<p>vandy – that recipe hits the spot. I think it will be a little different from the standard casserole. Will give it a whirl. Thanks!</p>
<p>I haven’t tried this yet- but it looks really good & easy.
[All</a> You Can Eat | Candy, squash, or candied squash? I’m sweet on delicata | Seattle Times Newspaper](<a href=“http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/allyoucaneat/2016605856_candy_squash_or_candied_squash.html]All”>http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/allyoucaneat/2016605856_candy_squash_or_candied_squash.html)</p>
<p>I am also going to try making pumpkin soup for the first time today- but I don’t even have an immersion blender so it is gonna be a little lumpy. ( I do have strainers 
)</p>
<p>emeraldkity- thanks for the link. I have never had delicata squash but that looks really good. I will have to try it.
I absolutely love salty food. The roasted chicken recipe a few posts above is something that sounds delicious but I know I need to avoid. As I have aged I have found it is best for my weight if I avoid most canned soups. I retain water easily and my ankles and feet swell.</p>
<p>I love the deep orange root vegetables. I will tell you my very favorite thing to do with them this time of year is find really good organic garnet yams. Every now and then you run into them in the produce section. They’ll have a deep gorgeous orange hue and a really smooth skin. Just get 'em. Bake 'em. Peel 'em and mix 'em with a bit of brown sugar cinnamon. Heaven.</p>
<p>I made this one quite by accident tonight but it was a big hit. Super easy.</p>
<p>Long story short, yesterday morning I had put 10 chicken legs into a Ziplock bag with 1/2 bottle of Trader Joe’s Soyaki sauce. The intent was to marinate the legs in the fridge and then grill them for dinner.</p>
<p>Lo and behold, the grill is not lighting, even though we have propane. I have no idea what the problem is and time is short, so the chicken goes back in the fridge and we have sandwiches.</p>
<p>Today, I am facing the chicken again and am not sure what I am going to do with it. About ten AM, I dumped the lot into the crockpot, switched it to low and left it. </p>
<p>Later in the day, I fix up some nice saffron rice and some broccoli. I open the crockpot and the chicken smells wonderful. Well, it did not disappoint. It literally fell off the bones and the flavor was intense, the chicken tender and moist. It was very good with the rice and broccoli.</p>
<p>This would be a great “dump it and leave it” recipe- the prep (minus marinating, which isn’t necessary for a crock pot) would be five minutes, tops.</p>
<p>I often give families an egg/cheese casserole. I call it the “breakfast, lunch, or dinner” meal. Sometimes I add a jar of green salsa, which I like on top. Once I also added a bag of tortilla chips to help use up the salsa. A fruit salad might go nicely with it.</p>
<p>Keep the ideas coming please! I’m loving this thread! 
I tried a pumpkin soup for the first time a week ago down to baking the pie pumpkin! It was a little sweet as this one called for apples. I’m on the lookout for a basic pumpkin bisque. Good luck on yours ek4!!</p>
<p>This is a fun thread!!</p>
<p>Here is an easy recipe for Manhattan Clam Chowder:</p>
<p>1 pint shucked clams, chopped
or 2 cans (6.5 oz. each) of minced clams
2 or 3 slices of bacon, cut up
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 16 oz. can of tomatoes, cut up
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper</p>
<p>Drain clams and reserve the liquid. Add enough water to the clam juice to measure 3 cups. In a large saucepan, fully cook the bacon - then crumble. Stir in celery and onion. Cook until celery and onion are tender. Stir in liquid mixture, undrained tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer 30 to 35 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Mash slightly to thicken. Stir in clams. Serve hot. This goes well with a crusty bread such as a baguette.</p>
<p>goodmorning blueiguana:</p>
<p>Back on post #141 I posted a recipe for pumpkin,peanut butter & sweet potato soup…it’s not just plain pumpkin and it’s pretty smooth, so not heavy like bisque.
I just thought I’d bring it to your attention in case you wanted to try something new!</p>
<p>Trader Joe’s Soyaki sauce.</p>
<p>Dang! We still don’t have a Trader Joe’s nearby! 
Nearest one is about 1 1/2 hours away! </p>
<p>I wonder if that Yoshida’s sauce (from Costco) would work similarly.</p>
<p>I made a brown rice loaf (think meatrless meatloaf) from an ad in Cooking light and it was extraordinary. (Once you get the hang of how to get a meatloaf to hold together, you can do almost anything with the idea.) Also, I love Rocco’s low-cal cookbooks. Love mashed cauliflower with Greek yougurt and some lemon pepper.</p>
<p>Agree that this is a terrific thread. The posters are foodies but grounded in terms of how much complexity is reasonable in a recipe. I’ve printed out many of the recipes on here.</p>
<p>Lookingforward, could you post the recipe for the brown rice loaf?</p>
<p>I made this one for the first time two nights ago and it was really good. H took the leftovers for lunch and texted me to say it was yummy the second day!</p>
<p>Chicken and Asparagus Pasta
Ingredients
• 1 (8 ounce) package dried penne pasta (or other pasta)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 to 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into cubes
• salt and pepper to taste
• garlic powder to taste
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 bunch slender asparagus spears, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces
• ½ cup sliced onion
• ¼ cup sliced mushrooms
• 4 clove garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Directions
Cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and set aside.
Warm 3 TBS olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in chicken, and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook until chicken is cooked through and browned, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken to paper towels.
Pour chicken broth into the skillet. Then stir in asparagus, onion, mushrooms and garlic, and a pinch more garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cover, and steam until the asparagus is just tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Return chicken to the skillet, and warm through.
Stir chicken mixture into pasta, and mix well. Let sit about 5 minutes. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, stir again, then sprinkle with Parmesan.</p>
<p>I’m going to try to make the NY Times’ baked chanterelle stuffing this weekend. Stay tuned.</p>
<p>I have been using a lot of chanterelles- they are at Ballard Market for $7.98lb
( also went to the Mushroom show last weekend to get my yard mushrooms ID’d, but they were just little brown things that are edible but don’t taste good).
Next I am going to try lobster mushrooms.</p>
<p>CCC, I do remember reading the recipe. Hmmm, pumpkin soup with p’nut butter? I’m not a fan of p’nut butter, can you really taste it or does it just cut the sweetness? I’ll probably try it anyway. Now I’m curious! :)</p>
<p>Made this apple dessert the other night and it was a big hit! I did not make the caramel sauce, it was sweet enough for our taste. Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream!</p>
<p>Apple Crumble with Cardamom-Vanilla Caramel Sauce</p>
<p>Recipe courtesy Melissa d’Arabian
Show: Ten Dollar DinnersEpisode: Sweet Treats</p>
<p>Ingredients
For the Apple Filling:
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch salt
For the Crumble Topping:
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup oats
Pinch salt
1 stick (4-ounces) unsalted butter
For the Vanilla-Cardamom Caramel Sauce:
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cardamom seeds, gently crushed to release oils
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.</p>
<p>To make the Apple Filling:</p>
<p>In a small bowl, toss the apple slices with the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, and salt, and set aside.</p>
<p>To make the Crumble Topping:</p>
<p>In another small bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, oats, and salt with a fork until uniform. In a baking dish, melt the butter in the microwave until about half melts, 10 to 15 seconds on high. Pour the butter into the flour mixture and incorporate with a fork. Leaving the excess butter in the baking dish, arrange the apple slices in the dish. Top with the flour-oat mixture. Bake until the apples are cooked through and the topping is golden, about 45 minutes.</p>
<p>To make the Vanilla-Cardamom Caramel Sauce:</p>
<p>In a medium-heavy saucepan, mix the water and sugar and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Allow the mixture to boil, without stirring. Cook’s Note: Swirl the pan, if needed. Boil until the sugar mixture is pale golden brown, approximately 7 minutes. Cook’s Note: Watch closely; sugar burns quickly.</p>
<p>Remove the pan from the heat, and stirring vigorously add the butter and cream. The mixture will bubble. Add the cardamom seeds and stir to incorporate. Return the pan to the heat and bring the mixture to a boil and then remove from the heat and allow to cool a few minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract and strain the sauce before drizzling over the cobbler.</p>
<p>Blueiguana:</p>
<p>It’s been a few years since I’ve tried it, although I will be making it this year for Thanksgiving. My feeling is just cut down on the amount of PB that you use for the recipe. Most people will take a recipe and tailor it to their own tastes. Let me know if you make it and what you think!</p>
<p>Ok, now I have a question for this group:
What would be a nice lunch to serve to some friends I’m having over next week? They’ll be 8 of us and I want to make healthy. No sandwiches or deli meats. Well, maybe Turkey…Some salads, yes…what types? I have some couscous in the house I can make and add roasted vegetables to it…any ideas? H does not eat tuna fish, although I love it. Possibly a soup? I’ll have to look through this thread again for ideas…any ideas would be appreciated, thanks! :)</p>
<p>What about offering a chicken salad, quiche, fruit salad, along with the couscous…? Something alone those lines?</p>
<p>EDIT: If you want to offer a soup a crock pot chicken tortilla is nice with toppings. I have a recipe if you’d like to take a look.</p>