“Do you have a kinder, more adaptable friend in the food world than soup? Who soothes you when you are ill? Who refuses to leave you when you are impoverished and stretches its resources to give a hearty sustenance and cheer? Who warms you in the winter and cools you in the summer? Yet who also is capable of doing honor to your richest table and impressing your most demanding guests? Soup does its loyal best, no matter what undignified conditions are imposed upon it. You don’t catch steak hanging around when you’re poor and sick, do you?”   -Judith Martin (Miss Manners)

Love that quote! The days have gotten downright cold again, and I’ve hauled out my soup pot again. The first time I made a soup with butternut squash it wasn’t very flavorful, so I fiddled with the recipe until I got the desired mmmm on the first spoonful. I buy the squash already peeled and cubed at Costco. Sometimes roast the squash ahead of time, put it in a zip bag and toss it in the freezer. It doesn’t matter if it mushes up because you’re going to puree it anyway. Just thaw and add it to the soup when you’re ready to make it. Please enjoy!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

6 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash, roasted
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large rib celery, sliced
1 onion, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
½ tsp dried marjoram
¼ to 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 quart chicken stock (or more, depending on your desired thickness of soup)
3 bouillon cubes
4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup half and half

To roast squash cubes, spread in single layer on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, then salt and pepper. Roast at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until tender and caramelized.

To make soup:

Put olive oil in soup pot. Add celery, onion and carrot; sauté until tender.

Stir in roasted squash, marjoram, cayenne, chicken stock and bouillon cubes. Cook for 10 minutes.

Add cream cheese, breaking into bits, and stir into soup until warm. With immersion blender, purée soup until smooth. Taste, and add salt or pepper if needed. (The bouillon adds salt, so I usually don’t need to add extra.)

Add half and half, stirring to blend. Heat soup gently, but don’t bring to boil after adding half and half or it will curdle and separate. Ish.

I snipped this Ellie Krieger recipe from the newspaper a week ago, and I’ve made it twice so far. Once for my sisters and now again, because it’s so good and healthy. Plus, it’s really fast to throw together. Eat up!

Terrific Tuscan Vegetable Soup

1 (15-oz) can cannelli or other small white beans, preferably low-sodium, drained and rinsed
1 Tb. olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced (about 1 cup)
1 medium carrot, diced (about 1/2 cup)
2 stalks celery, diced (about 1/2 cup)
1 small zucchini, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tb. chopped fresh thyme, or 1 tsp. dried  (I used less because I only like a hint of thyme)
2 tsps. chopped fresh sage or 1/2 tsp. dried (I left this out)
1/2 tsp. salt, plus more to taste (I didn’t need more)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (I used chicken)
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, with juices
2 oz. baby spinach leaves (2 cups lightly packed), chopped
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional (Yes! use it!)

In a small bowl, mash half the beans with a masher or the back of a spoon; set aside.

Heat oil in large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, zucchini, garlic, thyme, sage, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil.

Add the mashed and whole beans and the spinach leaves; cook until spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes more.

Serve topped with the Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Six servings: 143 calories, 20g carbs, 8g protein, 4 g fat (.05g saturated), 5g fiber, 0g cholesterol

My husband’s birthday was last week, so when I was making his breakfast, I pulled out my printed copy of this recipe that I found on the Homespun Living blog months ago. The biscuits are quick to make and were a special, delicious treat to add to his plate of eggs and bacon. My favorite glaze recipe was just the right finish. Yum.

Cinnamon Biscuits

2 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, cold, in small pieces
3/4 cup buttermilk

Filling:
2 tbsp melted butter
1/4 cup sugar + 1/2 tbsp cinnamon, mixed together

Put first six dry ingredients in food processor, pulse; add butter and pulse until coarse crumbs form.  Add buttermilk, pulsing until dough comes together.  On floured surface, knead dough a few times, then roll out into approximately 8″ x 14″ rectangle. Brush dough with melted butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Starting at 8″ end, roll up as for a jelly roll.  Pinch to seal edge. With sharp knife, cut in 8 even slices; place in greased muffin tin or cake pan. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes. Drizzle with glaze if desired. Best when warm from the oven!

This is a glaze I’ve used on many desserts and sweet breads. It works wonderfully on these biscuits, and the recipe makes enough glaze for a double recipe of the biscuits.

Glaze:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted to get lumps out
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 tsp light corn syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla
2-3 Tbsp whole milk or cream

Combine sugar and butter. Add corn syrup and vanilla, stirring to combine. Drizzle in milk a little at a time until glaze has a nice consistency for drizzling over the warm biscuits.

I emailed this recipe to one of my nieces this morning because she wanted to make a bread using as much whole wheat flour as she could, so I’m sharing it here in case anyone is interested. Some recipes using only whole wheat flour are dry and crumbly; this one is not. It’s dense, but good. When my sons were small, I used to barter these loaves with my neighbor. She would watch my younger son while I walked the older one to school. In return, she’d get loaves of warm, fragrant loaves of bread. A good trade for both of us.

Whole Wheat Bread

2 1/2 cups warm water
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. active dry yeast
1 Tbsp. salt
6 cups whole wheat flour

Pour the warm water into a large bowl. Add the sugar and sprinkle the yeast on top of the water. In a few minutes, when the yeast comes bubbling to the top, stir in half of the who wheat flour and beat very well, until the dough ceases to be grainy and becomes smooth and stretchy.

Add the salt and the remaining flour cup by cup, mixing well. Knead it in the bowl until it is no longer sticky, then turn it out onto a floured surface.

As the dough gets stiffer and harder to knead, sprinkle the remaining flour a little at a time on the kneading surface and knead the dough on top of it. Knead, push, and fold until the dough is soft and springy to touch, and return it to the bowl. Cover the bowl and allow the dough to double in bulk.

Grease two loaf pans or two 46-ounce juice cans. Divide the dough in half and flatten each half into an oblong the length of the loaf pan, or, if you are using cans, mold the dough into an egg-shaped blob, pinching the dough tightly together at the seams. Slide the formed loaves into the pans and push down all around the sides so that no air is trapped below (important if you use the cans). Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees towards the end of the rising period. When the bread is rounded just above the rim, bake it for about 40 minutes. When you remove it from the pan and tap it on the sides or bottom, it should sound slightly hollow. The color should be a rich golden brown. Allow the bread to cool, then slice and serve.
Makes 2 loaves.

Dough can also be formed into rounded shape and baked on cookie sheets. It needs to be quite stiff for this free-form baking.
Also, raisins can be kneaded in if desired, and made into cinnamon swirl bread, following the usual process.

When I mentioned that I made pizza crust a few days ago, Kim asked if I’d share the recipe I use. Of course I will! There are a lot of recipes out there, and some may be better than mine, but this is so simple and has been a good base for our pizzas and calzones for a long time. I use bread flour for a crispy crust, but use unbleached flour if you like a chewier crust.

Pizza Crust That Has Stood the Test of Time in My Family

1 pkg. dry yeast (if you buy it bulk, about 2 1/4 tsp)
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 2/3 cup warm water (but not hot)
2 Tbsp olive oil, plus two teaspoons for your rising bowl
3 1/2 to 4 cups bread flour (or you can use unbleached, or a half unbleached/half whole wheat mix)
1 tsp kosher salt

In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water; sprinkle yeast over water and give it a little stir to get it wet. Let stand for a couple of minutes until it dissolves. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil, then add flour and salt. Stir together until it forms a ball, then turn it out onto lightly floured surface and knead for a couple of minutes until smooth. In a clean bowl, put 2 tsp olive oil and brush around the bottom of the bowl. Add the dough, turning to coat with the oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and put in a warm place to rise until double in size, about 1 hour.

To use: divide dough in half to make two pizza crusts. Grease two large pizza pans and dust with cornmeal. Put dough ball in center of pan, cover and let rest for a few minutes to relax. With hands, start pressing dough toward edges of pan, moving in a circular pattern. If it springs back, just let it rest a little bit to relax and go at it again. If you tear a hole in the dough, don’t worry, just mash it together again. My pizza pans are 16 inches across, and one dough ball fills the pan. If you don’t need both crusts, wrap one securely and stick it in the freezer to use another time.

Once your crust is ready, spread on the sauce, fillings and cheese of your choice. Bake on the lowest rack of your oven at 400 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, or until crust is golden brown on the bottom and the edges.

If you have questions, shoot me an email and I’ll be glad to answer them!

I’m happy to see the piles of winter squash in my grocery store, and acorn squash is probably my favorite. I love it as a side dish, all roasted and basted with butter and maple syrup or brown sugar. But recently I wanted to make a main course out of it by stuffing it with ground meat and vegetables. I made up a mixture using ingredients I had on hand, and it worked! You might think adding golden raisins is odd, but they add a bit of sweetness that is so good with the squash.

Acorn Squash with Savory Filling

2 medium size acorn squash, halved
1 lb. ground beef or pork (I’m going to try using Italian sausage next time–I think it would be delicious)
1 onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, sliced
1 large carrot, halved and sliced
1/2 cup chicken broth, if needed
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut acorn squash in half; using a large spoon, scrape out seeds and stringy stuff. Line a baking sheet with foil for easy clean-up. Brush edges of squash with butter or vegetable oil and place cut side down on foil. Bake for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, brown ground beef or pork in skillet until no longer pink. Add onion, celery and carrot; cook until onion is translucent and carrots are fairly tender. Add broth if mixture seems dry, then stir in thyme, raisins, salt and pepper. Simmer for about 5 minutes to incorporate flavors. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.

Remove squash from oven. Turn the halves over and put a tablespoon of butter in the bottom of each. Pile the filling into each of the squash halves. (If the squash halves are small, you’ll likely have leftover filling.) Return to oven and bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until squash is fork tender. If meat mixture starts to get too brown, cover with foil.

I serve this with a side salad to complete the meal.

Yesterday, Elle enticed us with a yummy-sounding list of soups that her family enjoys and offered to share the recipes, so I’m jumping on her bandwagon today with a recipe from our family. I’m a soup girl all year long, but when the temperatures start to dip, there’s little that will please me more at lunch or dinner than a big bowl of soup. This is a family favorite, and very quick and easy to make at the last minute. I always try to keep the ingredients on hand, just in case I get a soup craving. Since I’ve thrown away more than my share of bags of spoiled spinach, I keep a package of chopped spinach in the freezer. It works just fine in this recipe. I just thaw it in the microwave, squeeze it dry and toss it in the soup.

Italian Sausage, White Bean, Spinach Soup

1 lb. Italian sausage (either pork or turkey)
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 (15 oz) cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
32 oz chicken broth, or more depending on how much broth you like
10 oz fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped (or a box of frozen spinach)

If your sausage is in links, remove from casings, breaking into small pieces. Cook sausage in olive oil; drain and crumble. Add onion and garlic to pan; saute until soft. Add sausage back into pan, then add beans, tomatoes, and broth. Cover pan and simmer until hot. Add spinach and heat until just wilted. Serve with Parmesan shavings and crusty bread. Always on the lookout for a little spice, my husband adds a few shakes of hot sauce or crushed red pepper.

I’m always on the lookout for another great soup recipe, so if you have one, jump on the bandwagon!

We’re making an effort to eat more fish, so I’m checking out recipes that take me out of my usual repertoire. Today I wanted to make a soup with a filet of cod that I bought yesterday. I couldn’t find a recipe that used ingredients I had on hand, but a few different ones I’ve looked at over the past few months gave me the idea for one I threw together in a few minutes. It turned out great, and guess what—I’m going to share it with you!

Spicy Fish and Vegetable Soup

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 ribs celery, diced
2-3 carrots, sliced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ Tbsp chili powder
1 ½ tsp ground cumin
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 15 oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
4 cups chicken broth
1 4 oz. can diced green chiles
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 lb cod filet (preferably wild-caught)
1 cup half and half
salt and pepper to taste

In soup pot, sauté onion, celery and carrots in olive oil until mostly tender. Add red peppers, garlic, chili powder and cumin. Stir and cook over med-low heat for 3 minutes or so until the spices are fragrant. Add broth, tomatoes, and green chiles; bring to just boiling. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add corn and cod, cooking on a gentle simmer for another 5 minutes or so until cod is cooked. Stir in half and half and continue simmering until heated through. Salt and pepper to taste.

You’re gonna want a chunk of crusty bread to dip into the tasty broth!

My niece has been sharing produce from her garden with us, much to our delight. Last Friday she brought me a bag of goodies, and I was so happy to get some fresh Roma tomatoes and a big bunch of fresh, lovely-scented basil. I used them in a simple but delicious pasta dish that went together so quickly—it’s one of those last-minute dishes that come to the rescue when you have neither time nor inclination to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. And I’ll tell you this: leftovers are even better than the first-run meal.

16 oz. spaghetti or fine linguine
1 lb. bacon, chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
1 cup red onion, diced
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3 tbsp fresh minced garlic
2 1/2 cups fresh Roma tomatoes, diced
¼ cup red wine
4 tbsp fresh basil chiffonade
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

In a large stock pot, cook pasta until al dente.

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add bacon and cook until crisp. Remove bacon and drain on paper towel. Pour off most of the bacon fat, leaving a couple of tablespoons in the pan. Add olive oil, onions, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook until onion is translucent; add garlic. Cook for two minutes, and then add tomatoes. Saute  for 4-5 minutes, then add the wine. Cook for a couple more minutes to blend flavors.

Drain the pasta and add to the tomato mixture.  Add basil, bacon and cheese. Toss gently, adding salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Turn into a large serving bowl and sprinkle with additional Parmesan. Add a crisp salad and dinner is ready.

…and you know what happens if I’m home when it rains, don’t you? I bake something. Just can’t help myself. So I grabbed one of my favorite cookbooks, Dorie Greenspan’s Baking From My Home to Yours, to see what might beg to be made. When I read through the ingredients in this bundt cake, I suspected a toothsome winner. The combination of orange and chocolate is so good—you should taste the batter. I did, just to see, and then I tasted it again. And again. It’s that good. Remember when bundt cakes were so popular, and about the only dessert at a church potluck—though I’m guessing some of you weren’t even born yet or eating solid food in the 70′s! Good thing Dorie G. revved up the boring bundt cake of the past and made it something special. Judging from the scent coming from my oven, we have a treat in store after supper.

And because my mama taught me to share, here you go!

Nutty, Chocolaty, Swirly Sour Cream Bundt Cake
from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking From My Home to Yours

For the swirl:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped, or 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
1/3 cup plump, moist raisins (dark or golden) or dried currants
2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (I forgot to add this)
Pinch of salt

For the cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
Grated zest of 1 orange
2 sticks (8 oz. each) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream

Confectioner’s sugar, for dusting (optional)

Getting ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 35o degrees. Butter a 9 to 10-inch Bundt pan, dust the interior with four and tap out the excess. Don’t place the Bundt pan on a baking sheet—you want the oven’s heat to circulate freely through the Bundt’s inner tube.

To make the swirl: Put all the ingredients in a bowl and stir to mix.

To make the cake: Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Working in the bowl of a stand mixer or in another large bowl, rub the sugar and zest together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and aromatic. Add the butter. Beat on medium speed for 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each egg. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the sour cream. Still working on low, add the dry ingredients and mix only until they disappear into the batter.

Give the batter a last stir or two with a rubber spatula (just to make sure all the dry ingredients are properly incorporated), the scoop about one third of the better into the Bundt pan. Evenly sprinkle on half of the swirl mixture, the spoon in the rest of the batter. Make a shallow indentation with the back of the spoon in the center of the ring of batter and fill it with the remaining swirl mixture, then cover the mixture lightly with the batter on the sides of the indentation—the batter probably won’t cover the mixture completely, but that’s fine.

Bake for 60 to 65 minutes, or until thin knife inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer pan to a rack and let the rest for 10 minutes before unmolding onto the rack to cool to room temperature. Just before serving, dust the cake with confectioner’s sugar, if desired.