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HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!
ACORN SQUASH
Baked Acorn Squash
½ squash per person. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Split squash from stem to tip. With spoon, scoop out seeds. On sheet pan or pie tin, place squash hollowed side down. Add 1/2 inch water. Place in hot oven for 35-40 minutes, or until you can prick the skin with a knife. Be careful not to punch too large a hole in squash for it will not hold butter. Invert squash and add a pat of sweet butter and a tablespoon of brown sugar.
Roasted Fall Vegetables
1 pound carrots, peeled
1 pound parsnips, peeled or 1 acorn squash, peeled
1 large sweet potato, peeled
1 small butternut squash, peeled and seeded (about 2 pounds)
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Cut the carrots, parsnips, sweet potato, and butternut squash in 1 to 1 1/4-inch cubes. All the vegetables will shrink while baking, so don't cut them too small. Place all the cut vegetables in a single layer on 2 baking sheets. Drizzle them with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss well. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender, turning once with a metal spatula. Sprinkle with parsley, season to taste, and serve hot
ASIAN SWEET POTATOES
Okinawa Coconut Bites
3-4 Baked Okinawa Sweet Potatoes
1 14 oz can fat free Sweetened condensed milk
¾ cup milk
½ teaspoon ginger
50 premade Tarts
Flaked sweetened coconut
Mash first four ingredients and place 2 tablespoons of the mix in each tart. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes and top with coconut to garnish. Serve immediately
BUTTERNUT SQUASH
Butternut Squash
2 butternut squash (about 1 pound each)
4 tablespoons softened butter, divided
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 orange, zested
3 tablespoons orange blossom honey
Pinch ground cinnamon
Halve the squash lengthwise and remove the seeds and strings. Rub the insides with 2 tablespoons softened butter; season with salt and pepper. Place on a roasting pan, skin side down. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until fork tender. Remove the squash from the oven, scoop out the flesh and place in a food processor. Add the orange zest, honey and remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Puree until smooth. Add a pinch of salt and cinnamon. Pulse a few times to incorporate.
Butternut Squash Soup
1 (2 to 3 pound) butternut squash, peeled and seeded
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped
6 cups chicken stock
Nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cut squash into 1-inch chunks. In large pot melt butter. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add squash and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until squash is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove squash chunks with slotted spoon and place in a blender and puree. Return blended squash to pot. Stir and season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Serve.
Roasted Butternut Squash with Garlic, Sage and Pine Nuts
3 lbs butternut squash, peeled, seeds scooped out & cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 Tbs olive oil, divided
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs chopped fresh sage
1/3 cup pine nuts
1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper, or spray lightly with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, toss butternut squash cubes with 1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread out on prepared baking sheet. Roast for 35 to 45 minutes, until squash is as tender as desired.
3. While squash is roasting, heat 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil in a small skillet. Add garlic, sage and pine nuts, and sauté until pine nuts are lightly browned. Remove from heat.
4. Scoop butternut squash into a large bowl. Scrape contents from the skillet onto the butternut squash and gently toss. Serve immediately. Yield: 6 side dish servings
Smoked Sausage, Butternut Squash and Wild Rice Soup
1 medium butternut squash, about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
12 cups chicken stock
2 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 cup wild rice
3/4 pound smoked sausage, such as kielbasa, cut into 1/4-inch
2 cups fresh corn kernels
1 1/2 cups half and half
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Season the squash with 1 tablespoon of the oil, salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Peel and seed the squash. In a blender, puree the squash with 2 cups of the chicken stock. Puree until smooth and set aside. In a saucepan, over medium heat, bring 4 cups of the stock and 1/2 cup of the chopped onions to a simmer. Stir in the rice and cook until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally with a fork. Remove the rice from the pan and cool. In a large saucepan, over medium heat, add the remaining tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot, add the sausage and brown for 3 minutes. Add the remaining 2 cups onions and corn. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 3 minutes. Add the remaining 6 cups of stock and squash puree. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Skim off any fat that rises to the surface. Stir in the rice and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the cream and reason with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley and serve
Caramelized Butternut Squash and Apple
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and cut into 1-inch chunks
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped into 1-inch chunks
1 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Heat the butter in a large heavy saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the butternut squash and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook until the squash is beginning to caramelize, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the apples and continue to brown, another 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of water and the sugar. Cover, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Add the cinnamon and cook until the squash and apples are coated in a deep golden brown glaze, about 5 minutes more. Transfer the stew to a serving bowl and serve.
COLLARDS
A Pot of Collards by Becky and Louis Cullipher
2 pounds Collards – pinch of sugar *
1 to 2 pounds meat (smoked or unsmoked) (I like to use country ham)
Salt to taste (may not require salt if your meat is very salty)
Water to cover well after they are wilted
Look collards over to remove any bad spots. Wash in several waters, if needed. Cut stems out then roll several leaves together and cut into ½ strips. Winter collards are tender after the first frost and are usually put in the pot after the meat tenders. Use your own judgment. Cook until done.
When done, take collards out of pot. Drain collards well and put in bowl. Chop or cut through collards well. Then, if you like, you can spoon some of the fat off the top of the pot liquor and put on top of the collards.
* There is just a bit of “know-how” required in cooking a good ‘mess’ of collards. Some people like to add a little sugar (I use more than a little) while other do not.
Collard Greens Recipe courtesy Dee Dee Darden, Smithfield, VA
1 ham hock
3 pounds collard greens, leaves torn and stems chopped
1 cup ham drippings combined with 1 gallon water
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Combine the ham hocks and collard greens in a large pot. Add the water, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook the greens gently until they are very tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Serve the greens accompanied by slices of baked ham baked Virginia Ham or Danish Ham.
Freezing collards for later use:
1) Prepare greens as follows: Discard damaged or yellow parts of leaves. Cut away the tough ends from each leaf. Place greens in a colander, and wash thoroughly until rinse water is clear of dirt. Fold each leaf in half at its center vein, fold over once or twice more, then cut in half.
2) Blanch one (1) pound at a time for 3-4 minutes in boiling water, remove with a slotted spoon and cool in a bath for 5 minutes.
3) Place desired amount in freezer storage bags and kept from, the collards may keep up to a year.
MIXED LETTUCE
Baby Lettuce Greens with Cheese, Nuts & Grapes
2 1/2 – 3 cups of mixed lettuce greens, loosely packed
10-12 regular grapes or sweet grape tomatoes, sliced lengthwise
2 – 3 tablespoons feta cheese, crumbled (goat or bleu cheese)
3 tablespoons pine nuts (pignolias), roasted (candied pecans or walnuts)
Dried cranberries (optional)
Leftover Turkey (optional)
Light Vinaigrette, or 1 whole lemon
Roasting pine nuts: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Spread pine nuts on a baking sheet and place in oven for 10-13 minutes. Keep an eye on them as you don’t want them to burn.
Place mixed lettuce greens in the middle of each plate. Arrange the grapes around the salad. Sprinkle cheese, nuts and optional dried cranberries or turkey on salad.
Drizzle a light vinaigrette OR squeeze a fresh lemon on salad and finish it off with freshly ground peppercorns, to taste.
SPAGHETTI SQUASH
Baked Spaghetti Squash with Garlic and Butter
1 small spaghetti squash (about 3-4 pounds)
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup finely minced parsley (or basil)
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1. Preheat oven to 375F. Pierce squash a few times with sharp paring knife (to let steam escape). Bake spaghetti squash for 60 minutes, or until a paring knife pierces easily through skin with little resistance. Let squash cool for 10 minutes. Alternatively, microwave the whole squash for 2-4 minutes (to soften enough to cut lengthwise). Place squash cut-side down on baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes until tender.
2. Cut squash in half, lengthwise. Use a fork to remove and discard the seeds. Continue using fork to scrape the squash to get long, lovely strands. If the squash seem difficult to scrape, return the squash to bake for an additional 10 minutes.
3. Heat a large saute pan with the butter and the garlic over medium-low heat. When garlic becomes fragrant, add parsley, salt and spaghetti squash strands. Toss well, sprinkle in the parmesan cheese and taste to see if you need additional salt. The spaghetti squash should have a slight crunch (i.e. not mushy) - but if you like it softer, cover the pan and cook 2 more minutes.
Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Vegetables:
1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced 1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 tablespoons sliced black olives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2. Place spaghetti squash cut sides down on the prepared baking sheet, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance. Remove squash from oven, and set aside to cool enough to be easily handled.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook only until tomatoes are warm.
4. Use a large spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash, and place in a medium bowl. Toss with the sauteed vegetables, feta cheese, olives, and basil. Serve warm.
SWEET POTATOES
Sweet Potatoes - General preparation and use:
Rub potatoes with oil and bake at 350 degrees until soft (depends on size – single serve size generally need 70-90 minutes). You can wrap in foil/wrap and freeze individually in freezer bags until ready for use. Top with butter and cinnamon sugar for a quick side dish or use for mashed sweet potatoes or casserole.
Sweet Potato and Parsnip Puree (A favorite for my sister’s children)
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 parsnips, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and parsnips and boil gently until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain well and transfer to a food processor. Add butter and purée until smooth. Add milk, brown sugar, and salt and blend well. Season with pepper.
Savory Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes – peeled and halved fingerling sweet potatoes or larger ones cut into quarters so they resemble wedges
Chicken Broth seasoned with 1 teaspoon Rosemary or Basil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Place sweet potatoes in pyrex dish and add chicken broth mix to cover. Bake 40 minutes until fork tender. Serve with slotted spoon.
Sweet Potato Fluff
3 cups cooked sweet potatoes, mashed
½ stick margarine or butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
½ cup evaporated milk
Dash of salt
Mix in mixer or food processor until smooth and pour in 8 X 11 pyrex dish
Topping (optional)
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 stick margarine or butter
1/3 cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans
Mix first three and then add nuts. Sprinkle mixture over potatoes. Bake at 350 for 25 – 30 minutes