Autumn Macaroni and Cheese: Mommy's Little Secret

Red Kuri Squash. Ever heard of it? Hey you super foodie in the back, calm your nerves, we know you know! I've heard of it, but honestly never even crossed my mind to cook with it. When I see these lil pumpkin look-a-likes, I thought of them as just that- baby pumpkins. Some places even paint faces on them and I always thought of them as decoration. Red Kuri Squash or Rote Hokkaido as it's called here in Germany is a winter squash that's available year-around. The outside should be slightly rough not shiny to indicate its ripeness. 

I visited fellow expatriate in Europe, Spicie Foodie and she inspired me to find great potential for this squash. Her  addiction...erm..love for this lovely winter squash literally made my mouth water. Then the recipe she produced made me want to try this even more! Suddenly I had an awesome idea looking at how the pasta sauce cling beautifully to the spiral pasta.....MAC N CHEESE! My 4 year-old LOVES mac n cheese. He'll eat mac n cheese over a candy bar.  He'll eat mac n cheese over meeting his fave superhero Ben 10, he'll choose mac n cheese over hanging out with ME. Haha. So after reading about the delicate flavor and slight nuttiness of this squash, I thought of a mac n cheese recipe Ellie Krieger did with frozen butternut squash puree as the base. So with that in mind, I had the perfect recipe in mind.

Then Wednesday morning, my 4 year-old woke up with a very swollen face. I screamed! I was in such shock. The day before some kid at his kindergarten pushed him and his face had a rash and his mouth was cut. So I wasn't sure if this child pushed him into something that he is potentially allergic to, but I for sure freaked out! After rushing him to the doctor and the doctor performing a bunch of tests, we were told he was OK. Just to keep an eye on him and he'll call back with the lab results. He was OK and his urine samples came back negative for potential kidney issues, so to celebrate and comfort my lil man, I decided to make the mac n cheese for him that day instead during the weekend. 

While researching this squash, I did not find much about how to prep it. I read that you can just roast it for 45 minutes then remove the seeds. I, of course did it the hard way. But, I am still learning about food, and I tend to like to do things the slow way especially for others who are interested!

Autumn 3 Cheese Macaroni

Ingredients

For Squash Puree:

1 medium red Kuri squash

3 T olive oil

Coarse Salt and Pepper

1 T Heavy Cream

For Macaroni and Cheese

3/4 pound of cavatappi noodles or any noodles of you choice. In Germany they're called Cellatani

1 1/4 cups of heavy cream 

Squash Puree (recipe above) or 1 pack of frozen butternut squash (or any winter squash)

3/4 cup grated smoked Gouda cheese, packed lightly

1/2 cup grated Monterrey jack cheese, packed lightly

1/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese

1 or 1 1/2 t kosher salt

Pepper

1/4 - 1/2 t hot sauce

1 t ground mustard

For topping

1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1/2 cup Japanese Panko bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. Wash the squash well, then remove stem. Cut in half carefully using a bread knife or knife with ridges. I always find those the easiest when dealing with squash. Again, you can buy any pre-cut winter squash or frozen purees!

Remove seeds with a spoon.

Cut squash into 4 pieces for easy peeling. Peel the skin using a potato peeler or paring knife for this. 

Using a all-purpose of chef's knife, chop squash into 1 inch pieces. Add to a baking sheet then add olive oil, salt and pepper. Add squash to preheated oven. 

Roast for about 40 minutes stirring halfway through.

Put roasted squash into a bowl. Refrain from munching on them. With a potato masher, smush these babies like crazy until there's no chunks left. 

Add 1 tablespoon of heavy cream for a touch of creaminess. Again, refrain from munching!  Set aside. 

Increase oven temperature to 375F

Spray a 10 by 15 baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.

In a large pot, bring water to boil. Add noodles and cook until just al dente, about 9 to 10 minutes. Drain, then set aside.

In another pan, add heavy cream, squash puree. Turn heat on medium. Stir together until well mixed.

Heat until the mixture is about to boil. A nice simmer is what you're looking for.

Remove pot from heat, then add cheeses, ground mustard, salt and pepper, and hot sauce, and stir well until combined.

Add noodles and toss until combined.

Add to prepared baking dish. Combine Pecorino Romano and Japanese bread crumbs in a small bowl. 

Sprinkle evenly on top of the noodles.

Put into oven and bake for 20 minutes.

Allow to rest 5 minutes after removing from oven and voila! 

My son LOVED this. My macaroni and cheese snob of a husband? LOVED this! My picky Ninja Baby? Ate all of mine! So yeah, my son couldn't tell there was anything squash in this and I am not telling him until he's 18 years old! The slightly salty crunchiness of the cheese and bread crumb topping made this shine. This is most certainly a must try. 

How I Got My Husband To Eat Spinach!

My husband isn't a big spinach fan. Well, he loves raw spinach, but not cooked spinach. I remember one of the first things I cooked for my husband was a vegetarian lasagna and the main ingredient was spinach. The lovely smell of lasagna filled the house and while my mouth was watering, my husband just gave me a nervous smile. Time to eat, he took a few bites and confessed. I wasn't offended, but I did feel bad. He DID help me and didn't say anything!! Men. ;)

So since then, I only cooked spinach for myself and whenever I prepared a spinach dish for the family, it's always raw. But last night, I HAD to try yet another recipe from my Pampered Chef Cookbook, "Cooking For Two and More." This recipe features salmon, cream cheese, and spinach wrapped in phyllo dough. How yummy is that? And guess what? The husband enthusiastically agreed! Even my spinach phobic 4 year-old gobbled this down. Pair this with easy Skillet Lemon-Rosemary Potatoes and you have an easy, yet elegant looking meal on your hands!

This is a perfect mid week meal and the variations are endless!

Salmon & Spinach in Phyllo
Adapted from Pampered Chef's "Cooking  for Two and More"


Ingredients
1 t olive oil
4 cups of spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
8  (9 x 14 inches) thawed, frozen phyllo
Nonstick cooking spray
2 skinless salmon fillets (4-6 oz each), about 1 1/2 inch thick)
2 T chive and onion or any flavored cream cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 425F, Heat oil in a skillet until hot. Add spinach; season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir until spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Remoce spinach to paper towel-lined plate. Squeeze out access moisture; set aside.

Lay out phyllo on large work surface and spray with cooking spray. Place second sheet of phyllo over first, pressing sheets together to seal. Continue laying down  and spraying phyllo sheet to create a stack of four sheets of phyllo. Repeat with remaining phyllo and additional cooking spray to create another phyllo stack.

Season salmon with salt and pepper. Spread each salmon fillet with half of the cream cheese spread and top with half of the spinach. For each phyllo bundle, place salmon, spinach side down, on phyllo stack 2 inches from bottom edge of the short side. Fold long side of phyllo in toward center, Gently roll up phyllo from bottom to top. Place in a small rimmed roastin pan seam side down. Make three diagonal slits across top of each bundle. Spray each bundle with cooking spray and bake for 11-13 minutes or until center of salmon registers 130F and phyllo is golden brown. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes before serving.


Lemon-Rosemary Skillet Potatoes
About 4 medium Yukon Gold Potatoes cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
2 T butter
2 T fresh rosemary, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 T lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions
Put potatoes in a large pan and cover with cold water. Parboil for about 10-15 minutes on medium high. You want firm, not mushy potatoes! You want to do this so they cook quickly and evenly in the skillet.

Now drain the potatoes and dry the potatoes with a paper towel as much as possible. In a skillet, preferable a cast-iron, heat oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add potatoes in one layer, turn every so often to ensure potatoes brown well; about 10 minutes.

Once potatoes are golden brown, lower heat to medium add garlic rosemary, salt and pepper turning frequently. After about 2 minutes, add lemon juice. Stir for one minute, then serve.

 Easy peasy. Crispy on the outside, nice and fluffy on the inside. This was the biggest hit with the baby! Great for folks with small ovens like me!



Sorry no progress photos, was alone with three hungry children and had to work quickly with the phyllo!! It is so simple as you will see!

Autumn in Sandwich Form!

It's most certainly Autumn here in Deutschland. The leaves are changing, the kuerbis (pumpkin) patches are appearing, there's fall decorations up the wazoo at every store you visit and I love it. I know I've made numerous posts about the joys of fall, but hey it's my favorite season! So while grazing through one of my first cookbooks, "Pampered Chef's Cooking for Two or More" I found the PERFECT fall time sandwich for this Sunday's NFL dinner.

I know what you're thinking foodie friends, "Pampered Chef? Isn't that those parties my cousin who I barely know invites me to every month? They have cookbooks?" Yes and Yes. I bought this cookbook and few newlywed items from my first (and only) Pampered Chef experience 3 years ago. And you know what, I am happy I did! This book is full of different and very delicious looking recipes ranging from ultra elegant, to quick weeknight deliciousness. The book, of course, has use this or that from Pampered Chef, but honestly you don't need to.

So what awesomeness did I choose? Turkey Panini with Onion-Cranberry Marmalade. The perfect sandwich for the season!  Made with multigrain bread, smoked turkey breast, seasonal apples and a marmalade with delicious cranberries, orange marmalade sweet caramelized onions and cider vinegar for an extra tang. I dunno about you all, but these ingredients reminds me of my favorite holiday Thanksgiving! The holiday of the season.

 I also made Homemade BBQ Potato Chips on the side. I am surprised the chips made it to the dinner table with my family (ok me, too) sneaking chips the whole time! They are THAT good, though!

Turkey Panini with Onion Cranberry Marmalade
Adapted from Pampered Chef's Cooking for Two & More


4 slices of multigrain bread
Vegetable oil or spray
4 slices of Havarti Cheese
4 ounces or 6 thinly sliced deli mesquite turkey
1 Granny Smith apple, cut into 8 thin slices

Onion-Cranberry Marmalade
1/4 cup hot water
1/2 cup dried  sweetened cranberries
1 t vegetable oil
2 cups  of onion thinly sliced
2 T cider vinegar
2 T orange marmalade

Directions

Begin with the Onion-Cranberry Marmalade

Pour hot water over cranberries in a small bowl. Allow to stand for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil in a saute pan over medium heat; add onions. Cook and stir for 5 minutes, or until softened and  begins to caramelize. 

Add vinegar; stir to loosen brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add orange marmalade, cranberries with liquid. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Now assemble sandwiches.

Lightly Spray one side of bread slices with oil; arrange bread, with oil side down. Top two bread slices with half the cheese, turkey, marmalade and apple slices. Top with remaining cheese and bread slices, oil side up.

Heat a grill pan on medium heat or electric grill or panini maker. Place sandwiches on grill and cook 3 to 4 minutes. If using grill pan, turn once.

These tasted really nice. Felt like Thanksgiving in sandwich. Certainly a new staple! And the variations are endless.

BBQ Potato Chips

About 4 Yukon Gold potatoes

1 T vinegar

About 6 cups of canola or peanut oil

2 T sweet paprika

1 T sugar

1 t onion powder

1/4 t garlic powder

Salt and Pepper

Direction

Heat oil in large pan on medium high heat. Slice potatoes very thinly with either a sharp knife or a mandoline. 

Places slices in cold water mixed with vinegar to remove all the starchiness. It helps make a crisper chip, IMO. Do so for at least 10 minutes. Prep the sandwiches or barbecue seasoning in the meantime if you like.

Now drain water from potatoes; place on a baking sheet lined with paper towels then pat dry. You must make sure the potatoes are dry as possible to prevent a grease fire! Water and hot oil don't mix!

Meanwhile, prep barbecue seasoning.

Add paprika, sugar, onion powder, and garlic powder to a small bowl.

Now, add potatoes in small bunches at a time to hot oil. Turn and move around with a spatula. Depending on thickness of potatoes, this can take from 3 to 5 minutes. Once, done, add to another baking sheet or plate lines with paper towels. Immediately season with salt, pepper and barbecue seasoning.

Try not to eat them all. It's hard to resist, I swear. Just keep going until all of the potatoes are cooked. And you're left with these fabulous results!

Hope you try and enjoy these!

Happy Birthday Babygirl! Cake and Photos!

Yesterday was my daughter's 3rd birthday and she absolutely loved the cake I've been nervous about. I am not the most artistically creative person, but I've learned SO much about cake decoration and fondant that I only want to get better! I also appreciate the cake industry more than ever!

So what did I do? In this post, you can see what recipe I used for the marshmallow fondant and how I did it.

Wednesday I used Ina Garten's Butter Icing recipe, then colored it pink with Wilton gel dyes sent to me from a friend.

For the cakes, I cut the tops even then frosted cut side, then added the other cake cut side down; then I spread a thin layer of icing and put in a fridge for about 20 minutes.

I cut,  no ripped, pieces of parchment to put under the cake so the cake stand would not get messy.

While that was in the fridge, I asked my daughter what color she wanted her fondant to be. She wanted pink, but then was serious about golden yellow! So I kneaded the gel dye into the fondant which took about 7 minutes. Once kneaded, I put the fondant back into in a plastic bag. I added a final layer of icing to the cake, and made sure it was smooth as possible.

 I put it to the side, sprinkled some cornstarch on my counter and  with a rolling pin I then rolled the fondant out until it was about 16 by 16. It rolled out nicely! With the help of my husband, I quickly put the fondant on the cake and gently smoothed it on. Once it was on nicely, I cut the ends.

The thing I am most sad about is that I didn't really decorate it. I am not so artistic, but my children thought it was pretty and I was told that's all that matters. I would do this again a million times over! I am so happy to make it from scratch, because it tasted lovely!

Not so creative I know :)

She thoroughly loved the cake and even snook some bites. By the crooked "T" you can see a big gash she made. Hehe. She helped me with the fondant, so I guess she wanted to taste test it. 

Some photos from the party, too. 

Didn't want to hear us singing

Princess of the table

Cake sliced and dished. My friend's daughter were excited  about waiting the fondant. It was tasty.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        I did it!! Oh one of the children's friends gave e a candy accessory ;) I didn't go crazy....close, though!