Delicata Squash Stuffed with Kale and White Beans

Posted on February 7, 2010 by kitchenbelle

This may sound odd, however, I am going to say it anyway.  There are certain foods that when I look at them my first thought is, “There really is a god.”  Now, I wouldn’t exactly categorize myself as super religious, however, when I see little pieces of nature that strike me so intricate I can’t help but be taken back.  Blackberries are one of those foods.  Each little perfectly plump drupelet can’t be a fluke.  And delicata squash is another.  Each one is like a little work of art.  It looks like someone took a paintbrush and daintily and deliberately stroked each one to perfection.  They are just so darn pretty!

This recipe is so bright with the colors of nature and rich in vitamins and nutrients you will feel good eating it.  It would nicely accompany most any protein I can think of (I served ours with stuffed pork).  Enjoy!

Delicata Squash Stuffed with Kale and White Beans:

  • 2 delicata squashes
  • a few glugs of olive oil
  • 1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves of fresh garlic, minced
  • 1 large bunch of fresh kale, washed, dried and roughly chopped
  • 1-2 cans of white beans (cannellini or navy beans will both work well)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Use a large knife to carefully cut each squash in half. Scoop out seeds and discard.  (Or toast them for munching!)  Place squash halves cut side up in a  9×13 glass baking dish.  Carefully add water to the baking dish so that it reaches about a quarter of the way up the side of the squash.  Cover the dish tightly with foil. (You are creating an environment to steam the squash.)  Place the dish in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until the inside of the squash is tender and can be easily scraped with a fork.

Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a large-medium pan.  Add the finely chopped onion and cook until very tender.  I think it is important not to rush the onion.  The longer and slower they cook, the sweeter they will be.  Once they are soft and you are happy with their fragrance add the garlic (be careful not to burn it) and cook until tender.  Then add your kale.  Cover the pan and let the kale steam for about 10 minutes, but keep your eye on it.  Uncover occasionally to stir.  Once kale has wilted, add the white beans, salt and pepper.  Stir and warm until the entire mixture is heated through. 

Remove squash from the oven and place each one on your serving dish.  Use a fork to gently scrape the squash from the sides of the skin.  Fill each squash with kale filling and serve.

A Kitchenbelle Original inspired by Eggs on Sunday.

Filed under: Fall, Side, VEGETARIAN, beans, cannellini beans, kale, squash | 1 Comment »

Black and White Cookies

Posted on January 11, 2010 by kitchenbelle

Black and White Cookies are my husband’s absolute favorite.  He isn’t totally a sweet lover but when it comes to Black and Whites, he is on board.  On the evening of our rehearsal dinner I presented him with a Black and White Cookie CAKE.  It was a giant Black and White cookie that could be shared.  It has become a little tradition, in fact, that every time I see a Black and White cookie in a store or bakery, I buy one for him.  They are sometimes hard to come by.  I fully intended to make these cookies for him for his birthday, however, the meal ended up being more time consuming than I expected and I barely had time to bake a cake.  (The cake actually had to share the oven with the baked beans!)  Needless to say, there was no time for cookie baking and cookie frosting and the recipe sat on our counter.

Then, almost serendipitously, the very sweet Shannon organized a cookie swap!  It was the perfect occasion to bake these cookies.  (Thanks again Shannon!) 

Not only did I get to take home extras of these Black and White cookies (making for a very happy husband!) but also, I received the following DELICIOUS cookies as a result of the swap:

Recipe Notes:

  • I am in love with the puffy cake like texture of these cookies.
  • I was not happy with my chocolate frosting per the recipe instructions and after frosting about 12 cookies, I decided to switch to the always-satisfying Hershey’s Chocolate frosting.  Muuuuuch better.  It doesn’t have the sheen of the white frosting but it definitely tastes good.  (I have included this in the recipe below.) 
  • This recipe yielded approximately 55 medium-sized cookies.
  • Just out of the oven, the cookies looked like delicious silver dollar pancakes!
  • Set aside a decent amount of time to frost these little guys.

Black and White Cookies:

Cookies

  • 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
  • 2 1/2 cups cake flour
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

White Frosting

  • 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup water

Black (Chocolate) Frosting

  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • 2/3 cup Hershey’s cocoa powder
  • 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

    • Make the cookies

    Preheat oven to 375 F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat.

    In large mixing bowl, combine sugar and butter. Mix using an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, milk and vanilla and lemon extracts, and mix until smooth.

    In medium bowl, combine cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt. Stir until mixed. Add dry mixture to the wet in batches, stirring well after each addition. Using a rounded tablespoon spoon, place heaping spoonfuls of the batter 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.  Use your finger to spin the batter into perfect circle shapes. Bake until edges begin to brown, 16 to 20 minutes. Cool completely.

    Make the white frosting

    Boil a cup of water in a small pot. Place confectioners’ sugar in a large mixing bowl. Gradually stir in enough boiling water to the sugar to make a thick, spreadable mixture.  Spread frosting on half of the flat side of each cookie.

    Make the black (chocolate) frosting

    Melt the butter in a medium bowl.  Stir in the cocoa.  Alternately add confectioners’ sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.  Add small amount additional milk, if needed.  Stir in vanilla. Frost remaining halves of cookies.

    Adapted from SmittenKitchen.

    Filed under: Dessert, chocolate, cookies, frosting, icing | 8 Comments »

    Maple Baked Beans–Barefoot Contessa Style

    Posted on January 9, 2010 by kitchenbelle

    Hello, friends.  Are you still there?  I hope so!  My absence has not been because I have not been cooking–quite the opposite actually!  I spent a week cooking with my mom in preparation for our annual Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fish.  Except, we do way more than seven!  Baked stuffed lobsters, bacala, shrimp mousse, and baked scallops, just to name a few.  I really should have planned ahead and done an entire Christmas Eve post for you!  It’s just that sometimes whipping out the camera interferes with the mood, you know? I started taking photos on the first day of cooking but then doing so just seemed to interfere with the fun we were having!

    Immediately after the start of the new year it was my husband’s birthday.  I decided to prepare a laid-back-comfort-food-meal.  It turned out to take a lot more time than I expected, though, I must say, in this case the time and labor really seemed to be worth it.  I thoroughly enjoyed the meal!  I made hot roast beef sandwiches with gravy (sometimes called Beef on Weck in Buffalo, NY), jalepeno cheddar corn bread, sunflower seed salad and these baked beans from Barefoot Contessa*, one of my most favorite ladies in the world.  As if that wasn’t enough comfort food I made a special request for hotdog mac ‘n’ cheese from my mom.  She hesitated, “Mac ‘n’ cheese with hotdogs?  Really?” but after my serious begging and insistence that no one would turn it down she obliged.  And everyone was quite thankful. DELICIOUS!  …and the next day everyone made a mad dash for the gym. :-)

    These baked beans were very well-received.    They are sweet, yet don’t let that fool you–they have a serious kick.  You will definitely need to plan ahead to make these.  The beans should soak in cold water over night and then they will need to bake for 6-8 hours.  I made the number one amateur cooking mistake and I didn’t read the recipe through.  I ended up putting them in the oven at 10am and taking them out the very moment I served dinner.  Very close call!  These are definitely a great side for a barbeque or tailgating party, but also they were really good on top of a baked potato for a super filling week night main course meal. 

    I doubled the below recipe and you may want to do the same if you are cooking for a crowd.

    *If you don’t have any Barefoot Contessa/Ina Garten cookbooks, I strongly encourage you to purchase one.  Each is a work of art.  You can feel her warmth and passion as you turn the pages.  Her excitement for good hearty unpretentious food is contagious.  And her kitchen is a haven of peace. 

    Maple Baked Beans–Barefoot Contessa Style:

    • 1 pound small red beans
    • 1 large yellow onion, cut in eighths
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 6 whole black peppercorns
    • 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
    • 1/2 cup brown sugar
    • 1/2 cup ketchup
    • 1 tablespoon Chinese chili paste
    • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (you can sub 1/2 tablespoon dry)
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 5 ounces thick cut smoked bacon, cubed

    Put the dry beans in a large bowl and cover with cold water.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.  The next day drain and rinse the beans then drain again.

    Place the beans in a large pot (I love using my Le Creuset) and add about 2 quarts of water, the onion segments, a bay leaf, and peppercorns.  Bring to a boil then turn down the heat and simmer for about 50 minutes, or until tender.  Drain the beans reserving the draining liquid.

    Preheat the oven to 225 F.

    In a small saucepan whisk together maple syrup, brown sugar, ketchup, chili paste, ginger, salt and 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid that you drained from the beans.  Bring to a simmer and cook over medium heat for 6 minutes.

    Add half of the bacon cubes to the beans and stir.  Cover the top of the beans with the remaining bacon cubes.  Pour the maple syrup sauce over the beans.  Place the lid on top and bake for 6-8 hours.  Check occasionally and if the beans appear dry add some of the reserved cooking liquid.  Remove the lid for the last 30 minutes of cooking in order to thicken the sauce.  Remove and discard the bay leaf.  Serve warm.

    Recipe adapted from this recipe by Barefoot Contessa/Ina Garten.  Also found in Barefoot Contessa at Home published by Clarkson Potter.

    Filed under: Main Dish, Side, beans | 4 Comments »

    Spinach Squares

    Posted on December 17, 2009 by kitchenbelle

    This time of year, over and over I find myself  searching for “good” appetizer recipes.  “Good” usually means the following:

    • not too difficult
    • does not require too much time
    • travels well
    • people will actually want to eat it

    I recently found myself Googling like crazy and I could not find something that fit the bill.  I have a few go-tos (like this Layered Greek Dip, for instance) but I just get sick of the same thing over and over.  (By the way, if I had a nickel for each time I made that Layered Greek Dip I could buy Greece and all of its feta…and olives…and olive oil…you get the picture.)

    After much frustration and interchanging of the words “appetizer” and “hors d’oeuvre” in Google (because technically *I think* an appetizer is something that is served as a plated first course  and hors d’oeuvres are more of finger foody snacks, or at least that’s how I distinguish them) I conceded that Greek Dip it would be.  But then for some reason I remembered to consult my green binder.  My green binder is a vinyl, school binder and it is bursting at the seams.  It contains recipe printouts and handouts and tearouts and recipe cards and papers and clippings from all walks of life.  And there it was:

    A little old fashioned recipe card with a little duck wearing a ruffled apron on it and my 8 year-old penmanship staring up at me.  A recipe from the 1980s.  A recipe that reminds me of first communion parties and birthday cookouts and grandparents’ anniversaries.  A recipe that I transcribed from an aunt on June 25.  (It is dated!)

    SPINACH SQUARES.  Spinach Squares are the perfect appetizer (or shall I say, hors d’oeuvre).  They travel well, they are versatile, they are delicious and they are straight out of the 1980s–what could be cooler than that!  (That’s almost retro, right?)  I promise never to forget these little bites of cheesy goodness again.   

    Spinach Squares:

    • 4 tablespoons of butter
    • 3 eggs
    • 1 cup milk
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 cup flour
    • 1 teaspoon dried onion
    • 2 packages chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained well
    • 2  8-oz packages grated white cheddar cheese

    Preheat oven to 350 F.

    Melt butter in a glass 9 x 13-inch dish.  In a medium bowl, mix the remaining ingredients together and spread into dish.  Bake for 30-35 minutes.  Let stand for 30 minutes before cutting.  Cut into small squares.  May be served warm, cool, or at room temperature.

    Filed under: Appetizer, VEGETARIAN, cheese | 8 Comments »

    German Potato Salad

    Posted on December 15, 2009 by kitchenbelle

    When you think of potato salad you might think of it accompanying burgers at a Memorial Day or Fourth of July party–I know I do.  However, I recently determined that potato salad is a great side-kick to many proteins any time of the year. 

    Use red bliss potatoes instead of russet and leave the skin on for some beautiful fall-esque color (and added nutrients).  Serve it warm along side pulled pork sandwiches, kielbasa, roasted pork, seared steaks, or three cheese paninis.  It works really well as a fall and/or winter side dish!  This recipe is great because it is light, fragrant and fresh.  It is very different from the cold summery mayonaise-based salads that are often at cook-outs. 

    (Pst–look closely at the photo–I love how the potato salad matches my table cloth!) 

    A big tip! The tip I am about to share with you has been passed down from many generations of potato salad makers (aka my mom, her mom etc.)  I encourage you to take notes, as this is classified information. ;-)

    Rather than dice the potatoes into cubes using a knife, use a fork to smash the potatoes.  The nooks and crannies left by the fork tines allow the potatoes to be coated by the dressing more effectively creating a much tastier potato.  Straight edges made by a knife allow the dressing to drip off leaving a pool at the bottom of your bowl. 

    German Potato Salad:

    • 3 pounds red bliss potatoes
    • 1 yellow onion, peeled and quartered
    • 1/2 pound bacon, diced
    • 1 large red onion, diced
    • 3/4 cup cider vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
    • 1/4 cup olive oil
    • Salt and freshly ground pepper
    • 8 green onions, thinly sliced
    • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

    Place potatoes and yellow onion in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender.  (Do not over cook.) Drain the potatoes and discard the onion.  Place the potatoes in a large bowl.  Smash them using the back of a fork and then cover to keep warm.

    In a large saute pan, cook the bacon and cook until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Add the onions to the rendered bacon fat and cook until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. Carefully add the vinegar and mustard seeds and cook for 2 more minutes. Whisk in the oil and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Add the hot dressing to the potatoes and toss gently to coat. Fold in the green onions and parsley. Season again with salt and pepper, to taste.

    Adapted from Bobby Flay’s German Potato Salad recipe found here on Foodnetwork.com.

    Filed under: Fall, Side, salad | 1 Comment »

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