Baked Stuffed Butternut Squash

Baked Stuffed Butternut Squash

with seasoned ground turkey, mushrooms, toasted brazil nuts and fresh basil

1 large butternut squash

1 tsp olive oil

pinch salt & pepper 

1 lb ground turkey

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp ground sage

2 tsp paprika

2 tsp garlic 

2 tsp onion powder

1/4 cup water

8 oz mushrooms, sliced or chopped

2 handfuls brazil nuts (or any nuts), toasted & chopped

fresh basil, sliced for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cut the butternut squash in half, scoop out the seeds and drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper before placing face-down on the cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven for 1 - 1 1/2 hours.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tsp olive oil in a large skillet or cast iron pan. Mix the spices into 1/4 cup water and stir. Place the ground turkey in the pan, then pour the spice water over top. Break up the turkey using a wooden spoon until the water comes to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium low and continue to break apart the turkey as is cooks for 15-20 minutes, or until the water has evaporated and turkey is cooked through. Add mushrooms and cook for five more minutes

When the butternut squash is cooked and cooled for a few minutes, flip it over and fill it with the meat mixture, followed by the toasted nuts and fresh basil. Serve immediately.

Sweet Potato Pie

This recipe is from allrecipes, which is my go-to source for the best versions of classic recipes. They aren't even paying me to say that, I promise. I added a couple of spices but kept the recipe basically the same. I think this pie is even better than pumpkin pie.

Here's a link to the original recipe; keep scrolling for the directions!

Sweet Potato Pie

adapted from allrecipes

Ingredients

• 2 lbs sweet potato
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 eggs

• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground clove
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

Directions

1. Boil sweet potato whole in skin for 40 to 50 minutes, or until done. Run cold water over the sweet potato, and remove the skin.
2. 
   
3. Break apart sweet potato in a bowl. Add butter, and mix well with mixer. Stir in sugar, milk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, clove and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth. Pour filling into an unbaked pie crust.
4. 
   
5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 55 to 60 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Pie will puff up like a souffle, and then will sink down as it cools.

Deviled Egg Salad

Deviled Egg Salad

4 eggs

1/8 cup mayo

1/8 cup plain greek yogurt

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1/4 onion, finely diced

1/4 cup chopped parsley

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 tsp paprika

Pour water over the eggs in a pan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat immediately and cover for 9 minutes. Uncover, rinse, cool and peel the eggs. Chop and set aside.

Mix the mayo, yogurt, onion, parsley, mustard and seasonings together in a medium bowl. Stir in the eggs and refrigerate for a couple hours before serving. Garnish with paprika and parsley.

Veggie Lasagna Stuffed Peppers

Veggie Lasagna Stuffed Peppers

3 bell peppers
2 tsp olive oil
8 oz mushrooms
1 cup chopped kale
1/4 cup diced carrots
1/4 cup diced onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp parsley

2 tomatoes, sliced
1/2 zucchini, sliced

1/2 cup cottage cheese or ricotta
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
extra parmesan for topping

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cut the tops off of the peppers and remove the seeds and white skin from the inside. Set aside.

Saute the carrots and onion in the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat until softened. Add the salt, pepper, oregano and parsley and cook a few more minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and cook until they begin to give up a bit of their moisture. Remove from heat and set aside.

Mix the cottage cheese with the parmesan and spices in a small bowl.

Assemble the stuffed peppers by spooning the mushroom mixture in first, following by a tomato slice and a zucchini slice (zucchinis serve as the noodles). Next, add a layer of the cottage cheese mixture. Repeat until the peppers are full. Top with extra parmesan cheese. Bake at 425 for 35 minutes.

Chicken & Stuffing

I get so excited for fall food this time of year. Technically, I made this before the autumn solstice... but I just couldn't wait any longer. Poultry and stuffing is one of those classic dishes I associate with fall holidays, like Thanksgiving, but why save the best foods for only once a year? It is with that sentiment that I submit to The Second Breakfast: Chicken & Stuffing.

Any bread will do for the stuffing, and ideally old bread is best. I used baguettes.

Chop them up...



 ...and bake them for 7 minutes at 350

Truth: I hate celery. Raw celery is what everything tastes like in hell. But cooked celery adds a distinctive flavor to stuffing that can't be replicated. So I deal.

Cooking the mirepoix



Add the mirepoix to the toasted bread when it's done...





...then add chicken stock and butter





Here's the very best recipe I've found for preparing a whole chicken in the oven







It looks like a lot of butter because it is.



The extra stuffing that won't fit in the bird goes into a casserole dish and gets baked as well.



C'est fini!





Chicken & Stuffing
adapted from recipes by Stacy and Robin

5 lb chicken, giblets removed
2 tsp salt
3 tsp pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1/4 cup butter
10 cloves garlic, mashed

5 cups bread, cut into cubes
3/4 cup celery, diced
3/4 cup carrots, diced
1 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup diced fruit of choice (I used a peach)
1 cup chicken stock
2 1/2 tsp sage
1 1/2 rosemary
1/2 tsp thyme
fresh basil for garnish
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Bake the cubed bread in a 350 degree oven for 5-7 minutes, until slightly golden and toasted. Place in a large bowl and set aside.

Saute onions, carrots and celery with oil of choice (I used olive oil) in a skillet until softened. Add sage, rosemary and thyme, stir to combine, the pour over the toasted bread and mix together. Add fruit and stir to combine. Next, pour in the chicken broth and melted butter. Stir and set aside. You can also put it into a casserole and bake it by itself at this point, for about 30 minutes at 350.
Otherwise:
Preheat the oven to 425, Rinse the chicken and dry it, then place it into a large roasting pan. Sprinkle the salt, pepper and onion powder all over the inside and outside of the bird. Add the stuffing to the inside of the bird. Make 10 small cuts into the chicken skin and place a garlic clove inside of each one. Next, stick the butter to the outside of the bird in dollops. Truss the chicken and place it into the 425 degree oven for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 350 and continue baking for 1 hour and 45 minutes, or 20 minutes per pound. Chicken is done when internal temperature reads 180 degrees.