Acorn Squash and Apple Soup #SundayFunday

This silky smooth soup is made in an instant pot, making it a quick and easy first course or light lunch served with salad and a slice of bread.

The Sunday Funday Bloggers are cooking with Winter Squash today.......

Seared Scallops and Spaghetti Squash and the Weekly Menu #SundayFunday

Beautifully seared Scallops atop a wonderful heap of Spaghetti Squash makes for a delicious, healthy and carb free comfort meal.

We are celebrating Squash today with our Sunday Funday Group......

Maple Glazed Delicata Squash #HolidaySides

This easy and delicious squash makes the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving or any Fall Comfort Meal.  No need to peel the squash, roast it until nice and crisp and the skin adds to the wonderful flavor and texture of this dish.

Today is the second day of the Holiday Side Dish Event.....

Vegetable Focaccia #BreadBakers

This herb scented focaccia bread topped with cheese, onions and summer squash makes a wonderful snack, appetizer or light lunch with a salad.  Crispy outside and chewy inside it is a delight to the senses.

We are celebrating Vegetable Breads today with the Bread Bakers..................

Grilled Meatball Skewers #OurFamilyTable

Quick and easy, these grilled meatball skewers are sure to become a family favorite.  Precooked, packaged meatballs alternated with summer squash, brushed with your favorite bbq sauce and grilled until warmed and glazed.

We are sharing grilling recipes today with the From Our Dinner Table Group.......

Zucchini and Summer Squash Soup #SoupSaturdaySwappers

This delicious soup is creamy and silky without any addition of cream.  It is the perfect summer soup using of the extra bounty from your garden. Completely vegan, it can be served warm, chilled or at room temperature.

We are sharing Summer Soups today over at Soup Saturday Swappers.........

Sauteed Chayote Squash with Onions and Bacon #HolidaySideDish

Quick and easy to make, this Chayote squash flavored with bacon and onion makes a deliciously different side dish to your meal.

Today is the second installment of Holiday Side Dishes........

Provencal Shrimp and Veggies in Foil #FishFridayFoodies

Colorful, healthy, nutritious and delicious, this easy one packet dinner is ready in minutes.  Gorgeous to look at and even better to eat!!

We are celebrating Grilled Fish/Seafood this month with the Fish Friday Foodies......

Squash Soup with Cranberry Puree #CranberryWeek #KitchenMatrixCookingProject

The creamy, earthy goodness of this Butternut squash soup is brightened up with the addition of a sweet, tart cranberry puree, making a lovely presentation for the first course on your holiday dinner table.

Welcome to Cranberry Week........

Chayote Squash Stuffed with Seafood and paired with Donnachiara Wine #FishFridayFoodies #FreakyFruitsFriday

Delicious chayote squash is used as both the vessel for serving and as part of the seafood filling in this fun, tasty dish.

This is what happens with Fish Friday Foodies collides with Freaky Fruits Friday.........

Grilled Ratatouille #FoodieExtravaganza

This month our Foodie Extravaganza group is celebrating National Fruits and Veggies month.  This party is being hosted by Ellen of Family Around the Table.

I decided to make one of my favorite vegetable dishes, Ratatouille. Ratatouille is normally stewed but for today's event I decided to grill it.

Butternut Squash Pizzettas #FootballFoods

I am pleased to be hosting a game day party today.  I must admit that we are not huge football fans in this household.  That not withstanding, I love hosting game day parties.  At our house the game is on in the background and the main focus is on the food, drink and the card games or board games that we enjoy while glancing at the screen every once in a while.

Being as it is the start of a New Year and many of us resolve to try to eat more healthily, I was thrilled to open up a flyer from my local grocer and find this recipe for Butternut Squash Pizzettas.

While these taste absolutely nothing like pizza, they are adorable and crazily delicious.  They are a great finger food and make a great addition to the often calorie laden fare normally found at game day parties.

Include these at your next gathering and watch the pleasure on your guests faces when they realize they can enjoy something other than the carrot and celery sticks on the snack table.

I made these in two steps, roasting the butternut squash earlier in the day and then topping the rounds and putting them in the oven shortly before my guests were to arrive.

Butternut Squash Pizzettas

adapted from Kroger

2 T. pine nuts, toasted

1 butternut squash

2 T. pesto, homemade or purchased

2 T. grated parmesan cheese

Cut the stem and bulb from a butternut squash.  Discard the stem and reserve the bulb to be peeled, seeded and used in another application.

Peel the neck and slice into 1/4" rounds. Place onto a baking sheet that has been lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper.  Bake in a preheated 400* oven for 15 minutes, flip rounds over and bake for another 15-20 minutes, until tender.

Remove from oven.  Top each round with pesto and then sprinkle with cheese.  Divide the pine nuts between the rounds and return to the oven for about 5 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Let cool a few minutes before serving warm or at room temperature.  Print Recipe

More Fabulous Football Foods

• Bacon Jalapeno Palm Poppers by Palatable Pastime
• Baked Coconut Shrimp with Spicy Orange Dipping Sauce by Everyday Eileen
• Buffalo Chicken Taquitos by The Redhead Baker
• Butternut Squash Pizzettas by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Cheese Chili Tots by Frugal Pantry
• Cheeseburger Bombs by Cookaholic Wife
• Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Lasagna by Cooking With Carlee
• Chipotle Peach Meatballs by Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Fiesta Ranch Crispy Baked Wings by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Fried Chicken Sliders by Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
• Ham and Swiss Sliders by Family Around The Table
• Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Instant Pot Cheesy Southwestern Spinach Dip by Kate's Recipe Box
• Mini Zucchini Pizzas by Jolene's Recipe Journal
• Philly Steak Appetizer by The Freshman Cook
• Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Chili by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Texas Trash Party Mix by Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Tomatillo and Pork Chili by Simple and Savory
• Warm White Bean Dip by Bear & Bug Eats

Guajillo Chilaquiles and Mexican Flavored Acorn Squash Soup #Fabulous Fall Bounty

Welcome to Day 4 of our 5 day event called Fabulous Fall Bounty.  This event, hosted by Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla, has been so much fun and there have been tons of great recipe ideas for the Holiday season that is nipping at our heels.

Camilla had arranged for sponsors to assist us in creating recipes for this Fabulous Fall Bounty event.  Melissa's Produce provided all the bloggers with a huge box of seasonal produce.  Le Creuset provided us each with this gorgeous platter.  Silpat sent us each a baking mat.  I did not receive any monetary compensation for any of the posts in this event and all ideas, thoughts and opinions are completely mine and completely honest.

I'm pretty excited about today because not only was I able to use products from each of our sponsors but I am able to share two recipes with you that together made a perfect Meatless Monday meal.

I had gotten this wonderful bag of dried Guajillo chiles from Melissa's.  I did what I always do when given Mexican ingredients.  I turned to my well used copy of Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen and looked up Guajillo in the index.  There were some great recipes that I will be trying including one for a Grilled Steak with a Spicy Guajillo Sauce. Stay tuned for that.

I finally decided to make Guajillo Chilaquiles for a Meatless Monday meal.  I was concerned that the Chilaquiles by themselves would not be substantial enough to constitute a meal so I decided to roast up the Acorn Squash and Celery Root along with some sweet onion and carrots and create a Mexican inspired soup.

I simply made a simple roasted and pureed soup, added some chili powder and cumin for flavoring and garnished it with roasted, salted pumpkin seeds (pepitas) for some texture.   It was amazingly tasty.

Frank made up some of his Fantastic Margaritas and it was a wonderful casual dinner perfect for Meatless Monday or Taco Tuesday.

Don't forget to stop by and see all the other Fabulous Fall creations following my recipes.

Guajillo Chilaquiles

adapted from Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen

6 cloves garlic, unpeeled

16 med. large dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded

1 t. dried oregano

black pepper, to taste

dash of cumin

5 1/3 c. chicken stock, divided

1 1/2 T. olive oil

salt, to taste

sugar, to taste

1 pkg. Totada or Taco corn shells, broken into pieces

1/4 c. Crema or sour cream thinned with a bit of milk

1/4 c. Mexican crumbling cheese or Feta cheese

1/2 of an Avocado, peeled and sliced

Place the unpeeled garlic cloves in a cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Cook for about 15 minutes, until soft and blackened in spots, set aside to cool.

While garlic is roasting, use other side of skillet to toast the chiles.  Open the chiles and lay them flat onto the skillet, pressing down with a spatula.  Cook until they crackle and send up a wisp of smoke, turn and press down to toast the other side.  Set aside, in a small bowl, until all chiles are toasted.  Cover with boiling water and allow to rehydrate for half an hour.

Drain and discard the water from the chiles and place them in the bowl of a food processor.  Peel the roasted garlic and add to the chiles along with the oregano, pepper, and 2/3 cup of the stock. Blend to a smooth puree, stirring and scraping often.  Press through a medium sieve strainer, removing any leathery skin from the chiles.  

In a large dutch oven, heat the olive oil over med-high heat.  When hot enough that a drop of the puree sizzles when dropped into it, add the remaining puree.  Cook and stir until puree thickens into a paste, about 5 minutes.  Add 3 cups of the chicken stock and simmer, partially covered, until it resembles a thick tomato sauce, about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Taste and season with salt and sugar.

Add remaining chicken broth to the pot and heat to a boil.  Add the broken corn shells. Stir and cook for a few minutes until they are softened but still retain shape.  

Spoon onto a platter. Drizzle with the crema, sprinkle with the cheese and garnish with the avocado slices.  Print Recipe

Mexican Flavored Acorn Squash Soup

1 acorn squash, quartered and seeded

1 celery root bulb, peeled and cut into chunks

1/2 of a sweet onion, halved with root intact

1 large or 2 small carrots, scraped and chunked

1 T. garlic infused olive oil (or regular olive oil and a garlic clove roasted with veggies)

salt and pepper to taste

4 c. chicken stock

1 t. chili powder

1/4 t. cumin

Roasted, salted pepitas for garnish

Toss the squash, celery root, onion and carrots in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Place onto a baking sheet that has been lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper.  Bake in a preheated 400* oven for 30-45 minutes, until vegetables are tender and browned.

Remove from oven and place into a food processor or heavy duty blender.  Add the chicken stock and puree until smooth, adding more liquid (stock, water or cream) if necessary to achieve desired consistency.  Season with chili powder and cumin.  Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.

Reheat and serve garnished with pepitas.  Print Recipe

More Fabulous Fall Bounty Recipes

An InLinkz Link-up

Kale and Squash Soup for Day 4 of #SoupWeek

I hope you have been enjoying all the wonderful soups we have been sharing all week.  If you haven't had a chance to see them yet you can follow along on FaceBook, Twitter, Google+ and Instagram using the hashtag #SoupWeek. We also have a #SoupWeek Pinterest Board where you can see all of the offerings in one easy to access spot! What a great way to stay warm in cold weather!

Welcome to the #SoupWeek, hosted by Palatable Pastime.

Today I am sharing a brothy Italian soup that I adapted from one found at Food & Wine.  It was a wonderful first course for an Italian dinner that we shared with friends.  I wanted a light soup because it was being followed with Chicken Marsala Lasagna Roll-ups which were very rich and decadent. This soup was perfect.  It is filled with healthy vegetables and takes only minutes to put together.  It can be made ahead of time and reheated right before serving.

I adapted this recipe in several ways, in the ingredients used and in the preparation.  I did stick to the spirit of the soup and was absolutely thrilled with the way it turned out.

Kale and Squash Soup

adapted from Food&Wine

2 T. good olive oil

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2" cubes

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 t. dried Italian herbs

1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves coarsely chopped

8 c. chicken stock

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 c. small pasta (I used stars)

1 (15 oz) can navy beans, drained and rinsed

Shaved Parmesan Cheese for garnish

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over med high heat.  Add the onion and squash.  Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and the squash is browned in spots.  Stir in the garlic and Italian herbs.  Add the kale and cook, stirring until wilted, about 5 minutes.  Add the stock, navy beans and pasta, cover and simmer for about 10-15 minutes until kale and squash are fork tender and pasta is cooked through.  Garnish with shaved parmesan cheese, if desired.  Print Recipe

Thursday's Soups

• Meatball Soup from Palatable Pastime
• K.C.'s Seafood Chowder from Cooking with Carlee
• Creamy Chicken Soup from The Frugal Pantry
• Kale and Squash Soup from A Day in the Life on the Farm