Recipe

Gluten-Free Butternut Squash Chili

Wednesday, November 17th, 2010

It’s quite an accomplishment for me, but I actually wrote down a recipe. When I bake I document my recipes, but most of the dinners I make are on the fly. I look at what we have and put it together. Or I get an idea in my head and buy ingredients at the store and make it up as I go. Not good for trying to be a food blogger.

So this Halloween I made a conscious effort to record how I made the same two chilis I’ve served for the last several Halloweens, turkey and black bean, and butternut squash and spinach. I used Trader Joe’s butternut squash from a bag and black beans from a can.

Here is the butternut squash recipe and I’ll post the turkey recipe tomorrow. It’s very easy and people love it.

Easy Butternut Squash Chili

½ large onion, finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 can Trader Joe’s Roasted Tomatoes with Green Chilis

24 ounces butternut squash in cubes

12 ounces spinach

3 cans black beans

Saute the onion and garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil. Once the onions are soft add the tomatoes and butternut squash. Cook until butternut squash is slightly soft. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Add beans and cook together for at least an hour. I usually transfer to a slow cooker for at least 4 hours. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you like more spice, add ½ teaspoon chili powder. Serve on its own or with shredded sharp cheddar cheese.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread

Tuesday, October 19th, 2010

It’s been a strange Summer and Fall for weather here in Los Angeles.

Last week it was in the 80s and 90s and now it’s dark and stormy. On one of the 85 degree days I went on a field trip to the Lombardi Ranch pumpkin patch with my son’s school. It was hot like summertime. Regardless, I couldn’t stand waiting for Fall any longer and the next day I made Butternut Squash Soup in Pumpkin Bowls from Food Network Magazine.

I hollowed out and cooked 2 sugar pumpkins while I made butternut squash soup. I filled the pumpkins with the soup and topped them with toasted and crumbled gluten-free bread. It was delightful and inexpensive and easy. The recipe called for bacon and pepitas as a garnish, but I didn’t have it. It didn’t matter, it was still good.

After we ate the soup I cleaned out the inside of the pumpkins, peeled them and pureed the leftovers. I froze it for a rainy day, which turned out to be yesterday and made 3 loaves of gluten-free pumpkin bread. Here is the recipe for a single loaf. (more…)