Baked Acorn Squash with Butter and Brown Sugar

Not everyone is a fan of squash, but I sure am.  Acorn squash of a favorite for sure.  It's best, in my opinion, served with lots of butter, brown sugar and Maple syrup.  

1 Acorn squash

1 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp Maple syrup

Dash of salt

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Using a sharp, sturdy chef's knife, carefully cut the acorn squash in half.

Use a sturdy metal spoon to scrape out the seeds and stringy bits inside each squash half, until the inside is smooth.  

Take a sharp paring knife and score the insides of the acorn squash halves in a cross-hatch pattern, about a half-inch deep cuts. 

Place the squash halves cut side up in a roasting dish.  Pour 1/4" of water over the bottom of the pan so that the squash doesn't burn or get dried out in the oven.  

Add butter, salt, brown sugar, maple syrup:  Rub a half tsp of butter into the insides of each half.  Sprinkle with salt.  

Crumble a tablespoon of brown sugar into the center of each half and drizzle with a tsp of maple syrup.

Bake at 400 degrees for about an hour until the tops of the squash halves are nicely browned, and the squash flesh is very soft and cooked through.  

Remove from the oven, spoon brown sugar butter sauce over the squash.  

When done, remove squash halves from the oven and let them cool for a bit before serving.  

Roasted Rosemary and Thyme Chicken with Carrots and Potatoes

 This dish reminds me of Sunday dinner as a kid.  Sunday dinner was almost always some version of chicken.  This is a good one if you're looking to impress.

1 lemon, cut into slices

1 whole chicken

Olive oil, for drizzling

Kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper

2 - 3 shakes of Hungarian paprika

1 lb small potatoes, any larger ones halved

4 carrots, sliced in half lengthwise

20 or so fresh thyme sprigs

2 - 3 fresh rosemary sprigs

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.  

On a large baking sheet with sides, add half the lemon slices to half of the sheet and arrange the chicken over them.  Drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.  Hit the chicken with a few dashes of paprika, then move on to the other half of the sheet.

Add the potatoes and carrots cut side down to the empty half of the sheet.  Top everything with the thyme and rosemary, then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  

Over the portion of the baking sheet with the chicken, add the remaining lemon slices and season again with salt, pepper and paprika.

Roast until the chicken is cooked through, about 40 minutes.  Discard the rosemary, thyme and lemon slices.  Remove the chicken from the sheet and cover gently with aluminum foil and let rest for five minutes.  

Fried Shrimp

Ask me what my favorite food is . . . fried shrimp is the easy answer.  I LOVE fried shrimp!  This recipe never disappoints!!

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3 large eggs

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1 1/2 lbs peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp

Vegetable oil for shallow frying

Kosher salt and pepper

Cocktail Sauce (recipe follows)

Combine the cornstarch and flour in one bowl, then beat the eggs and 1/2 cup water in a second bowl.  In a third bowl, combine the panko and seasoned breadcrumbs.  Bread the shrimp by dipping them first in the flour mixture, then the egg wash, then the breadcrumbs. 

Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat to 350 degrees.

Fry the shrimp in batches until golden and crispy, approximately 2 minutes.  Drain on paper towel lined plate and season with salt and pepper.  Serve with Cocktail Sauce.

Cocktail Sauce:

1 cup ketchup

1 Tbsp horseradish

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Stir the ingredients together in a bowl.  Chill until ready to serve.

 

French Onion Chicken Casserole

 Looking for a good casserole for dinner in a hurry?  This one will not disappoint.  If you have left over chicken, you're golden.  If not, a quick trip to the grocery store for a rotisserie chicken will do the trick.  

3 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup chopped celery

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup sour cream

1 cup mayo

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup slivered almonds

3/4 cup French's fried onions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and coat a 9 x 13" baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, stir celery, cheese, sour cream, mayo and cream of chicken soup.  Add chicken and almonds.  Spoon into baking dish.  

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.  Sprinkle French fried onions over the top and cook for another 5 minutes.  Let stand 5 - 10 minutes.  

Enjoy!

Fancy Egg Salad Sandwiches

I'm always looking for good hot weather food in the summertime.  This is one of those recipes that's filling, and it tastes great.  Not only that, but it also looks great on a plate served with fresh sliced tomatoes.

 8 large eggs

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp lemon juice

Pinch of cayenne pepper

kosher salt to taste

2 Tbsp chives, finely sliced

Watercress leaves, to taste

Sourdough bread, thickly sliced

In a small bowl, combine the mayo, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, cayenne pepper.  Mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste.  

Place the eggs in a medium saucepan and add cold water until the water reaches about 1" above the eggs.  Cover the saucepan and place it over medium heat.  Bring to a boil and then remove from the heat.  Let the eggs sit undisturbed for 13 minutes. 

Once the eggs are finished cooking, run them under cold tap water for about 5 minutes.  Remove one egg at a time from the cold water and peel it gently.  Cut it in half, then into bite size pieces and transfer to a medium mixing bowl.  Repeat until all eggs are peeled and chopped.  

Add mayo to the bowl and gently mix together.  Stir in chives and season to taste with salt and pepper.  

Place a small handful of the watercress on the bottom half of each slice of the bread.  Top the watercress with the egg salad.  Top the egg salad with more watercress and the top half of the bread.  

Greek Chicken Salad

Looking for a healthy weeknight dinner?  This salad will fit the bill.  It's full of good crunchy lettuce, cucumbers and red onion with yummy garlic chicken and tomatoes.

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 garlic clove, minced

1 1/4 cups Greek yogurt

2 Tbsp water

3 Tbsp finely chopped mint

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 cup of sliced cucumbers

1 halved cherry tomatoes

4 cups torn romaine lettuce

1 small red onion thinly sliced

Cut chicken into 1" cubes and place them in a bowl.  Add the minced garlic into the chicken and stir to mix well.  Season lightly with salt and pepper and set aside.

Whisk the yogurt, water mint, olive oil, cumin, salt and pepper to make a dressing.  

Pour 1/3 of the dressing over the chicken, stir and marinate 5 minutes. 

Place chicken on a foil lined greased baking sheet in a single layer.  Broil until no longer pink in the center, about 4 minutes.  Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

In a large serving bowl, toss the romaine lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes and red onion slices.  Make sure it's mixed well.  Top with chicken and drizzle with some of the remaining dressing.  Serve with croutons or wedges of warmed pita bread.  

 

Pecan Pie Glazed Carrots

 

This dish could easily be for a weeknight dinner or Thanksgiving dinner.  It's quick and easy, but it looks elegant and tastes great!

3 Tbsp butter

2 lbs small, thin carrots, scrubbed clean and peeled

2 Tbsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp maple syrup

1/4 cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped

Kosher salt

In a large deep skillet, melt butter over medium heat.  Once butter is foaming, add carrots and cook, tossing occasionally, 5 minutes.  

Add 1/2 cup water, brown sugar, maple syrup, and 1/2 tsp salt to the skillet.  Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, shaking pan occasionally until carrots are just tender, 4 - 5 minutes.  

Transfer carrots to a serving dish.  Return skillet to heat and continue cooking, uncovered, until syrup is slightly thickened, 1 - 2 minutes.  Pour syrup over carrots, then sprinkle pecans on top.  

Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

 

Honestly, I do not like brussels sprouts at all, but in the spirit of Thanksgiving last year I agreed to try the sprouts my son-in-law brought to share.  Much to my surprise, I liked this recipe.  I may have something to do with the fact that bacon is my favorite food.  😁

4 strips thick-cut bacon

2 Tbsp butter

1 lb Brussels sprouts, halved

1/2 large onion, chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crispy.  Remove to a paper towel-lined plate, and then roughly chop.  

In the same pan with the bacon fat, melt the butter over high heat.  Add onions and Brussels Sprouts and cook, stirring occasionally, until sprouts are golden brown, 8 - 10 minutes.  

Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and toss bacon back into the pan.  

Serve immediately.

Burgers - With Special Toppings

 

Who doesn't love a big, beautiful burger?  They are great for any occasion!  I'm always looking for new ideas to make a burger special and spice up a meal.

See a few of the sauces and toppings that I've tried and liked below.  Maybe you'll find one you like.  I love to experiment in the kitchen with new flavor combinations.  Don't be afraid to try a new ingredient or two to see how you like it.  What's the worst thing that could happen?

Pineapple Mayonnaise

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

1/4 cup canned crushed pineapple (drained)

1 tsp lime juice (freshly squeezed)

1 tsp finely chopped cilantro

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to a bowl and stir to combine.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Mustard Steak Sauce

1/4 cup ketchup

3 Tbsp yellow mustard

1 Tbsp mayonnaise

2 tsp A1 Steak Sauce

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Dash of hot sauce

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  

This is delicious with your favorite steak or grilled chicken too.

Mushroom & Onion Sauce

3 Tbsp butter

1 lb portobello mushrooms (sliced)

1 sweet yellow onion (sliced)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.

Add sliced mushrooms and cook 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium and add sliced onion, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce.  

Cook another 5 - 7 minutes until the mushrooms and onions are browned and soft.  

These make a great burger topping.  They pare well with steak and chicken too.

Bourbon Bacon Jam

 6 oz bacon (cut into 1/2" pieces)

1 small red onion (chopped)

2 garlic cloves (minced)

1/3 cup cider vinegar

2 Tbsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp bourbon

2 Tbsp water

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Sauté bacon pieces in a skillet over medium heat until crisp.

Add chopped red onion and garlic and sauté until tender.

Add the cider vinegar, brown sugar, bourbon and water.

Simmer until the liquid is almost evaporated (about 15 minutes).

Season with pepper

Bacon always makes a burger better.  This one does not disappoint!

Honey Mustard-Glazed Bacon

8 bacon slices

1/3 cup Dijon mustard

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Place the bacon slices on a wire rack and set on a rimmed baking sheet.

Bake 12 - 14 minutes, until just starting to crisp.

While bacon is baking, make your honey mustard.  Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  

Remove bacon from the oven and brush both sides with honey mustard.

Sprinkle the tops with coarsely ground pepper.

Bake until crisp, about 12 more minutes.  

Greek Chicken Dinner

For roasted vegetables

3 small russet potatoes, cut into 1/2" wedges

1 large Vidalia onion, cut into 1/2" pieces

2 large carrots, cut into 1/2" chunks

1 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp dill weed

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

For Chicken Thighs

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 small lemon, zested and juiced

1 tsp dill weed

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

4 (5 oz) chicken thighs, boneless and skinless

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet.

Place the potatoes, onions and carrots in a large bowl.  Drizzle in the vegetable oil and toss until everything is coated.  

Springe in 1 tsp dill, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper and toss until well incorporated

Pour the veggies into a prepared baking sheet.  

Bake the veggies for 20 minutes.

In a large bowl, add the yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, 1 tsp dill, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, the onion powder, garlic powder, and 1/4 tsp black pepper, mixing until thoroughly combined.  

Dip each chicken thigh into the yogurt mixture, making sue each thigh is evenly coated.  

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and gently push to veggies to the sides leaving enough room in the middle for the chicken. 

Place the thighs on the baking sheet.  

Return the baking sheet to the oven and roast until the chicken is cooked though at 165 degrees in its thickest part and the veggies are tender, for about 30 - 40 minutes.  

Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.