SQUASH AND FETA SOUP

We have another recipe on this blog for butternut squash soup.  I love it so much, but the rest of my family doesn't enjoy it as much.  This recipe for squash and feta soup was well received by my whole family.  The toppings add so much and the squash flavor is not as pronounced. It's sure delicious! It can easily be made gluten-free by using gluten-free bread to make the croutons or just leaving them out.

• 2 pounds peeled and diced squash, about 6 cups You can use pre-chopped butternut squash to save time, if desired
• 1 onion, chopped into 1" pieces
• 1 carrot, chopped into 1/2 slices
• 6-8 garlic cloves, smashed
• 3 T minced rosemary
• 4 T olive oil, plus a little extra
• 1 t kosher salt
• 1/2 t black pepper
• 8 oz block of feta cheese
• 1 1/2 T honey
• 3-4 T chopped sage leaves,  about 8-10 fresh leaves
• 32 oz chicken broth 

 Sourdough Croutons

• 3 cups rustic sourdough bread cubes about 3 large slices, cubed into 1" squares
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

For Garnishing

• additional honey
• chopped sage
• additional crumbled feta
• chili crisp oil

• Preheat oven to 425℉. Line sheet pan with parchment.
• Place squash, onion, carrot, garlic, and 3 T rosemary on pan in a pile.
• Drizzle everything with 4 T of olive oil. Add 1 t of kosher salt and ½ t of black pepper.
• Toss and massage everything together evenly coat in oil. Then spread it out evenly into a single layer.
• Make a small space in the center of your pan and add the block of feta. Drizzle a little more olive oil on top of it and gently rub on top and sides of cheese.
• Place pan in oven and cook for about an hour (check after 45-50 minutes). Cook until vegetables are turning golden.
• Meanwhile, make the croutons. Drizzle bread cubes with 1 tablespoon olive oil and use hands to coat them all well. Heat a skillet to medium heat. Add butter to pan. Add bread and toss until both sides are golden brown. Set aside. Croutons will not be crispy- they will be toasted on the outside and be soft and chewy in the center.
• Remove pan from oven. Transfer all the contents of the pan into a blender, including all browned bits and olive oil.
• Add 1 ½ T honey and 3-4 T  sage to blender. 
• Add broth to blender. Puree until completely smooth.
• Pour soup into a pot on your stove to keep warm. Add more salt to taste. Add more honey, if desired.
• Ladle soup into bowls and top with a few croutons, honey, chopped fresh sage, additional feta, and a little drizzle of chili crisp.

Recipe by Our Best Bites

Superior Zuppa Toscana

 I've always been lukewarm toward Zuppa Toscana. Most recipes I've tried have good flavor, but thin, watery broth and sparse sausage and vegetables. This recipe is more rich and filling. I love the addition of the zucchini. And who wouldn't appreciate both bacon AND sausage?! Yum!

• 
  
• 10 slicesthick-cut bacon, diced
• 2 Tolive oil
• 1 lbground Italian sausage
• 1 mediumyellow onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 T)
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 2 tchili powder, (optional)
• 2 largerusset potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 medium zucchini, quartered and sliced
• 1 c heavy cream
• 1 bunchkale, stemmed chopped
• ¼ cgrated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 1 tkosher salt, plus more to taste
• Black pepper, to taste
• 1 tred pepper flakes, for serving
• 
  

1. Place the diced bacon in a large skillet. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the bacon gets crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve the fat in the pan. 

2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, until browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer the sausage to the plate with the bacon. 

3. Add 2 tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat to the pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Stir in the chicken stock, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the chili powder, potatoes, and zucchini. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. 

4. Add the sausage and about 3/4 of the bacon to the soup. Stir in the cream, kale, Parmesan and salt and cook, stirring, until the kale is wilted, 2 to 5 minutes. Taste and season with more salt and pepper. 

5. Top individual servings with the remaining bacon, Parmesan, and red pepper flakes.

Recipe by Modern Proper

Neapolitan Pizza Dough

This recipe is best for use inside a high heat pizza oven. Makes eight 250-gram dough balls (for 12-inch pizzas)

1225 grams 00 flour
735 grams water
37 grams alt
3.3 grams yeast
4 grams oil

Put water and yeast into bowl of stand mixer with a dough hook. Mix until thoroughly blended. Add oil. Combine flour and salt in a separate bowl. Put dry ingredients into the bowl of the stand mixer with the wet ingredients. Turn machine on low for 5-10 minutes until dough is firm and stretchy. 

Cover dough with dish towel and let rise for about 2 hours until doubled in size.
Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. Form into balls. Let rise another 30-60 minutes until doubled in size. 

Heat your pizza oven before forming your crust and adding pizza toppings to ensure it's hot enough before you begin. Aim for 850 degrees. Stretch your balls into small, flat discs. See ooni.com for tips on dough stretching. Lightly flour your pizza peel and lay base on it. Add your toppings. Launch pizza and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, turning every 20 seconds or so. Remove from oven and enjoy! Recipe from Ooni, adjusted to my liking

Cajun Shrimp Boil

1 lb. baby red or yellow potatoes, quartered
12 oz. andouille sausage, fully cooked, sliced
1 chopped red pepper 1/2-1" pieces (optional)
2 T. olive oil
2 t. Old Bay seasoning, or more to taste
1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lemon, sliced into ¼” rounds
2 T. chopped fresh parsley leaves, for serving

 

Preheat oven to 400°

 

On a parchment-lined baking sheet, combine potatoes, sausage, and red pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and season with Old Bay.

 

Cook 20-25 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

 

Remove from oven, add shrimp and lemon slices and toss to coat. Return to oven and cook 7-10 minutes, until shrimp is cooked through and pink.

 

Remove from oven and toss ingredients to coat everything in the seasoning. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

Tortellini Soup

This recipe has become a family favorite because it is so delicious, but pretty quick to put together.

1 pound mild italian ground sausage

1 medium yellow onion, minced

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 quart chicken stock

1 (14-ounce can) crushed tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 bunch curly kale, stemmed and roughly torn

10 ounces fresh tortellini

1 cup heavy cream

Parmesan cheese, grated for serving (optional)

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, for serving (optional)

1. 
   Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, onions, and garlic and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until it is browned and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Drain off any excessive fat.
   Whisk in the chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, and tomato paste until fully incorporated. Bring to a boil and add the salt, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until slightly reduced, about 15 minutes. Stir in the kale, tortellini, and cream. Cook until the kale is wilted and the pasta is tender, 3-5 minutes. 
   Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan and red pepper flakes, if desired, before serving.

Recipe by The Modern Proper

Chicken Sausage Sheet Pan Meal

 
1 12-ounce package chicken and apple sausage, cut into 2″ slices
1 lb broccoli, chopped
1 lb sweet potato, cut into 3/4” chunks
1/4 c. olive oil 

zest of 1 lemon
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. dried parsley
1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup pomegranate arils, optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Put the sausage, broccoli, and sweet potato on the baking sheet and set aside. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper. Drizzle over the sheet pan mixture. Toss to combine. Place the sheet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, then use a spatula to flip the mixture and bake for another 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds if using, and season with additional salt and pepper as needed. 

Recipe by Our Best Bites, slightly modified

Honey Lime Chicken

 This is a delicious, healthy marinade for chicken. The recipe is from my cousin Hailey. It is a great main dish, but also makes great tacos or is tasty sliced on top of salad.

1/4 c. olive oil

Juice and zest from 2 limes

2 T. honey

1/2 t.  cayenne pepper

1 t. kosher salt

1 t. pepper

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast

Place all ingredient in a large ziplock bag and mix together. Add chicken and marinate 4-6 hours or overnight. Heat grill to medium high and grill about 7 minutes on each side until cooked through. 

Recipe by Hailey Young Johnson

Lebanese Sheet Pan Chicken

This is one of the best recipes I've tried in a long time. I love a good sheet pan meal. This one is very flavorful and a little unique. You may be tempted to use chicken breasts in this recipe. DON'T. The thighs marinated in yogurt are unbelievably juicy. I use bone-in thighs, but I remove most of the skin and excess fat with kitchen sheers. The hardest part of this recipe is probably finding za'atar. After looking at a couple stores and coming up empty-handed, I found a recipe online to make my own spice blend for za'atar.  I have since found it at Fred Meyer. 

2 pounds chicken thighs
5-6 oz. yogurt, full fat (I just use a single-serve container)
2 t. each: salt, black pepper (divided)
1 tsp each: sweet paprika, garlic powder, za'atar
1.5 lb potatoes (I like baby yellow potatoes)
1 lb baby carrots
1 t. dried oregano
2 T. chopped parsley
2 T butter, melted
1 yellow onion, quartered
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 T. lemon juice
2 T. olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a large ziplock bag, combine yogurt with za'atar, paprika, garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken thighs and massage well with the yogurt mixture. Set aside to marinate at room temperature while you chop your vegetables.

Slice baby carrots in half lengthwise. Cut the potatoes into ¼ inch slices. Chop the parsley. Put in large bowl. Add oregano, parsley, garlic, butter, and the remaining salt and pepper. Mix until combined. Dump mixture on a baking sheet. Nestle the chicken and onions in between the vegetables. Drizzle lemon juice olive oil over the top.  

Bake for 60 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender and the edges are crispy. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving. 

Recipe by Serving Dumplings with my own modifications

Chicken Pillows

 This is a recipe that is familiar to a lot of people, and is a major comfort food to me. It's another great way to use a rotisserie chicken. I like to freeze bags of shredded rotisserie chicken to have on hand for quick dinners. You can also used canned chicken.

4 T. butter
1/8 t. pepper
4-8 oz. cream cheese, I like to use a whole package
2 c. shredded chicken
2 stalks celery, optional
1/2 c. diced onions
favorite roll recipe or 2 cans crescent rolls

Roll out dough into large circle and cut into triangles, pizza style. Fill with 1/4 c. filling. Roll up and tuck in ends; brush tops with melted butter. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.

Gravy:

1 can cream of chicken soup

Make according to directions on the can. Serve over rolls. 

Chicken Caesar Wraps

 We love this recipe and have been making it for years. It's a great way to use your rotisserie chicken. If you want to make it even quicker, use store-bought Caesar dressing.

• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from about 1 large lemon
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 3 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
• 1 romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
• tortillas or wraps

• In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and garlic. Whisk in the olive oil slowly until thoroughly incorporated.
• In a large bowl, toss the chicken and lettuce with the dressing. Divide the chicken/lettuce mixture evenly among the tortillas or wraps. Roll and secure with a toothpick, if desired. Serve.
  Recipe Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe