Butternut Squash Soup

Happy Halloween! What are you up to this evening? Stuart and I happily fail at Halloween pretty much every year. We talk about getting costumes, don't get them, make zero plans, and then buy a bucket of Halloween candy for the "trick-or-treaterers" (who never arrive because we've always lived in out of the way neighborhoods or apartment buildings). It's pretty much a tradition at this point! This year, we are planning to attempt our first ever pumpkin curry, followed by some Halloween themed sugar cookies. My spooky outfit is comprised of a Banana Republic sweater....be very afraid.

 In other news, this roasted butternut squash soup recipe is really good. I mean, lick your bowl clean good. When I was home visiting Nevada last week, my parents handed me some goodies from their garden, including one butternut squash and one odd-looking mystery squash. We had no idea what it was, but together I thought together they'd be perfect for soup. Roasting the squash instead of boiling it gives it a really rich, complex flavor that shines through in the end result. The sauteed apple is what seals the deal. And the hardest part? Cutting the squash in half before roasting! Either these babies have some very tough skin, or my kitchen knives are really dull. I counted it as my workout for the day (that counts, right??). I am also 75% sure the mystery squash on the right, below, was a spaghetti squash.

Ingredients:
4 pounds whole butternut squash (about 2 medium squash), cut in half lengthwise and seeds removed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium apple (Granny Smith or other tart variety preferred) 
1/2 medium yellow onion
8 fresh sage leaves
4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth (2 cans)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
1/4 cup half and half
1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 425°F and arrange a rack in the middle.
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the squash pieces cut-side up on the baking sheet. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and brush all of it over the tops and insides of the squash halves. Season generously with salt and pepper. Roast until knife tender, about 50-60 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, peel, core, and cut the apple into medium dice. Cut the onion into medium dice. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the apple, onion, and sage leaves, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
4. When the squash is ready, set the baking sheet on a wire rack until the squash is cool enough to handle. Using a large spoon, scoop the flesh into the pot with the sautéed apples and onions; discard the skins.
5. Add the broth, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally and breaking up any large pieces of squash, until the flavors meld, about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the half and half.
6. Using a regular or immersion blender, purée the soup until smooth (if using a regular blender, remove the small cap (the pour lid) from the blender lid and covering the space with a kitchen towel to allow steam to escape). Taste soup and season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve garnished with the pumpkin seeds, if using.

Recipe adapted from CHOW

Buttery Raspberry Lemon Cake

As evidenced by last week's pecan sticky bun post, I am on a bit of a baking spree! As soon as the last sticky rolls were gone and the final drops of caramel sauce cleaned (licked) from the pan, my brain was thinking ahead to the next treat that I could make. Hey, don't judge me - it's my birthday tomorrow! A girl's allowed to bake uncontrollably during her birthday month, right?? I landed on this buttery raspberry lemon cake soon after discovering it in the Cook Taste Savor cookbook I picked up at last month's Sunset Magazine event. It is light and fresh, with just the right amount of lemon flavor. I found it perfect for breakfast, or served as a dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

 

This is a unique cookbook as it organizes recipes by ingredient, a bit differently than most cookbooks. So for example if you are craving something with berries, flip to the berries section of the book and find recipes like this one, or the intriguing spareribs with blackberry sauce recipe. This cake is great for several reasons: 1) it's very fast and easy, with minimal tool cleanup 2) it's not too sweet 3) it's super moist, not even dry after several days stored on the counter 4) you can easily customize it to use blueberries or blackberries instead of raspberries, or make muffins instead of a sheet cake (just shorten the bake time and check more often for doneness). Go forth and conquer!

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup lemon curd (find with jams at the grocery store; $2.99 at Trader Joe's)
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
4 3/4 cups raspberries (about 18 oz. – can substitute blueberries or blackberries)
Powdered sugar

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 325° and butter a 9- by 13-in. baking pan. 
2. In a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed, beat butter and granulated sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, salt, vanilla, yogurt, milk, and lemon curd until mostly blended.
3. Add flour, baking soda, and baking powder to bowl and beat until smooth. Spread half of batter in pan and scatter half of raspberries on top. Gently spread remaining batter over berries. Scatter remaining berries on top.
4. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour; if cake begins to brown too quickly, tent with foil. Let cake cool about 1 hour, then dust lightly with powdered sugar.

I used a double-pack of raspberries from Costco for this recipe - the perfect amount. If you wash them, just make sure you let them dry as much as possible before adding to the batter.

 

Lemon curd was the only ingredient not already in my pantry. I found it by the jams at Albertson's, but afterwards I saw it for a better price at Trader Joe's above the freezer items. 

 

 Add some powdered sugar, and you're looking fancy! Excuse my somewhat messy application here. I'd love to have one of these powdered sugar dusters for prettier application!

 

 

Not pictured with: vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream. Delicious. 

Pecan Sticky Buns

One of my fondest childhood food memories are the pecan sticky buns that my mom would make on special occasions. It all started the year she got a bread machine. I remember being fascinated by the whirring noise of the machine, the delicious yeasty smells that filled the house, and the feeling of a warm steamy slice of fresh bread in my hand. The little recipe booklet that came with the bread machine included a recipe for sticky buns, and it became a tradition for my mom to make them when we were vacationing at our family cabin. Needless to say, my sister and I would fight for every last morsel of sticky, caramelized pecan pieces that coated the pan.

I had never attempted this family sticky bun recipe myself because I do not own a bread machine (nor do I really see a need to purchase one). But I started thinking that there must be many recipes for sticky buns out there that could be made by hand. With this mission in mind, I cobbled together a recipe that uses the sauce and filling from my mom's booklet, and the no-machine-necessary dough from this Saveur recipe.

Take note that while these sticky buns are not difficult, they do take some time/patience as you have to "wait" for the dough over several stages, and I strongly recommend making them the night before you plan to bake them. However, Stuart assured me that the time was well spent. As proof, we managed to polish of an entire 9x13 pan of these babies on our own. No judgement, please!

Dough Ingredients:
1/4 cup water, heated to 115°
1 package active dry yeast
1/2 tsp., plus 1 cup granulated sugar
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted (for dough)
1/2 cup milk, at room temperature
2 tbsp. packed brown sugar
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg, plus 1 yolk
3 & 1/4 cups flour, plus more for dusting

Filling and Sauce Ingredients:
2/3 cup butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
1 cup chopped pecan pieces
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Combine water, yeast, and 1/2 tsp. granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a hook; let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. 
2. Stir in 1/4 cup granulated sugar, the 8 tablespoons melted butter, milk, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, salt, vanilla, egg, and yolk. Add flour and mix on low speed until dough forms. Increase speed to medium-high; knead until smooth, about 8 minutes. 
3. Cover dough with plastic wrap; set in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1.5 hours. 
4. Prep the sauce by bringing 1/3 cup softened butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar and the corn syrup to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is melted, about 3 minutes. 
5. Pour sauce evenly into a greased 9x13” baking dish; sprinkle 2/3 cup chopped pecans over the top. 
6. Prep the filling by stirring together 1/3 cup soft butter, 1/3 cup pecan pieces, and the cinnamon in a bowl; set baking dish and filling aside. 
7. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 10" x 18" rectangle; spread filling evenly over dough. Working from one long end, roll dough into a log; trim ends and cut into 12 rounds. Place rounds over sauce in baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap; chill 6 hours or overnight. 
8. Heat oven to 375°. Uncover buns and bring to room temperature. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let pan cool 5 minutes, then invert onto a serving tray. Immediately spoon pecan sauce from dish over buns.

Ginger Honey Cashew Chicken

Recently I realized that I've been posting a lot about my life events and trips, and less about new recipes that I love and adore. In light of of this oversight, I wanted to share a delicious easy chicken recipe that I found on one of my favorite food blogs, Eat Live Run. This is one of those beloved easy meals that you can put together in about 30 minutes or less - my favorite type of dinner if we're being honest! Despite the fact that I don't (yet) have a demanding work schedule, kids, etc. I still love me some 30-minute dinners. 

This is a classic faux take-out meal that takes basic chicken and gives it an Asian zing of flavors using fresh ginger, honey, and spices. The roasted cashews take it to the next level with some crunch and texture in every bite. Fun fact: did you know that cashews are one of several foods that supposedly make you happier? The zinc they contain has been found to decrease depressive symptoms and improve mood. Read more about other "happy" food here.

Ingredients:
2 large chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized strips
2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced or grated
3 carrots, peeled and sliced thin
3 ribs of celery, sliced thin
1 cup chicken broth
1 T honey
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (just a sprinkle)
1 T vegetable oil
2 green onions, chopped
1/3 cup roughly chopped roasted cashews

Directions:

1. Lay the chicken breast strips in a pie pan or large plate. Sprinkle with cornstarch, salt and ginger. Toss so all the strips are coated well and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
2. While the chicken is in the fridge, chop the carrots and celery.
3. Whisk together the chicken broth, honey, and cayenne pepper. Add the sliced carrots, celery, and broth mixture to a medium sauté pan and heat over medium-low for about 10 minutes. Set aside when done and vegetables are tender.
4. Begin cooking the rice.
5. Heat the oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. Drop the chicken in and cook for about eight minutes or until pieces are no longer pink in the middle.
6. Add the contents of the broth/veggie pan to the chicken pan, then add the green onions and cashews. Cook for about five minutes so that the sauce can thicken. Serve over steamed rice.