Winter Squash Tip

I've started microwaving my winter squash for 1 minute before cutting it in half. It's much easier to cut, but not too hot to handle. And so far there have been no squash explosions in the microwave.

Autumn Pear Salad and Homemade Pita Chips

Autumn Pear Salad
dressing:
5T olive oil
2T Balsamic vinegar
1t honey
1t Dijon mustard
2 green onions, chopped
salt
pepper

Shake together in a jar. Keep refrigerated.

salad:
1 head of green or red leaf lettuce, washed and torn
2 ripe pears, thinly sliced
2oz Asiago cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler
1/2 C cashews

Toss the greens with the dressing. Arrange everything else on top.


Pita Chips
Cut pita bread into strips or triangles and tear the two sides apart. Arrange the pita bread pieces on cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Stir with a spatula to coat the bread with oil. Sprinkle with salt. Bake in the oven at 350F until crispy (about 10 minutes).

I served this with cream of pumpkin soup, but that recipe was only OK, not awesome. But it did go pretty well with the pear salad.

Beef Sirloin Tips w/Smokey Pepper Sauce

I just made this for lunch today and Dad and I both really liked it. It is from Better Homes and Gardens magazine. It was a very quick, easy meal to make. Of course, we tweaked it some, so here is the original recipe with my comments at the end.

beef sirloin tips with smokey pepper sauce

Start to Finish: 30 minutes

ingredients

• 1-1/2 lb. beef sirloin tip steak
• 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika or paprika
• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 12- to 16-oz. jar roasted red and/or yellow sweet peppers
• 1/2 cup hickory- or mesquite-flavored barbecue sauce
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

directions

1. Trim meat and cut into 1- to 1-1/2-inch chunks; sprinkle with paprika. In a 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add meat; brown 5 minutes or to desired doneness. Remove from skillet; keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, drain roasted red peppers, reserving liquid. Cut up roasted peppers. Measure 1/2 cup of the reserved liquid (if needed, add enough water to equal 1/2 cup). Add peppers and the liquid to the skillet. Add barbecue sauce. Cook, uncovered, 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently until sauce is slightly thickened. Return meat to skillet; heat through.

3. Sprinkle with parsley. Makes 4 servings.

nutrition facts

• Calories367,
• Total Fat (g)18,
• Saturated Fat (g)6,
• Monounsaturated Fat (g)9,
• Polyunsaturated Fat (g)2,
• Cholesterol (mg)111,
• Sodium (mg)510,
• Carbohydrate (g)13,
• Total Sugar (g)7,
• Fiber (g)2,
• Protein (g)36,
• Vitamin C (DV%)2.64,
• Calcium (DV%)5,
• Iron (DV%)21,
• Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

The meat would be better sliced thinner than the recipe suggests. Also, I would add mushrooms and onions to the peppers. Be sure to use the smoked paprika - it is my new favorite seasoning. I added some black pepper and some red cooking wine. The sauce is a really good flavor. If you want lots of sauce, just use some more liquid and BBQ sauce. We served it over rice, but the suggestions in the magazine were polenta, couscous or mashed potatoes. Try it, it really is good!

Magic in the Middles

This recipe is from the King Arthur Flour website, I love their recipes. It's kind of like a peanut butter cup in cookie form (click here to see a photo). They turned out delicious (and very rich!). They were more work than your average cookie, but I'll definitely make them again. Perfect to add to my cookie plates I'll give the neighbors at Christmas!

Magic in the Middles

Chocolate Dough
1 1/2 cups (6 3/8 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt (can omit if using salted butter)
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar (plus extra for dredging)
1/2 cup (3 3/4 ) brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk

Peanut butter filling
3/4 cup peanut butter, crunchy or smooth, your choice
3/4 cup (3 ounces) confectioners’ sugar

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.
2. To make the dough: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
3. In another medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the sugars, butter, and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and the egg, beating to combine, then stir in the dry ingredients, blending well.
5. To make the filling: In a small bowl, stir together the peanut butter and confectioners sugar until smooth.
6. With floured hands or a teaspoon scoop, roll the filling into 26 one-inch balls.
7. To shape the cookies: Scoop 1 tablespoon of the dough (a lump about the size of a walnut), make an indentation in the center with your finger and place one of the peanut butter balls into the indentation.
8. Bring the cookie dough up and over the filling, pressing the edges together cover the center; roll the cookie in the palms of your hand to smooth it out. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
10. Roll each rounded cookie in granulated sugar, and place on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.
11. Grease the bottom of a drinking glass, and use it to flatten each cookie to about 1/2-inch thick.
12. Bake the cookies for 7 to 9 minutes, or until they’re set and you can smell chocolate. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack.

Beef Stew

Shalane asked me for the recipe for my beef stew, and sorry to say it is one of those that I make different each time. But here are the basics. I use the McCormick Beef Stew seasoning mix - hope they still sell that! We have found that about a cup of red wine (not cooking wine - and yes I did brown bag it out of the state liquor store! Ken wouldn't go get it for me) makes a wonderful flavor, especially when cooked a long time in the crock pot.

1 pkg McCormick Beef Stew Seasoning Mix

2 lbs. stew beef (it comes cut into chunks)

oil - about 1 Tbs

flour

potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes (probably 3)

carrots, cut into 1/2" long pieces (probably 2 -3)

any other veggies you want - I have used yellow squash, zucchini, mushrooms, corn, green beans - you get the idea!

I also like it with barley (though Dad doesn't really care for that)

Coat the beef with flour (enough to cover all the pieces). Heat the oil in a large pot and add the coated beef. Brown on all sides - I like to really sear the meat so it is quite browned. Stir in the seasoning mix and at least 3 cups water. You will probably need more when you add the vegetables. I usually transfer it to a crock pot at this point and add the vegetables and more liquid (either water or beef broth) if needed. Then just let it cook on low all day. If you are wanting to make it quicker, leave the meat in the pot and add the vegetables to that. Let it simmer about 1 hour or until the vegetables are tender.

Spicy Chicken Corn Chowder

A little time consuming, but really good. I made it one day ahead and just warmed it up. I don't like the taste of Tabasco, so used Frank's Red Hot instead. But it wasn't hot enough. Jay added Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce (rooster sauce) to his bowl and really liked it - I think I would make it with that sauce. Also, this makes quite a bit. I halved the recipe and it still made a 2 quart saucepan full.

5 bacon slices, chopped

2 Tbs. butter

1 medium onion, chopped

2-4 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into 1/2" pieces

(I actually used some rotisserie chicken I had in the fridge)

1 cup chopped red or orange bell peppers (about 1 large)

3-4 Tbs. flour

6 cups chicken broth

3 1/2 cups potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2" cubes (I didn't bother to peel them)

1 tsp ground cumin

1 1/2 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme (or 2 tsp dried)

1 (16 oz) bag frozen corn kernels

2 cups half and half or cream

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (of course I used pepper jack!)

1-2 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies

1/4 tsp Tabasco sauce

1/2 cup green onions

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Cook bacon in large pot over medium-high heat until crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain and cool; reserve for garnish. Pour off all but 1/4 cup drippings from pot. Add butter to pot and melt over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, chicken breasts, and bell peppers; saute until onions are soft and chicken is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add flour; stir and simmer for 1-2 minutes.

Stir in broth, then add potatoes, cumin, and thyme; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer uncovered until potatoes are somewhat tender, about 8 minutes.

Add corn, half and half, cheese, green chilies, and Tabasco; simmer until corn is tender, about 8 more minutes. Add green onions and chopped cilantro and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with bacon, additional shredded cheese, green onions, and cilantro.

Slow Cooker Italian Beef

It has gotten pretty chilly here and that makes me want to get out my crock pot. But I somehow only have 3 or 4 good slow cooker recipes. I tried this one last week and Dan and I both loved it. It will definitely be added to the rotation! The meat is incredibly tender and is perfect on a hoagie roll with some provolone cheese.

If anyone has good crock pot recipes, please post them!!!

Slow Cooker Italian Beef
from www.mykitchencafe.com

1 1/2 cups beef broth (can use all water if you don't have any on hand)
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 bay leaf
1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
1 (5 pound) chuck roast (my roast was only 2.5 lbs)

Combine water and beef broth with salt, ground black pepper, oregano, basil, onion salt, parsley, garlic powder, bay leaf, and salad dressing mix. Whisk to combine.

Place roast in slow cooker, and pour salad dressing mixture over the meat. Cover, and cook on Low for 10 to 12 hours, or on High for 4 to 5 hours. When done, remove bay leaf, and shred meat with a fork. You can do this step 30 or so minutes before serving and let the meat absorb more of the juices. Serve on crusty rolls with cheese, if desired.