Butternut Squash Dip

Butternut Squash Dip
Originally found at Sugar Laws

10 oz box of frozen butternut squash
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Fresh ground pepper

Microwave squash for approximately 5 minutes, stirring once. Add sour cream and cheese, and stir to combine. Top with freshly ground pepper. Serve with crackers, bread slices, etc.

My Notes:
So, last night, we had a Talent Show and I offered to bring food for before the show and during intermission. I ended up making several things (because the guy organizing the food was really worried that there wasn't going to be enough; there was plenty), including this dip.

It wasn't bad, but it certainly is not my favorite dip in the world. Honestly, I think it's a little bland and could do with some jazzing up. I'm just not sure what to jazz it up with. I also wasn't sure whether this dip was supposed to be served hot or cold, which may have had something to do with the taste of it.

Black-Bean Chili

Black Bean Chili
Originally found at Dinner with Julie

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
5-6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 each red and green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
2 cups vegetable stock
1-2 tsp chopped chipotle chili en adobo
1 tsp cumin
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 small can tomato paste

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Saute onions and garlic, then add peppers, until fragrant. Add stock, then remaining ingredients. Stir to combine, cover, and simmer on medium heat for half an hour. Serve with chips.

My Notes:
So apparently the original recipe doesn't call for stock, and I didn't realize that until I was typing up the recipe. Go figure. I added it, it gave a nice soupy texture to the chili, which I like. If you like things super thick, put in less stock.

I always rinse my beans, mostly to get the extra salt off of them because I'm very conscious about that sort of thing. Kidney beans should not be made directly from scratch (toxins associated with cooking them), but feel free to use everything else from scratch.

I used fire-roasted tomatoes instead of regular. The original recipe called for chili powder, but knowing my recent experiments with the adobo chiles, I opted to omit it, and it was just spicy enough for me. Try it without chili powder first, then add to taste if it's not spicy enough for you.

Overall, it's a great dish, and I'm very happy I stumbled across it.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Image to come after it's done cooking

Sweet Potato Casserole
From Lisa's Kitchen

3 c sweet potatoes, mashed (2-3 large potatoes)
2 egg
1/2 c milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c sugar
1 stick butter, divided
1 c brown sugar
1/2 c flour
1/2 cup nuts.

Beat together first 5 ingredients and half a stick of butter. Spread mixture into a greased pan (8 in square pan). Mix together remaining ingredients until well combined and spread over the sweet potato mixture. Bake at 350 for 35-40 min.

My Notes:

I had never had straight sweet potatoes before Thanksgiving. I had them mixed in with things (brownies, thanks to working with a dietician), but never on their own. My stepmom made these for Thanksgiving, though, and I promised I would try them for her. I loved them. They're super sweet, and, as my dad says, almost like a dessert.

If you want to make them pareve, you can use soy milk and margarine. But it's just not the same.

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake
Originally found at Keebler

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 egg
1 Pie Crust (Graham Cracker or Chocolate)*
1/2 cup raspberry preserves

Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually mix in sweetened condensed milk and 2 Tbsp lemon juice. Add egg, mixing until just combined. In a separate bowl, mix remaining tablespoon of lemon juice with raspberry preserves. Pour half of mixture into crust, then top with half the preserves. Top with remaining cream cheese mixture and remaining preserves. Use knife or spatula to swirl preserves into cream cheese mixture. Bake at 300 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes, or until center is almost set. Cool on wire rack for one hour, and refrigerate for at least three hours.

My Notes:

I definitely thought the amount of lemon juice they called for was a bit excessive; my cream cheese mixture was very runny going in, so when I put my raspberry preserves on top, they sunk into the batter. That might have had to do with the fact that I don't own an electric mixer, so I didn't really beat my cream cheese til it was fluffy. I also didn't have much control over them, so I couldn't really swirl them very easily.

It looks pretty good, though, all things considered. My stepmom made this in a chocolate crust, and it was amazing. I made it in a regular graham cracker crust, and it was still good.

*If you don't want to buy one (or can't find one that's kosher, take a package of graham crackers, crush them, and then mix with half a stick of melted butter and a tablespoon or so of sugar.

Latkes!

Latkes
From Naomi's Kitchen

5 baking potatoes
2 eggs
1/4 onion, grated
1/2 cup flour
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp chili powder
Oil for frying

Grate the potatoes, and squeeze them to make them as dry as possible. Mix with eggs, onion, flour, and seasonings.

Heat oil to about 350 degrees. Form potato mixture into patties and gently drop into oil. Fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes each side. Serve with sour cream and applesauce.

My Notes:

So, many months ago, I mentioned to my mom that I was going to try to make falafel. She suggested I contact one of her coworkers, Naomi, for her recipe, and then realized after I asked Naomi that she was thinking about latkes, not falafel.

I mixed up some more adobe sour cream (sour cream mixed with adobe chilis and sauce... a little goes a long way) and spiced up the latkes themselves with just a little bit of chili powder (you can't really taste it, it just adds a bit of a kick). They're marvelous.