This soup was delicious. I was really surprised because I think of squash as a little bland if you don't season it up and there wasn't much seasoning other than salt, pepper and ginger in this. I think the combination of the spices with the apple juice and broth and an entire onion is what made it so good. It turned out to be a rich and creamy bisque, not different than baked potato soup, but it definitely had a kick to it from the ginger I think. I did use powdered ginger due to the lack of having any fresh, but I think next time I will try fresh to see if the taste changes a bit. My children didn't care for it, but I think because they generally don't like squash and just didn't want to really try it. At first my three-year old said it was "yummy" but I will warn you, this soup is not good cold so eat it while it's hot!
I recommend eating this with a baguette or some cheese toast, it is a really good dipping soup. Crackers I don't think would do it justice, must be bread. I will surely make this one again, as my husband and I loved it. Thanks to Woman's Day magazine for this great recipe!
Friday, December 17, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Butternut Squash Soup
I found this recipe in a Woman's Day magazine and thought it sounded interesting and good. Maybe you will think the same.
2. Add butternut squash, ginger, chicken broth, cider, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until vegetables are very soft. Let cool for 5 minutes.
3. Heat broiler for Gruyère Toasts. Process soup in very small batches in a blender or food processor until smooth (alternately, use an immersion blender to purée). Return soup to pot and add cream. Season with salt to taste. Warm over low heat, if necessary.
4. Meanwhile, place baguette slices on foil-lined baking sheet. Broil 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Take toasts out of oven, turn over and sprinkle each slice with some Gruyère. Broil 2 to 3 minutes until cheese is bubbly and melted. Serve with soup.
Note: I didn't have any fresh ginger, so instead I used a 1/4 teaspoon of ginger powder.
Recipe Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 large Gala apples, peeled, cored and chopped
- 3 lb butternut squash, peeled and cubed (8 cups)
- 1 1⁄2-in. piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
- 1 box (32 oz) chicken broth
- 1 cup apple cider or juice
- 1⁄2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
- 1⁄4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1⁄2 cup heavy cream
- Gruyère Toasts
- 16 slices (1⁄2-in. thick) baguette
- 2 oz Gruyère cheese, finely shredded
Recipe Preparation
1. Melt butter in a 5-qt pot over medium-high heat. Stir in onion and apples; sauté 5 minutes or until onion is translucent.2. Add butternut squash, ginger, chicken broth, cider, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until vegetables are very soft. Let cool for 5 minutes.
3. Heat broiler for Gruyère Toasts. Process soup in very small batches in a blender or food processor until smooth (alternately, use an immersion blender to purée). Return soup to pot and add cream. Season with salt to taste. Warm over low heat, if necessary.
4. Meanwhile, place baguette slices on foil-lined baking sheet. Broil 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Take toasts out of oven, turn over and sprinkle each slice with some Gruyère. Broil 2 to 3 minutes until cheese is bubbly and melted. Serve with soup.
Note: I didn't have any fresh ginger, so instead I used a 1/4 teaspoon of ginger powder.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Beef Tamale Pie
I am sure I am not the first person to make up a tamale pie recipe, and I have even seen similar recipes in books and supermarket lines, however this is the recipe my kids approve of 100%.
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef (chicken, venison, turkey may be substituted)
1 box jiffy corn muffin mix
1 can sweet corn
1 package McCormick Taco Seasoning - mild
1 8oz. package of Mexican shredded cheese
Directions:
Cook ground beef on stove until done and strain. Follow directions on taco season packet and add 3/4 cup of water to meat with seasoning. Drain corn and add to meat and let simmer about 10 minutes. Pour meat into square brownie pan.
Mix up cornbread in a bowl and follow the ingredients on the box. Sprinkle half the package of cheese on top of the meat/corn mix in pan, then pour the cornbread mix on top and spread to the edges. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the cornbread. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 min.
Top with sour cream if desire; serve with Spanish rice, black beans and chips and salsa.
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef (chicken, venison, turkey may be substituted)
1 box jiffy corn muffin mix
1 can sweet corn
1 package McCormick Taco Seasoning - mild
1 8oz. package of Mexican shredded cheese
Directions:
Cook ground beef on stove until done and strain. Follow directions on taco season packet and add 3/4 cup of water to meat with seasoning. Drain corn and add to meat and let simmer about 10 minutes. Pour meat into square brownie pan.
Mix up cornbread in a bowl and follow the ingredients on the box. Sprinkle half the package of cheese on top of the meat/corn mix in pan, then pour the cornbread mix on top and spread to the edges. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the cornbread. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 min.
Top with sour cream if desire; serve with Spanish rice, black beans and chips and salsa.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Campfire Apple Cobbler Review
Review:
I made this as a potluck dish when I had never made it before which I do not recommend, but in this case, it was great so feel free to take this dish to any potluck, first time or not, because I don't think you can mess this one up gals!
The cobbler was very cake-like rather than the traditional cobbler made with pie crust. I like that the fruit is on the bottom like a surprise because when you look at the top of this cake in the dutch oven, you cannot tell there is anything under the cake. You can substitute my apple mix for any pie filling you like and it will work. The cream soda really gave the cake a rich vanilla flavor and kept it very moist even though you must bake it about 45 minutes or it won't be done in the center. This would be a great dessert for camping or a small family gathering with few ingredients and very little prep. time. I give this recipe a thumbs up!
I made this as a potluck dish when I had never made it before which I do not recommend, but in this case, it was great so feel free to take this dish to any potluck, first time or not, because I don't think you can mess this one up gals!
The cobbler was very cake-like rather than the traditional cobbler made with pie crust. I like that the fruit is on the bottom like a surprise because when you look at the top of this cake in the dutch oven, you cannot tell there is anything under the cake. You can substitute my apple mix for any pie filling you like and it will work. The cream soda really gave the cake a rich vanilla flavor and kept it very moist even though you must bake it about 45 minutes or it won't be done in the center. This would be a great dessert for camping or a small family gathering with few ingredients and very little prep. time. I give this recipe a thumbs up!
Review of homemade Double Decker Tacos
The double decker taco recipe I shared with you in August I neglected to review, even though it was my very first recipe blog! Don't worry, I have already grounded myself from chocolate for a week!
Review:
Husband Denny - These are much better than Taco Bell makes and you can make them healthier at home with Romain lettuce like we use and lots of veggies.
Daughter Katie - I like the meat filling mom made, but am not a fan of refried beans therefore I am not a huge fan of this recipe. I ended up making soft tacos for myself and they were delicious!
Daughter Ally - I loved it. Mommy cooks yummy food.
Little ol' me - making this meat in the crockpot saved me some time which is always appreciated by a working mother. I liked that I could recreate something we love at a fast food place and make it my own and healthier too. This recipe gets thumbs up from me!
Review:
Husband Denny - These are much better than Taco Bell makes and you can make them healthier at home with Romain lettuce like we use and lots of veggies.
Daughter Katie - I like the meat filling mom made, but am not a fan of refried beans therefore I am not a huge fan of this recipe. I ended up making soft tacos for myself and they were delicious!
Daughter Ally - I loved it. Mommy cooks yummy food.
Little ol' me - making this meat in the crockpot saved me some time which is always appreciated by a working mother. I liked that I could recreate something we love at a fast food place and make it my own and healthier too. This recipe gets thumbs up from me!
Experimental Camping Apple Cobbler
It's been a while since my first entry and I do apologize, but I am a busy lady! Today I am going to give you a recipe for a delicious apple cobbler that you can make virtually ANYWHERE, including over a campfire.
This past weekend we went camping with our church congregation at the lake and on Saturday night we had a huge potluck dinner. I prepared two dishes that I had never made before, which some would say is risky business. I made campfire bread and apple cobbler. Today I am going to share the recipe with you for the apple cobbler. This recipe is not my own, I actually found it on a great website for campfire cooking. You will need a dutch oven to bake the cobbler in.
Ingredients:
2 Box white cake mix
2 cans of cream soda
1/2 cup of butter (melted)
1/2 cup of brown sugar
5 medium Jonathan apples (peeled and cut into wedges)
2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 Tbs. Flour
Directions:
Peel and cut up your apples first. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, cinnamon, apples, butter and flour together. Pour the apple mixture in the bottom of a dutch oven. In a large mixing bowl, combine both cake mixes and both cans of cream soda and mix until smooth. Pour the cake mixture over the apple mixture put the lid on and cook over a fire for 45 minutes or until it no longer jiggles.
This cobbler is very sweet and more of a cake than a pie as far as the crust goes, but it is delicious and super easy and can be made in an over, on a stove or over a fire!
This past weekend we went camping with our church congregation at the lake and on Saturday night we had a huge potluck dinner. I prepared two dishes that I had never made before, which some would say is risky business. I made campfire bread and apple cobbler. Today I am going to share the recipe with you for the apple cobbler. This recipe is not my own, I actually found it on a great website for campfire cooking. You will need a dutch oven to bake the cobbler in.
Ingredients:
2 Box white cake mix
2 cans of cream soda
1/2 cup of butter (melted)
1/2 cup of brown sugar
5 medium Jonathan apples (peeled and cut into wedges)
2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 Tbs. Flour
Directions:
Peel and cut up your apples first. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, cinnamon, apples, butter and flour together. Pour the apple mixture in the bottom of a dutch oven. In a large mixing bowl, combine both cake mixes and both cans of cream soda and mix until smooth. Pour the cake mixture over the apple mixture put the lid on and cook over a fire for 45 minutes or until it no longer jiggles.
This cobbler is very sweet and more of a cake than a pie as far as the crust goes, but it is delicious and super easy and can be made in an over, on a stove or over a fire!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
And so it begins...
I have titled this entry And so it begins because this is the first in what I hope will be many entries in Beth's Recipe Review, a blog dedicated to reviewing and showcasing great healthy recipes for families and to teaching working mothers how to work all day and still manage to make a healthy balanced meal for their families.
Let's see, a little about me...
First and foremost, I am a Christian. I am 36, married and have three children, three dogs and a full time job. My husband's name is Denny and you will likely hear a lot about him and my three kids if you read this blog because they are my life.
Enough about me for today. Let's get cooking!
Today I am looking for something that I can prepare with ground venison. My father hunts and he and my mother can't eat all the venison meat alone so we benefit from his sport. My family is used to the flavor and I have learned several tricks along the way, well, mostly from my mother, to take the gamey edge off the meat.
I am a busy working mother, therefore I discovered long ago the greatest invention to working moms, the Crockpot. Today, I am going to experiment a little by making loose meat for homemade double decker tacos.
First, I have already set out 1.5 lbs of ground venison to thaw. After the meat has thawed enough to break apart and mix with spices I will put it in the Crockpot and stir in seasonings, then allow the meat to simmer. Here are the ingredients:
1.5 - 2 lb ground venison, turkey (meat substitutes beef, chicken, turkey)
1 Package of onion soup mix
1 tsp chili powder
1 can Rotel
3/4 cup of water
One package of soft taco sized flour tortillas
One box of hard taco shells
One can of fat-free, low sodium re-fried beans
Mix all ingredients in Crockpot. Cook on low for 7 hours (high for four hours). Stir once per hour if possible to keep meat from sticking to the sides and bottom. This method of cooking ground meat is best when you have too much meat to put in a skillet and you will be home and can stir it every so often. You can add or subtract from this recipe as needed.
This recipe can vary. Sometimes, instead of using onion soup mix, I will use a package of taco seasoning. If my kids are going to be eating it, I buy mild Rotel or don't even use it sometimes.
Heat re-fried beans and spread on inside of soft tortilla. Make taco in hard shell, then place inside of soft shell. Serve with flour tortillas, hard taco shells, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, Mexican cheese and sour cream. Side dishes could be Spanish rice and chips with salsa.
Check back here on this blog for the families review of this meal. Thanks for reading!
Let's see, a little about me...
First and foremost, I am a Christian. I am 36, married and have three children, three dogs and a full time job. My husband's name is Denny and you will likely hear a lot about him and my three kids if you read this blog because they are my life.
Enough about me for today. Let's get cooking!
Today I am looking for something that I can prepare with ground venison. My father hunts and he and my mother can't eat all the venison meat alone so we benefit from his sport. My family is used to the flavor and I have learned several tricks along the way, well, mostly from my mother, to take the gamey edge off the meat.
I am a busy working mother, therefore I discovered long ago the greatest invention to working moms, the Crockpot. Today, I am going to experiment a little by making loose meat for homemade double decker tacos.
First, I have already set out 1.5 lbs of ground venison to thaw. After the meat has thawed enough to break apart and mix with spices I will put it in the Crockpot and stir in seasonings, then allow the meat to simmer. Here are the ingredients:
1.5 - 2 lb ground venison, turkey (meat substitutes beef, chicken, turkey)
1 Package of onion soup mix
1 tsp chili powder
1 can Rotel
3/4 cup of water
One package of soft taco sized flour tortillas
One box of hard taco shells
One can of fat-free, low sodium re-fried beans
Mix all ingredients in Crockpot. Cook on low for 7 hours (high for four hours). Stir once per hour if possible to keep meat from sticking to the sides and bottom. This method of cooking ground meat is best when you have too much meat to put in a skillet and you will be home and can stir it every so often. You can add or subtract from this recipe as needed.
This recipe can vary. Sometimes, instead of using onion soup mix, I will use a package of taco seasoning. If my kids are going to be eating it, I buy mild Rotel or don't even use it sometimes.
Heat re-fried beans and spread on inside of soft tortilla. Make taco in hard shell, then place inside of soft shell. Serve with flour tortillas, hard taco shells, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, Mexican cheese and sour cream. Side dishes could be Spanish rice and chips with salsa.
Check back here on this blog for the families review of this meal. Thanks for reading!
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