November recipes

photo & recipe from the amazing Cafe Johnsonia

Butternut Squash Soup with Apples and Fresh Sage

2 butternut squashes
1 onion
2 tart apples, such as Granny Smith
2 Tbsp. fresh sage
heavy cream (I used 2 cups, but less is fine)
chicken stock (probably a quart--depending on how thick you want the soup)

Cut the butternut squashes in half lengthwise. Remove seeds. Line a
cookie sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Place
the butternut squashes cut side down on the foil. Roast at 400
degrees for about an hour--maybe less. A knife tip should easily go
through the squash when it's ready.

Let the squash cool for a few minutes. Remove the skin, or turn the
squash over and scoop out the flesh.

You can do one of two things next:
1. Saute the apples and onion in a couple tablespoons of butter
until everything is soft.
2. You could also roast the apples and the onions with the squash.

Now, some grocery stores sell peeled and cut butternut squash. That eliminates roasting them whole. In that case, toss everything with a little olive oil and roast in a 400 degree oven until everything is soft. You could also peel and cube the squash yourself, though roasting it whole is much quicker and easier, in my opinion.

Me? I peel and core the apples and chop them into large chunks. I also roughly chop the onions. It all gets pureed at the end, so it doesn't matter much about how big or small the pieces are.

Once the squash has cooled a bit, I place the squash, the sauteed/roasted apples and onions in my blender or food processor. Add a little chicken stock at this point to thin it out. You will probably have to work in batches.

Pour all of the puree into a large pan and thin it out a bit with more chicken stock. Bring it to a simmer and right before you serve it, add some cream and the fresh sage. Season with salt and pepper. (You may not need salt if the chicken stock is salty.)

I'm not sure exactly how much this makes, but it's enough for a crowd.

My Note; I peel the squash with a sturdy veggie peeler and then cube it (like when I make pumpkin soup.) I use 1 butternut squash, 1/2 an onion, 2 apples and add 2 whole cloves of garlic. I toss it all in olive oil & then roast in a 9x13 pan.



Creamy Italian Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
¼ cup water
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 envelope dry Italian salad dressing
1 8oz pkg cream cheese
1 4oz can mushrooms

Place chicken in crock pot. Combine salad dressing and water & pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours. Add cream cheese, undiluted soup and mushrooms and cook for 1 hour more or longer – until chicken juices run clear. Serve over rice or noodles.

WHITE BEAN AND CHICKEN CHILI

1 large onion, chopped

3 tsp. cumin

3 15oz. cans white beans

½ tsp. oregano

5 cups chicken broth

6-8 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups cooked chicken, shredded

1 cup sour cream

3 cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese (1/2 lb.)

Bring onion, beans, and broth to a boil, reduce to simmer for 10 min.

Add chicken, simmer another 20 minutes.

Add spices and garlic, simmer another 30 minutes.

Just before serving, add sour cream and shredded cheese.

Stir to melt, then serve.

Very good the second day, too. Freezes well.