Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells with Sage Browned Butter

My sister in law was recently diagnosed with several food allergies. This has caused a challenge to her in that it is difficult finding food she can eat and recipes that she is able to cook. Many recipes she has to change and make adjustments. So when she finds a good recipe, it is a celebration! This was one she made recently and shared with me, because she knew I would like it too. She was right! This recipe is easy and so delicious. 

I brought left overs to work and my friend, Josh finished it for lunch, raving about it- especially the brown butter sage sauce. 

Ingredients

Roasting the squash

Mixing up the ricotta stuffing for the shells

The roasted squash after mashing

The ricotta butternut squash stuffing ready to go!

Ready for the oven

All done!

Browning the butter

Adding in the sage leaves

Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells with Sage Browned Butter

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 ounce package of jumbo pasta shells (I filled 25 shells)
2 cups of part-skim ricotta cheese
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/2 cup packed fresh spinach (chop after measuring)
1 large egg
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
10 fresh sage leaves

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Peel the butternut squash and chop the flesh into cubes (dispose of the seeds). Toss the cubed squash with the olive oil and roast in the oven for 20 mins, or until the squash is fork tender.

2. Put the squash in a bowl and mash with a fork (or place in immersion blender and blend) until smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature. Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.

3. Cook the jumbo pasta shells in boiling water until al dente and drain.

4. In a bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, garlic, spinach, egg, S+P and fresh lemon zest. Stir well. Then add the squash, folding in so it is evenly spread. Stuff the shells with this mixture and place them in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Bake the shells until they are hot all the way through, about 20 minutes.

5. While the shells are baking, prepare the sauce by melting the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat until the butter is golden-brown, about 10 minutes. (Be careful, its easy to burn the butter). Add the sage leaves and cook until they are slightly crisp. Remove the pan from the heat and squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon.

6. Drizzle the sauce over the cooked shells adding 1-2 sage leaves on top. Enjoy!

Adapted from: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Roasted Butternut Squash

Butternut squash is a fall favorite! I had not cooked it prior to receiving it in our CSA basket a couple of years ago. I have tried it several different ways, but I will share with you my favorite so far. To boot, this recipe is super, super easy to make. I like to serve it as a side to a meat (usually chicken or pork). This recipe has a hint of sweetness so its balanced nicely by another vegetable or salad. I hope you enjoy it!

It would make a perfect side to compliment your turkey on Thanksgiving!

Not many ingredients are required

Peeled and chopped squash with the butter and brown sugar mixture

Ready to be roasted

Delicious!

Roasted Butternut 

Squash

Ingredients

1 medium butternut squash (2-3 pounds)
3-4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/8 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

2. Peel the squash and cut in half lengthwise. Remove and discard the seeds. Cut the squash into 1 - 1 1/2 " cubes and place them in a bowl.

3. Mix together the melted butter and brown sugar. Pour over the cubed squash. Add the salt and pepper and toss the squash to coat.

4. Spread out the squash in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 45 - 55 minutes until the squash is tender and the glaze begins to caramelize. Be sure to turn/stir the squash while its roasting to be sure it browns evenly.

5. Once roasted, taste a piece, and add more S + P as needed. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Paprika Chicken with Pasta in a Creamy Tomato Sauce

This is one of my most favorite meals. I got the recipe from my favorite food blog, Crepes of Wrath (everything she makes is amazing). It is the perfect fall/winter meal. As soon as the weather turned cold I've had this dish on my mind, so when it was my turn to host supperclub, I knew just what to make!

There are a few things I do differently but for the most part I stick pretty closely to the recipe- it's that good!

The paprika chicken has the perfect amount of heat and provides a flavor I had never thought to mix with a pasta dish before. And the creaminess of the tomato sauce balances the heat from the chicken. Mmmm it is SO good. All you need is a side of veggies and a glass of red wine and you have one happy and satisfied belly!

Ingredients

Spices for the chicken

Spices rubbed into the chicken

Searing the chicken

Sautéing the onions and garlic

Voila!

Lara made a side salad of balsamic green beans, tomatoes, red onion and feta. It was the perfect match! 

Don't forget the parmesan!

Paprika Chicken with Pasta in a Creamy Tomato Sauce

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

6 large chicken breasts (I cut them in half, which provided an assortment of sizes of chicken breasts)

2 1/2 tsp salt and black pepper (divided) and more to taste 

1 1/2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes, divided 

3 teaspoons of oregano

3 teaspoons of dried basil

6 tablespoons paprika (I like to mix regular and smoked)

3 tablespoons of olive oil

2 large yellow onions, diced

5 cloves of garlic

4 bay leaves

2 24 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes with basil 

1 4 ounce can of tomato paste

1 pound of pasta (I used shells because the store was out of orecchiette. I've also used linguine before)

1 1/4 cups of light sour cream

Directions

1. Season each peice of chicken with 1/2 tsp of salt and black pepper. Mix together the red pepper flakes, oregano, basil, and paprika. Rub the spices on the chicken breasts.

2. In a large skillet heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high and lay the chicken down in the pan. Sear each side of the breast for about 5 minutes on each side. (I had to do this in batches.) Place the chicken aside (it should be raw in the middle- the searing should only cook the outside)

3. If needed, add more olive oil to the pan  (I needed to) and turn the heat down to medium. Add the diced garlic and onions being sure to scrape all of the browned bits on the pan from the chicken. Sauté the onions and garlic until translucent (about 8 minutes)

4. Turn the heat down to low and add the tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaves and stir to combine. 

5. Add in the chicken with the sauce and cover. Simmer for 1-2 hours making sure to stir the sauce and rearrange the chicken (every 20 mins) so none of the breasts are sitting directly on the pan for the entire time. 

6. Thirty minutes before dinner time boil your pasta in a pot of water. 

7. While the pasta is boiling, remove the chicken and place in a bowl (cover with foil) and set aside. Temper the sour cream by adding a spoonful or two of the tomato sauce to the sour cream and whisk until smooth. (This will allow you to have a smooth sauce instead of chunks that will form from the cold sour cream hitting the heat of the sauce)

8. If there is any fat sitting at the top of the sauce, skim it off, then add in the tempered sour cream and stir until combined, then your cooked pasta. Serve the pasta with the chicken.

It serves 6 with leftovers for the next couple of nights! I like cutting the breasts to make different sized portions of chicken. It provides a more customized meal, as some people will have smaller portions of chicken and others will grab 2-3 pieces! I usually grab a small piece of chicken and load up on the pasta :)

Grab a side of veggies and some vino! Salute!

Adapted From The Crepes of Wrath

Venison Chili

So it seems like Charleston skipped right over fall, and now all of the sudden its winter! I know warmer weather is on its way, but this weekend was too cold for my liking. Friends in Greenville, Columbia and NC got snow- on November 1st! Anyway, the colder weather has me (and probably many of you) craving chili. Luckily, we had one package of ground venison left in the freezer, so I thawed it out and made some venison chili- yum!

Now there are about a billion different ways to make chili- including variations on the original with many different ingredients. Today, I stuck close to the classic chili, but there are a few things I do differently. For one, I use venison instead of ground beef. There is something so right about venison  in chili.

Ingredients

I use a can of kidney beans as well as black and pinto beans. The green peppers and jalapeños are a must. I also add hot sauce to taste at the end.

Dicing the garlic and onion- as you can see I like a thick diced onion to help make the chili "chunkier"

Don't you drink beer while making chili :)

Bacon!

Sautéing the onion, jalapeño, garlic and onion in the left over bacon grease

Set bacon to the side

Rinsing the beans in water

Chopped bacon

Tomatoes and beans in the crock pot

Add the spices to the sautéed mixture prior to placing ingredients in the crock pot 

The venison- I add yellow mustard and soy sauce to
take some of the "gamey taste" out of it

Strain the venison as some water will accumulate from cooking it

Once everything is in the crockpot- taste it and add more spices and hot sauce as needed

Ingredients

2 green peppers, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
2 yellow onions, diced
3 cloves of garlic, finely diced
2 strips of bacon
3- 28-ounce cans of crushed tomatoes
1 can of kidney beans
1 can of black beans
1 can of pinto beans
1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp cumin
Salt (I use Garlic salt) + Black pepper

Package of ground venison (or beef/turkey etc)
~About 1 1/2 - 2 pounds

Directions

1. Put 3 cans of crushed tomatoes in the crock pot.

2. Pour beans into a strainer and rinse thoroughly with water. Add to the crock pot and turn it on low.

3. Fry bacon in a cast iron skillet and then set aside, leaving the bacon grease in the skillet.

4. Add the onion, garlic, jalapeño and green peppers to the skillet with the bacon grease and sauté for 5-7 minutes until the onions are translucent.

5. Add the chili powder, crushed red pepper flakes, and cumin. Stir the vegetables mixing in the spices evenly and allow to simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Add this mixture to the crock pot.

6. Chop up the bacon and add to the crock pot.

7. In the same skillet, cook your meat until it is no longer pink. Strain the water from the venison that results from cooking it. Then, add the venison to the crockpot.

8. Stir all ingredients together in the crock pot, give it a taste and add more heat/salt/pepper as you see fit. I like to go a little "lighter" on seasonings on the front end, because you can always add more at the end.

I added about 1 tsp of garlic salt and chili powder and several dashes of hot sauce.
Feel free to add other ingredients- I add fresh roasted corn whenever it is in season!

Make sure the chili sits in the crock pot for at least two hours (on low) to allow all of the flavors to meld.

This serves about 8 people.

Enjoy- And don't forget your cheddar cheese and other toppings of preference!

What are your favorite ways to make chili??

Roasted Root Vegetable Salad

Summer and fall, fall and summer- VEGETABLES. I love them. I don't know what it is, but I crave vegetables during summer and fall. Our CSA has lended nicely to this craving with fresh, local vegetables that inspire. The fall vegetables, namely the root vegetables are so earthy, colorful and full of deep, rich flavor. My most favorite are beets. I've only boiled them in the past, which is so easy and delicious. 

I found this recipe in a magazine and it was perfect timing, as we received beets, turnips and sweet potatoes (turnips not pictured- I remembered them after I peeled all the veges- eek!) in our weekly CSA with Rosebank Farms. Roasting the vegetables brings out the sweetness in them. This salad is so full of flavor- I'm kinda hooked!

                            Fresh, raw vegetables

Peeled beets- save the greens- you can cook them too!

Peeled sweet potatoes, carrots and parsnips

Shallots

Roasted root vegetables
-carrots
-parsnips
-turnips
-sweet potatoes
-beets

Ingredients for the salad dressing, which is just as addicting

Ingredients:

2 medium beets

1 bag of fresh carrots

1-2 bags of parsnips

2 medium turnips

2 medium sweet potatoes

4 medium shallots

Chopped pecans

8 cups of romaine lettuce

Salad dressing:

6 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoon snipped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon honey

1-2 cloves of garlic

salt + pepper

Directions:

1. Wash and peel all vegetables

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the beets into 1-inch pieces. Place in a 2-quart baking dish. Toss with olive oil and S+P to taste. Cover the dish with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes

3. Meanwhile, cut the carrots, turnips, sweet potatoes and parsnips into 1-inch pieces. Place in a 15 x 10x 1-inch baking pan. Add the chopped shallots. Toss with olive oil and S+P.

4. Remove foil from the dish with the beets, stir the beets. Increased oven temperature to 425 degrees. Return the beets to the oven and place the pan with the other vegetables alongside the beets. Toast veges in both pans uncovered for 30-40 minutes (until tender).

5. Meanwhile, for the dressing. Combine the ingredients (olive oil, white wine vinegar, thyme, dijon mustard, honey, garlic and S+P). Blend with the emulsion hand blender. Place in the refrigerator. 

6. To serve, in a large bowl toss the romaine with the dressing. Top with the warmed vegetables, sprinkle the pecans over top and serve immediately.

Serves about 10 (I had to make more dressing later in the week)

ENJOY!

The finished product with the salad dressing!
























Will and I ate this all week long. He grilled some pork and he ate it on the side or on top of the salad (just for extra protein). The pork complimented the salad well if you're looking to add more protein. I usually feel the need to eat something hot for dinner, but this salad satisfied. It really is a hearty salad. Root vegetables are filling and somewhat starchy, so they fulfill the craving for pastas and breads while providing tons of nutrition! I hope you enjoy this salad as much as I do!

Recipe adapted from:
Better Homes and Gardens