This is a wonderful soup – a rich and savory combination of butternut squash, nutty wild rice and smokey sausage. I made the soup the day before serving it, which worked perfectly. Instead of the roasting method that the recipe calls for (peeling the squash, cubing it then roasting it), I split the squash, scooped out the seeds, drizzled it with a bit of olive oil and roasted the halved squash (much quicker than peeling and cubing). After the roasted squash was cool enough to handle, I scooped out the cooked flesh and discarded the peel. I then proceeded with the recipe as written, making the butternut puree, cooking the wild rice, and browning the sausage. Next, I combined the butternut puree, additional broth, corn and sausage together and refrigerated the soup; I stored the wild rice in a separate container. When I reheated the soup the next evening, I waited until the soup was fully heated through before adding the cooked wild rice and half & half. I cut down on the half & half (using less than 1 cup) but made up for it with a bit more chicken stock. Also, instead of 2 cups of fresh corn kernels, I used a whole bag of Trader Joe’s white frozen corn. For the sausage, I used a high quality smoked sausage from a local gourmet market. The butternut squash I used was a three-pounder; next time I’ll use one that’s at least 4 pounds for a more intense squash flavor. The soup was delicious, hearty and festive…a perfect soup for our Christmas Eve dinner.

Smoked Sausage, Butternut Squash and Wild Rice Soup
- recipe by Emeril Lagasse – foodnetwork.com

Makes 10 servings 

2 medium butternut squash, about 3 to 4 pounds, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
12 cups chicken stock
2 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 cup wild rice
3/4 pound smoked sausage, such as kielbasa, cut into 1/4-inch
2 cups fresh corn kernels
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Season the squash with 1 tablespoon of the oil, salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until tender. Remove from the oven and cool completely. In a blender or food processor, puree the squash with 2 cups of the chicken stock. Puree until smooth and set aside.

In a saucepan, over medium heat, bring 4 cups of the stock and 1/2 cup of the chopped onions to a simmer. Stir in the rice and cook until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally with a fork. Remove the rice from the pan and cool. In a large saucepan, over medium heat, add the remaining tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot, add the sausage and brown for 3 minutes. Add the remaining 2 cups of onions and corn. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 3 minutes. Add the remaining 6 cups of stock and squash puree. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Skim off any fat that rises to the surface. Stir in the rice and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the half-and-half and reason with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley and serve.

Tags: butternut squash, corn, sausage, Soup/Stew

Everyone needs a good coffee cake recipe in their recipe arsenal. I turn to this Sour Cream Coffee Cake regularly because it’s always moist and delicious. Recently I was asked to bake three coffee cakes for a church event. I set aside the whole morning before the event to do my baking, knowing at the time that church that day might be cancelled because of the pre-Christmas snow storm our metro area was receiving. The forecast said more snow through the next few days but I reasoned that if I didn’t bake the coffee cakes and the forecasters were wrong, I’d be up until 3:00am doing the baking (y’know, Murphy’s Law). 

I baked the cakes, let them cool, then drizzled the maple glaze on two of them. The good news: my coffee cakes were beautiful and the whole house was scented with the divine fragrance of brown sugar and cinnamon! The bad news: church was cancelled for that weekend and I now had three whole coffee cakes to do something with. Not wanting them to go to waste, I quickly cut one of the coffee cakes into slices, divvied it up onto a few pretty Christmas plates and handed them out to some of my neighbors to share a little holiday cheer and goodwill. I froze the remaining two cakes and thawed one a week later to serve with breakfast on Christmas morning. The coffee cake was still delicious, moist and fragrant with it’s cinnamon streusel. The only thing I would suggest is to wait on glazing the cake if you plan on freezing it first because the maple glaze gets brittle when frozen and thawed.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake
- from Barefoot Contessa Parties! by Ina Garten

Makes 8 to 10 servings

For the cake:
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sour cream
2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the streusel:
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional

For the glaze:
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons real maple syrup 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Finish stirring with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.

For the streusel, place the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and butter in a bowl and pinch together with your fingers until it forms a crumble. Mix in the walnuts, if desired.

Spoon half the batter into the pan and spread it out with a knife. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup streusel. Spoon the rest of the batter in the pan, spread it out, and scatter the remaining streusel on top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Let cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. Carefully transfer the cake, streusel side up, onto a serving plate. Whisk the confectioners’ sugar and maple syrup together, adding a few drops of water if necessary, to make the glaze runny. Drizzle as much as you like over the cake with a fork or spoon.

Note: If you don’t have cake flour, you can substitute 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour plus 1/4 cup cornstarch.

Tags: Breakfast, coffee cake

During the holidays, time is a commodity. With so much hustle and bustle, I like to have a few recipes in my holiday baking repertoire that can yield maximum quantity with minimum kitchen time. That’s why I like bar cookies because you can whip up the batter, put it in a baking pan, bake the bars and be done with it. These Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cheese Bars are extra great because not only are they delicious but they’re festive-looking, too. I love the flavor combination of cranberries, chocolate and a hint of orange. These bars will be a great addition to your holiday cookie platter!

Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cheese Bars
-recipe from verybestbaking.com
Yields 36 bars

A tasty treat for fall and winter holidays. A crunchy chocolate chip, cranberry and orange-scented bar is balanced with a lightly sweetened layer of cream cheese.

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 cup OCEAN SPRAY® CRAISINS® Sweetened Dried Cranberries
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 can (14 oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Sweetened Condensed Milk

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

BEAT butter and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in flour, oats and orange peel until crumbly. Stir in morsels and cranberries; reserve 2 cups mixture. Press remaining mixture onto bottom of prepared baking pan.

BAKE for 15 minutes. Beat cream cheese in small mixer bowl until smooth. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk. Pour over hot crust; sprinkle with reserved flour mixture. Bake for additional 25 to 30 minutes or until center is set. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Tags: bar cookies, chocolate chips, cranberries

The Pacific Northwest was visited this week by a pre-Christmas snow and ice storm. Basically, daily life as we know it has ceased and people just stay home where it’s safe and warm. Schools shut down and some businesses close until the weather warms up and the ice melts off. Husband grew up in a rural town that got a lot of winter snow so he knows how to drive in the snow and ice. Most of us in this area, however, don’t. I’m sure it’s entertaining for anyone from a part of the country where the winters are really brutal. 

Yesterday was our third day into the “stay-at-home-because-there’s-ice-and-snow-outside” weather and I had to make due with what I had in the fridge and pantry. I wanted to cook a pot of warm, hearty soup but most of the recipes I looked at called for ingredients that I didn’t have. Fortunately, I ran across a recipe in my “SOUP” file for Split Pea Soup with Sausage and Potato. Since I had all the ingredients, I immediately went to work chopping and dicing. The only ingredient I had to step outside for was the fresh rosemary. I have a big rosemary bush planted in the backyard but I didn’t feel like tracking through the snowy grass to get to it. I decided to pluck a few branches off the little rosemary Christmas tree that I had potted at the front door instead. I didn’t realize, however, how icy it was outside and had to catch myself from falling when I took my first step onto the front door mat. Fortunately, I caught myself and was able to gingerly step across the icy walkway to the icicle-covered rosemary plant. I’m not sure if the rosemary plant will recover from the icy weather but at least it survived long enough to season my delicious split pea soup.

I followed the recipe as written except I used a German smoked sausage instead of the spicy sausage, and added a stalk of chopped celery and one chopped carrot to the sauteeing vegetables. The soup was the perfect compliment to a snowy stay-inside day.

Split Pea Soup with Sausage and Potato
- recipe from Bon Appétit Magazine

Makes 4 to 6 servings

5 fully cooked spicy smoked sausage links (such as andouille or hot links), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 12-ounce russet potato, peeled, diced
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/4 cups green split peas, rinsed
4 cups low-salt chicken broth

Sauté sausages in heavy large pot over medium-high heat until fat begins to render, about 4 minutes. Add potato, onion, and rosemary. Sauté until onion is soften, about 5 minutes. Mix in split peas, then broth. Bring soup to simmer. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until peas are tender, stirring occasionally, about 50 minutes. If desired, thin soup with water by 1/4 cupfuls. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and serve.

Market Tip:
For a less spicy (read: more kid-friendly) sausage, choose Kielbasa or garlic sausages.

Tags: sausage, Soup/Stew, split peas

I’m sure most people in the free world have eaten onion dip at some point in their life. It’s one of those classic dips that has been around for years, and can usually be found at a party hanging out with the potato chips and other dips. Most people make onion dip using a package of onion soup mix or buy it premade in a plastic tub at the grocery store. That’s all fine and dandy but those versions have all kinds of funky things like “Natural Flavors”  added in. Yikes! I ran across this recipe recently when trying to decide on an appetizer to take to a party. It’s easy but does require a little more time in the kitchen than just opening a package of soup mix. One of the steps for this French Onion Dip is caramelizing the onions, which gives the onions a rich, slightly sweet flavor. Once the onions are caramelized and cooled, the rest of the ingredients can be mixed together. Voilà, a better version of onion dip.

French Onion Dip
-recipe from williams-sonoma.com

Laced with caramelized onions, this fresh-tasting dip will disappear quickly at parties and on picnics. A touch of cayenne adds a spicy kick.

2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/4 cups sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Potato chips for serving
Crudités for serving

In a fry pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and salt and cook, stirring often, until soft and caramelized, about 20 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the Worcestershire sauce and stir to scrape up the browned bits from the pan bottom. Transfer the onion to a small bowl and let cool to room temperature.

In a bowl, stir together the sour cream, mayonnaise, cayenne pepper and black pepper. Stir in the onion. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 week. Serve with potato chips and crudités for dipping. Makes about 2 cups.

Tags: Appetizer, caramelized onions, Dip

Husband will eat salad but it’s never something he gets too jazzed about. He likes veggies, he knows they’re good for him, but I’ve never known him to crave a salad (or at least he’s never admitted to it). He was quite intrigued, however, when I told him one night that we’re were having Steak Salad for dinner using a leftover piece of steak from the previous night’s meal. Steak two nights in a row…you should’ve seen the look of delight on his face!! This recipe was a cinch to throw together and it tasted great. The dressing is a basic vinaigrette, which is fine on its own but could easily be jazzed up with a teaspoon or so of Dijon mustard and some fresh herbs. I really liked the mixture of salad ingredients: tender steak, tangy blue cheese, red onions, vine-ripened tomatoes, mixed baby greens…how could you possible go wrong with that combo? For the greens, I just used what I had in the fridge (baby greens and a romaine/iceberg salad mix). The substituted greens were fine and it saved me a trip to the store. Add a loaf of crusty bread and you’ve got a delicious light meal!

Steak Salad
-Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis - foodnetwork.com
4 servings 

1/2 head romaine lettuce, cut into bite-size pieces
1 large head Belgian endive, thinly sliced crosswise (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced into rings
3 cups fresh baby arugula
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
4 ounces Gorgonzola, coarsely crumbled
Red Wine Vinaigrette, recipe follows
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound steak (such as New York, rib-eye or filet mignon), pan-fried or grilled and chilled
 
In a large bowl, combine the romaine lettuce, Belgian endive, red onion, baby arugula and cherry tomatoes, and half of the cheese. Toss the salad with enough vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad with salt and pepper, to taste. Arrange the salad on a platter.

Cut the steaks crosswise into thin slices. Arrange the steak slices atop the salad and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Drizzle more vinaigrette over the steak slices and serve.

Red Wine Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup olive oil

Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil. Yield: 1 2/3 cups

Tags: gorgonzola, Salad, steak, vinaigrette

I’m a year-round griller. Although I live in the Pacific Northwest, I’m not going to let a little rain or cold weather keep me from enjoying my outdoor grill during the non-summer months. Yes, I sometimes get drenched or a little cold, but it’s worth it to have a juicy grill-marked piece of meat in the middle of winter. The other day I got the hankering for steak and so I surprised Husband with a good ol’ meat-n-potatoes dinner hot off the grill. It didn’t matter to me that it was cold outside. I had Husband fire up the grill and I went to work. I decided to make Grilled Steak and Potatoes with Garlic Butter. Let me tell you, I’d brave the elements again to make this recipe! The garlic butter that graced both the steak and potatoes was delicious, not to mention my handiwork at the grill! The recipe calls for using strip steaks (aka New York or Kansas City strip steak, shell steak, Delmonico, or striploin), but it would also be great with rib-eyes (you may need to adjust the cooking time a bit depending on size and thickness).

Grilled Steak and Potatoes with Garlic Butter
- from Cook’s Country magazine

To speed things up, grill the steaks and potatoes at the same time—place the steak on one side of the grill and the potatoes on the other side. Serves 4.

1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes, scrubbed and halved
1 tablespoon olive oil
Table salt and ground black pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 boneless strip steaks, about 1 inch thick

Toss potatoes and oil in medium microwave-safe bowl and season with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high power until slightly softened, about 4 minutes, tossing potatoes halfway through cooking.

Beat butter with fork in medium bowl until light and fluffy. Mix in parsley, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste.

Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper. Grill steaks over hot fire until well browned on both sides and internal temperature reaches 125 degrees (medium-rare), 5 to 6 minutes per side. Grill potatoes, starting cut side down and turning several times, until soft and grill-marked, 7 to 8 minutes.

Transfer steaks to serving platter and top each steak with 1 tablespoon parsley butter. Cover with foil and let rest 5 minutes. Toss potatoes with remaining tablespoon parsley butter in serving bowl. Serve steaks with potatoes.

Tags: Grilling, new york steak, steak, steak and potatoes

I love muffins because they make a great snack or quick breakfast. I like these Oatmeal Muffins because they’re tasty, moist and fairly healthy, and Husband likes them because they aren’t too sweet. Now there’s a little planning involved in making this recipe because the oats need to soak in the buttermilk for an hour. Once the oats are ready, though, the muffins come together in a flash. I used dried cranberries instead of currants, and added a teaspoon of vanilla and a dash or two of cinnamon to the batter. For a nice hint of orange, add a teaspoon or so of orange zest. Note that the recipe calls for old-fashioned rolled oats, not the quick-cooking variety.  Also, oats are a great source of soluble and insoluble fiber and a variety of nutrients (including vitamin E, zinc, selenium, copper, iron, manganese and magnesium).

Oatmeal Muffins
- recipe from epicurious.com

Yield: Makes 12 muffins

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg, beaten lightly
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup dried currants

In a large bowl, combine oats and buttermilk and let stand 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400°F. and butter twelve 1/2-cup muffin tins.

Add egg, sugar and butter to oat mixture, stirring until just combined.

Into another large bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and add to oat mixture, stirring until just combined. Fold in currants.

Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin tins. Bake muffins in middle of oven until golden and a tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

Gourmet Magazine , February 1995

Tags: buttermilk, Muffins, oatmeal