So. I’ve had a couple of butternut squashes in my fridge. They’ve been taunting me. Staring me down. Begging me to do something, anything with them. But I was nervous. It’s been years since I handled and cooked squashes in their whole form. Typically, I take the easy way out and buy squash that’s already been peeled and cubed. But I couldn’t let the squash go to waste. I had to overcome my nerves and just use it.

Turns out, working with butternut squash is way easier than I remember. Since I ultimately wanted cubed squash, I cut the ends of the squash off to make them flat — easier to work with the squash that way. Then I used a regular ol’ vegetable peeler to peel the skin (which wasn’t as tough or thick as I expected), taking care to peel away until I saw orange flesh. Finally, I sliced the squash in half length-wise, removed the seeds and stringy things and sliced the squash into 1/4-inch slices. I used what I needed immediately, dicing it,  and stored the rest in an airtight container in the fridge.

Honestly, working with a whole squash wasn’t any harder or more time consuming than cutting down the big chunks of butternut squash into a quarter-inch dice. And it’s way more cost effective. Guess what I will be buying in the future? Yep … no shortcuts needed on this one.

I’ve been roasting most of the squash and using it in different dishes. When you roast butternut squash, it becomes soft and sweet — a natural, light caramelization that’s just awesome. For this, I tossed the squash with a bit of olive oil spray, cinnamon, paprika and salt (a killer combination on orange veggies), which gives it a rich savory sweetness once it’s been roasted for about 25 minutes.

One of my favorite things to do with this roasted squash is to sprinkle it onto salad. It’s amazing, and a little unexpected. This salad combines the sweet, soft bits of squash with sweet-tart dried cranberries and warm, meaty toasted walnuts. It’s served on a bed of romaine. And one of my favorite things about it? It didn’t take more than 30 minutes to make. Okay. maybe 40 minutes, if you haven’t already peeled and sliced your squash.

It’s a great fall salad for lunch or a light dinner. Who doesn’t love a great salad?

What shortcuts do you take in cooking? Dish in the comments.

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When I went into the kitchen this afternoon, Paige came running in, dragging a chair behind her. “Mommy, I want to help.” I was there to clean, and told her so. “Then I’ll watch.”

And she did, waiting patiently until the counters were wiped clean and the dishes in the sink were washed or transferred to the dishwasher. She knew what was coming when I was done: cooking.

Paige and Will both revel in helping me in the kitchen. Even if it’s as simple as washing basil at the sink or transferring chopped veggies to a bowl, they’re happy to be involved in any way. And as a result, they know the difference between kale and lettuce, eggplant and pepper, and so many other foods.

It’s a good thing too. Whereas some foods do give me pause, the kids are unaffected. Eggplant in this dish? Yum. Mushrooms? Paige’s favorite. Peppers? Oooh. This rice dish could have been a hard-sell, but it wasn’t.

Will and I really enjoyed the flavors and textures of this Tomato Basil Veggie Rice. Really, anything with the vibrant combination of tomatoes and fresh basil is a favorite for me, but this rice also had that richness that you want with fall and winter foods. Paige wasn’t as into it though … but that’s okay. She ate quite a bit anyway.

This is a one pot dish that takes a little more than 30 minutes to whip up (most of it is hands off time), which makes it totally weeknight friendly. The rice cooks in a bath of vegetable stock and the juices from a can of diced tomato, rendering tender grains with a hint of sweet gravy. It’s a complex, contrasting story of flavors and textures: sweet and savory, meaty without meat, substantial without heaviness. The bits of diced tomato are a shock of sweet next to the meaty mushrooms and eggplant bits.

We eat this as a side dish with chicken, but the recipe could be a meal in of itself too.

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Last weekend, I was thinking up new recipes to work on when this idea for a veggie-filled chili came to mind. I’d almost call it a girl’s chili, but I truly hate when people refer to certain dishes as “man food,” so I surely shouldn’t be hypocritical and call this “girl food.”

It’s anyone who loves veggies food.

Really, this chili is all about fall produce. It begins with peppers, eggplant, leeks and kale — all from the farm where I get my CSA box … but you could easily find these in the grocery store or at the farmers market. The veggies, which are plentiful, bulk up the chili and make it feel substantial as you eat it. Once the veggies are all softened, you add in the (antioxidant-rich) tomatoes and beans … oh and the seasonings too. Then it just has to simmer.

You’ll notice that in the recipe, I am decidedly vague about the seasoning amount. Seasoning chili is a hard thing for me. While I love knock-your-socks-off hot chili, my husband and kids don’t. Not even close. So I always have to go mild for them. For myself, I and then doctor mine so that it has that bite that I crave.

Maybe someday we can be on the same page about the heat? Maybe? Eh, who am I kidding …

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There’s been a serious and welcome chill in the air the past few days. It’s allowed the kids and me to crawl into our flannel pajamas and pull on our favorite socks (mine are fuzzy!). These things – these garments – are a lot like comfort food: something that’s both calming and familiar. It’s been nice.

All this coolness has me thinking about Fall and winter veggies — the winter squashes, potatoes, apples and of course Brussels sprouts. Oh, Brussels sprouts, they are definitely a comfort food for me.

You all know how much I adore Brussels sprouts. Or, if you didn’t, now you do. I am always on the hunt for new ways to make them. For awhile, I was obsessed with Roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon and shallots, then Sauteed Brussels sprouts with lemon vinaigrette became my bff and last year it was Brussels sprouts with bacon and melty blue cheese.

But this year? It’s all about the braising, baby.

This recipe produces tender, toasty, slightly caramelized Brussels sprouts with a killer sweet-savory-sensational flavor. They’re warm, fast and easy … and the shallots, which totally caramelize during cooking, are a nice supporting note. These are easy enough to make on a busy weeknight. And the recipe is so simple that it can easily be doubled or tripled.

What’s also great about these is that the sprouts develop that sweet whisper and shed any bit of bitterness during cooking. So they’re savory … but have that little inkling of sweet too.

Did I mention fast? One thing I have learned over the years is that I like my Brussels sprouts to cook pretty fast and without a lot of hands-on time. This recipe does that with its sear and braise method. And despite cooking them in liquid, the Brussels sprouts don’t end up mushy or flavorless. I can’t tell you how much I detest mushy Brussels sprouts. It’s a waste.

The recipe serves four as a side dish … unless you adore sprouts like me. Then it might feed fewer people. Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.

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When I was in elementary and middle school, I was friends with these three sisters who lived across the street from us. Christina, who was closest to my age, was one of my best friends. We were inseparable, playing all sorts of games of pretend and imagination.

Sometimes when I would head over to see if they wanted to play, they’d be eating their lunch and sometimes that lunch was hunks of boiled cabbage, salted to perfection. I was jealous when I saw them eating it. They weren’t allowed to share, and I never asked them to, but those shimmering wedges of cabbage always made my mouth water. Strangely, they never seemed so excited about them as I was …

I know. It’s odd. Who salivates over cabbage? Well, apparently me. And for the record, to this day I love cabbage. Including boiled cabbage. Though, thinking back, it’s hard to believe their mom called that lunch. But who am I to judge? I still think a dozen ears of corn can make a delicious mid-summer dinner for two.

In spite of my cabbage love, every summer my CSA packs head after head of the stuff until I am about ready to cry uncle. When it comes to cabbage, there can totally be too much of a good thing. So, I am always looking for ways to use up all the cabbage that comes my way.

This new recipe is a great way to use it. It works well with either red or green cabbage (the red tends to be a little sweeter), so use whichever you have on hand. If the head of red cabbage is small though, use two.

The flavor is sweet with a slight salty tang. It reminds me of a cross between pickled red cabbage and sauerkraut. I think it’d be awesome on hot dogs, actually. But being a crazy cabbage lover, I just eat it out of a bowl with a fork, enjoying every last bite.

Do you love cabbage like I do?
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When you mention radishes, a lot of people grimace. And really, I can’t blame them. I’m not a big fan of raw radishes myself. They aren’t the natural perfection of a farm-grown tomato in summer or an ear of just picked sweet corn. They’re hard, dirty and often ugly (especially from a farmers market). And then there is the taste. Their peppery flavor doesn’t rank high on many people’s enjoyment scale. But like many things, it’s all in preparation.

Cooked radishes are a whole new ballgame. From sauteed radishes to grilled radishes, the peppery flavor is tamed and a musky sweetness emerges. They’re tender, more delicate versions of raw radishes. Love it. Like really, truly love it.

This simple recipe is a good go-to for preparing radishes as a side dish or for using them in salads. I like them drizzled with some balsamic glaze, but they’re good without it too.

And if you read the title and scrunched your nose … give ‘em another chance cooked.

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One of my favorite parts of belonging to a CSA program (that’s Community Supported Agriculture, or a farm share program where you prepay at the beginning of the season for a weekly basket of veggies and/fruit), is that I am challenged to cook with ingredients I might otherwise overlook in favor of mainstays like broccoli and green beans. Kale and even scallions fall into that category. But I am always happy with the results of cooking with them.

When our first CSA box arrived a few weeks ago, it was stuffed with greens and scallions. And as I struggled to decide on a cost-effect and easy dinner to make, I decided to skip the grocery store in favor of cooking from the basket and freezer. I always keep bags of raw shrimp in the freezer and it’s a cinch to defrost them under cool running water in the sink. It only takes about 10 minutes.

As far as easiness goes, well, I would be lying if I called this completely easy. The ingredients list for this Summer Pasta with Shrimp and Kale is a bit too long for that. It’s so worth it though. Fresh scallions, garlic, kale, white wine, a little butter. Just try it. The reality is that it really doesn’t take long to whip up. It’s just hands on. And a few more ingredients than easy.

When I made this, I expected there to be plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day. No such luck. Instead, the two teens joining us went back for heaping seconds. I am so not complaining though. I love feeding people, and having them take full-sized seconds portions is the most humongous compliment.

What’s your favorite summer food?

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Ever since I made Balsamic Radishes using the recipe from Kalyn’s Kitchen a few years ago, I have been obsessed with cooked radishes. I cannot begin to express just how much I adore them. By cooking them, normally super peppery radishes are toned down, turned into milder, slightly sweet versions of their raw selves.

And when they are well-seasoned, like the balsamic ones, Grilled Radish Packets or these simple Asian-inspired Soy-Ginger Sauteed Radishes, they become this incredible veggie — firm but silky and practically screaming with flavor. This particular recipe has that sweet-saltiness thanks to the five second soy-ginger sauce that finishes these babies off. So good.

So you know, this dish serves two. Unless, of course, you love them like I do and you accidentally-purposely eat them all by yourself. Don’t worry, I won’t tell!

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When I came home from work the other day and set up to, well, work, I discovered that my home internet wasn’t working. And to make matters worse, tech support was closed. So, I worked offline for a bit (getting a ton done!) before going to bed early. The next morning I woke up early and found that my internet still wasn’t working. Joy.

But then I really did find joy in the situation. I got up, read for a little while and then started working on a few new recipes and techniques in the kitchen. Before I knew it, I had several dishes done, had fed the kids and myself and it was 9 a.m., when tech support opens again.

I cannot tell you how great it felt not to be tethered to the internet or my computer for those hours. It makes me want to take time away from it on purpose. Actually, I really know that I should.

One of the things I was working on that morning was these Grilled Roasted Red Peppers. It’s a super easy technique that doesn’t heat up the kitchen and does produce juicy, sweet, smoky peppers. Oh, they are so good — perfect for sandwiches, sauces, on salads and so much more (and no, not all the uses begin with ‘s’!). Read the rest of this entry…

Do you ever just want to cheer from the rooftops? Maybe let out a loud whoop? Or perhaps jump on Oprah’s couch … oh wait, that’s just Tom Cruise.  Anyway, even if you aren’t couch jumping, everyone feels like this sometimes … where something thrills you so much that you just want to tell everyone. Right. Away.

That’s totally how I feel about this kale dish. And yes, I am being absolutely serious.

Although the kale is braised, it retains that texture that makes it so special. It’s softened, but still definitely leaves. In fact, that’s one of the things I love about kale and chard: they don’t turn to mush when cooked. It’s that mushiness that makes spinach and I have a tenuous relationship.

In any case, this is dinosaur kale … aka Tuscan kale. The leaves are sweeter than other varieties of kale, and milder in flavor. They are delicious when used raw, but also good for cooking.

This kale is a little sweet, but totally savory. And the lemon and Romano finish make it simply spectacular.

And perhaps the best, bestest, best part? This is local kale. I dropped by my cousin’s organic farm earlier and bought this, chard and scallions — my first local food of the season. There is nothing like it. And I couldn’t be more thrilled that the local season is here at long last.

Have your farmers markets opened yet? Are they open year-round?
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