November 27, 2013

Persimmon cranberry sauce

Jar of persimmon cranberry sauce. 
 
Sweet seasonal persimmon is mixed into homemade cranberry sauce for a delicious twist on the holiday side dish. 

November 25, 2013

Creamy jalapeno spaghetti squash and chicken bake

Scooping and serving creamy jalapeno spahetti squash and chicken bake.

A creamy, cheesy, and a bit spicy, this spaghetti squash dish is perfect for a chilly evening.

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This week I created a recipe that combines spaghetti squash and chicken with a creamy and spicy jalapeno sauce. Now that the snow has arrived, I've been craving casseroles, soups, stews, and all those stick-to-your-ribs type of meals. 

Plus, I have been looking for ways to make more frugal dishes, and that includes finding ways to stretch meat in our meals. It also helps that the spaghetti squash and peppers I used in this recipe were from my father-in-law's garden. I have been making a big effort lately to create meals around what we have at home. While there are still some things that I want to make that involve a big shopping trip, I'm trying to limit those and be creative with what we have on hand. 

This dish allowed me to stretch one large chicken breast into four servings. We ate this along with a green salad tossed with oil and vinegar for a full meal. 

Don't be afraid of using the jalapenos (even some seeds), pepper jack, and potentially some cayenne - the spaghetti squash, chicken, and milk are bland on their own and need these bold flavors!

Finished baking dish and spaghetti squash and chicken bake.

November 18, 2013

Chorizo and black bean stuffed delicata squash boats

Serving plate of a chorizo and black bean stuffed delicata squash half.

So delicata squash has to be one of my most favorite food discoveries over the past few years. I never ate one of these little beauties until a few years ago. 

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If you haven't tried these squash yet, please add them to your grocery list right now! They have a dense, sweet flesh that tastes like a cross between butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and corn to me. They are small and you can eat the skin once it is cooked, plus the layer of flesh is relatively thin, making them perfect for stuffing and relatively quick-cooking. 

The flavor of delicatas often makes me lean in the direction of southwest flavors and these boats are no exception. The sweetness of the squash paired really nicely with the spiced-up smoky filling. Plus, you don't have to scoop out the filling and squash, just cut it across with a knife and east everything! 

I allow one squash (two halves per person) and this filling should fill 3-4 squash.

Baking dish of finished chorizo and black bean stuffed delicata squash boats.

November 11, 2013

Pumpkin swirl brownies

Plate with a stack of pumpkin swirl brownies.

Autumn is my favorite time of year, as I have said many times before. I feel like everyone is rushing to Christmas the past few years as soon as Halloween is over. On my drive home from work on Halloween, I saw that the local mall had hung up all their outside Christmas decor and even a couple radio stations began playing nothing but carols the day after Halloween! That is unacceptable to me. It is still fall and there's still another holiday before we get to Christmas. I enjoy Christmas, but it's still harvest time, there are still leaves on the trees, it is still pumpkin and winter squash time. I'm taking back fall! I have no desire to rush away the autumn breezes and crispy leaves. Last weekend we had our nephew overnight and one of the things we had during his stay were these pretty wonderful brownies that combine pumpkin and chocolate together in one dense and chewy treat. These tasty brownies are adapted from Martha Stewart and were a big hit. I adjusted the spices because the original recipe calls for cayenne pepper and I didn't think a 5 year old would like that (I do use it in  these Mexican brownies though) and I lowered the sugar and changed the oil. I also changed the pan size which resulted in thinner brownies (but I thought they were a nice size).

Top view of a pumpkin swirl brownie.