Hounds In The Kitchen » vegetarian

Simplest Oven Roasted Squash Soup {Recipe}

Rachel — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:38:26 +0000

Earlier this week, we were slated to bring a soup to family dinner with Alex’s parents. I spied our last local pie pumpkin languishing on the counter and thought of squash soup.

I typically make winter squash soup by oven roasting the squash, sautéing onions and garlic in oil, and then pureeing everything together. This time I was exhausted from another bout of sinus pain. I didn’t feel like dicing the onion and happened upon another thought – what if I roasted everything together?

The lazy girl’s inclination turned out to be a stroke of brilliance. Pumpkin halves, onion, garlic, and parsnip bathed in an oil-rubbed sauna for about 40 minutes while I put my feet up and watched a football bowl game. On the second rack of the oven, I roasted the pumpkin seeds.

Then I simply scraped all the slightly charred, softened vegetables into a pot and added stock from the freezer and herbs from the backyard. I whizzed the soup smooth with the immersion blender and topped with roasted seeds. The resulting soup is earthy and rich with caramelized flavors from the roasted vegetables.

I’ve been at this home cooking thing for a long time and I don’t usually change much about the way I make traditional dishes. But sometimes the simplest thing surprises me. I’ll never make squash soup the old way again.

Simplest Oven-Roasted Squash Soup

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Yield: 4

Serving Size: large bowls

Make this nutritious, flavorful soup with your favorite winter squash. Use a meatless stock for a vegetarian or vegan version.

Ingredients

1 hard winter squash (acorn, pumpkin, butternut, etc.)
2 small onions
3 cloves garlic
2 parsnips or carrots
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups poultry or vegetable stock - homemade method here
1 tablespoon fresh or two teaspoons dried herbs - I used thyme still amazingly fresh in the garden
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper (to taste)
1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
roasted seeds for garnish (optional but you have the seeds and the oven on already, so why not?)

Instructions

Halve squash and remove seeds to a bowl. If roasting seeds, cover with water and set aside.
Place squash cut side down on a baking sheet.
Chop onions into quarters and peel garlic cloves and parsnip/carrots. Chop parsnip or carrots into rough 3 inch sections. Place all on the baking sheet.
Drizzle a little olive oil over the vegetables and place in a 325 degree oven.
If making seeds, remove them from pumpkin innards and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet now. Drizzle with soy sauce, olive oil, salt, pepper and/or your favorite spice blend. Place in the oven.
Every 10 minutes, stir vegetables and seeds. Cook vegetables until squash is soft, about 40 minutes. Roast seeds until they are crispy, about 30 minutes. Remove from the stove and allow vegetables to cool to the touch.
Scrape flesh from the skin into a medium pot. Add the onions, garlic, and parsnips and cover with vegetable stock.
Turn the heat to medium and season with herbs, white pepper, and salt. Allow to come to a boil.
Puree with an immersion or stand mixer. Do this carefully as the ingredients are hot and can burn. Return to the pot and continue cooking until service, adjusting seasonings as desired. Watch carefully as this thick soup has a tendency to burble and splatter.
Serve in soup bowls with a pile of roasted seeds on top to garnish.

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Added to Simple Lives Thursday #77.

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Simplest Oven Roasted Squash Soup {Recipe} is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Maple Cider Vinegar Kale & Sweet Potatoes ala Skillet {Recipe}

Rachel — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:58:24 +0000

Skillet R.U.F. kale and sweet potatoes

Way back in August when the grass was green and the weather sticky hot, Flying J Farm opened its (barn) doors to host the Shake the Hand that Feeds You dinner benefiting Slow Food Columbus. Alex, Lil, and I attended with our Japanese exchange student Anna.

Chefs from Skillet Rustic. Urban. Food expertly cooked up much of the feast including a lingua appetizer sandwich that helped inspire our sweet heart charcuterie. The family-style meal included a whole roast pig, tomato salad, rosemary potatoes, braised cabbage, and our favorite dish of the night, sweet potatoes and kale.

Chef Casey’s pairing of my favorite vegetable, kale, and nutritious sweet potatoes was a new combination to me. Every time I eat at Skillet R.U.F. I am struck by their simple brilliance and want to recreate dishes at home.

Six months after the Flying J dinner, I chopped the last of our homegrown sweet potatoes to share with family on Christmas Eve. I prepped the vegetables early in the day and cooked them together just before guests arrived. I covered the dish to keep warm during cocktails.

The sweet, earthy, toothsome kale and sweet potatoes were a tasty accompaniment to our roast goose and mushroom pie. The leftovers kept well. Alex suggests that these kale and sweet potatoes topped with a poached egg would be an amazing simple dinner. I agree and know this dish will make its way onto a meal plan soon.

Rachel's kale and sweet potatoes

Maple Cider Vinegar Kale & Sweet Potatoes
Time: 15 minutes preparation, 20 minutes cooking
Makes: 6 side dish servings

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 red onion, sliced into two-inch pieces
2 cups sweet potato, peeled and diced into one-inch pieces
1 large bunch kale, leaves washed well, removed from ribs, and chopped/torn into large chunks
1-2 teaspoons salt (to taste)
10-20 grinds white pepper (to taste)
1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and onions.
2. When onions have begun to turn translucent, add sweet potatoes and turn up the heat. Cook for 10 minutes, tossing or gently stirring regularly.
3. Add kale pieces, salt, and pepper. Stir gently and reduce heat back to medium. Cook for five minutes or until kale starts to wilt.
4. Pour maple syrup and apple cider vinegar over the mix. Continue cooking until sweet potatoes are cooked through. Serve warm.

PS. Need a little reassurance that summer will come again? Relive Shake the Hand that Feeds You through pictures.

Added to Simple Lives 76.

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Maple Cider Vinegar Kale & Sweet Potatoes ala Skillet {Recipe} is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Meal Plan February 27, 2011

Rachel — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 02:19:06 +0000

Welcome to the new meal plan where I identify some of the reasons behind our meal choices.

Ingredients and Influences:

time at home, almost no special events this week
lasagna noodles in the pantry
still more home canned tomatoes
our chickens are producing more eggs
my sister turns 29 on Wednesday. Happy birthday Sarah, we love you!

Monday – chickpea curry
Tuesday – pad thai with eggs and green beans
Wednesday – dinner out with Dad (we ended up hosting last week)
Thursday – eggs in the hole for breakfast, roasted chicken and root vegetables
Friday – spinach lasagna
Saturday – fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green veg, homemade applesauce, birthday cake for Sarah!
Sunday – dinner at Alex’s parents

I’m playing with posting this on Sunday night or Monday. When do you do your weekly meal planning?

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Meal Plan February 27, 2011 is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Friday Five: Great Events on the Horizon

Rachel — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 14:51:54 +0000

It’s time for another Friday Five! Here are five handpicked events that are sure to feed your soul in chronological order:

1. Field & Screen at the Wexner Center for the Arts – From February 4 – 24, the Wexner Center is featuring films about food and the environment. On the 24th, they will host a market and CSA preview with Wayward Seed farm and friends. Check the link for showtimes and prices.

2. Pecha Kucha at Columbus Museum of Art – Twenty notable persons will share twenty slides for twenty seconds each at the 16th Columbus Pecha Kucha event on February 10. Beginning at 6 pm with a performance, presentations will start at 6:30. Pattycake Bakery and the Museum’s Palete Cafe will have refreshments and drinks available. I’ll finally get to attend my first Pecha Kucha!

3. OEFFA Annual Conference Inspiring Farms, Sustaining Communities – On February 19-20, the farmers and home cooks on the front lines of sustainable food growing in Ohio. Workshops, locally sourced food, and keynotes by Joan Dye Gussow and Klaas and Mary-Howell Martens will fill the weekend with inspiration and foodie fellowship. Tickets are nearly sold out so get yours right away. Alex and I are speaking about Home Charcuterie on Sunday morning.

4. Wellness Forum Cooking Class at Hills Market – On Wednesday, February 23rd, Del Sroufe and Wendy Gabriel of Wellness Forum Foods will lead a two hour cooking class featuring three vegetable-based courses at the Hills. A kitchen demonstration will be followed by a three course dinner (with three wines!) in the Hills wine department.

5. First day at Clintonville Farmer’s Market!! – In a mere 92 days, on April 30, the summer farmer’s markets will open. I can almost feel the warmth of the crowd and taste the fresh bites of spring.

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Friday Five: Great Events on the Horizon is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Meal Plan January 24, 2011

Rachel — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 18:10:50 +0000

It is really hard to write this menu because I am suffering from acute tonsillitis that makes swallowing food and drink painful. Hopefully the antibiotics prescribed by my doctor will start working soon and allow me to enjoy this week’s meals.

Monday – spaghetti with homemade meatballs, salad

Tuesday – toad in the hole with homemade sausage, peas

Wednesday – cornbread crust veggie pot pie

Thursday – homemade pizza

Friday – fish, quinoa, green beans

Saturday – dinner with Ohio 4-H International County Coordinator Team

Sunday – hosting Alex’s parents – french onion soup with swiss cheese croutons, cranberry sauce

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Meal Plan January 24, 2011 is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Meal Plan January 10, 2011

Rachel — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 15:43:34 +0000

Monday – soup from the freezer (either corn chowder or lentil) with fresh biscuits or muffins

Tuesday – tuna, rice, green beans

Wednesday – dinner with Rachel’s family

Thursday – spaghetti, tomato sauce, sausage, applesauce

Friday – (Alex away at CWRU Sci-Fi Movie Marathon) brinner: eggs, toast, and fruit

Saturday – (Alex away at CWRU Sci-Fi Movie Marathon) ??

Sunday – Dinner at Alex’s parents

Update on Pantry Month: On Tuesday last week I spent $18 on milk and kefir. We are out of fresh vegetables today but have frozen green beans and peas and fresh apples and oranges to get us through the week at least. I ordered $8 worth of tea in our Frontier co-op that came in on Thursday. We spent $29 on restaurant food during my surgery. That leaves $45 for the rest of the month which doesn’t look good…especially with Alex wanting to spend money on junk food for the Sci-Fi Movie Marathon…

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Meal Plan January 10, 2011 is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

I’m Eating Meat Again

Rachel — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:58:11 +0000

After a dozen years as a vegetarian, I have returned to an omnivorous nature.

It all started after we killed and butchered Red the pig. The meat was so honestly procured and preparations so delicious smelling that I could not resist a few bites of bacon, then guanciale, then ribs and more.

I noticed that when I ate Red’s meat, my tummy stayed full for a long time. I didn’t eat extra starches. I wasn’t hungry for a snack two hours later, a lovely feeling. If I want to lose weight (a mere five pounds would bring me back to my high school weight) eating meat to stay full might be the way to do it.

I have never explained my reasons for being vegetarian on this blog because it is complicated. I initially started down the path because friends were vegetarian. Then I came to dislike meat because of the environmental degradation factory farming can cause. I couldn’t quite stomach mistreatment of animals either.

Ultimately, my views have not changed, which is why I’m now a ‘picky’ meat eater. My self imposed dietary guideline is this: If honestly acquired, pasture raised meat is available, I will eat a small portion. I’ll enjoy it in reverence for the animal’s life and the hard work of those who raised and slaughtered it.

For the most part, this means I will remain a vegetarian restaurant diner. As I don’t want to be that annoying person who asks the source of every ingredient in a meal, I will still choose meatless options when dining with friends or family. Even at home, we cannot afford high quality meat for meals every day so animal protein will remain limited in our meal planning.

As change is the only constant, I anticipate that my meat eating habits may be different at another time in my life. Where are you on the meat/meatless spectrum? How did you get to this place on your dietary path?

PS. Today is the last day to vote for me to win a conference ticket to Asheville NC. Will you please vote for @racheltayse? Thank you!

Added to Two for Tuesdays real food blog hop.

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I’m Eating Meat Again is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Mushroom Pie

Rachel — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 14:55:51 +0000

A few readers asked about the mushroom pie listed on my Xmas Eve menu. This pie is a full-flavored, nutrition-packed, attractive entree that I love to serve to meat lovers and vegetarians alike.

I apologize for the lack of good pictures. I was super busy hosting and neglected my blogging duties a bit.

Mushroom Pie
From the The Creative Vegetarian Cookbook by Jillian Stewart
Makes: 8 entrée servings
Time: 40 minutes preparation, 1 hour 20 minutes baking

Filling
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 cups variety of mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
1 cup mixed nuts, finely chopped
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 cup wholewheat bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried marjoram
1 tbsp soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Dough
3 cups whole wheat flour
pinch of salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 c water and extra as necessary
beaten egg to glaze

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and ently fry the onion until soft. Add mushrooms and cook until juices run. Remove from heat and add remaining filling ingredients. Allow to cool.

This is where this recipe gets a little unbelievable. Just go for it.

Sift flour, salt, and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Cut the fat into pieces and melt in a saucepan. Add the cold water and bring to a fierce bubbling boil. Immediately pour this into the flour micture and stir vigorously until glossy. Knead into a ball when dough is cool enough to handle.

Divide dough into 1/3 and 2/3 portions, reserving smaller portion in a plastic bag to prevent from drying. Press the 2/3 portion to line the base and sides of a 7 inch springform pan. Spoon in the mushroom filling firmly, mounding in the center. Roll out the remaining dough and place on top of pie, pinching edges to seal.

Glaze generously with beaten egg. Cut of prick vents in the lid to allow steam to escape. Bake in an oven preheated to 425 degrees F for 20 minutes. Reduce to 375 degrees F and bake for an hour longer.

Unmold and serve warm. Also tasty cold the next day!

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Mushroom Pie is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!