What's For Dinner: Acorn Squash

This idea started out basically as acorn squash stuffed with rice and Italian sausage.  After I went shopping and then started actually putting this together it turned out something like this:

Here are my ingredients: about 1/4 lb. mild Italian sausage, leftover brown rice, chopped onion and red bell pepper, gruyere cheese, kale, and the acorn squash.  I also added salt, pepper, and a dash of crushed red pepper for some kick.

I started off by browning the sausage with the onion and then red pepper. I chopped some kale into bite-sized pieces, added to the saute pan and then them cook down to release some water.

Once they were wilted, I dumped it into a bowl with the rice, cheese, and seasonings.

Probably the most difficult part of the process was cutting the stupid squash in half- from top to bottom.  A cleaver would have really come handy :)   After removing the seeds and guts I filled the holes with a dab of butter to retain moistness and then the filling, put it in a pyrex dish, covered it with aluminum foil, and let them cook at 400 for about an hour.

The sweetness of the squash was a perfect balance to the small amount of kick from the filling and nuttiness from the kale.  We dipped it in the ranch because we're like that, but it was good by itself too.  Delicious!

Winter Tomatoes

A couple years ago I read a book (sorry, don't remember the name) that had a recipe for roasted tomatoes. I photocopied it and put it in my file and there it sat.  Like most things in my file, it sat there for a long time.  For no good reason in particular, but it sat.

So, when I saw another version of roasted tomatoes, I knew it was a sign that the time had come for me to roast tomatoes for the first time.  I think what really convinced me was that the second time I read about them it was advertised in a "make sucky winter tomatoes taste good" sort of a way and that made me really happy.

The end result was a fantastic pasta dish.  Caramelized from the roasting, the tomatoes were excellent, even though it is December.

Roasted Tomato Pasta
Serves about 6

3 lb. Roma tomatoes
olive oil
seasonings of choice
12 oz. penne pasta
1 pkg. Johnsonville fully cooked Italian sausage
Parmesan

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  Cut the top off each tomato and slice lengthwise.  Place tomatoes in bowl.  Pour in some olive oil, just enough to coat, with seasonings of choice.  I used coriander because that was what the original recipe called for, but you could use anything that you think would taste good.  Place on baking sheet with enough room to breath and pop in the oven.  Let them cook undisturbed for at least 4 hours, probably more like 5 or 6.

When the tomatoes are about done, cook pasta according to package directions.

Slice sausage into 1/4-1/2 in. pieces.  Heat a large sauce pan, add a olive oil to coat, add sausage and cook until heated through and browning in places.

When the tomatoes are done, let them cool slightly and then take a knife through them once or twice.  You really can cut them up as much as you want, but they are so cooked down that you really don't need much.  Add tomatoes and pasta to sausage, adding a drizzle of olive oil if necessary, then add a generous serving of Parmesan.

Camping Food

After over 4 years of absence I slept in a tent again.  That's right, we went camping.  This time was a little different than previous trips, mostly because we went with a toddler.  It went well.  We stayed 2 nights, which turned out to be the perfect amount of time.  We put in a little hiking, saw some pretty sights, got our fill of s'mores, and C actually slept through the night, so bonus.

I did a fair amount of research into camping food before we left.  This was the one area that I felt stewardship over, so I wanted to make sure it was good and easy.  My favorite ideas that I found online were precooked dinners that could be warmed- little work, dishes, and no raw meat.

My favorite dinner that we put together was chicken burritos.  Here's how it went down

Camping Chicken Burritos

Canola Oil
Chopped Onion
Chopped Red Bell Pepper
Leftover White Rice
Canned Corn
Shredded Chicken Breast
Picante Sauce
Seasonings- salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, oregano

Saute onion and pepper in a little bit of canola oil.  Cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add leftover rice with some water- just enough for the rice to soak up while it heats.  Cook for a couple of minutes, then add the corn, chicken, picante sauce, and seasonings.  Season to taste.

At this point, I stored the mixture in a plastic container until we reheated it in a frying pan on the camp fire.  You could also freeze if you need it to keep for longer.  I also packed avocado, sour cream, chopped tomatoes, and salsa.

Fill a tortilla with chicken mixture and top as desired.

Hello Autumn Chicken Sliders

To go along with my post from earlier this week, I thought it appropriate to share one of my first "Autumn" dishes.  I made these for a church pot luck, so there are way more than you would normally need, so adjust as needed.

First of all, I made my mom's famous dinner rolls for the sliders.  C was a huge help.  You could use any store bought variety and that would be fine.

Autumn Chicken Sliders

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast
Chinese Five Spice
Ground Ginger
Salt/Pepper
Slider Rolls
Cheddar Cheese, sliced thinly
Apples, sliced thinly- Gala or Granny Smith would be good.

Cut chicken into roll size pieces.  Combine 5 spice with ginger.  I used a 2:1 ratio.  Rub seasonings onto chicken then sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Let sit for 10 minutes or so.

My pieces are a little big

Preheat skillet or indoor grill to medium high.  Lightly oil surface.  Cook chicken, turning once, until done- about 4 minutes each side.

Cut rolls in half.  At this point you can do one of two things.

1. Place a cheese slice on the bottom portion of each roll.  Top with a piece of chicken.  Place on cookie sheet and cover with aluminum foil.  Warm in oven preheated to 350 until cheese is melted.  Then, top with apple slice and top of roll.

2. Arrange bottom half of roll on tray.  Layer a piece of chicken, cheese, and apple and then the top of the roll.

I warmed mine in the oven

You will probably want to secure these with a toothpick.  I really liked the Chinese 5 spice combined with the apple and cheese.  I think it had nice Autumn notes without being over the top.

The Oven

When Steve and I moved to Fort Worth we lived in a Duplex that didn't have central air.  The months of May-September were mostly miserable.  The living room and bedrooms did have window units, and this worked fine while we were sleeping or watching TV, but meals in general didn't really work very well.  The kitchen had zero ventilation and I'm positive I was cooking in 100 + temps some days.  The dining room was pretty blocked from the living room air, so eating warm foods wasn't really appealing.

During those two summers I forced myself to leave the oven off.  This effort was mostly futile because I was drenched in sweat most days, but for some reason I felt better about it.

I realized this week that I'm still cooking in the oven, a lot.  Part of me feels guilty about this.  It's June after all, so shouldn't I be oven free, eating fresher foods, more salads and sandwiches.  But, then the other part of me thinks, "I'm not sweating, so who cares?"  Plus, when I use the oven for food that screams summer, it just seems right.

I feel like drumsticks are very summer; I'm not sure why.  Maybe because I can eat them with my fingers and that somehow feels summery to me.  In any case, I'm kind of having a love affair with them.

They, like so many things I cook, have a lot of room when cooking times are concerned.  You don't want to leave them in the oven forever, but you have some leeway and security to know that your product not only is done but still moist.

Italian Grilled Drumsticks


Chicken drumsticks
Garlic cloves
Dried basil
Kosher salt/pepper
Olive oil- not extra virgin

Preheat oven to 375 degrees or higher.

Mince the garlic and add basil, salt, pepper, and oil.  Spread over drumsticks so all areas are covered in oil.

Preheat grill to medium-medium high.  I use an indoor non stick grill pan, but use whatever you have.  You could also do a regular saute pan.  Add drumsticks.  Make sure they aren't too close or they won't brown well.

Cook to deep brown on all sides, about 20 minutes.  Place in glass baking dish and bake until done, about 30 minutes in 375.

First Meals and More

We have moved!  It was a crazy two day drive here,  but we made it safely.  And, since S drove ahead of me I came home to a box packed house.  Very cool.  It's still crazy to think that we bought a house, but here we are.

In the first couple of days I rearranged the kitchen about three times.  Then a couple days later I moved a couple more things around.  After a shopping trip today and C discovering not only how to open the lazy susan but also that it contains things like sprinkles, cookies, and cocoa I think I may need to find a new home for some items.  But, it's coming together.  I like the flow of the kitchen more than our last place.  I never really thought about it before.  But, it works here and it made me realize that it really didn't before.  Don't be afraid to pull everything out of your cabinets and move them around.

For my first meal in my new kitchen I pulled out the tenderloin.  If any of you haven't used pork tenderloin you should start.  It's about as versatile as boneless, skinless chicken breast, and, bonus, is almost fool proof against drying out.

What I'm realizing more and more is that most foods just taste good.  It doesn't take much, just proper cooking technique and flavor enhancement, to make a beautiful meal.  With the tenderloin I rubbed on a seasoning mix- rosemary, sea salt, oregano, basil.  Not too much, just enough to add some flavor.

Heat an oven proof pan- like cast iron or stainless steel, over medium heat. Lightly grease and add the tenderloin. Notice that the pork isn't completely covered with seasoning.

Brown on all sides.  If your pan in smaller than the pork, you can do like me and cook like a "J", or cut it in half and cook side by side.










Place in an oven preheated to 375 or so and bake until done, about 20-25 minutes.

Some other favorites this week have been grilled asparagus, grilled veggie pizza, and peach and chicken salad.