Downton Abbey eats (and yes I'm alive)

Whoa -- I can't believe my last post was in August and looking back, the topic is ironic. Soon after I wrote that, I got a call to interview for a job position back in my old Birmingham stomping grounds. And guess what! I got the job and started a few months ago at FOX6 News.

My official title is Community Web Producer which means I blog for 27 neighborhood websites, process video and write stories for my main news site, and take care of the station's social network.

But I'm ready to get back into it, even if it's a little soft. Spending all day online and writing takes a lot outta ya, so it's taken me a while to get settled into the new routine in addition to returning to B'ham.

Now for the good stuff! A small group of friends and I are in love with Downton Abbey and get together each Sunday for a viewing party. And being the food lovers we are, we have to have something to nibble on.

Grilled Lemon-Rosemary Chicken

Time has just slipped by this week and I almost forgot to post this week's recipe! Again, since it's a holiday weekend, I wanted to share this early so we can all enjoy the long weekend.

I really love this recipe because of the fresh lemon and herbs. It's amazing how much more flavor these ingredients give to the chicken, and it's totally worth the time.

The chicken can marinate for as little as 30 minutes, which fits my needs for a quick dinner perfectly. You can pair just about any vegetable, grilled or otherwise, with the chicken.

If you haven't already decided on a Fourth of July menu, I would highly recommend this because it means less time cooking and more time with loved ones.

I hope you all have a great weekend and a very Happy Fourth of July!

Grilled Lemon-Rosemary Chicken (Serves 4)
1 lemon, zested
Juice from the lemon
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced OR 2 tsp. bottled minced garlic
2 sprigs fresh rosemary (about 1 Tbsp.), roughly chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper 
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
 

1. Combine the first 7 ingredients in a gallon-sized plastic bag.

2. Place chicken breasts in the bag; seal and move the chicken around so the marinade coats it well.

3. Marinade for 30 minutes, but no more than an hour.

4. Preheat your grill to medium. Take the chicken from the bag, discarding the marinade. Grill the chicken about 6 minutes each side.

Sun-Dried Tomato Sausage & Peppers

One of my favorite go-to dinners is chicken sausage. There are many flavors available inspired by Italian, Latin, and American cooking so I'm never bored. And these are often pre-cooked which makes for a super easy supper. This kind of sausage is great all year and you can warm these up in a pan or on the grill in about ten minutes.

Different flavors also mean you can pair the sausages with all kinds of veggies, pasta and grains. I decided to pair this particular sausage with fresh sweet bell peppers and tomatoes. Fresh herbs and garlic really help bring the sausage and veggies together.

Family Recipe: Turkey Burgers

Since this Sunday is Father's Day and I will have a busy weekend, I've decided to move up my weekly recipe. And if you'll allow my somewhat biased opinion, I think these turkey burgers would be a great Father's Day meal. 

They are super easy to prepare, but make sure you chill the formed patties in the fridge before putting them on the grill. They tend to come apart otherwise.

These burgers have become a dinner staple in my house and I hope you enjoy them as much as we do. And a very relaxing, Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!

Turkey Burgers (makes 5-6 patties depending on your preference)
1 package ground turkey*
1 cup plain bread crumbs or plain panko 
1 egg white
1 can low-sodium chopped green chiles (if you can find Hatch, those are the best!)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ancho chile powder
1/4 tsp. roasted ground cumin
*My grocery store often packages the ground turkey between 1 lb. and 1.4 lbs. Anything in that range is fine for this recipe.

1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Use your hands to combine well.

2. Form the mixture into 5-6 patties. Chill in the fridge for 15-20 to keep them from falling apart during cooking.

3. You can cook these in a pan over medium-high heat, cooking 5 minutes each side; or on the grill over medium heat for 6 minutes on each side; or on a Foreman Grill. Serve on a hamburger bun with you favorite toppings.

Optional garnishes: salsa, sour cream, fresh cilantro, grilled onions and peppers.

Family Recipe: Butterscotch Pie

This is a butterscoth pie that I made with the help of my grandmother. This is a pie that she used to make for my grandfather's birthday, and also one that she hadn't eaten in a long time so there was an even greater pleasure in learning how to make it.

My grandfather passed away earlier this year, so knowing how to make this pie is very special to me. He loved to cook and was very good at it, though he had an maybe an odd sense of what was tasty. Think salmon loaf. But then on another day he might make an incredibly flavorful and tender beef stew with potatoes, carrots and onions.

The pie is fairly easy to make. The real work comes in making the filling; it takes patience to not burn or curdle it. It's technically a pudding so if you've never made one before, this is a great recipe to start with because it's so basic (and I hope I've made the directions clear enough!). Also, if you aren't interested in making the meringue, whipped cream will do just fine.

I do want to point out that this flavor is real butterscotch; that is, the flavor is derived from butter and brown sugar. This will not resemble butterscotch syrup, chips or Jell-O pudding. I find it more enjoyable because it isn't nearly as sweet.

It occurs to me as I write this post that you could try adding butterscotch chips when you add the vanilla (Step 7). If anyone tries this before I do, let me know how it turns out!

Butterscotch Pie (Serves about 8)

1 9-inch refrigerated piecrust, baked according to package

3 egg yolks (reserve whites for meringue, if desired)

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 cup light brown sugar

3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 cup milk (use anything but skim)

1/4 tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. water

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Meringue:

3 egg whites

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

1/8 tsp. salt

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Bake your piecrust according to the package directions. Let it cool completely while you make the filling. Tip: Don't forget to poke the crust with a fork at 1-inch intervals along the sides and bottom.

2. Separate egg whites from yolks into a small bowl. Beat yolks gently, just enough to break them and mix. Reserve egg whites if you desire to make the meringue. Tip: Cold eggs separate more easily; once separated, let them come to room temperature for the meringue.

3. Cut sugar and butter together in a separate bowl. Add flour to sugar mix and combine well.

4. Add sugar mix to yolks and mix well. At this point it will still be pretty dry.

5. In a small saucepan, combine milk, salt, and water. Warm the mixture over med-high heat until it just starts to bubble. Add sugar mix and whisk until dissolved.

6. Continue whisking until mixture thickens, about 20-25 minutes. You're looking for a thick, pudding-like consistency.

7. Take mixture off the heat and mix in vanilla. Cover with a towel while you prepare the meringue. (If you're skipping the meringue, let it cool completely before filling the piecrust and storing in the fridge. You want to chill it for several hours to let the custard set before serving.)

8. Set your oven to 350 degrees.

9. In a deep, metal bowl beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt on high speed with a hand or stand mixer until very foamy.

10. Add 1 Tablespoon of sugar at a time every 30 seconds to the egg whites. Continue beating until meringue has stiff, glossy peaks. When you check the meringue, the peaks should hold stand straight.

11. Add vanilla and beat into the whites. Make sure you still have stiff peaks.

11. Spoon custard into piecrust and smooth -- be careful as it will still be warm. Spoon meringue on top of pie filling and use a spatula to spread evenly over the pie.

12. Bake pie 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees until meringue is golden brown.

13. Let cool completely on a rack before serving. You can store in the fridge for a couple of days, covered with plastic wrap.

Back to Birmingham

Last weekend I visited a group of friends remaining in Birmingham after our fellowship with Time Inc. ended. I hadn't returned since moving out in December and it was a wonderful feeling to return to my 2010 home.

The first place I stopped was at Olexa's to have lunch with two of my friends. Diane Olexa, the owner, started her business as a wedding cake caterer. Olexa's is still famous for its buttercreme cake but their cafe offers really great lunch food.

FR: Panko-Crusted Tilapia with Dill Sauce

This week is I wanted to share a fish recipe that's great for any time of the year but especially now during these hot summer days. Paired with fresh veggies and fruit, this makes a satisfying and light meal.

I like mixing Cajun seasoning with the panko to give the fish a kick and the dill sauce cools it all down. If you don't like Cajun seasoning, I would recommend adding some pepper and salt to add flavor to the panko. 

Monday Treat: Rhubarb Crisp

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp from MyRecipes.com. Delicious sweet-tart flavor, cinnamon-y granola topping paired with vanilla ice cream. Oh, and it's super easy to make. 

Fresh rhubarb starts showing up in grocery stores in late April/early May and having some in the house is the perfect excuse to make a crisp or pie. Some chains will even carry frozen rhubarb. Just make sure to trim away any green parts and leaves because they are poisonous. We used a vanilla granola from Whole Foods to add extra flavor and it definitely made a difference!

FR: Brownies Made Better

I'm heading back to Birmingham this weekend to visit my Southern Progress friends, one of which is letting me crash on her couch. She's a food stylist and recipe developer (among other things) so I was a little worried about what to get her as a thank you.

Then I calmed down and realized I could bake her a treat. I chose Bea's Brownies, which are named after my great-great aunt. These brownies include two delicious layers; Hershey's syrup and lots of eggs make the brownie layer cake-moist and the frosting is basically an old-fashioned fudge (butter, sugar, milk and chocolate chips) that sets quickly and melts in your mouth.

Oh, man, just writing about them makes me want to run downstairs and cut a huge piece for myself! Must resist...

Yum...Coconut Cream Pie

Okay, this getting-back-into-blogging-after-personal-trauma thing has been a lot harder than I thought it would be. Luckily over Easter I had the chance to engage in some therapeutic (that's a hard word to spell!) baking. I give you an excellent coconut cream pie, above.

The filling is creamy and thick without being overly sweet and there's just enough shredded coconut in there to create a nice texture. I decided to top the pie with meringue, which is something that I recently learned how to make thanks to my grandma.

I will post the procedure that I followed in making this particular pie, but I'd like to note that I cobbled this recipe together from a pie recipe on allrecipes.com and a meringue recipe from Sunset magazine.

You can skip the meringue and substitute whipped cream. But, if you've never made meringue, you should definitely try it! Sunset's directions are clear and easy and it's totally worth trying.

If you'd like some more information on making meringues, these websites are helpful:

http://whatscookingamerica.net/Eggs/perfectmeringue.htm
http://www.ehow.com/how_5637775_keep-meringue-pie-topping-weeping.html (also check out the sidebar articles)

Coconut Cream Pie with Meringue Topping (Serves 8-10)
1 (9-inch) refrigerated pie crust
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups milk
1 cup coconut milk
4 eggs
3 Tbsp. butter
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
Meringue:
3 egg whites (reserved from above)
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/8 tsp. salt

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Press pie crust into a 9-inch pie plate and use a fork to poke holes at a 1-inch interval around the bottom and sides of the crust. Bake for 9 minutes until just golden brown. Let cool completely while you're making the rest of the pie.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, flour and salt over med-high heat. Slowly add milk to the mixture, stirring well after each bit to keep the sugar-flour mix from lumping up. Once you've added the milk, add the coconut milk and mix well.

3. Whisking constantly, cook the milk-sugar mixture until it thickens and starts bubbling, about 15-20 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook 2 more minutes. Remove pan from heat.

4. Separate egg yolks from whites. Save 3 egg whites for meringue, letting them come to room temperature. 

5. In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks lightly. While whisking the eggs, add a large spoonful of the milk-sugar mixture. This will temper the eggs. Add about a total of 1 cup of the hot mixture to the eggs; return the tempered egg mixture to the rest of the milk-sugar mixture.

6. Put the saucepan back over med-high heat and whisk until it bubbles gently. Cook 2 more minutes; remove pan from heat.

7. Stir butter, vanilla, and shredded coconut into the mixture. Cover to keep warm while you make the meringue.

8. Lower your oven to 325 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cornstarch.

9. In a glass or metal bowl, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt until the whites are very foamy.

10. Continue beating the eggs and add the sugar mixture, 1 Tbsp. at a time every 30 seconds. Continue beating until whites hold stiff, glossy peaks. You can test this by stopping the mixer and dipping the beaters into the meringue. You're good to go if the resulting peaks stay upright.

11. Use a spatula to fill the cooled pie shell with the coconut custard. Then spread the meringue over the top of the custard and smooth it all the way to the edges of the crust.

12. Bake the pie at 325 degrees 15-20 minutes until the meringue is lightly browned.

13. Let the pie cool completely on a rack. Slice and enjoy!

You can cover and refrigerate for a few days. The meringue may weep a little on the top but it won't damage the pie at all. 

Cooking Light Dinner Inspiration

I was browsing through the Jan/Feb issue of the Cooking Light for some dinner inspiration and happened upon this recipe for Poached Halibut with Lemon-Herb Sauce.

This one will definitely go on our rotation. I adjusted it slightly from the original recipe but the citrus and herbs had a really wonderful flavor. There is one seeded jalapeño in the sauce, but if you like spicy foods I'd recommend adding one more.

Sauteed Mahi Mahi Steaks with Lemon-Herb Sauce (adapted from the above Cooking Light recipe) Serves 4
3 tsp. olive oil
1 chopped seeded jalapeño, seeded and cored
1 Tbsp. grated lemon rind
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 one large lemon)
4 tsp. chopped fresh cilantro
4 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
3 lemon sections, chopped
2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 green onions, coarsely chopped
1 parsley sprig
1 cilantro sprig
4 mahi mahi steaks

1. Mix first 8 ingredients together in a bowl.

2. In a non-stick pan, heat 2 tsp. olive oil. Add the green onions, parsley and cilantro sprigs and let them infuse the oil. Sprinkle the mahi mahi steaks with salt and pepper. Cook about 5 minutes each side or until fish flakes easily.

3. Serve steaks with the sauce.

FR: Carrot-Spinach Casserole

This week's Family Recipe is a delicious and rich Carrot-Spinach Casserole. Layers of rich green spinach, sweet carrots and onions, and a rich cheese sauce are topped with plain bread crumbs and baked until bubbly.

This was one of my grandma's go-to sides during the holidays, and after tasting all those layers together, I have to agree that the only time I'd serve this decadent side is Christmas. I was able to put this together in about an hour total, and this would be easy to assemble a day ahead and bake just before serving. If you do this, cover with aluminum foil, refrigerate, and uncover to bake.

Carrot-Spinach Casserole (Serves 6-8)
1 1/2 cups fresh carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (10-ounce) package frozen leaf spinach
3 Tbsp. margarine
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Ground black pepper to taste
1/3 cup plain bread crumbs or panko

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cook spinach according to package directions. Drain well.

3. Put carrots and onions in a medium-sized pan on medium-high heat. Cover with water and cook until the veggies are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Take off heat and drain any excess water.

4. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add flour, tablespoon by tablespoon, whisking well after each one.

5. Slowly add milk, whisking well to avoid lumps. Whisk in salt.

6. Whisk constantly until thick, about 20 minutes.

7. Take off heat and whisk in cheddar cheese. Add black pepper to taste.

8. In a greased 1-quart casserole dish, layer half of the spinach, half the carrots and onions, and half the cheese sauce. Repeat layers and top with bread crumbs.

9. Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees or until bubbly.

Family Recipe: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

 

My dad and I have been on a cookie binge this month, and so far we've been eating through our stash of ready to bake cookies. This week I decided that instead of baking another just okay batch of cookies, I would make some homemade goodies.

I pulled this recipe out of my grandparents' recipe box and after a little tweaking, I suddenly had five dozen super-moist cookies flavored with spices and chock full of plump, sweet raisins. Yum!

Family Recipe: Italian Sausage Soup

For those that cook regularly, soup is the perfect easy meal. With one pot and about an hour, you can create a satisfying and (usually) healthy meal. This recipe is very popular in my house because it has really great flavor without being high in fat, salt, or carbs.

It's been adapted from a very good Cooking Light recipe. To try and manage the carbs and sodium we eat, I've taken out the pasta and canned Italian-seasoned tomatoes from the original recipe and substituted fresh tomatoes and white beans.

Italian sausage provides plenty of flavor and if you use the hot style, a nice hit of spiciness. As a result, the only other seasoning we add is Italian seasoning blend.

Italian Sausage Soup Revised  (6-8 servings)

16 ounces hot or sweet turkey Italian sausage*
1 teaspoon minced garlic, fresh or jarred
2 pints grape tomatoes, cut into eighths
1 can Great Northern beans, drained
1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 bag of baby spinach leaves (you can add the whole bag if you like)
1 cup loosley packed fresh basil (you can put in whole or roughly chop the basil)
Olive oil
Garnish: shredded Parmesan or Romano cheese
*You can also do half sweet sausage and half hot sausage. For the batch I photographed, I used Publix brand hot Italian sausage and Johnsonville brand Sweet Italian Sausage with Sweet Basil.

1. Heat a soup pot over med-high heat. Add about a tablespoon of olive oil to the pot. Using a small knife, open the casing on the sausage links and remove the filling. Brown sausage in the soup pot, breaking it into crumbles as it cooks.

2. Drain fat from the meat. Tip: I find that a lot of fat still remains on the sausage even when you let it drain for a while. Rinse the meat with cold water and you will remove even more.

3. Saute the garlic for one minute in the soup pot. Add the tomatoes. Let them cook down for about 6 minutes until they start to soften.

4. Add the meat, chicken broth, beans, and Italian Seasoning. Stir to blend.

5. Bring soup to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer. Simmer for 20-30 minutes to let tomatoes break down a little more and let the flavors blend.

6. A few minutes before serving, add the spinach and basil. Mix into the soup and let the greens wilt for a minute or two and serve with Parmesan or Romano cheese, if desired.

Family Recipe: Stuffed Cabbage

I came across this recipe in my Haverly Family Recipes cookbook (my paternal grandma's family) and immediately my stomach growled! What a perfect meal for a cold winter day -- seasoned meat rolled in cabbage, baked and covered in a cream sauce.

Okay, I skipped the cream sauce for tomato basil, but I kept the rest of the recipe close to the original. 

Thinking about this recipe also brought back memories of my time in Romania. When we stayed with some families in a small village, my first meal with my host family was Hungarian-style stuffed cabbage in a pink sauce. 

I can't help but remember how satisfying and delicious that meal was, so I had high hopes for my own version of the dish. Since there were only four rolls left out of fourteen, I would call this one a success. 

W is for...

Whipping cream that I used to make this bread pudding. Delicious!

Family Recipe: Chicken Fajitas

  
Latin and Latin-inspired foods are probably the most popular in our family dinner rotation because they are flavorful, filling, and with a little planning, healthy. 

One of our quick dinners is to make tortilla-less chicken fajitas and veggies. We have a Foreman Grill that we like to cook the chicken on but you could easily cook the breasts in a non-stick skillet (six minutes each side). Cook the veggies first, cover to keep warm, and then cook the chicken.

Chicken Fajitas with Chili-Lime Marinade 
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons and 3/4 teaspoon red wine vinegar
Juice from 1 1/2 limes
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
cayenne pepper to taste (start with 1/4 teaspoon and taste if you're unsure)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 large onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 large green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 teaspoon 365 brand Southwestern Grille Seasoning (from Whole Foods)
OR for lower sodium:
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (add more if you like heat)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, and lime juice. Add seasonings through salt and pepper and mix.

Place the chicken breasts in a large plastic zip top bag. Pour marinade* over the chicken. Make sure all of the air is out of the bag and seal up. Move the chicken around to ensure the marinade is covering all parts of the chicken. Let marinade one hour to overnight.

Toss the veggies in either the Southwestern Grille Seasoning or ground red pepper and cumin mixture.  

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. While you get the onions going, preheat the Foreman grill. Cook the onions until soft, but crisp.  Remove from the pan and cover with foil to keep warm. 

Place chicken onto the grill. Discard the marinade. Cook for 6 minutes.

While chicken is cooking, throw the peppers in the same pan you used to cook the onions. Cook until crisp-tender (chicken and peppers will be done about the same time.)

Place on a plate and let the chicken rest for a minute or two before slicing into strips and serving with the veggies.

 *This marinade is from a recipe posted allrecipes.com and adapted for this recipe.

Family Recipe: Ham and Bean Soup

For me, there's little better in life than sitting down with loved ones and eating a home-cooked meal; or, if that's not possible, cooking and eating the dishes that evoke memories of family and the time spent with them. Every Sunday I'll publish a post of one of these dishes. The Family Recipe posts will include a variety of classic family favorites and also some others that we have in our regular rotation. I'll share some recipes in their original form, and tweak some for taste or health reasons.

According to rumors I hear each Christmas, some brave people eat turkey or goose for Christmas Day dinner. I really can't imagine dealing with another fowl during the holiday season. Pass!

At my house, we serve ham. This means that one of us (in the past few years, it's been myself or my brother Ben) makes a treacherous journey to our local HoneyBaked Ham. Laugh all you want, but this location is in the heart of one of the major shopping centers in eastern Cobb County, which is rife with incompetent drivers and bloodthirsty shoppers.

Ready to eat and sugary-spicy delicious, HoneyBaked is a perfect solution for our family on Christmas Day. And, of course, there are plenty of leftovers. After we've tired of eating it with other Christmas feast leftovers or in sandwiches, I know it's time to bring out the soup pot for Ham and Bean Soup.

Connoisseurs of this dish know that there are as many recipes for this soup as there are for stuffing. Ours is very simple and was perfected by my grandfather, Russ Britzius. The star of this soup is the broth, and the majority of its flavor comes from the ham bone. If there's ham left, we throw that in too, and Great Northern beans round out the dish. I like to serve this with cornbread muffins and citrus for a fruit.

Ham and Bean Soup

1 ham bone (leave any leftover ham on the bone. We usually end up with 2 cups leftover ham, but you can add more or less)
OR
2 ham hocks
2 cups cubed cooked whole ham (not deli ham)
10 cups water
1 chopped onion
4 cans great Northern beans (or really any similar sized white bean)

Clean the meat and bone of fat.

Place ham bone or hocks in a large soup pot.


Add water. Turn burner to high heat to get the water boiling; once it boils, lower heat until the water is simmering.

Simmer for 2 1/2 - 3 hours, until majority of the ham falls off the bone and is tender. Follow the same cooking time for the hocks.


Take pot off the heat. Take out the bone or hocks. Pull any remaining meat from the bone; place in a bowl and then discard the bone/hocks.

Strain the liquid to discard any remaining pieces of fat.

Place the liquid and meat back into the soup pot. Add the chopped onion, beans. If you've used hocks, go ahead and place your cubed ham in the pot.

Bring the soup to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer and let it go for another hour.


This soup is wonderful served immediately. You can also let it cool, place in air-tight plastic containers, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, any remaining fat will form on the top of the soup; skim off. Note that this broth will turn gelatinous when refrigerated.

Baked Fruit: Dessert and Air Freshener

The other night I was jonesin' for something sweet to eat, but I didn't have anything immediately on hand. Upon inspection of my kitchen, I realized that there were two pears and an apple sitting all by their lonesome in my fruit basket.

And now that it's fall you know what that means -- baked fruit deliciousness! Pears baked up very similarly to apples -- they sugar and fruit juice create a lovely sweet syrup and the fruit softens and sweetens as it bakes.

To prepare the fruit, I cut them all in half, scooped out the cores, and sprinkled them with ground ginger, ground cinnamon, and 2 1/2 teaspoons of brown sugar (approximate). You can adjust the spices to your taste, and you can also sub the sugar for honey. I baked them for 40 at 350 degrees.


I always know when they're done because suddenly I'll get a nose full of sweet fruit and spices. I sometimes add a little dollop of Cool Whip, or if you want to have a really good dessert, serve the fruit with some vanilla ice cream.

Fall in a Soup Bowl

Butternut squash soup is one of my favorite fall dishes, and it's always a pleasure to grab a bowl at a restaurant. I've always thought about making my own, but I usually go for chilis or bean and meat soups. And, to be truthful, I've been a little unsure of (okay, a little lazy too) dealing with squash.

But recently I had the opportunity to take home a nice squash after we used one in a photo shoot. It was just the right size to use for this soup recipe from Cooking Light. I settled on this savory version so I could pair it with chicken, sandwiches or salads.


After doing a little research in my cookbooks and online, I cut the squash in half first before peeling it. I unearthed a vegetable peeler I didn't know I had and got a peelin'. The contrast between the beige skin and bright orange flesh was very striking.


I simmered the squash, carrots, onion, and chicken stock for some time before throwing it in the blender and pureeing it.

I was a little worried when I tasted it initially, as the dominant flavor was carrot. I mixed it up and popped it in the fridge and hoped the flavors would blend better overnight.


I'm happy to report that all of the flavors melded after a day in the fridge and I've been happily sipping my soup. This recipe is actually pretty plain (the only seasoning is a little salt and the stock) so each time I've had a bowl I've added a different mix of spices such as black pepper, ground ginger, curry powder, and cinnamon. Now that I know how easy (and affordable) making squash soup is, I will definitely prepare this again.