Friday Food-day!

I've decided every Friday should be Friday Food-day.  A dedicated time to talk about food.  Talk about my favorite restaurants, new recipes, etc.  I know this is really supposed to be a home renovation blog, but who doesn't love food and wanna talk about it?  Cooking and eating with people you love is WAAAAY more fun than putting up trim, I'm not going to lie.



First episode?  Fall food!  Every year, one of the things that gets me most excited about fall is the food.  Soups!  Root vegetables!  Savory pies!  Who doesn't love fall food?


In a previous recipe, I noted my butternut squash soup.  I love soup and butternut squash makes me happy because it tastes delicious with very simple ingredients.  I love buying the whole squash in the grocery store and lugging it home.  It makes you feel like you are really eating from the earth, enjoying the bounty of the season.  So here's my version, it's simple but good.


Butternut Squash Soup:

1 butternut squash
1 big onion
1 giant container of chicken stock (32 oz.)
nutmeg
salt and pepper


1.) Peel butternut squash with a peeler.  Scoop out the seeds and chop into cubes.
2.) Chop onion, and saute in butter.
3.) Add squash and stock.  Simmer 15 to 20 minutes until squash is tender.
4.) Use an immersion blender and blend until smooth.
5.) Spice it up until it tastes delicious!
6.)  I like to top it with sour cream myself, and if you're feeling fancy, add chives!  So easy!

My other favorite fall food is chili.  I make a killer turkey chili, which is totally full of vegetables, flavorful but not spicy and actually fairly good for you?  It's kind of a miracle of food.


Turkey Chili:
1 large onion, chopped

2 carrots, thinly sliced into half rounds
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound of ground turkey
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp cumin
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 c. tomato sauce, canned
1 c. chicken broth
1 1/2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 can cooked kidney beans, drained
1 medium green pepper, chopped
salt and pepper
Scallions to garnish

1.)  Swirl some olive oil in a large pot, and saute onion until soft.  Add garlic and carrots and cook another minute.  Add turkey, brown the meat.  Stir while cooking, to break up lumps, about 5 minutes. 
2.)  Add chili powder, paprika, red pepper flakes, cumin, tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, vinegar, beans and green pepper, bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer until meat and vegetables are tender, about 40 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper, garnish with scallions.


Again, I like to top it with sour cream.  Add some corn bread made in a cast-iron skillet, and you might just have the best fall dinner on earth!