Butternut Squash Soup with Cider Cream

I've made butternut squash soup before, and it was really good. But this, this recipe is superb, and it is the addition of apples and apple cider that lend a pleasant sweetness to this beautiful soup - cider cream and the fried sage leaf is what puts this recipe over the (freaking) top! O to the M to the G!

The list of ingredients is longer than most of my other recipes, but let me say this recipe is easy and REALLY impressive, so make it for your next dinner party! (and have the recipe handy, you will be asked for it)

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 6 cups)
2 cups chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only)
1/2 cup chopped peeled carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 small Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried sage leaves
5 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
1 1/2 cups apple cider
2/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream
Chopped fresh chives

Here is my butternut squash, peeled and cut into one inch squares.

Before I add any veggies, I melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat and throw in several whole sage leaves.

This does a couple things...I'm "frying' the sage leaves, browning the butter slightly, giving it a nutty taste and also flavoring the butter slightly with sage.

Meanwhile, I sliced the leeks and cleaned them VERY well in my salad spinner. Leeks tend to hold lots of sand and grit.

When sage is crispy, remove and drain on paper towel. Reserve these wonderful sage chips for garnish!

Add squash, leeks, carrot and celery; saute until slightly softened, about 15 minutes.

I had a shallot, so I gave it a good dice and added to the pot. You should know by now I rarely follow a recipe exactly...

Next, peel and slice the apples and add to the veggies along with dried thyme and dried sage.

Add stock and 1 cup cider and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low.

Cover and simmer until apples are tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Cool slightly.

Meanwhile, I make the Cider Cream by boiling the remaining 1/2 cup cider in a heavy small saucepan until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Then let it cool down.

Whisk in sour cream. (Soup and cider cream can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate.)

After 30 minutes, the veggies are very tender!

I used my immersion blender to puree the soup.

Mix in whipping cream last.

To serve, I ladled the soup into bowls, swirled the cool cider cream on top, sprinkled with toasted pumpkin seeds and topped with a fried sage leaf.

GOURMET cooking my friends! It wasn't a hard recipe, just took a little time to prep. This kept in my fridge for a long time, and it was really yummy. When we were sick of soup though, I boiled some pumpkin tortellini and spooned this hot soup over the top as "sauce." I love reinventing leftovers!

Foie Gras Stuffed Dates

I will start by saying that I realize there is controversy surrounding Foie Gras and I do apologize if this post offends. Foie gras is a popular and well-known delicacy in French cuisine. Its flavor is described as rich, buttery, and delicate, unlike that of a regular duck or goose liver. Foie gras is sold whole, or is prepared into mousse, or pâté. French law states that "Foie gras belongs to the protected cultural and gastronomical heritage of France."

In this recipe, found on epicurious.com, I purchased a pate at Central Market that did not contain goose or duck liver. I was told that true goose foie gras is only available at CM at Christmas time. This particular pate is chicken and turkey liver flavored with truffles. It was GREAT! Check out that awesome price too!

Hint about the dates: These Medjool dates are found in the "bulk foods" section at CM. They are sun-dried, intensifying their natural sweetness.

This easy (and impressive) appetizer begins with slicing the dates length-wise and removing the seed/nut in the center.

I planned for 2-3 pieces per person, but you should really think about who you are serving these too and plan accordingly. To make 12 servings, purchase 6 dates and about 2 ounces of foie gras pate.

Take a teaspoon and fill each date half with a heaping teaspoon full.

The last step takes these appetizers over the top! Fleur de sel ("Flower of salt" in French) is a hand-harvested sea salt collected by workers who scrape only the top layer of salt before it sinks to the bottom of large salt pans. Due to its relative scarcity, Fleur de sel is one of the more expensive salts, but know that you use it sparingly (not only because of its price) but because it's most often used as a finishing salt. It is usually sold in airtight jars as it is slightly damp. Take this precious chunky salt, and sprinkle lightly over each foie gras stuffed date.

Arrange on a platter, and enjoy! This is sure to impress at your next holiday party!

Brussels Sprouts - 2 Ways

We never ate brussels sprouts growing up, I don't know why my mom didn't make them...but I never questioned her since I heard my friends talk about how awful these little green basketballs were. I grew up thinking I hated them and never even tried them.

With the holidays approaching I started to see more and more recipes for brussels sprouts and they sounded really good. I mean, sauteed in butter and bacon, how bad could that be?? I decided to make this as a side for my mom's Thanksgiving but when I shared with her my plan she was horrified to learn I was using my family and the THANKSGIVING MEAL as my first test run on this side dish. I'm new to the kitchen, so basically everything I make is a first run recipe, I never know if it's going to turn out well or not...and how will I ever grow my repertoire unless I try new things? But her point was valid, this was a special occasion and she wanted me to make a tried and true recipe for our meal.

Fair enough. The week before I went home for Thanksgiving I purchased my first pound of brussels sprouts and I narrowed my recipe options down to two reliable sources: Ina Garten and Bobby Flay. Both recipes sounded great, but the cooking method differed. Ina cooks her brussels completely on the stove top. Bobby starts his brussels on the stove but finishes them in a hot oven which was appealing since the brussels will probably caramelized better.

In this side by side challenge, I split the pound of brussels sprouts in half and made both recipes in one night. I present to you a face off! Ina Garten's Brussels Sprouts Lardons VS Bobby Flay's Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta

Ingredients for Ina's Brussels Sprouts Lardons:

2 tablespoons good olive oil
6 ounces Italian pancetta or bacon, 1/4-inch dice (I used bacon)
1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts (2 containers), trimmed and cut in 1/2 (I used 1/2 pound)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup golden raisins
1 3/4 cups Homemade Chicken Stock, recipe follows, or canned broth

Ingredients for Bobby's Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta:

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 pound sliced pancetta, diced (I used bacon)

4 shallots, thinly sliced

1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved (I used 1/2 pound)

8 baby Yukon gold potatoes, quartered (I omitted)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 lemon, juiced

Both recipes call for rendering pancetta fat but I'm using the more cost effective and readily available BACON. Cook bacon pieces over medium high heat until the bacon crisps and the fat is rendered, then move the bacon pieces to a paper towel to reserve for adding back later.

Ina: Heat the olive oil in a large (12-inch) saute pan and add the pancetta. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the fat is rendered and the pancetta is golden brown and crisp, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the pancetta to a plate lined with a paper towel.

Bobby: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Heat oil over medium heat in a roasting pan or large skillet. Add the pancetta and cook until golden brown and crisp. Remove the pancetta to a plate lined with paper towels.

Bobby: Dice a shallot and add to the bacon grease and cook until soft.

Ina: Add the Brussels sprouts, salt, and pepper to the fat in the pan and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until lightly browned. But I forgot to cut them in half, so after I took this picture I pulled each out and sliced in half.

Bobby: I also add a little bit of minced garlic to the shallots.

Ina: Sprouts are cut in half now.

Ina: Add the raisins and chicken stock.

Ina: If the skillet becomes too dry, add a little chicken stock or water.

Ina: Lower the heat and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sprouts are tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes.

Bobby: Add the Brussels sprouts and potatoes (I omitted the potatoes in this recipe but think they would be a really lovely addition) and toss to combine.

Bobby: Season with salt and pepper and roast in the 425 oven until the vegetables are cooked through and golden brown.

Ina: Return the pancetta (bacon) to the pan, heat through, season to taste, and serve.

Ina: These were so good! I didn't need to do any seasoning, the chicken stock was absorbed by the little sprouts and plumped the raisins. This was a perfect combo of savory and sweet.

Bobby: Here is what the vegetables look like when I pull them from the oven. They are lovely and brown with some crispy pieces. Love the color!

Bobby: Stir in butter and lemon juice.

Bobby: Return the pancetta (bacon) to the pan, heat through, season to taste, and serve.

Bobby: I liked the crunch that happens when you roast the brussels sprouts, but it was missing the sweet addition that Ina had with the raisins. And I didn't care for the lemon juice added to the end. These were really good, and if I hadn't had anything to compare these too, I would have ate them and said they were yummy.

Ina: Oh my Ina, the Barefoot Contessa does it again! These were spectacular and I ate the entire half pound at the end of the night. Delish!!! Check out Ina's Brussels Sprouts Lardon recipe here. I have made this recipe at least four more times since Thanksgiving (and yes Turkey Day was only last week.)

Easy Mexican Chicken

It's no secret I love Mexican food, in fact it is my comfort food. I always have the key players on hand, some sort of bean (usually black beans), Rotel, taco seasoning and spices like cumin, onion powder, chipotle powder, garlic powder, and veggies like tomato, cilantro, onion. With these ingredients the list of possible entrees are endless.

Some of my favorite Mexican recipes I've made are:
Chicken Verde Sour Cream Enchiladas. Jim calls these "Almost Engaged Enchiladas" because he thought of proposing after eating these.

Chicken Enchilada Dip. This has become a staple at parties and anyone who also makes this recipe writes to tell me how freaking awesome it is.

Mexican Chicken Soup. One of my absolute favorite warming soups. Ina is a genius!

Chicken Spaghetti Ole. Easy all in one bowl type of recipe but double yum.

Mexican Lasagna. I took the Italian version and made it uniquely Mexican.

Crockpot Mexican Chicken. This is an easy Mexican Chicken dish using a crockpot. I also make this recipe when it's time to clear out the fridge of almost past due produce.


On this particular Sunday, Jim and I were famished and I wasn't feeling like really getting in the kitchen and cooking. So I turned to the flavors I KNOW and cheated a little too. I used a packet of taco seasoning and a can of Rotel to make a delicious and filling lunch.

I took two skinless boneless chicken beasts and seasoned them with the taco seasoning (why not?) and then opened the can of rotel, drained some of the juice and poured the tomatoes and jalapeno chunks on top of the raw chicken. Then simply placed the baking dish in a 350 oven for 30 minutes.

When the chicken was cooked through I took two forks to the chicken and shredded everything up.

For my topping I sliced a large yellow onion and a roasted red pepper (the kind from a jar) and sauteed in a pan on the stove. If it gets too dry add some olive oil, or water, or chicken stock. I wanted them to be a touch brown and the onions translucent.

The last thing I did was empty a can of black beans in a small pot on the stove and heat through.

Voila! Lunch on the fly! We used up the taco shells in the pantry and I used the broken shells to make chalupas.

On the bottom we have shredded chicken that was seasoned with a packet of taco seasoning and a can of rotel. Next I added some black beans and a light sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese and then topped with sauteed onions and red bell pepper.

You could wrap this in a soft flour or corn tortilla and eat like a burrito. You could wrap several up in a tortilla, place back in a baking dish, top with cheese and melt it all together in your oven for easy peasy enchiladas. Love it! Enjoy!