Recipe: Easy Butternut Squash Chowder

It’s raining, it’s pouring, it’s great weather for chowder! I got cubed butternut squash from Stop and Shop and it had a recipe for chowder. I LOVE butternut squash soup in any form, so I decided to try making it, but without the milk.

What I Used:

• 1 package cubed butternut squash
• 1/4 cup mild onion (chopped)
• 16 oz can chicken broth
• 16 oz can of cream corn
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• [2 cups milk]

How I Made It:

1. Bring 1 quart water to a boil and then add the squash. Cover and cool until tender.
2. Drain and puree squash.
3. Add all ingredients and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes.
4. [If adding milk, lower temperature first. Boil for 10 minutes after addition.]

My comments: Kids didn’t like it. Husband thought it was too chunky. True, the corn doesn’t help that and my mini food processor didn’t get all the cubes, but I LOVED it. Next time I’ll add ginger.

Recipe: Banana Waffles

I got this recipe from allrecipes.com, but had to modify it based on my own waffle-making experience:

What I Used:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg
• 1 cup 1% milk
• 1 egg
• 2 ripe bananas, sliced
• [I added 2 tablespoons of butter]
• [I added 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar]

How I Made Them:

1. Preheat waffle iron. In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Stir in sugar, butter, milk, and eggs until mixture is smooth.
2. [I added the pureed banana and mixed well.]
3. Spray preheated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour two tablespoons of the waffle batter onto the hot waffle iron. Place two slices of banana on top of the batter and then spoon another two tablespoons of batter on top of the banana. [I did not do this.] Cook until golden brown. Serve hot.

Comments: I let the waffle sit about half a minute longer to ensure thorough cooking. YUM!

Recipe: Ginger Cookies

These came out REALLY good. I don’t remember where I picked up the recipe card, but it’ll be published in the SoNo Baking Company Cookbook. I experimented with some cutters, but they didn’t pan out. I also tried flattening some out with a glass before baking them, but those ended up being too crispy. The best was just making walnut-sized balls to bake.

What I used:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp coarse salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 cup sugar and 3/4 cup sugar to coat cookies
• 3.4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter at room temp
• 1 large egg at room temp
• 1/4 cup unsulfured molasses

How I Made Them:

1. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. Set aside.
2. Beat sugar and butter. (Use medium speed if using electric mixer with a paddle.)
3. Add egg and molasses until combined. (Continue to use medium speed with mixer.)
4. Gradually add flour mixture and beat until well mixed. (Use low speed with mixer.)
5. Transfer dough to clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least an hour (up to 24 hours).
6. Set oven rack in middle position. Preheat oven to 350F.Place sugar for rolling on a plate.
7. Scoop out dough (use rounded tablespoon) and roll into balls between your hands. Roll the balls in sugar to coat.
8. Place prepared balls 2 inches apart on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or non-stick silicone baking mats.
9. Bake for 10 minutes (original recipe recommended 15-20 minutes).
10. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Additional comments: I was worried with the first batch when I watched them bake. The centers bulged. In the end, though, you get cracks on the surfaces (like the ones from the bakery) and they are sure soft and tasty!

Recipe: Choc-Oat-Craisin Cookies

My daughter wanted chocolate chip cookies, but I wanted oatmeal-craisin cookies. I compromised with Nestle’s choc-oat-raisin recipe on the bag using leftover white chocolate chips, a cup of regular chocolate chips, and 2 handfuls of Craisins. The result? Sinfully “healthy” oat-choc-craisin cookies. I wish they were softer, but no one else has expressed this.

Recipe: Easy Pumpkin Cupcakes (Muffins)

Ok, so my cupcakes never really become cupcakes, but at least they were good pumpkin muffins that were moister than the ones I had at a recent family fun fair. The recipe I used was from a blog called MomGrind at http://momgrind.com/2009/10/12/pumpkin-cupcakes/ The only thing I did differently was add a bit of nutmeg and I didn’t make the frosting. Otherwise, I followed the recipe. I think I will be buying cupcakes for my daughter’s birthday party at her preschool.

 

Recipe: Good, Moist Pumpkin Bread

Mads’ old preschool had a baking class once a week and at the end of the year we got a book of all their recipes. I tried Isaac’s Enchanted Pumpkin Bread and it is phenomenal! It’s no wonder that my mother-in-law will always think I am pregnant with my inability to lose weight after consuming all of the goodies that I’m making.

What’s needed:

• 2-3/4 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 16-oz can pumpkin
• 3-1/3 cups flour
• 2 teaspoonsful baking soda
• 1-1/2 teaspoonsful salt
• 1/2 teaspoonful baking powder
• 1 teaspoonful cinnamon

The process:

1. Mix the oil, sugar, and eggs.

2. Add the pumpkin and water.

3. Mix in the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon

4. Bake in two greased loaf pans at 350 degrees for 70 minutes.

My comments: I followed the recipe exactly; I did not skimp on the sugar. I also used two different kinds of pans: a metal one and a glass one. Both were perfect. I can’t wait to make it again and share it.

Recipe: Easy Banana Bread From Scratch

Thanks elise.com for this really simple recipe. Mine came out a little burnt on top, and I had to bake it for 70 minutes because I used a glass loaf pan, but it tasted fine. No hint of burn. Next time I will use my metal loaf pan and also cover the top so it doesn’t brown as much. My daughter ate the whole slice anyway. The best part is that she enjoyed having me be her assistant when we prepared it for baking.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

METHOD

No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4×8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

Recipe: Easy Baked Turkey Ziti

What I used:

• 1 tsp of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter (or less to grease baking pan)
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 jar of pasta sauce (I had baking sauce)
• 1 box of ziti
• 1/2 bag of mozarella cheese
• parmesan cheese

How I made it:

1. Preheat oven at 400 degrees. Grease baking dish or pan.
2. Cook the pasta according to directions on box.
3. In a pan, cook the turkey and chopped onions.
4. Add the sauce to the meat/onion combination. Mix well.
5. When pasta is cooked and drained, layer pasta in dish/pan.
6. Add half pasta sauce and spread across pasta.
7. Sprinkle mozarella and parmesan cheese on top of sauce.
8. Layer the remaining pasta and repeat steps 6 and 7.
9. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then uncover and bake for 10 minutes.

Comments: This is actually something I used to make in college, so I didn’t follow exact measurements. Came out good anyway.

Recipe: Milk Chocolate Oatmeal Craisin Cookies

The original recipe allowed for raisins as an optional ingredient. I chose to add craisins. I don’t care for raisins. I think if you gave me a bowl of Raisin Bran I would still pick out the raisins one by one before I pour the milk into it. Anyway, the instructions also said to bake for 10-15 minutes. I think 8-9 minutes is fine; my cookies came out a little brown, but still so good that the hands (mine included) keep reaching into the cookie jar.

Recipe: Easy Spaghetti Squash and Ground Turkey

Why didn’t I think of it myself? We’ve had it before as a vegetable side dish, but using it in place of pasta is a stroke of genius! The original recipe is from Fine Cooking and uses ground beef and a smaller-sized squash (2 pounds). We like turkey (it was on sale) and I didn’t have the recipe with me, so I ended up with a 4-pound squash. The only other alteration I made was leaving out the water portion at the end. Substituting pasta allows for more servings of bread to be enjoyed. Try the garlic bread recipe, too!

Comments: It was another winner for dinner tonight. I didn’t have a baguette, but I did have slices of Italian bread, which worked fine. Oh, use a really sharp and big knife to open the squash. Let the kids rake the cooked squash to get the spaghetti and watch their eyes open wide in amazement.