Butternut Squash Soup

04 Oct 2013 Leave a comment

by sparksfromthekitchen in Main Dish, Soup Tags:

This soup is a hug in a bowl.  It’s one of those warm comforting soups that make you feel better when you have a cold or just warm you up on a chilly evening. It’s nothing crazy or a new spin on what’s always been a great soup-it’s just a really really darn good soup. It’s so easy to make and took about 1 hour start to finish-including prep.  Since 30 minutes of that time is the soup just simmering unattended it’s certainly week-night friendly. I have a feeling that this will be put into regular rotation at my house.  It stores and reheats beautifully. 

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Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 1&1/2lb  butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 1/2 cup grated carrot
  • 3/4 cup chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion
  • 2&1/2 cups fat-free, less sodium chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream plus a little extra for the pretty swirls
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • sliced scallions or crumbled bacon or anything else you’d like for a bit on top

Instructions:

  1. In a large pot melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the squash and onion and saute for about 10 minutes, then add the carrot and continue to saute for another 2-3 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and leave for 30 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, stir in the cream and salt.
  2. Place the contents into a blender (work in batches if you need to). Be sure to remove the center of the lid and just use a kitchen cloth to allow the steam out of the blender.  Blend until smooth.
  3. Serve with a little extra cream swirled in and some sliced scallions.

Adapted from Cooking Light, Sept 2009 issue.

Sunday Afternoon Chili

27 Sep 2013 1 Comment

by sparksfromthekitchen in Freezer, Lunch, Main Dish, Thaw/Reheat & Serve Tags: , , ,

The fall bug has bitten! I can’t wait to make up all kinds of soups and stews and have a gray afternoon with something simmering on the stove all day.

As I wrote in the post for the cornbread that I served with this chili, Husband and I had a Sunday football day at home instead of heading out to the bar with friends. That cornbread and this chili was our dinner and it was delicious. This chili is meaty, it’s bean-y, it’s got some underlying spice and heat but it’s not spicY or hot. You can always add a squirt of hot sauce if you’d like but I like to keep the heat factor down a bit and go up from there.

The original recipe called for smoking the meat but since we don’t own a grill or a smoker we skipped that step.

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Sunday Afternoon Chili

Ingredients:

  • 1&1/2 lbs ground sirloin
  • 2 cups diced Spanish onion (about 1 large)
  • 2 cups diced green pepper (about 2 large)
  • 3 garlic cloves, smashed to a pulp
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, diced, seeds and spine removed
  • 1&1/2 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1&1/2 tbsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ancho chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1&1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 32 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes, not drained
  • 2 15 oz cans dark kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 6 ozs beer (we used Belfast Bay Lobster Ale-a red ale)
  • toppings of your choice-fat free sour cream, grated cheese, scallions etc..

Instructions:

  1. Brown the beef until almost cooked through in a heavy bottomed stock pot, drain the excess fat, then add the onion and green pepper, garlic and jalapeno and cook until beef is cooked through.
  2. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for at least 90 minutes.
  3. Serve as is or top with a dollop of sour cream, grated cheese, squirt of hot sauce, scallions etc……

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Adapted from Brother Jimmy’s BBQ cookbook Smoky BBQ Chili.

Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde

25 Sep 2013 Leave a comment

by sparksfromthekitchen in Main Dish Tags: ,

I will warn you before you start reading this-this is not a fast 30 minute recipe. In fact it’s more like 90 minutes but most of that time is simmering or reducing or things you can do while paying attention to other stuff so don’t be afraid of it. But it’s worth it! These came out so great. I did cook them on a weeknight so it can be done. Perhaps next time I can prepare the chicken and sauce over the weekend ahead of time and then just heat/bake to serve. That would make this a super fast dinner to put together. In any event they’re surprisingly filling and very very very tasty.  Don’t skip the sauce reducing or the chicken poaching-those steps develop very delicious flavor levels. 

I served these with the sweet corn and bell  saute on the side. Very nice together.

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Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups cold water
  • 2 cups fat-free lower sodium chicken broth
  • 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
  • 5 garlic cloves crushed
  • 2 6oz skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • 2 celery stalk, chopped coarsely
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 serrano pepper, cut in half most of ribs and seeds removed (remove all or none to taste. The more seed/ribs the hotter it is)
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion, cut into wedges
  • 1 7oz can salsa verde
  • 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 cup tomato, seeds removed and chopped
  • 1 tbsp dried cilantro
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 4 ozs whipped greek yogurt cream cheese (or regular cream cheese)
  • 8 10 inch tortillas
  • cooking spray
  • 2 ozs freshly grated low-fat sharp cheddar cheese
  • fat-free sour cream for topping
  • salsa for topping

Instructions:

  1. Combine the first 9 ingredients (water through and including onion) in a pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook it for 8 minutes or until chicken is done (time may vary depending on thickness of chicken pieces).  Remove the chicken and set aside. Drain the cooking liquid through a colander over a bowl. Keep the liquid and discard the vegetables.  When the chicken is cool enough shred it with two forks and set aside.
  2. Pour the cooking liquid back into the same pot and add the salsa verde and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until it’s reduced to about 1&1/2 cups (30-40 minutes). Reduce to low heat, stir in whipping cream. 
  3. Preheat oven to 400.
  4. Spray an 11×7 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
  5. Place the chicken into a medium mixing bowl. Add tomato and next 5 ingredients (through and including cream cheese). Stir to combine.
  6. Dip each tortilla into the liquid for a few seconds then shake to remove excess. Place 1/3 cup of chicken mixture onto the tortilla and roll it up. Place the filled tortilla seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat until you can’t fit any more tortillas in the dish. Spoon some of the liquid over the top of the tortillas and then sprinkle all of the cheese evenly on the top.
  7. Bake at 400 for about 25 minutes or until lightly browned.
  8. Serve immediately with toppings suggested above or anything else you’d like.

Adapted from Cooking Light, October 2013.

Taco Casserole Bake

19 Sep 2013 Leave a comment

by sparksfromthekitchen in Lunch, Main Dish Tags: , ,

It seems that over the last week that the weather has turned more towards fall even though it’s still summer until the 22nd. And with fall comes cozy Sundays watching football. And with Sunday football comes yummy food. And that yummy food category just got a new additon. This casserole is as easy to make as it is tasty. I found the original recipe on BettyCrocker.com and lightened it up a ton by using fat-free refried beans, super-lean ground beef, reduced fat cheese and fat-free sour cream.  Even better-I had all of the ingredients I needed in my pantry already.

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Taco Casserole Bake

Ingredients:

  • 1lb lean ground beef
  • 1 16oz can fat free Refried Beans (Old El Paso)
  • 8 ozs medium spicy salsa (I used Fairway brand)
  • 1 8oz can tomato sauce
  • 1 Taco Seasoning Packet or homemade taco seasoning
  • 2&1/2 cups smashed tortilla chips
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped small
  • 4 scallions, chopped
  • 2 vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped, seeds and cores removed
  • 1 cup freshly-grated reduced fat cheddar cheese
  • fat free sour cream, salsa, shredded lettuce, olives, other toppings of choice

Instructions:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350.
  2. In a large skillet brown the beef over medium-high heat and drain. Stir in the beans, salsa, tomato sauce and taco seasoning. Reduce heat to medium and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly, to combine.
  3. On the bottom of a 2 quart baking dish place 2 cups of the smashed toritlla chips then pread the beef mixure evenly over the chips then sprinkle the pepper, onion, 1 cup of the chopped tomato and the cheese.
  4. Bake uncovered 25-30 minutes until bubbling and cheese has melted.
  5. Serve with the remaining tomatoes and chips on the side topped with anything else you’d like.

Note: this also reheats beautifully for left overs.

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Crispy Baked Cod with Tangy Dill & Pickle Sauce

17 Sep 2013 2 Comments

by sparksfromthekitchen in Main Dish Tags: ,

I’m a sucker for a good piece of fish. When I received my latest issue of Cooking Light and saw Crispy Fish with Lemon-Dill Sauce I knew that I had to make it right away. I changed a few things about it–especially the sauce. That’s why I changed it’s name.

The title didn’t lie. It’s crispy. Really crispy. And that’s a good thing. I chose to make this dish with Cod but you could also use flounder, bass, tilapia etc… It cooks fast and is a really simple dish to put together-great for a fast weeknight meal or, in my case, a great dinner after a busy Saturday of running around.

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Crispy Baked Cod with Tangy Dill & Pickle Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 1 large egg white, beaten
  • 1 cup panko
  • 1/4 tsp hot paprika
  • 1/2 tsp granulated onion
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 4oz skin-less fresh cod filets
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • Cooking spray
  • 2 tbsp – mayonnaise (Hellmann’s)
  • 1-2 tbsp finely chopped dill pickle (to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp dried dill

Instructions:

  1. Pre-heat broiler to high.
  2. Place egg white in a shallow dish.  In a 2nd dish combine panko and next 3 ingredients and mix to combine.
  3. Spray a broiler pan with cooking spray.
  4. Sprinkle salt and pepper onto both sides of fish then dip each fillet in the egg and then roll in panko to coat evenly.  Place fillets on the prepared broiler pan and broil 4 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Time will depend on fillet size.
  5. While fish is cooking prepare the sauce. Combine the last 4 ingredients in the list above in a small bow, stir and serve on the side with the fish.

Turkey Taco Soup-slow cooker

09 Sep 2013 2 Comments

by sparksfromthekitchen in Lunch, Main Dish, Slow Cooker, Thaw/Reheat & Serve Tags: ,

I realize that since it’s only September 9th that there are still 2 weeks of summer left. You’d never know that it’s still summer. Everyone apparently times the beginning of fall by when their kids go back to school. Well since my dog doesn’t go to school I go by the real seasonal calendar.

That’s not to say that  I won’t embrace everything fall early. I’m looking forward to making soups and apple this and that and pumpkin this and that. And I did have my first Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks yesterday: non-fat, no foam, 140 degrees, half syrup-and it was perfect.  It’s the PSL’s 10 year anniversary this year. Happy birthday you delicious wonder!!!

So on that note my first soup of the time surrounding the beginning of fall is here. It’s a delicious concoction of ingredients you probably have all of (or most of)in your pantry.fridge.freezer already. If you read my other slow cooker recipes you know that I became quickly enamored with that little machine.  Here’s another recipe to feed that obsession. 

It’s hearty but not heavy, it’s well spiced but not hot, it’s not too thick or too thin.  In other words-it’s just right.  I just served this plain in the bowl but you could always put a dollop of sour cream or green onions or cheese.

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Turkey Taco Soup-slow cooker

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb lean ground turkey
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped small
  • 1 16 oz can kidney beans
  • 1 16 oz can pinto beans
  • 1 15 oz can sweet corn
  • 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
  • 2 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 1 4 oz can diced green chiles
  • 1 package taco seasoning or 2-3 tbsp home-made taco seasoning

Instructions:

  1. In a pan over medium heat brown the turkey, drain it and set it aside.
  2. Place the turkey and onions in the slow cooker, pour everything else in and stir.
  3. Cook on low for 6&1/2 hours.

Adapted from allrecipes.com. The original recipe called for adding 2 cups of water but I didn’t add any and the liquid amount was fine.  The original recipe also called for using ground beef but I changed it to turkey to cut calories and fat and to use up some ground turkey that I had in my freezer. I’m sure you could also omit the meat all together and add tofu to make it vegetarian.

French Dip Sandwich

04 Sep 2013 Leave a comment

by sparksfromthekitchen in Lunch, Main Dish Tags: ,

Labor Day weekend already? It seems like it was just Memorial Day weekend!! Well there’s only 3 weeks of summer left. Soon the leaves will change colors and it will be chillly again. I can’t say I’m sad about that. This summer seemed to not be our typical Long Island summer. Too rainy. Too humid. Not many nice days at all. So while I’m usually summer’s biggest fan this year I say ‘bring on the fall’. I’m ready for boots and scarves and sweaters (yay!! get the cashmere out!!). 

Husband and I finally did some painting in our house that we should’ve done probably 3 years ago-but alas-we put things off like that. It felt really good to get it done and, as always is the case, it looks fabulous.  I knew it was going to be an active busy day so I planned ahead and had everything I needed for these sandwiches on hand. They were a HUGE hit! They were so tasty. They’re so tangy from the broth and the sweet onions were deeeeeelicious! And they came together really fast to boot.  A perfect sandwich for a day of doing things around the house or for a nice lunch at home. 

By the way-the color in the background of the photo below is Benjamin Moore’s Wood Ash the color we painted the room. It’s very nice if you’re looking for a warm neutral to go with dark furniture/and wood floors like we were.

French Dip

French Dip Sandwiches

Ingredients:

  • 1 large Vidalia or other sweet onion, cut in half and sliced to 1/4 inch slices
  • Cooking spray
  • 2 tsp salt-free Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb Seasoning Blend, divided
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp water
  • 2 cups fat-free, low-sodium beef broth or stock made from Better than Bullion Beef
  • 12 ozs thinly sliced Boars Head roast beef from the deli counter
  • 4 kaiser rolls, cut in half horizontally
  • 4-8 slices reduced-fat Swiss Cheese (or meunster)

Instructions:

  1. Heat a medium non-stick skillet over med-high heat and add the onion. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle in 1/2 tsp of the Mrs. Dash. Stir to distribute evenly and sautee about 13 minutes until onion is tender and golden brown. While the onion is cooking add the water 2 tbsp at a time until it evaporates, scraping the bits off of the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and set aside.
  2. While the onion is cooking combine the broth and remaining Mrs. Dash in a sauce pan large enough to hold the liquid and the roast beef and stir it. Cook the broth until hot. Remove the pan from the heat and add the roast beef, pushing it down into the broth and let it stand while you prepare the rolls.
  3. Place the bread cut side up in the toaster oven, top one side (or each if you prefer) with a slice of cheese. Toast to desired crispy/meltyness.
  4. Using tongs pick up some of the beef and let the broth drip back into the pan. Place the beef on the bottom of the prepared roll and top with onions.  Serve immediately with a side of broth if desired.

I opted to just drizzle a little broth over the onion/beef on my sandwich and then put the top of the roll on top.

Adapted from Cooking Light’s Fresh Food Fast cookbook.

 

 

 

Pomodori Gratinati (gratineed tomatoes)

27 Aug 2013 Leave a comment

by sparksfromthekitchen in Appetizer, Lunch, Main Dish, Side Dish Tags: ,

I hemmed and hawed over how to write this little blurb about this recipe. I thought of talking about how the perfect summer tomatoes are so delicious and how the filling is a bit crunchy and so so tasty from the different herbs and 2 cheeses. I must have written 10 drafts and deleted them all. They seemed too wordy for a dish so simple it’s almost silly.

But in the end, what came to mind the most, were my visits to Florence/Tuscany over the last few years. I mean-that makes sense since I found the recipe in my book, Twelve, which is a month by month Tuscan cookbook. But if you’ve been there you’ll understand what I mean when you taste these. If you haven’t been there you need to change that immediately.

It’s amazing how a bite of something can instantly mentally take you out of your kitchen and zip you into a chair at a table on the perimiter of a piazza with a gorgeous plate of cheese and veggies like these and a glass of chianti.

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Pomodori Gratinati

Ingredients:

  • 6 plum tomatoes, vine ripiened, washed and dried
  • 3 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped small
  • 10 basil leaves, chopped
  • 1 tbsp frehsly grated parmesan cheese, plus sprinkle for topping
  • 1 tbsp freshly grated pecorino romano cheese, plus sprinkle for topping
  • 1/4-1/3 cup fine breadcrumbs
  • 8 tbsp olive oil

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Slice the tomato in half from stem to stem and, very gently, using a spoon remove the flesh and seeds-reserving them. Put the tomato halves into a baking dish, cut side up. Chop up some of the reserved insides and set aside.
  3. In a bowl mix the parsley, garlic, basil, cheeses, breadcrumbs and 4 tbsp olive oil. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper if desired. If desired you can also add some of the chopped tomato insides (I added just a bit). Spoon the mixture into the tomato halves.
  4. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and bake int he oven for 20-30 minutes until they are lightly golden and cooked through.
  5. Sprinkle with extra topping cheese and serve.

Note: since it was only I eating I only made one tomato. It was very easy to scale the recipe down so don’t feel that you have to make all 6 tomatoes.

Adapted from Twelve, A Tuscan Cookbook

This simple and very delicious recipe fit in perfectly with this month’s What’s Baking challenge theme of ‘Italian’. For the other recipes in the swap click here here

WB

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Artichoke & Parmesan Tilapia

26 Aug 2013 1 Comment

by sparksfromthekitchen in Main Dish Tags: , ,

This fish is very light but incredibly flavorful.  Tilapia is so mild and the slight nutty tang from the cheese really does perk it up a bit.  Paired with the artichoke hearts, breadcrumbs and lemon it’s a perfect combination of flavors for the fish. 

This recipe comes together so fast and the prep time is a short-only about 5 minutes. The fish will be on the table 20 minutes later. Conveniently you can also roast vegetables at the same time and have everything finish cooking at the same time.

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Artichoke & Parmesan Tilapia

Ingredients:

  • 2 4oz fresh tilapia filets
  • 6 oz artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
  • 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 375.  Line a baking dish just large enough to hold the fish with parchment paper and give it a bit of non-stick spray or olive oil.
  2. Wash the fish, pat them dry and sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides then place them into the baking dish.
  3. Combine the artichoke hearts, breadcrumbs, parmesan and lemon juice in a small bowl and stir to combine.
  4. Spoon half of the artichoke mixture over each piece of fish. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until fish is cooked thoroughly.

Adapted from laloosh.com

Grape, Pear and Curry Cashew Salad

26 Aug 2013 Leave a comment

by sparksfromthekitchen in Lunch, Main Dish, Salad Tags: , ,

I have loved this salad for years. I think I first made it about 5 years ago. I love salads that have different components and flavors and this fits that profile perfetly. It’s sweet, it’s slightly spicy, it’s tangy, and it’s just delicious. The dressing is a perfect honey mustard balance and compliments the other flavors perfectly. Genius. 

The amount of pear and grapes and lettuce is up to you so I didn’t put amounts below.

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Grape, Pear and Curry Cashew Salad

Ingredients:

  • 3/4-1 cup chopped raw unsalted cashews
  • 5 slices bacon (41/2 for salad, 1/2 for dog)
  • 1 tbsp butter, melted
  • 1 tsp rosemary
  • 1 tsp curry powder (madras or yellow curry)
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • Romaine hearts washed and dried
  • Bosc pear sliced very thin
  • Red grapes

Instructions:

  1. In a skillet set over medium heat toast the cashews until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
  2. Cook bacon in desired vessel (microwave, oven, stovetop) to desired done-ness, set on paper towels to drain then chop. Give 1/2 slice to dog.
  3. In a medium bowl mix the butter, rosemary, cury, brown sugar, salt, cayenne pepper and toasted cashews. Mix until everything is evenly distributed.
  4. In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, mustard and honey. Then add the olive oil while whisking to combine.
  5. When you’re ready to serve it place the lettuce in a bowl, add some cashews and grapes and drizzle with dressing. Gently stir to combine. Top with bacon and pear slices.  Or forget that whole bit and just put everything together in a bowl with dressing and mix it around.

Adapted from a recipe I printed 5 years ago from allrecipes.com.

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