of the wrapper. Take the bottom and top edges of the wrapper and fold them towards the center. Take the left and right sides and fold them towards the center. Moisten the edge of the wrapper to seal.
Heat the oil in a deep-fryer or skillet. Fry 3 or 4 lumpia at a time. Fry for about 3-4 minutes each side, turning once. Cut in half and serve with dipping sauce.


Strawberry-filled Pieroghies and Strawberry Sauce
By Emma

1 lb strawberries (quartered and halved)
1/2 cup white cane sugar
1/2 cup water

In medium saucepan on medium-high heat, stir together water and sugar until dissolved. Add strawberries. Bring to rolling boil, stirring occasionally. Lower heat slightly and let simmer uncovered to reduce for 1/2 to 1 hour.
Makes approx. 2 cups.

Dough: Makes approx. 50.
3 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs (beaten)
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup water
Also needed:
Filling (see Strawberry Sauce above)

Optional:
Confectioner’s (powdered) sugar
Chocolate sauce

Mix dough ingredients together in large mixing bowl, knead until no longer sticky (adding extra flour if needed). Roll out dough into a long tube about 2 – 3” in diameter, then slice into 1/2" thick discs. Roll dough discs into balls. Take the first ball and flatten with a roller to about 1/8” thick. Place 1/2 tsp. of strawberry sauce in middle, fold in half, and pinch edges shut. Repeat until out of dough.

Boil the pieroghies in a large pot until floating, then fish out of water and fry in buttered skillet until light brown.

Garnish with extra sauce, Confectioner’s sugar, and/or chocolate sauce to taste.