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Autumn Soup
Makes 8 servings
This soup just tastes like fall. It's a hit on chilly evenings, whether it's Halloween or a regular night at home. The flavors will be deeper if you use fresh roasted squash and pumpkin, but you can simply use cubed or even substitute canned if you are in a pinch. Sprinkle a few toasted pumpkin seeds or pine nuts on the top of each individual bowl just before serving.
2 butternut squash (7 cups cubed)
1 medium pumpkin (or 1 15 ounce can)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups chicken stock
2 cups 2 percent milk
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 teaspoons sugar
3 tablespoons ginger, finely grated
In a large stock pot, heat olive oil for one minute, and saute onion and garlic for about 3-5 minutes. Add squash and chicken stock and bring to boil. Cook until squash is tender for about 20 minutes. Reduce heat, add pumpkin puree, milk, salt, curry powder, sugar and ginger. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, taking care not to boil milk. If you plan to freeze this soup, omit the milk and add it when you reheat the rest of the soup.
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Mmm Make-it-Your-Own Meatloaf
Makes 2 loaves
There is nothing like meatloaf to make it feel like there is no place like home. You may find that your kids like it simple, just like it is. However, we encourage you to use this recipe as a base to make it your own. A lot of the time, you'll improvise when cooking with friends and having a starter recipe with simple proportions is all that you'll need. Play with herbs, spices, sauces, and even vegetables -- add some chopped fresh parsley; throw some ground carrots or diced green peppers in for sweetness or a more distinct flavor; play with different cheeses; make a mushroom sauce to spoon over top; add some caraway seeds to give it a subtle tasty crunch -- whatever you and a friend have on hand at the time. If you and friend have different tastes, you can personalize the meatloaf after all of the basics are in - divide it in two and then add what each of your own families like.
2 lbs. of mixed ground meat (beef, veal and pork)
3 eggs
1 large onion, diced finely
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cups 2 percent milk
1 cup Italian Bread crumbs with herbs and cheese
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup ketchupPreheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except ketchup, making sure to distribute eggs and spices evenly. Divide the mixture in half and either free form two meatloaves or press the meat mixture in each of two regular-sized loaf pans. Spread 1/4 cup ketchup on top of each loaf. Bake for 45 minutes to one hour. Let cool 5-10 minutes before slicing if serving right away. If freezing, let cool 5-10 minutes, remove from pan, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then foil.
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Harvest Apple Crisp
Makes 2 9" round crisps
With a hint of apple pie spices and a handful of crunchy oats, this apple crisp has an earthy flavor that makes a delectable dessert after a day well spent with family and friends in the apple orchard. Serve it warm with Praline Pecan ice cream.
8 cups Macintosh (or other favorite variety) apples, peeled
and sliced
1 cup flour
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 stick, plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks
and chilled
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup rolled oats
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Butter the bottom and sides of two round pie dishes. Set aside. Divide 4 cups of apples into each of the dishes and dot with a tablespoon and a half of butter on each pie.
In a medium sized bowl, mix together flour, sugar, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. With a pastry cutter or two knives, blend the butter into the flour mixture, adding the vanilla gradually. Once the butter is well blended, add the oats and combine. Divide the mixture evenly over the apples in each of the pie dishes.
Bake on 350 for about 45 minutes in the center rack of the oven.
Set two shallow bowls next
to the stovetop. In the one closest to the stove, add the flour and in the
other, whisk together the eggs.
Heat the oil in the skillet over medium-high
heat. Coat a few pieces of chicken with flour, tapping off the excess, then dip
in the egg to coat, and then dredge through the flour, tapping off the extra.
When the oil is hot, add the chicken pieces (enough to comfortably fit in the
pan without overcrowding and cooling the oil) and cook until browned and crisp,
5 to 7 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and turn the chicken pieces over, cooking
the other side until browned and crisp, another 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to
paper towels and repeat with the remaining chicken tenders. (Add more paper
towels if the first layer gets too soaked with oil). To freeze, lay chicken
tenders on a baking sheet and place uncovered in the freezer until tenders
harden, from 30-60 minutes. Transfer to gallon sized freezer bags.
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Dear Friends,
The images of Autumn-falling apples from the
trees, piles of leaves, and warm soups on the stove top--put us in a mood to
open our kitchens to our friends and cook some delicious meals with them. We
know this is a tough economy for many, and encourage those giving up restaurant
meals to throw your creative energy into cooking at home with your friends and
family. It's economical and fun. You get more bang for your buck when you share
fridges and pantries, and even more importantly, you get time together.Please e-mail us at info@cookingwithfriendsclub.com and check out our web site, featuring our blogs and lots of great tips at www.cookingwithfriendsclub.com.
Alison and Shannon
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Roasting Squash and Pumpkins
Simple Roasting Instructions:
--Choose the best Butternut, Acorn Squash, or pumpkins you
can find, free of blemishes and cuts. If roasting pumpkin, make sure that you
select one that's suitable for cooking. Stay away from the Jack O'Lantern kind
and look for a smaller "Sugar" or "Pie" Pumpkin that has a sweet flesh. They
are usually labeled for cooking in the grocery stores.
--Using a large, sharp knife, carefully cut each vegetable
in half, or in quarters if very large.
--Scoop out all seeds and stringy matter.
--Brush insides with a bit of olive oil, and lightly salt
and pepper. (Optional)
--Place flesh down and roast in a 350 degree oven for about
an hour or until fork tender.
--If you are using the roasted vegetables for a puree, let
cool, then scoop out flesh and puree in a food processor in batches. You may
need to add a few tablespoons of water to get the consistency you want.
--Fall squash purees make fabulous baby food, pies or soups - try our
Autumn Soup, recipe to the left. We like freezing the puree in ice cube trays
for easy use.
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What's For Dinner?
Try the Big-Batch Cooking Date
Whether you're for Obama or McCain, "What's for Dinner?" is
still the big question in houses across America
every evening. Instead of spending a fortune at one of the food preparation
franchises or ordering in take-out, try a Big-Batch Cooking Date with a friend.
It's an economical and efficient way to get a healthy dinner on the table. This
is different from making huge amounts of soup or other foods for a cooking
swap. It's a more intense, time involved date where you'll walk away with at
least three dinners to put in your freezer for your family.
Here's how it works:
--Invite one friend to cook with and choose a kitchen.
--Set aside a large block of time for cooking, probably 4
hours.
--Choose at least three dishes that you will be thrilled to
pull out of your freezer at the end of a busy day. But don't take on too much
too soon-you'll feel overwhelmed.
--Create your menus, see what ingredients you both already
have, and assign one person to shop for the rest.
--Do as much prep work as possible and have a plan of who
will do what.
--A great Big-Batch Cooking Date might yield you a Spinach
Sausage Lasagna, Meatloaf (see our recipe left) and Vegetable Curry.
--Of course, have fun!
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Organizational Tip
We
are crazy for Snapware! They have a full line of products - all sizes, colors
and shapes -- that store food in your freezer and fridge in an airtight stylish
way. Not only do they look good and store well, but they are freezer- friendly
and dishwasher safe. What could be better?
snapware from organize.com.
Costco is currently selling a good intro set for $24.99.
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Member Tip of the Month
Alma S. from New Jersey always has fresh
lemon and lime juice on hand. She zests lemons and limes ahead of time and then
freezes the zest and the lemon juice separately in 4 tablespoon quantities in
snack bags. She lays it flat to freeze like a little book and then stacks the
frozen juice (and lime juice) in the freezer. This allows her to
avoid shopping when she wants to make lemon desserts or Thai food.
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Tool-of-the-month:
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Apple Peeler-Corer
This handy tool, which sells for about $28 through williamssonoma.com, cores and peels apples quickly, speeding up pie-making time and making for smooth slices.
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Alison Bermack and Shannon Henry
Visit our web site at www.cookingwithfriendsclub.com.
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