“Pumpkin” Ravioli Soup
“Pumpkin” Ravioli Soup
Fall is the time for cooking with pumpkin and other winter squash. I make plenty of pumpkin bread, pumpkin cake, pumpkin soup, and so on. I often am actually using butternut or Hubbard squash in place of the pumpkin. This was the case with this soup. I have made it with pumpkin before, but this time I had a butternut squash, so that is what I used. Many winter squash can be used in place of pumpkin in cooking.
After cooking up one of my butternut squash, I was looking for a way to use some of it in a soup. I decided to use the squash as a filling for ravioli, then just put the ravioli in the soup.
I played with the spices and added some butter to the filling, too. It needed that extra bit of fat for flavor. It worked well. I just cooked the ravioli right in the soup, but you could cook and eat the ravioli without soup at all.
You would cook the ravioli in water. Once they are tender, drain and top with the sauce of your choice. I like brown butter with a little sage, but even a red sauce would be nice with these ravioli. Here is the recipe- for both the ravioli and the soup.
“Pumpkin” Ravioli Soup
Ravioli:
24 round won ton/dumpling wrappers
Filling:
1 cup cooked pumpkin or winter squash
2 T. softened butter
1 T. chopped parsley
1 t. paprika
1 t. nutmeg
½ t. garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of cayenne
Soup:
2 T. oil or butter
2 onions, peeled and sliced
6 c. stock- chicken or veggie
3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced
2-3 c. thinly sliced collard greens
Salt and pepper
Dash of hot sauce
Fresh chopped parsley
Combine ravioli filling. Adjust seasonings. Place a rounded tablespoonful of filling on one of the wrappers. Dampen edges with water and place another wrapper on top. Seal, pressing out as much air as possible. Continue with remaining filling and wrappers- you should have 12 raviolis in all. Set aside while making the soup.
Heat oil or butter in a pot and add the onions. Cook until onions are tender. Add stock and bring to a boil. Add carrots and collards and cook until veggies are tender. Add seasonings and bring soup to a boil. Add the raviolis and let the soup simmer gently until they are cooked- about 4 minutes. Stir a little to keep them from sticking, but gently. They get a lot bigger and are sort of delicate. Transfer gently with a large spoon to soup bowls and ladle over the soup. Serves 4- 6.
Beet Dumplings
Beet Dumplings
These dumplings were inspired by gnocchi. Gnocchi are wonderful little dumplings made with potatoes in the dough. I love them and make them often.
Since I had a lot of beets, I wanted to use some, to shake things up a little. I made a version with cooked beets. The color came out so vibrant.
The flavor of the beet is somewhat muted in this little dumpling. For serving, I combined the beet version with traditional gnocchi and some made from sweet potatoes. These would be a nice side dish for all sorts of dishes. I will make more and serve them with a roast chicken this weekend.
I do a very rustic version- just slice dough off into 1/2 -inch thick pieces and boil them up. These could be made ahead and frozen, too.
Beet Dumplings
2 small russet potatoes, 11-12 oz. total, peeled, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
2 medium/small beets, roasted, skin on, cooled
1 egg
1/4 c. whipping cream
1 1/4 t. salt
¼ t. dill weed
1 1/2 c. (about) flour
Steam potatoes over boiling water until tender, about 12 minutes. Place in bowl and mash or put potatoes through a ricer. Place in bowl and cool about 10 minutes. Remove skins from cooled beets and dice. Place beets in a food processor or blender. Add the cream and process until smooth. Combine with potatoes, egg, salt and dill and mix well. Stir in flour and combine until slightly sticky dough forms. Add more flour a tablespoon at a time if the mixture is too moist. Turn dough onto lightly floured work surface and divide into 6 equal portions. Roll out 1 piece into a rope about 20-inches long by 3/4 inch. Cut dough into 3/4 -inch pieces and arrange finished dumplings in a single layer on a floured baking sheet and repeat the process with the remaining dough. Boil the dumplings in well-salted boiling water, about 1/3 at a time. Boil for 4-5 minutes. They will come to the surface and be tender. Check after 4 minutes. Serve with butter and Parmesan cheese or with your favorite sauce. Serves 6.
A Trio of “Gnocchi”
Coconut Shrimp
Coconut Shrimp
Coconut shrimp is a favorite of mine, and pretty easy to make. Cleaned, raw shrimp are dredged in flour, egg wash and a Panko bread crumb-coconut mix and then fried. I add some homemade curry powder to the eggs for a little extra flavor.
You can serve coconut shrimp as an appetizer or over rice. I serve mine with a sweet chili sauce.
Eating shrimp always feels like a splurge or a special occasion. I think that started in my childhood. We didn’t eat shrimp often when I was a kid. Only a few times a year, always a special occasion. New Year’s Eve, for sure. My mom would make the classic shrimp cocktail, cold shrimp, served with cocktail sauce, served in pretty stemmed glasses. As an adult I have learned to enjoy shrimp a lot of different ways. I eat it more often now, but it still feels special.
Here is how I make mine. You don’t need a special occasion to make it.
Coconut Shrimp
2 cups oil – I like to use peanut oil or avocado oil
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, beaten
1-2 t. curry powder, or to taste
Heat oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat. In a large bowl, combine Panko bread crumbs and shredded coconut; set aside. Combine eggs with curry powder, set aside. Season shrimp with salt and pepper, to taste. Working one at a time, dredge shrimp in the flour, dip into the egg mixture, then dredge in the coconut mixture, pressing to coat. Working in batches, add shrimp to the Dutch oven and fry until evenly golden brown and crispy, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Serve immediately with sweet chili sauce, if desired. Serves 4.
Pear Cobbler
Pear Cobbler
Cobbler is one of my favorite desserts for this time of year. I really enjoy making this pear cobbler for family and friends. Like apples, pears always remind me of Fall.
While cobblers can be made with any number of different fruits, I love using pears. It is one of the simplest desserts you can make from scratch, and one of my favorites, for sure.
In the time it takes to preheat the oven, you can have it ready to bake. This recipe calls for baking mix, like Bisquick. I make my own- recipes follows, but use what you like.
The cobbler is fine served plain, or with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream. It can also be served cold, but I prefer to serve it warm.
If you prefer, you can also make the cobbler with a combination of pears and apples.
Classic Pear Cobbler
4 c. peeled and sliced pears
½ c. sugar
1 T. plus 2/3 c. baking mix (Like Bisquick or Jiffy Mix or even homemade)- recipe follows
1-2 t. cinnamon
2 T. packed brown sugar
¼ c. butter
2 T. milk
In 1-quart shallow casserole, combine fruit, sugar, 1 tablespoon of the biscuit mix and cinnamon. In medium bowl combine remaining biscuit mix with sugar. Cut in butter to resemble coarse crumbs. Stir in milk to make a soft dough. Drop by spoonfuls over fruit mixture. Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into dough comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes. Serves 4-6.
Baking/ Biscuit Mix
8 cups sifted, all-purpose flour
1 c. powdered milk
1 c. powdered buttermilk
¼ c. baking powder
1 T. salt
2 c. shortening*
Sift dry ingredients together 3 times. Cut in shortening to resemble cornmeal. Keep in an airtight container. Store in a cool dry place and use within six months.
*You can use butter or coconut oil in place of the shortening. Just store in the fridge, if you do. I use coconut oil.
Spooky Candy Spiders
Candy Spider
This is the only kind of spider I want in my house. If you are looking for a quick spooky decoration/treat idea, you might want to make some candy spiders. These are about the size of a tarantula. Super simple and kids can make them, too. You only need a few ingredients. The body is made from marshmallows, the legs are chow mein noodles and the eyes are small candies. I used melting chocolate, but you can use any kind of chocolate you like.
To start, melt some chocolate. Dip the chow mein noodles in the chocolate and tap gently to remove excess. I leave one end un-dipped to make it easier to stick in the marshmallow later. Allow to harden up before going to the next step. I set them on a flexible cutting board, but wax paper is good, too. You have to peel them off later, a flexible surface is best. You’ll need 8 for each spider- so be sure to make enough. Allow for breakage. Set a marshmallow flat side down and poke 4 holes in each side, 8 total. I used a bamboo skewer. Stick a noodle “leg” in each hole. Spoon chocolate over the marshmallow until coated. Whatever drips off can be re-melted and used again. While the chocolate is still soft, press 2 candy eyes into place. Hold them for a minute to be sure they are secure. Now, you can decorate cakes with them, use them on a dessert tray- or just eat them.
Chow mein noodle legs
Insert legs into marshmallow
Spoon chocolate over the marshmallow to cover it.
Busha’s Beet Soup
Busha’s Beet Soup
This colorful, tasty soup, was first made for me by my Busha, my Polish grandmother. Beets are a big ingredient in Eastern European culture. My Mom cooked with them, too.
I have fond memories of spending time with my Busha. I stayed with her on weekends a few times. One of those weekends, she taught me how to make a wonderful coffee cake. I still have the index card where I wrote down the recipe as she went along making it. Busha didn’t write her recipes down much.
Another time, she made beet soup. I loved it. I think the color is what pulled me in. I was a big fan of pink back then. I still am, especially when it comes to this soup.
I prefer to use fresh, raw beets. You can use cooked beets, or even canned, if you like.
I made homemade spaetzle, but other pasta or cooked, diced potatoes are good, too.
So here is the recipe for the soup and the spaetzle. I always think of Busha when I make it.
Busha’s Beet Soup
1 large onion, sliced thin
oil
5-6 medium beets, about 2 pounds
5-6 cups beef, chicken or vegetable stock
1 c. dairy sour cream
1 t. dill weed
cooked spaetzle, recipe follows
In soup pot, sauté onion in oil until starting to brown. Meanwhile, peel and dice the beets. You should end up with 5-6 cups of cubed beets. Add beets and stock to pot and bring to boil. Cover and turn down to a simmer. Cook until beets are tender, about 20- 25 minutes. Place sour cream in small bowl and ladle in a little of the hot soup, whisking until smooth. Add another ladle of soup and whisk again. Pour this mixture into pot of soup along with the dill weed. Serve with the spaetzle. Serves 4-5.
Note: You can also pre-cook the beets or use canned beets. Trim off leaves of beets, leaving 2 inches of stem. Leave roots intact. Boil beets in water until tender, which can take as little as 20 minutes for tiny beets or 45 minutes for the large ones. Cool in bowl of ice water and then slip off the skins. Dice and add to soup as if the beets were canned. You don’t need the long cook of fresh beets. Just bring soup up to a simmer.
If you prefer, serve the soup with diced boiled potatoes or kluski, rather than the spaetzle.
You can serve the sour cream on the side, rather than incorporating it into the soup, then allow people to add a dollop of sour cream to individual bowls. Polish beet soup usually adds the sour cream and Russian style is to dollop on the top. Both versions taste good.
Spaetzle
3 eggs
1/2 c. half and half or evaporated milk
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 c. flour
Combine all ingredients and let rest 30 minutes. Drop by small spoonfuls into boiling water. Cook until they float and puff up, about 5 minutes. Drain and serve with soups, stews, sauces or buttered.
Homemade Caramel Apples
Caramel Apple
I did a program with kids earlier this week and we made these caramel apples. The kids loved them and I wanted to share the recipe. Making caramel apples is a wonderful childhood memory for me. Every Autumn, we would make a batch.
We used those little store bought caramels. I was often the one tasked with unwrapping them. I can remember unwrapping one after the other.
I wanted to make my own caramel, so that is what I did with the kids. It is so much better than the store bought version.
Caramel is not that hard to make. You do need to keep an eye on it. Stir constantly. Just a hint, be sure your candy thermometer is really secure. Mine was a little slippy on the pan I was using. At one point the thermometer slid into the caramel. Not what you want to have happen!!!
Once dipped in the caramel, you can dip the bottom of the apples in nuts, pumpkin seeds, sprinkles, cereal, or even popcorn.
Homemade Caramel Apples
1/2 c. butter, cut in cubes
2 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. corn syrup
pinch of salt
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 t. vanilla
8-12 apples
chopped nuts, pumpkin seeds, cereal, sprinkles, popcorn for dipping the bottoms of the caramel apples, optional
In heavy saucepan combine the butter, sugar, syrup and salt. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. This will take about 10 minutes. Add milk and bring mixture up to 248 degrees. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Place a Popsicle stick, skewer or chopstick down the center of each apple. Dip apples in the caramel, allowing excess to drip off- or not. Dip bottoms of apples into nuts, seeds or whatever ingredient you picked. Place on wax paper and allow to set up. If you don’t want to dip the bottoms in anything, place the dipped apples on lightly buttered wax paper. Cool before serving. Makes 8-12 caramel apples.
Note: You could also use pears in the recipe.
The kids dipped their apples in cereal.
My Favorite Apple Cake
My Favorite Apple Cake
I have posted this cake recipe in the past. It truly is my favorite apple cake ever. I had a request for this recipe yesterday, so here it is.
I’ve had this recipe since I was a kid. My Aunt Josie gave it to my mom. Not sure where she got, it but it has been a family favorite since we first made it.
It’s a simple recipe that comes out moist and flavorful. I normally bake it in a 13×9- inch pan but it can be baked in a Bundt pan. While the recipe calls for cinnamon sugar- I sometimes add a little fresh ground nutmeg, too. I also like to use olive oil or even avocado oil in this cake. It gives it a really nice flavor.
Almost any apple works in this recipe- except maybe Red Delicious. Perfect for dessert or even served with brunch. Who am I kidding? I would eat this cake for breakfast.
Note: The batter is really thick. Don’t think you’ve done something wrong.
Classic Apple Cake
1 c. oil, I use olive oil
4 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1/3 c. orange or lemon juice
Combine above ingredients and set aside.
Mix together the following dry ingredients. Make a well and stir in egg mixture to make a stiff batter.
3 c. flour
2 c. sugar
3 t. baking powder
¼ t. salt
Mix ½ c. sugar and 2 t. cinnamon and set aside
Peel, core and slice 4 medium apples.
Grease a 9×13 inch pan or a Bundt pan. Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Place ½ of batter in prepared pan. Arrange apple slices on batter and sprinkle on ½ of the cinnamon mixture. Pour on remaining batter and sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture.
Bake 1-1 ½ hours. One hour for 13×9-inch pan and 1 1/2 hours for Bundt. I find that sometimes it takes less than an hour- check at 50 minutes.
Roasted Beet Salad
Roasted Beet Salad
I got a great number of beets a couple of days ago. I will be canning many over the weekend, but I also want to enjoy them fresh. Decided to roast some beets and then go from there. To roast beets: just wash them and trim off the greens- leaving about an inch of the stems to reduce bleeding.
My beets don’t have their greens, but trim off, if they do. The beet greens could be added to the salad.
Place beets in a roasting pan and drizzle with a little oil. I used avocado oil. Cover pan and place in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes. Smaller beets will be cooked in less time- about 35 minutes. Really large beets could take up to an hour. I always check by poking one of the beets with a fork. Let the beets cool a little and then remove the peels. I use a knife to do this. They come off quite easily.
I used three small beets to make this salad for lunch. I shared it with a neighbor.
Roasted Beet Salad
1 small head Bibb lettuce, washed and sliced into thin slices
2 c. spinach, torn into bite sized pieces
1/4 c. olive oil
3 T. red wine vinegar
2 t. sugar, optional
3 small roasted beets, peeled
1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese
1/4 c. hulled pumpkin seeds, toasted
1/4 c. dried cherries
coarse sea salt- I used pink salt
Place lettuce in a mixing bowl. Combine olive oil with vinegar and sugar, if using. Add salt and pepper to taste and toss over the greens. Slice beets. Divide greens on 2 salad plates. Arrange half of the beets on each salad and top with the rest of the ingredients. Sprinkle with a few grains of the sea salt and serve. Makes 2 luncheon salads.
Hot or Cold Beet Soup
Hot or Cold Beet Soup
Since I have a large quantity of beets, I decided to make this soup. It was 92 degrees yesterday, so I enjoyed my beet soup chilled. Tomorrow, when it is much cooler, I will warm it up, before eating.
That is one of the nice things about this recipe. This soup is good, what ever temperature you serve it.
It is also a pretty soup. The color is so beautiful. A friend came over and I offered her a bowl. When I set it down in front of her she said, “Wow, this is really pink soup.”
People seem to have strong opinions about beets. They either love them or hate them. I love them and I enjoy them in soups, salads, relishes, casseroles and more. The earthy flavor really appeals to me and the color is a delightful bonus. I added some extra veggies for more flavor and sour cream for a tart, creamy flavor and texture element. The result was a very tasty dish that is also sort of striking to look at.
Hot or Cold Beet Soup
6 or 7 small beets – or 3 large beets
2 T. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
3 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
6 cups stock- I used chicken but vegetable stock or beef stock would also work
2 t. dill weed
salt and pepper to taste
1 c. sour cream- or a little more if you like
Cut beets off of their stems- leaving about 2 inches attached- this will reduce bleeding and retain more color in the beets. Place beets in a pot of water deep enough to cover them and cook until the beets are just getting tender, about 20 minutes – longer for larger beets. Remove and place in cold water. Once the beets are cool enough to handle trim off the stems and slip off the skins. Cut the beets into chunks and set aside. In soup pot heat the oil and cook the onion until tender. Add the carrots and beets and cook a few minutes longer. Add the rest of the vegetables, stock, dill and simmer, covered, until vegetables are very tender. This will take at least 30 minutes- but cooking longer is better- around an hour. Puree the soup. To add the sour cream place sour cream in a bowl and add a ladle full of the hot soup to the sour cream, whisking until smooth. Add another ladle or two of the soup and whisk again. Return sour cream mixture to the soup. By warming the sour cream gently you prevent it curdling. Adjust seasonings and serve right away, or refrigerate and serve cold. Serves 6-8. Freezes well.
