Mom's Hot Fudge Sauce

The best hot fudge sauce ever. But before I talk about that, let me tell you a story.  When my husband and I were first dating/engaged/just married, we worked at and managed an ice cream shop that will not be named.  It was such a blast (except the part about working every single Friday night...not such a blast) and we got to eat so much amazing ice cream.  So many good flavors, so little time.  It was definitely some of the best ice cream I will ever eat.  Sadly, their hot fudge sauce was not quite so good.  It was a little too bitter tasting--I guess they were trying to balance the sweetness of the ice cream?  But yeah, it just did not work for me.  On the other end of things, I have definitely tasted hot fudge sauces that are just way too sweet, especially when you're putting them on top of two big scoops of straight up sugar and fat.  This hot fudge sauce, on the other hand, has the perfect balance.  Sweet and rich, without being sickly sweet or over the top.  I think the evaporated milk is the real key to the creamy richness.  Just be warned, you will want to eat this with a spoon.  Sorry, not sorry.

Mom's Hot Fudge Sauce

Number of Servings: about 4 cups of sauce
Time to Prepare: 15 minutes

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Melt butter and chocolate and a medium saucepan over low heat.  Stir in evaporated milk and powdered sugar until smooth.  Increase the heat to medium and bring to a boil.  Cook for 8 minutes, until thick.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Source: my awesome mom

Thai Butternut Squash Soup

People really seem to love their orange vegetables with sugar added.  Sweet potatoes with marshmallows, carrots with honey, banana or butternut squash with brown sugar.  I don't know if it's just me, but I actually prefer my orange veggies to be savory.  I've tried several butternut squash soup recipes and they are always too sweet for my taste.  This soup, on the other hand, was refreshingly savory.  The kick of heat from the curry paste is a great departure from the usual syrupy sweetness of other soups and the subtle coconut flavor is a great touch.  And a side bonus, if you're into this sort of thing--replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth and you've got a vegetarian/vegan soup on your hands.

Thai Butternut Squash Soup

Number of Servings: 4
Time to Prepare: 55 minutes

• 18 oz peeled, seeded butternut squash, cut into 1" cubes
• olive oil
• kosher salt
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 Tbsp red curry paste (if you're concerned about the spiciness start with less and add more to taste)
• 1 Tbsp lime juice
• 1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk
• 1/4 cup sweetened, shredded coconut
• chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Toss squash with olive oil and kosher salt.  Spread on a baking sheet and roast for about 35 minutes, until tender.

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and saute until it just begins to brown.  Add the broth, roasted squash, and curry paste.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the coconut milk and lime juice, then use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth.  Stir in the shredded coconut and serve garnished with a sprinkle of chopped cilantro.

Source: adapted from Everyday Reading
Produce Used: Butternut squash, onion, lime, coconut, cilantro

Steak and Blue Salad

You know how there are those foods that your parents ate that you always thought were gross, and then as an adult you realize you actually like them?  I think blue cheese is one of those "adult only" foods.  I always thought it was weird and gross, but I love it now, especially in salads.  And also with steak.  So steak and salad in one?  Perfect.  This salad has a little bit of everything--crunch from the french-fried onions, tang from the cheese, creaminess from the avocado, juiciness from the tomato.  It is a great main dish salad for all those meat lovers out there trying to lighten up their dinners.

Steak and Blue Salad

Number of Servings: 3
Time to Prepare: 20 minutes

• olive oil
• 8 oz steak (it's best if you let the steak sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before cooking)
• kosher salt
• black pepper 
• 1 Tbsp butter
• dash of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1-2 oz crumbled blue cheese
• 1/4 cup French fried onions
• cilantro ranch dressing (such as the one from this recipe)

Brush a cast iron skillet withe olive oil and put over high heat until hot.  Season the steak with salt and pepper, then place in the hot skillet.  Cook for 2 minutes, then flip and cook for 2 more minutes.  Once the top and bottom have been seared, use tongs to hold the steak up and sear the sides.  Turn the heat down and lay the steak down flat again.  Throw the butter and a dash or two of Worcestershire into the pan.  Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking, turning over every minute or so, until you reach the desired level of doneness (use a meat thermometer).  Remove to a heat and let rest for 5 minutes, then slice.

In a large serving bowl or in individual salad bowls, place the chopped lettuce.  Top with sliced steak, avocado, tomato, blue cheese, and French fried onions.  Drizzle with dressing and serve.

Source: inspired by the blue cheese in my fridge :)
Produce Used: Romaine, avocado, tomato

Sausage and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash

Weather-wise, my favorite season is definitely spring.  Everything coming alive--buds, leaves, flowers.  Everything starts warming up and the world just seems like a happy place to be.  However, when it comes to food I think my favorite season is fall.  I love when all the winter squashes start showing up in stores...banana squash, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, pumpkin.  They're all so good and in so many ways.  And possibly my favorite thing is how long their shelf life is.  You can store them for weeks or even months, and effectively make the fall food season last just a bit longer.  This recipe is just one of many great winter squash recipes out there, but it's definitely a favorite.  The slight sweetness of the apple, combined with the savory sausage and sauteed veggies is the perfect combination to complement the squash.  It is just full of those classic fall flavors that I love!

Sausage and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash

Number of Servings: 4-6
Time to Prepare: 1 hour 15 minutes

• 2-3 medium acorn squash (2 will be very full with stuffing, 3 will be a bit shallow)
• olive oil (I used a roasted garlic flavored olive oil)
• kosher salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 lb Italian sausage
• 1 apple, finely chopped
• 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup plus 3 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut off the top and bottom of each squash (as needed) to create a flat base.  Be careful not to cut through to the center cavity.  Slice each squash in half and scrape out the seeds.  Place the squash halves on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and season with kosher salt and ground pepper.  Roast for 40-50 minutes, until fork tender.

While squash is roasting, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.  Add onion, celery, salt, pepper, and rosemary.  Cook until onions and celery begin to soften.  Add garlic and sausage and cook until sausage is browned.   Add apple and cook until slightly softened.  Mix in bread crumbs and 1/2 cup Parmesan.  Remove from heat.

Once squash has finished roasting, spoon the stuffing into each squash half.  Return to to the oven for 15 minutes.  Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan on top of the stuffing and cook for 5 more minutes, then serve.

Source: adapted from Tasty
Produce Used: Acorn squash, onion, celery, garlic, apple

Thyme-Cheese Bubble Loaf

Pull apart breads are a really fun addition to Thanksgiving dinner--the idea of family coming together around the table, hands reaching in and sharing from a communal plate.  This cheesy, bubbly loaf is just the ticket for Thanksgiving this year.  Kids love the fun bubble look of it and how easy it is to pull apart.  Adults love the savory herbs and the light cheesy flavor. 

Thyme-Cheese Bubble Loaf

Number of Servings: 1 loaf
Time to Prepare: 3 hours 15 minutes

• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 1/2 to 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp canola oil
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 5 Tbsp melted butter
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or 1 1/2 Tbsp dried parsley
• 3 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme leaves

Dissolve yeast and sugar in the water.  Let stand for about 5 minutes, until bubbly.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 2 cups flour with the salt.  Stir in the yeast mixture and the oil.  Add more flour, a couple tablespoons at a time, until a soft dough forms.  Place in a large greased bowl and turn to coat.  Cover and let rise until doubled.

Punch down dough.  On a lightly floured surface, knead in the cheese until evenly distributed.  Cover and let rest for ten minutes.  Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch loaf pan and set aside.

Combine butter, parsley and thyme in a small bowl.  On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into an 8x6 inch rectangle.  Cut into 48 squares and shape each into a ball.  Roll in the melted butter and place in the prepared pan.  If there is any butter left at the end, you can drizzle it over the top.  Cover and let rise until doubled. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until top is golden and loaf sounds hollow when tapped.  Immediately and carefully remove from pan.  Cool on a wire rack for about 30 minutes and serve warm.

Source: adapted from America's Favorite Brand Name Recipes cookbook
Produce Used: Parsley, thyme

Horchata

Horchata is a traditional Mexican drink made with ground rice.  If you've never had it before, it sounds pretty strange, but it is really delicious.  It is creamy yet light, slightly sweet, and has hints of cinnamon and vanilla.  It is a great drink to pair with spicy Latin foods because the creaminess helps cut the spice.  It does take some prep time, but hey, that just means one less thing you have to worry about during the crunch-time of cooking dinner!

Horchata

Number of Servings: 6
Time to Prepare: 4 1/2 to 7 1/2 hours

• 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
• 3 cups hot water
• 3 cups milk (I prefer whole or 2%)
• 3/4 to 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 Tbsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Place rice in a blender.  Pulse five times.  Add hot water and blend for two minutes.  Let sit (outside the fridge) for three to six hours.  Pour through a fine mesh strainer and discard the rice fragments.  Blend again with the milk, 3/4 cup sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon.  Add more sugar to taste if needed.  Strain again.  Refrigerate for one hour, strain again and serve.  (If there is still some grittiness remaining, you can also strain it through cheesecloth.)

Source: adapted from AllRecipes