Acorn Squash Soup

I am a huge fan of squashes.  I have never had acorn squash before so I bought one to make into a soup.  I divided, seeded, peeled, and cubed one acorn squash and boiled the cubes in chicken stock.  I also added 3 cubed potatoes to the chicken stock.  I used just enough chicken stock to cover the squash and potatoes.  Once they were tender enough, I removed the squash and potatoes and left the stock in the pot to continue to reduce.  I put the squash and potatoes in my food processor to make a puree.  Once pureed, I added the mixture back into the stock and let it continue to reduce while I seasoned the soup.  For serving, I added sour cream to my soup, which made it really creamy. 

Ravioli

Made from scratch ravioli.  I made the dough using the recipe from my kitchen aid mixer with the pasta attachment.  Rolled the dough using the attachment until thin.  Next time I will roll it even thinner.  I filled the ravioli with mushroom filling that was sauteed with onion before putting it in the dough.  In a saucepan for the filling, I sauteed onion and mushroom that were finely diced with red wine and seasonings.  Once it was cool enough to work with, I dropped spoonfuls of filling on the rolled out dough.  Then covered the dough and filling with another sheet of dough.  Using a rotary cutter, I cut out the ravioli pieces.  I made sure they were sealed well and dropped them into boiling water.  Once tender, toss with any pasta sauce.

Traditional Paella

Paella is so amazing.  This paella was made with three different types of proteins; shrimp, chicken, and authentic chorizo from Liz.  The rice was cooked with saffron to give it that yellow color and great flavor.  Once the proteins and rice were cooked, the peas were added for some nice color and flavor.  The American Heritage Dictionary says paella is a saffron flavored dish with combinations of rice, vegetables, and meat.  Paella can be made with leftover meats and vegetables.

Sushi Rolls

I love sushi rolls.  So using some pretty simple ingredients, you can make your own sushi rolls.  For my sushi rolls, I used crab meat, avocado, cream cheese, mango, cucumber, seaweed wraps, sushi rice, and/or fresh raw tuna from my local favorite sushi restaurant.  The easiest way to construct a sushi roll is by using a bamboo roller, which you can get in any sushi making kits.  You either start with the rice or the seaweed wrap, depending on which one you want on the outside of the roll.  Whatever ingredient goes down first will be on the outside of the roll.  I then layered my ingredients, one I made crab and one I made with tuna.  Then I just added the rest of the ingredients, a small amount goes a long way.  Once you have everything you want in there, roll them up and slice them with a sharp knife.

Cream Cheese Danishes

I used store bough puff pastry for the dough, so good and so easy.  One box of puff pastry can be sectioned into 12 rectangles for 12 cream cheese danishes.  For the filling, I used a package of cream cheese, and whipped it with my kitchen aid until it was smooth.  I added the powdered sugar to the cream cheese and beat it until it was incorporated.  Also to the filling I added one egg yolk, vanilla, and salt for flavor.  I divided the filling into 12 puff pastry rectangles.  On half the danishes, I added a spoonful of peach jam.  The danishes with jam and cream cheese are better than with just cream cheese.  Then I sprinkled some slivered almonds on the danishes and folded in two opposite corners.  Press the corners or they will open during baking.  I baked these at 350 deg until golden, originally tried 400 deg, but this was too hot and they burned before the inside was done cooking.

Pecan Crusted Red Snapper

Liz got some amazing Red Snapper from the Kemah fish market.  I coated the fish with one beaten egg.  Once coated, I dredged the fish in crushed pecans and Italian breadcrumbs.  I filled a skillet with enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan and heated the oil until hot.  I added the fish to the pan when the pan and oil were hot.  The fish needed about five to ten minutes per side.  It had a brown crust outside and white flaky inside.

Squash Side Dish

An easy, healthy side dish that I like to make is steamed zucchini and yellow squash.  I buy equal amounts of zucchini and yellow squash and cut them into equal size pieces, usually I cut them lengthwise first and then slice them.  I like to add some type of all seasoning to them for flavor.  This is a really easy, healthy dish that takes about five minutes.  I usually just cook them in the microwave, stirring often so they cook more evenly.

Butternut Squash Casserole

I cubed a whole butternut squash and four potatoes.  I cooked these in the microwave until soft.  Once soft, I added butter, crushed Ritz crackers, two eggs, and shredded cheese.  I mixed all the ingredients well and baked the casserole until it was bubbly.  While it was baking, I mixed butter and crushed Ritz crackers together to make a topping.  I removed the cooked casserole and added the topping evenly and baked again for about five more minutes.

Citrus Fruit Salad

This fruit salad has been a recipe that my grandmother on my mom's side makes regularly.  It's made with equal parts mandarin oranges and pineapple.  Mix in enough sour cream to bind the fruit together.  Then add enough marshmallows and coconut to make it sweet.

Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken

First I trimmed 4 large chicken breasts and then carefully made a pocket in each one.  This was really difficult; I cut too much in two of the six chicken breasts, but I only needed four.  For the stuffing, I used thawed, drained frozen spinach; it's really important to drain this well.  I mixed the spinach with equal parts feta cheese and sour cream.  The filling looked just like a spinach dip.  I divided the spinach filling into four equal parts and filled each chicken breast.  I seasoned all four chicken breasts and then seared them in olive oil in a skillet.  Once seared, I transferred the skillet to the oven to finish cooking.