Stuffed Acorn Squash

I don’t know about you but for me the month of January spells eating lots of leftover Christmas candy while trying to keep warm and not gain any more weight! No simple feat!

This recipe for Stuffed Acorn Squash is a warm, winter dinner that’s low on calories and high on taste that hopefully helps you fulfill that goal!

I was a little dubious about stuffed acorn squash at first – it seems like quite a lot of effort for very little result and it all seems a little too healthy for me 😉 However, I was surprised by the delicious result and how simple it was to make!

You could probably use any large squash for this dish – but Captain America and I picked up this massive Acorn squash at Apple Hill and I decided to use it for a main dish rather than a smaller side dish. If you can only find smaller acorn squash at your grocery store or Farmer’s market then it would make a great side dish, or maybe use a whole squash per person for a main dish.

While researching “How to cook squash” I found this excellent post from one of my favorite cooking website The Kitchn – check this out for some basic tips on How to make stuffed roasted squash

Ingredients

1 acorn squash (or equivalent)

4 garlic cloves, diced

1/2 onion, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

1lb ground turkey

1 carrot, grated

1 tbsp garlic salt

1 tsp onion salt

1 tbsp oregano

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp coriander

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 C breadcrumbs

1 C Grated Italian cheese

3/4 C pine nuts (optional)

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions

1. Cut the Acorn squash in half and remove the seeds and stringy bits. Place the squash halves cut-side-down in a baking dish and pour in enough hot water to fill the pan by about 1/4 inch. Cover the dish loosely with foil and place the dish in the oven.
2. Roast the squash at 375F until very soft and tender when poked with a fork or paring knife, 30 to 50 minutes. Exact roasting time will depend on the size and variety of your squash.
3. While the squash is roasting cook the ground turkey, onion, garlic, bell pepper, carrot and seasonings in a pan until the turkey is fully cooked. When it is cooked remove the filling from the heat until the squash has finished roasting
4. Flip the cooked squash halves so they form bowls. Rub the inside with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5. Add the breadcrumbs, cheese and pine nuts to the filling.
6. Divide the filling between the halves — it’s fine to really stuff the wells and also to mound the filling on top.
7. Bake the stuffed squash halves until bubbly: Re-cover the pan with the foil and bake the halves for another 15 to 20 minutes until both are hot and bubbly. Top with extra cheese and serve immediately.

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

I recently discovered that one of Captain America’s favorite dishes is homemade Chicken Enchiladas!

We set about creating a recipe, admittedly not making all the sauces from scratch, as this was our first time preparing the dish and we wanted something that was easy for you to quickly recreate at home.

I once made authentic Chicken Enchiladas with a Mexican friend – the recipe pretty much took all day, and although the taste was well worth the effort not everyone has the time or the inclination to spend all day cooking.

This solves that problem – it is a quick to prepare dish which just bakes in the oven before you are ready to eat.

We were really pleased with the results. It was delicious with just the right amount of seasoning and I can totally understand why Chicken Enchiladas is one of Captain America’s favorite dishes!

Here’s what you need to do:

In a medium bowl add the onion, chicken, corn and green chilies. Set aside 1/2 cup of mixed green chilies, corn and onion to add to the topping. Add the seasonings and stir. Set aside.

Warm the tortillas, 2 at a time, in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Place about 3/4 cup of the chicken mixture in the center of the warm tortilla. Roll the mixture so it fills most of the length of the tortilla. Wrap the mixture and fold in the edges so the tortilla makes a parcel. Place in 9 x 13 baking dish.

Repeat using all 12 tortillas and pack them tightly into the baking dish

In a bowl, add the 1/2 cup of corn, green chiles and onion mix to the cans of enchilada sauce and stir.

Pour over the entire baking dish – make sure it does not overflow. Add most of the grated cheeses over the top of the sauce – save some for later.

Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. Add the rest of the cheese and bake for another 15-20 minutes until the cheese is golden brown (you can always cheat at the end and broil the top so that the cheese bubbles and begins to brown)

Allow to cool for a few minutes and serve.

Simple Chicken & Shrimp Tom Yum Soup

A friend of ours recently gave us a few Asian ingredients as she is moving house and needs to downsize!

She knew we loved to cook and would make good use of them! She was right! Our recipe for Simple Chicken & Shrimp Tom Yum Soup was created.

I started googling some of the ingredients she had given us to see how best I could put them to use. I found a few options, but nothing that was jumping out at me. I decided to take the high risk approach and create my own Asian soup recipe! Being the least Asian person I know (!) it was literal guess work and while the result was exceptionally good (even if i do say so myself!) it may not be the most genuine Tom Yum Soup recipe ever created and for that I apologize!

 

Every recipe I read told me how to make my own tom yum soup base….but I already had that, so I used that as a base and added to it as it was pretty bland. I wanted to make sure the chicken was thin enough and cooked in the same way I as I had eaten in other Asian soups. I turns out the method is to essentially boil the chicken – which I would never think to do usually – but it worked! The chicken absorbed all the delicious flavors of the soup base while it cooked!

This recipe for chicken & shrimp tom yum soup was a huge fluke and yet a real success – that’s the best kind!

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Simple Chicken & Shrimp Tom Yum Soup

Ingredients:

Serves 6-8

3 quarts water

22 oz (3 packets) Udon noodles (do not use any seasoning packets that may come with the noodles)

1 can baby corn, chopped

2 C finely sliced chicken, uncooked

1 C tail-on shrimp

1 red onion, slivered

1 bell pepper, slivered

2 C mushrooms, sliced

4 tbsp Tom Yum Soup Paste

1 tbsp hot pepper paste

2 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp thai fish sauce

1 x 14 oz can chicken broth

2 tbsp garlic salt

2 tbsp garlic powder

2 tbsp fresh cilantro

Directions:

Add the water to a large pan, add the tom yum soup paste, hot pepper paste, lime juice, fish sauce, chicken broth, garlic salt & garlic powder to the pan and bring to the boil.

Add the chicken, onion and bell pepper, stir and reduce the heat to an active simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the shrimp, mushrooms and baby corn and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the noodles and fresh cilantro and stir well to break up the noodles as they cook. Cook for another 3-5 minutes until the noodles are cooked through and serve

 

30 Sensational Summer Salads

Summer is in full swing, kids are on vacation, days are long, time is short and meals are aplenty!

Check out this round-up of 30 Sensational Summer Salads for all occasions to get your tastebuds and inspiration flowing!

Whether you need a salad for lunch or dinner, a side salad, or some great ideas for salads to serve at a summer BBQ or picnic there is one here for every occasion and every palate!

Here are some inspirational recipes so let’s get cooking!!

Entree Salad Dishes (Meat Free)

 

Quinoa Tabbouleh

Kale Salad with Pear, Berries & Walnuts by Simply Fresh Dinners

Almond, Mango, Kale, Pasta, Green Bean Chopped Salad by Kitchen Chopper

 

Entree Salad Dishes with Meat/Poultry

 

Cobb Salad

Taco Salad

Warm Spinach Salad

Chicken Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Dressing

Tuna Nicoise Salad

Crab, Tangerine & Fresh Herb Salad by Simply Fresh Dinners

Southwestern Cornbread Salad by Recipes For Our Daily Bread

 

Side Salads

 

Traditional Coleslaw

Red Cabbage & Broccoli Slaw

Three Bean Salad

Simple Green Salad

Berry Salad by Coffee With Us 3

Roasted Corn Salad with Feta & Tomatoes by Coffee With Us 3

Cranberry Green Salad by Coffee With Us 3

Fresh Tomato & Feta Salad by Eat It & Say Yum

 

Potato & Pasta Salads

 

Cheesy Ranch Potato Salad by From That’s My Home

Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad by A Kitchen Hoor

Pasta Salad with Zing! by My Freshly Brewed Life

Healthy Potato Salad by Simply Fresh Dinners

Grandma’s Potato Salad by Coffee With Us 3

Summer Pasta Salad

 

Dessert Salads

 

Simple Fruit Salad by Coffee With Us 3

Pistachio Salad by Thrifty Treasures

Strawberry Pretzel Salad by Thrift Treasures

 

Salad Dressings

 

Greek Style Vinaigrette

Italian Balsamic Dressing

Ranch Dressing Mix

BBQ Teriyaki Chicken

We have a special recipe for you this week for 4th July, BBQ Teriyaki Chicken

This is a delicious recipe created by Captain America and we cannot get enough of it! I am delighted that we have another great opportunity to grill coming this week as we celebrate one of my favorite holidays.

This is an incredibly simple recipe and takes not time to make – it just needs to sit overnight so the chicken can absorb all the wonderful flavors!

This recipe is also great cold, so if you are having a picnic or you need to have pre-prepared food for the holiday then this will work really well

 

We hope you have a fabulous 4th July weekend celebrating with family and friends!

For more 4th July ideas check out these posts:

Decor & Crafts

Food & Recipes

Ingredients:

6.5 lbs chicken pieces (we used legs)

1tsp ginger

4 tbsp soy sauce

1tsp liquid smoke (hickory flavor)

2 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp yellow mustard

3 tbsp Korean BBQ sauce

2 C Veri Veri Teriyaki sauce

 

Directions:

Mix the marinade ingredients together.

Wash and pat dry the chicken pieces and place them in an airtight container.

Pour the marinade over the chicken and marinade overnight (or for a minimum of 5 hours)

Cook on the grill until the chicken is thoroughly cooked.

 

Celebrate 4th July Round-Up: Food

4th July is fast approaching and I wanted to celebrate one of my favorite holidays in style with a Celebrate 4th July Round-Up!

Yesterday I did a decor and crafts round up which you can find HERE

Today it is all about FOOD! You all know how much Captain America & I LOVE food, cooking and recipes so I am really excited by the ones featured here.

I also included a few of our personal favorites and for some more 4th July recipe inspiration check my Celebrate 4th July post from last year!

I am delighted to share these exceptional creations with you! They caught my eye from The Pretty Pintastic Party a link party I co-host every Friday 

Now onto the Round-Up:

Breakfast

 

Spirited Star Waffles by Kenarry

 

Burgers & Hot Dogs

 

1) Oven-Baked Chili Cheese Dogs by Foody Schmoody

2) Blue Cheese Stuffed Burgers by My Family Mealtime

3) Turkey Burgers by Captain America & His English Rose

4) Chipotle Burger by A Mother’s Shadow

 

Meat & Grilling

 

1) Mango BBQ Chicken Skewers by The Housewife In Training Files

2) 3 Ingredient Pulled Pork by Mommy On Demand

3) Fall-Off-The-Bone Ribs by Recipes For Your Daily Bread

4) Deviled Chicken Drumsticks by Living The Gourmet

 

Salads & Sides

 

1) Slow-Cooker Baked Beans

2) Italian Pasta Salad by Memories By The Mile

3) Tri-Color Pasta Salad by My Life Abundant

4) Best Ever Potato Salad by Delightful E Made

5) Red Cabbage & Broccoli Slaw by Captain America & His English Rose

6) Foil Roasted Potatoes by Captain America & His English Rose

7) Roasted Corn Salad by The Housewife In Training Files

 

Sweet Treats

 

1) Fruit Puree Shooters by Little Miss Celebration

2) Banana Cream Pie by Yesterfood

3) Red, White & Blue Cookie Stacks by Coffee With Us 3

4) Banana Nut Butter Soft Serve by Raia’s Recipes

5) Apple & Ginger Pie by Living The Gourmet

6) Malted Banana Ice Cream with Peanut Butter & Chocolate Pretzels by Eat It & Say Yum

7) Red, White & Blueberry Bowl by Meatloaf & Melodrama

8) Marshmallow Treat Fruit Skewers by Melissa’s Cuisine

9) Star Chocolate Cupcakes by Sizzling Eats

 

Drinks

 

Captain America’s Iced Tea by Captain America & His English Rose

Cinco De Mayo Recipe Round-Up

Cinco De Mayo is just around the corner

What better way to celebrate than with a selection of our finest Mexican influenced recipes from Captain America & His English Rose in our Cinco De Mayo Recipe Round-Up!

We love Mexican food, and we love to create recipe influenced by some of our favorite foods!

These recipes were all created out of a genuine love for Mexican food – so let’s celebrate Cinco De Mayo in style!

 

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Matzah Ball Soup

Captain America LOVES Matzah Ball Soup.

He talks about it all year and will eat the leftovers for weeks after our Christ In The Passover Dinner.

Matzah Ball Soup is a traditional Jewish soup, often served at Passover or other Jewish holidays. Captain America and I make it every year to serve at our Christ In The Passover Dinner. It is a total labor of love, but it is well worth the hard work, time and effort.

If it wasn’t so complicated to make he would probably make Matzah Ball Soup throughout the year.  However, it is not simple, I’m afraid to say, so instead we make a GIANT vat of it and hope it lasts forever!

If you are hosting your very own Christ In The Passover follow the links below for all the recipes:

Christ In The Passover Dinner

Christ In The Passover Desserts

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Dairy Free Chicken Stroganoff

Captain America was craving Stroganoff-being the dutiful wife I wanted to fulfill his craving!!

However, stroganoff has milk and sour cream in it – both of which he is highly allergic to. I therefore set about creating a healthy Dairy Free Chicken Stroganoff which turned into a huge success.

“How do you make a Dairy Free Chicken Stroganoff?” I hear you cry, “surely that changes all the fundamental ingredients of a stroganoff?” Well, we don’t think so.

We found a solution to keep the great, comfort-food taste of the classic dish but making it healthier by using chicken instead of beef and substituting dairy for rice milk, chicken stock and an excellent seasoning mix-creating our delicious Dairy Free Chicken Stroganoff!

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‘Better Than Takeout’ Special Fried Rice

I love chinese food, and Special Fried Rice is one of my favorite dishes.

I always want to try and recreate my version of my favorite foods at home – and this was no exception. When I had some leftover chicken and ham I decided Special Fried Rice was the perfect dish to use them in.

This is obviously not a genuine Chinese recipe….because I made it up all myself! However, I was more than happy with the results and I wanted to share this ‘better than takeout’ meal with you all.

What is your favorite Chinese food?

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