The Big Deal About Red Velvet

For many years, I've heard many people rave about red velvet cake. For me, I could never really figure out the big deal. How is the taste "red" really that great? I know this particular type of cake has cocoa in it, but as a huge chocolate fan, why not just eat chocolate cake? Well, it all changed at my son's third birthday. The theme was "fire truck" and although I made a fire truck cake (see picture below), I still wanted something easy to eat that wouldn't cause red icing to end up everywhere. Red velvet seemed appropriate as it matched the color theme, so I figured I'd give it a try.

I searched and searched the Internet for the perfect recipe and finally decided to give this recipe from Kathleen's Gonna Want Seconds Cooking Blog. She adapted her recipe from one of my most trusted sources, Cooks Illustrated. If anyone can make a regular recipe great, it's the people at Cooks Illustrated.

The recipe was surprisingly easy and worked for cupcakes, which was even better in my opinion! I made the cupcakes and icing the day before and piped the icing on the cupcakes a couple hours before the party. I topped each with a red m&m and used red paper liners to stick with the theme.

I have to say, besides these cupcakes changing my mind about red velvet, the icing was the BEST cream cheese icing I have ever had. I will definitely be adding these cupcakes to my repertoire of desserts.

Red Velvet Cake  

adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients:

Cake:

2 1/4 cups (11 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of table salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons natural cocoa powder

1-1ounce bottle red food coloring

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar

Frosting:

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

4 cups (16 ounces) confectioner's sugar

16 ounces cream cheese, softened and cut into 8 pieces

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

pinch of table salt 

Instructions (with notes from Gonna Want Seconds):

FOR THE CAKE:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2-9 inch cake pans or line cupcake pans with liners.

2. In a medium bowl mix flour, baking soda and salt.

3. In another bowl add buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla and eggs and whisk to combine.

4. Sift cocoa into a small bowl the mix with food coloring until it forms a paste.

5. Beat butter and sugar together, in a standing mixer, set on medium, for 2 minutes.  Scrape down bowl.

6. Add 1/3 of flour mixture and and beat on medium speed just until it's incorporated.  Add 1/2 the buttermilk mixture and beat on low until combined.  Scrape down the bowl.  Add 1/3 of flour mixture and beat on medium until incorporate.  Add the rest of buttermilk mixture beat on low until combine.  Add last 1/3 of flour mixture and beat on medium until just combined.  Scrape down the bowl.

7. Add the cocoa paste mixture and beat on medium until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and make sure the bottom of the batter is incorporating as well.   Give the batter a final good stir with a rubber spoonula to mix completely and pour into prepared pans.

8. Bake cake/cupcakes in preheated oven about 25 minutes for cake and 17-20 minutes for cupcakes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely, at least 30 minutes. 

FOR THE FROSTING: 

1. In a standing mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add cream cheese, 1 piece at a time, and beat until incorporate. ( Are you kidding me? Yah, I just plopped all the softened cream cheese in-full blocks-not cut up in and had no problems ;0 )  Beat in vanilla and salt. ( don't skip the salt- it doesn't make the frosting taste salty it heightens all the other flavs.).  Spread or pipe on completely cooled cakes.  If frosting seems a bit too soft to pipe well, pop it in the fridge a few minutes to firm it up a little.

What to do With All Those Leftovers

Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday. It is a cook's dream and to me, there's nothing better than having an excuse to be in my kitchen for days preparing so many delicious dishes. However, when it's all said and done and the leftovers are put away, I have to admit that the last thing I want to do is go back in the kitchen, dirty up a bunch of dishes, and come up some fancy meal using the Thanksgiving leftovers.

A couple of years ago, when my husband and I were home, just the two of us, for Thanksgiving, I accidentally bought a couple extra pie crusts. You know, those ones that come rolled up two to a box? Well, later that night, after our Thanksgiving celebration was over, I came up with an idea which has now become a tradition each year since that day. I took some of our leftovers and made what I like to call "Turkey Pockets." I hope this year, you'll grab a couple extra pie crusts and see how scrumptious these pot pie-like creations are.

Turkey Pockets
Serves 1-2 per pie crust 


Ingredients:
Thanksgiving leftovers (turkey, stuffing, corn casserole, peas, gravy, etc.)
Refrigerated pie crusts (I use Pillsbury in the red box)
One egg or a few tablespoons of milk

Set oven to temperature on pie crust box. Carefully unroll pie crusts and cut each in half. Place pie crusts on an ungreased cookie sheet with a couple inches in between each one. Put about 3/4-1 cup of filling in each half and fold over on itself so that it makes a 1/4 circle or a triangle. My favorite filling combination is turkey meat, gravy (for moisture) and peas or corn. Using a fork, press edges together so it resembles the edges of a crust on a pie. Using a butter knife, cut a few slits in the top of the pocket to allow heat and steam to escape. Brush the top of each crust with an egg wash (one egg mixed with water) or milk. Place cookie sheet on the middle rack of the oven and set timer according to box, but be sure to watch for a variance in time. Once golden brown on top, remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before enjoying with other Thanksgiving sides.

My Favorite Roasted Vegetables

Vegetables may not sound as appetizing as they do to me. You may still be recovering from a nightmarish childhood of being forced to eat awful, soggy, tasteless vegetables, night after night. You may be like my husband, who, for many years, would only eat two vegetables: salad and peas. Personally, I don't even know that "salad" is exactly a vegetable, especially if it hides beneath a mound of croutons and dressing and cheese, but we won't go there for now.

See, what I have come to realize over the years, is that vegetables have to be honored. They can't just be boiled to death or covered with cheese or butter. They need to stand out as the main attraction and they must be treated properly to do so. That's where roasting comes into play. Roasting vegetables brings out their best flavor by almost caramelizing them. The best part is the simplicity of the other ingredients: olive oil, salt and pepper, and maybe some fresh or dried herbs if you wish. I bet you already have all of these in your pantry. Next time you need to put a vegetable on your plate, try them this way and I bet you'll come to create some new, fond memories of vegetables. Here's a few of my favorites:

Roasted Red Potatoes: Wash, cut into wedges, and toss with olive oil, salt, fresh ground pepper, rosemary (fresh or dried), and garlic powder. Roast at 400 degrees in a greased casserole dish or sheet pan for 30-40 mins, turning once.

Roasted Okra: This is a new one for me. I love fried okra, but it isn't realistic for me to fry okra on a weekly basis, which is how often I buy it from the farmer's market. I found that roasting it may even be better than frying it and is definitely easier! Simply toss in olive oil, salt, and fresh ground pepper, and roast at 400 degrees in a greased casserole dish for 15 mins.

Roasted Butternut Squash: Toss with olive oil, salt, and freshly ground pepper and roast at 400 degrees in a greased casserole dish for 30 mins. Sometimes I take my roasted squash and put it on a whole wheat pizza with goat cheese, tomato sauce, and baby spinach.

There are many other vegetables I love to roast (grape tomatoes, baby carrots, eggplant, and more) but I hope these will encourage you to try your vegetables in a new way.

Really Easy, Delicious Summer Cobbler

Early in the week, I noticed I had peaches and half a pint of blueberries leftover from my recent trip to the farmer's market. I immediately remembered how my father used to make peach blueberry cobbler and had to try and replicate it. I found a delicious version that my favorite cook, Ina Garten makes. I altered the recipe slightly,  using an 8 x 2 loaf pan instead of the ramekins and leaving out the lemon zest (I only had lemon juice on hand). Needless to say, my husband and I devoured the entire dessert in one evening. Now, I will have to buy extra peaches and blueberries at tomorrow's market so I can make it again!

Peach & Blueberry Cobbler
Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients
for the fruit:

• 2 pounds firm, ripe peaches (6 to 8 peaches)
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup fresh blueberries (1/2 pint)

for the cobbler/crumble:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Immerse the peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until their skins peel off easily. Place them immediately in cold water. Peel the peaches, slice them into thick wedges, and place them in a large bowl. Add the lemon juice and zest, granulated sugar, and flour. Toss well. Gently mix in the blueberries. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes. Spoon the mixture into ramekins, loaf pan, or 8x8 depending on amount of fruit.

For the topping, combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the butter is the size of peas. Rub the mixture with your fingertips until it's in big crumbles, then sprinkle evenly over the fruit. If using ramekins, place the ramekins on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the tops are browned and crisp and the juices are bubbly. If using a loaf or 8x8 pan, bake for 35 to 40 mins. Serve warm or at room temperature.

If you want to make these early, store the unbaked crumbles in the refrigerator and bake before dinner.

When Your MIL Says it's the Best, You Blog it

Let me say first, I have a GREAT mother-in-law (and I'm not just saying this because she'll probably read this). Seriously, she's fun, she's easy to be around, and she loves my kids. When she came to visit us weeks ago, I decided to try a new recipe I was pretty sure she'd like. A few of her favorite foods are feta, shrimp, and tomatoes, so I figured this would be a hit. Thankfully, not only did she like it, I heard her comment that it might be the best thing she had ever eaten! I hope you enjoy this as much as she did!

Roasted Shrimp with Feta
Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa 
Picture from House Beautiful 

Ingredients:

Good olive oil
1 cup diced leeks (two)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 pounds (16 to 18) shrimp, peeled and deveined with the tails left on
3 ounces feta cheese, preferably Greek or French, coarsely crumbled
1 cup fresh bread crumbs 
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 lemons

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in 10- or 12-inch heavy ovenproof skillet over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and garlic and sauté for 8 to 10 minutes, until tender. Add the wine and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits clinging to the bottom of the skillet, and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to the skillet. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes.

4. Arrange the shrimp artfully in one layer over the tomato mixture in the skillet. Scatter feta evenly over the shrimp. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, parsley, and lemon zest with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle evenly over the shrimp.

5. Bake the shrimp for about 15 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through and the bread crumbs are golden brown. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over the shrimp. Serve hot with wedges of lemon.

NOTE: To make 1 cup of fresh bread crumbs, remove the crusts from 3 to 4 slices white bread and place in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until the bread is in crumbs.

Assemble the shrimp right in a 10- to 12-inch stainless-steel sauté pan, and then put the pan in the oven for 15 minutes before serving. Serve with salad and french bread. Serves 4. 

Easy, Baked Coconut Shrimp

Years ago, my good friend Rachel had me over to her apartment for dinner. My husband and I had just gotten married, and I was anxious to begin cooking and creating as many fabulous meals as I could.  Unfortunately, I wasn't exactly sure where to start and was feeling fairly timid about what I could accomplish. My friend, however, was hardly timid about most challenges in life, and cooking was no exception. And so, she had us over on a weeknight and made coconut shrimp for the first time! I was so impressed and the shrimp were incredible. What I loved most about these shrimp was that they were baked. None of the mess of frying on the stove. I am pretty sure we ate only shrimp for dinner but it was all we wanted.

Years later, I still had never tried to make them myself and finally decided I would research a recipe and give it a try myself. I found that they were as easy and delicious as the ones I shared with her as a newlywed. I believe they would be better with an orange marmalade sauce, and I have included one but have not yet made it myself. If you decide to try it, please comment and let me know how it is.

Baked Coconut Shrimp
Adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients
I pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 cups flaked, sweetened coconut
3 egg whites, beaten until foamy

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Rinse and dry shrimp with paper towels. Mix cornstarch, salt, and cayenne pepper in a shallow bow; pour coconut flakes in a separate shallow bowl. Working with one shrimp at a time, dredge it in the cornstarch mixture, then dip it in the egg white, and roll it in the coconut, making sure to coat the shrimp well. Place on the prepared baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining shrimp.
3. Bake the shrimp until they are bright pink on the outside and the meat is no longer transparent in the center and the coconut is browned, 15 to 20 minutes, flipping the shrimp halfway through.

Serve with dipping sauce if desired: Mix together 1/2 cup orange marmalade, 2 teaspoons stone ground mustard with seeds, 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish, and a dash of salt. 

Homemade Popsicles

It's hot. These popsicles are homemade, healthy, and easy. Need I say more?


Strawberry Mango Popsicles
Ingredients:
2 mangoes - peeled, cut and seed removed, finely cubed (or mango juice)
15 to 20 strawberries - stems removed and cut into half (I used thawed, frozen strawberries)
Sugar to taste
2 tablespoons of lime juice
****
Blender
Popsicle mold with sticks or popsicle sticks and small cups


For the mango puree: combine mangos, sugar, and lime juice in a blender and puree until smooth. Fill popsicle molds halfway up.


For the strawberry puree: combine strawberries, sugar, and lime juice in a blender and puree until smooth. Add to mango popsicles, leaving an inch or so of room at the top. Insert sticks and freeze 4-6 hours or overnight. Run under warm or cool water until mold releases popsicle. Enjoy!

Cold Springtime Soup...Happy Easter!

So I have many times watched the Barefoot Contessa make this sexy-sounding french soup but have never been able to take the challenge and make it. That is, until my good friend Amanda called me up to invite me to Easter lunch and asked me to make "an appetizer or starter, ohh, maybe a cold soup?" YES!! Finally, a reason to make this long-admired Zucchini Vichyssoise. I'll be honest, I was scared. Amanda is in fact, not only a good friend but an admired cook herself. This meant gametime and I'd better bring my A-game, even though I, in fact, had never made any cold soup, much less a french one that many might not be able to pronounce. A soup that was made by the grandmother of all cooks, Julia Child. I knew I'd better start early and see what I could accomplish.

Unfortunately, I had not recorded this episode of Barefoot on my TiVo, so I had to rely on the recipe online without the subtle hints and suggestions I usually find on her show. I was confused by the call for "boiling potatoes" which to me, could mean a variety of potatoes...russet, yukon, red. I am no potato expert, and I had russets on hand so I tried them. I also used the "stock in a box" I had on hand and was not at all pleased with the results. The soup was good, sure, but certainly not suitable for company. I considered abandoning the recipe all together but then decided to make a few tweaks and hit the jackpot! Here's what I did:

First, I knew the potatoes had to change and, since I was going to the farmer's market, I picked up some fresh red potatoes and even fresh zucchini. Second, I swung by a local soup and sandwich shop and begged them to let me purchase their homemade chicken soup, minus everything but the broth. I have two small children at home and making fresh stock on a whim was not feasible on a Saturday afternoon. Last, I bought extra leeks. I had a feeling the extra "leeky" flavor would produce better results. Now, from a scientific perspective, I am not certain which of these variable caused for the dramatic flavor difference, but my guess is the fresher ingredients, change of potato type, and homemade stock were the main highlights.

The first batch my husband gave a nod to and said "it's good," but this batch was met with "Whoa, that is excellent; it's in fact, perfect." Ahh, perfection. He knows me too well. Below is my final recipe, adapted from the Barefoot Contessa. I plan to serve it cold but you could certainly serve it hot.

Springtime Vichyssoise
Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 5 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts only (5 to 8 leeks)
• 4 cups chopped unpeeled red potatoes (8 small)
• 3 cups chopped zucchini (2-3 zucchini)
• 1 1/2 quarts Homemade Chicken Stock
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream (optional)
• Fresh chives for garnish

Directions

Heat the butter and oil in a large stockpot, add the leeks, and saute over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, zucchini, chicken stock, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil; then lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Cool for a few minutes and then process in a blender to reach desired consistency (for me, somewhere between a little chunky and completely pureed). Add the cream if desired and season to taste. Serve either cold or hot, garnished with chopped chives.

My Version of Dirty Rice

So, I was looking for a "manly" side to go with boiled crawfish and stumbled upon Paula Deen's recipe for diry rice. Now, many Louisianians would wonder why you even need a side for crawfish, but I had a few guys in town that are not from around here, and I figured I'd better add a manly side in case the crawfish weren't appealing (no pun intended).

Anyways, this dirty rice recipe called for the trinity (celery, onion, and green pepper) as well as pork sausage and chicken livers. Now, I like my rice dirty, but chicken livers give me the creeps, so I had to lose them. I added a little more sausage and served corn on the cob and french bread. The recipe says it serves 12, but 6 hungry guys (and I) ate it up quickly and were asking for more.

Not Too Dirty Rice
Adapted from Paula Deen

Ingredients

• 1 or more pound bulk pork sausage (I used garlic pepper from Whole Foods - delicious!)
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 4 cups hot cooked rice (cooking in chicken broth or half water/half broth adds great flavor)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Tony's seasonings, or spicy cajun seasonings of your choice (optional)

Directions

Cook the sausage in a large skillet until browned. Add the vegetables and saute until soft. Gently fold in the rice and parsley. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper and additional seasonings if desired.

My Two Favorite Apple Desserts

It takes a lot for me to make a recipe again and again. For some reason, I love cooking new dishes, and doing the same thing over and over can become a little boring. However, these two desserts have been tried and true for years. Each time I make either of them, rave reviews follow. If you are craving apple pie, try one of these. I bet you'll like them even better than that classic American treat.

#1 Apple Pear Crisp
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 2 pounds ripe Bosc pears (4 pears)
• 2 pounds firm Macoun (or something similar, not Grannys) apples (6 apples)
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the topping:

nocoupons

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Peel, core, and cut the pears and apples into large chunks. Place the fruit in a large bowl and add the zests, juices, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch oval baking dish.

For the topping:
Combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for 1 minute, until the mixture is in large crumbles. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit, covering the fruit completely.

Place the baking dish on a sheet pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is brown and the fruit is bubbly. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

#2 Apple Crostata
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients

For the pastry:

nocoupons

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated or superfine sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) very cold unsalted butter, diced
• 2 tablespoons ice water

For the filling:

nocoupons

• 1 1/2 pounds McIntosh, Macoun, or Empire apples (3 large)
• 1/4 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions

For the pastry, place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse 12 to 15 times, or until the butter is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water all at once through the feed tube. Keep hitting the pulse button to combine, but stop the machine just before the dough becomes a solid mass. Turn the dough onto a well-floured board and form into a disk. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Flour a rolling pin and roll the pastry into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer it to a baking sheet.
For the filling, peel, core, and cut the apples into 8ths. Cut each wedge into 3 chunks. Toss the chunks with the orange zest. Cover the tart dough with the apple chunks leaving a 1 1/2-inch border.
Combine the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and allspice in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Pour into a bowl and rub it with your fingers until it starts holding together. Sprinkle evenly on the apples. Gently fold the border over the apples to enclose the dough, pleating it to make a circle.
Bake the crostata for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is golden and the apples are tender. Allow to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

Stuffed Squash

One of my goals this year is to eat less meat. I am already on a dairy-free diet, so I figured I might as well give up the entire animal. I am mostly trying because of the many health benefits. I still eat meat a few times a week but am trying to center our dinners at home around delicious, filling alternatives. I call this recipe simply "Stuffed Squash" because you can use whatever type of fall or winter squash.
Acorn and butternut are my two favorites. I did not use ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, or cloves but I believe they would all be great additions. We enjoyed it with green beans and rosemary sourdough bread.

Stuffed Squash
Serves 8, but I adapted it using one squash to serve 2.

Ingredients:

• 4 acorn or butternut squash, halved lengthwise; seeds and membrane removed
• 1 cup brown rice
• 1/2 cup wild rice
• 4 cups vegetable broth or water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3/4 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped (you may use any nut of your preference)
• 1/2 cup cranberries(can substitute or add dried, chopped apricots)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2-1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon each ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375º F.
2. Cook both varieties of rice together in broth or water with ¼ teaspoon of salt (omit salt if broth is already salted).
3. Meanwhile, brush squash halves with olive oil and place, cut side down, into a large shallow baking dish or cookie sheet (you may need two). Bake for 30 minutes.
4. In a skillet, sauté onion in olive oil until it becomes transparent. Add the celery and sauté a couple of minutes. Remove from heat. Using a large mixing bowl, blend this mixture together with the cooked rice, cranberries, nuts, apricots, and remaining seasonings.
5. When done, remove the partially baked squash from the oven. Spoon out some of the cooked squash and mix it with the rest of the ingredients. Be sure to scrape only a little; you want to leave squash in the shells, too.
6. Press the rice mixture into each squash cavity, mounding rice as much as possible. (Depending on how large the squash are, you may end up with some leftover rice mixture, which makes a great side dish by itself.)
7. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes or until squash flesh is thoroughly tender. Check squash by poking all halves with a fork.

A New Take on Stuffing

If you have read about me on my blog, you may have noticed that my cooking "roots" come from my late grandfather, who was an amazing cook and caterer. Many in my family have a love for cooking and love to try new dishes. This one actually originated from the newspaper and was served with lobster tails on Christmas dinner by my aunt and grandmother. Although I have not had a chance to try it myself yet, I can vouch for their uncanny ability to find and create good food! I hope you enjoy.

Spinach and Mushroom Panade

Stuffing's European ancestor, panade (from the Italian pane or French pain, meaning "bread") is a layered casserole that is a moist, tasty and exciting spin on classic turkey dressing.  You can bake panade in a casserole dish or in individual bowls or ramekins.  Be sure to use a chewy artisan bread.

Ingredients:
10 (1/2-inch) slices country-style sourdough bread (about 12 ounces)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 large yellow onions, chopped
1 pound mushrooms, rinsed, stems trimmed and sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine or reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 (16-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach thawed and well drained
1 1/2 cups grated gruyere or Swiss cheese, divided
3 to 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Tear bread into 1-inch pieces, place on a baking sheet and toast until lightly browned, stirring once, 12 to 15 minutes.
3. Heat oil and butter over medium heat in a 12- inch saute pan or skillet.  When butter melts, add onions and cook 10 minutes.  Increase heat to medium-high; add mushrooms, garlic, wine or broth, thyme, salt and pepper.  Cook until liquid evaporates and mushrooms shrink, 10 to 15 minutes.  Stir in spinach.
4.  Coat a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.  Place half the bread in the pan.  Distribute half the onion mixture over bread and sprinkle on half the cheese.  Repeat layers.
5. Slowly pour 2 cups broth over top, allowing bread to soak up broth and pressing with the back of a spoon.  Add remaining broth until it reaches 1 inch below the pan's rim.
6. Cover with aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet to catch drips.  Bake, covered, 30 minutes.  Remove foil and bake 35 to 45 minutes, until bubbling, puffed and deep golden brown.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.  Serves 12.