Butternut Squash Soup with Sage and Parmesan Croutons

My sister-in-law, Sharon, served this at Christmastime. It was excellent---stick to your ribs-veggie-warmth.

You can click on the link above for the recipe and picture, or just take a look below:


Yield
Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients
1 3-pound butternut squash—peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes (5 to 6 cups)
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 teaspoons kosher salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 large yellow onion, diced (about 1 ½ cups)
3 stalks of celery, chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage (about 6 large leaves)
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Sage and Parmesan Croutons
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400° F. In a large bowl, toss the squash with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, 2 teaspoons of the salt, and the pepper. Place the squash on a rimmed baking sheet and roast in oven for 15 minutes. Turn the cubes over and continue roasting for 15 minutes or until they are caramelized; set aside.

In a Dutch oven or a large stockpot, heat the butter and the remaining oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and sage and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are translucent and tender, 10 minutes. Add the squash, broth, and the remaining salt and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until the liquid is flavorful. Remove from heat. Using a blender or a food processor, blend the soup in batches until smooth. Return to the pot and keep warm. Top with Sage and Parmesan Croutons and the grated Parmesan

Gingerbread Cookies (Martha Stewart recipe)

Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients:
6 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 lbs. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
4 tsp. ground ginger
4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. finely ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1 cup unsulfered molasses (I suggest sorghum molasses for a more delicate taste)

Sift flour together with baking soda and powder. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar together; then mix in spices and salt, and add eggs and molasses. Add flour mixture to wet mixture and combine thoroughly. Chill dough for at least 1 hour. On floured surface, roll dough 1/8 inch thick and cut. Put on ungreased baking sheets and chill until firm (around 15 minutes). Bake 8-10 minutes at 325 F, until crisp but not dark.

Old World Spice Blend (great on chicken, meats)

Old World Spice Blend
5 tsp. Hungarian paprika
3 tsp. turmeric
1 1/2 tsp. caraway seed, pounded
2 tsp. dill seed, pounded
3 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. roasted garlic powder
4 bay leaves, broken
2 tsp. marjoram
2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. rosemary
1 tsp. thyme
25 grinds of black pepper

Easy Oatmeal Scones

Oatmeal scones
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
Mix flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder together, and then mix in the oatmeal.
Rub in the butter.
Mix into a soft dough with the milk.
Turn out onto a floured board and knead lightly.
Knead into a round cake and cut into quarters.
Bake at 425 F for 15 minutes.

Digestive Biscuits (from Nigella Lawson)

Digestive Biscuits
1/2 cup oats
1 1/2 cuts spelt flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp demerara sugar
1/4 cup white regular shortening cold and cut in 1/2-inch dice
2 tbsp. unsalted butter also cold and diced
1/3 cup milk
Put oats in blender to make finer. Put first 5 ingredients together and mix. Rub in shortening and then butter. Add cold milk by the tablespoon until you have a firm dough. Cut, bake on parchment 10-15 minutes at 400 F.

Tomato Cheese Batter Bread (from the co-op)

Tomato Cheese Batter Bread
2 tbsp. butter
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. dried yeast
1/4 cup melted butter
1 cup crushed tomatoes with their juice
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cut parmesan cheese
1/4-1/2 cup cheddar cheese
2 tbsp. chopped parsley (or fresh basil)
Grease a 8x8x2 square baking pan. Cut the 2 tbsp. butter into small pieces, and put on wax paper in the freezer. Put your flour into a large bowl and set aside.
In another bowl, combine your tomatoes and melted butter. Sprinkle yeast on top and allow to bloom 3-4 minutes. Add the sugar and stir to combine. Add this to the flour. Then add the salt and the beaten egg. Stir to combine. Add the cheeses and parsley.
Pour batter into the pan. Allow to rise for 1 hour and preheat the oven to 375 F. Just before baking, dot the top of the bread with the chilled butter. Bake for 20 minutes, until the top is golden and toasty. Delicious right out of the oven, and great with soup.

Delectables from Desiree

Lebanese Bread Salad

2 stale 7 inch pitas, split open
1 cucumber, quartered and thinly sliced
14 cherry tomatoes
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 small fennel bulb, cored and diced
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 Tsp roughly chopped fresh mint
½ bunch roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of one lemon
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Store bought hummus, optional
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the pita rounds on a baking sheet and toast in oven until crisp and light brown, about 10 minutes. Break into bite-size pieces and set aside. Toss together cucumber, tomatoes, scallions, fennel, celery, mint, and parsley. Cover and chill. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Combine the vegetables and dressing, and fold in the pita pieces. Serve with hummus if desired.