Spicy squash soup

It's finally getting cold enough for soup and I've been staring at an acorn squash from my coop order so when this recipe appeared in the latest "EveryDay with Rachel Ray" magazine I knew I had to try it. It's still simmering on the back burner but the few spoonfuls I've tested already warrant a post.

1 acorn squash (about 2lbs)
3 dried red chiles
3 poblano chiles
(I swapped both of the above for 4 roasted Hatch green chilies, thawed and de-seeded)
1 tsp chili powder
3 Tbs olive oil
1 onion chopped
1 15oz can black beans
1/2 c sour cream
garlic
oregano
parsley
salt
black pepper

1. cut the squash in half remove seeds, and then microwave on high until soft, about 10 minutes

2. Scoop out the squash flesh into a food procesor and add the chili powder and whatever forms of chili peppers you chose, puree to eliminate lumps

3.In a heavy bottom sauce pan (I use the enamal coated dutch oven for soups) heat the olive oil and then add the chopped onions and garlic. Saute until the onions are soft, around 5 minutes.

4. Rinse and drain the black beans.

5. Add the squash puree, beans and 1 cup water to the onions and allow to simmer. Season with oregano, salt, pepper, parsley to taste (I bet cilantro would be great but I don't have any)

6. add the sour cream just before serving.
2.

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake

Another success from America's Test Kitchen!
Cake
12 Tbs unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
1 3/4 c flour
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 c hot water
1 3/4 c sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 c buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
2 egg yolks (yes that makes 6 egg folks)

Frosting
16oz semi-sweet chocolate
1 stick unsalted butter
1/3 c sugar
2 Tbs Corn Syrup
2 tsp Vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 c cold heavy cream

For the Cake
1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease and flour 2 9" round 2" high pans. Yes I realized your cake pans are probably not 2" - neither were mine. It overflowed slightly when I did it in 2 pans so if you're aren't 2" high I'd recommend three layers.
2. put chopped unsweetened chocolate, cocoa, and hot water into a double boiler and stir utill melted. Add 1/2 cup of sugar to the chocolate and stir until glossy - set the mixture aside to cool down.

2. Combine dry ingrediants (flour, soda, salt) in a small bowl and whisk to combine - set aside. In the big mixer bowl beat the eggs, yolks, and remaining 1 1/4 c sugar until light and fluffy - this will take a few minutes (use the whisk attachement if you have a stand mixer). After they eggs are fluffy and light, add the vanilla and then switch to normal (flat) beater

3. add 1/3 dry ingrediants, 1/2 buttermilk, dry, buttermilk, dry mixing each time untill well incorporated - don't over mix or you'll loose the fluffy eggs.

4. bake at 350 for 25-30 min until a toothpick comes out clean (note if you ignored me and used only two pans put somethign underneath to catch the drips and bake a few minutes longer)

5. Allow the cakes to cool in pans 10 min before flipping onto a rack. Wait at least 45min to frost!

Frosting
1. Melt chocolate over a double boiler (microwave will work also, if you use this method, stop often to stir and add about 1 tsp veg oil to the mixture)
2. in a pan melt butter , then add corn syrup, vanilla and sugar. Cook until the sugar is completely dissoloved.
3. place mixer bowl in ice bath and combine chocolate, butter sugar mixutre and cold cream. mix with a rubber spatula until combined and room temperature.

4. Using a wisk atttachment beat the mixture until very fluffy- a few minutes. frosting will be very soft but will nicely harden in the fridge.

Frost the cake and enjoy!

Molasses Cookies

Another airport, another America's test kitchen "Best of" magazine, and another wonderful recipe. As a New Englander I was trained to like molasses, and these cookies while closer to gingersnaps than Nanny's molasses cookies are delicious. I use the Breir Rabbit Dark molasses, as it is the darker of the two available in my grocery store.

1/3 c granulated sugar, plus some for dipping
1/3 c dark brown sugar
1 1/2 sticks butter
1 tsp orange zest, plus some for coating
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup molasses
2 1/4 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 allspice
1/4 black pepper (yes, really!)

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Whisk dry ingredients in a separate bowl, and set aside
3. beat the butter, orange zest, and brown and white sugars until fluffy
4. Add the egg yolk, molasses and vanilla to the butter mixture and beat well.
5. slowly add the dry ingredients to form a dough.
6. combine remaining orange zest (around 1 tsp) with about 1/2 white sugar in a bowl and mix until the sugar is orange.
7. form teaspoonfuls of dough into balls and roll in sugar.
8. bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for about 11 minutes- cookies will be slightly underdone. Allow to cool a few minutes on the cookie sheet before removing to a cooling rack.

Moist, Chewy, and delicious.

From America's Test Kitchen All time Best Recipes.

Bagels

I've tried bagels a few times before and had previously concluded they weren't worth the effort. Now with a good recipe and stand mixer to do the hard work they easily beat the round wonder bread the local store passes off as bagels. If you don't have a mixer just be sure to knead the dough very very well. it should be very dense and smooth when finished kneading.

I've seen many sources, I'll attribute mine, Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads.

Les Bagels de Jo Goldenberg (makes 10 bagels)

3-5 c flour
2 Tbs yeast
3 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs salt
1 1/2 c hot water

3 qts water
3 Tbs sugar

1 egg white beaten
sesame seeds, poppyseeds, etc


Combine the dry ingrediants in the mixer bowl and add the hot water (you should be able to stick your finger in it and count to 10 but no longer for perfect temp) mixing with a flat beater to combine, beat 2 min, then switch to a dough hook and add flour until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl (the recipe claims 1/2 cup more but It's been taking me more like 1.5 C extra) continue to knead with the dough hook by machine for 7 minutes - time it, it's longer than you'd think.

Cover the bowl with saran wrap and let rise 1 hour-ish. While the dough is rising bring a large kettle of water to boil and add the 3 tbs sugar to it. Also get out a paper towel or other towel to drain the bagels on.

Punch down the dough and divide into 10 pieces. roll each piece into a bowl and allow to rest about 10 min. preheat oven to 400. Stick your finger through the center of each ball of dough and work into a bagel shape - try to make smooth surfaces as the boiling water will peel off anything you try to stick together.

Drop the bagels, 2 at a time into boiling water and boil for 2 min, flipping sides in the middle. Remove from heat onto a paper towel and drain. Repeat with remaining bagels. Grease a cookie sheet (I just used spray oil) . brush the bagles with egg white and coat with chosen topping - do both sides for more fun and mess!.

Place on the greased cookie sheet and bake at 400 for a TOTAL of 25min. After about 15min take them out and flip them. If they seem stuck and do not want to flip wait a few minutes- if you try to unstick them you will get a torn gross bagel and if you wait a few minutes they will cook enough to flip easily. The tops should be just starting to show a hint of brown when you flip. I also switch trays top and bottom.

These are delicous and chewy. The only downside is I haven't dared to try a double batch in the mixer and Rob and I can eat a single batch quite fast.

Macaroni and Cheese

Now I am usually a serious fan of the 'purple box' mac and cheese, but this homemade recipie might turn me off boxed stuff forever. It's from America's test kitchen and for once I pretty much followed the recipie.

1 lb elbow macaroni
4Tbs butter
5Tbs Flour
3 12oz can evaporated milk
2 tsp hot pepper sauce
1 tsp dry mustard
8 oz extra sharp cheddar (about 2 cups)
5 oz jack cheese (about 1 1/4 cups)
2 oz deli american cheese
bread crumbs
chicken, brocolli, green onions

1. cook pasta al dente, around 6 min, drain, cool and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
2. Melt the butter and add flour to make a roux cooking until light brown, stirring constantly. Add the evaporated milk, hot sauce, mustard and keep stirring and bring to a simmer until it feels like it is starting to thicken. remove from heat and stir in teh cheese and 1/2 cup pasta water until melted.
3. combine pasta and cheese in a large bowl, adding chicken and veggies as desired.
4. pour into an ungreased 9 x 13 pan and top with bread crumbs if desired. Cook 20-25 min at 350 or until bubbling around edges and golden in the middle.

Delicious!

Cake Cake and Cake

Heather and I made a wedding cake for Rebecca and Keith. It was really 2 cakes, well, 4 cakes. A "grooms cake" carrot with green coconut on top made into a farm scene and a traditional three tiered cake of yellow cake with apricot jam and buttercream, chocolate cake with butter cream and carrot cake with cream cheese icing. A lot of work, but so worth it. We also used Royal icing and fresh flowers to pipe decorations. I'll just post the recipies here. If you do go to make a wedding sized version (we did 14" 10" and 6" tiers) email me and I'll give you hints as to what we learned about very large layers.

Altitude adjustments are indicated in italics for those of you at SLC elevation.

Carrot Cake (from Paula Deen)
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar ( less 2 Tbs)
2 tsp baking soda (less 1/8 tsp)
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 1/2 c vegtable oil (add 1 1/2 Tbs)
3 cups grated carrots

Grease and flour a 9" pan. (we used a healthy coating of crisco and flour) Combine the dry ingrediants and then add eggs and oil. mix well. Add carrots. and mix well. Cook at 350 until a stick inserted comes out clean or internal temperature reaches 200F. Allow to cool in the pan a few minutes and then loosen and turn out onto a rack to cool.

Classic Yellow Cake (from Cakes from Scratch in 1/2 the time)

3 eggs
2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter
1 c sugar
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 c whole milk

Grease and flour pans. beat butter until fluffy, then add sugar and beat for 2-3 minutes. add eggs beating well after each addition. add vanilla. Sift dry ingrediants onto a sheet of wax paper. alternate adding dry ingrediants and the milk beating well each time. Bake at 400 until a stick inserted comes out clean.

Chocolate Cake (from Cakes from Scratch in 1/2 the time)
2 eggs
2 oz unsweetened chocolate
2 c flour
2 c sugar
1/2 c cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 c whole milk
1/4 c veg oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 orange
water

sift dry ingredients together into a large bowl. add the eggs, oil, milk and vanilla mixing well after each addition. Melt the chocolate in the microwave. Juice the orange and then add boiling water to make 1 c liquid. combine Orange water mixture with melted chocolate. Add orange chocolate to batter and beat well (it looks like it's not going to work when you first add it,but just keep mixing.

Buttercream icing (from google)
the crisco helps the icing to whip as well as melt at a higher temperature, making it ideal for summer weddings.

1 c butter
1 c crisco
8 c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c milk (we used less!!)

Beat butter and crisco until fluffy, gradually add powdered sugar, beating continually, add vanilla and milk as needed to achieve desired consistency - you can't over mix this one - the more you beat the lighter it gets!

Cream Cheese icing (from Paula Deen)
2 8oz pkg cream cheese
1 stick butter
1 lb powdered sugar (about 4 cups)
1 tsp vanilla

cream creamcheese and butter, add sugar and vanilla. This icing is delicious, but very liquid-y and will NOT pipe for designs.

Grilled Pork Chops with Apricot Salsa

Another spin off on a Rachel Ray dish.

4 pork chops
olive oil
salt
pepper
4 apricots
2 scallions
1 Tbs Balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs lemon juice.
1 Tbs minced fresh ginger.


Coat the pork chops with olive oil and salt and pepper. Half the apricots. Put apricots and pork chops on the grill. In the meantime chop scallions and combine with ginger, vinegar, and lemon juice in a bowl. Remove the apricots when they are just browned put them in the bowl and tightly cover with aluminum foil for 10 minutes. Cook the pork chops until done (10-12 minutes). Remove pork chops from grill to a plate to sit. uncover apricots and chop them finely and toss chopped apricots with the rest of the ingrediants. Top pork chops with apricot salsa and serve. Total cook time: 20 min