It's chilly, so chili!

On a chilly fall evening, what could be better than a hot bowl of chili? We love chili at my house, and I am always trying new chili recipes. This one caught my eye because it was different. Trying unusual recipes is one of my favorite things to do. And this one was a huge success! What made it so unique was the squash that was added. You would never think to add squash to a chili. But it was amazing! It added an interesting juxtaposed of spicy and sweet with the chili peppers and the sweet squash. Very tasty. And a hit with the baby again. ;)





Butternut squash and Turkey Chili
(from allrecipes.com - I really like that website!)

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 pound ground turkey  1 pound butternut squash - peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch dice 1/2 cup chicken broth 1 (4.5 ounce) can chopped green chilies

2 (14.5 ounce) cans petite diced tomatoes 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans with liquid 1 (15.5 ounce) can white hominy, drained 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon garlic salt

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic; cook and stir for 3 minutes, then add the turkey, and stir until crumbly and no longer pink.
2.	Add the butternut squash, chicken broth, green chilies, tomatoes, kidney beans, hominy, and tomato sauce; season with chili powder, cumin, and garlic salt. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes.

Things I did differently (because you know I can never take a recipe at face value); I used a delicata squash instead of butternut squash. I didn't want to cut up a butternut squash because I wouldn't use the whole thing. A delicata is the perfect size. Plus, it's a lot easier to prepare for this recipe. It has a much thinner skin, so you can just use a peeler, or cook it with the peel even. Instead of using a can of chilies  I used a can of rotel tomatoes and a can of chopped tomatoes. I never buy hominy  and haven't tried it, so I used black beans instead. I am partial to black beans anyway. :) A whole tablespoon of cumin is an awful lot of cumin, and since it's such a strong flavor, I put in just a little over a teaspoon. It was so yummy! This is definitely going to be a repeat recipe.

Indian Cousine

I haven't made anything that spectacular this week because of the surprise birthday party I threw on Saturday for my sister's 21st birthday . There was so much preparation into that, I was didn't feel like doing much else! I did bake a sheet cake, and it turned out yummy! Not very pretty though... There's no future as cake decorator for me I'm afraid. I made spaghetti for all the guests staying late and staying the night. And I made enough I guess, because everyone ate what they wanted, and Paul and I have been eating the leftovers for supper every night since then! You can never get sick of spaghetti though. ;)

For supper tonight, it was Indian. I made Indian Curry Chicken and Naan bread.



It was very tasty!! And filling! My baby (who is 11 1/2 months old) always wants bites of what I'm eating. I really didn't think she'd like it because it has such a strong curry flavor. But she insisted she wanted to try it, so I gave her a tiny bite, and she wanted more! I gave her a bite of a few sauce soaked rice grains at a time, and each bite was followed with a "mmm". So it was a hit with the baby and with us! :)

Indian Curry Chicken
(from allrecipes.com)

INGREDIENTS:

3 tablespoons olive oil 1 small onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 3 tablespoons curry powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon paprika 1 bay leaf 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root

1/2 teaspoon white sugar salt to taste 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into bite-size pieces 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 cup plain yogurt 3/4 cup coconut milk 1/2 lemon, juiced 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion until lightly browned. Stir in garlic, curry powder, cinnamon, paprika, bay leaf, ginger, sugar and salt. Continue stirring for 2 minutes. Add chicken pieces, tomato paste, yogurt, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.
2.	Remove bay leaf, and stir in lemon juice and cayenne pepper. Simmer 5 more minutes.

The only changes I made was I didn't have plain yogurt, so I used sour cream instead, and I didn't have cayenne, so I used chili powder. Oh, and in case your wondering, the 1/2 lemon; you can use 1 - 1.5 tablespoons of lemon juice instead.

I served this on brown rice, but you can use any rice you like. They suggested jasmine rice.


Naan Bread
(a recipe I got from my friend)

1 tsp yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 C warm water
1 C flour, plus kneading
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 C butter or oil

Combine yeast and sugar to water, set aside 5 minutes. In medium bowl, mix flour and salt. Make a well in the center of flour, and pour yeast mixture and oil into the center. Mix by hand until dough forms, work in small amount of additional flour as needed.
Knead for 3 minutes. Oil small bowl, place dough in bowl, trying to coat, and let rest 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Divide dough into 6 pieces and roll into circles. Place onto lightly greased baking sheet. Bake about 8 minutes.

Yummy! Delicious meal that will make you feel like your eating somewhere exotic... If you close your eyes. :)

It tastes like fall! :)

I babysat for a family this fall who payed me in organic vegetables  It was so wonderful, and such a blessing. We saved so much money on groceries! Last Thursday was the last day. :( But I have a LOT of squash left! I love trying new recipes, and having so much squash forces me to be creative to avoid monotony.

Tonight, it was baked acorn squash and apple and cheddar stuffed chicken. It was so amazing!! It tasted like fall right there on my plate. My husband loved it, and couldn't get enough of the smell of the baked acorn squash. He said "They need to bottle this smell!"

Next time I'll take my own photos, but I didn't think about it tonight. So I'll just post the photos from recipes I found online. :)



Baked Acorn Squash (from allrecipes.com)

INGREDIENTS:

2 acorn squash, halved and seeded salt and pepper to taste 1/4 cup butter, diced

6 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.	Place squash in a shallow baking pan, cut side down.
3.	Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until tender.
4.	Turn cut side up; season with salt and pepper, dot with butter and sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.
5.	Bake for 20 minutes more.

This recipe says to only bake it for a total of 50 minutes at 350, but I think you need to cook it a lot longer. I'd try at 400 for an hour and see if that cooks it better, otherwise add some more time. I had to microwave 1/2 of a squash for 5 minutes for it to be tender.


Apple Stuffed Chicken Breast (also from allrecipes!)

INGREDIENTS:

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts 1/2 cup chopped apple 2 tablespoons shredded Cheddar cheese 1 tablespoon Italian-style dried bread crumbs 1 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup dry white wine 1/4 cup water 1 tablespoon water 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Combine apple, cheese, and bread crumbs. Set aside.
2.	Flatten chicken breasts between sheets of waxed paper to 1/4 inch thickness. Divide apple mixture between chicken breasts, and roll up each breast. Secure with toothpicks.
3.	Melt butter or margarine in a 7 inch skillet over medium heat. Brown stuffed chicken breasts. Add wine and 1/4 cup water. Cover. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink.
4.	Transfer chicken to a serving platter. Combine 1 tablespoon water and cornstarch; stir into juices in pan. Cook and stir until thickened. Pour gravy over chicken, and garnish with parsley. Serve.

I replaced the white wine with water, and didn't have parsley to garnish. I never have alcohol on hand, even to cook. I always just replace it with water. Regardless, it was delicious!! And not that hard to make either!