Stuffed Acorn Squash

Originally published on February 23, 2010

I was lucky enough to be given a bunch of acorn squash and wanted something more to do with it than just roast it. So I came up with this stuffed squash recipe and it is delicious! To be honest, I didn’t even know if I was going to like it. But, pork and cheese, what more could you ask for? And, even though it looks like you slaved over it, the most you really have to do is brown the sausage. The rest of it pretty much takes care of itself.

This squash can be used as a side, an entree, or an appetizer at a dinner party. I also froze a few of mine and they freeze beautifully. Just remember to either thaw them fully or to cover them and keep them in the oven for at least an hour, if you’re baking them from frozen. They take a long, long time to cook after you’ve frozen them – but they taste just as great!

And the best, and most surprising part of this recipe? My 2-year-old loooooooves them!

Ingredients:

4 acorn squashes
1 onion
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoon canola oil
Salt and pepper to taste
4 Italian sausages, casings removed
1 1/2 cups Ricotta cheese
1 red bell pepper, chopped   
1 1/2 cups Asiago PDO cheese, shredded

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Then cut the bottoms of the squash and remove the seeds. Stand the squash up so that the open tops are on top and place them in a casserole dish. Brush the inside and the top of the squash with the canola oil, season with salt and pepper, and bake for about 25 – 30 minutes.

2.) Once the squash has been removed from the oven, preheat the broiler.

2.) Meanwhile, heat up 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute for about 5 minutes. Then add the garlic and the red bell pepper. Break up the sausage so that it’s in small pieces and fry until it’s browned. When browned, remove everything from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large bowl.

3.) Add the ricotta cheese to the sausage mixture and mix until it is all well combined. Stuff each of the squashes with 1/4 of the mixture. Once stuffed, top each squash with a handful of the Asiago cheese.

4.) Place the squash about four inches under the broiler and broil until the cheese on top has melted and is bubbly and golden brown.

5.) Serve and enjoy!

Butternut Squash Soup

Originally published on March 23, 2010

Another classic soup for a cold winter or fall day! This one combines deliciously sweet flavours with salty and deep flavours. All for one perfect bowl of wonderfulness! This soup freezes beautifully, so you can make a huge batch of it and freeze it for another cold day. For some reason though, my kids gobble this one up the day I make it and won’t touch it when it comes out of the freezer. It’s a mystery to me, I can’t tell a difference.

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced 
2 tablespoons olive oil  
1 onion, diced  
3 cloves garlic, minced  
6 cups chicken broth 
2 cups milk 
1 teaspoon nutmeg 
1 teaspoon cloves, ground
Pinch of coarse salt and ground pepper 
1 tablespoon dried parsley

Directions:

1.) Place olive oil in a large heavy pot set over medium heat. When oil is hot, add onion and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes. Then add diced squash and cook for about three minutes.

2.) Add chicken broth, cloves, nutmeg, salt and pepper and turn heat to medium-high. Allow to cook for approximately 20 – 30 minutes, until squash is very tender and falling apart.

3.) When ready, transfer to food processor and puree until smooth. Transfer back to soup pot and heat up to boiling. Once boiling, turn down to medium-low. When soup has cooled down, add milk and heat until just heated through.

4.) Once milk is heated through, remove from heat and sprinkle top of soup with fresh or dried parsley flakes.

5.) Serve and enjoy!

Sourdough Bread

Originally published on August 17, 2010

I got this recipe from Cooking Bread, and while it was titled “Buttermilk Bread”, and I thought I was just going to make a rich and delicious white bread, it turned out to be sourdough bread. Whether that’s because it’s actually a sourdough recipe, or because the substitutions I made turned it into sourdough, I don’t know. I didn’t have buttermilk (as usual), and so I did what I always do – add a teaspoon of lemon juice to 2% milk. It looked like it had the same effect, and did look a bit curdled, so I wasn’t worried. I also had just ran out of sugar and so, only used about a tablespoon or so of it.

But whatever I did, and whatever kind of recipe this sourdough bread was originally intended to be, it is delicious, and we ate an entire loaf of it in just one dinner! I imagine it would freeze well too but both loaves are gone so now we won’t know until next time, I suppose.

Ingredients:

5 – 6 cups bread flour  
3 tablespoons sugar  
2 teaspoons salt  
1/4 teaspoon baking soda  
1 package dry yeast  
1 cup water  
1 1/3 cup buttermilk 
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 egg 

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) Add buttermilk and water to a saucepan. Over medium heat, warm liquid until it is lukewarm; it may start to look as though it has curdled. Make sure not to make the mixture too hot or else it will kill the yeast.

3.) In a large bowl mix two cups of flour; sugar; salt; baking soda; and yeast. Add the lukewarm buttermilk to the dry ingredients. Use a wooden spoon or your hands and mix for two minutes. Then add another cup of flour and mix just until it’s combined.

4.) Pour out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 – 10 minutes, add more flour 1/2 cup at a time as necessary, until dough is silky and smooth. Do not feel as though you have to use all the flour, just enough to get you to this point.

5.) Place the teaspoon of olive oil into the bottom of a bowl and then place the dough on top. Turn the dough to make sure that it’s completely covered in olive oil. Then, wrap bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot; allow dough to rise until nearly double in volume.

6.) Once the dough has nearly doubled, punch it down lightly. Divide the dough into two equal sections and place in two greased loaf pans. Cover and let it rise again for another 45 minutes.

7.) When dough is ready, mix the egg with a little bit of water, then brush this mixture over both of the loaves. Place in the oven for 45 minutes or until top is lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to completely cool before removing from loaf pans.

8.) Serve and enjoy!

Fried Breaded Meatballs

Originally published on August 31, 2010

There are tons of different ways to make meatballs. You can bake them, cook them right in the sauce, throw them straight into the slow cooker, or cook them just about any other way that you want. I’m sure you could even try poaching some! But breading them and then frying them has got to be my new favourite way to eat meatballs! I came up with this idea one night when I really wanted meatballs, but I wanted to do something a little bit different with them. As I just said, there’s not a whole lot that hasn’t been tried with meatballs. And even though I’m sure I’m not the first one to try this method of cooking meatballs, I also know I won’t be the last – these were simply delicious!

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef 
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese  
1/2 cup bread crumbs 
1 egg, lightly beaten   
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley  
6 cloves garlic, minced 
1 onion, diced  
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 
1 tablespoon dried basil  
Salt and pepper  
1 cup all-purpose flour 
2 eggs, beaten   
2 cups bread crumbs  
3 tablespoons vegetable oil 

Directions:

1.) In a large bowl mix together: lean ground beef; 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese; 1/2 cup bread crumbs; 1 egg; fresh parsley; garlic; onion; worcestershire sauce; basil; and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix with your hands until thoroughly combined.

2.) Then, prepare your breading area. In one large bowl, place 1 cup all-purpose flour. In another large bowl, place 2 beaten eggs; and in the third bowl, place two cups of bread crumbs.

3.) Using the meat mixture, take a tablespoon of meat and form it into a ball with your hands. Then, roll the meatball around in the breading flour. Then dip it into the egg, rolling it to make sure it’s entirely covered. Lastly, roll the meatball in the bread crumb mixture until the entire ball is covered with bread crumbs. Set aside on a plate and do this with the rest of the meat mixture – first forming it into small balls, and then breading each of the balls separately.

4.) In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add enough meatballs to fill the pan, but still leave them enough room to breathe. You may have to cook them in batches. Cook first one one side, and then turn, making sure that all sides of all balls are thoroughly browned and cooked. When meatballs are done, place onto plate and continue with another batch, if necessary.

5.) Serve and enjoy!

Fresh Pasta Dough

Originally published on November 18, 2010

People say that you should make your own pasta dough for a reason! There is a huge, hugedifference between what you buy in the store and what you make at home. And it’s not hard. I have been making my own pasta dough for years, although it used to only be reserved for special occasions. Perhaps that’s why I feel as though I’m only now perfecting it. But all it takes is a few tricks, and I’ve tried to include some of them (such as using a fork and thenyour hands) in the actual recipe.

It is worth mentioning that it also much, much easier if you have a pasta machine. You can roll it out until it’s extremely thin but that’s much harder and it takes much longer. And you probably won’t enjoy making pasta dough so much.

I don’t know if it made a difference or not but last time I made this, I ran out of all-purpose flour. So I used 1 cup all-purpose and 1 cup bread flour. They were some of the lightest and most delicious noodles I’ve ever eaten! I don’t know if it was that minor substitution or whether I really am just getting better at making pasta dough, but it was wonderful!

And another bonus? If you let your kids watch you put it through the cutter, you get to hear them squeal, “Ooooohhh! It looks like hair!!!!!” Try it once and you’ll see just how easy it is!

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour 
3 large eggs 
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1.) On a countertop or other large work surface, place the flour  in a mound. Make a fairly large well in the centre. In the centre, place the eggs and the salt.

2.) Start by lightly whisking eggs and salt together, being careful not to touch the flour. Once the eggs are beaten, slowly incorporate the flour. Do this very slowly! Take about a teaspoon of flour each time and mix well with the egg mixture. When fully incorporated, take another teaspoon of flour with the fork and fully incorporate into the egg mixture. Keep doing this until it becomes difficult to move the fork through the flour and egg. Once that happens, mix the flour and eggs with your hands, mixing until it’s just combined and a nice, elastic dough forms.

3.) Form the dough into 2 or 3 small bowls. Cover with a tea towel and allow to rest for 30 minutes. Then use immediately, or freeze for later use.

4.) When ready to use, roll the dough out as thinly as possible using a pasta machine – this will be the “1″ setting. Follow the machine’s instructions, which is usually to start with the thickest (the biggest number) and work your way to the thinnest (the smallest number.)

5.) Once your dough is rolled you can make whatever kind of pasta you want! For these long noodles, you can put the rolled pasta dough through the cutters on the pasta machine. You can also cut it yourself with a sharp knife.

6.) When noodles are ready, bring a large pot of salted water up to a rolling boil. Add the fresh pasta noodles for two to three minutes, until el dente, and drain. Toss with your favourite sauce.

7.) Serve and enjoy!

Classic Sugar Cookies

Originally published on December 7, 2010

I’ve had this recipe crammed into my recipe box for so long that I can’t even remember where I got it from. And it’s covered with so much crusted flour and icing drops that I can barely even read it anymore. I like to think it’s these kinds of recipes that my children will cherish the most some day. But I digress…on to the actual recipe.

I make it every year, among the three different cookies that I make to give to my family and friends. These, along with the other two, were my very first introduction to baking and I’ve been making them for about four years now. They’re delicious and light and flaky inside and just a little bit crispy outside, like you would expect sugar cookies to be. But this year, there are a few things I’m going to do differently.

Out are the cute Christmas cookie-cutter shapes. These shapes yes, are very cute but, they’re a pain. Spending all that time rolling and cutting and reshaping, please. It’s Christmas! Who has time for that? Not only are they painstakingly time-consuming, but you throw them into the basket, or Tupperware bowl, or other container and all those little pieces break. So you’re left with oddly misshapen curved sticks that were once candy canes, and long rectangles that have a missing bell-top somewhere. This is what I’m doing instead, and what I recommend you do as well.

Roll the dough into a log that’s about a foot long and maybe 2″ wide. In about 1″ – 2″ slices, slice the dough so that a circle is formed. Place these onto the baking sheet and continue baking as directed. You’ll have uniform circle sugar cookies that you can still decorate with icing, sprinkles, or whatever else floats your Christmas sled, but it’ll be a lot easier for you to do. And if you really want to be on top of things, make the dough this weekend, roll it into the log, wrap it and throw it in your freezer. On Christmas Eve, thaw the dough out, slice it up and Santa has fresh cookies!

Ingredients:

3 cups powdered sugar 
2 cups butter, softened  
2 teaspoons vanilla 
1 teaspoon almond extract  
2 eggs 
5 cups all-purpose flour 
2 teaspoons baking soda  
2 teaspoons cream of tartar  

Directions:

1.) In a large bowl, beat 3 cups powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, 1 teaspoon almond extract and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed. Stir in flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

2.) Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease cookie sheet. Divide dough in half. On lightly floured surface, roll each half 1/8″ thick. Cut into desired shapes. Place about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. At this point, place any sprinkles, shapes, or other decorations excluding icing that you wish to include with your cookies.

3.) Bake 5-7 minutes or until edges are lightly brown. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack to cool completely before icing (optional.)

4.) Serve and enjoy!

Kate’s Chicken Fingers

Originally published on March 14, 2011

This has been something that I’ve been cooking since Brent and I first moved in together almost 14 years ago. I’ve updated it some and made it a little more sophisticated with an actual deep-fryer and a ton of dried herbs; but every time I make it, it still reminds me of when we used to throw them on for a midnight snack. Brent still loves them as much as he did back then and the kids are always thrilled when I make them too. I also like to make a big batch of them with 8 or 10 chicken breasts and then freeze what we don’t eat, which is a lot. They freeze beautifully and can be reheated in the oven easily.

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups bread crumbs 
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
Pinch of cayenne pepper 
1 teaspoon onion powder 
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper
Deep fryer full of oil; or at least 12 cups of vegetable oil for deep-frying

Directions:

1.) Heat your deep-fryer, or other oil, to about 400 degrees Fahrenheit. You can tell that the oil is hot enough by dropping a few bread crumbs into it. If they lay flat, don’t move and don’t begin to sizzle, the oil is not hot enough yet. If they start sizzling and browning, your oil is ready. If the oil starts splattering too high and the oil seems to attack the bread crumbs, your oil is too hot and you will need to turn it down before placing chicken in there.

2.) While oil is heating, mix together in a large bowl: bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, basil, oregano, dried mustard, chili powder, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix until ingredients are thoroughly blended.

3.) Place flour in a separate large bowl and eggs in another large bowl. Line all three bowls in the order of: flour, egg, bread crumb mixture.

4.) Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry. One by one, place chicken breasts in a resealable plastic bag. With a rolling pin, gently pound chicken breasts, moving outwards. Continue to gently pound until chicken breast has even thickness, about 1″.

5.) After all chicken breasts have been pounded out, thinly slice them into 1″ slices.

6.) Dredge chicken breasts, a few at a time, through flour, making sure to entirely cover the chicken with flour and then shaking off excess. Dip chicken breasts into egg mixture, again making sure that chicken is entirely covered with egg. Drop into bread crumb mixture and completely coat chicken with bread crumb mixture. Set chicken aside until all chicken strips have been breaded with flour, egg, and bread crumb mixture.

7.) After all chicken strips are breaded, drop them (about 7 or 8 at a time) into the oil. Cook in oil, uncovered if in a large pot of oil and covered if in a deep fryer, for about 10-15 minutes turning regularly so that oil can evenly cook chicken. When chicken becomes thoroughly browned, remove from oil and place on paper towels to rest and remove excess oil. Sprinkle very slightly with salt.

8.) Continue until all of chicken is completely cooked and has drained on paper towels. Place on serving platter.

9.) Serve and enjoy!

Smoky Rubbed Chops

Originally published on June 18, 2011

When the weather finally turns warm after a long Ontario winter, there’s little that I love more than firing up the grill and getting the smell of good barbecue into the air. One of the first things to go on is usually some nice fatty chops, always with the bone in, as this adds to the flavour. It does take them a bit longer to cook though, so make sure that you do finish them in the oven not on the grill, as this will dry them out. Finish them off with a barbecue sauce during the last few minutes of cooking time or, just leave them as is to get the very most out of that delicious smoky flavour!

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons brown sugar 
1 tablespoon paprika 
2 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons coriander
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon mustard powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper 
4 bone-in pork chops
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Rinse pork chops and pat dry.

2.) In a resealable plastic freezer bag, place all spices and shake vigorously to mix thoroughly. Place pork chops in the bag and turn and shake until chops are completely coated with the rub. Place in fridge and let sit 1 – 4 hours.

3.) Brush grill with oil and set to medium-high heat. When hot, place pork chops on grill and grill for 3 minutes per side. Then flip in opposite direction to create hatch marks on the meat. Grill for 2 – 3 minutes, then flip and grill for another 2 – 3 minutes.

4.) Remove chops from grill and place pork chops in a shallow baking dish. Cover with lid or foil and bake in the oven for 15 – 2o minutes.

5.) Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

6.) Serve and enjoy!

Meat Loaves with Tomato Sauce

Originally published on August 5, 2011

My meatloaf always has a terrible way of drying out so the night I made this recipe I was looking for a way to keep it especially moist. With the extra bread crumbs and the cream, this recipe definitely hit the mark – and it’s the best meat loaf I’ve ever had. I kept one loaf free of sauce when I served it, as my husband isn’t a big sauce-eater or dipper, but he even wanted some (I think because the rest of ours looked so good!)

Everyone really loved this and, because the loaves are so small, they make for a great weeknight supper too, when you’re in a rush! And the tastiness really can’t be stressed enough!

Ingredients:

For the sauce:

1 can whole tomatoes, with juice, crushed with hands 
3 large cloves garlic, minced  
1 bay leaf, dried  
1 teaspoon chili pepper flakes  
1 tablespoon chili powder  
1 teaspoon onion salt 
1 tablespoon dried basil  
1 tablespoon dried oregano  
1/2 teaspoon salt  
1/2 teaspoon black pepper 
2 teaspoons brown sugar  
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar  

For the loaves:
1 pound ground beef 
1 tablespoon dried basil  
1 tablespoon dried oregano  
1 teaspoon ground mustard 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/2 teaspoon black pepper  
2 cups bread crumbs, plus 1 cup  
2 eggs 
1/4 cup heavy cream  
1/4 cup butter, melted 
2 cloves garlic, minced  

Directions:

1.) In a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat, combine all of the ingredients for the sauce and mix thoroughly. Bring to a boil, then turn heat to medium-low. Cover and continue to simmer for 30 – 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly oil 4 individual aluminum pot pie shells.

3.) Meanwhile, break eggs into a small bowl and add 1/4 cup heavy cream; beat lightly.

4.) In a large bowl, mix together: ground beef, basil, oregano, mustard, salt, pepper, 2 cloves garlic, egg and cream mixture, salt, pepper, and 2 cups of bread crumbs. Lightly mix together but do not over-mix! Scoop up a handful at a time once mixed, and place into pot pie shell; gently press down to create an even surface. Continue filling the remaining pie shells with the remaining meat.

5.) Place 1/4 cup melted butter in a small bowl and add 1 cup of bread crumbs. Stir to thoroughly combine. Place 1/4 cup of bread crumbs onto each meat loaf and spread to entirely cover meat.

6.) Place in a preheated oven and bake 30 – 40 minutes until thoroughly cooked.

7.) When loaves are finished cooking, remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before removing from pie shell. Then generously spoon tomato sauce over top.

8.) Serve and enjoy!

Delicious Drumsticks

Originally published on August 7, 2011

Shake N’ Bake was always one of my favourite meals as a kid and this is a version that’s just like it, but tastes much better. When you make it yourself you don’t have to worry about the added sodium, additives, and preservatives, and it just tastes so much fresher and so much better. Plus, these are super easy and super quick – and drumsticks are super cheap too!

Ingredients:

6 chicken legs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
Pinch of salt 
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 eggs 
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs 
1 tablespoon paprika 
1 tablespoon dried oregano  
1 tablespoon parsley flakes  
1 teaspoon onion salt 
1 teaspoon garlic powder 
1/2 teaspoon black pepper 
Pinch of cayenne pepper 
2 tablespoons vegetable oil  

Directions:

1.) Rinse chicken legs and pat dry. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly oil a cookie sheet.

2.) Line 3 shallow bowls on the counter. To the first add all-purpose flour, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of black pepper; stir to combine. Crack the eggs into the second bowl and lightly beat with a fork. To the third bowl add: bread crumbs, paprika, oregano, parsley flakes, onion salt, garlic powder, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine.

3.) One at a time, coat the chicken legs entirely with flour, then dip and turn to entirely coat in eggs. Then place in bread crumb mixture and toss and turn to entirely coat in bread crumbs. Place on oiled cookie sheet. When all chicken legs are breaded, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil.

4.) Place into preheated oven and bake for 45 – 60 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

5.) Remove from oven and let chicken rest for 5 minutes.

6.) Serve and enjoy!