Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped (or 1t. ground dry sage)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 cups fat-free chicken broth
• 1 1/2 lbs butternut squash (peeled, seeded, cubed)
• parmesan cheese (Garnish)

Directions:

1. 1
   Add oil, garlic and onion to large stockpot over medium heat.
2. 2
   Saute for 3-4 minutes.
3. 3
   Add sage, salt, pepper, broth and squash.
4. 4
   Bring to a boil.
5. 5
   Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes (or until squash has a tender consistency).
6. 6
   Use stick blender to lightly puree, leaving some chunks, or puree half of the soup in a food processor or blender and return to pot.
7. 7
   Garnish with parmesan cheese and more fresh sage (if desired).

yield: Makes 6 servings

• 5 pound bone-in beef short ribs, cut crosswise into 2″ pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 medium onions, chopped
• 3 medium carrots, peeled, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 750-milliliter bottle dry red wine (preferably Cabernet Sauvignon)
• 10 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
• 8 sprigs thyme
• 4 sprigs oregano
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 2 fresh or dried bay leaves
• 1 head of garlic, halved crosswise
• 4 cups low-salt beef stock

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Season short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, brown short ribs on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer short ribs to a plate. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons drippings from pot.

Add onions, carrots, and celery to pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until onions are browned, about 5 minutes. Add flour and tomato paste; cook, stirring constantly, until well combined and deep red, 2-3 minutes. Stir in wine, then add short ribs with any accumulated juices. Bring to a boil; lower heat to medium and simmer until wine is reduced by half, about 25 minutes. Add all herbs to pot along with garlic. Stir in stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer to oven.

Cook until short ribs are tender, 2-2 1/2 hours. Transfer short ribs to a platter. Strain sauce from pot into a measuring cup. Spoon fat from surface of sauce and discard; season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in shallow bowls over mashed potatoes with sauce spooned over.

Cooks’ note: To test if the ribs are done, pull on a bone. It should slide out freely.

Ricotta and pureed squash give this familiar dish its creaminess.

Butternut Squash Mac n Cheese

• Yield Serves 6

Ingredients

Directions

Ingredients

• 6 cups apples – peeled, cored and chopped
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 cup white sugar

Directions

1. In a 2 quart saucepan over medium heat, combine apples, water, cinnamon, and cloves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in sugar, and simmer 5 more minutes.

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup uncooked white rice
• 3 large green bell peppers, halved and seeded
• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 onion, diced
• garlic powder to taste
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 cups finely shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. Place green bell peppers in a medium saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Remove peppers from the water and set aside in a 9×13 inch baking dish.
4. In a large saucepan over medium heat, brown the ground beef; drain. Return to heat and mix in onion, cooked rice, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Pour in tomato sauce and mix thoroughly. Let simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
5. Spoon the meat mixture onto each half of the green peppers. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until mixture begins to turn golden brown.
6. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top of each stuffed pepper. Return to the oven and bake until cheese is lightly browned, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Crazy Sherpa Potatoes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/2 large potato, diced
• 1/4 cup green peas
• 1/4 cup chopped broccoli
• 1/4 cup chopped carrot
• 1/4 cup chopped zucchini
• 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Barbecue Beef for Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 4 pounds boneless chuck roast
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• 12 ounces chile sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

1. Place roast in a large covered pan. Roast at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 2 hours, or until the meat falls apart and shreds easily.
2. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions, and saute until onions become translucent.
3. Stir in vinegar and chili sauce. Fill empty chili sauce bottle with water, shake, and pour liquid into skillet. Mix in brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, salt, cayenne pepper, and garlic. Cook sauce over low heat, stirring often, until thickened.
4. With two forks, shred roasted beef. Stir meat into the sauce in the skillet, and simmer for 30 minutes.

Jalapeño Poppers

Roasted Eggplant and Garlic Dip with Parsley

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Prick eggplant with a fork several times and on a baking sheet rub with just enough oil to coat.

Cut off and discard top quarter of garlic head to expose cloves and set garlic in middle of a large piece of foil. Drizzle garlic with 1 teaspoon oil and enclose completely in foil. Place foil packet next to eggplant on baking sheet and roast in middle of oven, turning eggplant after 30 minutes, 45 to 50 minutes, or until eggplant is very soft and collapsed. Unwrap garlic carefully and cool eggplant and garlic on baking sheet.

Transfer eggplant to cutting board. Cut off and discard stem end and halve eggplant lengthwise. Scoop flesh out into a bowl, scraping as close to skin as possible. Pour off any liquid accumulated in bowl.

Squeeze roasted garlic from skins into a food processor. Add eggplant, lemon juice, tahini, parsley, and salt to taste and blend until smooth and parsley is minced fine. Dip may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.

Transfer dip to a bowl and serve with pita wedges.

Baked Potato Chips

---

Martha Stewart Living, July 2005

• Prep Time 10 minutes
• Total Time 40 minutes
• Yield Serves 4

Ingredients

• Vegetable-oil cooking spray
• 2 pounds russet potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Coarse salt
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat 2 rimmed baking sheets with cooking spray; set aside. Put potatoes, oil, 1 tablespoon salt, and the cayenne in a large bowl; season with pepper. Toss to combine.
2. Arrange potato slices on prepared baking sheets, spacing them 1/4 inch apart. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until potatoes are crisp and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Spread out potatoes on parchment paper; let dry 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt, if desired.

Pumpkin-Swirl Brownies

Chocolate and pumpkin make a frightfully gooey pair in these creamy pumpkin-swirl brownies.

Halloween 2004, October Holiday 2004

• Yield Makes 16

Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups solid-pack pumpkin
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts or other nuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan or dish. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper; butter lining.
2. Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth.
3. Whisk together flour, baking powder, cayenne, and salt in a large bowl; set aside. Put sugar, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat until fluffy and well combined, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in flour mixture.
4. Divide batter between two medium bowls (about 2 cups per bowl). Stir chocolate mixture into one bowl. In other bowl, stir in pumpkin, oil, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Transfer half of chocolate batter to prepared pan smoothing top with a rubber spatula. Top with half of pumpkin batter. Repeat to make one more chocolate layer and one more pumpkin layer. Work quickly so batters don’t set.
5. With a small spatula or a table knife, gently swirl the two batters to create a marbled effect. Sprinkle with nuts.
6. Bake until set, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 16 squares.