Rainbow Chard and Butternut Calzone
I got to jump on a trampoline yesterday.
I felt like a little kid again. Yet, I realized I am far less flexible and agile as I once was. I have memories of summer afternoons in Virginia jumping for hours in the neighborhood. Attempting (and succeeding) at straddle splits and forward flips.
By the way, forward flips were not attempted yesterday. My insurance would probably not cover that. Read the rest of this entry »
Autumn Risotto
Oh! Fall in Seattle. It has been such a beautiful one so far. Much like my familiar home state of Virginia where fall means the leaves change and crunch underneath your feet, and the weather is crispy and you can get by with just wearing a light coat or sweater.
This recipe was inspired by my laziness and lack of grocery shopping last night. I just decided to use up whatever I had in the refrigerator and cupboard. Wow! Did it turn out well. I had been planning it at work all day, cataloging what I had in my stash to cook and create.
I know I say this over and over, but cooking relaxes me from a long day in the ballet studio where frustration and negativity seems to be the ingredients of getting through the day. Somehow, chopping squash and onions just releases all of that tension and helps me to calm down and unwind.
After my dinner, I felt relieved and snuggled in my bed at 9 p.m. with “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” by Barbara Kingsolver. Sounds like a perfect end to the evening! Has anyone else read that? How do you unwind at the end of the day?
Butternut Squash Soup with Fried Sage
Erik and I just got back from Santa Fe on tour with a couple of members of my ballet company. We had a wonderful time, and ate TONS of delicious mexican food. However, I am going to need to go on a mexican cleanse for about a month.
Erik and I also got the opportunity to eat at Cafe Pasqual’s (more on this later). It is a James Beard Award winning restaurant that ironically my Mother had told me about six years ago when she vacationed in Santa Fe. She even bought me a cookbook, but at that time, I was definitely not into cooking. My response was probably, “Thanks Mom”, with one of the plastered grins. But, who knew that she gave me a gift that I would find useful many years later? Now I have the famous Cafe Pasqual’s cookbook, and I plan to make many recipes from it now that I have been exposed to the restaurant.
But, enough of Santa Fe. Yesterday was my first day back at work. Fall is in the air in Seattle, and I was just craving butternut squash soup. I made this recipe up as I went along, and it turned out spectacular. I can definitely see it for a first course of an elegant fall dinner.
Texas Beef Brisket Chili
Last week I had one of those days where I came home from work at 2:00 in the afternoon ( I love my job!) and just needed to cook. There was a plethora of ballet drama, I was feeling sorry for myself, and I just felt the desire to chop onions and garlic, and cook for hours. At least I could justify the tears on the onions.
I also, conveniently in the same afternoon, was given a beautiful bottle of wine from one of my co-workers, Dante. He works at a winery in Newberg, Oregon called “Sineann” and wanted me to try “the worst wine they produce” called Abondante. I can’t wait to try the best wine, because this was delicious! It was a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Zinfandel, Grenache, and Merlot. It was hearty, and full-bodied, my favorite way to drink wine. While cooking, I drank the whole bottle. Like I said, it was a bad day.
So, I whipped out my Bon Appetit from October 2008 and decided to make the slowest meal that I could find. Luckily, it was conveniently on the cover of the magazine. The recipe intrigued me because it was a chili without beans. I usually make a 3 bean chili with NO meat. This was the exact opposite.
I had so much fun assembling all of the different ingredients. I even made a creamy pecorino polenta to serve on the bottom of the chili so that each time you took a bite, you got a little of a corn-cheese flavor. It was over the top, and just what the doctor ordered. My soul felt much better when I woke up the next morning. I can’t say that much for my head…..
Blue Cheese Onion Butternut Frittata
I love having breakfast for dinner! This meal is more of a method than a recipe. You can use any cheese, any vegetable, any meat, but cook it the same way, and it will turn out wonderfully. Frittatas are meant to clean out your refrigerator. The only ingredients I had to buy for this dinner were the squash and the bread. Everything else, I had! I want to thank Donna Hay again for her creative inspiration for this dish in her cookbook “the instant cook”. This meal is fun to eat, and delicious! Enjoy.
Goat Cheese and Butternut Pizza
It is Sunday, so generally I like to purge my refrigerator of all the various and assorted ingredients I have collected over the week. This pizza is the product of those leftover ingredients. All I had to buy was the dough!
I know it seems weird, but this pizza is so good. The goat cheese changes its flavor when it is warm, and the crispy prosciutto complements the softness of the roasted squash.
Also, if I cannot convince you about the taste, this pizza is incredibly healthy (I know it seems ironic). Goat cheese is lower in fat, calories, and cholesterol in comparison to a cow’s milk cheese. It is also easier to digest. Butternut Squash also has loads of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Fiber. The prosciutto on this pizza is also lower in fat and calories than a more common pizza topping such as pepperoni or sausage. So gorge away! It is guiltless pizza.
Thai Red Beef Curry
Okay! I have to admit, that I think I am becoming obsessed with Donna Hay. I received two more of her cookbooks for Christmas this year (that makes 4), and I am in culinary heaven. I love her cookbooks, because the food is not only delicious, but it has a gorgeous mouth-watering pictures for EVERY recipe. That is rare!
Also, I have the desire, unlike most cookbooks, to try each recipe.
Donna Hay is considering a food mogul in her native Australia. Because of her location, she is heavily influenced by Thai cuisine (which I love because I am sick of eating that same things at Thai restaurants). I may not have ordered this dish on a Thai menu, but it looked beautiful in my “Modern Classics 1” cookbook.
Butternut Squash Ravioli
I created this meal about two weeks ago when I had my mother over for dinner. It requires a little bit of effort, but it is well worth it! I have posted a video on how to make the ravioli, rather than trying to explain it in words. Also, if you do not want to make your own ravioli, they have a wide selection of pre-made butternut squash ravioli in the stores now. But don’t cheat:)
Ginger Beef with Butternut Squash Salad
I got this recipe out of a cookbook that I got for my birthday, from my girlfriend Lindsi. It is another “Donna Hay” recipe that I have tweaked and recreated. It sounds odd, but the flavors are great! It also only takes about 40 minutes to make (most of which is marinating and roasting). You could also use an orange sweet potato in place of the butternut squash.
Fall Vegetable Chicken Paella
Paella is a dish that originated in Spain. However, this recipe uses ingredients that you would not usually see in a traditional Paella dish. Don’t skimp on adding the saffron threads. The threads seem expensive, but they will last a long time, and you don’t need much of the saffron to give the Paella it’s unique flavor.
