Acorn Squash with Cranberries

FOUND IT: On Cooks.com

I'm not a big squash fan, but I like it this way, mainly because I love cranberries.

Ingredients:

2 acorn squash
1/2 c. fresh cranberries
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 tbsp. melted butter
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Cut squash in halves lengthwise; remove seeds. Combine cranberries, brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon; fill squash halves with this mixture. Place in shallow baking dish and surround with 1/2 inch water. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until squash is done.

Cranberry Orange Nut Bread

FOUND IT: On Cooks.com

Cranberries are one of my favorite things. I like summer as much as the next guy, but I also love the first fresh cranberries of the fall.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 c. butter, softened
Juice and grated peel of 1 orange
1 egg
1 c. cranberries, chopped
1/2 c. chopped nuts

Grease bottom of loaf pan, 9 x 5 x 3 inches. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Stir in butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir in orange peel (about 1 tablespoon), the juice of 1 orange and 1 egg. Stir only until the flour is moistened. Stir in cranberries and nuts. Spread evenly in pan.

Bake at 350 until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes. Original recipe says to let it stand for at least 8 hours. I've never made it more than half an hour or so before I cut into it.

Stove top mac and cheese

FOUND IT: On Good Eats.

I have about half a dozen mac and cheese recipes I use from time to time, but this one is the easiest. If you want to add some meat, try a couple of chopped up, cooked chicken breasts, or, make it into Buffalo chicken mac and cheese by adding that chicken and upping the hot sauce (to taste). This recipe serves about 4, but is easy to double if you're serving more, or halve if you're serving less.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound elbow macaroni
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 eggs
• 6 ounces evaporated milk (I rarely have this around, so I use 3/4 cup skim milk)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Fresh black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
  
• 10 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente and drain. Return to the pot and melt in the butter. Toss to coat.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and mustard. Stir into the pasta and add the cheese. Over low heat continue to stir for 3 minutes or until creamy.

Spinach Artichoke soup

FOUND IT: My friend Miranda sent me this Spinach-Artichoke Dip recipe, which got me started.
MODIFIED: I added some liquids to make it into a soup in an attempt to duplicate a Chicken Florentine Soup I had in a restaurant, and some protein to make it a one-dish meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped (I don't like big chunks of artichoke, so I chop it up in the food processor.)
  
• 1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (I just use a full box.)
  
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1-2 boneless chicken breasts, chopped bite size
• 1 quart chicken stock or broth.

Stir all ingredients (except stock and chicken) together, then add chicken and pour stock on top. Stir briefly, then cook on low in a crock pot for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked.

Beer Cheddar Soup

FOUND IT: At Cooks.com

I modified this recipe on 9/24/2011 to add and adjust some ingredients and change the cheese sauce process a bit.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup bacon, diced
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped bell pepper (I prefer red, green works)

4 cloves garlic
3 cups chicken broth or stock
1 can of beer (12 oz)
4 cups milk
1 lb sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2/3 cup flour

1/4 cup butter

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp hot sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Saute bacon in a large soup pot until crisp, and set aside on a paper towel. In the bacon drippings, saute the vegetables and garlic until the onions are transparent. Add stock and beer to pot and heat to boiling. Then reduce it to a simmer and cook until vegetables are tender, roughly 20-25 minutes.

While the vegetables are cooking, heat a medium saucepan over medium heat and melt the butter. Once the butter has melted add the flour, whisking the two together and letting the flour brown for 2 minutes or so. Whisk in the milk next, then the dry mustard and hot sauce and heat to near boiling. Once this mixture is hot, add the cheese and stir until it melts.

Add the cheese mixture to the soup pot. Use an immersion blender at this point (or a regular blender in shifts) to puree it down to a smooth texture. Season the soup to taste and heat it to desired serving temperature. Garnish with the bacon.

This recipe makes about six servings.

Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Roll Ups

FOUND IT: In Rachael Ray's magazine.
MODIFIED IT: A little.

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese (I've skipped this the last couple of times and not missed it)
1 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped (see below)
8 chicken breast cutlets (I usually just buy four chicken breasts and turn one thick breast into two thin ones, then pound them thinner.)
1/2 pound deli-sliced provolone cheese (use whatever cheese you like here)
1/4 cup olive oil

The first time I made this recipe, I had a hard time finding the sun dried tomatoes, but was able to find Classico Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto. I used about half a jar of that instead and loved it.

I also frequently add a slice of capicola or prosciutto in with each roll up.

Beat the eggs in a shallow bowl, and place the bread crumbs in another one. Dip each cutlet in the eggs, then bread crumbs, and place them on a work surface. Place one slice of cheese on each cutlet, then the capicola if you're using it, then the tomatoes and the ricotta, roll them up and secure with a toothpick. Cover a baking sheet with foil and put the finished roll ups on it. Drizzle the olive oil over the roll ups, and bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until the chicken is done.

Sweet Potato Muffins

FOUND IT: In a Penzey's catalog.

These are easy, good and fairly healthy.

Ingredients:

1 stick butter
1 1/4 cup sugar (or Splenda)
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes, about one good sized potato (see microwave note below)
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Topping (I skipped this):

2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Cream the butter with the sugar, then add eggs one at a time. Stir in the sweet potatoes and the milk. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Combine the two mixtures, stirring until moistened. Fold in the raisins and pecans. Spoon into greased muffin tin (or silicon liners). Fill to about 2/3 of capacity. Sprinkle topping on if you're using it, then bake at 375 for 25-27 minutes.

To microwave sweet potato, wash it off, poke some holes in it with a fork, wrap it in plastic wrap and microwave for 8-10 minutes.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crunch

FOUND IT: In a Penzey's catalog.

I had been waiting for the first rhubarb of the season to try this recipe. I made it last night to rave reviews.

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 cup oatmeal, uncooked
1 stick butter, melted
2/3 cup sugar (can be replaced with Splenda)
2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups diced rhubarb (2-3 good sized stalks)
2 cups strawberries (I used more, because I had more)
1 cup water
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp Vanilla

Combine flour, both sugars, oatmeal, butter, and cinnamon in a large bowl and mix until crumbly. Press half of that mixture into the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish. Spread the strawberries and rhubarb over that. In a small saucepan, combine the water, cornstarch and vanilla over medium-low heat until mixture becomes clear and thick, stirring constantly. (The recipe says this takes five minutes, it took me much less). Pour this mixture over the strawberries and rhubarb, then cover with the remaining crumb mixture, and bake in a 350 oven for 60 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.