Welcome Fall!
Daylight savings time will soon be upon us, and with the darker days arriving, it’s time for comfort food! It is the end of the harvest season, and with that comes apples, pears, squash, pumpkins, the last of the garden. When I had a big garden, I was busy canning delectables as the crop allowed. I shopped the farmers market for things I was not able to grow abundantly in my space, such as cucumbers and dill. For the last couple of years, the farmers markets provide me with my fresh produce as I no longer have a garden. I have become a patio gardener, which is challenging to say the least. Thank goodness for the offerings of the local apple orchards and farmers markets inspiring me to spend time in the kitchen making handcrafted dinners again!
Sundays are comfort food day for most of us, whether it be that pot roast after church, or a big pot full of chili with toppings to munch on during the game. It’s the time to gather with your family and friends! We can turn the ovens back on and enjoy homemade treats. I have been enjoying a variety of Bundt cakes right now. Pumpkin with a cream cheese filling, and a salted caramel apple cake that is loaded with butter. (Oh, come on! Its sweater season!)
Prepping food on Sundays is and always has been my favorite way to make sure we have some tasty meals that are easy for me to finish up once I get home from work. Having a well-stocked and a well-organized kitchen is key to enjoying the time spent in the kitchen. During the summer season, we are so busy grilling and throwing things in the Insta-pot that we haven’t taken a good inventory of things in our kitchen, or paid any attention to how messy that stack of Tupperware has become over the last few months. As a CKD, I want to get to know how my clients use their kitchen space. Are they aspiring chef’s? Do they love to bake bread? Do they rely on Door Dash? Designing a kitchen for someone is such a personal thing, and nothing is better than my clients gushing about how they love their new space, and how wonderful it is to have a spot for everything easily accessible. I never get tired of creating new spaces, and helping people through a remodel or building their new home!
Here is a couple of easy recipes to assemble for a tasty, healthy weekend night dinner, if you get a few things prepped ahead of time.
Pear and Blue Cheese Salad with Butternut Squash Soup
Start by roasting some butternut squash. Simply peel, clean, and cube it. Toss with olive oil, fresh rosemary, salt and pepper. Bake 10-15 minutes at 400. Turn the squash as needed.
Then you can roast a couple of chicken breasts. I like the ones with bone in and skin on, since they stay juicier, but you can use boneless, skinless or just pick up a rotisserie chicken, and use the breast meat. Season the chicken simply. Rub with olive oil, add fresh rosemary, sage, garlic salt, pepper, fresh lemon and red onion slices. Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 40 minutes, then remove foil and brown skin for up to 20 minutes more. Chicken is done when internal temperature reaches 165. You will also want to toast your walnuts or pecans for the salad, and get your salad dressing made. Of course, if you have a favorite brand you like, feel free to substitute
Salad:
2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
4 ounces crumbled blue cheese
2 pears – peeled, cored and chopped
1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts
1/2 red onion, chopped
Chopped chicken breast meat (recipe above)
Assemble salad while soup is cooking. I like to put the dressing on right away, so the pears do not turn brown, and top with some salt and pepper. Let it sit at room temperature while you prepare the rest.
Dressing:
½ cup good-quality balsamic vinegar
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
¼ teaspoon sea salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS for dressing:
Place all ingredients in a container with a tight-fitting lid (a mason jar works great).
Shake vigorously for 30 seconds until emulsified. You can also emulsify your vinaigrette in a blender or food processor (work on low, increasing the speed as you stream in the oil last). I only use a blender when working in extra large quantities. Up to about a cup, shaking it like crazy in a mason jar works great (and there’s way less clean up.)
Alternatively, you can whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. To use this method, whisk all ingredients except the olive oil in a small bowl, then stream in the olive oil while you continue to whisk until the dressing has emulsified.
Soup:
1 cup Plain Greek Yogurt (Either fat free or whole milk)
8 cups chopped butternut squash previously roasted (recipe above)
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
3 minced garlic cloves
2 quarts vegetable or chicken broth
1 pinch fresh ground black pepper
In a large pot over medium-high heat, cook onions and garlic in remaining ¼ cup olive oil until tender. Add squash and cook for 5 minutes. Add broth and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and blend soup with yogurt to serve. I like to use the emulsion blender for the last step, but you can always put into your blender or Vitamix to get a super silky soup. I also use more cumin as I love it! The soup is so healthy and tastes so rich! I usually make a big batch as it is one of the Hub’s favorites, and it freezes well.
Pick up some crusty baguette or better yet, cranberry walnut bread to go with your salad and soup. This also pairs well with a dry Reisling, a crisp Viognier, or Moscato d’asti
Give either Janel or I a call if you are dreaming of a more functional beautiful kitchen, and start cooking your favorite fall and winter dishes!
Enjoy! LeAnn
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