Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 (2 to 3 pound) butternut squash, peeled and seeded
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 6 cups chicken stock
• Nutmeg
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Cut squash into 1-inch chunks. In large pot melt butter. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add squash and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until squash is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove squash chunks with slotted spoon and place in a blender and puree. Return blended squash to pot. Stir and season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Serve.

Canned Vegetable Soup

• 2 quarts Carrots, Diced
• 1 head Cabbage, Shredded
• 3 whole Green Peppers, Seeded And Diced
• 1 bunch Celery, Chopped
• 1 gallon Tomatoes (peeled And Diced)
• 3 whole Onions, Diced
• 1 quart Green Beans
• 1 cup Sugar
• ¼ cups Pickling Salt

Cut up all vegetables and combine in a large stock pot. Cover with water and cook for 1 hour.

May be frozen in quart freezer bags or ladled into hot jars, sealed and processed in a hot water bath. This makes about 10 quarts.

When pulling out a bag or jar to prepare for a meal, add meat, potatoes, and or pasta and a quart of beef or chicken broth. Can also be made using hamburger, stew meat, chicken, or Italian sausage. When using Italian sausage, add Italian seasonings and garlic to taste.

* I have also added okra, shredded zucchini and fresh corn off the cob.

Cucumber Sandwiches

1 1/2 c. cucumber, finely chopped
1/2 c. celery
1 (3 oz.) softened cream cheese
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1 tsp. onion, grated
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. chopped parsley
32 slices white sandwich bread, crusts cut off

Partially peel cucumber. Remove seeds, chop pulp and drain well by squeezing in cheese cloth.

In bowl, combine and blend all ingredients except bread. Lightly butter 16 slices of bread. Place 2 tablespoons cucumber mixture on each slice and cover with remaining slices. Cut diagonally across sandwiches to make 4 triangular sandwiches. Yield: 64 triangles.

Summer Vegetable Kabobs

2 sm. zucchini
2 sm. yellow squash
2 sm. eggplants
8 lg. mushrooms
1 sm. red pepper, cut into 8 sq.
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 lg. clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. rosemary leaves, crushed
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Cut each zucchini, yellow squash and eggplant into four 1 inch thick slices. Alternately thread two pieces of each vegetable and two mushrooms on four 10 inch skewers. Combine butter, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper. Brush both sides of vegetables with seasoned butter. Place kabobs over medium charcoal briquets and grill 10 to 12 minutes, turning after 5 minutes and brushing with seasoned butter occasionally.

Vegetable Lasagna

1 tbsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. sugar, or sweetener to taste
2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
8 oz. lasagna noodles, cooked
6 chopped green onions
2 c. sour cream, low-cal
8 oz. soft cream cheese, lite
2 (16 oz.) pkg. frozen Italian vegetables, drained and thawed
1 c. cheddar cheese
1 c. Mozzarella cheese
1 c. sliced olives

Mix first five ingredients, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

Mix sour cream and cream cheese. Set aside. Cook lasagna noodle according to package directions.

Layer noodles, cheese mixture and vegetable mixture twice.

Sprinkle on top, 1 cup cheddar cheese, 1 cup Mozzarella and 1 cup sliced olives. Bake at 350 degrees, covered with foil, 20-30 minutes. Remove from oven let set 10 minutes.

Breakfast Pizza

1 (8 oz.) tube crescent rolls
1 lb. breakfast sausage
1 (4 oz.) mushrooms
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped green pepper
5 eggs, well beaten
Mozzarella cheese
Cheddar cheese

Grease 12 inch pizza pan. Lay crescent rolls with points toward center in pan. Press with fingers to cover pan. Brown sausage - drain. Put everything over the rolls - then pour eggs over top. Top with cheese. Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes.

Chicken Pot Pie

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup milk

2 9-inch unbaked pie crusts - see recipe later

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.)
2. In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
3. In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Cucumber Salad

3 large cucumbers
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup white sugar
1/8 cup water
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 cup chopped onion

1. Peel the cucumbers and slice wafer thin. Sprinkle with salt. Let stand 30 minutes, then squeeze cucumbers to release moisture.
2. In a medium size bowl mix sugar, water, vinegar, celery seed, and onion. Add cucumbers to mixture. Mix well. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Cauliflower and Cheese Bake

• 1 large head of cauliflower, about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds, cut into flowerets
• ***Sauce***
• 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cups milk
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) Cheddar cheese, mild or sharp
• ***Topping***
• 1 cup soft fresh bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley, optional
• 1/2 teaspoon ground paprika
• 1 to 2 tablespoons melted butter

Boil or steam cauliflower in water until just tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Grease a 2-quart baking dish. Heat oven to 350°.

In a medium saucepan, heat butter over medium heat. Add flour and stir until smooth and just bubbly. Add salt, pepper, and milk. Cook the sauce, stirring, until thickened and bubbly. Add the mustard and cheese and continue cooking, stirring, until cheese is melted.

Combine the cauliflower with sauce and spoon into the prepared baking dish.

Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over the cauliflower mixture. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the casserole is bubbly and topping is browned.
Serves 6.

Creamy Vegetable Soup

* 4CUPS OF MILK OR HEAVY CREAM WHAT EVER YOU PREFER.
* 2 CANS OF COOKED MIXED VEGETABLES OR YOU CAN USE PRECOOKED FROZEN VEGETABLES ABOUT 3 CUPS. I GET THE CANNED VEGETABLES THAT HAS CELERY IN IT.
* CHOPPED ONION VERY FINELY CHOPPED ABOUT 1 ROUNDED TSP. YOU CAN USE 1 TSP OF DRIED ONION.
* 3 ROUNDED TBSP. OF FLOUR TO MAKE WHITE SAUCE WITH.
* 2 TBSP. OF BUTTER OR YOU CAN USE BACON DRIPPINGS. I PREFER THE BUTTER OR MARGARINE.
* SPRINKLE A LITTLE PARMESAN CHEESE ON TOP IF YOU LIKE,WHEN SERVING.
* SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE. CAN ADD YOU FAVORITE SEASONING SALT.


1. IN A SAUCE PAN MELT THE BUTTER AND STIR IN THE FLOUR TILL MIXED THEN SLOWLY ADD THE MILK AND STIRRING CONSTANTLY TILL MIXED WELL AND LUMPS ARE GONE. ADD THE SEASONINGS AT THIS TIME.BRING TO A BOIL OVER MEDIUM HEAT THEN SIMMER TILL THICK. MAKE SURE YOU STIR OFTEN SO AS NOT TO STICK AND BURN.
2. PLACE VEGETABLES INTO A BIG PAN AND ADD THE THICKENED WHITE SAUCE BRING TO A LOW BOIL ,AND BOIL 5 MINS. THEN SHUT OFF BURNER. POUR INTO BOWLS AND SPRINKLE ON THE CHEESE .

Broccoli/Mushroom Quiche

1 9-inch pie shell
1 head broccoli, chopped
8 oz fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 cup milk
3 eggs, beaten
2 Tbsp margarine, melted
1 Tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 - 1 tsp pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese,

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake pie crust about 10 minutes or until bottom is slightly brown. Let cool. Cook broccoli until tender; drain well. Combine milk, eggs, margarine, flour, salt, pepper and 3/4 cup cheese; whisk until well blended. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup of cheese over crust. Layer broccoli and mushrooms on cheese. Pour milk and egg mixture over all. Bake at 375° for 35 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.
4 to 6 servings.

Grilled Fajitas with Fresh Grilled Vegetables

Grilled Fajita Recipe with Fresh Grilled Vegetables

16 oz can refried beans, warm
1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese
8 small flour tortillas
1 yellow squash, sliced
1 zucchini, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
3 Tbsp lime juice
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 lb aspsaragus spears, trimmed
1 red onion, sliced

Preheat the grill. Combine the cumin, lime juice, cayenne pepper, salt, and chili powder in a bowl and brush this mixture over the onion slices. Microwave them on high for a minute, and then set them to one side. Toss the onions with the rest of the prepared vegetables and the rest of the lime juice mixture.

Leave it to marinate for 30 minutes. Grill the asparagus for 10 minutes, the onion slice for 8 minutes and the bell peppers for 10 minutes. The squash will take about 6 minutes. Heat the tortillas according to the directions on the pack. Spread each tortilla with refried beans, then some of the vegetables and some cheese. Fold them in half and serve hot.

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Cheese Cauliflower Soup

4 T. butter
1 onion peeled/minced
garlic cloves minced
1 large head cauliflower chopped
5 c. chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c. half and half
***We don't have half and half here, so the substitute I used was: 1/2 Tbsp. melted butter, then fill rest of cup with milk.**
1 1/2 C. cheddar cheese
minced fresh parsley

Heat butter in a large pot. Add the onion and garlic, saute slowly about 6 minutes. Add cauliflower and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Puree the soup in a blender (I didn't have a blender, so didn't do this step). Stir in the cheese. Add the 1/2 and 1/2. Continue to stir until cheese melts. Do not let it come to a boil. Adjust seasoning to taste.

We gave this recipe a 7/10. The cheese I used was a little salty, so I should use less cheese. Fresh parsley was good!

Calzone Dough Recipe

1 cup lukewarm water
2 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3 cups flour, plus extra for dusting
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Combine water, yeast salt and sugar, and stir to dissolve. Set aside for 15 minutes, then add flour and mix til smooth. Turn the dough out onto floured work surface, and knead for 10 minutes, adding more flour if necessary. The dough should feel smooth and elastic. Lightly oil a bowl, and place dough inside. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about one hour. Quarter the dough and shape each piece into a ball. Cover and let rise another 15 minutes. Makes enough dough for four calzones.

**Tried this last night, with onions, mushrooms and green peppers in the middle. Dough didn't rise very well because it's so cold inside, but when I put the bowl right next to the space heater, it worked really well. :) Used a store bought sauce, but wasn't very good...next goal: make my own pizza sauce.

Cheesy Corn Casserole

Event: Thanksgiving Celebration, India
Date: 11-29-09

5 tablespoons butter, divided

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, about 4 ounces

4 large eggs

1 can (approx. 15 ounces) cream-style corn

1 can (11 to 15 ounces) Mexican-style corn with peppers, drained

1 tablespoon Dijon or your favorite prepared mustard

1 1/2 cups fresh finely ground bread crumbs, divided

Grease a 2 to 2 1/2-quart baking dish. Heat oven to 325°.

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until onions are just tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in flour until well blended. Stir in salt, pepper, and milk and continue cooking, stirring, until thickened. Stir in cheese until melted.

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs. Stir in cream-style and Mexican-style corn, mustard, and 1 cup of the bread crumbs. Combine the cheese mixture with the corn mixture. Spoon into prepared baking dish.

Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and toss with remaining 1/2 cup of bread crumbs. Sprinkle buttered crumbs over the corn casserole and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until firm in center.
Serves 6 to 8.

One Mean Green Bean Casserole

Served: Thanksgiving Celebration, India
Date: 11-29-09

• 600g green beans- halfed and rinsed
• 700ml milk
• 1 small onion
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 garlic cloves-smashed
• 1 small whole nutmeg
• 45g flour
• 45g butter + 1 tablespoon for the mushrooms
• 240g chestnut mushrooms
• 2 large red onions
• 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Parmesan for sprinkling- Optional

Rinse the green beans well. Place them in a deep pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Blanch them for no more than three minutes. Remove, strain and leave for later. You can do this step well ahead of time and then re-heat the beans in a little water when ready to serve.

As soon as you put the beans on the stove, add the milk to a saucepan with the whole nutmeg, bayleaf, onions and smashed garlic. Bring the milk to a simmer and be sure to keep stirring so that it doesn’t burn. This shouldn’t take more than two to three minutes. Turn off the flame and let it sit to infuse about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove all the ingredients from the milk.

In a well buttered pan, add the mushrooms and cook on high flame for no more than a minute or so. Remove and strain.

Add the butter (45g) in a heavy bottomed sauce pan and let it melt on medium-low flame.

Now add the flour (45g) and using a wooden spoon keep stirring till all is incorporated.

You are going to keep stirring for about 2-3 minutes till the roux starts to froth and most of the flour flavor is cooked off.

Now begin adding the strained warm milk a little at a time. About 1-2 tablespoons to start with and continuously stir.

Switch to a whisk and keep adding the milk slowly, continuously whisking, adding more as the milk is incorporated.

Once you’ve added all the milk, let the sauce cook for a further ten to fifteen minutes on low heat and keep stirring very often. Now, if you wish you can make the sauce a couple of hours ahead of time then you will need to keep it warm in a bain-marie. Add the sauce to a pyrex bowl and place over a pot filled with warm water. The sauce will thicken so just before serving add more warmed milk to it while whisking till desired consistency is reached. Remember to add the milk little by little. You can also cook the roux the night before, keep it in the fridge covered, then follow the rest of the steps about twenty to thirty minutes before serving. Make sure you start with a warmed roux.

Now add salt and freshly ground pepper.

The mushrooms. Be sure to warm them if you’re making this ahead.

Now, drizzle the vegetable oil into a sautee pan and when the oil is hot, add the onion rings. Cook, stirring very often, till they are golden and crispy.

Lather the hot green beans with the bechamel sauce. Sprinkle with some parmesan if you like.

And, then top with the crispy onions. Alternatively and if you are making certain bits ahead of time, you can add all the chilled ingredients in a casserole, add the bechamel sauce and then bake in a pre-heated oven 350F/160C/3G for about 10-15 minutes.

Courtesy Of: www.dirtykitchensecrets.com