Potato and Sauerkraut Fritters

Growing up on Long Island, just about all of our friends and neighbors were Italian. When I think of the favorite foods from my childhood, I have vivid memories of arancini (fried risotto balls stuffed with cheese), real Italian Ice, cannolis, and boatloads of pizza by the slice from a pizza parlor we could walk to from our house. I think it was a mile or two, and it felt like so long, but I think I'd run 100 miles for that pizza now.

Because I grew up with the Italian food, and my mom is an excellent Italian cook, I felt like I should be a honorary Italian. Besides Oktoberfest, beer and brats, who really knows anything about German food? It's not really known for elegance, romantic dinners and beautiful sounding words. Fettuccini a la Carbonara sounds much prettier than Sauerbraten und Kartoffeln. I loved my German heritage, but it didn't seem as cool or fun as the Greek and Italian dishes and families around me.

While I still find it hard to create diverse German dishes, I've learned to embrace my heritage. Creampuffs may have initiated the change, but it's knowing that the spaetzle press I use was once used by my great-grandmother decades ago. Or the Sauerbraten my mom taught me to make is a really old family dish. And the fact that there aren't many German restaurants open, which makes me feel like I have a hidden gem in my dining room when a German feast hits the table.

While I'm not a Bratwurst eating gal anymore, I still say the more kraut the better. Last fall, JJ and I went to an Oktoberfest and tried deep fried Sauerkraut and Potato fritters at a small booth. They were so delicious, salty, tangy, and crisp. I could have eaten a dozen, and even JJ, who doesn't like anything pickled, enjoyed the fritters. When I saw an ad for the Oktoberfest, I remembered the amazing fritters, and decided to make a baked version at home. These weren't as good as the deep fried fritters, but the flavor was still there and very present. I would serve these with a grainy, German mustard, but I was out. They're great paired with a nice Warsteiner!

Potato and Sauerkraut Fritters

2 lbs. yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced

2 c. Sauerkraut, drained well

1/4 c. Sour Cream

Kosher salt and pepper

1/2 tsp. paprika

1 c. breadcrumbs (panko recommended, I used regular fine ground)

Place diced potatoes in a steamer basket, place over boiling water and steam until fork tender.

Cool to room temperature, then add to a mixing bowl with the sour cream.

Use a potato masher and mash potatoes so they're mostly mashed with a few pea-sized chunks of potato.

Add the sauerkraut, paprika and pepper.

Use a spatula to fold in and distribute.

Taste and adjust salt and pepper.

Place mixture in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450*

Add breadcrumbs to a shallow dish.

Form mixture into golf ball sized mounds, roll in breadcrumbs, then place on a baking sheet.

Repeat until all balls are made, yields around 12-16.

Place baking sheet in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes, until golden brown and crisp.

Serve warm with German mustard.

Warm Butternut and Chickpea Salad with Tahini

Today is a very special day for me, it's my houseiversary. Yes, one year ago JJ, Pumpkin, Charlotte, Belle and I moved into our first house. I can't believe it was one year ago that all hell broke loose, resulting in us moving in a week early due to our apartment flooding. That apartment was a nightmare, and a huge contributor to why I wasn't really impressed with life in Florida. It was the worst possible place for a food blogger to live because there was zero natural light. I was unemployed when we moved here, so I spent much of my time in the kitchen, cooking up some really great dishes. Unfortunately they either went undocumented due to poor photographs, or the photographs don't do them justice. One of them was this dish, quite possibly one of my absolute favorites.

So I'm not going to dwell on the horrible apartment, and instead celebrate a year in my first house. One of the main things I wanted to do when I had a house was plant a vegetable garden. I've had some great successes and failure, with this being a huge success. Over the weekend, I finally picked my first butternut squash! I had been babysitting this squash for weeks, waiting for it to be ready for harvest. He's was not very big, but I couldn't wait any longer. I was afraid of bugs, dogs, and any other catastrophe that could take him away from me.

After I picked him, I sat him on the counter and thought about what I could possibly make with the squash that would honor him. I realize this makes me sound crazy and/or weird, but I'm ok with that. I have so much emotional stock in my garden, I've spent so much time, energy (and money), so the crop yield is magical for me.

Finally, it hit me like a ton of bricks. It was Saturday around noon, I was hungry for lunch, and had the always fun task of cleaning the house ahead of me. I needed a great lunch to power me through. I always have chickpeas on hand, and just bought a new jar of tahini (because the eggplant crop has been quite plentiful, and making baba ganoush is a great way to use them up!), so this salad was inevitable.
I preheated the oven, crossed my fingers, and sliced this guy right down the center. I had visions of rot and bugs and mushy, brown insides. But no, he was perfect!

When I cook butternut squash, I always chop off the bottom cup, seed it and roast it along with the chopped up neck, never knowing what I'll do with it. Sometimes I sprinkle in some cinnamon and a pat of butter and eat it for a snack, sometimes it's saved for a soup and gets pureed, and sometimes I stand over the stove and eat it when no one is looking. I have minimal self-control around squash.
So into the oven it went. And let me tell you, when you have cubed butternut squash on a cutting board and some people think it's cheddar cheese, it's quite funny to watch them grab a cube and pop it in their mouth...

Yes, more eggplant... always more eggplant!

After I made up the salad, I had a light bulb go off, and I spooned the salad into the squash butt cups. The dressing soaked into them, and they were absolutely delicious to scrape out at the end of the meal. I found a new way to eat my squash butts! 

This recipe had made its way around the bloggosphere for a few years, and there's a reason why. It's so delicious. Do yourself a favor, pick up a butternut squash and make this now! 

Tips and Trades:

-I like my garlic and shallots raw in the dressing, and heated up from the squash, but you can roast them right along with the squash if you prefer.

-Try making this salad with any squash variety, not just butternut.

Warn Butternut and Chickpea Salad with Tahini

seen on Orangette, from Casa Moro

salad:

2-3 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/4" dice

Kosher Salt and fresh Black Pepper

15 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tbsp. tahini

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 shallot, minced

Salt and pepper

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 c. minced cilantro

Garnish:

Chopped cilantro and sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil.

Add diced butternut squash, drizzle with EVOO, salt and pepper, toss.

Bake for 20 minutes, until tender.

In a large serving bowl, whisk together lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, garlic, shallot, salt and pepper. 

Taste and adjust ingredients.

Add chick peas and cilantro, mix.

Gently fold in squash, then spoon into squash cups.

Sprinkle with extra cilantro and sesame seeds.

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

It's very strange how grocery prices vary so much from state to state. When I lived in Indiana, a jar of Nutella was $5.99 at Kroger. Here in Florida, it's $3.99. I found a coupon for $1 off in the paper a few weeks ago, so I've been eyeing up the Nutella each week. If I didn't 'need' it for something, and just had it sitting in the pantry, I'd constantly have my finger in the jar, not such a good idea. 

Yesterday my baby sister turned 23. I think it's harder for me to accept when my sister turns one year older than myself. I also found out over the weekend that my older sister is going to be induced in two weeks, and her doctor told her to keep eating, she could afford to gain a few pounds. If those two occasions don't call for Nutella, I don't know what does! I mailed these off to my sisters, and within days, they were complaining about stomach aches from eating too many cookies. Not so good for them, but a cookie-win for me!

I shoot for soft, chewy cookies when I mail them to people that way when they get them a few days later, they're not hard and dry. I found this recipe on simplyrecipies.com, and the cookies looked so good! I did make a few changes, I eliminated the cocoa powder because I was out, and I didn't add the hazelnuts because there were none to be found at the grocery store. I believe they would be better with the addition of those two ingredients, but these cookies were fantastic without. 

While the Nutella flavor was very present, I highly recommend a smear right on top as an icing, or make a Nutella filled cookie sandwich. Or make Nutella ice cream and make ice cream sandwiches. The possibilities are endless, and delicious!

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

adapted from simplyrecipes.com

1 1/2 sticks salted butter, softened

3/4 c. light brown sugar, packed

3/4 c. granulated sugar

1 c. Nutella

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 1/4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. mini semi sweet chocolate chips

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy.

Add Nutella, mix until incorporated.

Turn mixer speed to low, add eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla.

Turn mixer off, add flour, baking soda and salt.

Turn speed on low, and mix until flour is just moistened.

Add chocolate chips, mix until incorporated, do not over mix!

Place cookie dough in refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 350*

When oven is preheated, remove dough from the refrigerator.

Spoon by the heaping tbsp. full onto a silpat lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges crisp and center is set.

Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.

Store in an airtight container.

Chef Symon's Mom's Lasagna

I'd like to think that if I ever met Chef Symon, we would have so much in common and we'd be best foodie friends. As I got to 'know' him more through reading his cookbook, it seemed more and more likely. I found out he loves dogs, as their photos are peppered throughout his cookbook (um, mine too)! It's also clear he loves pickles and pickled things (give me a pickle and call it dinner)! And finally, he is from Ohio, and has a deep love for Cleveland (ok, I'm a Cincinnati girl, but my sister lives in Cleveland and I love the city)! 

Then I read his prologue to this recipe. His mom's lasagna, a Sunday specialty, slow cooking sauce, pasta baked with creamy cheeses, the scent lingering from the oven all day long... he's describing my childhood! My dad's favorite food for as long as I can remember was my mom's lasagna. Since it's labor intensive, she made it from scratch every few weekends, always an all day affair. She would only use Polly-O brand ricotta and mozzarella and grated Parm from the Italian specialty store. The sauce would cook all day, bubbling away, and we'd all fight over the crunchy corners at dinner time.

My mom would add ground beef to the sauce sometimes, but not always. However, Chef Symon's mom doesn't mess around. She uses veal neck bones, beef, sausage and pork. And three pounds of cheese. Though I do love to indulge and have one splurge-type meal each week, I don't eat meat and couldn't use 3 lbs. of cheese. Instead, I added mushrooms for some body and texture, cut the mozzarella, made my 2% ricotta from scratch, and picked up these beautiful lasagna noodles!

While this lasagna isn't exactly the same as Michael Symon's, it still evokes the feeling of Mom's homemade, Sunday specialty. The scent reminds me of being a kid, waiting for Mom to yell, "Dinner time!" And the feeling that perhaps one day, I'll have kids hoping that every Sunday I'll be in the kitchen constructing a lasagna for dinner.

Thank you to Kim of Stirring the Pot for choosing this week's Symon Sundays recipe. This completes Round 5, our selections are up for the next round, check the schedule in the right column!

Tips and Trades:
-I made my ricotta from scratch, which is very simple to do, and it tastes amazing! A 1 lb. tub of organic ricotta is around $5, but I purchased a 1/2 gallon of organic 2% milk for $3 and made 1 lb., almost half price!
-The fresh basil in this dish really brings a nice, fresh burst of flavor. Because the recipe has so much cheese (and meat, if you go with the original), I recommend not skimping on the basil.
-I prefer to make my lasagna with uncooked noodles, make my sauce a little more watery, and bake the lasagna off and have the noodles cook while absorbing the liquid. It keep the lasagna from being wet, and saves the annoying process of cooking the noodles. The noodles will grow though, so make sure there is a bit of space in the pan for them to expand!

Mom's Sunday Lasagna

1/2 lb. lasagna noodles

1 lb. ricotta cheese

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 yellow onion

3 garlic cloves

8 oz. cremini mushrooms

Kosher salt and pepper

1/4 c. tomato paste

1/2 c. red wine

1 28 oz. can San Marzano tomatoes (whole)

1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning blend

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 c. vegetable stock or tomato juice

1 c. fresh basil, roughly chopped or torn

Heat a pot over medium heat.

Add 1 tbsp. EVOO.

Add onions and garlic to a food processor, pulse until very finely minced, add to the pot.

Add mushrooms to the food processor, pulse to a fine mince, add to the pot.

Season veggies with salt and pepper, sauté for 10 minutes, until liquids are cooked out.

Add tomato paste and red wine, reduce liquid by half.

Add tomatoes, break up with a wooden spoon, add dried seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes and stock.

Stir well, cover, turn to low and simmer for 1 hour. 

Preheat oven to 350*

Turn heat off from sauce, add basil and fold in.

Spoon sauce to cover the bottom of a casserole dish.

Layer the noodles, spoonful of ricotta, sprinkle of Parmesan, and another ladle of sauce. 

Cover with another noodle, and repeat until noodles and cheese are gone.

Ladle the remaining sauce over top noodle layer, cover with foil and place in the oven.

Cook lasagna for 45 minutes, uncover, sprinkle with a layer of Parmesan and place back in the oven.

Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven, rest for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.

Please visit the other Symon Sundays Participant's blogs listed here. For the authentic recipe from the book, be sure to check out Kim's blog, Stirrting the Pot!

Joanne at Eats Well with Others (Project Food Blog Star Contender!)

Natashya of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies

Butternut Squash Enchiladas with Mole

If you put 100 bloggers in a room together and asked them what the most difficult food item to photograph is, you'd have a few responses. I think enchiladas or other casserole type dishes would be at the top though. If you go for a shot out of the oven, you don't see in innards. If you cut it up to show the insides, you have sloppy looking sauce smears in the pan and a cut up product on the plate. Neither are going to win awards for aesthetics. 

I've found that the only benefit of taking 20 minutes to get a decent photo is the casserole has time to set up, and isn't a total disaster when you finally cut it! I can't tell you how many lasagnas slid apart pre-blogging days as a result of bypassing the "remove from the oven and rest 10 minutes to set up" instruction.

So I tried with this. I tried really hard, because I want this recipe to look as amazing as it tastes! This mole is spicy, sweet, smoky, the butternut tones down the sauce and it is a winning combination. I decided that a few dollops of sour cream would add to the aesthetics, as well as a sprinkle of cilantro. I almost put the sour cream in a squirt bottle to make nice zig-zag pattern and really class it up, but like I said, I can only wait so long to eat.

I guess you'll just have to take my word for it, and Joanne's, whose blog this recipe comes from, that it tastes far better than it looks. And it is a great way to incorporate the flavors of fall into a Tex-Mex dish.

While Mole can be intimidating because of the laundry list of ingredients, they are probably things you already have on hand. And honestly, you can make adjustments to use what you have rather than go buy ingredients. I made a few changes, substitutions, and additions, which I reflected in my recipe below. You can check Joanne's blog to see what she used.

Butternut Squash Enchiladas with Mole Sauce

from Eats Well with Others, Originally from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

1 medium butternut squash (about 2 lbs.)

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 tbsp. milk, cream, sour cream, etc. 

4 dried ancho chilies

2 dried chipotle chilies

1/4 c. silvered almonds

1 tbsp. tahini

1 heaping tbsp. dark cocoa powder

1 heaping tsp. ground cinnamon

1 small yellow onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, smashed

4 whole plum tomatoes, seeded (canned works fine)

1/4 c. raisins

2 c. vegetable stock

1 tbsp. EVOO

1 bay leaf

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. ground allspice

Salt and black pepper

6 flour tortillas

1/2 c. fresh grated sharp cheddar cheese

Sour cream

Chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 400*

Slice squash in half, scoop out seeds and discard.

Place cut side up in a casserole dish, fill with 1/4" water.

Sprinkle squash with 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, cover with foil and roast for 30-45 minutes, until tender.

Remove from the oven and set aside to cool, lower oven temperature to 350.

While squash cooks, prepare Mole. 

Place the chilies in 1 c. boiling water to reconstitute for 10 minutes, drain and chop chilies.

Place chilies, almonds, tahini, chocolate, onion, garlic, tomatoes and raisins in a blender, add enough vegetable stock to achieve a puree. 

Heat EVOO in a large pot over medium heat, add the puree, bay leaf, cumin, allspice, salt and pepper. 

Sauté for about 5 minutes, constantly stirring. 

Add vegetable stock, bring to a simmer, turn to low and reduce for an hour or so. 

Scoop squash from the skins and place in a bowl.

Mash with a potato masher, adding milk/cream as necessary.

Ladle Mole into a casserole dish to coat the bottom.

Fill tortillas with 1/6 of the squash mixture, a sprinkle of cheese, and roll. 

Place in the casserole dish seam side down and repeat. 

Cover all enchiladas with remaining Mole (I had about 1 c. extra, which I froze).

Bake for 25 minutes, remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes.

Serve with sour cream and cilantro.

Carrot-Apple Nut Muffins

Nothing says fall like apple and pumpkin picking, cider, corn roasts, and fall festivals. Sadly, there aren't many (if any) pumpkin patches and apple orchards here in Florida. Because my husband is travelling or has games every weekend during the fall, I know our chances of making it up to North Carolina for a Fall-activity packed weekend is out of the question. So you can imagine how excited I was when I walked into Whole Foods and found these little 1/2 peck bags of apples! Yes, they were shipped all the way from New York (carbon footprint - ouch!) but because they're in season, and massive quantities are shipped at least.

Two weeks ago, the apples in the bags were Macintosh, but last week they were Honeycrisp, the most delicious of all apples! I find that Macintosh is my favorite for caramel apples because they're not quite as sweet, but Honeycrisp are perfect for a sweet, bright, crunch snack. They also hold up really well to baking!

I don't bake muffins and breakfast snack type things as much as I used to because we don't really need the extra baked goods around the house. However, these are pretty healthy, and are a cross between carrot cake and apple muffins, two of JJ's favorites. I thought he'd really like them, and I was correct! And it's very fitting that the Apple muffins come from a wonderful blog, Apple a Day! 

Tips and Trades:

-I halved this recipe, but kept the apple and carrot at the whole amount. They were still quite tasty, but didn't puff as much as a regular muffin. I'd suggest adding another tsp. of baking powder if you use the full apple/carrot amount in the halved recipe. I got 12 smaller muffins.

-Can't find Honeycrisp? Try using other apples that are good for baking, here is a great guide!

-This recipe is the original, Kelsey got around 20 muffins, the recipe claims to yield 16.

Carrot-Apple Nut Muffins

from Kelsey at Apple A Day, originally by Williams-Sonoma

1 c. unbleached, all-purpose flour

1 c. whole wheat pastry flour

1/4 c. oat bran (or ground rolled oats)

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

2/3 c. firmly packed dark brown sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 c. nonfat buttermilk

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

1 1/4 c. grated apple (I did not peel it first)

1 1/4 c. grated carrot, peeled (about 2 medium)

1/2 c. chopped walnuts

1/2 c. mixed raisins and dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 400*

Grease muffin tins or add paper liners, recipe should yield between 16-20.

In a large bowl, whisk flours, oat bran, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and brown sugar.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat eggs, buttermilk and yogurt.

Add the flour mixture until it is just about moistened, do not over mix!

Add the grated apple, carrots, nuts and raisins, stir until just distributed.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling about 3/4 full.

If desired, sprinkle with coarse sugar and cinnamon.

Bake until a toothpick comes clean when inserted in the center, about 15-18 minutes.

Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, transfer muffins to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.

Store in an air tight container.

Poblano White Bean Chili

When I told my husband we were having chili for dinner, he looked a little confused, as my old stand-by chili featured ground turkey. I explained that this chili was much different, but I knew he was going to love it. I was met with skepticism until I told him that I chose to make this specifically for him because the star of the dish was roasted poblanos, one of his favorite ingredients! 

I found this recipe in the October version of Vegetarian Times magazine, along with a whole feature on poblanos. I have to say they're probably our favorite pepper variety. One reason is because you really just never know what you're going to get. Sometimes a poblano will be sweet like a red bell pepper, and other times it's packed with heat like a jalapeño. For some this might be why they don't like poblanos, but I like a surprise! 

I don't know that I would exactly classify this dish as a chili, it seems like more of a skillet dish, it's not stewy, but more chunky with a small amount of sauce. I chose to serve the chili over lime zest laced polenta, which offered a nice contrast of texture, and helped to cut through the heat of the poblanos. The pepitas on top added a nice crunchy bite, so don't skip on those! 

Tips and Trades:

-I like to select different sized poblanos because I find that their heat/sweet level is more likely to vary when their size does as well.

-Substitute kidney, pinto or black beans for the cannelini beans, whatever you have on hand.

Poblano White Bean Chili

adapted from Vegetarian Times October 2010

6 poblanos, roasted, skinned and sliced

1 tbsp. EVOO

1 small red onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. dried oregano

2 c. cooked white beans or 1 15 oz. can, drained and rinsed

1 tsp. ground cumin

2 ears of corn, shucked, kernels cut off cob

1/2 c. vegetable stock

1/2 c. chopped cilantro

2 limes

1/4 c. Greek yogurt or sour cream

1/4 c. toasted pepitas

2/3 c. polenta

2/3 c. milk

2/3 c. vegetable stock

Heat a skillet over medium, add 1 tbsp. EVOO.

Add red onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper.

Saute for 5 minutes, until softened.

Add oregano, beans, cumin, corn and 1/2 c. vegetable stock.

Stir well, cover and cook for 10 minutes.

In a small stockpot, combine 2/3 c. milk and 2/3 c. vegetable stock, bring to a boil.

Stream in polenta, whisking constantly.

Turn heat to low, season with salt and pepper, and whisk occasionally, cooking according to package directions (add more stock if necessary).

Uncover chili mixture, add poblano strips and juice of 1 lime, stir well and remove from heat.

Zest other lime into polenta mixture, spoon into a bowl, spoon chili over polenta, top with yogurt, pepitas and chopped cilantro, serve.

Summer meets Fall Pasta Salad: Butternut, Tomato and Chickpea Pasta Salad

I've been suffering from Fall-weather envy the past few weeks. Watching Ohio State football games has been torture, the fans are in hoodies! The weather finally dipped into the 70's here, a temperature I haven't seen since May. My first complete summer as a Floridian has ended, and it was a rough one, record-setting over 3 months of consecutive days above 90*. 

Ok, I'm done complaining.

So I was all ready to give summer a big farewell and dive into fall and all of it's flavors until I saw this little butt staring up at me. Summer's last ditch effort. How could I possibly say goodbye to the season that has brought me so much delicious produce, plump tomatoes, sweet corn, juicy peaches, and Lord knows how many zucchini! 

I picked up the lovely Heirloom tomato, and felt inspired. I had big plans for this guy, I just didn't know what. Yet.

I left Whole Foods, got in my car and pondered the changing weather. It was cooler, crisper, but the humidity was still there, and a warm breeze mingled with a cool wind. 

Perhaps Fall isn't my favorite season. Maybe I can create a new season... Sum-all? Fal-ummer? Late summer, early fall, the last of the tomatoes, early squash. 

I saw in the World Market circular that their Fall goods were stocked, so I ventured over. I was met by these little darlings.

Then it hit me. Summery pasta salad meets fall flavors.

I did a little searching and found Ina Garten's Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette. It was the perfect starting point for this meal. Her fall-inspired salad had squash, maple, cranberries, and apple. My mind injected summery tomatoes, pasta salad, and chick peas. The mixture of sweet cranberries and savory vinegar-laced pasta, crunchy walnuts and creamy squash, and juicy, bright tomato... it was epic.
I think I have a new favorite season.

Tips and Trades:
-As with any pasta salad, the pasta is interchangeable. Some fun shapes can be found here: http://www.pastashoppe.com/
-Substitute any bean variety, such as kidney beans for more color and antioxidants.
-Can't find shallots? Use red onion instead.

Summer meets Fall Pasta Salad: Butternut, Tomato and Chickpea Pasta Salad

inspired by Ina Garten

2 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tbsp. EVOO, divided

Kosher salt and pepper

6 oz. pasta, any short cut

1 shallot, minced (about 2 tbsp.)

1/4 c. apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

2 tbsp. pure Maple Syrup

1 tsp. fresh minced rosemary

2 c. cooked garbanzo beans (or 15 oz. can, drained and rinsed)

1/4 c. dried cranberries

1/4 c. chopped walnuts

1 large heirloom tomato, seeded and diced (about 1 c.)

4 c. mixed greens

Parmesan wedge

Preheat oven to 400*

Toss squash, cinnamon, 1 tbsp. EVOO, salt and pepper on a baking sheet.

Place in the oven and roast for 20 minutes, until squash is caramelized and tender.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt heavily, drop in pasta and cook to al dente.

In a small dish, whisk together shallot, vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, rosemary and 1 tbsp. EVOO.

Drain pasta, do not rinse, pour into a mixing bowl.

Add beans, cranberries, walnuts and tomato to the pasta.

Add half of the vinaigrette, toss well. 

Place the mixed greens in a serving dish, drizzle with remaining vinaigrette and toss.

Remove squash from the oven, cool for a minute to allow it to firm up.

Add to pasta, toss very gently.

Pour pasta mixture over mixed greens.

Top with shaved parmesan and serve warmed.

Note: This can be served chilled, but do not dress greens, and keep pasta/squash mixture separate from greens until serving.

Thick, Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

As I said in my Snickerdoodles post, I made a variety of cookies for my father-in-law's retirement party at work. One of the other cookies requested was Oatmeal Raisin. I tend to usually make the Sun Maid Raisin recipe, which is good, but I wanted something bigger, thicker and chewier. I was browsing recipes when I came across this one on Smitten Kitchen. 

These cookies really live up to their name, the edges crisp a bit, the center is gooey and chewy, and they carry some serious weight. Of course you could scale down the cookie size, but why? What I noticed first with this recipe is that it only calls for brown sugar, no granulated sugar, which keep them softer and chewier. The recipe also calls for a good amount of raisins, something I find to be too sparse in many oatmeal raisin cookies. 

My husband likes to think of himself as a cookie connoisseur, he has taste tested every single cookie I've ever made, and is always on bowl/spatula batter-licker-duty. He proclaimed these as the best oatmeal raisin cookies I've ever made, from the raw dough to the warm fresh baked cookie with milk to the next day when he took a few to work in his lunch box. 

This cookie has definitely landed itself at the top of my go-to recipe for Oatmeal Raisin, I can guarantee it will top yours as well! 

Tips and Trades:

-This recipe is ideal for multiplying. I tripled SK's recipe and ended up with close to 40 3 oz. cookies, but feel free to cut back on the size of cookie, or only make 1 batch for a small crowd.

-A few months ago, I started using salted butter when I bake. I think the flavor is so much better, but you can do whatever you're used to or comfortable with.

Thick, Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

from Smitten Kitchen

1/2 c. (1 stick) of butter, softened

2/3 c. light brown sugar, packed

1 egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 c. unbleached All-Purpose flour

1 1/2 c. rolled oats

3/4 c. raisins

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and brown sugar.

Turn speed to low, add egg and vanilla, mix well, scraping down the sides as necessary. 

Add baking soda, cinnamon and salt, mix until just incorporated.

Add flour, oats and raisins, mix until flour is just absorbed.

Use a spatula to pull dough up from the bottom to make sure all ingredients are mixed well.

Place bowl in the refrigerator while oven heats up.

Turn oven on to 350*

Line cookie sheets with a silpat or parchment.

Scoop chilled dough out by the heaping tbsp. full onto cooking sheets, about 3" apart.

Bake for 12 minutes, or until edges are golden and top is just set.

Cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Store in an air-tight container.

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

As the eggplant in my garden have matured week after week, I've been putting off making Eggplant Parmesan. It's not because I don't like it, it's certainly been one of my favorite meals since I was a child. What I don't like is frying things, the spattering oil, the way the house smells, and cleaning up the oil after I'm finished. While I have learned a few great tips and tricks to frying, I'm not a fan at all. 

I've made baked Eggplant Parmesan before, but baking it left the bitter taste in the eggplant. However, I wasn't going to give up on baked eggplant, so I tried a new process, and it worked perfectly. I salted and pressed the eggplant, then eggwash and breaded them and baked them on a wire rack. While they cooked, I prepared the chunky sauce, and then assembled and threw it back in for a quick bake to melt the cheese and meld the flavors together. While I do love Mom's Eggplant Parmesan with long strips of eggplant and a crushed tomato marinara laced between the layers, and a mozzarella blanket on top, I had a different version in mind. 

During my senior year of high school, I went to the Homecoming dance with a huge group of friends. A new restaurant had just opened called Bucca di Beppo. We heard it was served family style and great for groups, so our homecoming group of 20 went there for dinner before the dance. I was still a vegetarian at the time, and asked if anyone else would want Eggplant Parmesan. One of my friends, Alison, said she would eat it so we ordered a large size. Oh.my.gosh! I'm sorry, Mom, but it was the best eggplant parmesan I've ever had! The eggplant was cut a little thicker, skin still on and tender, panko breadcrumbs added extra crunch, and the sauce, it was the sauce that made it! Chunks of sweet tomatoes laced with fresh basil and red onion, topped with Parmesan cheese, baked to perfection.

That dish was the inspiration for this version of Eggplant Parmesan. I picked two eggplant from my garden (I'm not sure what's going on with the speckled one, but it tasted great!) and a bunch of fresh basil from my pots. I splurged on San Marzano tomatoes because the dish was otherwise very cheap. Though it didn't have the buttery crust, the eggplant were tender, crunchy, and the sauce was sweet and delicious. 

Tips and Trades:

-If you elect to fry your eggplant, here are a few tips! Be sure salt and press your eggplant well, the tiny water pockets will soak up oil, cause splattering, and weigh down your dish. Make sure your oil is at a steady temperature, around 375*, if it's too hot, the eggplant will burn before they cook, and if it's too low they will soak up the oil. Finally, drain well on paper towels or brown paper bags. My mom prefers to fry with Olive Oil, but Canola Oil works well too.

-San Marzano tomatoes are from the San Marzano region of Italy. They are sweeter than most tomatoes, and are imported. Look for a can to specifically say "San Marzano" and imported from Italy. 

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

inspired by Bucca di Beppo

2 medium eggplant

Kosher salt

2 eggs, beaten

1 c. panko breadcrumbs

1/4 c. Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

1 tbsp. EVOO

1/2 medium red onion, diced (about 1 c.)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 28 oz. can whole San Marzano tomatoes

1 tsp. dried oregano

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Handful of fresh basil leaves

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Wash eggplant, slice into 1/2" rounds.

Line a colander with tea towels or paper towels, place a layer of eggplant on towels, dust with kosher salt. 

Place another layer of towels on top followed by another layer of eggplant and salt, repeat until all eggplant are covered and salted.

Place a heavy pot or plate on top and weigh down eggplant.

Rest for 30 minutes to an hour. 

Preheat the oven to 400*

Place a wire rack on a baking sheet.

Add eggs to a shallow dish, whisk well.

Combine breadcrumbs in another shallow dish.

One at a time, plunge eggplant slices into egg wash, then dredge with breadcrumbs and place on the wire rack. 

Continue until all eggplant slices are coated.

Place in the oven and cook for 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender inside. 

While eggplant cooks, prepare sauce.

Heat a small pot over medium heat.

Add 1 tbsp. EVOO, onions and garlic.

Season with salt and pepper, sauté for 5 minutes, until softened.

Add whole tomatoes and juice, break up with a wooden spoon, turn heat to low.

Add oregano and red pepper flakes, simmer until liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes.

Tear basil into the sauce, taste and season.

Remove eggplant from the oven.

Spoon some sauce into the bottom of a casserole dish, add a layer of eggplant.

Spoon 1 tbsp. sauce over each eggplant round, top with another and repeat. 

Spoon the remaining sauce over the top of the eggplant, sprinkle with Parmesan.

Place back in the oven for 15 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Serve with fresh pasta or rolls for eggplant subs.