Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Gratin

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 pound peeled butternut squash, quartered lengthwise
1 pound peeled and trimmed sweet potatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 cups shredded cheese. I like sharp white cheddar. You can use a little less because of its strong flavor.

1. Get Ready: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small pot bring cream and garlic just to a simmer. Remove from heat and set aside. Butter a 9″x13″ shallow casserole dish or gratin dish of similar size and set aside.

2. Prepare the Ingredients: thinly slice the squash and sweet potatoes (no more than 1/8 inch thick) and keep them separate from one another. I use a food processor for even cuts. Measure out chopped rosemary, salt, pepper, and shredded cheese and have them handy. Stir the cooling cream to help prevent skin from forming.

3. Build the Gratin: In the buttered casserole dish, spread half of the sliced butternut squash out in a single overlapping layer. Sprinkle the squash with 1/3 of the salt, pepper, and rosemary and then about 1/2 cup of the grated cheese. Using half of the sliced sweet potatoes, build a new overlapping layer. Again sprinkle with 1/3 of the seasonings and 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Using the remaining squash, make another layer and sprinkle the last third of the seasonings and another 1/2 cup of cheese (you should have about 1/2 cup cheese remaining). Use the last of the sweet potatoes to make one final layer on top. Stir the garlic cream mixture then pour it evenly over the top of the gratin, being sure to cover the top layer of sweet potatoes. Shake the dish gently to distribute the cream. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.

4. Bake the Gratin: Cover the dish with foil and bake in the middle of a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, move the gratin to the top 1/3 of the oven and bake, uncovered, for an additional 20 minutes or until the top is nicely browned and the vegetables are tender when pierced with a sharp knife. Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes before slicing.

Sweet Potatoes with Pecans, Goat Cheese and Celery

Sweet Potatoes with Pecans, Goat Cheese and Celery

1 1/2 pounds sweet potato, scrubbed, unpeeled, in 3/4- to 1-inch coins

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/4 cup toasted and cooled pecan halves

2 tiny or 1 small shallot

2 stalks celery

2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon dried cranberries or cherries

2 ounces firmish goat cheese

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon smooth Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Coat a large baking sheet generously with olive oil, about 1 to 2 tablespoons. Lay sweet potatoes in one layer on the oiled sheet. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast, without disturbing, for 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully flip each piece: the undersides should be blistery, dark and a bit puffy and should release from the pan with no effort. If they’re not, let it cook longer. Sprinkle them with additional salt and freshly ground black pepper and return the pan to the oven for another 10 minutes or so, until the undersides match the tops.
Meanwhile, prepare your salad. Chop your pecans well, mince your shallot, chop your celery and parsley, mince cranberries if using them. Crumble your goat cheese. In a small dish, whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon dijon. Pour half over salad.
Lay on a serving platter. Scoop a spoonful of the salsa over each round. Pour remaining salad dressing over top, to taste. Eat immediately.

I need to post some recipes that people have asked for but I don't have time to take a picture of all of them. When I make things they get eaten faster than I have time to get the camera out so I will update them with pictures when I have time.

Sorry I am not fallen behind on posting. We have been trying to sell our house and I have been busy trying to keep it clean. I am not cooking as much as I would like because I don't have time to keep the kitchen clean.

Butternut Squash Lasagna

My boys sometimes complain about an all vegetable meal. But they all loved this one.








White Sauce

1/4 C butter
1/4 C flour
2 C cream
2 C milk
1 C grated Parmesan cheese or Asiago
zest from 1 lemon
2 t garlic powder
2 T chopped fresh basil
1 T chopped fresh parsley
salt & pepper to taste

Melt butter in sauce pan over med heat. Add flour and stir to combine, slowly add cream about a cup at a time until flour is mixed in. Add all of the cream and milk and heat until thick and boiling. Remove from heat and add the rest of the ingredients.

Other ingredients
Grated mozzarella cheese
Oven ready lasagna noodles (my favorite is Whole Foods brand)
2 cups of pureed butternut squash

To assemble the lasagna, in a 9x13 pan put a small amount of the white sauce. Follow by a layer of noodles, then a layer of squash, layer of mozzarella cheese, repeat ending with noodles and sauce. Sprinkle top with cheese and cover with foil. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 min. Remove foil and let the top brown for additional 5-10 min.

Chicken Fingers

Ingredients


3 skinless boneless chicken breasts
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/8 cup milled flax seed
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 cup buttermilk


Preparation
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Cut chicken breasts into 1 1/2 inch size pieces. In a medium bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, wheat germ, flax seed, cheese, salt, thyme and basil. Mix well. Put buttermilk in a bowl or dish for dipping.
Dip chicken pieces into the buttermilk first, then coat with the breadcrumb mixture. Place well coated chicken pieces on a lightly greased cookie sheet in a single layer, and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Blueberry Muffins

This is one of my favorite blueberry muffins recipes. We have made this one a lot and my boys always get mad at me when I don't double it.










2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup butter
1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk
1 large egg
1 cup blueberries
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400°.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (flour through nutmeg) in a medium bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Combine buttermilk, egg, stir well with a whisk. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moist. Gently fold in blueberries.
Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 18-20 minutes or until the muffins spring back when lightly touched. Remove muffins from pans immediately, and place on a wire rack to cool.

Yield: 1 dozen (serving size: 1 muffin)

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

We love this soup. I got the recipe from a very good friend from South Africa, who is an excellent cook. We always think of her when we have it.





3 T. Butter
2 onions chopped
2 C butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and cubed
3 T Flour
1-2 t Curry
Pinch of nutmeg
3 C chicken stock
1-1/2 C half and half or milk or coconut milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Saute onion in butter until soft.
Add squash, stir and saute 3 min
Add flour, curry, nutmeg and stir
Add chicken stock and half & half and stir
Simmer for 15-20 min until squash is tender
Put in blender and blend till smooth
Pour through sieve back into pan to remove strings
Top with toasted pumpkin seeds.

Spinach Pomegranate Salad with Apples and Pecans

We tried this salad last night for the first time. Stats are the 4 out of my 5 boys ate it and loved it and 2 asked for more. Big step in our house!







4 cups baby spinach leaves
1 apple, cored and chopped
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
1/3 cup chopped toasted pecans
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup pomegranate vinaigrette (recipe below)

Toss all ingredients in a large bowl. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.

Pomegranate Vinaigrette
1/2 cup pomegranate juice (I used POM Wonderful)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 cup vegetable oil (any neutral-flavored oil will do)
salt, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste

In a medium bowl, whisk together pomegranate juice, balsamic vinegar, mustard, and honey. Slowly drizzle in the oil, whisking constantly, until it’s all incorporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Yield: approximately 1 1/4 cups.

New start

I decided to start our food blog because I want a place where I can have all of our favorite recipes in one place and to easily share them with others. I am not very good at keeping track of my favorite recipes. I get them from so many different places that I thought that if I made a blog of what we are eating and what our favorites are, I can stay a little more organized. Enjoy!!