Green Chile with pork, not to be confused with salsa verde

I did a lot of research on how to make good green chile.  I know what it is supposed to taste like, but I had only made it a couple of times before.  What I discovered is that is varies, especially according to what region of the southwest you live in.  Smothered burritos, like you see here, are really common in Colorado, where I live.  One of my husband’s very favorite meals is a beef and bean burrito, smothered in green chile.   This is also known as a “G” at Nino’s, and he orders it every time we are there.  

Colorado green chile is solely green chile based.  A lot of recipes call that call themselves “green chile” should really call themselves “salsa verde”, because they are really tomatillo based.  Tomatillos are not spicy, so those recipes rely on another hot pepper, such as a jalapeno, to give them a kick.  Green chile is also made with pork.  By definition, I suppose you could call it a stew, simply because it is meat and vegetables and you let it simmer for a long time.  It is often used as a gravy, though, like you see in my picture.  Smothered burritos and juevos rancheros are good examples for that.  Some people also eat it like a soup or chili, with tortillas on the side.  

On to the recipe.  This Is more of a method than a recipe.  For the pork, I used a butt roast for two reasons.  One, it was cheap.  Two, it is fatty and gets really tender after simmering it for a couple of hours.  I just trimmed what fat I could as I was cubing it up and relied on the marbled fat to give it good flavor.  The chiles that I used came not only from our last basket, but also from the guacamole pack that I got with my basket two weeks ago.  I think I had a total of about three pounds of chile all together.  Remember how to roast them?  That is the very first step, so do it, if you haven’t already.

Green chile with pork, Colorado style

3 pounds green chile, roasted, peeled and seeded
1 lb pork, cubed into small cubes
1/2 yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano (Mexican oregano if you have it.  I didn’t.)
2 tsp salt
6 cups water (approx)
1/4 c. cornstarch
Oil for sautéing

Put your chile in a blender and pulse it a few times.  You don’t want puree, but you want it chopped pretty fine.  Heat up a 4qt stockpot and drizzle enough oil to brown your pork, onions and garlic.  You don’t need to cook the pork all the way through, so stir it around every once in a while.  The onions should turn translucent and it will smell delicious.  Add the water, chiles, spices and salt.  Bring to a simmer and let it simmer for at least an hour, but longer is better.  Add more water, as needed.

Once you are satisfied with how tender the pork is, mix the cornstarch with 1/4 cup water to dissolve.  Add it to the chile and stir.  If you want it thicker, mix up another couple of tablespoons of cornstarch and water and repeat the process until you are happy with it.

Now you are ready to eat it!  I made breakfast burritos with egg, sausage and hashbrowns and smothered them with the chile.  I put cheddar cheese inside, but you could also sprinkle it on top of the chile.  

Also, a couple of weeks ago, I got the tortilla pack that Bountiful Baskets offers.  They are par-baked (?), meaning that you have to heat them on a griddle to finish cooking them.  This makes them taste homemade and I love them.  The large ones really are large and they are perfect for burritos.  Since the pack contains seven dozen, I keep what I’m not using in the freezer.  They will last for a couple of months that way.

Pico de Gallo

I have decided that I am a big fan of pico.  It is basically a fresh version of salsa.  It is light, crunchy and can have a nice kick to it, depending on what you put in it.  It is also super easy.  Everything just gets chopped up and put in a bowl.  We ate this with tacos tonight. 

Pico de Gallo

2 large tomatoes, diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 jalapeno, diced finely
1 handful of cilantro, finely chopped
1 green onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced (three out of the inside of big garlic.  Are those cloves, or is the whole thing a clove?)
juice from 1/2 lime
salt, to taste

Combine everything in a bowl and serve. 

100% of the contents of this recipe came from my baskets last week.  I got the tomatoes from the conventional basket and the rest from the guacamole pack.  Actually, it is more like 99% because I already had the salt.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts are actually good!

I remember eating brussels sprouts a few times in my childhood and I think the end result was always a spanking.  Needless to say, they were not on my list of foods that I ever planned on eating again. 
Having children of my own, however, was enough to make me willing to give them another go when we got them in our baskets last week.  You just can’t trust a kid’s opinion of a food until you have tried it as an adult.

I was talking to my Uncle Curtis tonight about brussels sprouts and he told me that he hated them.  He served a church mission in Ireland and ate them just about twice a day.  They were always boiled, which might have been how I ate (or didn’t eat them) as a kid.  I found this recipe for roasted sprouts on Allrecipes.com.  My whole opinion of them has changed.  You might say that I’m converted, even.  Two of my children asked for seconds.  Did you hear what I said? Two of them asked for seconds.

I wasn’t sure how to prep them.  They had a lot of extra leaves and were a lot bigger than I remembered them being.  I peeled off the outer leaves and cut off of the stalk.  That made them look more like I thought they should look.  It seemed like there was a lot of waste.  I also cut them in half, which reduced the cooking time.  There were a bunch of the inner leaves that kept falling off and I just threw them away.  I wish I would have just cooked them as well, because those blackened leaves were the best ones.  I cooked them in the oven, but now I wish I would have used the grill.  My house is stinking hot now. 

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Preheat oven to 425.

1 pound (or so) brussels sprouts, outer leaves removed and bottoms trimmed
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Kosher salt (be sure to use Kosher because it is chunky.  See it in the picture?)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Place everything in a gallon-sized bag and knead it around to coat it all evenly.  Let it sit for an hour or two.  Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 20-25 minutes.  Stir every 5 minutes or so to help them brown evenly.  Serve immediately.

If you think you hate brussels sprouts, I recommend giving this recipe a try.  You just might change your mind.

Broccoli Bacon Salad

If you ever need a salad to take to a barbeque or potluck, this is a real crowd pleaser.  It is easy to make and the combination of flavors is excellent.  I first had this salad when my sister-in-law made it and we have been eating it ever since.   

The amounts of the ingredients are really just up to your tastes.  You can go heavy or light on the bacon and cheese.  Broccoli is another vegetable that my husband can’t eat, so I made a small batch for dinner tonight.  I’m guessing on the amounts here.

1/2 pound of broccoli
4 thick slices of bacon
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup ranch dressing (I go light on the dressing, but you could add more if you like it heavy)

Prepare the broccoli by cutting off the stalks and trimming the florets down to bite size pieces.  If you have floppy broccoli, try this method to stiffen it up. 

Cook the bacon and then crumble it.  My preferred method for cooking a small amount of bacon is to use a frying pan with the lid on.  It doesn’t matter if they are layered up on each other.  Then I place the bacon on paper towels to absorb the grease and use kitchen scissors to cut it into pieces.

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.  It is best served chilled.  If you prepare it more than an hour or so in advance, save the cheese and add it when you are ready to serve.

Cottage Cheese with Fruit

This is one of my favorite breakfasts.  Cottage cheese has a lot of protein in it and the fruit gives you complex carbs, which makes this a perfect post-workout breakfast.  Of course, you could eat it anytime.  I make it often with whatever kind of fruit I have on hand.  I used fresh pineapple along with the strawberries and raspberries that came in my last basket.  Off of the top of my head, I have also used blueberries, kiwi, bananas, blackberries and mandarin oranges.  The more colorful it is, the better, I always say.  Different colors of fruits and vegetables have different nutrients in them, so it is important to eat a variety of colors. 

Garlic Green Beans

After using this recipe today and the Spicy Sesame Green Beans recipe last week, I have only used up about half of the beans that I got in my two baskets.  I will probably make these again soon and then freeze the rest of them.

This is another recipe that I cooked on the grill, but you could also cook them in the oven.

green beans (I’m going to guess that I used 1/2 pound)
small bit of onion, finely chopped
minced garlic (probably about 2-3 cloves)
olive oil
kosher salt, to taste

Preheat your grill or oven.  My grill sits on my back porch with the afternoon sun on it, so it is always about 600 degrees when I’m ready to put food on it.  It is usually around 450 when I close the lid.  The hotter it is, the faster the beans will cook.  If you are cooking a main dish in the oven, you could cook the beans at whatever temperature you are using.  Just adjust the cooking time for more or less.

I made kind of a grill pan out of two sheets of foil.  Keep the two sheets together, or use one layer of heavy duty foil, and fold up the edges to make kind of a cookie sheet style foil pan.  Or, if you have a grill pan, use that. 

Prepare the beans for cooking.  I have found that I like using kitchen shears to snip off the ends and then cut them into whatever size pieces that I’m feeling like.  I cut these into about one-inch pieces.  Drizzle a little bit of olive oil into the bowl with the beans.  You just want enough to coat them.  Then add your onion, garlic and salt.  Toss to coat. 

I put the foil on the top rack of my grill first, then added the beans.  I was cooking chicken at the same time, so my thin filets went on at the same time.

Close the lid.  At about 450, my beans were crisp-tender and perfect after about 12 minutes.

Every one of my kids ate these tonight and complimented me on them.  That is success in my book.

Also, sorry that I don’t have any pictures today.  Getting the food on the table was more of a priority than taking a picture.

Brazilian Lemonade (with limes)

Don’t ask me why Brazilian Lemonade is made with limes.  I’m not Brazilian.  (Sometimes I wish I was, so that I could Samba better.)  It is, however, super tasty.

 

This recipe made just barely enough to serve to my family of six at dinner.  You could easily half it if you need less.  Or you could just make the full recipe and save the rest for later.  That’s what I would do if I had leftovers.  I was kind of sad when it was gone.

5 limes
6 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
6 Tbsp sweetened condensed milk

Wash the limes.  Cut the ends off of them and then quarter them.  If you are using big limes, you should probably cut them into 1/8th pieces.  Do not peel them!  You want the zest out of the peel, not just the juice out of the middle.  Put the pieces into a blender along with the water.  Pulse it a few times.  Basically, you want it to end up with small pieces of limes, but it shouldn’t be thick like a smoothie.  Pour it all through a fine strainer to get the chunks out.  Pour it back into the blender and add the sugar and sweetened condensed milk.  Blend it up until it all incorporated and frothy.  Serve over ice.

If you wanted to make this a frozen drink, you could add the ice to the blender and blend it all up.  My blender was at its capacity with six cups of water, so ours was on the rocks.

Creamy Orzo and Beans

This is another perfect for summer recipe because it is made on the stovetop instead of the oven.  I don’t remember from where I got the original recipe.  I have a folder that is chock-full of hand written recipes and this was among them.  I changed a few things to make it easier.  It cooks up in no time so it would be perfect for a night when you need something quick.

The creamy sauce has kind of an alfredo feel to it, but it is waaaay more healthy than a heavy cream and butter sauce.  I used fresh green beans, but you could substitute frozen green beans or peas, or even broccoli would be tasty.  Just thaw them first.  I used my kitchen scissors to cut the beans into about 1 inch pieces. 

1/2 box orzo pasta
2 T. olive oil
1 glove garlic, minced
Green onions, chopped
12 oz can of evaporated milk
1 cup green beans (or peas or broccoli), steamed
Ham, cubed (I’m going to guess and say that I had probably about 3 cups)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Cook orzo according to package instructions.  Drain and set aside. (Start the next step once you put the orzo into the boiling water.)

Steam your beans in the microwave for a few minutes to soften them up a bit.  I used put them in a bowl with a little bit of water and a lid.  Drain.  You could do this during the next step while you are waiting for the rest to cook.

In a big skillet, add the olive oil, garlic and onions.  Let it saute for a couple of minutes.  Add the ham and cook for about five minutes.  Next, add the milk and beans and stir it around for a few minutes.  Add the drained orzo and mix well.  Turn off the heat and mix in the parmesan cheese.  Let it sit for a few minutes to thicken up.  Serve.

Some kind of french bread or dinner rolls would also be a nice compliment.  I tried to cook rustic bread in the crock pot a couple of weeks ago, without much success.  If I can figure that out, it would be perfect in the summer.

I served this with a green salad and grilled zucchini boats.  That recipe is coming up next.

Spicy Sesame Green Beans

These are not your typical open-a-can-and-heat-them-up green beans.  To be honest, I haven’t really eaten very many green beans that didn’t come out of a can or jar.  I helped my mom bottle probably a thousand quarts in my lifetime, but we never ate them fresh.  After making these today, I am now a fresh green bean convert.  Delicious!

This recipe is adapted from allrecipes.com. 

1 pound fresh green beans
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp minced garlic (I always buy the jar of the already minced stuff in the produce section)
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp roasted sesame seeds
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Prepare the beans by snapping off the ends and then snapping them into whatever size pieces you want.  I snapped them in half.  Using a steamer basket or insert, steam them until they are crisp-tender, about 10 minutes.  Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.

Toss them in a bowl with the other ingredients.  Let them marinate for a while.  Serve at room temperature.

Fruit Swirled Puddin’ Pops

Yum.
 
In this first trial run, I used vanilla pudding and my leftover $0.99/lb cherries.  It was fabulous!  You could use any combination of pudding and fruit.  I want to try lemon pudding with blueberries and chocolate pudding with strawberries next.

1 package instant pudding and the milk required to prepare it
1 cup fruit, fresh or frozen (cherries, strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries, etc)
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp water

First, prepare the fruit by pitting it, stemming it or  whatever it requires.  Then put it in a small saucepan and add the water and sugar.  Bring it to a simmer over medium heat and stir it to break it up.  Let it simmer for about five to ten minutes, or until it looks good and kind of syrup-y.  Transfer it to a blender or food processer and make it into a nice puree.  Transfer that to the refrigerator or the freezer, if you’re that impatient, and let it cool down.  It takes about 30 minutes.

Next, prepare the pudding according to the directions on the package, making sure to use the “pudding” directions, and not the “pie filling” directions. 

While it is still kind of runny, layer your pudding and fruit puree into popsicle molds or dixie cups.  You know what else would be perfect for this?  Empty Trix yogurt cups.  We used to save them for my youngest to drink out of when she was tiny, because I hated having sippy cups at the dinner table.  The kids just wanted to fill up on milk and not eat, so using tiny cups solved that problem.  They would be reusable, as opposed to the dixie cups that would just have to be thrown away.  You can get popsicle sticks at the DollarTree for, you got it, $1.

Once I had them all layered, I took a long skewer and swirled the layers around a bit.

Insert the tops to the molds, or regular popsicle sticks if you’re using cups.  

Place them in the freezer for at least a few hours.  The longer, the better, I say.  Run water over the cups to loosen them and enjoy!

Chicken Salad

Finally, something that I haven’t heard my kids complaining about.  I had a plan for dinner tonight, but I didn’t execute it soon enough and then got busy cleaning the garage.  When dinner time was approaching, I needed something quick, and something that didn’t require baking.  I looked around the pantry/storage room for something and settled on some canned chicken.  I remembered about the celery from our baskets last week and though chicken salad would be perfect.

2 cans chicken
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup mayonaise
chopped onion, to taste
seasoning salt, to taste
ground pepper, to taste

Mix it all up and serve.  We used Ritz crackers because that is what we had.  It is also good as a sandwich, either with bread, buns or croissants.  Make a green salad on the side and you have a perfect, light dinner for summer.

Foil Pack Potatoes

I have been making these potatoes for a long time.  They are perfect for summer because they take the heat out of the house.  I have to tell you, this summer is killing me.  The temperatures have been in the 90s for the past couple of weeks, which is abnormal for this area.  I’m pretty sure that we usually only reach 90 a handful of times for the whole summer, and definitely not in June. 

Anyhoo, back to the potatoes.  Have you noticed yet that most of my “recipes” are just vague instructions?  These potatoes are no exception.  I’m going to tell you how I made them tonight, and then I will tell you a few other ways to do it.  This is another one of those “recipes” that seem to be fail-proof.  The only times that I’ve failed while making them was when I just didn’t cook them long enough.

3 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
olive oil for drizzling
seasoning salt
ground pepper
heavy duty foil, or use two thicknesses

Preheat your grill.

Put your potatoes in a bowl with the onion.  The smaller your cubes are, the faster your potatoes will cook.  Drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the top.  Shake a good amount of seasoning salt and pepper over everything.  I don’t measure, but the top should be pretty orangey from the salt.  Toss to coat it all evenly.

I only had regular foil, so I used two thicknesses.  I have made them with only using a layer of regular foil and they have more of a tendency to burn that way.  Lay either your one heavy duty layer or your two regular layers on the counter.  Dump the potato mixture on top of the foil and spread it out evenly.  Use another layer, or two layers, or foil on top.  Fold the edges up toward the middle, making a nice package.



When the grill is hot, put the foil package on the top rack of the grill, not directly over the heat.  After about fifteen minutes, turn it over.  Let it cook for another 15 minutes.  At this point, you can take it off the grill and very carefully undo a corner to check the tenderness of the potatoes.  I say to do it very carefully because there will be steam escaping and it could burn you.  The time is a variable because it depends on how big your potatoes were cut and how hot your grill is.  If they aren’t quite soft enough, put them back on the grill.

I serve these right out of the foil.  Why bother having to wash another dish if you don’t have to?

Now for some variations.  The sky is the limit.  I used russet potatoes because that is what came in the baskets this week.  You could use any variety.  When I use reds, I usually keep the skins on.  Their skin is a lot thinner than russets, so maybe that is why you see them most often cooked with their skins on.

I like using the olive oil because of the health factor, but you could use butter or any other oil. 

Instead of the seasoning salt, you could use dry ranch mix, Italian dressing mix, grilling seasoning like Montreal Chicken, etc, or Mrs. Dash’s seasoning.  Or whatever else you can think of.  Taco seasoning, maybe?

When I use the ranch mix, after it is done cooking, I open the package and generously sprinkle cheddar cheese on top, then close the package again for a few minutes to let the cheese melt.

So that how I do it.  I’d love to hear your experiences with it, either doing it my way or your own.

Smoothies 101

I can’t think of a better way to use up fruit (I seriously just typed “froot”) and vegetables than to make smoothies.  There really isn’t a wrong way to do it and I think just about any combination of fruit would taste good.  Here is the basic recipe.

Fruit- ideally frozen, but not totally necessary
Greens of some sort – spinach or kale (optional)
liquid of some sort – juice, water or milk
sweetener (optional)
protein – yogurt, peanut butter or protein powder (optional)
ice cubes – if you didn’t use frozen fruit

(Frozen blueberries, bananas, strawberries, kale and orange juice)

There are two options for fruit.  You can use frozen fruit and omit the ice, or you can use fresh fruit and ice cubes.  This morning, I used frozen strawberries, frozen bananas and blueberries.  I have used mango, raspberries and peaches with success.  I really don’t think you can go wrong here.

I like adding something green, like spinach or kale.  You really can’t taste it, but it sneaks in a serving of vegetables.  I have been using kale lately, since that came in our last baskets.  I pull the leaves off of the hard stem and put them in the blender.  I use about a cup.  If I’m using spinach, I use a couple of handfuls. 

If you do not have a super powerful blender, like a Vitamix or a Blendtec, do not despair.  I don’t have one of those and I can still do the green stuff.  Just add your greens with the liquid and blend them up pretty well before adding the fruit.  It will be smooth when you are all done.

If you are not using greens, or you have a mega-blender, just throw everything in together.  If you have already blended up your greens, add everything else now.

I have been using water for a long time because I didn’t want to add more calories.  I used orange juice this morning for a change and I liked it, too.  You just have to experiment to see what you like.

Sweetener is optional, but tasty.  I used a splash of maple syrup this morning and I like it.  You could use a little sugar or agave, if you’re fancy like that.  Or you can leave it out entirely.  When I use milk as my liquid, I like to add a tablespoon of Nesquik powder.  Yum!

As far as protein goes, a lot of people use yogurt.  Both greek and plain yogurt are especially high in protein, so I tend to use those.  The most brilliant thing I have done concerning yogurt was to buy a big tub on clearance and freeze it in mini muffin tins.  Start by spraying it with cooking spray, then spoon a tablespoon or so into each cup.  Put them into the freezer and just pop them out when they are solid.  Put them in a freezer bag or bowl and freeze again until you need them.  Unfrozen yogurt works great, too.  You can even experiment with flavors if you want.

Protein powder is another option.  You can buy tubs of it anywhere.  I have tried a few brands and don’t really have a favorite, but I have noticed that Jillian Michael’s has a very distinct artificial sweetener taste.  I only bought it once and that was enough for me.  These powders usually have a hundred calories or more per scoop, so pay attention to the label if you are calorie conscious.

Once you have everything in there, blend it up.  If it is too thick, add more liquid,  If it is too thin, add ice or more fruit.  You will be surprised at how fast everything adds up to make a massive smoothie, so start with small amounts of everything.  You will also be surprised at how fast the calories add up, even though they are all worthy ingredients. 

There you have it.  Now go put Smoothie King out of business and save a bundle by making them yourselves.

I know posts are always better with pictures, but I just keep forgetting to take some.  I’ll try to remember to take some next time, but don’t be surprised if I forget.

Smoothies 101

I can’t think of a better way to use up fruit (I seriously just typed “froot”) and vegetables than to make smoothies.  There really isn’t a wrong way to do it and I think just about any combination of fruit would taste good.  Here is the basic recipe.

Fruit- ideally frozen, but not totally necessary
Greens of some sort – spinach or kale (optional)
liquid of some sort – juice, water or milk
sweetener (optional)
protein – yogurt, peanut butter or protein powder (optional)
ice cubes – if you didn’t use frozen fruit

There are two options for fruit.  You can use frozen fruit and omit the ice, or you can use fresh fruit and ice cubes.  This morning, I used frozen strawberries, frozen bananas and blueberries.  I have used mango, raspberries and peaches with success.  I really don’t think you can go wrong here.

I like adding something green, like spinach or kale.  You really can’t taste it, but it sneaks in a serving of vegetables.  I have been using kale lately, since that came in our last baskets.  I pull the leaves off of the hard stem and put them in the blender.  I use about a cup.  If I’m using spinach, I use a couple of handfuls. 

If you do not have a super powerful blender, like a Vitamix or a Blendtec, do not despair.  I don’t have one of those and I can still do the green stuff.  Just add your greens with the liquid and blend them up pretty well before adding the fruit.  It will be smooth when you are all done.

If you are not using greens, or you have a mega-blender, just throw everything in together.  If you have already blended up your greens, add everything else now.

I have been using water for a long time because I didn’t want to add more calories.  I used orange juice this morning for a change and I liked it, too.  You just have to experiment to see what you like.

Sweetener is optional, but tasty.  I used a splash of maple syrup this morning and I like it.  You could use a little sugar or agave, if you’re fancy like that.  Or you can leave it out entirely.  When I use milk as my liquid, I like to add a tablespoon of Nesquik powder.  Yum!

As far as protein goes, a lot of people use yogurt.  Both greek and plain yogurt are especially high in protein, so I tend to use those.  The most brilliant thing I have done concerning yogurt was to buy a big tub on clearance and freeze it in mini muffin tins.  Start by spraying it with cooking spray, then spoon a tablespoon or so into each cup.  Put them into the freezer and just pop them out when they are solid.  Put them in a freezer bag or bowl and freeze again until you need them.  Unfrozen yogurt works great, too.  You can even experiment with flavors if you want.

Protein powder is another option.  You can buy tubs of it anywhere.  I have tried a few brands and don’t really have a favorite, but I have noticed that Jillian Michael’s has a very distinct artificial sweetener taste.  I only bought it once and that was enough for me.  These powders usually have a hundred calories or more per scoop, so pay attention to the label if you are calorie conscious.

Once you have everything in there, blend it up.  If it is too thick, add more liquid,  If it is too thin, add ice or more fruit.  You will be surprised at how fast everything adds up to make a massive smoothie, so start with small amounts of everything.  You will also be surprised at how fast the calories add up, even though they are all worthy ingredients. 

There you have it.  Now go put Smoothie King out of business and save a bundle by making them yourselves.

I know posts are always better with pictures, but I just keep forgetting to take some.  I’ll try to remember to take some next time, but don’t be surprised if I forget.

Acorn Squash in the Microwave

I would have done this post a while ago, but I have been out of town and am just now getting to these squash. 

This is a really easy and tasty way to cook acorn squash, especially in the summer when nobody wants to turn on an oven.  I’ve done it twice now, and it has turned out good both times.

First, let us talk about the different methods of cooking this type of squash.  I read a whole bunch of recipes that all basically said the same thing.  Cut it in half and bake it in the oven for 45 minutes.  That’s too hot for summer cooking, so I kept looking until I found some directions for cooking it in the microwave.  It turns out exactly the same, just with the added bonus of taking less than 10 minutes and not heating up your kitchen.  If you are like my mother and don’t use a microwave, you could wrap it in foil and cook it on the grill.  It would probably take as long as it does in the oven.

On to our recipe.  Start by cutting the squash in half and scraping out the seeds.  I use a tablespoon and it works great.  The skin is pretty hard, so make sure you use a shape knife and be careful.



Add a little bit of water, like 1/2 cup, to some kind of microwavable dish.  I used this plate as it has a nice lip to keep the water in.  Then place the squash halves in the dish with the cut side down.  Microwave for 4 minutes.

Carefully, and using potholders, take the dish out and dump out the water.  Turn over the squash and add about a teaspoon of butter and a tablespoon of brown sugar into the cavity of each half.  I don’t measure it.  If you want it really sweet, add a little more sugar.  Sprinkle both halves with cinnamon. 



Put it back into the microwave, still cut side up, for probably 4 to 6 more minutes.  These squash were small, less than a pound each, so 4 more minutes was enough.  It should be tender and easy to scrape off of the sides.

I eat these by scraping the flesh off of the sides of the shell, making a bowl.  Mix it all up together so that you get the butter and sugar on all of it.  Wait a couple of minutes for it to cool and you are ready to eat! 
My lunch today was both of these halves, but if you are serving it as a side dish, you could plan on one half per person.  Or, in the case of my kids, half of a half would probably be plenty.



I’d love to hear any feedback about cooking these.  If you have another method, I’d love to hear that, too.  I still have two of those babies to use.

Vegetable Sausage Soup

This soup is one that I came up with last fall to use up some yellow squash and zucchini from my garden.  I made it tonight with the intent to use up the carrots that seem to be never-ending.  Let’s face it, four pounds of baby carrots is a whole lot of carrots!  You could use whatever vegetables you have on hand, really. 

The ingredients (since I don’t really measure, all measurements are approximate):

Smoked sausage (the package is just to show what I used since I had already chopped it)
Water
Carrots
Zucchini
Yellow Squash
1/2 tsp Onion powder (or chopped onions)
Diced tomatoes
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt (missing from picture)
Some type of noodles (also missing from picture)

I start by sautéing the sausage right in the pot that you’re going to use.  I was just making enough for my husband and me for dinner, so I used half of a package of sausage.  You don’t need to add any oil to it because it has plenty of fat.  Let it cook up until it starts shrinking.  Stir it around every once in a while.

Then add all of your chopped vegetables and seasonings.  Add enough water to fill the pot, or at least to cover everything up good.  Let it simmer for at least an hour, adding more water if needed.  I let this cook for probably about an hour and a half and it was just right. 

The next step is adding the noodles, so make sure that you have enough water and that it is simmering.  Add some noodles.  I used rotini tonight because that box was already opened.  You can use anything.  I also don’t like to add very many noodles, probably about a cup for this batch.  I pretty much just use enough to make my husband feel like he’s eating something more than vegetables. 

Speaking of him and vegetables, he is not a vegetable eater.  He has Crohn’s Disease and most vegetables do not agree with him, especially broccoli and lettuce.  This soup, however, he can eat without a problem.  In fact, he really likes it. 

If you feel like you still need more vegetables, serve this with a salad on the side.  I polished off the last of the romaine and tomatoes from the last baskets along with this.  I also served it with crescent rolls.  Grilled cheese sandwiches would be good with it.  It really is a light meal and makes use of a lot of vegetables. 

Cream-filled Carrot Cake Muffins

Four pounds of baby carrots is a lot of carrots!  I found this recipe for Cream-filled Carrot Cake Muffins on Pinterest and thought it would use up a few.  The problem with grating baby carrots, however, is that it is pretty tedious.  You end up with a lot of short, bite-sized ends.  I guess that’s not a problem, since they are great to snack on.  If your mouth is full of carrots, you’re less likely to eat the filling by the spoonful. 

I followed the recipe exactly, except for my total reckless abandon when it comes to measuring ingredients.  I got fourteen generous sized muffins, instead of the twelve indicated in the recipe.  Something about living at a high altitude makes cakes and muffins rise better.  I thought they turned out great and I will definitely make them again.  Soon, probably.