cast iron pizza with spinach mushrooms and chicken sausage

Pizza can be just as romantic as chocolate and roses....right?!

I was flipping through an issue of Vegetarian Times from February 2009 and I spotted a recipe for deep dish pizza cooked in a cast iron skillet. Well, I love cooking in my cast iron skillet and I never can resist a good pizza so I couldn't wait to give it a go.

The original recipe called for a yummy mix of feta, kale, Neufchatel cheese, fennel, garlic, fresh oregano and tomato. I would have loved every bite of the original pizza but I knew my family might be a little less enthusiastic so I went a little more mainstream with the ingredient list. My deep dish pizza was topped with a tomato basil sauce, an Italian cheese blend, basil oregano, spinach, mushrooms and mild Italian chicken sausage.

I've been trying to cut my meat intake and up my intake of veggies and whole grains. It's tough when I have a meat lovin' husband in the house. ;) With all of the wonderful vegetarian choices out there these days, the chicken sausage could be easily replaced with a meat free sausage. I bet no one would even notice the difference if the veggie sausage was tucked inside a deep dish pizza. Shhhh. I won't tell!

Cast Iron Deep Dish Pizza
by theUngourmet

Print recipe

1 18 oz package of fresh pizza dough (Winco has a fabulous dough made fresh in their bakery)
3 tbsp tomato basil pasta sauce
1/4 lb Italian chicken sausage, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup chopped spinach
1/2 cup sliced crimini mushrooms
3/4 cup shredded Italian cheese blend (Trader Joe's has a great one!)
Fresh or dried basil and oregano, season to taste
kosher salt

Preheat oven to 475. Oil bottom and sides of a 12" cast iron skillet with olive oil. With floured hands pat and stretch dough over bottom and half way up sides of skillet. Let dough rest for 5 minutes. Evenly spread sauce over dough. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the cheese. Evenly spread the sausage, spinach and mushrooms over the cheese. Top with remaining cheese. Season with basil, oregano and kosher salt.

Place on lowest rack and bake for 15 minutes or until crust is browned and crisp. Let stand for a few minutes before slicing.

Happy Valentine's Day!






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easy chicken stew with herbed dumplings

What to do with leftover rotisserie chicken?? Throw together a nice comforting pot of chicken stew with dumplings, of course! This recipe is so versatile, you can throw in any combination of veggies you have on hand. I happened to have potatoes, carrots and peas. You can also throw in onion, corn...even broccoli, whatever floats your boat, really. The dumplings are super easy, too. I added dill to mine but you can use thyme, rosemary, basil...

This recipe is very adapted from a cool blog I discovered over my weekend called Po' Man's Meals. You should check it out, it has so many money saving recipes and tips.

Easy Chicken Stew with Herbed Dumplings
by theUngourmet ~inspired by Po' Man's Meals

3 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, minced
3 large carrots, diced
1 large potato, diced
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried parsley
1/3 cup flour
1 qt chicken stock
3 cups roughly chopped rotisserie chicken
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1 tsp dried dill
1/2 package buttermilk ranch dressing mix (about 1 tbsp and organic if possible)
3/4 cup flour
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
cracked pepper
1/2 cup milk

In a large stock pot over medium heat, add butter, garlic, carrots, potato, bay leaf and parsley. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper. Add the 1/3 cup flour, stir until vegetables are evenly coated. Cook about 2 minutes, stirring. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Add the chicken, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.

In a small bowl, combine dill (or other dried herb), dressing mix, 3/4 cup flour, baking powder, salt and milk. Stir until combined. Drop tablespoons of dumpling batter into the pot, spacing evenly. Cover pot tightly and reduce heat to low, steam dumplings for 20 minutes. Add the peas and cook about 3 minutes until heated.

Print recipe

Yum! Such a cozy meal. Eat a big bowl in front of a warm fire with a nice glass of wine. A perfect end to a cold winter day!

Stay tuned for a yummy Orange Poppyseed Scone recipe! :0)






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chicken with maple mustard glaze

Sometimes it seems there just aren't enough hours in the day! It's always especially crazy this time of year. I've been busy making lists and checking them twice. No, I am not the real Santa Claus! Moms make lists too you know! Most of the time I am all over fun new dinner ideas, but every once in a while, I'm in a rush and my creative juices are far from flowing. At times like this, I hop on my computer and search for quick and delicious dinner recipes.
To fuel my busy fire even more, I recently became a Pampered Chef consultant. I've been wanting to explore some of the fun recipes from their website so I jumped over there first. I found this wonderful maple mustard glazed chicken recipe. I was happy to find that I had everything I needed to put it together. In no time at all my precious family and I were pleasing our palates and filling our tummies.

I loved this maple mustard glaze, it's the perfect balance of tangy, sweet and spicy. I served buttermilk mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli along with the chicken. It was a warm and comforting meal. Perfect for winding down a blustery busy day.

Click HERE for the recipe.



Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you find a few moments to relax and unwind this week!





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slow cooker tortilla soup

I thought I'd take a little muffin break to share this yummy tortilla soup recipe with you. I had a recipe in mind and then a friend sent me one that looked even tastier. In the end, I came up with one of my own. It was my first attempt at tortilla soup and I have to say, it was pretty darn good.


This soup is so easy and packed full of spicy good flavor!

Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup
by theUngourmet

1 1/2 lb diced chicken (I used boneless chicken breast..uncooked)
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes with lime and cilantro
1 can or bottle of enchilada sauce (Trader Joe's has a great one!)
4 cups chicken broth
2 cloves chopped garlic
5-6 small corn tortillas, cut into 1" pieces
2 tbsp canola oil
juice from 1/2 lime

For Garnish
Cilantro
sour cream
diced tomato
*fried corn tortillas strips

Place all ingredients into slow cooker. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or 7-8 on low. Top with cilantro, sour cream, diced tomato and fried corn tortillas strips. Avocado would be amazing as well!

*To make the tortillas strips- Heat 1/4" of canola oil in a pan. Cut corn tortillas into thin strips. Fry until golden brown. Place on paper towels and season with kosher salt.

Print recipe

My husband really loved this soup as well and let me tell you, that says a lot! ;)

I'm still waiting for the leaves to change here. Is it looking like autumn over your way yet?





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pea shoot and shitake soba noodle bowl

Have you ever used pea shoots in your cooking? I spied these pea shoots at Trader Joe's a few days ago and they were so stinkin' cute, I just couldn't resist buying them. Pea shoots are used quite often in Asian cooking. In fact, one of the serving suggestions on the box was stir fry. It also suggested putting them into a salad or sandwich. I did try the sandwich idea but thought they were a bit tough to chew. I decided a stir fry was the better way to go. I grabbed some shitake mushrooms and soba noodles as well and got to wok...uh, I mean work. tee-hee.


I used chicken in this recipe but tofu would be awesome as well. I think I'll go with tofu next time. It's nice to go meatless a few times a week.


I also had some dried morels in my freezer that I had been wanting to put into something yummy. I let them soak in some hot water for a few minutes to reconstitute them. They were a gift from the oh-so-talented, DoggyBloggy of Chez What?. If you haven't been over to Chez What? yet, be sure to stop over and check out all of the amazing goodness!


This stir fry was quick and easy. Great for a busy weeknight meal!



Pea Shoot and Shitake Soba Noodle Bowl
by theUngourmet

Serves about 4

2 boneless chicken breasts, thinly sliced (or extra firm tofu)

Marinade
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp chili oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp honey or agave

1-2 Tbsp canola oil
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
1 cup sliced shitake mushrooms (I also added in about 10 small morels, sliced in half.)
4 oz pea shoots (This equaled about 3 cups.)
9 oz package soba noodles
black and toasted sesame seeds

Combine the chicken or tofu with marinade ingredients. Marinate for at least 15 minutes.

Cook soba noodles according to directions on package. Rinse briefly and toss with a bit of sesame oil.

Heat canola oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir fry about 30 seconds. Add the chicken or tofu, saving the marinade. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and stir fry for another 1-2 minutes. Add the marinade and stir fry for 2-3 more minutes. Add the pea shoots and stir-fry for about 1 more minute to wilt. Serve over hot soba noodles.

Garnish with black and toasted sesame seeds.

Print recipe

I am submitting my recipe for this month's Regional Recipe Challenge: Japan.

Hope you all are having a most lovely week!






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Apple Chicken Salad

No, this is not a recipe from Picture Me Cooking. I hoping to get to that tomorrow. I actually made this chicken salad a couple of days ago for my lunch. It was easy and delicious. I love adding apple to my chicken salad. It adds such a nice sweetness and crunch.


I used leftover chicken breast from the night before so that made the whole lunch making process quick and easy. I decided not to put my chicken salad on bread or a bun but instead I placed a nice scoop of it on top of a bed of romaine. It was light and tasty. A perfect summer meal!

Apple Chicken Salad
by theUngourmet

Serves 2

Print recipe

2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1 small apple, cored and diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1/4 cup mayo (more or less depending on your taste)
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp celery seed
salt and pepper

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients.

Serve on a bed of your favorite greens.

Pour yourself a glass of white wine.

Put on a little Bananarama.



Enjoy!

Don't forget to get in on my giveaway!!





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grilled hawaiian chicken with a tropical salad

Tonight we enjoyed another fantastic Eat at Home recipe. This time it was Hawaiian Chicken and a little Tropical Salad. I'm just loving these pre-planned meals, they are making my days so much easier. I don't have to worry about finding a recipe and running to the store for ingredients. Ahhhh. Life is good!

I made just a couple of minor changes to these recipes. I added ginger to my chicken marinade and switched out romaine for arugula and used slivered toasted almonds instead of macadamia nuts. Oh yes, and I used turkey bacon instead of the real stuff.



My husband and I LOVED this one! This salad is crazy good and the chicken is so tender and has a nice tangy flavor to it.

Grilled Hawaiian Chicken
from Eat at Home

6 boneless chicken breasts
2 cups pineapple juice
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp fresh minced ginger (my addition)

Combine all the ingredients except the chicken. Pour marinade over chicken, cover and refrigerate at least overnight. Grill until done.

Tropical Salad
adapted from Eat at Home

1 bag of arugula
3 green onions, thinly sliced
6 sliced of turkey bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1 can pineapple tidbits, drain and reserve juice for dressing
1/2 cup slivered toasted almonds
1/4 cup toasted coconut

Dressing

1/4 cup pineapple juice
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, Combine the salad ingredients. Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour over salad and toss well.

Print recipe

My daughter comes home from camp tomorrow. Boy, have we missed her. The house is way too quiet! I'm planning on serving a fabulous Eat at Home chili recipe for dinner. :)




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pepper jack bbq chicken

August is a busy month for us. Lots of birthdays to celebrate, way too much shopping for school clothes and supplies and last minute getaways and activities before summer ends. I find that I'm not in the mood to figure out a dinner plan or even put together a shopping list. I need someone to do the thinking for me.



Light. Bulb. (Despicable, Me reference. tee hee)! I headed over to Eat at Home and left the work to Tiffany. Eat at Home is such a wonderful blog. There are weekly menus to choose from that include a complete shopping list and recipes for each meal. Each meal is economical and easy to prepare with easy to find, everyday ingredients. Right up my alley! I couldn't get over the savings at the market either. I had a few things at home already, which was great. I shopped at a large warehouse grocery near me for 2 weeks worth of menus and picked up other things I needed as well and only ended up spending around one hundred thirty-five bucks. Awesome!

One of our favorite recipes so far is this fantastic Pepper Jack BBQ Chicken. It's quick and delicious and I love that there are only 4 ingredients. Four! How great is that?!

Barbecue Pepper Jack Chicken
from Eat at Home

-Boneless skinless chicken breasts
-Seasoned salt
-Sweet Baby Ray's or another BBQ sauce
-Pepper Jack cheese slices (I used Tillamook)

Sprinkle chicken with seasoned salt and place on the grill. Cook them until they are nearly done. Baste with BBQ sauce. Top each chicken breast with a slice of cheese, letting it melt before removing the chicken from the grill.

Tiffany suggests serving this chicken with roasted potatoes and a favorite steamed vegetable and that's just what I did.

Note: I learned a cool trick from Chef Ira on preparing roasted potatoes. Parboil the potatoes before roasting. They come out tender in the center and crisp on the outside. I always do it this way now.

Go on over and check out Eat at Home. I know you'll love it!!





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wasabi chicken salad sandwiches and a cookbook review

I received this fun cookbook in the mail recently for review. Now, just how did they know about my crappy little kitchen? This book is right up my alley alright! Even if you don't have a crappy little kitchen you'll still love exploring all of the terrific recipes inside.



In addition to the fantastic recipes, there are also many fun tips including how to organize your CLK, the best tools and gadgets for your CLK, nine gourmet rules and more. Each chapter has little snippets of info titled Chefology, Swap it, and my favorite...Did you know this crap?.



Each recipe has a fun name, too. There's Wish I was a little Bisque Taller, Get Freaky Tzatziki, For a Good Time Call Champagne Oysters, Make-You-Want-to-Marry-Me Mussels Marinara, Better Than Nookie Sweet Potato Gnocchi, When the Saints Come Marching In Gumbo.... It goes on and on. There are appetizers, soups, salads, veggies, entrees, sides and desserts.



The Wassup! Wasabi Chicken Salad really caught my eye. My husband and I are both crazy for wasabi so I knew this would be a good choice.



This recipe includes ingredients like ginger, garlic, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, peanuts, cilantro and wasabi, all of which make this a chicken salad far from ho-hum. I also loved that it was so simple to prepare. I'm all about simple meals in the summertime.

Wassup! Wasabi Chicken Salad
adapted from Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens

Sea salt, to taste
1 lb chicken breast, boneless and skinless
1 lb chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp wasabi powder
2 tbsp sour cream
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
black pepper to taste
3 tbsp chopped cilantro
3 tbsp chopped fresh mint (I left this out)
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion (I minced mine)
1/4 cup peanuts (I roughly chopped mine)
1/2 cup roughly chopped dried apricots (I left these out)
Napa cabbage leaves (I shredded mine)
1 tbsp black sesame seeds (I used a blend of black and regular sesame seeds that I had on hand)

Fill a 12 qt stock pot halfway with water and place on high heat. When it begins to simmer, add 3 tbsp of sea salt and allow it to dissolve. Remove any remaining fat from chicken. When the water comes to a boil, turn the heat slightly down. Gently place the breasts and thighs into the pot. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Remove with tongs, place into a bowl and cover with ice for 5 minutes. Remove ice, pat chicken dry and chop into fairly small pieces and toss into a mixing bowl.

Pour the rice wine vinegar into a blender and sprinkle the wasabi powder over it. Add the sour cream and pulse the mixture until smooth. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while blending at low speed. Add the soy sauce, ginger and garlic. Pulse to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add 1/4 cup of the dressing to the chopped chicken and toss to combine. Add the cilantro, onion, peanuts (and the mint and apricots if you wish. Again, I left them out.) Taste salad to see if you would like to add more dressing, salt or pepper. I used every bit of this yummy dressing and was begging for more! I'll make a larger batch of it next time.

The recipe says to place cabbage leaves on a platter and place the chicken on top. Cover and refrigerate until ready for use. Serve ice cold.

We put our salad on lightly toasted kaiser rolls with a bit of shredded cabbage and served with some kettle chips. I'm sure it's fantastic either way.

Print recipe

P.S. I was also thinking that tofu could easily replace the chicken for a vegetarian version. :)

Look for this cookbook, you'll love it!





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ginger teriyaki stir-fry wraps

My husband was not overly excited about my latest wrap recipe. You see, he is not a fan of edamame. He has, however, given up complaining (for the most part) when I am whipping up something for my blog. He doesn't even complain about eating lukewarm food. He knows I have got to get that perfect shot of my creation before we can actually get down the business of eating it. What a great sport! ;)



I chose to use ground chicken this time but diced chicken breast would be every bit as nice. In fact, this recipe could be mixed and matched many different ways. Beef or pork could could be used instead of chicken. Tofu could replace the meat. You could use different veggies to suit your tastes. If you don't care for teriyaki you could use a different sauce. Have fun with it!



I thought of adding brown rice to this...but didn't. I will next time.

My daughter and I both agreed this was a winner so I decided to go ahead and share it with you.

Ginger Teriyaki Stir-Fry Wraps
by theUngourmet

Serves 4-6

1 tbsp canola oil
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp chopped ginger
1 lb ground chicken
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp teriyaki sauce

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp chopped ginger
1 cup chopped broccoli
2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
1 zucchini sliced
1 cup fresh or frozen edamame
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce

Several large flour tortillas

Saute garlic and 2 tsp ginger in 1 tbsp of canola oil for about 1 minute. Add the chicken, salt and teriyaki and brown completely.

In a separate skillet or wok, saute the ginger in tbsp oil for a minute. Add the veggies and the teriyaki sauce. Stir fry for 3-5 minutes until tender crisp.

Serve the chicken and veggies on flour tortillas with a side of teriyaki sauce for dipping.

Print recipe

Today is the start of our summer vacation and the sunshine is on its way so...hurray, hurray!




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A taste of Vietnam

The lovely and brilliant Joanne of Eats Well with Others is hosting a fun new monthly foodie challenge blog called Regional Recipes. This month's challenge is Vietnam. I've never tried cooking Vietnamese food so I was really excited to give this challenge a shot.



I took a trip to the library and found Authentic Vietnamese Cooking Food from a Family Table. So many great recipes to choose from!!



I finally settled on Com Ga Ginger and Garlic Rice with Chicken with Nuoc Mam Gung Ginger Dipping Sauce and a side of Mang Tay Xao Stir-Fried Asparagus.



The dipping sauce had fantastic flavor and was perfect for dipping the chicken.



The entire meal was delightful but I have to say, the asparagus was especially delicious. I picked it up today at farmer's market so it couldn't have been more fresh and scrumptious!

Com Ga
adapted from Authentic Vietnamese Cooking

2 cups of long grain rice, such as jasmine
2 tbsp canola oil
2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
3 cups chicken stock
1 bunch fresh cilantro, tough stems removed (I used about 1 cup of leaves)

8 boneless skinless chicken tenderloins
1 tbsp canola oil
1 clove chopped garlic
1 cup chicken stock

Place the rice in a bowl with a few cups of water. Gently swirl your fingers in the bowl to allow the starch to separate from the grains. Repeat this process 3 times until water is fairly clear. Drain thoroughly. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and stir fry until golden. Add the rice and stir until lightly golden, 3-5 minutes. Stir in 3 cups of stock. Scatter the cilantro across the top. Cover and cook until rice has absorbed all of the liquid, about 25 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to rest, covered for 5-10 minutes. Fluff with fork.

While the rice is cooking, prepare the chicken. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Add the chicken. Brown chicken on each side. Add cup of stock, cover and simmer for about 5-7 minutes until done.

Print Recipe

Serve with Nuoc Mam Gung
adapted

1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
juice of 1 lime
3 oz ground ginger
1 minced scallion (I forgot this)
1 tsp red chili flakes
1/2 cup canola oil

Combine all ingredients. Whisk well. Allow to stand for 30 prior to serving.

Last, but certainly not least.

Mang Tay Xao
adapted

1 1/2 tbsp canola oil
1 large clove of minced garlic
1 bunch fresh asparagus, sliced diagonally into 1 inch slices
1 tbsp fish sauce
freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a wok over high heat and stir-fry the garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the asparagus. Season with fish sauce and pepper. Stir-fry until tender crisp, about 5 minutes.

I thoroughly enjoyed this meal and will definitely make it again...soon!

I am submitting this to Joanne for Regional Recipes -Vietnam.




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Blogger Aid - View and Review: Simple Fresh Southern

As some of you may already know, I am a member of Blogger Aid. Blogger Aid-Changing the Face of Famine is a group of bloggers determined to aid in the relief of world hunger. To find out more or to band together with us, please click on the link above.

Blogger Aid has a wonderful program called View and Review. It is an opportunity for members to view cookbooks generously provided by various publishers and food purveyors. We are then able to prepare some of the scrumptious recipes and write up a blog review.

I was thrilled to receive The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern from
Clarkson Potter Publishers. This cookbook is right up my alley. It's just bursting with simple but delightfully fresh and flavorful southern inspired recipes. The photographs are spectacular as well.

It was difficult to choose which recipes to prepare for this review. They are all so tempting! I finally settled on Whole Roasted Chicken with Potatoes and Onions and Butternut Squash Soup with Rosemary.

Whole Roasted Chicken with Potatoes and Onions

1 large yellow or white onion, quartered
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into chunks
1 pound Yukon Gold or other waxy yellow potatoes, cut into 1 1/2" pieces
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
One 3 1/2 pound whole chicken, giblets removed, rinsed and dried inside and out
1 large lemon, halved
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine

Heat oven to 425 degrees with rack positioned in the middle of the oven.

Combine the onion, carrot, and potatoes in a medium cast iron skillet or 2 quart oven proof baking dish. Drizzle the olive oil over the vegetables, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp of the salt and 1/4 tsp pepper, and toss until evenly coated. Place the chicken, breast side down, on the vegetables and squeeze one lemon half over the back of the chicken. Season the chicken with 1/2 tsp of the salt and 1/4 tsp of the pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, then remove briefly from the oven.

Lift the bird, pour the broth and wine over the vegetables in the pan, and move them around a bit with a wooden spoon. Using two set of tongs, flip the bird over so that it is breast side up. Squeeze the remaining lemon over the chicken and season with the remaining salt and pepper. Roast until the skin is nicely browned on top, about 40 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let it rest for 10 minutes. Carve the chicken and serve with the vegetables and spoonfuls of the lemony pan sauce.

I loved being able to roast the chicken right in my cast iron pan. It had a wonderful lemon flavor and was juicy and delicious. I will make this one again for sure.




The next recipe is Butternut Squash Soup with Rosemary. I think this would be a wonderful start to any Thanksgiving dinner!



1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp minced fresh rosemary
1/3 cup finely diced country or Serrano ham
1 tbsp minced garlic (about 3 large cloves)
One 2 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch dice (4 cups)
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
1/2 cup whole or low fat buttermilk, plus more to garnish
Freshly ground black cracked pepper, for garnish

Pour olive oil into a 12 inch skillet set over medium low heat. Once the oil warms, addd the rosemary, ham, and garlic and stir constantly for about 2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant but not browning.

Turn the heat to low, add the squash, and stir to about 30 seconds to coat the pieces with oil. Let cook for a minute linger, still stirring. Then add 3 cups water and cover the skillet. Turn up the heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Turn down heat so that the liquid is simmering, stir in the salt, and cook, covered, for 7 minutes, until the squash is tender but not dissolving into the soup.

Using an immersion blender or transferring to a food processor (in batches if necessary), blend the soup until just a few chunks of squash and ham are still visible in the puree. Add the buttermilk and stir to incorporate.



Serve in large bowls, and as a final touch, loosely stir a tbsp of buttermilk into each, leaving a trail of white. Season with a grind of black pepper.

This is a lovely soup! If you have vegetarians coming over for Thanksgiving you could leave out the ham. I think it would be every bit as terrific.

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I appreciate being able to be a part of such a worthwhile organization and to have had the opportunity to view and review this beautiful cookbook!

Blogger Aid has a new cookbook coming out very soon. It has loads of amazing Blogger Aid member recipes inside and the proceeds go toward such a worthwhile cause. Please look for it on Amazon.



Thanks for stopping over today and please be sure to go take a look at
Blogger Aid-Changing the Face of Famine. You'll be glad you did!!


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