Cook Once, Eat All Week: My Turn

(Please forgive the poor quality of all the photos... I'm lazy and snapping pics with my phone instead of the real camera.)

So this week I took a page from the Book of Beth and am trying out the Cook Once, Eat All Week thing. So far I like it and plan to do it again for next week! I also enlisted the help of the kids, and they are already planning what they want to cook for next week.

I used your plan and recipes from your Part II post, with a few modifications. We did our cooking Monday afternoon, since I was returning from a weekend trip on Sunday. I think next time I should double the recipes, since I have (more than) twice as many people to feed as you do, but we are making it work this week with the shortened week and Oscar being busy with work-related dinners a couple of times this week.

Monday's dinner was the Italian Sausage and Pepper Pasta, which everyone really enjoyed (except Oscar, as he had a fancy working dinner out at a restaurant that night and hasn't tried it yet). This recipe make quite a lot, so I plan to serve it again tomorrow night (Thursday). We also made the Spiced Cauliflower with Garlic recipe, but with the addition of carrots, since I had some and I needed to stretch the recipe to feed five people. You are right - it was sooooo good! It reminded me of curried vegetables, which my mother-in-law does not like, so I was surprised that she said she liked it. I did think it was sort of an odd pairing with the pasta, but it was still delicious!

On Tuesday, we ate the Smoky and Creamy Corn Soup. I added some smoked turkey sausage to the pot (again, to stretch it out for more people), which was tasty. It was a little spicy for the girls, so next time I might halve the chipotle powder, or even leave it out altogether. I ended up stirring in some light sour cream in an attempt to temper the heat, which didn't really work, but it still tasted yummy. The girls did a good job of eating it, even though it was too spicy for their taste buds. The adults all loved it, though. There was just enough left over for Oscar to take some for his lunch today.

Originally I had planned to serve these whole wheat muffins with the corn soup. The girls pretty much made these by themselves and did a great job! You can see from the picture at the top of this post that we sprinkled some mini-chocolate chips on top of half of them, but left the other half plain so they would still be sugar-free. They were really good, and we plan to make them again. However, I had to test out a bread recipe for the cooking class I co-teach for our Thursday homeschool co-op, and I decided at the last minute yesterday to make that to go with our soup dinner instead. I needed a bread that can be made in one hour (the length of our class time), and I found this recipe. Even though it's not as good as my favorite bread, it did turn out really well, and I'd make it again if I need bread in a hurry. We are definitely using the recipe for our cooking class this week, as well. The muffins we have been enjoying for breakfast and snacks, instead.


Tonight we will try the Mexican Style Rice Casserole. I actually made several modifications to this recipe (nothing drastic), based on ingredients I already had in the house. First, I used basmati rice instead of brown. Also, I substituted black beans for the refried beans in the bean-corn layer. Since I already had some fresh kale, we chopped and steamed it in the microwave and used that instead of the frozen greens called for in the original recipe. And finally, I used more cheese; that six tablespoons of shredded cheese in the first layer looked shockingly skimpy to me. More! Cheese! The girls are a bit more skeptical about trying this dish, since neither are big fans of either rice or kale. We'll see how it goes. I'll probably throw together a simple green salad to serve with it tonight, also.

I cooked too much rice for the casserole, and decided to use the extra in a rice pudding that we had for breakfast yesterday. I used this recipe, with cranberries instead of raisins. YUM! This is the best rice pudding I've ever made; I've made rice pudding (not this particular recipe) a few times before but have never been very excited about the result. This was great! The egg and butter make all the difference, I think.


Tomorrow night we'll eat the remaining pasta, and on Friday my mother-in-law will help cook fish (for Lent). And Saturday? I haven't figured that out yet...

So far, I like the way our week is going with this dinner plan, and I think we'll do it again for next week! I'm collecting some ideas in my head for the next week, like spaghetti (the kids love it) and maybe some beans. However, there are also a lot of good ideas out there on the interwebs, like this plan from Self magazine, that we might try, too. I also noticed the Weight Watchers website has a few more plans, also.

Are you still "cooking once, eating all week?" It takes some forethought and a bit of time once a week, but I'm convinced it's worth it - certainly it's better than scrambling every single busy day to get a healthy dinner on the table. It's allowed me a little more breathing time so far this week, which is invaluable!

Crusty Bean Cakes with Garlic and Herbs

♪ ♪ Beans, beans, the magical fruit...
(Come on, you know the rest.)

I think beans have an undeserved bad reputation. As the childish ditty implies, they can make some of us gassy, but they are also often looked down upon as "poor people's food." However, when cooked the right way, beans are so good and satisfying!

Cook a pot of beans, and you can do many different things. Take the plain, underrated pinto bean, for example. You can make chili and cornbread. Refried beans for burritos. Or tostadas. Or huevos rancheros. How about pintos with swiss chard and goat cheese (I need to try that one soon)? Or beans and rice ala the "whole bowl." One of Dad's favorites is a simple ham and bean soup served with fresh, buttered dinner rolls. Heck, I've even seen recipes for "fudge" using pinto beans, though I haven't been brave enough to try it myself.

Or try making these fun little crunchy bean cakes. I can't tell you how much I love these! They are very versatile; you can experiment to find your own favorite bean/cheese combination. I usually make these with black beans and cheddar or Parmesan, but I tried them this last weekend with pintos for the first time, and they turned out yummy. The recipe is actually an adaptation of the original crusty lentil cakes recipe from (my well-worn-falling-apart-at-the-binding copy of) Rick Bayless's Mexican kitchen, so apparently lentils are good here, too.

Yes, you could make these with canned beans instead, but they wouldn't be nearly as tasty. Besides, have you read about the recent tests on BPA in canned foods, conducted by Consumer Reports? Scary stuff. We're better off cooking our own beans. Beans freeze really well, so you can always cook up a big pot and use some now and freeze the rest for later. Click here for a good primer on how to cook dried beans, if you're not sure about that part.

Here's the recipe:



Crusty Bean Cakes with Garlic and Herbs

4 cups of any cooked, drained beans
1 medium onion
Vegetable or olive oil, for sauteing the onions and for pan-frying the bean cakes
6 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/4 cup cheese (like crumbled Mexican queso anejo, dry feta, Parmesan, or even pepper-jack or cheddar)
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Salt, about 3/4 teaspoon
2 eggs
3 tablespoons milk
About 2 cups dry bread crumbs
Plenty of salsa, for serving

Chop the onion and saute over medium heat in a little oil, until browned and tender.

Roast the unpeeled garlic in a dry pan, turning occasionally, until soft and blackened in spots, about 15 minutes. Cool, peel, and finely chop.

In a large bowl, mix beans, onion, garlic, cheese, cilantro and pepper. Taste and season with salt, usually about 1/2 teaspoon.

Form the bean mixture into 12 to 14 2-inch disks, each about 1/2 inch thick (packing the mixture into a 1/4-cup measuring cup is an easy way to do this; gently tap the cake out of the measuring cup to dislodge it. Transfer the cakes to a baking sheet lined with foil or wax paper. Freeze for a half hour or so, to firm for easier breading.

Beat the eggs, milk, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish, and spread out the bread crumbs on a plate. Dip both sides of each bean cake in the egg mixture, then dredge in the crumbs, pressing the crumbs into a firm coating completely covering the cake. Refrigerate covered if not frying immediately.

Turn on the oven to the lowest setting. Heat a 1/8-inch coating of oil in a large, well seasoned or nonstick skillet over medium heat. In batches, fry the cakes in an uncrowded single layer until brown and crusty, about 3 minutes on each side. Remove and drain on paper towels, keeping the fried cakes warm in a single layer in a low oven while finishing the others. Serve each portion of your crusty cakes on a warm dinner plate in a pool of spicy salsa or sauce, decorated with cilantro sprigs.

Advance preparation: The bean cakes can be shaped and frozen several weeks ahead. Bread them while frozen, then let them defrost for several hours in a single layer in the refrigerator. Another option is to reheat them gently in a 300 or 350 degree oven; they will crisp up again nicely, but you do need to be careful that the oven isn't too hot or they will get too brown on the outside.

Sunday Baking

The pace of life never seems to quite slow down. If anything, it is only steadily speeding up. We returned from our weeks-long vacation to Oregon back in July, but I still don't feel like things are back to "normal." What is "normal," anyway? Does such a state even exist? Perhaps this is the new normal, and I just need to accept it.

I've known for a while that I really need to do something to take back the control of our increasingly hectic family life. For me, a big part of it centers around feeding my family. When things are too crazy and there is no plan, we end up eating out more or purchasing more convenience-type foods at the store, which results in spending more money than we need to (or should), not feeling our physical best, and getting into the general rut of unhealthy habits, from which it can be hard to break free. And my jeans are getting tight, which is not how I want to start the holiday season.

Beth, I know your schedule has only gotten more full lately, too. I've recently discovered a couple of websites I'd like to share that lately have provided me with some inspiration to eat well again, while still accommodating the reality of life.

The first is actually an article from Mother Earth News on how to make the best ever artisan bread at home. It is, quite literally, Five Minutes a Day for Fresh-Baked Bread (it is a long article worth the read, but the directions for the master recipe begin on page three). Beth, the technique is similar to the one outlined in the New York Times article on No Knead Bread that you mentioned in your post a while back on No-Knead Sourdough Bread, but without the added complication of using a heavy pot with a lid to bake it (I mean, really... you don't need a lidded pot to bake artisan bread). And the sheer beauty of this recipe is that you mix up enough dough for at least three loaves of bread, and then store it in your refrigerator for up to two weeks (!) while using only as much dough as you want, whenever you want to bake it. A time-saving genius! The article also gives proportions for mixing up a larger batch of dough, should you feel it is necessary to do so. The first time I made this bread, everyone at the table swooned and declared the the Best. Bread. Ever. Which is really saying something, since I've baked a lot of good bread. I don't think I'll ever need (or want) to use another recipe.

The other website is Linda Watson's Cook for Good. The thing that intrigues me about this site is the premise - and proof - that it really is possible to eat healthily, consciously, and conveniently, without spending a fortune at hoity-toity grocery stores, like the one that rhymes with "Mole Dudes" (also often referred to as "Whole Paycheck"). There are lots of good ideas here, and Linda also has several ebooks for sale if you are looking for more specific guidance with even more recipes and meal plans.

Sunday is my day off, which is when I am mostly (but not always!) inspired to do the things I enjoy most, like creating extraordinary meals out of ordinary ingredients. Today I baked an apple-cranberry pie using Linda's Sneaky-Wheat Butter Pie Crust. I also baked a loaf of fresh bread, which we will enjoy with tonight's dinner of salad and crusty bean cakes with garlic and herbs. And, of course, a modest slice of pie for dessert.

Do try the bread soon; I can't wait to hear what you think!

Inaugural Recipes: Cherry Chutney and Apple Cake

Happy Inauguration Week, y'all!

Inspired by the official inauguration luncheon menu, we marked the occasion with a special dinner of our own. Instead of duck, we had chicken breast topped with the cherry chutney; instead of an apple sponge cake, I baked Grammy's fresh apple cake, and we enjoyed it topped with whipped cream. No pictures today, but recipes for the cherry chutney and apple cake are posted below.

First, the cherry chutney: the list of ingredients is a bit long, but most ingredients are basic. The only special ingredients I needed to pick up from the store were the cherries and the golden raisins. I'm sure regular raisins would be equally as flavorful, if not as colorful. I made very few changes to the original recipe. Instead of shallots, I used the white parts of scallions, and instead of tarragon or chives, I used the green parts of said scallions. The official recipe mentions tomato paste, but I used a fresh, chopped tomato. The end result was fantastic. In Oscar's words, "Sweet, spicy, and delicious!"

Now, about Grammy's apple cake: I've posted the recipe exactly as she wrote it out for me in her own handwriting, many years ago. Her recipe indicates the cake should be baked in a 13x9" pan, but I always remember Grammy using loaf pans. Thus, as a child, I thought of it more like bread than cake. However, the recipe calls for plenty of sugar, butter, and white flour; clearly, it is cake, not bread. Today, I baked the batter in two loaf pans. One cake was devoured tonight, and the other goes in the freezer to enjoy another day.

And finally, the recipes...


Cherry Chutney

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp chopped scallions, white parts only
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp hot red pepper flakes
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 medium tomato, de-seeded and chopped
1/4 cup red wine
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 can Oregon brand Bing cherries, drained and quartered
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 tbsp chopped scallions, green parts only

Heat oil over medium heat, then add onion, garlic, and white scallions; cook and stir until soft and golden. Add chopped tomato, black pepper, cumin, red pepper flakes, and 1/4 tsp salt; cook for about a minute. Add bell pepper and cook until softened, reducing heat if necessary. Stir in wine, vinegar, an sugar; simmer about 5 minutes. Stir in mustard, half of the cherries, and remaining 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste); simmer 1 minute. If desired, remove 1/4 cup of mixture to a blender and puree until very smooth and reserve for glazing meat or poultry. Finish the chutney by adding the remaining cherries, the raisins, and the chopped green scallions.


Grammy's Apple Cake

2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
4 cups grated or chopped apples
1/2 cup nuts
1/2 cup softened butter
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 325F degrees. Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and beat just until combined (the batter will be thick). Turn batter into a greased 13x9" pan and bake for about one hour.

Herbed Pork Stew with Mushrooms and Carrot Greens

We enjoyed this stew on a recent Sunday afternoon, when everyone was lazing around all day with the sniffles and sneezes.

Carrot greens, surprise surprise, taste quite carrot-y. I used just the greens in this stew, and the carrots in a rice dish later in the week, but I'm sure it would be extra tasty to chop the carrots and add them along with the mushrooms.

And for those of you who know I don't eat mushrooms: they show up in our local box delivery every now and then, so I use them. Oscar loves them; I pick them out. That's one reason they are whole in this recipe - easy for me to remove, but big bites of mushroom-y goodness for Oscar to enjoy.

Herbed Pork Stew with Mushrooms and Carrot Greens

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs pork loin roast, cubed
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
7 cloves of garlic, as as many as you can stand
3 tbsp flour
salt and pepper
12 oz. beer (I used a bottle of Shiner Light, which is really the only light beer I would recommend; otherwise, just use your favorite regular beer)
Water
1 bunch of carrot greens
A few sprigs each of fresh sage and rosemary
12-15 crimini mushrooms
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, quartered lengthwise
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, or to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat and add the pork in an even layer. As the meat begins to sear, chop the onions and garlic, throw them in the pot and give everything a stir. Once the pork has browned, sprinkle the flour and salt and pepper over the top and mix in. Add the beer, stir around, and then add enough water to cover the meat, letting the mixture come to a simmer.

While the stew is simmering, take a few sprigs of the carrot greens and use kitchen twine to tie them in a bundle with the sage and rosemary, and add the herb bundle to the stew.

Clean the mushrooms and add them whole (you can cut the large ones in half, if desired) to the stew, along with the kalamata olives.

Let the stew simmer slowly for at least 2 hours, or more, adding water as necessary to keep everything submerged.

Just before serving, chop the remaining carrot greens. Remove the herb bundle from the soup (most of the rosemary needles should have dropped off into the stew by now, which is fine), discard, and then stir in the freshly chopped greens. Add Worcestershire sauce to taste, and adjust salt and pepper as necessary. Serve!

Maple Roasted Split Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

Looking for an easy, low-maintenance, yet comforting dish to get you through these hectic days of holiday preparation? This fits the bill. With just a few minutes of preparation, you can slide the chicken and sweet potatoes into the oven to roast while you finish decking the halls or wrapping gifts. Even the kids like it.

I used fresh oregano because that's what was in my refrigerator, but I think thyme or rosemary would work nicely here, too. No fresh herbs around? No problem - just sprinkle in the dried variety instead. Chicken pieces can also be used instead of a split chicken.

Maple Roasted Split Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

1 split chicken, 3-4 lbs., or equivalent in chicken pieces
3-4 medium sweet potatoes
2 yellow onions
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
several sprigs of fresh savory herb, such as oregano, thyme, or rosemary
salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400F.

Peel and cut sweet potatoes into bite-size chunks, and cut onions into wedges. Mix olive oil and maple syrup together, then toss with the vegetables to coat, reserving a bit to drizzle over the chicken in the next step. Salt and pepper as desired.

Place chicken in large pan, and arrange vegetables around chicken. Drizzle reserved maple mixture over the chicken, and then scatter sprigs of herb over the top of chicken and vegetables. My pan was a little crowded in the picture below - I probably should have used a larger pan.


Roast in the hot oven for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the chicken is done, stirring once or twice during cooking time to evenly baste chicken and vegetables.

Cranberry Sauce: Look Ma, No Cans!

The players: an orange, a bag of cranberries, and a cup of sugar

Thanksgiving is - gasp! - just a few days away. Last year, Beth and Daniel visited us here in Austin, and we had a grand time. This year, it will be just Oscar and me and the girls, plus Oscar's mom, who arrives tomorrow.

If you're still planning to pull a can from the pantry when it's time to serve the cranberry sauce at your holiday table, please consider trying this fresh, no-cook cranberry sauce instead. It's so easy, so simple, so fresh, and so very delicious. Try it; I'll be very surprised if you decide to go back to the canned stuff after this. Also, keep in mind that this sauce has great versatility - it goes well with turkey, of course, but it is also an excellent companion with practically any meat or fowl.

This recipe comes from my trusty, tattered Joy of Cooking, which we received as a wedding present nearly nine years ago. The binding is barely holding on, but there are still many good things to make from it's pages. My Joy says you should make this at least two days before serving to allow the flavors to mellow, since the whole orange - rind and all - is used, but I've made it right before serving, and still thoroughly enjoyed it. Besides, I don't think a bowl of this stuff would last that long in my refrigerator. Oscar and I have been known to eat this by the spoonful, all by itself. Yes, it's that good.

Uncooked Cranberry-Orange Relish
from Joy of Cooking

Ingredients:
One 12-oz package of cranberries
1 orange, un-peeled
1 cup sugar

Pick over and rinse the cranberries, discarding any that are soft, spotted, or discolored. Cut the orange into pieces and remove seeds (if present). Place half of the cranberries and half of the orange in a food processor (see note below).



Pulse until mixture is evenly chopped, but not pureed. Transfer to a medium bowl; repeat with remaining cranberries and orange. Stir in the sugar. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.


We enjoyed our cranberry relish the other night with a pork loin roast.

My Joy says this will last up to two weeks in the refrigerator, but I find that information entirely inaccurate. We eat all of ours in just a day or two - it has never lasted two weeks in this house! I guess I'll have to make more next week.

Note: If you do not have a food processor, this can also be made in a blender. I did it last year. You'll have to stop and scrap down the sides a few times before getting a satisfactory texture, but it will work.

Caramelized Onions

Red and yellow onions were taking over my kitchen counter last week, and something had to be done.

So I caramelized a big batch of them, and now I have lots of carmelized onion delicious-ness. Think about the possibilities here. Pizza. Pasta. Soup. Risotto. Quesadillas. Omelets. With goat cheese and herbs, baked into a savory tart!

The first necessary step was peeling and slicing all those onions into rings. Then pouring a few glugs of olive oil and piling those onion rings into a pan.



I don't know if you can tell, but that is a big pan of onions. It's a 12" wide deep-fry pan, so it has deep sides. Note the pot of white beans bubbling away on the back of the stove.

Now all that's necessary is long, slow, and gentle cooking over a low flame. No lid! We want the onions to caramelize, not steam. Poke at them and turn them around every so often with a wooden spoon or tongs, but find something else to do, too. These onions will take their sweet time, here.

The onions are done once they have turned a delicious caramel-ly brown color and are so sweet that they practically melt in your mouth. This might take 45 minutes to an hour, or more.

Remember the white beans on the back of the stove? They were delicious topped with the caramelized onions, along with oven-roasted tomatoes and fresh rosemary.



I wonder if onions can be caramelized in the slow cooker? The idea inspires the lazy cook inside me.

How's the Pumpkin Butter, You Ask?

Positively scrumptious! Velvety-smooth, sweet, spicy, and so full of pumpkin-ey goodness it will warm you up inside. We enjoyed it this morning with freshly baked scones and scrambled eggs.



I ended up letting it bubble away in the Crockpot on low for about eight or nine hours. Long enough for it to get so thick and rich that it sticks to the spoon when turned upside-down.


For the recipe and related post, click here.

Basil Chicken in Lettuce Cups

I harvested the last of my basil the other day and immediately put all of it to good use in this flavorful Thai-inspired basil chicken. Oscar says it is even more awesome as leftovers for lunch the next day.



Ingredients:

4-5 cloves garlic, minced fine
1/2 cup or so of finely minced red peppers, sweet and/or hot (I used a combination)
zest of one lemon and/or lime
2-3 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast, minced fine or ground
1 Tbsp sugar
1-2 Tbsp fish sauce
2-3 Tbsp soy sauce
fresh whole basil leaves, at least 2-3 generous handfuls (the amount of my harvest, shown above, was not quite enough basil for me)
juice of one lemon or lime
Bibb lettuce leaves

Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic, peppers, and zest; stir-fry for one minute. Add chicken and cook thoroughly, mixing and breaking up with a spoon as necessary. When chicken has fully cooked and browned, mix in sugar, fish sauce, and soy sauce. Then add basil leaves.



Cook and stir until basil leaves have wilted, and then squeeze the lemon or lime juice over the basil chicken mixture. Scoop mixture into lettuce leaves and serve.

Pumpkin: Seeds, Puree, and Butter!

Happy Halloween, everyone! We are sure to see lots of jack o'lanterns on display tonight, and today we're going to talk about fresh pumpkin puree, roasted and crunchy pumpkin seeds, and sweet, spicy, and velvety-smooth pumpkin butter.

As you get ready to carve your best pumpkin face tonight, don't forget there's lots of good eating to enjoy there. Of course, the carving pumpkin variety is not really the smoothest or sweetest squash out there. If you are buying pumpkin purely for the sake of eating, consider using a smaller variety, like the sugar pumpkin or kabocha. But if you are carving jack 0'lanterns tonight, remember to save the good parts, because that is perfectly edible pumpkin and can be used in a myriad of ways!

We clean the pumpkin before starting so that no dirt transfers to the inside of the pumpkin when we cut into it.

First, the seeds. Everyone knows the seeds are delicious when simply roasted and salted. Or we can get crazy with our spices and concoct our signature flavor roasted pumpkin seeds. I'm imagining cinnamon. Or garlic and lemon-pepper. Or maybe something spicy, like chili and lime, or curry powder. Mmmmmm. How about roasted in soy or tamari sauce? That sounds good, too. I can't decide!

• Roasted Pumpkin Seeds: To prepare the seeds, you must remove them from the pumpkin and then rinse in water to remove all the stringy bits. Next dry them out on a towel. Toss them in a bowl with your seasonings of choice. Roast in a single layer on a lightly oiled cookie sheet at 250F degrees for about an hour, stirring every 10-15 minutes or so.

These are great. Pumpkin seeds are a good source of zinc. Snack on them alone, or add them to salads, muffins, breads, or anywhere else we would use nuts.



Now for the pumpkin "meat." We don't want all the stringy stuff, of course. Throw that out with the compost. We want the chunky flesh. When you cut out the face parts or other shapes from your jack 0'lantern, toss them in a baking dish. We're going to bake the pumpkin pieces in the oven until they get nice and soft. You can remove the skin with a paring knife now, or later, after the pumpkin is cooked. Do you carve out the inner wall of the pumpkin to reduce thickness before carving your design? Toss that in the baking dish, too! Just remember, none of the slimy, stringy, messy guts.

• To make pumpkin puree: Place pumpkin chunks in a baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Bake at 350F degrees for about an hour, or until pieces can be poked easily with a fork. When pumpkin has cooled, remove any skin if necessary. Puree in a food processor until smooth, or mash and press through a sieve.

Now we have pumpkin puree! This can be used just like the canned pumpkin available at the grocery store. There are lots of pumpkin recipes out there, y'all. You can make pie, cake, muffins, bread, pancakes, soup, souffle... what else?

What am I making with my pumpkin puree? I'm making pumpkin butter! It's bubbling away in my little Crockpot right now, in fact. Want to try some? Here's the recipe - let me know what you think!

• Pumpkin Butter: Combine two cups of pumpkin puree, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves. Cook in a small-size slow cooker on the low setting for 6-12 hours. We want the pumpkin butter to stay on a spoon when the spoon is turned upside down. If you don't have a small slow cooker, you can also cook this on the stove in a saucepan, stirring frequently, over medium-low heat for an hour or two.

With such a small recipe, I won't bother with any canning. I plan to keep a bit in the refrigerator to use now, and perhaps freeze the rest for another time. It should keep fresh in the 'fridge for two to three weeks, and in the freezer for at least six months up to a year.

Have a great Halloween! Don't eat too much candy; it's not good for you in so many ways.

I'll be back later with more food to share - there's been a lot of cooking going on around here, and I have some yummy things to show you, like Thai basil chicken, roasted tomatoes and carmelized onions, and chorizo & potato stuffed peppers. And I've baked a pretty birthday cake and some tea party cupcakes, too!

Coconut Chicken Curry with Sweet Potatoes and Lentils

This curry was so good that we (four adults) ate it all before I had a chance to take any pictures. Now I have a wonderful excuse to make it again real soon, just so I can add a picture to this post.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
2-3 Tbsp mild Indian curry paste
2 pieces of boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced into bite-sized chunks
2 medium size sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into bite-size chunks
1/4 cup lentils (I used the split red lentils)
1 14 oz. can of coconut milk
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
other vegetables of choice, diced into small pieces, if necessary (I threw in about a half a cup green peas, straight from the freezer, because that's what I had)

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the curry paste and stir-fry for about a minute. Then add the chicken, sweet potatoes and lentils; stir until well-coated in spices and oil.

Add the coconut milk and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and cook about 20 minutes, or until the chicken and potatoes are cooked through, and the lentils have thickened the sauce. Add additional veggies and simmer for another 5-10 minutes, until vegetable pieces are tender.

Serve over hot, cooked basmati rice, or with naan bread for scooping. Delicious!

Looking for more sweet potato ideas? Check out this hash recipe I posted last week - the next time I make it, I think I'll try it with eggs at breakfast time and use chicken sausage instead. Yum!

Julie's Best Mac & Cheese

The rain has arrived this week, and it had us stuck in the house all day yesterday. So it seemed like the perfect day for a warm bowl of one my kids' favorite comfort foods - macaroni and cheese.

Homemade macaroni and cheese is really not much more complicated than the stuff in the blue box. No, really, it isn't. And for some reason, my girls won't eat the boxed stuff, anyway. (Okay, the obvious reason is because this is much better.) So this is how we make it in our house.

In this dish, I forgo the traditional bechamel sauce, favoring instead a carbonara-esque sauce made with egg and milk. The result is an incredibly rich, creamy, cheesy sauce. Easy and yummy!



Ingredients:

1 cup small pasta (we like whole-wheat organic elbows)
1 egg
1/4 cup milk (although I never measure - just splash it into the bowl with the egg)
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
salt (and pepper) to taste

Boil the pasta as directed.

Meanwhile, beat the egg and milk together in a small bowl. When the pasta is done, drain off the hot water in a strainer and immediately put the empty pot back on the burner over low heat.

Pour the egg-milk mixture into the pot and stir while cooking over low heat for a few minutes. You want to heat the mixture so it gets hot and kills any bacteria and thickens just so slightly, but not scramble the eggs.

Stir in the hot, drained pasta (which will also help cook the egg sauce a bit), and then mix in the shredded cheese until melted and smooth. Add salt to taste (and pepper, if desired), and then EAT!

This makes enough to feed about two hungry kids.

Sweet Potato - Chicken Hash

My Greenling Local Box has been heavy on sweet potatoes for the last few weeks, and I've garnered quite a collection. I was getting tired of my usual standbys (in a vegetable curry or diced and roasted with olive oil as a side dish), so I decided to try something a little different: some hash patties. I topped the hash with a chipotle-garlic salsa, but I think these would be just as good with a finely diced chipotle pepper or two tossed into the hash mix before cooking. I was doubtful as the mixture came together, wondering if it would be a success, but in the end, these turned out very tasty, and I will certainly make these again. Served with cornbread and salad, these made a great weeknight meal.



Ingredients:

2-3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2" cubes
2 pieces of boneless, skinless chicken breast
about 2 Tbsp butter
about 2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small red onion
1/2 green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 tsp paprika
salt and pepper to taste
Salsa, for garnish

Place the sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until potato pieces are soft and easily pierced with a fork. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, chop the chicken breast into very small dice. Or, if you're like me and don't really enjoy the trouble of chopping a lot of raw chicken, toss the chicken into the food processor and process until the chicken is broken up into small bits. (I suppose here you could even use chicken that has been pre-ground by your butcher.) Also finely dice the onion, bell pepper, and garlic. (Or, again, if you're like me and feeling lazy and/or pressed for time, toss these in the food processor, too. When it comes to feeding my kids, the-smaller-the-better when it comes to vegetable pieces, anyway.)

Heat about 1 tablespoon each of olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and vegetable mix, and stir and cook until cooked through and slightly browned. Stir in the oregano and paprika, and then add salt and pepper to taste. Combine the sweet potatoes and chicken mixture in a large bowl, mashing as necessary to bring the mixture together.

In a large skillet (preferably non-stick), heat another tablespoon or so each of butter and olive oil over medium heat. Scoop out 1/4 cup size or so mounds of the hash mixture and place them in the pan, pressing down a bit to make patties. Cook each patty until browned and crisp on one side, then carefully flip with a spatula and cook the other side. I had to cook mine in two batches.

Remove to a plate, top with salsa, and dig in.

Spicy-Sweet Butternut Squash Soup

A butternut squash has been sitting on my kitchen counter for a few weeks now, eyeing me as I walk past everyday, silently challenging me to do something with it. I don't know, but winter squash feels like, well, winter, and it's been hard for me to wrap my mind around cooking with it when it's still 90+ degrees outside. But finally, as the weather begins to cool off here in central Texas (albeit only slightly), I found the inspiration I need. The temperature has fallen to the mid-80's, and we have rain in the forecast. Has fall finally arrived? Let's have some soup.



Ingredients:

1 medium-sized butternut squash
2 medium apples
1 medium onion, diced
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 chipotle peppers with adobe sauce, chopped
1/4 tsp ground cumin
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
dollop or two of cream
salt to taste

While the oven is preheating to 350F, cut the squash open lengthwise and remove the seeds and strings. Quarter and core the apples. Place squash, cut side down, and apples on a lightly greased baking sheet. Roast for about 30 minutes, or until the squash can be pierced easily with the tip of a knife. When cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh of the squash and discard the skin.

In a large soup pot, saute the onions in the olive oil until soft and golden. Add squash, apples, chipotle peppers, cumin, and stock. Simmer gently for 20-30 minutes. Working in batches, puree in blender or food processor to the consistency you like (Ultra smooth, or a little on the chunky side? You choose.). Transfer to a large bowl or soup tureen, salt to taste, and stir in the cream.

Ladle into serving bowls and garnish with extra cream. Serve with good bread and salad, and you have the perfect meal to usher in the cooler weather of fall.

Introducing Julie

I'm Julie, and I love Great Food and sharing it with others. I live in Austin, Texas with my husband, two daughters, a dog, a cat, and two hermit crabs. Getting busy in the kitchen and then savoring the results is one of my favorite pastimes. I think sharing Great Food and Good Times with friends and family is priceless.

Around here, you'll see me doing most of the cooking. I try to keep things simple yet satisfying, since I have a family to feed and it seems like we are always on the go. Freshness and quality are important to me, and local, seasonable ingredients are what inspire me. I do have a terrible sweet tooth, however, and it's not uncommon for me to whip up a batch of something to satisfy that craving. Like brownies. Mmmmm, brownies. Beth and I can both crank out a mean pan of brownies. We learned it from our mom. Thanks, Mom!

Beth came up with the great idea of sharing our virtual kitchen with you, and I enthusiastically jumped on board. There's so much we all can learn from each other, and I'm looking forward to the journey. And maybe someday, if your lucky, we just might share that secret family recipe for brownies...