Simple Baked Acorn Squash

I got a few beautiful little acorn squash at the apple orchard last week.  They're so simple to make as a side dish or even an easy, healthy fall snack.

Simple Baked Acorn Squash

Here's what I used:

2 acorn squash
1 tbsp butter, divided
salt

Here's what I did:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Cut squash in half and scoop out seeds.  Srape gently to get rid of goopy connective pith.  Place on foil lined baking sheet, and add a small pat of butter to each squash cup.  Sprinkle lightly with salt.

Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until fork tender.

I like to serve it as is, and let everyone scoop out the center.  Also an easy baby or toddler snack if scooped out and served as a puree.

Fresh Apple Crumble

Nick and I took Sydney to a nearby apple orchard yesterday, and we had the best time picking apples and enjoying the gorgeous 70 degree weather.  Sydney definitely thought it was her responsibility to check each apple's sweetness...by taking a bite...from each apple.  LOL. 

Once we got all EIGHT POUNDS of apples home, I stared at them.  We don't eat a lot of apples.  What would I do with them all?  (Note: my horse Zen assured me that if I couldn't think of anything, he'd be happy to take care of the problem for me.  He's like that.  A fixer.)

A quick chat with a neighbor helped me formulate a plan.  I could do a pie, but that would be a tall order.  Crust.  Dough.  Filling.  She mentioned a simple recipe of fresh cut apples, cinnamon, sugar, oats...  Now that sounded like something I could handle. 

So I went looking and found something just right.  And it was really, really yummy!

Fresh Apple Crumble

Here's what I used:

6 tart apples, skinned, cored, and cut into thin wedges

1 cup white sugar

1 cup AP flour

1 cup quick-cook oats

2 tbsp ground cinnamon, divided

1 stick butter, melted

1/2 stick butter, sliced thin

Here's what I did:

Preheat oven to 350.  Layer or pile apples into a 9x12 or 8x8 baking dish.  I used a glass pyrex baking dish. 

Mix dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, using half the cinnamon.  Drizzle with melted butter and stir to incorporate.  Its important to incorporate the dry ingredients first, so that your flour and sugar begin to dissolve. 

Spoon your crumbly mixture evenly over the apples, making sure they're all covered.  Sprinkle remaining cinnamon overtop, and evenly distribute butter slices.

Cook for 50 minutes.

We had this with French Vanilla ice cream underneath.  It was simple, delicious and make our entire home smell fantastic!!

Stuffed Acorn Squash

My mom picked up the October Martha Stewart Living magazine for me the other day. I thumbed through all the cute project ideas for fall, and happened on a recipe towards the back. Beautiful acorn squash, stuffed with a mixture of bulgar wheat, ground beef, acorn squash and other hearty, yummy ingredients. Lo and behold, I had actually picked up an acorn squash at the store. I always love when gourds show up at the store, so I sometimes buy a few...and figure out what to do with them later. So I modified it a bit, but here's my version of Martha's stuffed acorn squash.

Stuffed Acorn Squash (for 2)

Here's what I used:

1 acorn squash
3/4 lb ground beef (calls for 90% lean, but I used what I had, 80/20)
1 cup quick-cook brown rice
1 3/4 cups water
1 medium onion chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tbsp good olive oil
2 tsp salt
pinch cinnamon
pinch nutmeg

Here's what I did:

Set the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the acorn in half width-wise, and then cut a small amount off of each end so that when flipped over, they will sit flat. Turned upside down onto a baking sheet, and baked for 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, heated oil in a stock pot, and added ground beef, cinnamon, nutmeg and 1/2 of the salt. Browned, and then reserved ground beef on a plate, using slotted spoon to keep juices in the pot.

Then, I added the onion and allowed it to soften for about 5 minutes. Added in garlic, and let cook for another minute. Finally, I added the rest of the salt, the uncooked brown rice and the water, brought to a boil, and allowed to simmer for 25 minutes (or as directions for your rice state).

By the time the rice mixture is cooked, the squash should be ready to come out of the oven. I did not remove the seeds from the inside prior to cooking, so I used an ice cream scoop (think of it as a giant melon baller) and gently scooped out the seeds and discarded. Then I scooped out most of the inside of each squash (leaving about 1/16" so that the sides don't fall in). This creates our "bowl" for the squash/rice/meat mixture.

Now that the rice was done, I added the ground beef back in, as well as the squash. Mixed well to incorporate all ingredients and then piled them into each "squash bowl". Here's where I deviated. This recipe is pretty sweet, and we tend to go with more savory meals. I sprinkled some shaved parmesan on top.

Then I popped the stuffed squash back in the oven for another 10 minutes so that the cheese would melt, and the mixture would get a little browned on top.

On to reviews. The only complaint I heard, and it was prefaced with "this is not a complaint", was that this was too sweet. Nick went back and added more parmesan to get a little more salt into his mix. I really liked it as it was, very subtle, and a little sweet. And the cinnamon and nutmeg add a really festive, fall-like vibe to the meal. I also did not serve this with anything else. I think it would have been nice with maybe some grilled asparagus or brussel sprouts, but I just ran out of time. Also, having a toddler attached to both legs while I hobble around the kitchen to produce something "gourmet-like", repeatedly saying "Mommy UP! Mommy UP!" tends to wittle down the variety that I can cook up.

South Beach Turkey Chili

I really, really, really love my South Beach Cookbook. Everything I find in that book is delicious, gourmet-tasting (without gourmet effort) and above all, HEALTHY. This Chili recipe is no exception. Its one of my top 5 recipes from this book (I have it linked in my Favorite Cookbooks Widget on the right-hand panel). The weather yesterday, and today, has been overcast, chilly, misty and gloomy...perfect CHILI weather. By 10am yesterday I knew exactly what I would be making for dinner.

South Beach Turkey Chili

Here's what I used:

1 lb ground turkey (naturally low fat)
2 sweet onions (vidalia), chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 tbsp good olive oil
15 oz can chopped tomatoes
2/3 can tomato paste
3 cups chicken broth (I used bullion, and added water)
1 can black beans (drained, rinsed)
1 can navy beans (drained, rinsed)
1 can dark kidney beans (drained, rinsed)
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Topping:
2 tbsp sour cream
handful of shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Here's what I did:

In large stock pot, I added the olive oil and then onions. Once the onions had softened (about 5 minutes) I added my garlic and turkey. I allowed the turkey to cook for about 8-10 minutes, and then added my bell pepper and spices. I allowed the bell pepper to cook for another few minutes and then added my canned tomatoes (with juice!), tomato paste and chicken broth. Stirred to fully incorporate and smooth out any lumps made by the tomato paste. Finally, I added all the beans.

Once all ingredients have been incorporated, check the seasoning. If you like more heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper. I used a little bit of Tony Chacheries, which is a cajun seasoning. If you can find some at your local market, pick it up...its hard to find where I live. We often have to order from www.cajungrocer.com.

I allow the chili to simmer on low heat for about 20 or so minutes, this lets all the ingredients really meld together, and the sauce to thicken a bit.

Served in a large soup bowl, and topped with a small handful of cheddar cheese and sour cream (Disclaimer: This part is NOT SOUTH BEACH, and does add calories).

On to reviews: The hubbs really liked the chili. He added a touch of tabasco to his, but I left mine alone. He did say it was one of the best chili renditions I've done, and I think that's due to the fact that I allowed it to cook down for so long. It made the mixture much more rich and delicious. Can't wait for these leftovers. This recipe easily made enough for 6 people.

Mia's Chicken Enchiladas

Fall is starting to appear. Crisp air in the morning and a chilly breeze remind me that the leaves will change soon, and sweater weather will be here in no time at all. With that comes heartier meals like stews, casseroles....mmmm...some of my very favorites. One of those is my grandmother's Chicken Enchiladas. I have been enjoying this recipe since I was a child...and now enjoy making it for my own family.

Mia's Chicken Enchiladas

Here's what I used:

1 package corn tortillas
3-4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1 bag/block shredded cheddar cheese
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups chicken stock (I used bullion cubes and water)
1 can Rotel (spicy tomato/green chilis)
2 tsp cumin
S&P
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 stick butter
2-3 tsp olive oil

Here's what I did:

First I prepared my chicken for a quick sear, by seasoning with S&P (both sides) and 1 tsp cumin. Then I added olive oil to a non-stick skillet and seared my chicken for 3 minutes per side on med-high heat. This adds a layer of flavor that boiling would not.

Meanwhile, I cut all corn tortillas into halves, and lined the bottom of a large glass casserole dish with the tortillas, I used about 8 tortillas, halved, to cover the bottom of the dish.

Once the chicken was seared, I removed them to a plate to rest. Added the butter to the same skillet that the chicken was in, and added my diced onions and minced garlic. I allowed them to soften, cooking about 8 minutes. Once translucent, I added my chicken stock, Rotel (juice too!), cumin and cream of chicken soup, stirring to remove any lumps. I allowed this mixture to cook down on high heat for about 20-25 minutes. You want to achieve a silky, gravy-like texture prior to adding to casserole dish. At the very end, once texture looked good, I added my chicken (chopped/torn into 1"ish pieces) into the mixture.

Now it was time to assemble the enchiladas. I added 1/3 of my chicken/sauce mixture to the casserole dish, and then topped with 1/3 of the shredded cheese. Then I laid another layer of halved corn tortillas, another 1/3 of the chicken/sauce, and then an other 1/3 of cheese. Finally, I added the third layer of corn tortillas, the remaining chicken/sauce and topped with cheese.

Cooked at 350 for 15-20 minutes, until bubbly and slightly browned on top.

The hubbs and my dad both agreed that this was my best rendition of this family classic. I attribute it to the use of the Rotel (the original recipe only calls for a small can of green chilis, but I used a large can of tomatoes/chilis instead) and the cayenne. This dish had a great Kick, and I can't wait to enjoy it a second time for lunch - I'm sure it will taste even better!!