Craving Ellie- MY PICK!!! Curried Butternut Squash Soup and Barefoot Bloggers Bonus- Savory Palmiers, heck why not some Cardamom ones too?

This week's Craving Ellie in Your Belly recipe was chosen by yours truly, Me. I wanted to try her version of Butternut Squash Soup, which is Curried. So, since butternut squash season is upon us, I chose it. I really like this soup, but keep in mind I love butternut squash and I also love curry powder. Some people reported that the honey made this a little too sweet, so I experimented and left the honey out of half of my soup. I liked it both ways, but better without the honey. I used greek yogurt on top, which really helped to calm down a little of the curry. This is a spicy soup and was just what this house of sore throats needed.

The Barefoot Bonus recipe for this week was Savory Palmiers, from Ina's new book, Back to Basics. It was chosen by Becky of Random Musings of a deco lady. This recipe looked really easy and pretty, so I threw it into the cookie plates that I took to a few people in the neighborhood. I also saw these yummy Cardamom-Brown Sugar Palmiers in Sunset magazine and they reminded me of my favorite pastry that I ate when I spent 18 months in Estonia. I decided to do a half batch of each, so I had some savory and some sweet. Super simple, elegant and delicious!

Curried Butternut Squash Soup from The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger

1 Tbls canola oil

1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups) ( I used half shallots)

2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsps)

one- 2 1/2 pd. butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes

6 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth ( I used chicken stock)

1 Tbls +2 tsps curry powder

1/2 tsp salt, + more to taste

2 Tbls honey (I only added honey to half of the soup)

4 tsp plain nonfat yogurt, for garnish (I used greek yogurt)

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the squash, broth, curry powder, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, until the squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat, stir in the honey, and puree until smooth in the pot using an immersion blender or in two batches in a regula blender. Taste and season with salt, if necessary.

To serve, ladle the soup into serving bowls and drizzle with the yogurt.

Savory Palmiers from Ina Garten, Back to Basics
1 package frozen Pepperidge Farm puff pastry, defrosted
1/4 cup prepared pesto, store-bought or homemade (recipe follows)
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese, such as Montrachet
1/4 cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
Kosher salt

Lightly flour a board and carefully unfold one sheet of puff pastry. Roll the pastry lightly with a rolling pin until it’s 9 1/2 x 11 1/2 inches. Spread the sheet of puff pastry with half the pesto, then sprinkle with half the goat cheese, half the sun-dried tomatoes, and half the pine nuts. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt.
Working from the short ends, fold each end halfway to the center. Then fold each side again toward the center until the folded edges almost touch. Fold one side over the other and press lightly. Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Repeat for the second sheet of puff pastry using the remaining ingredients. Cover both rolls with plastic wrap and chill for at least 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Cut the prepared rolls of puff pastry into 1/4-inch-thick slices and place them faceup 2 inches apart on sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Bake for 14 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm.

Homemade Pesto from Ina Garten, Back to Basics
makes 4 cups
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 pine nuts
3 tablespoons chopped garlic (9 cloves)
5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups good olive oil
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Place the walnuts, pine nuts, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 30 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the food processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is finely puréed. Add the Parmesan cheese and purée for a minute. Serve, or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.

Cardamom Brown-Sugar Palmiers from Sunset Magazine

Time: 30 minutes, plus chilling time.
Bakers' Tip: As with any super-buttery dough, chilling it makes it much easier to slice.

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cardamom

1 sheet (8.6 oz.) frozen puff pastry dough, thawed according to package instructions
1. Combine brown sugar and cardamom in a small bowl. Unfold dough flat on a work surface and sprinkle evenly with half the sugar mixture.
2. Using a rolling pin, lightly roll sugar into dough so that most of sugar sticks, being careful not to change the shape of the dough. Turn pastry over and sprinkle evenly with remaining sugar.
3. Beginning with the side closest to you, fold in dough, 1 in. at a time, to the center of the rectangle. Repeat with the opposite side. Fold one half on top of other as if closing a book. Wrap dough airtight and chill at least 1 hour.
4. Preheat oven to 400°. Using a sharp knife, cut dough into 1/2-in. slices. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and lay slices on flat sides about 2 in. apart. Bake slices until doubled in size and golden, about 10 minutes. Let cookies cool completely on trays.
Make ahead: Unbaked palmiers can be frozen up to 2 weeks; baked palmiers may be made up to 2 days ahead and kept airtight at room temperature.

Coming Tomorrow- Butter Cookie Dough- 1 dough turned into 3 Christmas Cookies

Cowboy Cavier in Cumin-Chili Spiced WonTon Cups

I remember a few years ago tasting Cowboy Cavier for the first time. I was pregnant and I couldn't get enough of it. I got the recipe, but misplaced it somewhere and kinda forgot about it, until the other day when I was fixing an appetizer for a holiday get-together. I wanted to make a dip, but something a little more hearty and healthy. I remembered Cowboy Cavier and recreated it in a very delicious way. I wanted something cute to serve it in and decided to use some WonTon Cups. I came up with this idea during the summer and used them for 2 Bean WonTon Cups and also as a cup when I made fresh peach ice cream, but used a sweet Cinnamon-Sugar WonTon Cup. I decided these Cumin-Chili spiced WonTon cups would be the perfect little way to serve this delicious dip. I just made a quick spice mix of cumin, chili powder and garlic powder and used that to spice up the wontons. If you have a party and need an appetizer, this one will disappear!

Cowboy Cavier by Mary Ann

1 15-oz can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 orange bell pepper, diced

1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels

2 Tbls red wine vinegar

1 tsp canola oil

juice of 1 lime

1 garlic clove, minced

2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2/3 cup thinly sliced green onions

salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl combine black-eyed peas, black beans, and bell pepper. Run corn kernels under hot water and drain. Repeat and let sit for a few minutes. Add vinegar, oil, lime juice, minced garlic, cilantro, and green onions to bean mixture. Stir to combine. Mix in corn and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in Cumin-Chili Spiced WonTon Cups or with tortilla chips.

Cumin-Chili Spiced WonTon Cups by Mary Ann

24 wonton wrappers

cooking spray

equal amounts of ground cumin and garlic powder (1-2 tsps)

1/4-1/2 tsp chili powder

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Combine spices in a small bowl and mix with fingers. Spray a muffin tin generously with cooking spray. Lay out 12 wonton wrapper, each one over a muffin cavity. Sprinkle with spice mixture, using fingers to spread evenly over top of wonton. Press each wonton wrapper down into the muffin cavity. Bake in the oven, until tips are brown and entire wonton is crisp and cooked, about 5-7 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and let cool. Fill with Cowboy Cavier, just prior to serving.

Coming Tomorrow- My pick for Craving Ellie- Curried Butternut Squash Soup and Barefoot Bloggers- Savory Palmiers (why not some sweet ones too?)

TWD- Buttery Jam Cookies

This week's recipe was chosen by Heather of Randomosity and the Girl. Visit her blog for the recipe or turn to page 80 of Dorie's wonderful cookbook. I stayed true to the recipe on this one, using thick apricot jam that we made this summer and ground ginger. I made these a little smaller than Dorie suggested, because I was taking them to a get-together and I got about 80 of them. These were really simple and very good. Nothing special to look at, but they did have a little bite to them, thanks to the ginger. These would be a great addition to a holiday goodie plate. Check out the TWD Blogroll to see what the other bakers did with this cookie!

Coming Tomorrow- My take on Cowboy Caviar, in WonTon Cups

Quinoa Pie with Butternut Squash

I know there are probably too many pictures going on in this post, but they turned out so beautifully and this pie was so delicious that I couldn't stop myself. I have a thing for butternut squash and I had a little bit of quinoa I wanted to use, so I was searching for a recipe that could use both. I went to Martha Stewart's website and saw a picture of this beautiful dish. I had to make it.

It surpassed whatever expectations I had. The squash was delicious with the sage and quinoa. The combination of flavors was amazing. This is my new favorite dish. It would be perfect to serve at a holiday dinner. A perfect vegetarian entree. A perfect entree, period. The leftovers were divine. Delicious!

Quinoa Pie with Butternut Squash from marthastewart.com
Ingredients
Serves 8
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled, havled crosswise, and seeded
18 fresh sage leaves, plus 1 teaspoon finely chopped sage
1/2 onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 3/4 cup)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup quinoa
2 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought vegetable stock
1 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese, finely grated
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Vegetable oil cooking spray

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush 2 rimmed baking sheets with 1 teaspoon oil. Cut five 1/4-inch-thick rings of squash; cut remainder into 1/4-inch dice. Place squash on sheets. Toss with 1 teaspoon oil; sprinkle with 12 sage leaves. Bake until tender and just golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely. Keep oven on.
Heat remaining teaspoon oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. quinoa and stock; bring to a boil. Cover; reduce heat. Simmer until liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, 2 minutes.
Stir together quinoa, diced squash, chopped sage, Parmesan, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.
Coat a 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray. Arrange 6 sage leaves face down in plate; top with squash rings. Press quinoa mixture on top.
Bake 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then invert onto a serving platter. Serve wedges warm or at room temperature.

Up Next- Tuesday's with Dorie- Buttery Jam Cookies

Citrus Salad with Pomegranate and Pistachios and Roasted Cauliflower

I think that any vegetable tastes incredible if you roast it in the oven. The case is true with Cauliflower. This is a simple way to cook it, but it really has so much more flavor and a little crunch. Plus, it looks so tasty.
This fruit salad was inspired by something I saw at myrecipes.com. Citrus fruits are in abundance in wintertime and so are pomegranates. The flavors go surprisely well together and the pistachios add a nice crunch. All the colors are pretty together too. If you need a delicious side, look no further!

Citrus Salad with Pomegranate and Pistachios by Mary Ann

1 orange, sliced

1/2 grapefruit, sectioned

1/4 cup pomegranate seeds *Tip for removing pomegranate seeds

a handful of shelled pistachios, chopped

Slice your orange and remove the bite size pieces from the rind. Place them in a bowl, along with the grapefruit sections. Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds and pistachios over the top. Squeeze the ends of the orange over the salad, to sweeten with a little orange juice.
* Tip- to remove pomegranate seeds, cut the pomegranate in quarters. Fill a large bowl with water. Submerge 1 quarter of the pomegranate and push out the seeds. Repeat with other pomegranate quarters. Strain seeds through a sieve.

Roasted Cauliflower by Mary Ann

1-2 heads of cauliflower, depending on size

1-2 Tbls olive oil

salt and pepper- I like to use my Garlic Sea Salt Grinder

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a large, rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Remove the stem from the cauliflower and slice cauliflower florets as thinly as you want. Scatter the cauliflower onto the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss the evenly coat with oil and seasonings. Roast for 15 minutes and then, toss the cauliflower. Up the temperature to 450 degrees F and roast for an additional 10-15 minutes, until cauliflower is browned and tender.

Coming on Monday- Quinoa Pie with Butternut Squash- You don't want to miss this one, it is as beautiful as it is delicious!

White Chocolate Brownies

The White Chocolate Brownies are one of the most inviting pictures in Dorie's Baking. They just look divine. I don't even really like brownies, but these look wonderful in her book, plus white chocolate and raspberries are a winning combination. My picture doesn't do these justice. But, it was snowing, the sky was gray and I knew there wouldn't be any left in the morning. I halved the recipe and made these in a 8-inch round cake pan. The meringue was high and beautiful, but I accidentally squashed it when I was removing them from the pan. I also had to add about 15 minutes onto the baking time for these to bake through. So if you make them and they are a bit wobbly, put them back in the oven for a few more minutes. The wait will be worth it.

Dorie's White Chocolate Brownies from Baking: from my home to yours

Ingredients:
2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely ground almonds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
4 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsps grated orange zest
4 large eggs

1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup fresh raspberries

for the meringue:

3 large egg whites, at room temperature

pinch of salt

1/2 cup sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9x13-inch pan, line the bottom with parchment or wax paper, butter the paper and dust the bottom and sides of pan with flour; tap out the excess. Put the pan on a baking sheet
Whisk together flour, ground almonds, and salt.
Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of only-just-simmering water. Put the butter in the bowl, top with the chopped chocolate and stir frequently until the ingredients are melted-you don't want them to get so hot that the butter or the white chocolate separates. Remove the pan from the pan of water.

Working in the bowl of a stand mixer, or in another large bowl, rub the sugar and orange zest together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and aromatic.
Add the eggs and beat on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes (they should be pale and foamy). Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and blend in the melted butter and white chocolate mixture. With mixer still on low, mix in the dry ingredients, stirring only until they disappear into the batter. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the raspberries evenly over the batter. Set aside while you make the meringue.

In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites with the salt on medium speed until the are foamy and just turn opaque. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and add the sugar in a slow, steady stream. Whip the whites until the form firm but still glossy peaks.

Gently spread the meringue over the brownie batter.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the meringue is browned and crackly and the brownies pull away from the sides of the pan. Transfer the pan to a rack and allow to cool to room temperature in the pan. Cover a cooling rack with a piece of wax paper, dust with powdered sugar, and very gently, so you don't squish the meringue, turn the brownies out onto the rack. Peel away the parchment paper lining and carefully invert the brownies onto a cutting board. Cut into 32 bars.

Coming Tomorrow- Citrus Salad with Pomegranate and Pistachios and Roasted Cauliflower

Late Start Breakfast- Gingersnap Pancakes

I saw a recipe in the latest issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray that featured gingersnap pancakes, but filled them with espresso cream and covered them with chocolate ganache. It was a cute idea, but I thought that the pancakes themselves would be really good. So, I just used the pancake recipe and switched a couple of things and served them with raspberries and pure maple syrup. They were yummy.
Be sure to watch them and not cook them too long, because it will turn the texture into something chewy and un-pancake like, fast. They only need to cook for about a minute or less.

Gingersnap Pancakes adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray
10 gingersnap cookies
1 1/4 cups flour
1 cup skim milk
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 Tbls unsalted butter

1. Using a blender or food processor, grind the cookies at high speed. Add the flour, milk, eggs, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt; blend until smooth. In a small saucepan or the microwave, melt 3 tablespoons butter over low heat. Add to the batter; blend at medium speed until combined

.2. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Pour batter into circles 2-3 inches in diameter. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface, about 30 seconds. Flip and cook until springy to the touch, 20 seconds; transfer to a plate.
Serve with raspberries and pure maple syrup.


Up next- Dorie's White Chocolate Brownies

Craving Ellie- Roasted Ratatouille Tart and Barefoot Bloggers- not quite Coq Au Vin

This weeks Craving Ellie recipe-Cornmeal Crusted Roasted Ratatouille Tart was chosen by Nina over at The Wiivers. Thank You Nina- this is one tasty tart. I love vegetables, especially when they are roasted and this was full of them. The crust was very rustic and grainy. I made it in a springform pan and used some summer squash along with my zucchini. I didn't roast my tomatoes along with the other veggies, because I like them to be a little firm. And luckily, we are still using the last tomatoes from the garden that have been hanging out in the garage-it's nice and cool in there! This was beautiful and delicious. It tasted great cold, too. Go check out what the other Ellies thought by checking out the Craving Ellie Blogroll!

This week's Barefoot Bloggers recipe, Coq Au Vin, was chosen by Bethany of this little piggy went to market. You can grab the recipe on her blog or by clicking HERE.

I really had every intention of making it as is, but was crunched for time and I don't have any alcohol of any sort in the house, not even to cook with, so when I got down to it,I made my own take on the recipe- Chicken with Carrots and Mushrooms, in Thyme Gravy. It was yummy and alot quicker. To see the other BB dishes check out the Barefoot Bloggers Blogroll!

Chicken with Carrots and Mushrooms, in Thyme Gravy by Mary Ann

2 large chicken breasts, bone-in and skin-on

4 cups chicken stock or broth

20 sprigs fresh thyme

2-3 large cloves of garlic

2 large carrots, peeled and cut in circles

8 oz sliced mushrooms

1 1/2 Tbls unsalted butter

3 Tbls flour

salt and pepper

In a large electric skillet with a lid, place the two chicken breasts, bone down. Pour 2 cups of chicken stock over the chicken breasts. Season with salt and pepper, and add 15 springs of fresh thyme. Use a garlic press to mince the garlic into the stock. Turn on the skillet to med-high and cover. After a few minutes, stir in the carrot circles. Cover and let cook.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt the 2 Tbls butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, whisking continually. Pour in the remaining 2 cups chicken stock, in a steady stream, whisking continually. Continue to whisk and bring to a bubble. Season with salt and pepper and fresh thyme, removing the thyme from the sprigs. This mixture should thicken a little. Remove from heat and set aside.

Stir the sliced mushrooms into the chicken-carrot mixture and cover. Let cook for 5 minutes. Remove the chicken to a cutting board. The chicken should be almost completely cooked. Remove the skin and debone the chicken. Put chicken back into the carrot-mushroom mixture and cut into smaller pieces.

Pour the thyme gravy into the chicken-carrot mixture and stir. Cover, and let cook until chicken is cooked through and gravy is thick. Serve as is or over noodles.

Cornmeal-Crusted Roasted Ratatouille Tart from The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger
For crust:

2/3 cup yellow cornmeal

1/3 cup whole-grain pastry flour or whole wheat flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons canola oil

3 tablespoons water
For filling:

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil

2 shallots, thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup)

Cooking spray

1/2 pound thinly sliced eggplant rounds (about 1/3 medium eggplant)

1 zucchini, sliced into 1/8-inch rounds (about 8 ounces)

3 medium tomatoes, sliced thinly

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup shredded fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

To make crust—Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine cornmeal, pastry flour, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to incorporate. Add butter and oil and pulse about 20 times, until mixture resembles small pebbles. Add water and pulse until mixture forms a loose dough. Remove dough from processor and press into bottom and about 1/8-inch up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a detachable rim. Press aluminum foil into the bottom and sides of the pan on top of the dough and weigh down with uncooked rice or pie weights. Place tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and remove rice and foil. Return to oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until no longer shiny and wet. Remove from oven and let cool.

To make filling—Increase the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat; saute shallots until soft, about 5 to 6 minutes. Spray 2 baking trays with cooking spray. Arrange the eggplant, zucchini and tomato slices on the trays in a single layer and brush with the remaining olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, and roast the vegetables until soft but not browned, about 15 minutes. Remove the vegetables from oven and cool.
Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Lay the eggplant slices in 2 layers on the bottom of tart; cover with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese and some of the shredded basil. Add the zucchini and shallots, top with another 1/3 of the mozzarella and basil, then the tomatoes. Top with rest of the mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and vegetables have further wilted. Remove from oven, let cool for 5 minutes, and cut into 8 slices. Serve warm.

Coming Friday- Gingersnap Pancakes