Balsamic-Glazed Butternut Squash

I initially made this dish with my Hoison Glazed Salmon.  This dish is completely amazing.  I have made it twice since my initial love-at-first-taste experience.  I did not add vegetables to the squash dish, and to be honest, it truly doesn't need it.  The caramelized onions are absolutely divine, and I will definitely be making this dish again and again in the very near future.

Cooking time, 45 minutes.  Serves 4 as a side.

1 medium sized butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 medium zucchini, peeled and diced (I omitted this because I didn't have one.  Feel free to add other vegetables you have laying around, i.e. carrots, potatoes)
1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1-2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Peel squash, remove seeds with an ice cream scoop, and dice into bite-sized pieces.  Place squash in a casserole dish and toss with other vegetables (if using), olive oil, salt and pepper.  Roast for 20-30 minutes, until fork tender.  Tast and adjust seasonings as needed.

While your squash roasts, caramelize your onions.  Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add sliced onions and stir until softened, about five minutes.  Lower heat to low-medium low, and add in 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar.  Stir, and allow to cook for another 5-10 minutes.  After this time, check your onions, and if you really like balsamic vinegar (like I do), you can add another tablespoon.  Continue to stir occasionally for another 10 minutes or so, until the onions are nicely caramelized and the balsamic vinegar has reduced.

When your butternut squash is ready, toss it with the balsamic glazed onions.  Taste, and adjust seasoning as necessary.

Southwestern Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

I served this salad with my Vegetarian Three-Bean Chili.  It would be impossible for me to accurately praise this salad.  The cilantro lime vinaigrette is one of the most delicious dressings I have ever tasted.  I was nervous at first because of the cilantro to liquid ratio; the dressing turned out somewhat thick and absolutely delicious.  I found pumpkin seeds at World Market, but those of you who are over achievers could roast your own.  The girls absolutely loved this salad, and I will definitely be making it again and again! 

Ingredients
Salad:
Romaine lettuce
handful of grape tomatoes
2 green onions, sliced
2 bell peppers (any color), diced
1/2 c black beans (I omitted the beans since I served this with bean-packed chili)
1/2 c frozen corn, thawed
1 T toasted pumpkin seeds
1 avocado, diced
2 T cotija cheese
Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

In a large salad bowl, add chopped lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, avocado, bell peppers, black beans, corn, pumpkin seeds and cheese.  Top the salad with the vinaigrette and enjoy!

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette:
1/2 c chopped cilantro
1/4 c olive oil
2 T lime juice (fresh, or store-bought, I used store-bought and it was great)
1 T red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 t oregano

Blend all ingredients together in a blender.  Let the flavors mingle for at least 30 minutes before serving. 

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts

I found the recipe for the brussels sprouts on Pinterest.  I cannot describe how wonderful this dish turned out!  I omitted the nuts from the brussels sprouts -- mostly because I was lazy and didn't want to toast them.  The sprouts have the perfect mix of veggie and sweet.  The texture turned out wonderfully.  I served this with my Hoisin Glazed Salmon.  Although all three dishes in that meal were a little sweet, the flavors actually turned out well together.  I would highly suggest this side dish with steak or chicken.  Enjoy!!

Serves approximately 3-4 as a side.

12-14 large brussels sprouts
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 glove garlic, minced
pinch sea salt
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup roughly chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted (optional)

Cut off stems and slice each brussels sprout very thin until you have a mound of feathery brussels sprout ribbons.  Heat the olive oil over medium high in a large skillet and saute the garlic for 30 seconds.  Add the brussels sprouts and continue sauteing for another 4-5 minutes, until bright green and tender (or longer if you like them more well-done, like me).  Add the sea salt and brown sugar and toss together.  Finish by adding the toasted nuts.

Cheddar and Scallion Cornbread

The cornbread was good, but it is traditional Texas cornbread in that it is not very sweet.  This was my first time making cornbread from scratch, and it is noticeably less sweet than store-bought mixes.  However, I thought it was delicious!  I made this to accompany my vegetarian three-bean chili.  As I do with chili, I tore the cornbread into bite-sized pieces and sprinkled it over my chili.  It was delightful :) 


Ingredients
1 1/4 c cornmeal
3/4 c flour
1 T sugar
2 t baking powder
3/4 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
1 c cheddar cheese, grated
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2/3 cup milk
2/3 c buttermilk
2 large eggs
3 T unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Generously grease a 9" round cake pan.  In a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda.  Gently fold in the grated cheese and green onions, mixing until combined.  In another medium bowl, whisk together the milk, buttermilk, eggs and melted butter.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, whisking until just combined.  Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes.

Maple and Brown Sugar Pork Tenderloin in the Crock Pot

One word:  WOW.  This dish was absolutely delicious and inspiring.  As I've stated, I am in love with my Crock Pot; however, I had no idea something this amazing could be birthed from my shiny red girl!  The pork was tender and moist!  The sauce was rich, sweet, and incredibly sinful!  To be honest, I don't know if I will venture out and try another recipe after tasting this phenomenal piece of Crock Pot magic.  Okay, that's a false statement.  But this recipe 100% exceeded my expectations and took me to a whole new level of Crock Pot appreciation.  Since I was only cooking for one, I cut the pork loin in half and froze the second half for another day (I will absolutely be using it in this same recipe in the near, near future).  I actually purchased a 2-lb tenderloin instead of two 1 pounders.  I served this with my favorite side dish, balsamic-roasted butternut squash , and steamed asparagus.  The meal was filling, rich, healthy, and most importantly, so easy to make!  The only suggested alteration would be to double the sauce if you are cooking 2 pounds of tenderloin; I only cooked 1 pound, and there was just enough sauce for that amount of meat.  This is a must-make dish, and it is sure to please everyone in your household.  Enjoy!!

Ingredients
2 pork tenderloins, about 1 pound each
salt and pepper
1 small clove garlic, minced
4 T country-style dijon mustard (I used Grey Poupon)
2 T honey
2 T brown sugar
1 T balsamic vinegar
1/2 t dried thyme leaves, crumbled
1 T maple syrup
1 T cornstarch
1 T cold water

Wash and trim the pork and pat dry.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.  Place pork into the Crock Pot.  Combine garlic, mustard, honey, brown sugar, vinegar, thyme and syrup; pour mixture over the pork.  Turn pork a few times to coat thoroughly.  Cover and cook on LOW for 7-9 hours, or on HIGH for 3 1/2 - 4 1/2 hours.

Remove pork to a plate, and cover with foil to keep warm.  Pour the juices into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until reduced by about 1/3.  Combine the cornstarch and cold water, and whisk into the reduced juices and cook for 1 minute longer.  Serve pork sliced with the thickened juices.

Mexican Baked Eggs

This breakfast hit the spot yesterday and this morning.  The bean mixture adds a nice base to the baked eggs.  I actually split my mixture up in two baking dishes so I could eat it over two days; I'm not a fan of reheated eggs.  Yesterday morning I did not make indentations where the eggs were supposed to go, and the eggs, as a result, kind of spread out and lost the yolks.  Today I made the indentations, and it seemed to work much better!  (See the pictures below).  The original recipe called for any kind of shredded cheese.  I used half Cotija cheese because I had some left over from my chili party last week.  I used grated cheddar cheese for the remaining amount.  Also, the orignal recipe called for diced jalepenos, but I opted for red bell peppers since that's what I had on hand, and because they are a powerhouse of vitamin C.  The original recipe listed a cook time of 5-8 minutes before broiling; this did not work for me.  In a 350 degree oven, I had to cook my eggs for approximately 13 minutes before they were almost set.  So watch this!  I live in the Montana, so maybe the altitude had something to do with it.  This was definitely a delicious breakfast.  I am a huge fan of Mexican breakfast and spice, so the flavors were a perfect combination for me.  The beans definitely have a little kick to them, so lessen the amount of chili powder if you're not into that sort of thing.  Enjoy!!

Yesterday's Baked Eggs:

Today's Baked Eggs:

Ingredients
1 T olive oil
1 small sweet onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 t ground cumin
1 t chipotle chili powder
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes or 4 cups diced fresh tomatoes (I used fresh)
1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 t oregano
1 handful cilantro, chopped
4 eggs
1/2 cup cheese (I used half cotija and half cheddar)

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.  Add the onions and bell pepper and saute until tender, 5-7 minutes.  Add the garlic, cumin, chipotle chili powder, and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add the tomatoes, black beans, and oregano and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in the cilantro.  Place half of the mixture into a baking dish, and partly hollow out holes where your eggs will go (just indent the mixture a bit).  Top the indentations with the eggs, and spoon the remaining mixture around the eggs.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until the eggs just start to set, about 5-15 minutes (see note in introduction paragraph).  Top with the cheese and broil until it melts, no more than a minute or so.

Three-Bean Vegetarian Chili with Scallion Cheddar Cornbread and Southwestern Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

I am part of a dinner club.  This week was my turn to host.  Billings has been super cold and snowy, so I thought chili sounded delightful!  I got the recipes for the chili and cornbread on Pinterest.  The chili is absolutely dynamite.  To be honest, it may be my favorite chili I have ever tried!  It is sweet with a little bite, and the butternut squash adds a good hearty and sweet taste to this bean-packed chili.  I cut up the toppings and set them up as a chili bar so my guests could use whatever toppings they liked.  The cornbread was good, but it is traditional Texas cornbread in that it is not very sweet.  This was my first time making cornbread from scratch, and it is noticeably less sweet than store-bought mixes.  However, I thought it was delicious!  As I do with chili, I tore the cornbread into bite-sized pieces and sprinkled it over my chili.  It was delightful :)  It would be impossible for me to accurately praise this salad.  The cilantro lime vinaigrette is one of the most delicious dressings I have ever tasted.  I was nervous at first because of the cilantro to liquid ratio; the dressing turned out somewhat thick and absolutely delicious.  I found pumpkin seeds at World Market, but those of you who are over achievers could roast your own.  The girls absolutely loved this salad, and I will definitely be making it again and again!  Overall, the party was a smashing success, and I couldn't be more pleased with the dishes I served.  This chili and salad recipes are definitely going into my must-make-again vault.  Enjoy!!


Three Bean Vegetarian Chili 


Ingredients
2 red bell peppers
3 T olive oil
1 medium sweet yellow onion, chopped
2 t ground cumin
1 t ground cayenne pepper
1 t paprika
1/4 t salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 c chicken broth (or vegetable)
1 1/2 c (1/2 inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
1 28 oz can whole tomatoes, chopped and undrained
1 15 oz can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 15 oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 15 oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
Toppings:  1 bunch cilantro, chopped; sour cream; cheese; green onions; jalapenos; etc.

Preheat broiler to high.  Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise, and remove and discard seeds and membranes.  Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Broil 15 minutes or until blackened.  Make sure they get REALLY black.  This was my first time roasting peppers, and if you don't let them get black enough (like me), it's super hard to peel the skins off.  Place pepper halves in a zip-top plastic bag and seal.  Let stand 15 minutes, then peel and chop peppers.  Heat a Dutch oven over medium-low heat.  Add oil to pan, and swirl to coat.  Add onion, cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cumin, cayenne pepper, paprika, salt and garlic.  Cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add bell peppers, broth, squash and tomatoes, and bring to a simmer.  Cook 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add beans, and simmer 40 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring occasionally.  Sprinkle with toppings.

Cheddar and Scallion Cornbread


Ingredients
1 1/4 c cornmeal
3/4 c flour
1 T sugar
2 t baking powder
3/4 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
1 c cheddar cheese, grated
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2/3 cup milk
2/3 c buttermilk
2 large eggs
3 T unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Generously grease a 9" round cake pan.  In a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda.  Gently fold in the grated cheese and green onions, mixing until combined.  In another medium bowl, whisk together the milk, buttermilk, eggs and melted butter.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, whisking until just combined.  Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes.

Southwestern Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette 


Ingredients
Salad:
Romaine lettuce
handful of grape tomatoes
2 green onions, sliced
2 bell peppers (any color), diced
1/2 c black beans (I omitted the beans since I served this with bean-packed chili)
1/2 c frozen corn, thawed
1 T toasted pumpkin seeds
1 avocado, diced
2 T cotija cheese
Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

In a large salad bowl, add chopped lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, avocado, bell peppers, black beans, corn, pumpkin seeds and cheese.  Top the salad with the vinaigrette and enjoy!

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette:
1/2 c chopped cilantro
1/4 c olive oil
2 T lime juice (fresh, or store-bought, I used store-bought and it was great)
1 T red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 t oregano

Blend all ingredients together in a blender.  Let the flavors mingle for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Hoisin Glazed Salmon with Caramelized Brussels Sprouts and Balsamic Roasted Butternut Squash

O. M. G.  This meal was perfectly fantastic.  Initially I questioned whether or not the three dishes would go well together, but I had to eat my salmon, brussels sprouts and squash, so I gave it a go.  Oh my goodness was it a success!  The salmon recipe, from Martha's Great Food Fast cookbook, is the best recipe for salmon I have found.  I have made the dish close to 50 times, and I guarantee it is a crowd pleaser.  I found the recipe for the brussels sprouts and squash on Pinterest.  I cannot describe how wonderful each dish turned out!  I omitted the nuts from the brussels sprouts -- mostly because I was lazy and didn't want to toast them.  I did not add vegetables to the squash dish, and to be honest, it truly doesn't need it.  The caramelized onions are absolutely divine, and I will definitely be making both dishes again in the very near future.  As usual, I sipped on a glass (or two) of Sauvignon Blanc while cooking and dining.  All three recipes are incredibly easy (and inexpensive) to make, and I can't suggest them strongly enough.  They are to DIE for.  Enjoy :)


Hoison Glazed Salmon

1 Tablespoon Orange Juice
2 Tablespoons Hoisin Sauce
2 teaspoons Honey
4 salmon filets
Course salt & ground pepper
(I typically double the glaze recipe because it's delicious and I like lots of it)

Heat the broiler.  In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, hoisin sauce, and honey to make a glaze.  Rinse the salmon filets and pat dry.  Season both sides with salt and pepper.  Place filets on a rimmed baking sheet.  Brush generously with the glaze.  Broil the salmon about 4 inches from the heat source, basting once, until opaque in the center, 10-13 minutes.

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts

Serves approximately 3-4 as a side.

12-14 large brussels sprouts
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 glove garlic, minced
pinch sea salt
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup roughly chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted (optional)

Cut off stems and slice each brussels sprout very thin until you have a mound of feathery brussels sprout ribbons.  Heat the olive oil over medium high in a large skillet and saute the garlic for 30 seconds.  Add the brussels sprouts and continue sauteing for another 4-5 minutes, until bright green and tender (or longer if you like them more well-done, like me).  Add the sea salt and brown sugar and toss together.  Finish by adding the toasted nuts.

Balsamic-Roasted Butternut Squash

Cooking time, 45 minutes.  Serves 4 as a side.

1 medium sized butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 medium zucchini, peeled and diced (I omitted this because I didn't have one.  Feel free to add other vegetables you have laying around, i.e. carrots, potatoes)
1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1-2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Peel squash, remove seeds with an ice cream scoop, and dice into bite-sized pieces.  Place squash in a casserole dish and toss with other vegetables (if using), olive oil, salt and pepper.  Roast for 20-30 minutes, until fork tender.  Tast and adjust seasonings as needed.

While your squash roasts, caramelize your onions.  Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add sliced onions and stir until softened, about five minutes.  Lower heat to low-medium low, and add in 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar.  Stir, and allow to cook for another 5-10 minutes.  After this time, check your onions, and if you really like balsamic vinegar (like I do), you can add another tablespoon.  Continue to stir occasionally for another 10 minutes or so, until the onions are nicely caramelized and the balsamic vinegar has reduced.

When your butternut squash is ready, toss it with the balsamic glazed onions.  Taste, and adjust seasoning as necessary.

Below is a picture of my beloved cooking helper, Maggie Moo.  She is SUCH a big help -- especially with clean up :)

Good luck!  Keep wining and dining :)