CSA Recipe #4 - Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

I always wanted to cook squash but I thought it was too hard to do or didn't know what to do...so when I found three butternut squash in my CSA box I was a little concerned.  However, I thought, I have conquered a spaghetti squash!  I can do this!  So, I persevered!  I asked around and again, Foodie Friend Kim shared this recipe with me.  I thought it would be difficult to do all this but honestly, it was pretty easy.  I prepped the squash and popped it in the oven, then I taught a voice lesson and then it was done!  And then I made the soup and it was quite a pleasant experience.

Of course I made this dairy free (it's gluten free by nature) but you would never know.  I had it for dinner tonight and it was lovely!  Creamy and just divine!

Here's to recipe #4!  I am no longer afraid of squash!

INGREDIENTS

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  • 2 medium whole butternut squash, halved lengthwise and seeds removed
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 stick) (I used ghee - to make it dairy free)
  • 1 medium Granny Smith apple (about 8 ounces)
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion
  • 8 fresh sage leaves
  • 2 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
  • 2 1/2 cups water
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream ( I used unsweetened coconut milk or you could use unflavored coconut coffee creamer to make it dairy free like I did)
  • 1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds, for garnish (optional)
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  • INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat the oven to 425°F and arrange a rack in the middle.
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the squash pieces cut-side up on the baking sheet. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and brush all of it over the tops and insides of the squash halves (alternatively, you can rub it on evenly with your fingers). Season generously with salt and pepper. Roast until knife tender, about 50 minutes to 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, peel, core, and cut the apple into medium dice. Cut the onion into medium dice. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the apple, onion, and sage, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
4. When the squash is ready, set the baking sheet on a wire rack until the squash is cool enough to handle. Using a large spoon, scoop the flesh into the saucepan with the sauteed apples and onions; discard the skins.
5. Add the broth, water, and measured salt and pepper, stir to combine, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally and breaking up any large pieces of squash, until the flavors meld, about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cream.
6. Using a blender, purée the soup in batches until smooth, removing the small cap from the blender lid (the pour lid) and covering the space with a kitchen towel (this allows steam to escape and prevents the lid from popping off). Alternatively, use an immersion blender. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve garnished with the pumpkin seeds, if using.
• This was really good - more of an Autumn type of thing but it was still great flavor!
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CSA recipe #2! - Kim's Famous Collard Greens!

Since I am a southern New Yorker, descended from Southern Italians but not a Southerner, I thought, I want to eat these collard greens I got in my first CSA box ever but had no idea at how to start or where.  

So I was at work and I hollered out, “Does anyone know what to do with collard greens?” in my office.  And got several, “I love those!” and then one lone voice from across the room, “I am famous for mine.  If you want, I can take them, make them and then bring them in for us all to try.”  I said SURE!  So long as I can take pictures and get your recipe for my blog.  Since Kim, my office mate and fellow foodie loves this kind of thing – she is my guest home chef recipe for this one.

Now I have had collards before and a lot of times they are very tangy or that je ne sais quoi that is just a little left of center of my taste buds.  HOWEVER, Kim's were AMAZING!  All of us lovely ladies at the office chowed down on some fabulous southern fare at lunch and I got Kim's recipe and am sharing it here with you.  I swear – if you didn't like collards before you will now!  Another plus - this recipe (when made with your right choices) is paleo friendly, gluten free and dairy free!

Here's what they look like alone

• About 3 heads of collards
• 4T – Vegetable Oil (I am thinking Olive would be good)
• 6 slices bacon (real or turkey) or a whole ham hock
• 4C warm water
• ½t garlic salt (Kim says – don't get fancy and try fresh garlic b/c it won't taste the same)
• 1t red pepper flakes
• ½t ground black pepper

(NOTE: if you use real bacon you may want to half the amount of garlic salt) 

This was our lunch - grilled chicken, black-eyed peas &
Kim's Famous Collards!!  YUMMY SCRUMCIOUS!

Instructions:

1. Soak the greens in a sink of cold water for a few minutes, to rinse off the dirt/debris.
2. Place on dry towel and allow to air dry for about 15 minutes.
3. Clean greens by removing the leaves from the ribbing, discard ribbing.
4. In large pot, add 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil.
5. Render meat in oil until brown (turkey bacon/bacon should be diced, ham hock left whole.)
6. Add 4 cups of warm water to pot and bring to boil.
7. Add ½ of greens, tearing them in pieces as adding to pot.
8. Sprinkle greens with garlic salt, red pepper flake and ground black pepper.
9. Add the remainder of the greens.
10. Sprinkle 2nd batch of greens with garlic salt, red pepper flake and ground black pepper.
11. Make sure greens are covered with water, so add more if needed.
12. After greens boil for 10 minutes, turn heat down to low boil or simmer.
13. Cook for about 2 hours, stirring them occasionally.

ENJOY!!!

CSA recipe #1 - Garlic Broccolini Pasta with Tomatoes - Clean Eating, gluten free, dairy free

When I picked up my first CSA box last Saturday the first thing I saw was the broccolini and I was like - I got this one!  I love Broccolini (aka Broccoli Rabe, Rabe or baby broccoli).  It tastes like broccoli but not as strong and acts like asparagus when you cook it. 

Here is my broccolini after I trimmed it

Now the traditional route is to put it with sausage but I (a) wanted something different and (b) we didn't have any sausage.  So - I went with what I had - left over grilled chicken.  You can make this meat free if you are a veggie or vegan and it will still be awesome.  I also thought if you'd rather shrimp - that would be great too.  So here it goes:

2T Olive Oil

3 cloves garlic - sliced thin

2 medium tomatoes - diced

2C broccolini - washed and snipped to about 3-4inches from the tops

2t ghee (this is clarified butter for those of us who can't have dairy but if you can have dairy use 1T REAL butter)

1 boneless skinless chicken breast - grilled and diced (optional or can replace with shrimp)

1/4C white wine

1-2T lemon juice

1lb thin spaghetti (i used rice pasta - gluten free)

Here is were everything is cooking up!

1. heat oil in a saute pan and put in the garlic mash while sauteing - do not burn.

2. swirl in ghee (butter) until melted

3. Add the tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes

4. cook pasta as directed

5. add wine and lemon juice and simmer for 3-5 minutes

6. When you have 5mins left until your pasta is done - throw in the broccolini

7. Drain pasta when finished and then toss together with your saute.

OMG!  So yummy!  Darren isn't big on green veggies but went back twice - SO it had to be just as good as I thought it was. Add a glass of pinot grigio and a lovely summer meal.  

 

40 Cloves and a Chicken - SUCCESS!

I tried a version of this last year and it was an epic fail.  It took me about a year to get up the gumption to try again.  And I thought about it, would Julia Child use a crockpot?  Non! Non! Non!  I could hear her saying to me.  Find your cast iron enameled pot and kick it old school!  (Not sure she would use that phrase but that's what I told myself).  It was a much better experience.

I had gone a little overboard at the grocery one week.  Four grass fed organic chicken legs for less than $4 a pack?!  WHOOPIE!  Takes so little to excite me...I got two packages.  Then I got home and was like – what the heck am I going to do with eight chicken legs...  Then I remembered I wanted to retry the Chicken and 40 cloves.  

Normally, you are supposed to get a whole chicken and cut it in eight pieces but I had eight chicken legs instead.  So I thought ok – one little modification won't kill me.  And so here it goes....

• 8 pieces of chicken – bone in (so use legs, breasts, a whole chicken cut up - what have you)
• 40 cloves of garlic – 3-4 bulbs yields 40.  Peeled (you can buy them already peeled but I cut my own b/c it's fresher and my Aunt would kill me if I used bottled.
• 2T Olive Oil - used to brown the chicken in
• 1/2C Olive Oil - used for cooking it in the oven
• 10 (or a handful) of fresh Thyme – washed and patted dry

This is before - not sprinkle in the garlic so it flavors the chicken evenly

SUPER easy – I think the hardest thing is peeling the garlic. Maybe not hard – but tedious.

• Preheat oven to 350
• Sprinkle the chicken with salt & pepper
• In your cast iron pot (or a saute pan) put the 2 table spoons Olive Oil – heat on medium heat.  
• Then brown the chicken on both sides.  You may have to do this in batches – I couldn't fit all the chicken in the pot at once.
• If you are using the cast iron pot, When you're done browning, take the pot off the heat.  Put all the chicken in the pot, put the garlic in the pot al over the chicken and then put in the thyme.  Then pour in the 1/2C Olive oil.  Cover and put in the oven for 1 ½ hours.
• If you are using a fry pan to brown your chicken – put all the chicken in an oven safe dish that has a cover, follow the above from putting the chicken, garlic, thyme and oil in the dish, cover and into the oven for 1 ½ hr.
• When it's done - take it out of the oven and let it rest for 5-10 minutes.  Poor chicken is tired after all that cooking!

This is how it will look when you take it out of the oven

I served it with wild rice seasoned with ghee, garlic and thyme and Italian green beans but you can make your own sides.

YUM!  And it is paleo & virgin diet friendly.  Gluten free, dairy free, Fabulous!

Clean Eating, Paleo, Gluten Free, Dairy Free FABULOUS Winter Chili!(Phew that was a long one!)

I don't know about you but I love chili. It is my go to food if I am trying to cut down on simple carbs, need a comfort food during a winter storm, hosting a casual get together, or just need a quick and easy weeknight meal.

This is a great crockpot meal that is healthy too. If you put all this stuff in the crockpot in the morning before you leave by the time you get back from work you have a meal that is great and left overs that freeze super easy!

Fabulous Winter Chili (which is good any time of year)
Chili Mix (gluten free, dairy free, paleo & clean eating friendly)

Chili Spice mix:
1 tablespoon paprika
1/4 teaspoons seasoning salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried cumin
1/2 tablespoon coconut flower (optional for thickening)
salt & pepper to taste

For Chili:
1lb ground beef or other lean meat
1/2 large jar of salsa ( i get mine from the Farmer's Market)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes & green chilies
1 can black beans (drained & rinsed)
1 cup beef bouillon
1 recipe for Chili spice mix (above)

You can double this, which I do, and use two different kinds of meat - I generally use grass fed beef and lean turkey. Also, if you want to bulk it up add in a can of pinto or kidney beans as well.

Put everything in a large slow cooker/crock pot and simmer on low for 8hrs.
Your house will smell Fantastic when you get home - you'll wonder if someone snuck in and made dinner for you.