Savory Butternut Squash Soup

The wonder of the fall is upon us, and with it the warm fuzzy feelings that come with the holiday season.  One of my favorite for these family times is butternut squash soup!  I hope it keeps you as warm as has kept my family :)

Ingredients:

1 large butternut squash

1 large red onion

2 large bake potatoes

2 small apples

16 oz concentrated chicken stock

1tbs cinnamon

1tsp paprika

1tsp nutmeg

1tbs black pepper

1tbs basil

1tsp thyme

1/2c butter

Serves: 8+

Time:

To prepare         20min

To cook             4 hr on high, or 6 hr on low

Total                 1 day

Directions:

1) Peel the uncooked butternut squash and potatoes.  You will also need to slice the squash down the middle so that you can scoop the seeds out.

2) Chop all ingredients into large chunks and fit into the crock pot.  Play tetris with the food if need be!

3) Add the chicken stock and 8 oz of water over the top.  Now you can add your spices as well right to the top!!

4) Start the crock pot on low-- Then move to high as you need to for timing.  

5) Puree the cooked and hot ingredients.  You can do this literally in a blender-- works great!-- or with a hand held blender, such as Cuisinart's 2 speeder.

6) Spoon the soup into a bowl.  The soup should be pretty thick-- So think that you can draw a swirl in it with the back of a spoon.

7) Melt, SLOWLY, the 1/2c of butter in the microwave.  It's best to do this in many intervals of short time. So 10-15 seconds a go.

8) Give the butter a minute to settle before straining through a cheese cloth-- or paper towel.  The paper towel honestly doesn't work as well, but I for one do not have cheese clothes on hand. 

9) Congrats-- You have just made clarified butter!  Now spoon it into the soup swirl and serve warm.

Cost:

butternut squash       $2.00
red onion                  $0.50
bake potatoes           $1.00
apples                       $0.50
chicken stock           $1.20
spices                       $0.60
butter                        $0.50      
Total                        $6.30
Per serving               $0.78

Rosemary Skewered Grilled Shrimp and Pasta

I think the title says it all, but if that wasn't enough to sell you how about, "It's Seafood Sale Season!"  Which is where the inspiration for this dish came from, in case you couldn't guess.  I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did-- And everyone I served it too!

Ingredients:                                                                                                               12 jumbo shrimp,     1 jar pasta sauce,     1 bag pasta,    4 rosemary springs,    seasonings to taste: I strongly recommend basil, black pepper, and garlic salt

Time: 35 min

Serves: 4, (With left over pasta and sauce...)

Directions: 

1) Shell and rinse the raw shrimp.  For the pretty final effect, leave just the tail on the shrimp, although this isn't necessary.

2) As pictured in series above, once you have shelled and washed your shrimpies, you must devain them.  Please actually do this step!  Turns out the toxins from eating shrimp are almost exclusively in their shit-- Literally.  By devaining the shrimp you get rid of any possible DDT contamination.  ALL shrimp are at risk of DDT contamination, no matter where you buy them or how much you pay.  Shrimp just like to grow in DDT dump sites ;P The "vain" is on the back side, so the opposite of where the legs were.  You will have to cut along the back of the shrimp to find the vain.

3) Skewer the shrimp onto the rosemary springs.  Season as desired-- and pop them in the oiled pan!  If you are grilling, you should oil the shrimp themselves before putting them on the fire. :)

4) Turn the shrimp over after 5-10 minutes.  During this time you should also be boiling your water for the pasta!  You will know when the shrimp are thoroughly cooked because the split you cut into the shrimp to devain them will become very apparent as the meat seems to expand!  Cooked shrimp will look opaque and the outside will have the classic pink look.

5)  Once the pasta is cooked, drain and add the pasta sauce directly to the pot with the pasta in it.  I am a fan of less dishes.  This will heat the pasta sauce quickly too!  Then just plate up, and serve hot!  Bon Appetite!!

Cost:
Shrimp            $6
pasta sauce     $2
pasta               $1
rosemary         hopefully free :)
Total               $9
Per serving    $2.25

Marsala Chicken

This is one of those (many) Italian dishes that is so much better to make yourself.  And more affordable too!

Ingredients:
1c         white mushrooms, washed and sliced
1c         Marsala wine
4           chicken breasts, or equivalent tenders in weight
1 tsp     oregano
1tbs      basil
1/2 tsp  salt
4 tbs     olive oil
7oz       pasta
1/4c      all purpose flour

Time: 
10 min prep
20 min cooking
30 min total

Serves: 4 people +

There is a lot of flexibility in this dish. Any pasta works-- So just pick your favorite!  I chose "star" pasta for this dish because it's an easy way to give the dish a "thick, hardy taste," which my husband prefers.  Were I making this for just me, I would use whole wheat spiral pasta, as that is my personal favorite. Along those lines, feel free to add more or less seasonings depending on taste. Pepper is very commonly in this dish.  Most of all-- Have fun!!

Direction:

1) Wash and slice the mushrooms-- Never trust that they are "pre-washed" unless you like the idea of literally eating shit.

2) Start the water boiling for the pasta.

3) In a high lipped plate, mix together the flower, salt, oregano, and basil.

4) Coat the thawed chicken in the flour mixture.

5) Place the chicken into a large skillet with the hot olive oil. (Aka, the stove is already on.)

5) Brown the chicken on both sides. This will take a few minutes for each side.

6) Add the mushrooms and cover the skillet.  This will help the mushrooms 'sweat.' This is only to get them started, so don't exceed 5 minutes.

7) Add the pasta to the now boiling water.

8) Add the sherry and cover again. This time cover for 10 minutes.  Interrupt the 10 minutes to turn the chicken over.

9) Uncover the chicken for the final few minutes to thicken the sauce. Add a sprinkling of flour if necessary.

10) Drain the pasta and mix in well with the Chicken Marsala.  Serve warm!

Cost:
white mushrooms     $1.50
Marsala wine            $2.00
chicken                     $2.00
oregano                    $0.10
basil                         $0.35
salt                            $0.02
olive oil                    $0.50
flour                          $0.20
pasta                         $0.25
Total                         $6.92
Per person                $1.73

Quick and Easy Dinner for Two (or more!)

For the work days: A Hearty, Comfort Food, Bake Dish

Potato Casserole

This is one of those meals that can be prepped before hand, even cooked before hand, and the timing is less crucial on.  Meaning:  You throw it in the oven when you first walk in the door and by the time you are actually ready to eat , ( you've read the mail, your changed your work clothes, etc), it's ready... No matter when that is! If you prefer a non-vegetarian version, in between the layers of cheese and the precooked meat of your choice. I strongly recommend some slices of deli cute ham!

Ingredients:
7           redskin potatoes
8-12     slices of white cheese (Mozzarella is great if you want to eat fast)
1/2 cup milk (any kind)
1 tbs     oil (or bacon grease)
seasonings to taste
(deli ham optional)

Prep Time: 30 min
Cook time: variable (10 min to no more than an hour)
Total time: 45 min

Serves: 2*
*If you would like to serve more, just add more potatoes and cheese!

Directions:

1) Boil the washed redskin potatoes in a pan filled with 6 quarts of water.  This can be done the night before, as long as you leave the skin on to protect the potatoes from oxidizing.  An oxidized potato ins't spoiled, but may be less fun of eating them do to it's less slightly appearance.

2) Grease the bottom of your casserole dish with the 1 tbs oil.  Above is a 4X6 Pyrex dish.  The less filled the pan the more crispy the casserole will be.  You can make any size casserole/backing dish work work.

3) Let the potatoes cool to a safe handing temperature.  Cut the potatoes in slices.

4) Layer the casserole dish with a layer of potatoes.  I leave the skins on the potatoes for their appealing red skin color and for extra fiber.

5) Pour just enough milk over the potatoes to cover the surface.  You should not "cover" the potatoes in milk, just "wet" them.  This should take less than 1/4 of a cup of milk.

6) Add a layer of cheese slices.  If you are adding meat, you should do so on top of the "wet" potatoes and before the cheese.

7) Lay another layer of potatoes.  "Wet" with milk again, using less than 1/4 of a cup.  Cover this layer with cheese.*

8) Repeat Steps 6-7 until your casserole dish is full, you run out of an ingredient, or you decide you want to be done.

9) Bake the casserole (uncovered) at 325 degrees for 10 min to an hour.  (The longer you think you will back it the 'harder' the cheese should be.  Feel free to see prior posts on Jarlsberg being a great and cheap hard cheese to back with. Also, if you plan on baking this casserole an hour, add an extra 1/4 cup of milk evenly over the top before you put the dish in.

* I usually add a "pinch" of seasonings to each layer.  A "pinch" begin a light dusting of say black pepper and Italian seasoning.

10) Serve hot and with a cold beverage to finish out your day!

Cost:
redskin potatoes        $2
white cheese              $2
milk                           $0.50
oil                              $0.10
seasonings to taste     $0.15
(deli ham optional)    ($2)                                  
Total:                        $4.75 (or $6.75 with meat)
Cost per person:     $2.37!