Contributing

Hey dudes,

I took the liberty of inviting myself to be a contributor so I have my own account for this blog. Hope that's ok!

Heids, love your pics. This isn't a falcon, or even closely related, but BLUE FEET! During mating season, the males dance by showing their feet to the females. Fun to watch.

Roasted Squash & Poblano Chile Enchiladas

3 1/2 lbs butternut squash, peeled & cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 t chili powder
1 T kosher salt
3 T olive oil
3 poblano chiles
1 small onion, thinly sliced
12 6-inch corn tortillas
2 cups enchilada sauce
3 1/2 cups grated monterey jack
sour cream & guac

To Roast Squash: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss squash with chili powder, salt and 2 T olive oil. Place on baking sheet in single layer. Roast 15 minutes or until cooked through & starting to brown at edges. Squash will hold its shape. Set aside to cool & reduce oven to 350 degress.

To Prepare Poblanos: Meanwhile, char poblanos over grill or gas flame, turning frequently for 10 minutes or untilmost of skin is charred or blistered (can use oven broiler). Seal pepper in plastic bag or covered bowl for a few minutes & let steam. Remove chiles from bag. Remove skins & seeds. Slice into thin strips.

To Saute Onions: Saute in 1 T olive oil until soft. Combine with squash and poblanos in large bowl.

To assemble: oil a 9x13 pan. Pour 1/2 of the enchilada sauce into a pie plate. Warm tortillas in skillet, then dip one into the sauce, wiping off excess. Fill with 1/2 cup of the squash mixture and a 1/4 cup of shredded cheese. Roll & place seam side down. Continue for rest. Pour remaining sauce & cheese over enchiladas.

Bake 30 - 35 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

P.S. Poblanos seems to have different heats, sometimes I make this and it's mild and sometimes it's kick your ass hot. Do any of you horticulturists out there know why?

love, heidi

tasty salad dressing

3 T olive oil
2 T red wine vinegar
2 T lemon juice
1 t salt
1/2 t sugar
1/2 t oregano
1/4 t pepper
2 cloves minced garlic

just mix it. it's so simple and so so tasty. my friend theresa also makes a great salad dressing by mixing balsamic, soy sauce, olive oil and nutritional yeast flakes. yum!

love, heidi

falconess?

ohhhh that stew looks good. i guess i'll be needing a crock pot if i am to remain a true falconess. in case you are wondering about my qualifications, check this out...

Guinness Stew

~ 1 lb. stew meat, cut into 1.5 inch chunks
salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
1 onion, coarsely chopped
4 cups chicken broth
1 3/4 cups Guinness, reserve 1/4 cup
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 bay leaves
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 lb. parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 lb. red potatoes, diced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsely leaves

1. pat beef dry with paper towel and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat 1.5 teaspoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook beef until browned on all sides. Transfer to slow cooker. Reduce skillet heat to medium.

2. add remaining 1.5 teaspoons oil, onions, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to skillet and cook until onions are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add broth, 1 1/2 cups stout, sugar thyme, chocolate, bay leaves, and bring to boil for two minutes (and using wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits). Transfer to slow cooker.

3. add carrots, parsnips, and potatoes to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until meat is tender, 9-10 hours (or cook on high for 6-7 hours). Set slow cooker to high. Whisk flour and remaining 1/4 cup beer until smooth, then stir mixture into slow cooker. Cook, covered, until sauce thickens (about 15 minutes). Stir in parsley, season with salt and pepper, and discard bay leaf. Serve.

What's up everyone? I'm going to try to post a recipe tonight, see how this thing works. Blogs are awesome!

Emi

thanks amanda! this is going to be so rad.
--hu

Granpa's Granola

My mom has been making granola for years, and I finally gave it a go. Really, there are no rules to it. Kevin took to it, and pulled out his Grandpa's recipes (Grandpa used to make beer, bread and granola - he was ahead of his time).

1 1/2 tbsp oil
1/4 cup brown sugar (or 1/3 cup agave syrup or honey)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup water
3 cups oatmeal
1/2 cup wheat germ (optional)
1/2 sunflower seeds (or whatever)
1/2 cup coconut (optional)

add any nuts (slivered almonds and pistachios are great), and anything else you can think of (wheat germ, grape nuts...). You can easily double this recipe - this will fit on two big cookie sheets.

Combine oil, sugar, salt, water. Pour liquid onto oatmeal combo and mix. Spread onto cookie sheets. Place in oven at 250 degrees until golden brown. Stir every 15-20 minutes. It takes an hour or more.

-Amanda

Taco Soup

A great Crockpot favorite!

A normal size crockpot will fit this recipe:

1 lb ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
1 package Ranch dressing mix
1 package Taco Seasoning
2 can beans (mix & match)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can corn kernels
1 cup water

Brown beef and onion, then add all ingredients to crock pot. Stir, set to low and let cook for 10 hours.

Top w/ sour cream, tortilla chips, green onion and cheddar, if you wish.

-Amanda

Vegetarian Mulligatawny

We made this tonight - it is one of our favorites.

For the paste:
2 inches of ginger, minced
1 white onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 whole small fresh green chilis (serrano, jalapeno, etc.)
2 Tablespoons curry powder
2 teaspoons turmeric
2 teaspoons cumin
4 Tablespoons oil

For the soup base:
4 cups vegetable stock
4 stalks celery, chopped small
2 carrots, chopped small
2/3 cup yellow split peas
4 potatoes, cubed
2 bay leaves
1 white onion, chopped small
1 cup, loosely packed, cilantro
4 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup yoghurt
salt and pepper to taste

Garnish: finely sliced lemon slices and minced cilantro

In a large pot, add all the "paste" ingredients and cook slowly over low heat until the onions are wilted and translucent. If the paste seems dry, you can add a little extra oil.

Pour in the stock and add all the rest of the soup ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook for 30 minutes. You can puree it if you want.

When ready to serve, stir in the yoghurt. Salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls, topping each with a thin slice of lemon and minced cilantro sprinkled on top.