What the Forks for Dinner? - Page 171 of 202 - Recipes and ideas so you never have to ask what the forks for dinner!

Roasted Butternut Squash Angolotti

Roasted Butternut Squash Angolotti

Some of the last things to come out of your garden……should you chose to grow one…….is squash, like butternut, acorn, spaghetti ……….the ones with hard shells.

They just spell fall. They are so good roasted and roasting requires an oven, and let’s get real who wants to turn on your oven in the summer…….not me!!!

But, when sunset starts coming earlier and earlier and the air starts to cool, I get the itch to turn on the oven. Baking cookies, casseroles, bread, and of course roasted squash.
I had to buy my squash 🙁 sad face……..mine did not grow…….it was a garden failure. But, thank goodness that was only me, and other gardeners were happy to sell theirs at Farmers Markets.

After my sugar coma from the Chocolate Drop Cookies, I wanted something not sweet and waaaaayyyyyyyy more healthy! Lots of veggies……..hearty, and super tasty.
My inspiration in venturing into the blog world was Lindsay and Bojork from Pinch of Yum. Check out their blog……it is truly awesome!!! The Creamy Cauliflower Sauce recipe is from Pinch of Yum and boy is it yum!!!! Best part, it’s has no cream and is still creamy……go figure. It was the perfect sauce for this dish.

Tim and I are huge fans of pasta…….all kinds. The fresh kind they sell these days at the grocery stores are great.The folks at Buitoni make a Butternut Squash Stuffed Angolotti that is out of this world and even better topped with the Creamy Cauliflower Sauce, roasted butternut squash, and a touch of sage.

So I will be honest, peeling squash is not the easiest thing to do, but if you peel it before you cut it in half, it is a bit easier. I use a veggie peeler…..that way if it slips I will only cut the skin off a knuckle instead of removing a finger……Ok thats only funny in hind site….ha ha!

I wanted to have a garnish and figured if you could eat pumpkin seeds, you could eat butternut squash seeds. I did look it up to be sure, just my luck they would be toxic. But they are safe.

So, I roasted the squash and the seeds in the same pan. Just watch the seeds so they don’t burn. They do not need as long as the squash to cook. I wish mine had had a few more seeds, they were really tasty.
This is not a super quick recipe, but it makes an elegant presentation and the combination of flavors is……….. rich and indulgent, but still good for you……..how can it be, but it is……the whole dish is under 500 calories and low fat.

I still find it amazing that the sauce is sooo creamy ……..I’m looking for ways to use it again…..and again……and again!!!!

Chocolate Drop Cookies

Chocolate Drop Cookies

Cookies…..who doesn’t love a cookie? Well of course no one!! These Chocolate Drop Cookies bring back memories from my childhood…….she says with a far away look in her eyes remembering a time long ago…….and by the way, I do mean a longgggg time ago.

We all have that Mother, Grandmother, or Aunt who could bake the best cookies. For me that person was my Aunt Marcella. Whenever we went to her house there was always cookies. Out of all the cookies her Chocolate Drop Cookies were always my favorite. Chocolate cookies with vanilla frosting……..heaven!

Now, I have had this recipe for years and as I said in an earlier post, my friend Jeanne helped me retrieve some of my lost recipes from the archaic word program that they were trapped in. I still cannot thank Jeanne enough…….maybe I should take her some cookies?

When I decided to make these, I read and reread the recipe, but something was missing. So, I called my Aunt Marcella, she said she hadn’t made these in a long time. But, while on the phone chatting about family news she found the recipe, and I discovered the missing ingredient. I love my Aunt Marcella <3.

I do admit, that I tweaked the recipe just a smig. I used almond milk instead of regular milk, and I adjusted the amount of cocoa. The original had heaping tablespoons and I wanted to give it a more accurate measurement. I also used a slightly different frosting. I think back in the day powdered sugar icing was just powdered sugar, a little vanilla, and water to thin. I made a buttercream frosting in both white and chocolate.

I severely undercooked the first batch………they were like cookie batter with a crust…….ok, so they were really tasty, Tim and I ate several of them, but they needed a longer cooking time.

These cookies remind me of the top of a cupcake, slightly crisp, and all soft inside. I guess they are kinda a cup-cookie……lol……..maybe I will start a new craze!

The cookies are great on there own, but add some frosting and yum, yum ,yum!

I was in a sugar comma yesterday………from tasting the batter, the frostings, and testing the cookies, and taking bites out for pictures…….lets just say I have had my sugar quota for a month……..or at least until later today!!!!

Almond Plum Buckle

Almond Plum Buckle

In an effort to try and eat more fruit, I bought some plums………I thought Tim liked plums. Turns out he wasn’t sure he did…..oops. They sat in the fridge a few days and then I remembered a recipe from Epicurious.com……Almond Plum Buckle. A long time ago, when I first started to really get into cooking, someone gave me a bunch of plums. I wasn’t sure what to do with them, so I went on the search for a recipe.

Now, when I first started to…… surf the web…….does anyone say that anymore? Epicurious.com was my go to site for everything. I spent hours and hours searching the site for just the right recipe. Which is how I came across Almond Plum Buckle.

What is a buckle you ask………..time for a lesson ……..the term Buckle is a type of cake made in a single layer with fruit added to the batter. It is usually made with blueberries. The topping is similar to a streusel, which gives it a buckled or crumpled appearance.

This does not have the traditional streusel type topping, just almonds and sugar……….turbinado sugar. I love this stuff, it gives whatever you put it on a nice crunchy sugary crust. Adding the almonds…….well it just made it almondier………don’t judge , sometimes I just make up words!

The almonds and sugar are the only changes I made to the original recipe that was published in Bon Appetit in July of 2006. It reminds me of coffee cake but not quite as crumbly. I served it with ice cream , but a dollop of whipped cream would be awesome also.

If you love almonds, cake, and plums you will love this buckle. Plus it is so pretty to look at, it is a perfect show off dish. But your secret is, its easy to make.

When Tim was taking the pictures he commented on how nice it looked, and after he ate it he said it was “plum good”!