Polenta and Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash

I'm not sure what it says about me, but lately I'm all about stuffing things into vegetables.

A few simple questions guide my actions:

Are you a vegetable?

Can you be hollowed out and stuffed?

If the answers to both questions are a resounding YES, then we're off and running. 

From there, it's just a matter of exercising a bit of creativity in deciding what kinds of things might be delicious when stuffed inside.

For a while, I was stuck on making Quinoa & Chorizo Stuffed Peppers (so good).  

But, for the fall and winter, I wanted something a little bit different.  So, I started playing around with squash -- which, let's be honest, are the perfect subjects for stuffing, what with their little bowl shaped halves and all.

There are a lot of recipes for stuffed squash. But, I don't think there are many like this one.

This Italian take on stuffed squash combines the rich, corn-forward flavor of polenta with Italian sausage and red peppers to create a rich delicious dish that’s perfect as a hearty side or served as a main dish with a side salad. 

Using prepared polenta saves time, but you can also make your own. Just spread cooked polenta into a baking pan and allow it cool before cutting it into squares.

Polenta & Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash

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Pasta with Winter Squash Sauce, Chorizo, & Greens

Spring in Wisconsin is a fickle beast.
Just last week, we were enjoying gorgeous sunny days with temperatures close to sixty degrees. The breeze was sweet and light, and I was just beginning to get into the mood for serious spring fare like asparagus, fresh peas. Premature, I know, especially since we won't be seeing local asparagus or peas until May or June (and you really can't beat the flavor of fresh local spring produce). But, a girl can hope.

Unfortunately, that little taste of fine weather ended up to be just that... a taste.  And, as of this week, the weather is dreary and drippy and downright COLD.

Maybe it's God's way of preventing me from being tempted by all that organic California asparagus showing up on the shelves at Outpost Natural Foods.  Or maybe it's the last little boost I need to actually make good use of the last of the delicious food I've got stored up in the freezer.  Either way, I'm making peace with the idea that, despite what the calendar may indicate, spring has not quite arrived.

The fact is, I've got the perfect solution to a wet, cold spring day.  It's called winter squash sauce. And I've got a freezer full of it at my disposal.

The concept for this sauce was born nearly five months ago. On a brisk but sunny Saturday last October, we headed off to the market and stocked up on winter squash. I bought a number of fabulous heirloom varieties -- beautiful creamy yellow & green acorn squash, thin-skinned delicata, pimply Galeux d'Eysines, gorgeously hued Queensland Blue squash, and huge old style butternut squash.

We ate quite a bit of the squash roasted simply.  I made gratins, risottos, and wonderful steamy bowls of squash soup.  And then, after we'd eaten our fill of fresh squash, I started freezing squash puree for use in future recipes.  And I decided to get to work on squash sauce -- something I envisioned as not only a stand-in for the standard tomato based sauce, but also a possible base for squash soup. 

I spent a good portion of the late fall and winter tweaking this recipe to get it just the way I wanted it -- sweet (but not TOO sweet), smooth, and complex.  Although it makes use of plenty of savory flavors including celery, onions, and tomato paste, it turns out that a few roasted red peppers were just the thing that ended up taking the sauce to a whole new level.

You could easily make this sauce any time of the year using storage squash or frozen squash puree. But, since it freezes well, it's a recipe to tuck away for one of those industrious autumn weekends when you feel like making best use of all that squash from the market.

Although the sauce is perfectly delicious on its own (or mixed with cream to make a delicious soup), it makes a delicious pasta --  paired with a bit of browned Mexican chorizo, sauteed greens, and cubes of deliciously salty Monterey Jack cheese -- and then baked in the oven until it's bubbly and browned and crisp around the edges.

Perfect comfort food for a rainy spring evening -- or anytime you have the hankering for something warm and nourishing.

Winter Squash Sauce


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Want more? Read Lo's latest ruminations at FOODCrush, her Milwaukee Magazine blog.

Quick & Easy: Squash Soup with a Red Curry Kick

Now that spring has sprung, I'm enrapt in the adventure of cleaning out my winter veggie freezer stores. In addition to clearing space to make way for the upcoming summer bounty, using what's on hand means I'm able to save quite a bit of money on groceries.

This past week, when Peef poked his head down into our chest freezer, he found a package of winter squash puree that we'd forgotten about. I'd saved it up to make a batch of that beer-cheese-squash soup, but we didn't have any nice sharp cheddar cheese on hand. So, I decided to improvise.

A glance into the pantry revealed that I had ... not one, not two... but THREE little jars of Thai Kitchen red curry paste on hand. Apparently the paste was on sale at some point this winter, and my hoarding impulses took over for a moment. Needless to say, it seemed like a good move to amend my soup-making plans in that direction.

I sauteed an onion in a bit of coconut oil, and added a couple of teaspoons of the paste to the mix.
Then I added my squash puree, and stirred everything up thoroughly.
I added a can of low-fat coconut milk, and continued to stir until the soup was fragrant and creamy.
Then, I added 2/3 cup or so of diced red pepper -- for color and a bit of crunch. I let the soup simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the flavors melded. And then I poured it into bowls.
A bit of cilantro on top, and everything looked delicious.
This soup was definitely a delicious change of pace. The complexity of the red curry was a nice match for the uber-sweet squash, and the coconut milk gave the soup a lovely tropical edge without making it too rich. I have to admit I made it a BIT too spicy, even for our taste... but a less heavy hand on the curry paste would solve that in a jif.

This soup was the height of simple, weeknight cooking. Not altogether recipe-worthy, since it was so easy -- but delicious enough to warrant a repeat performance. This would be a fantastic soup to serve as a starter for a more intricate Thai feast... might have to start planning one of those for next winter.


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Mexican Squash Casserole

Last weekend, a look down in our basement pantry told us that we still had a BOATLOAD of winter squash to eat before we start mowing down on delicacies like fresh spring asparagus. So, we decided we'd better get back on the squash bandwagon. Fortunately for us, squash is a pretty versatile veggie.

Unfortunately, after eating it as a side dish, throwing it into chili, making it the star of a Thai-style curry, and pureeing batches and batches of it for soup, we were pretty tapped out on the idea front. Fortunately, a handful of kitchen staples came to the rescue.

We happened to have a handful of kale, the end of a bag of frozen corn, a can of black beans, some onions, and a few stale tortilla chips lying around. Without thinking too hard about it, I decided we might be able to create a reasonably decent dinner.

I cubed up the squash, tossed it with olive oil and chili powder, and tossed it in the oven for about 25 minutes to roast. Meanwhile, I sauteed the kale with an onion and a few cloves of garlic. I added a bit of cumin, some red pepper flakes, and a teaspoon or two of Mexican oregano.

When the squash was finished roasting, we threw everything together with the frozen corn and the black beans. It made a lovely little melange.
A grating of cheese and a sprinkling of crunched tortilla chips, and we were ready to throw the impromptu casserole into the oven.
We each took a big scoop of the finished casserole -- which was just cheesy enough to attract Paul's attention, and colorful enough to make me want to take a series of photos. But it didn't just look great, it also smelled fantastic. Sweet and smoky, with a hint of toasted corn from the chips, we were pretty intrigued. I blobbed a bit of fresh avocado on mine and took a taste.
I have to be honest, I wasn't expecting much from this dish. I had little doubt it would be edible, but I had absolutely no idea it would become what Paul affectionately calls a "kickasserole". This was seriously good impromtu food -- pretty healthy, chock full of veg and fiber, and seriously delish. I probably don't need to tell you that we mowed quite happily that night.

And then, we mowed again -- eating the succulent leftovers the next morning. Prepared quite simply with an egg on top, some sour cream, and a liberal sprinkling of siracha... this casserole made some seriously good brunch food.

Who knew all that "leftover" squash could taste this good?


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Roasted Vegetable Chicken Pot Pie

Is there anything more comforting than a chicken pot pie?

In my book, there are a number of things that conjure up the warmest of feelings -- a roasted chicken, a baked winter squash, a warm bowl of soup, and a pot-pie.

I have childhood memories of pot-pies. But, these pot-pies weren't homemade. They were the Banquet pot-pies that you find in your grocer's freezer case. And we were only allowed to have them on special occasions. Namely when Dad went out of town and Mom didn't feel like cooking. On those special nights, we'd find ourselves snuggled on the couch with a rented movie and pot-pie -- hot from the oven, and flipped out (upsidedown) into a soup bowl. I liked to eat the filling first, saving the crisp, buttery top crust for last.

Oh, yeah. I have great memories of those trans-fat-filled treats. But, these days, I think I can do them one better. By making my own.

This weekend's pot-pie making affair started with a load of chopped vegetables -- some carrots, a few tender white turnips, a butternut squash, and a few freshly dug Yukon Gold potatoes. You can see that our grown-up version already beats out those Banquet pot-pie imposters -- and we haven't even gotten past the first step!

But, don't think that I'm entirely virtuous. These vegetables went into the oven to roast with a splash of bacon fat (oh, yeah! that's for flavor, babe) and a bit of dried thyme.
Meanwhile I chopped up some previously roasted chicken and put together a nice sauce. Some sauteed onions, a nice roux, and some flavorful chicken broth. When the vegetables came out of the oven, we put the whole shebang together.
The next step is to stir everything together. And this is no small feat... after all, the smell is already too intoxicating to resist.
Once everything is adequately combined, I haul out my trusty 10-inch cast-iron pan. This is one tool with which an ordinary pie plate can't even begin to compete.
I roll out my first round of pie crust, and lay it down into the pan, tucking it nicely around. I might be tempted to stop to admire my work... but the smell of that pot-pie filling is making me hungry. So, I pour it in on top of the crust.
I roll out a second crust, place it over the top, crimp the edges, and give the pie a few slash marks in the top for good measure. After about 40 minutes in the oven, the pie is nicely browned and ... almost... ready to eat.
After waiting patiently for 10-15 minutes while the filling sets up, I allow myself the indulgence of cutting the first slice. And then another for Peef. We sat down with our pot-pies and watched a movie. Just like old times. Well... almost.

Roasted Vegetable Chicken Pot Pies

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Butternut Squash Soup with Beer and Cheese

It's only appropriate that bloggers from Wisconsin would eventually blog about beer cheese soup, right? But, you might not expect us to add butternut squash to the list of ingredients.
But, you know us. We like sneaking vegetables in anywhere we can. We also love a nice, hot bowl of soup on a chilly autumn evening... and everything is better with a bit of beer and cheese in it, right?

This particular soup is also easy enough to crank out on a weeknight. Doing a bit of chopping ahead of time could also speed up the process.

You start off by peeling and dicing a nice sized butternut squash.
And dicing a bit of cheese. In this particular case, we opted for a nice, aged gouda that we found at the farmer's market.
Sautee some onions and garlic in a bit of butter and olive oil.
Then, add the squash along with some chicken (or veggie) broth. And bring everything to a boil.
After simmering the soup until the squash is nice and tender, it's time to puree it. You can do this in batches in a blender. Or just get out your handy-dandy immersion blender (which is an indispensable tool in our kitchen).
Once everything is nicely homogenized, you can whisk in some of that gorgeous cheese... and then you'll pour in the beer (to taste).
Serve with a few chopped scallions.

You can bump things up a notch by plating the soup a bit better, and adding a whorl of cream.
But, we weren't being quite that fussy on this particular night.

We enjoyed this week's batch of soup with a side of apple-kraut quesadillas (actually minus the kraut, since we didn't have any local kraut on hand).

If you're an exacting sort, here are the proportions:
Butternut Squash Soup with Beer and Cheese


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VegHead Chili

When we got home from Dallas, we surveyed the contents of the refrigerator.

• 2 small red cabbages (from our CSA booty)
• a few locally grown carrots
• 2 sleek leeks (locally grown, obtained at the co-op)
• a bunch of peppers (both sweet and hot) from the garden
• some lonely celery (I do not believe this was local...!!)
• 1 locally grown butternut squash (OK, not in the fridge... but close)
• a few onions (from last week's farmer's market)

Alright, alright. The outlook was better than expected. But, it still presented a few challenges for an entire week of eating.

Fortunately, I was saved by a few of my freezer staples: frozen roasted tomatoes from last summer's CSA and a bag of grilled corn (from earlier this summer when we were eating corn on the cob by the boatload). We also have a well-stocked pantry, so cans of beans (from MI), and spices (from Penzey's) were also readily available.

HaHA! I shouted (accompanied, of course, by the prerequisite menacing grin). And I began chopping.
Somewhere along the line, three beans escaped from their respective cans and posed for me on the cutting board... so I took a photo.
And a beer from Viking Brewery flung itself out of the fridge. So, I decided to make use of him. He turned out to be a secret ingredient (though I'm fairly certain that an ordinary stout would do in a pinch).
I roasted up a few poblanos from the garden, tossed in a few jalapenos. And WA-LA! Veg-head chili.
The cheese on top is truly gratuitous, considering the already delicious nature of this chili. But, we couldn't resist being a little bit indulgent.

This chili was a winner this week, not only because it tasted great, but also because it made a large enough pot to provide lots of leftovers for lunch (and another dinner).

If you're interested in the basic recipe, I'll share.
Veg-head Chili


NOTE on the Viking Hot Chocolate Beer: Pretty interesting stuff. A bit sweet for my taste -- which is why it ended up in the chili, rather than directly down the hatch. But, I like the adventurous folks over there at Viking. They get thumbs up for originality.



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Zucchini Fries!

I'm not obsessed with making things healthier, especially if I have to sacrifice flavor in order to do it. But, when I find a way to create something that is both healthy and tasty, I'm a HUGE fan.

These veggie fries are an exceedingly good example of healthy cooking gone absolutely right. The relative ease of the recipe makes it even better. Just a bit of flour, some cornmeal, a few seasonings (this is a great place to get creative), and a couple of eggs... and you have yourself the makings for a snack that rivals french fries.

And what could be bad about that?
You'll catch us making these babies every chance we get. Especially right now when zucchini has gone wild at the farmer's market.

Don't make us be the only ones! Try them yourself.
Zucchini Oven Fries


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Grilled Vegetable Heaven... on a Sandwich

When we get back from the farmer's market at this time of the year, I can't resist making one of my favorite summer treats -- grilled vegetable sandwiches.

First, I take a pile of vegetables and chop them into sandwich-sized pieces. This week, we happened to have some locally grown hydroponic orange peppers, a few baby eggplants from the farmer's market, some yellow summer squash, and a few little sweet onions from our CSA.
After some quality time on the grill, those vibrantly lovely veggies were reduced to a fantastically delicious shadow of their former selves. I'll admit to slurping up a few of the slices of caramelized eggplant before they ever made it CLOSE to the sandwiches.
Before I get too far ahead of myself I'd better tell you that, just before we grilled up those veggies, I mixed up the real key to a good summer veggie sandwich. Garlic basil mayonnaise.
No, I didn't go through the trouble of making my own (though that's NEVER a bad idea). But, in this particular case, even the cheater's approach is nothing short of glorious. A bit of garlic and some chopped basil transforms ordinary jarred mayonnaise into something truly extraordinary. And trust me, you ain't lived until you've taken a whiff of this delicious mess!!
Slather some of that extraordinary mayo on one side of a loaf of asiago pesto foccaccia from the local bakery... and pile the veggies high! Grab a side of grilled corn on the cob, and I'm pretty sure you'll be good and satisfied.

Oh, yum!
This is local eating at its finest! And no recipes necessary.



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