Butternut Squash Soup
We had a bumper crop of butternut squash in our garden this year. Sounds good right? But there's one problem - my husband and I both hate squash. I don't mean we just don't prefer to eat it - we HATE it. \"So why the squash crop?" I asked him. His reply "Rhiannon likes it." Yes but Rhiannon can't eat those 50 squash you picked. Hence the inclusion of the Butternut Squash Soup on our menu tonight. At least we know Rhiannon will eat it.
This soup has only 5 ingredients - butternut squash, onion, potato, chicken broth, and milk
It calls for cubing the squash and then baking it. Have you ever tried to cut and peel raw squash? Are you kidding me? That wasn't happening - I could barely get the thing cut in half. But I did, and then just baked it that way with the onion and potato as the recipe said. When it was done I just scooped out the squash insides and threw it in the pan. I have no idea why Rachael would advise cutting it first. Trust me, it seems dangerous, one slip of the knife and there's blood everywhere. Or fingers missing. Anyway, so you put the cooked vegs in the pan, add the chicken broth, simmer and then liquefy it with an immersion blender. Not only do I have a fear of cutting rock hard vegetables with super sharp knives, I have a fear of hot liquid in a blender. So I say if you don't have an immersion blender don't make this recipe. It's not good enough to justify 3rd degree burns. Once it's smooth, add the milk and it's done.
I must confess I made 2 substitutions. I didn't have enough chicken broth (need better planning for future Rachael Ray nights) but I did have homemade apple cider. (Yes, another product as a result of a bumper crop - this time it's apples.) So for half the chicken broth I used cider. My thought was if it ruins it oh well, i hate squash and probably won't like the soup anyway. I also added about a 1/4 cup cream just for a little more richness.
So how did it taste? Well, yes, my husband the squash hater loved it. Rhiannon loved it but we knew she would. Dan ate two bowls. And for me - well I actually liked the squash taste. What I didn't prefer was the sweetness that the apple cider added, but I think that was really what made it so delicious to everyone else. So all in all I give this one 5 stars. It was delicious, fast and simple - thanks to the immersion blender and skipping the chopping step - and I will make it again. I have to get rid of those 50 squash somehow!
Grilled Chicken Soft Tacos with Scallion Dressing
I chose this recipe to maximize my grilling time - it's not winter yet so all food must be grilled out by the pool. I'm not a huge fan of chicken or soft tacos, but this looked simple and I thought I could do some things to spice it up a bit. Here's the recipe from the RR site and the link:
http://www.rachaelraymag.com
/Recipes/rachael-ray-magaz
ine-recipe-index/dinner-re
cipes/Grilled-Chicken-Soft-Tacos
By: Ivee Stephens
4 Servings Prep 15 min Grill 20 min Ingredients:
1/4 head green cabbage, cored and thinly sliced Juice of 2 lemons (about 1/2 cup) Salt and pepper 6 slices bacon 8 small flour tortillas 4 scallions 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 chicken cutlets (about 1 pound) 1 granny smith apple, peeled and cut into matchsticks Sour cream, for serving Prep the apple just before using to prevent it from turning brown.
Marinate a seeded and finely chopped jalapeño in the lemon juice to add a kick to the slaw and dressing.
Skip the small tortillas and fill large wraps with the chicken, bacon, dressing and slaw.
Directions:Preheat a grill to medium-high. In a bowl, toss the cabbage with half of the lemon juice and season with 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Microwave the bacon on a paper towel- lined plate on high heat until crisp, about 4 minutes; crumble.
Grill the tortillas, turning once, until lightly charred, about 3 minutes; wrap in a kitchen towel to keep warm.
Meanwhile, in a bowl, toss the scallions with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill, turning, until slightly charred, 3 to 5 minutes. Using the same bowl, toss the chicken with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill, turning once, until cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before thinly slicing along with the scallions.
In a small bowl, add the remaining lemon juice and slowly whisk in the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the sliced scallions and the apple. Divide the chicken among the tortillas and top with the vinaigrette and bacon. Serve with the sour cream and slaw.
I added additional seasoning to the chicken, and I'm glad I did because with the garlic, cumin and Cabela's Maple Jalapeño Seasoning, it was just right. Without would have been too bland for us. And to the dressing I added some sour cream and green salsa - making it a creamy sauce rather than a oil based dressing. The sauce was the hit of the meal.
Overall, I give this recipe 3 stars. It was easy to make and met my using the grill requirement, but the method for warming the shells made them too tough and crunchy. And the seasonings as shown in the recipe are not enough for us. We like some spice in our food!
Spiced Roasted Edamame
No one said that edamame goes well with tacos. This little snack wasn't intended to go with the meal, it was just an attempt to use one of the 5000 bags of frozen edamame in my freezer. Ok, it's not 5000, but it feels like it because who needs more than one at a time? Anyway, this is a short recipe, just edamame tossed with olive oil, onion powder, ground coriander, cumin, smoked paprika and salt - then baked until the beans start to brown. However, I was not wearing my glasses while preparing this - and was also distracted by a particularly ridiculous plaintiff on Judge Judy - and sprinkled curry instead of ground coriander. I did realize this once I smelled the curry and again thinking "oh well", went ahead and added the coriander. If you like edamame and the flavors of Indian food, you'll love this snack. Healthy, delicious and easy to prep - this is something I'd take with me to eat on the plane. Minus the curry that is. Seat mates get understandably cranky when you bust out the container of highly seasoned food. I give this 4 stars as a snack - but don't recommend it as a side with grilled chicken tacos.
We ate all of this yummy food and then headed off to watch the Britney episode of Glee. Now you must know - we love Britney. We saw Britney once in Maui, on the beach and in the lawn chairs by the pool right next to us. (Justin was there too but who cares. It's Britney we love.) The beauty and sweetness that just exudes off this girl is incredible and we have loved her ever since. And as a mother I ask - what was her mother thinking?! No child should be deprived of a normal childhood for any amount of money - and look what the results are. Lynne Spears I hope all that money was worth it to you! Shame on you! But enough parenting commentary.
The Glee cast did a great job with the Britney songs - even Glee hater Dan enjoyed the show. The cameos by Britney were great too and I was happy to see her looking healthy. I'll watch again next week - but mostly to catch a glimpse of John Stamos.
Starting weight: 139.8
Starting date: 9/28/2010
