Acorn Squash & Red Chili soup with Salt Cured Pork & Cranberry Walnut Croutons

OH. MY. LORD. This soup is BANGIN' (as we would say here in Philly)!

Brace yourself.

Serves a group (4-6 people)

2 Acorn Squash
4 Shallots (diced)
1 red hot chili (diced)
1 tbsp. dark brown sugar
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock (I used chicken)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup diced salt cured pork (You can use bacon, pancetta or whatever you prefer. I bought a small piece of salt cured pork from Whole Foods and it was fantastic!)
1 loaf of cranberry walnut bread (or any other delicious fruit/nut bread you can get your paws on) Again, Whole Foods carries the bread I used.

Olive oil
Salt & Pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

You will need a very sharp knife to prep the squash (please keep your fingers in tact).

Half each squash and thoroughly clean the seeds out of the center (you can reserve the seeds and toast them in the oven with a bit of olive oil and spices for snacking if you want). After you've cleaned the inside, I sliced mine in moon shapes before I removed the skin. You want to remove the skin with a very sharp vegetable peeler or a paring knife.

Place the slices of squash on a baking sheet and drizzle olive oil, and season with plenty of salt and pepper and toss with your hands. Bake for about 25-30 minutes until fork tender and then remove.

In the bottom of a soup pot heat a small bit of olive oil (only about 1/2 tablespoon) get the pan nice and hot and then add your diced meat and brown. I love to cook these until they are really nice and brown on medium high. After the meat is browned, remove from pot and place aside on a paper towel to drain.

In the same pot but with the heat reduced to medium low, add your chopped shallots and 1/2 of your hot chili pepper and cook until tender but don't brown. Burned shallots will ruin this soup.

after your squash is finished roasting, cut it into smaller pieces (around an inch) and place in pot with the shallots and chili. Add the brown sugar and stir for a few seconds. Then add your chicken stock to the until it barely covers the squash! You don't want too much liquid in the pot. This soup is nice and thick. Raise the heat and cover for a few minutes to bring the soup to a boil. Once it's at boiling point, lower the soup to a gentle simmer and cook for about 30 minutes.

While the soup is cooking, make the croutons. Dice the bread into large crouton sized pieces and place a tablespoon of butter and 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet on medium high heat. You'll want about 4-5 croutons per guest so you do the math. (Although I usually make a lot more for the week to use on my salads). Place your croutons in your pan (a single layer only, you want them to toast evenly) and sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper over them and toast them until they are golden brown on all sides. Remove from heat and place aside.

Back to the soup.

So your soup has now been cooking for 30 minutes. First taste it to see if it needs salt or pepper. Add to your taste and stir.

Remove from the heat and let cool for about 15-20 minutes. I use my immersion blender for this next part but you can certainly use a blender too. JUST MAKE SURE THE SOUP HAS COOLED or you could really burn yourself. IN THE POT, let the immersion blender do the work. Its hand held and so easy. For more info on this device just go to Wikipedia and type in Immersion Blender. ;)

If you are going to use a blender, just put the soup in blender (only half full at a time) and blend until smooth.

After the soup is a creamy consistency, in the pot add the heavy cream and stir to blend. put the soup back on the stove on very low heat to bring it back to temperature and serve in a bowl with the croutons, some diced chili and a spoonful of the crispy pork.

ENJOY.

Potato & Olive tapenade crusted tilapia with escarole, cherry tomato & white beans

This is my own rendition of a dish I've eaten quite a few times and grew to love for how it sits so well and doesn't feel heavy (a good spring dish). It's a little more complicated than just throwing a bunch of ingredients in the pot but I really enjoy preparing this. It's got the 'wow' factor too if you're looking to impress. ;)

4 portions (I usually prepare this for friends)

4 filets fresh tilapia
1 head escarole
6 cherry tomatoes halved
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 can white beans or chick peas
salt & pepper to taste
1 lemon
1 medium red potato (sliced VERY thin. I slice it with a vegetable peeler)

Olive Tapenade:

1/2 cup kalamata olives (pitted)
1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tsp olive oil
**usually tapenade contains anchovy paste HOWEVER I did not have this on hand so I did not use it. If you want to add it, put in about a 1/4 teaspoon

drizzle of simple pesto.

Make the Tapenade first. I use my small food processor. If you don't have one, get ready to chop the hell out of those olives. The tapenade needs to be like a paste almost.

Add olives (PITTED), pepper flakes, olive oil and anchovy paste (if you use it) in the food processor and simply process until paste-like.

in a large skillet saute chopped garlic in 1/2 tbsn olive oil for one minute on medium high heat. Add escarole and beans to the mix and sprinkle salt & pepper to taste and juice from 1/2 of the lemon. Once the escarole has wilted (and still looks pretty green) turn the heat to low to keep warm in the pan.

Pat your tilapia filets dry on a cutting board and spoon about 1/2 tablespoon of the tapenade mixture onto each filet. Spread the mixture over your fish with your fingers until covered. Place potato slices on top of the tapenade and press down gently to bind the potato to the fish. Overlap the potato slices over the fish so that they can bind together while cooking. Sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper on the potatoes.

Place any remaining tapenade that you did not use on the fish in your vegetable mixture and stir. This adds great flavor! If the beans seem to be on the dry side, you should add a bit of vegetable stock or even a little bit of water or white wine. (about 1/4 cup) Add the cherry tomatoes to the vegetables at this time and raise the heat back up to medium so the flavors can marry.

**IN A NON STICK PAN (this WILL NOT WORK in a regular pan)

heat olive oil for a few minutes at medium and place the fish potato side down in the oil raise the heat to medium high so the potato starts to sizzle. Let the fish cook for about 7 minutes on that side (you want the potato crust to become crispy and golden so that you can flip it easily. After you see that the potato crust is golden on the edges, GENTLY turn the fish. I use both hands for this. One holding spatula and the other actually touching the fish so it gently flips without splattering oil. cook for another 2 minutes and remove from heat.

I like to serve the fish over the vegetables and I drizzle some of my pesto on top of the fish and on the plate with a lemon wedge. My pesto is simply Olive oil, fresh parsley, chopped garlic, salt & pepper. Se delicious on so many things. I make a bowl every few weeks and put it on my eggs, meat and pasta.

I'll try to get a video demo of how to cook this fish up here eventually.

Broccoli rabe, sweet pepper and cherry tomato linguini with homemade alfredo

When I make pasta recipes I usually make a little more than 2 portions because the leftovers are divine. Hope you enjoy.

1/2 box (1/2 lb) linguini pasta
1 cup frozen or fresh broccoli rabe (broccolini) chopped
1 red pepper (sliced thin)
1 orange or yellow pepper (sliced thin)
1/2 cup cherry tomato (halved)
1 garlic clove (chopped)
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

Sauce
1/2 tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 tbsp flour (thickening agent)
1 garlic clove (chopped)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese (shredded)
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)
salt
pepper
1 tsp lemon zest (optional)

Put a large pot of water on to cook the pasta. While waiting for it to boil:

make the sauce first. Heat the oil in the bottom of a sauce pan and add garlic and lemon zest and cook for just a moment. Add the flour and give a stir. Let it cook for about 30 seconds on medium heat. Add the cream and cheese to the flour/oil mixture and whisk until thickened. Last add the cheeses and salt and pepper to taste. Once blended together, remove from heat and set aside.

Put your pasta in the boiling water and cook to your desired texture. I like a little bite to my pasta (al dente)

In a large pan heat the oil and add red pepper flakes to the hot oil and cook for about 30 seconds. Then add your garlic, peppers and brocolli rabe and saute on medium high until tender. Salt and pepper to taste. Add cherry tomatoes once the other vegetables are tender. You just want to warm them. Cooking them will make them mushy.

add 1 ladle full of pasta water to the sauce if it's too thick and whisk the sauce. Drain the pasta in colander and add pasta to the vegetables and then pour sauce over pasta and toss everything together.

Garnish with lemon wedges and shaved parmesan cheese.

**important**
Do not add any lemon juice to the sauce itself as it will cause the sauce to curdle (gross). Wait until everything is tossed together and squeeze a bit of juice over your dish if you prefer.

A brief run down

I've been preparing meals for years (around 14 years) and have learned much about food along the way. I started cooking at the age of 13. My first dish was an Indian curry for a school project and ever since I've been hooked.

First, I will quickly explain how I grocery shop. I go to the Reading Terminal Market here in Philadelphia once a week to gather my fresh produce and organic meats & fish. I go to the 'grocery store' when I need to for canned beans, milk, bread (you know, the basics). I almost never buy prepared foods. I do not like feeding additives and preservative to myself or my loved ones. I think it's important to keep it fresh and simple. I used to spend so much money at the grocery but quickly learned that if I utilize the fantastic reading terminal, it cuts my grocery bill almost in half. I can walk into the market with 30.00 and come out fully stocked for the week.

I cook several styles of cuisine with my own twist to most simply because I'm adventurous when it comes to a meal and I never follow recipes (unless I'm baking). I usually only cook for two unless I'm throwing a cocktail party or cooking a meal for friends. I will make a note when the recipe feeds more than two. If you are cooking for more than two, double the recipe (or triple it depending on how many people).

I'm not a 'trained' chef so please understand that my approach is not that of one. I am very relaxed about how my ingredients are used. If you see something you don't think you will like in one of my recipes, leave it out. You should cook to your taste. If we share the same taste, lucky you!

I will type my recipes out the same way I would if I were telling you how to make the dish. Some recipes will appear to be long and difficult, but I can assure you that you shouldn't let all of the words misguide you. Just imagine that I am in your kitchen telling you how to do it step by step. It's more personal that way.

Enjoy and keep trying new things.

~N

intro

I've been fighting this urge for awhile now. I've been pursuing my passion of music for years now but what most who listen to my music do not know about me is that I am a TOTAL. 100%. freaking ridiculous. FOODIE. I cook almost every day and am obsessed with the Food Network and Top Chef. I love to entertain and almost always at least one phone call every day contains some sort of 'how did you make that' question from a friend or family member.

This blog will be simple. I will take photos of most of the meals that I cook and I will post recipes for each meal. Most of what I do is very simple and vegetarian. I do have an occasional hankering for a slab of london broil or fish so PETA peeps beware. Although, I do steer clear of baby cows and kittens...

No room for comments. We're talking food here. If you want to comment...call your mother.