Sunday, October 24, 2010

Kabocha Squash and Spinach Soup

Last night our neighbor brought us half of a squash that I'd had never seen before... so I looked it up and found out it was a kabocha squash. It looks like this...

I had no idea what to do with it so I looked up recipes and found this one:

Ingredients

4 cups vegetable broth
8 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 medium kabocha squash, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 packed cups baby spinach
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated mozzarella or crumbled feta cheese for garnish
Sour cream

Method

Put broth, garlic, onions, and squash into a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer at a low boil until squash is completely soft, about 15 minutes. Mash contents of pot with a potato masher, then add spinach and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with cheese and sour cream.
Serves 4
You don't have to peel the squash, unless you want to! I heard the peel is healthy, so I left it on!
I cut the recipe in half, since we only had half a squash. It looked so pretty while I was cooking it, so fall-ish! Of course it doesn't really feel like fall here, so it was a bit warm to be eating soup... oh well. It was really yummy, and super filling! We ate it with mozzarella and sour cream on top, with french bread on the side.



Monday, October 11, 2010

Mexican Shells

I have been trying out some new recipes and this was one of our favorites!

1 lb hamburger, browned
4 oz cream cheese (i cut it up in chunks)
1 pack taco seasoning

simmer cream cheese and seasoning with hamburger

8-12 jumbo shells, cooked
1/2 c salsa
1/2 c taco sauce
grated cheese
crushed tortilla chips

Pour salso on bottom of 8x8-inch pan. Stuff shells with hamburger mixture and place on salsa. Pour taco sauce over, sprinkle with grated cheese and bake at 350, covered for 20 minutes. Take it out and sprinkle the crushed chips over the top. Cook for 10 more minutes uncovered.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Pizza Night!


We used to have the BEST homemade pizza while Chad lived with his aunt and uncle in Utah. We loved it so much I had Chad call and get the recipe!

THE DOUGH
First mix:
3 cups warm water
1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons salt

Then slowly add 6 cups of flour
*You can use a mixer, but by the time you get to like the 5th cup of flour, you may need to use your hands! If the dough is really sticky, just add some more flour.

Cover the bowl with a paper towel and let it raise for a couple hours till it doubles in size.

Now you can roll it out into pizzas! This recipe makes 2 large pizzas, so I would suggest cutting it in half. We ate it for dinner last night with the help of some friends, and still had dough leftover to make some for lunch today!

Check out Chad's skills

*preheat oven anywhere between 400 and 450.. and spray a cookie sheet really well

THE SAUCE
We just used some tomato sauce and added italian seasoning, basil, garlic salt, and whatever else Chad added.. he was in charge of sauce.
OR
Just use spaghetti sauce, or a pre-made pizza sauce

Bake for about 15 minutes or until the crust is firm. The crust stays pretty light, so it won't really get golden brown.


I forgot to take a picture until I started eating.. oh well.
I put mushrooms, pepperoni and mozzarella cheese on mine.
YUMMMYYYYYYYYY




Friday, October 8, 2010

Birthday Dinner

Salad, steak, green beans, twice baked potatoes and..

Homemade Razzleberry Pie!
It was fun to get out our china and have good food to put on it. I kind of outdid myself on this dinner, at least on the steak and pie. I marinated the steaks in red wine and balsamic vinegar and black pepper for a few hours, then Garrit grilled them up. They were amazing, we hadn't had steak that good since we went to Rare Steakhouse in Vegas. The pie was surprisingly easy, and delicious. In Garrit's words, "It's like a jam pie!" and just ask Grandma how much Garrit likes jam. He'll eat it with a spoon. Anyway, here's the pie recipe.


Ingredients



  • 1 box of Pillsbury pie crusts

  • 1 bag of frozen raspberries 

  • 1 bag of frozen blackberries

  • 1 cup cut up strawberries

  • 1/3 cup sugar + extra to sprinkle on the crust

  • 2 1/2 Tablespoons flour

  • Crisco (to grease the pan)




  • Directions
    1. Thaw fruit almost completely and pour in colander to strain juice.
    2. In large bowl, mix fruit, sugar and flour together. Line bottom of greased pie plate with crust. Fill with fruit.
    3. Before adding top layer cut design into crust as vents, or roll it out a little thinner and cut into strips to make a lattice crust.  Lay over top of crust, moisten edges with water to "glue" the two crusts together, or weave strips in a lattice pattern. With the back side of a fork, pinch edges together, or pinch with fingers.
    4. Lightly brush top crust with water.
    5. Sprinkle sugar over the top.
    6. Cover edges with 1 1/2" strip of aluminum foil.
    7. Bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.
    8. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes until crust is golden brown.

    Good by itself, but EXCELLENT with fresh whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream.

    Tuesday, October 5, 2010

    Enchilada Soup

    I got this recipe from my good friend Heidi, and it has been one of our favorites! It is perfect for days like today - cold and rainy. It seems like a lot of work, but it is really easy.

    Saute:
       - 1 diced onion
       - chopped up garlic
       - 2 tbs olive oil

    Puree in blender:
       - 1 can green chilies with a little chicken broth

    Boil/Fry/Bake
       - 2 chicken breast
       - shred

    In big pan on stove simmer together:
       - 1 cup beef broth
       - 1 cup chicken broth
       - 1 1/2 cups water
       - 1 can cream of chicken soup
       - 1 tbsp A1 Sauce
       - 2 tsp Worchestershire
       - 1 tsp cumin
       - 1 tsp chili powder
       - salt pepper to taste
       - (if I want to spice it up a little I add some Tobasco sauce - or you could add jalepenos

    When simmering add cooked shredded chicken. Cook together for about 45 min.

    Serve with fritos or tortilla chips, cheese and sour cream!