Nov 17 2008

Butter and Brown Sugar Roasted Acorn Squash

Posted by Gavin

We’ve been on sort of a squash ‘bender’ recently since they’re in season. And, as the weather turns colder we tend to start craving the warmth of comfort foods. Squash is great no matter how you cook it: roasted, cubed and sauteed, in soup, as a rich mash instead of potatoes, the list goes on.

This is squash exactly like our folks used to make when we were kids. With the addition of Butter and Brown Sugar to complement the caramelized roasty bits it’s so good it could practically be dessert. Not only that, but the scent that fills our house while it’s roasting is heavenly… Read more »

Nov 10 2008

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Bleu Cheese and Toasted Hazelnuts

Posted by Gavin

Roasting the Butternut Squash first really brings out the sweetness and the flavor melds beautifully with the tang of the Bleu Cheese and the toastiness of the Hazelnuts. This soup is great served with some crusty bread and a spinach salad, or as a starter for a warming winter meal… Read more »

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Nov 03 2008

Whole Wheat Penne Pasta and Italian Sausage in Tomato Sauce

Posted by Gavin

We’ve probably made a thousand variations of this awesome sauce. Why anyone would buy jarred pasta sauce is beyond us. This sauce is ridiculously easy to make and the addition of Italian Sausage and Whole Wheat Pasta makes it heartier and, we think, it gives it a better ‘bite’. Read more »

Oct 27 2008

Balsamic and Herb Roasted Potatoes

Posted by Gavin

We love roasted potatoes, especially for breakfast. They’re flavorful, really easy to prepare, and you can pretty much put anything on them. In this version we used our favorite Balsamic Vinegar and some dried herbs from the cupboard (it was early in the morning and we were feeling lazy). Read more »

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Oct 25 2008

Salad with Sautéed Mushrooms and Grilled Chicken Breast in Tarragon Vinaigrette

Posted by Gavin

This is an über-dooper easy dinner salad that’s a fun twist on chef’s salads. The only real trick with this one is that you’ve got to be ready to serve it when the mushrooms are done sautéing, else-wise you’ll serve a warm, cheesy, steaming pile of mushy lettuce and mushrooms, not-so-very-much-good… Read more »

Sep 21 2008

Scallop & Shrimp Fettucine with Parmesan and Basil Cream

Posted by Gavin

This picture really needed a garnish - or something, but we think you can tell what you’re looking at. Creamy, Basily (Basilesque? Basilish?), Shrimpy, Scallopy Parmesan goodness on Fettucine with fresh roasted Zucchini on the side (that is what you were thinking, right?). It’s like supermarket alfredo-from-a-tub on Fettucine only delicious, not at all crappy, and highly elevated. Read more »

Sep 19 2008

Fresh Summer Green Bean Salad

Posted by Gavin

So, we were supposed to bring a salad to dinner and Mom & Dad’s. The bummer was that we didn’t have any lettuce or greens of any kind. What we did have, though, was bunches of fresh beans from our trusty CSA. And we knew they were delicious because we’ve been getting them for a couple of weeks. We threw in some of the fresh Basil we’ve been getting and had the start of a rockin’ summer salad… Read more »

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Sep 17 2008

Étouffée with Chicken, Shrimp, and Andouille Sausage

Posted by Gavin

We can always rely on Mom & Dad Cook to impress us with a fun top-notch dish, and this is as good an example as we can think of: rich, flavorful Étouffée with meaty chunks of chicken, big succulent shrimp, and some spicy Andouille Sausage. Read more »

Sep 15 2008

Red Diamond 2004 Merlot

Posted by Gavin

Another great buy on a big, lush red wine. Read more »

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Sep 14 2008

Roasted Heirloom Tomatoes with Fresh Herbs

Posted by Gavin

This is how good they looked before we roasted them. Toss a splash of Vinegar or a squeeze of Lemon and some shaved parmesan in there and you’ve got the best tomato salad in the world. Oh, but wait…

This is what they look like after hours of slow, gentle roasting…insert heavy-breathing here.

Since our CSA tomato-cup-runneth-over we’ve been getting tons of beautiful, fresh/local/organic/heirloom tomato varieties and have been feeling the pressure to find new things to do with them other than, well…you know, eat them. Read more »

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