Stuffed Acorn Squash

Sorry to disappear for a couple weeks folks, but this month has been surprisingly busy. Feels like I've hardly had time to unwind, let alone cook, but between all the places I've visited and all the people I've been able to spend time with, I'm exhausted in the best way. 

I've also been pretty inspired thumbing through my cookbook collection lately -- mostly by seasonal produce and flavors that scream "fall." Here is a recipe that embraces that! 

 

Stuffed Acorn Squash
(For two)

Ingredients:

1 medium to large acorn squash

Half of an onion, diced

1 pear, diced 

2 sausage links (pork or chicken)

Dried oregano

Dried thyme

Dried sage

Salt & pepper 

Brown sugar 

Nuts & raisins/dried cranberries

Plain bread crumbs 

1 tbs sour cream

Feta cheese

 

Preparation: Wash your squash thoroughly and cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out the stringy flesh and seeds in the center until there is a hollowed out space for your stuffing. Place the squash cut-side down on a greased baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until tender. 

Meanwhile, dice up the sausage (I used chicken this time) and brown in a pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and pears and cook until onions are translucent and the pears are tender. Add as many nuts and raisins as desired and toss. I added some sliced almonds, pecans and dried cranberries. 

Sprinkle your stuffing with salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, and sage to taste, but be careful not to overdo it as the flavor of dried herbs is usually more intense than fresh herbs. I also sprinkled in some brown sugar. 

Add the sour cream and a handful of breadcrumbs and toss until the stuffing is coated and combined. Once your squash is roasted, carefully remove it from the oven and scoop as much of your stuffing into the center as you can. Top with feta cheese, cover, and pop them back in the oven at 350 degrees for another 20 minutes. I'm already having visions of some Thanksgiving leftovers being worked into this recipe. Mmmm...

 

Also, if you don't eat meat, feel free to substitute the sausage for some mushrooms. You can really get creative with the filling. 

Enjoy! More seasonal recipes to come as we cruise through the fall and into the chilly winter months.

Love,

Amy 

Sea Salt Caramel Apple Pie... with food allergy alternatives!

It would be very remiss of me if I didn't post an apple pie recipe during apple season. Last year I stumbled upon this recipe here for a salted caramel apple pie... and now I'll never make a standard apple pie ever again. It's too delicious. I'm hooked and must share! 

Sea Salt Caramel Apple Pie

Ingredients for crust:

2 1/2 cups flour

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted, cold butter

1tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1/4-1/2 cup ice water

Preparation: Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor, and process for a few seconds to combine. Add the butter (in cubes), and process until the mixture looks like coarse meal (about 10 seconds). With the machine on, add the ice water in a slow yet steady stream, just until the dough holds together. Do not process for more than 30 seconds, as it's important not to overwork the dough. 

If you don't own a food processor, you can "cut in" the butter using 2 knives and/or a pastry blender. This is how I made my dough! Repeat this process until the butter pieces are the size of a small pea and the dough resembles coarse meal. Then add the cold water and knead the dough slightly until it holds.

Next, turn the dough out onto a work surface and divide into two equal parts. Place each half on a sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper. Flatten and mold into two discs, then wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Ingredients for pie:

The pie crust you just made!

5-6 tart apples (Granny Smith is pretty standard for pies, but not your only choice. I used a mix of Golden Delicious & Winesap that I picked!)

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp sea salt

1 tbs lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla

4 tbs heavy cream

4 tbs butter

Preparation: On a floury surface, roll out one disc of your chilled dough until it's able to cover the inside a pie dish with a slight over-hang on the edges. Let this chill in the fridge while you prepare the filling. 

 

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Wash, peel, and slice up your apples and place them in large mixing bowl. Drizzle lemon juice over the apples. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients (brown sugar, white sugar, flour, and spices) and then add to the apples. Toss to mix and coat apples. Add the vanilla extract and cream to apples and toss again. 

Melt the 4 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet. Add apple mixture and cook for about 8-10 minutes, or until apples are soft and the liquid is thick and golden. Turn the filling into the chilled pie shell. Roll out other pie crust disc and cover with a lattice top, or just drape it over the filling and crimp the edges (if you do this, prick with a fork or slice an X in the middle to allow aeration). I was inspired by my apple-shaped fruit dish and made an apple-shaped top :) feel free to get creative! 

Decorate the edges as desired and glaze the top crust with heavy cream. I topped my pie with some extra sea salt crystals. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 and bake for another 45 minutes. You'll know it's done when the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly. Mmmm. 

Serve a la mode if you want, but this pie is actually tasty enough to go without it. Enjoy your fall treat!

And for all my gluten-free, diary-free friends, here are some tips and alternatives so you too can enjoy this recipe:

• Try this GF DF pie crust I made over the summer! 
• Swap out the 1/4 cup flour in the pie filling for 1/8 cup cornstarch.
• Use butter alternatives like Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks.
• There are all kinds of cream substitutes these days for folks with sensitives. Try coconut cream or soy non-dairy creamer.
• Glaze the top of your pie with egg instead. Here are some tips. 

Love,
Amy

Savory Sausage, Kale & Mushroom Soup with Pumpkin Broth

Happy October, friends! To start the month off right, I bring you soup #2 of the season. And yes, there's some pumpkin in it. 

 

Savory Sausage, Kale & Mushroom Soup with Pumpkin Broth 

 

Ingredients:

One medium onion, quartered and sliced thin

4 cloves garlic, diced

4 Italian sausage links

2 cups sliced baby portabella mushrooms

4 cups low-sodium veggie stock (sausage is salty & low-sodium stock offers a great, light flavor to this dish)

5-6 cups Tuscan kale

A can of pumpkin purée 

Sprinkle of dried rosemary

1/2 tsp nutmeg 

Salt & pepper

Block of fresh Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese, and make sure it has a rind! (I'll explain later)

2-3 tbs olive oil

Fusilli noodles (cooked) 

 

Preparation: Brown sausage in a pan over medium-high heat (I removed the casing in order to "crumble" the meat). In a separate soup pot, sauté garlic, onions,  mushrooms, and kale in olive oil over medium heat until tender. Add nutmeg and rosemary and a dash of salt & pepper. Once the veggies are tender, add the browned sausage to the soup pot and toss together. Confession: For flavor purposes, I did not drain the fat off my sausage using a paper towel. But I did use a slotted spoon so... don't judge me. 

 

Add veggie stock to soup pot and bring soup to a boil. Drop in pumpkin purée by the tablespoonful (I did 6 scoops) and stir  to combine. 

Now here is the mother of all soup tips, given to me by my brilliant mother: cut the rind of your block of Italian cheese off, while leaving some cheese on it, and drop it in the soup. Let soup simmer with the rind for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. It'll make the broth opaque and really boost the flavor. Amazing. 

In the meantime, cook up some fusilli noodles according to the package's instructions. Add some to each bowl you serve and top with shaved parm or Pecorino Romano... and enjoy!

My next post will most likely not be a soup... but I can't make any promises. :)

Love,

Amy