recipes

Sausage appled-stuffed squash

With a good chill in the air,  my oven and I are enjoying a bit of quality time. It’s been awhile you know. For months, the likes of cold salads, grilled entrees, and skillet sides have kept us apart.

We’re making up for lost time.

Oh, the variety! It’s enough to bring a tear to my eye. Yet, it’s the familiar that captures my heart. You see, as much as I love a tasty something new, there are times when you simply mustn’t deviate from protocol. Substitute one dish for another and you can just forget the Mayan calendar–the world as we know it will immediately come to an impetuous end. It’s the rules. Therefore, for the sake of us all, it’s best not to mess with the likes of pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, cherry glazed ham for Christmas, or Sausage apple-stuffed squash for autumn.

That’s right–sausage apple-stuffed squash. My mom’s made it for years. And while she may  not claim the recipe as her own, I’ve yet to come across one as simple as the one she makes. When it comes to stuffed squash, simplicity rules. It’s the gentle melding of autumnal flavors that makes it so divine, and so very perfect for this time of year. Take if off the menu, and I can almost, almost understand those who care the least bit for fall and its grey, leaky skies.

It’s that good.

Needless to say, attempting the recipe on my own could have led to a monumental fail. Lucky for us all, it was nothing but a win.

And you know what that means–if I can make it, anyone can. Don’t believe it? Give a try, see for yourself . . .

{I ♥ Sausage Apple-Stuffed Squash}

Grab your Ingredients

2 acorn or carnival squash, halved and seeds removed

¾ pound pork sausage

¾ cup chopped celery

3 Tablespoons chopped onion

1 medium cooking apple, peeled, cored, and chopped

1 egg, beaten

½ cup sour cream

¾ cup shredded Colby Jack cheese

Then . . .

  1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Place squash halves, cut side down, in a shallow baking pan and bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until tender.
  2. Remove from oven. Turn halves cut side up and sprinkle with salt. Set aside.
  3. In a skillet, cook sausage, celery, and onion until meat is browned and onion tender.
  4. Stir in the apple pieces and cook an additional 3 minutes. Drain off fat.
  5. In a small bowl, combine egg and sour cream. Stir into sausage mixture.
  6. Fill squash halves with sausage mixture and bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
  7. Top with cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes—or until cheese is melted.

Download: Sausage and Apple Stuffed Squash recipe

Little things

{so good, on so many levels}

I’ve been craving chocolate peanut butter ice cream for weeks now. Weeks, I tell you! So, imagine my delight upon finding it at the grocery outlet yesterday. I grabbed the container and started to turn around when my butt ricocheted off the cart and threw me headlong into the freezer. At least it was valiant in its attempt. You’ll be glad to know, however, I remained stalwart in my  mission, thus ensuring that quart of deliciousness made it into my cart, quite unharmed.

It’s the little things that make up the big ones. Obviously.

In other food related news, I made the most delectable sweet and sour sauce this week–so easy, too! That said, if Chinese food happens to be on the menu for the weekend: mix 1/3 cup rice vinegar, 4 Tablespoons of brown sugar, 1/2 Tablespoon chili paste, 1/2 Tablespoon ketchup, and 1 teaspoon of soy sauce in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Mix 2 teaspoons of cornstarch in 4 teaspoons of water, until dissolved. Stir together all ingredients.

Also, have you see Salmon Fishing in the Yemen? Better yet, have you read the book? I absolutely loved the first half of the movie–loved it. But upon final credits, I wasn’t quite sure what to think. There were too many improbabilities, even for me. And an extramarital affair. Not so much a fan. I’ve heard the book is a comedy; the movie is more dysfunctional charm. Sure, I know what you’re thinking–What, dysfunctional charm and it wasn’t your favorite movie ever? Trust me, no one could be more surprised than I.

Now, before this post gets any more out of sorts, I shall leave you with a quick wish: may the coming days bring nothing but goodness–sweet treats, meals to share, and a little something unexpected.

Happy weekend, my friends!

Blue ribbon tomato pie

{Does this apron make me look fat?}

There’s a hint of autumn in the air, and that can mean but one thing: we’re up to our eyeballs in tomatoes. We’ve been handing them out like candy, while curating tomato recipes all our own.

Speaking of which, back in college, my Danish friend whipped up a tomato pie. I did not, at the time, consider tomatoes my friends; so when she put that plate in front of me I was a bit aghast. Not one to be rude, I gave it a try; I even liked it. So for the past few years I’ve been trying to find a recipe that lives up to the memory (and no, I can’t ask my friend–she doesn’t use recipes . . . if you can even imagine).

But here’s the thing, all recipes happened upon used mayonnaise. I kept trying them because 1) said mayonnaise was used in varying degrees; 2) the photos looked scrumptious; and 3) the reviews were stellar. Yet when all was said and done, the outcome remained the same: I’d sit down to savor my pie, put a forkful in my mouth, and taste nothing but the mayo. Gag a maggot! 

This year I was determined to find a recipe sans wretched ingredient. I was victorious. Better yet, after making said recipe, I’ve only this to say: WE’VE GOT A WINNER, PEOPLE! Actually, today only, it’s a two-for-one special:

Rosemary was my herb of choice. It’s one of the few herbs in my garden I recognize, for certain. Also, the plants have been dying off during the winter. So. I’m trying to enjoy whilst I can. The crust was light, flaky perfection; the tart so tasty, it may have brought tear to my eye.

Highly recommended, my friends, highly recommended . . .

:::

For the record, it looked quite lovely, as well. Granted, I could only find my deep tart pan, so the tomatoes were covered in cheesy goodness–but you could see them. I’m not sure what happened with the cell phone pic. The tomats completely disappeared, even before the filter–but they were there, I promise!

When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie

{pizza’s always better shared with friends}

Pizza and I, we’ve long had a love affair.

While I tend toward the large, thin-crust types, I’m a tad fickle when it comes to toppings–cheese, meats, vegetables, I love them all. From what can only be described as hot dog pizza in Canada (yikes!) to kebab pizza in Sweden (so, good), I’ve had my share of flings.

Yet when it comes to the pie itself, I’ll always be true. It’s the first thing that comes to mind after an illness, and the last thing I’d ever think to give up.

Speaking of which, this hint of autumn in the air has got me thinking–pizza is the perfect meal to usher out one season, and welcome in the next. As simple or entailed as you wish, there’s a little something for everyone. Throw your pie in the oven or on the grill, pour drinks all around, then sit back and enjoy the company of those you love.

And because I care, a few recipes to get you on your way . . .

xoxo

PS–Did I miss anything especially good? Do share. Because you realize, don’t you, that hoarding deliciousness all to yourself is strictly forbidden by the International Pie Code of Conduct. Pretty sure.

The tasty bit of summer

I’ll take spring and autumn any day–heavy on autumn. Summer, bless its heart, is just too dad-gum hot.

Summer does have one thing going for it, however: food (though my oven, completely neglected June through September, might argue this point). To me, there’s nothing much better than a dinner made up of a variety of fresh veggies, cheeses, multigrain tortilla chips, humus, and a side of avocado.

Some of the vegetables come from my own garden, some from the gardens of friends. After all, the very giving nature of fresh vegetables instigates the bartering system–one vine of tomatoes, say, for two small summer squash.

Ingenious, really.

Until you run out of ideas: zucchini salad, zucchini bread, zucchini muffins, zucchini relish, zucchini cheese pie, beer battered zucchini . . . and still, zucchini remains.

Well, I’ve got another one for you: Veggie Burgers with Zucchini. Seeing how I only had zucchini, that’s what I used; I also used Red Leicester cheese (which, considering the recipe calls for cheddar, is not that big of a deal) and a dash of pepper (because everything’s better with a dash of pepper. Pretty sure.). Oh, and I served them with new potatoes, as seen above–just in case you were wondering (as usual, I ate the patties before a photo could be snapped).

With that, I’m off to enjoy fresh produce while I can . . . for full-fledged comfort food is set to arrive in T minus 44 days!