Winter Dinner

Tonight I am having some truly lovely people over for dinner, my parents. Since Old man winter is clearly moving in for a season, I wanted to make a true winter meal. The kind of winter meal that warms your body and your heart and takes the chill out of the air. So what better sort of winter meal than soup? There is none. Also, I wanted to use some produce that is in season. So tonight's menu features: Butternut Squash soup with cream and Ginger, Apple Sausage stuffed Acorn Squash, and Salad with Persian Lime- Fig Dressing. The Butternut Squash soup is smooth and thick, creamy with a little kick. The velvet texture is amazing. The stuffed acorn squash is truthfully amazingly savory. The sweet apples pair extremely well with the spice and salt of the sausage.
I love having a warm cup of tea while I get ready to start cooking. I love getting my creative juices flowing and cooking allows me to do so. Before I started in my sanctuary, I made myself my most favorite cup of tea: GenMaicha! So scrumptious. A green tea that is native to Japan. It has flecks of popcorn in it and barley. The popcorn flecks add this delightful buttery taste to the tea, it's divine, but very Japanese. I haven't ever met someone who likes it like I do. I buy mine down at The Tea Market, by UMKC if anyone is interested in buying some tea this winter season.

Ok enough about that, here are the recipes for tonight's dinner.



Stuffed Acorn Squash:

3 Medium acorn squash. 1 Tbs. coriander 1 Tbs turmeric 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper 1 lb of pork sausage 1 Apple 3 small onions or 1 medium yellow onion 3 slices of whole wheat bread 1 Tbs of plain Greek yogurt 1Tbs basil 1 Tbs thyme 1 Tbs garlic powder

Cut 3 medium acorn squash in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Season squash halves with 1 Tbs. coriander, 1 Tbs tumeric, 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Then place cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake squash for an 1 hour and 15 minutes. While squash is baking gather the rest of the ingredients. Brown 1 lb of pork sausage in hot skillet. Chop 1 apple into cubes ( a sweeter apple is better: Gala or Fuji). Dice 3 small onions or 1 medium yellow onion. Chop 3 slices of whole wheat bread into cubes. Once the pork is brown add the onion and apple. Saute about 5 minutes, until they are soft. Take off the heat and add the bread cubes, 1 Tbs of plain Greek yogurt, 1Tbs basil, 1 Tbs thyme and 1 Tbs garlic powder. Mix all ingredients together and stuff into each squash half. Bake for another 20 minutes.










Butternut Squash Soup:
1 Butternut squash 1 tsp Paprika 1 Tbs Coriander 1 tsp Cinnamon Chicken Stock 1Tbs fresh grated ginger Olive Oil 2 Tbs of Turmeric 1Tbs of curry powder 1/2 Tbs red pepper flakes 1 cup of Heavy Whipping Cream

Cut 1 large butternut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds. Season each squash half with 1 tsp Paprika, 1 Tbs Coriander,1tsp Cinnamon and 1 tsp salt. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and bake for1 hour at 350 degrees. Take squash out and scoop out flesh into a big mixing bowl. Add 2 cups of chicken stock to the squash. Grate 1 Tbs of fresh ginger into the squash mixture. With a stick blender,blend the ingredients until smooth. Heat a deep pot over medium-high heat and add 2 Tbs of olive oil. (I use Harissa olive oil from Heavenly Oils-it's an olive oil that is infused with hot peppers). To the oil add 2 Tbs of Turmeric,1Tbs of curry powder and 1/2 Tbs red pepper flakes. Stir oil mixture continuously for1 minute,to let all the flavors come out of the seasoning. Add in the squash mixture, stir to incorporate. Add1 1/2 more cup of chicken stock. Stir in 3 Tbs of honey. Once incorporated, add 1 cup of heavy whipping cream. Heat to a boil and once boiling, turn down heat and simmer for 10 minutes on low. Remove from heat and let stand for5 minutes. Enjoy!

Salad:
Chop 1 pear Chop 4 pickled beet slices Chop 5 cherry tomatoes Chop Romain lettuce and top with the pear,beets and tomatoes. Sprinkled Parmesan cheese over the top of the salad and top with dressing. My dressing is Persian Lime olive oil mixed with Fig balsamic vinegar.


Until tomorrow....Binecuvântările pe toate eforturile gustoase.
"Blessings on all your tasty endeavors."

Food For Thought

Thoughts of starting a blog have run through my mind before. I have not acted on those thoughts until now. I had no idea what I would write a blog about, until tonight. Why not write about what I have a true true passion for? Why not write a blog about what gift God has graciously blessed me in? Why not?... I couldn't think of a good answer, thus this blog was born. This blog is not for those who want bland, cardboard frozen dinners or for those who are unwilling to be adventurous when it comes to dinner. This is for those who want flavor to explode out of their ears, who want to try something they never would have tried before, and for those willing to expand their minds a little. Yes, there will be the occasional post about my little man, Noah, but for the most part this is a cooking blog. I will try to post every day something that I am cooking, pictures to accompany the recipe and my review of the dish after eating it. So here we go!

Going to my cupboard tonight and having the scent of Turmeric fill my nostrils, sent me to a place of serenity in the kitchen. I can just imagine the bright amber color showering onto the velvet texture of butternut squash and pureed down with silk cream to have the end product be the most delicious soup you have ever put in your mouth. However, tonight's Turmeric was for a different dish. Tonight I made: delicata squash- saffron risotto, stuffed into bell peppers and topped with a poached egg. It was heaven in a bowl. Follow this recipe and I guarantee you will make it again.


Recipe:
Makes 6 servings
1 Delicata Squash or Butternut Squash
1 Bag of Saffron Risotto
2 Tbsp Cream
1/2 Tbs Turmeric
1/2 Tbs Coriander
1 tsp red pepper flakes
3 Green or Red Bell Peppers
6 Eggs
Shredded Parmesan Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Cut tops off of bell peppers and pull the inside seeds out. Then slice in half, lengthwise.
3. Take a 9x14 inch baking dish and fill with water. About and inch of standing water.
4. Put the peppers in the dish, skin side down. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake peppers for 15 minutes.
5. While the peppers are softening in the oven, peel the squash, seed the squash and cut it into 1 inch cubes. Put the squash cubes into a mixing bowl and pour turmeric, coriander, and red pepper flakes over the squash and mix to coat the cubes. Once coated, heat 2 cups of chicken stock on the stove in a deep pan. Once the stock comes to a boil add the squash and heat until soft (about 10 minutes).
6. Make the risotto according to the package.
7. Once the squash is soft, drain off any extra liquid that wasn't absorbed and add the squash to the risotto.
8. Pour in the 2 Tbs of cream and mix together until all is incorporated.
9. Take the risotto- squash mixture and stuff into each pepper half.
10. Sprinkle each pepper with shredded Parmesan cheese and make a well with your spoon. ( to make a well, take the back of your spoon and make an indention in the risotto filling- so it looks like a well).
11. Cover again with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
12. While the peppers are setting up in the oven, it's time to poach our eggs.
13. In a pot, heat 6 cups of water and a splash of vinegar, on the stove. ( you want the water to be simmering-- small bubbles at the bottom, NOT boiling!)
14. Once you see small bubbles on the bottom of the pot, it's time to poach our eggs.
15. Crack one egg into a small shallow bowl, without breaking the yolk.
16. With a wooden spoon in one hand, slowly stir your water in a circular motion to create a small whirlpool.
17. Stop stirring and with the other hand slowly pour the egg into the center of the whirlpool.
18. Let simmer for 3 minutes and gently remove with a slotted spoon. Continue with the other eggs.
19. Nestle each poached egg into the well that you made in the risotto stuffing.
20. Top with salt and pepper!
21. Enjoy!!!!

This recipe is INCREDIBLE!!! The yolk from the egg creates this velvet texture that envelopes the little nuggets of the squash as the nuttiness of the risotto plays on your palate. The spiciness of the red pepper flakes is not overpowering but plays well with the warmth of the turmeric against the salt that accompanies each bite.
YUM...
Until tomorrow....Binecuvântările pe toate eforturile gustoase.
"Blessings on all your tasty endeavors."