Black Bean & Squash Tacos

I can't quite figure out when "Taco Tuesday" became a thing, and I don't know if it is a nationwide phenomenon, but here in the Bay Area, everyone I know seems to participate in "Taco Tuesday".  So, since it's Tuesday, dinner at the Munoz's is of course Tacos.  Although, these aren't your standard tacos.  As much as I love the old seasoned meat, cheese, tomato & lettuce in a crispy corn shell combination, I've eaten enough of those in my lifetime where it just seems so boring.  These tacos, with smoky black beans and spicy roasted squash have a ton of flavor, can be made in no time flat, and combine 2 of my favorite ingredients- black beans & butternut squash.

Today is also Election Tuesday, and all I will say on this subject is Go Vote.  I could say a lot more, but I don't think I want to use this blog to jump up on a political soap box.  I could go on about how I am a die-hard democrat.  About how I believe in universal health care, in social security & medicare & even welfare, although I do feel that the current welfare system needs a really good tune-up.  About how I have liberal social views- I firmly believe in gay marriage, women rights, abortion rights, a strong separation of Church & State.  About how I am pro-military, I believe choosing to serve your country in the armed forces is one of the greatest things someone can choose to do, or about how I believe we need to stop the current tax & spend system and learn to live within our national budget.  Or about how I believe in a persons right to bear arms, although, why someone needs a machine gun to defend their home or practice their sharpshooting skills escapes me.  I could go on about all these things, but instead of getting into a political debate on a blog, I went to the polls and voted for the candidates that best supported my ideals.  And whatever you believe in, whether you agree or disagree with me, you too can go to the polls and vote for the person that you feel best represents your ideals.  That's how it works in this democracy and it's just one of the things that make our country great.

Anyway, enough of that, I am stepping down from the political soap box I had no intention of stepping up on and getting back to something that everyone can agree on- the awesomeness of tacos.    And these tacos, while far from traditional, are seriously, seriously delicious.  No matter if you are a Democrat, a Republican, a Libertarian or even a sign carrying member of that wacky Tea Party, I guarantee you will agree.

Black Bean & Roasted Butternut Squash Tacos

1/2 cup 2% plain greek yogurt*

Lime juice

fresh cilantro

Chili powder
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 or 4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can seasoned black beans (I like Bush's)
1 cup fresh or frozen sweet corn
1/2 can of Mexican style stewed tomatoes
1 small Jalapeño, seeded & diced
2 1/2 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Chipotle powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Spicy roasted squash cubes (I used the extra's I made from last night's Squash & Sausage Risotto)
Cotija Cheese*, crumbled
Corn Tortillas

*You can use sour cream instead of the Greek Yogurt, but the yogurt really gives the sauce a great flavor and is much healthier than sour cream.  Cotija cheese is basically the Mexican version of Feta so if you can't find Cotija you can substitute with Feta.

1. Make the Cilantro Lime Sauce.  In a small bowl mix together the yogurt, lime juice, some finely chopped fresh cilantro and a little chili powder in a small bowl.  Season with some salt & pepper.  How much cilantro, lime juice and chili powder you use is really up to you.  I like a lot of lime (the juice from 1/2 of a big lime), not a lot of cilantro and just enough chili powder to give it a small kick.  Keep the sauce refrigerated until ready to use. 
2. Prepare the Beans.  In a saute pan cook the onions in a little olive oil, over medium heat, for about 5 minutes.  Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute.  Add in the corn & jalapeno and cook for about 2 minutes.  Add the can of seasoned black beans (undrained) and the stewed tomatoes.  Add the chipotle powder, cumin, salt & pepper and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
3. Heat up the squash.  If you are using previously prepared roasted squash, pop them in the microwave for a minute or so to heat up
4. Assemble the Tacos.  Warm up the soft corn tortillas and fill with the black beans and the squash.  Top with the cilantro lime sauce and a little bit of cotija cheese.
5. Serve!  I usually make some Spanish rice to go along with the tacos, and to drink, some cold Mexican beer, Negra Modelo or Pacifico are always good.

In the interest of full disclosure, I do have one confession to make.  While this is a vegetarian dinner, my husband thinks that a dinner without cooked animal meat is an abomination.  To satisfy him, I just brown a package of ground turkey with a packet of store bought taco seasoning.  When I assemble the tacos I put a layer of the Turkey in the bottom of his taco.  He's happy and I can have my vegetarian variety.  

Bon Appetit!

Squash & Sausage Risotto

I know I said in a previous post that I love fall, and I do. But...  November sometimes feels like the one month out of the year that has it out for me.  There is always so much going on.  Thanksgiving looms large on the calendar at the end of the month which normally means a trip home to New Jersey to be with the family, or the family coming in to be with us.  And once Thanksgiving arrives, well, Christmas & Hanukkah are just a hop, skip & a jump away.  I always feel like I need to get the house "ready" for the holidays.  I like to tackle any and all projects that have lingered through the winter, when it was too cold to work on them, spring, when it was too rainy to work on them, or summer, when it was just too nice outside to work on them.  I end up spending a lot of November weekends and evenings  reorganizing closets, rearranging furniture, deep-cleaning the carpets, things like that.

On top of all that, November is the busiest month of the year at my job.  I work for a small non-profit membership association.  So small in fact, that due to cut-backs over the years, I am now the sole paid employee.  The last one standing, so to speak.  11 months out of the year it's not that bad.  I've learned to adapt to being the only one in the office, and I've figured out how to manage the workload just fine.  Except for November, when I really miss having co-workers, and having people to share the workload with.  I could use about 4 of me, just for the one month.  There are meetings on top of meetings in November- Board Meetings, Delegates Meetings, Committee Meetings, and our year-end Trophy Party. Organizing the hundreds of trophies that get handed out at the party could be a full-time job on it's own in November.  November is the month we prepare the budget for the next year.  It's the month we prepare our annual publication, with all the information our members need to participate in the association the following year, and I have learned that printers do not like it when you miss their deadlines.  It's the month we finalize our event calendar for the following year- over 850 events that need coordinated between government agencies and local organizations. It's insanity really.

So yeah, November often feels like it's out to get me.  Thankfully, I can retreat to my kitchen when I need a stress break and whip up something delicious (and hopefully something quick) with my favorite fall ingredients.  Squash, root vegetables, greens, apples, pears, nuts- they are all in season and the produce stand is full of them.

Tonight's dinner at the Munoz's utilizes probably my favorite fall ingredient, butternut squash.  I can eat roasted cubes of the orange goodness all day long, it's like candy.  I've got a slew of recipes that call for it.  Tonight I am making a double batch, some to use tonight in my risotto, and some to use for Taco Tuesday.  Stay tuned for that recipe tomorrow, but for now...

Roasted Squash & Sausage Risotto
1 large butternut squash, or 2 small, peeled, seeded & cut into small 1" cubes
Olive Oil
1 Tbsp dried thyme
Cayenne pepper
Salt & pepper
1 pkg sweet Italian turkey sausage
2 shallots, finely diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup arborrio rice
½ cup marsala wine
5 cups chicken broth
½ cup grated parmesan cheese

1. Roast the squash.  Preheat the oven to 350 F. Toss the cubed squash with olive oil, thyme, cayenne pepper (how much depends on how spicy you like things), salt &pepper and spread out on a rimmed baking sheet (you may need 2) lined with parchment paper. Roast the squash for about  45 minutes, until it is softened and slightly carmelized.  Take half of the roasted squash, put it in a container and refrigerate for use in a later recipe.
2. Cook the Sausage.  While the squash is roasting, cook the whole sausage links in a pan until browned & cooked through.  Remove from pan, let cool slightly and slice into ¼" rounds. Cover to keep warm.
3. Warm up the chicken broth.  While you are cooking the sausage, bring the chicken broth to a simmer in a small pot.  Keep the chicken broth gently simmering while cooking the risotto.
4. Get the Risotto going.  Run olive oil around the bottom of a risotto pan (dutch oven type pot). Sauté the shallots over medium heat for a few minutes until they start to soften, then add in the garlic and cook for another minute or two. Add the rice and continue to sauté over medium heat for another 2 minutes or so. Season with salt & pepper. Add the marsala wine and stir gently until almost all the wine has been absorbed. 
5. Add in the chicken stock, a little at a time.  Once the wine has been absorbed, start adding the hot chicken broth, ½ cup at a time, gently stirring over medium heat until almost all the liquid has been absorbed before adding more broth. Continue this process until the risotto is done, about 20 minutes.  You may not need to use all 5 cups of the chicken broth.  You'll know the risotto is done when it gets creamy looking and the grains are soft but still a little firm (al dente) when you bite one.
6. Add in the sausage & squash.  Once the risotto is done, remove from the heat, stir in ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, the sliced sausage & the roasted squash cubes.
7. Serve!  Serve immediately.  A nice merlot goes great with this dish.

Regardless of what you may have heard, risotto is actually really easy to make, and pretty quick to make as well.  Usually risotto recipes call for lots of butter, but I leave it out completely.  I find a little olive oil works just as well, and the chicken broth adds enough richness that I don't miss the butter at all.  You could also use regular Italian pork sausage if you wanted, but I use the Turkey variety to help keep the dish a little lighter.  Just make sure you use the sweet Italian variety- it plays off the spicy squash really well.

Bon Appetit!

Roasted Squash Soup

I know, I know, the last thing the world needs is another recipe blog, but hey, Internet space is free, and my husband has been after me to write my recipes down for years now, so I figure, what the hell, I'll join the masses and put my recipes online.

I'm not much of a writer, but I am a passable home cook, or at least I like to think so. Hopefully, if anyone else actually reads this blog they will look past my clumsy writing skills and focus on the food instead. Although, I should warn any potential readers- I may not prove to be much of a recipe creator either. Normally when I am in the kitchen I don't pay to much attention to quantities, amounts, etc. We'll just have to see how it goes.

I love to cook, for a lot of reasons. I love the creative outlet, taking individual items and putting them together to create something more. I love the feeling of seeing others enjoy something that I took time and care to make. But most of all, I love how when I am cooking I am in complete control of what's going on. I know, no matter what, that when I add A to B I will get C, without fail. With all the uncertainty swirling around life, the kitchen is my haven. When there's chaos, I retreat to my stove top & oven. I make bread, or soup, rack of lamb or a cake, because within the steps of a recipe I find order, peace and security.

My baby brother, Adam, is moving to New York City. He leaves tomorrow morning. Minus the 4 years I was away at college, we have never lived more than 20 minutes apart.  That's over 30 years of having my brother within a few minutes reach. Like every brother & sister since the beginning of time, we haven't always gotten along, but I have always loved him, and always will. Even when I want to kill him, I've always known he was right down the road when I need him. I hope he feels the same about me. He is moving to New York to start an exciting new chapter in his life.  He's getting married to a great girl, who I really like, and I couldn't be happier for them.  That being said, to say that I am a wreck over his leaving is quite an understatement. I haven't been able to stop crying since Friday evening when we got together for one last dinner. My turmoil has been a boon for my husband though, since I've pretty much spent the last 2 days in the kitchen, keeping my mind off my brother's leaving.

It's been raining all weekend, the weather practically demanding I make soup.  Yesterday morning I stopped at my local produce stand (Dan's Fresh Produce for those of you in the Bay Area.  Check it out- Dan & his stand are awesome!) and the squash bins were overflowing.  There is nothing I love more than squash soup.  Making a giant pot would be just the thing to keep my mind off Adam's imminent departure.  Did I mention my brother is a professional chef?  Well he is, the real deal, with the tall white toque, an impressive resume and everything.  He's created some of the most memorable dishes I have ever eaten, and he's taught me almost everything I know about navigating my way around a recipe and a kitchen.  Making a delicious soup seems like the perfect tribute to him.  So without further ado, onto my recipe...

Roasted Squash Soup

1 medium size Butternut Squash, peeled, seeded & cut into 1" cubes
1 medium size Acorn Squash, peeled, seeded & cut into 1" cubes
1 medium size Buttercup Squash, peeled, seeded & cut into 1" cubes
1 large Yam (or Sweet Potato), peeled & cut into 1" cubes
4 Tbsp dried Thyme
Chili powder
Olive Oil
1/4 c butter
2 apples, peeled, cored, coarsely chopped*
1 medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Bunch of fresh sage leaves, chopped fine
Salt & Pepper
8 to 10 cups chicken broth
Blue Cheese crumbles (optional)

* I used 1 Golden Delicious & 1 Fuji apple

1. Roast the Squash.  Preheat the oven to 350 F.  In a large bowl toss the squash cubes with some olive oil, the thyme, salt, pepper & a little chili powder.  Spread the seasoned squash in a single layer on 2 rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment paper (cause it makes clean-up way easy).  Roast squash for at least an hour, stirring the squash halfway through cooking.  When squash is done transfer back to a large mixing bowl.
2. Sauté the Onions, Celery & Apples.  In a large skillet or soup pot melt 1/2 stick of butter over medium heat.  Add the celery, onions & garlic and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions & celery start to soften.  Stir in the apples & sage and season with salt & pepper.  Continue cooking over medium to medium low heat for another 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are nicely softened.  
3. Mix Everything Together & Blend.  Transfer the onion, celery, apple, sage mixture to the same large bowl with the roasted squash and stir all the ingredients together.  Working in batches, puree the mixture in a blender, adding chicken stock to the blender for each batch (enough to cover however much of the squash mixture you put in your blender).  Pour pureed soup batches into a large soup pot.
4. Heat up & Thin out.  Once all the soup has been pureed and added to the soup pot, heat up the soup over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Add more chicken broth until the soup reaches the consistency you like. 
5. Serve!  Serve soup hot with a little bit of blue cheese crumbled on top.

This recipe makes a TON of soup, I usually freeze half of it for later use, and then try and pawn some off to friends.  Feel free to cut the recipe in half if you don't have an army to feed or a large freezer to store the leftovers.

So that's it for my first blog post & first shared recipe.  I swear most of the things I make aren't this time consuming, or require so many steps, or so many pots, pans, appliances & bowls.  But just like my relationship with my brother, this soup takes time and little work, but is well worth it in the end.  I hope you enjoy.  If you try out my recipe and it works, let me know.  If it doesn't work- let me know that too.

Bon Appetit!
Laura