Falling for Squash

I love fall.  I love the smell of fall.  I love Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas (but not until AFTER Thanksgiving, people!).  I love cooking chili and soup, and all those other cold weather things that smell up the house.  I especially love fall because of squash.

Before becoming the main food preparer in the family, the main way I got squash was mashed.  And that's OK.  But then I discovered squash and how incredibly versatile it is.  My mom and I made this Texas Beef Brisket Chili Recipe and it has squash in it!  It's from Bon Appetit, so really how could it not be good? (And its good, really good)

At the local San Luis Obispo Farmer's Market, I decided to get a butternut squash.  Instead of boiling and mashing it, I diced it up into cubes, tossed it in some olive oil, sprinkled some salt and pepper on it and roasted it in the oven like I do potatoes.  Suddenly, a whole new world of squash opened up!  Another time I sliced it up into little fry shapes and made them a little southwest with some chili pepper and cumin.  Who knew the sweetness of a Butternut Squash would go so well with a little spice!  Roasted squash is also a nice addition to chili.  It's a great vegetable to throw in at the end.  The sweetness can sometimes cut some of the spice and add some low calorie filler! Needless to say, I don't remember the last time we had mashed squash.  Now if only I could get Ryan to eat it!

Acorn squash is another fall favorite, but as far as I'm concerned, it should be mashed.  I make it like my mom did, face down in a pan of water.  Then flip it, fill it's little concavity with butter and brown sugar and enjoy!

Summer is a great time for squash too.  Zucchini and those cute little yellow summer squashes make a great saute with some onion.  I use about 3 Tbsp of the Land O' Lakes Light butter and it makes a fantasticly buttery sauce.

Similar to squash are sweet potatoes.  (If you're wondering the difference between sweet potatoes and yams like I did, go here)  What Thanksgiving dinner is complete without sweet potatoes?  Ok, maybe they are complete here in California, but not in the South.  My sister especially likes the sweet potato casserole with the brown sugar and marshmallows on top.

Inspired by a Lean Cuisine called Beef Barbacoa, I made a slow cooked beef in a spicy sauce and on a separate occasion, I made the chipotle sweet potatoes that accompany it in the frozen meal.  With the beef, I made a "clean out the fridge" type casserole that had in it... you guessed it, squash!

Spicy Adobe Beef
2-3 lb Tri-tip or pot roast
1 can tomato sauce
1 can tomatoes with green chilis (also called Rotel)
1 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 Tbsp chopped garlic (about 2-3 cloves)
1/2 large onion, diced

Throw it all in the crock pot and cook it on low for 6-8 hours.  A warning about the chilis!  I used the whole can and it was HOT.  I like it hot, but if you don't, scrape out the seeds inside, or just use 1 chili per pound of meat.  And use the adobo sauce.

Black Bean and Rice Casserole

1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
1 can black beans
1 cup frozen corn
2 cups diced, roasted butternut squash
1/2 cup (or so) Spicy Adobe Beef juice
1 cup Mexican Blend shredded cheese (or whatever you've got)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook the rice. Combine all the ingredients in a casserole dish.  Sprinkle cheese on top.  Cover for first 20 minutes and then uncover for last 10 minutes for 30 minutes of total cooking time.  Makes about 6-8 servings.

When you serve these, put the beef and the sauce on top.  It is so good!  It has a kick though, so the rice casserole helps to calm that down.

If you'd rather try the Chipotle Sweet Potatoes:

Chipotle Sweet Potatoes
1 lb uncooked sweet potato, cut into cubes
2 Tbsp Land O' Lakes Light Butter
2 Tbsp Fat Free Milk
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin

Cook the sweet potatoes in salted, boiling water until tender.  Drain and transfer to bowl.  Add the Butter and milk and combine until creamy.  Add the chili powder and cumin.  Salt to taste.

So as a reminder, add some squash to your next meal.  You might find it a nice addition to chili, casseroles, or just as a great side dish.  Happy Fall!

Peaches, Mangoes, and Berries, Oh My!

Oh Summer, how I love thee. Thy bountiful harvests overload my refrigerator with delicious fruit.

Ok, enough of the old English, but the sentiment is the same. Summer has the best fruit. I was addicted to mangos for quite a while and ate two or three a day. At first I had to learn how to cut them because the pit is just about impossible to get out. You basically have to cut the meat away from the pit as closely as you can. Kind of like a peach. Here's a web page with step by step instructions. Mangoes are a great addition to fruit salad, smoothies and salsa. Next time I grill a steak, Bobby Flay has an amazing Mango Chimichurri salsa I can't wait to try.

Another great summer fruit is peaches. There aren't many things better than sinking your teeth into a sweet, juicy, perfectly ripe peach. I learned recently that freestone peaches are the ones that separate easily from the stone in the middle. They can be a little more expensive, but they do make eating easier. White peaches are known to be sweeter, but they are also more delicate than yellow peaches and are also typically pricier than the yellow peach. I saw this Grilled Peach Salad and have put it on my to-do list. However, my favorite way to eat peaches is in Peach Crisp. Throw a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top and that, to me, epitomizes summer.

Peach Crisp

6 small-medium peaches, sliced
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Heat oven to 375. Spread peaches evenly in 8x8 pan. In medium bowl combine remaining ingredients until well mixed. Sprinkle over peaches. Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve over ice cream.

The great thing about this recipe is there is almost no such thing as too many peaches. For a great fall or winter treat, or if peaches are too darned expensive, granny smith apples are a great substitute.

And last, but not least, the strawberry. Living in the strawberry capital of the world has spoiled me with fresh, local, sweet strawberries nearly year round. Right now you can buy three overflowing pints at the San Luis Obispo farmer's market for $4. It is a little ludicrous. Aaron eats them on his cereal in the morning, but I just eat them straight out of the container on the way home. I like it when you can still taste the day's sunshine on them. I don't really have a recipe for strawberries because they are basically perfect for eating all by themselves. I do enjoy them in a nice crepe with some bitter chocolate sauce, mmmm.

I would be interested in hearing some strawberry and other summer fruit recipes. We might as well eat them as much as possible in as many ways as possible before summer ends!

A Small Rant & Leafy Greens

I don't like to call my change in lifestyle a "diet".  I prefer to think that I'm making lifelong changes that will not only make me healthier, but my family as well.  I can't remember the last time I went to fast food, although I do know it was Taco Bell.  I used to jokingly ask Aaron why we ever went out because it seems more often than not I can make whatever it is we are eating better, and most likely, healthier.  It was less a statement bragging about my abilities but more of a commentary on the lack of quality and variety of dining establishments.  Not only that but it seems like these days you pay a huge price for a huge plate of food with a huge calorie count.  I would much rather eat a small plate of amazing food that is made with quality ingredients.

I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to transition that little rant into my topic, but what I wanted to talk about in this post was greens.  Green, leafy vegetables that I had never discovered before.  I talked about swiss chard in a previous post, but another one I've discovered is kale.  Ryan went through a couple weeks where I had to hide stuff in his kale in order to get him to eat other things.  I made a faux take on an Irish dish where you combine mashed potatoes and kale and I swear that boy picked out the kale and left the potatoes.  He likes it roasted, steamed or just microwaved.  I've notices a lot of the leafy greens taste similar, but kale has a nice mellow taste to it.
Beet greens are another leafy vegetable that is not very common on the American table.  I have been watching a lot of Alton Brown's Good Eats and he did an entire show on beets.  So I thought I'd give them a try.  While Ryan ate more beets than Aaron and I combined, I made a really delicious Au Gratin with the beet greens that I consider a "keeper".  I later used the same recipe with spinach and it was just as good.

Alton Brown's Beet Green Au Gratin

My "Any Green" Au Gratin (mine is slightly more WW friendly)

1 Tbsp Light butter
8 oz sliced mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb beet greens, spinach, kale, swiss chard, or some combination of any or all.
kosher salt and pepper
1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
10 ritz crackers, crumbled

Follow the same steps as Alton's recipe.  Mine is lighter and only about 160 calories per serving (this recipe is 4 servings).  It's a great way to hide greens for picky eaters, or just a nice change of pace.  It microwaves well so feel free to double the recipe.  I think this will make a really nice addition for any holiday dinner as well.

So to review, this week try a new leafy green vegetable that you haven't tried before.  They're all in season and they are all delicious.  Let me know what creation you make with your delicious leafy greens!




 

The Perfect Pork Chop (plus Macaroni & Cheese)

  Ahh the pork chop.  I reference once again my mom who pretty much taught me everything I know up to this point about cooking.  She somehow bakes pork chops perfectly.  Dipped in egg and then covered in her perfectly seasoned breadcrumbs, they always come out juicy and delicious, or at least that's how I remember it.

  Well, I've tried baking.  I'm so worried about undercooking, that I cook my pork chops to death.  Most people would rather repair their shoes with them than eat them for dinner, but my darling husband never complains.

  But I have found a secret.  The grill.  Oh yes, that wonderful outdoor cooking machine that means no dishes can also make the perfect pork chop.  I don't think my picture fully shows the perfect sear I got on each side.  Nor does it show the succulent juiciness of the meat inside.  This pork chop, shown above, actually got a "Oh my god, that's good" from my otherwise reserved husband.  Yes, its really that good.

  The other secret to my recent grilling success is a little box of spice mix called Pappy's.  It works on all meat.  If you can grill it, it works.  My next experiment with this magic dust is my grilled squash tonight.

  My delicious pork chop is accompanied by a new experience for us, swiss chard.  A lot like spinach, its a leafy green with a slightly bitter flavor.  I used Bobby Flay's Wilted Swiss Chard with Raisins recipe and added some toasted almonds on top for a little crunch.  The sweetness of the raisins really balanced the swiss chard and it has become one of my favorite greens.

  Our other side is my lower calorie version of my mom's Macaroni & Cheese.  It's not "low" calorie, just lower than normal.  When I joined Weight Watchers there was a few things I knew I'd never be able to give up.  I had to find a plan that let me eat certain things and still lose weight.  My mom's Mac & Cheese is one of those things.

Mom's Macaroni & Cheese (with a lower calorie makeover)

2 c uncooked whole wheat pasta

1/4 c. butter

1 small onion (about 1/4 cup)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup flour

1 c. non-fat or skim milk

1 c. fat free half and half

8 oz. sharp cheddar 2% milk

1 c whole wheat bread crumbs

Cook pasta and set aside.

Melt butter in a saucepan and add onions, salt, and pepper and cook until onions are tender.  Add flour and whisk.  Cook on medium-low until bubbly.  

Remove from heat and add milk and half & half.  Return to medium heat and stir continuously until boiling.  Continue stirring and boil for 1 min.  Should be thick and creamy.  Remove from heat and add cheese one handful at a time.

Add macaroni and sauce to a casserole dish and cover with breadcrumbs.  Make sure you get all the way to the edges!  Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 min.  Let it cool for 5-10 min to set.

I tried using "light butter" but there was so much water in it that the proportions ended up wrong and my sauce was not quite the right consistency.  We always dice the onions really small because we didn't like getting big chunks.  Also, don't add too many onions or you won't get a nice smooth sauce.  The fat free half & half helps to make a creamier casserole even though you're using that skim milk.

Like I said, not "low" calorie, but "lower" calorie.  We used to eat this as a main dish, but now I like it as a side with a leaner piece of meat.

So to sum up, don't be afraid of that grill!  Yeah, you might have to eat a few charred pieces of meat (that's what sales are for!) or sometimes throw them back on when they aren't quite cooked, but once you get the hang of the grill, Yum!