Category: Side Dishes (Page 5 of 8)

Festive Apple-Filled Acorn Squash

November 14, 2014 / Dragonfly Home Recipes / 20 Comments

I love it when I find a recipe for a dish that is fun, seasonal, healthy, and pretty. This month, I had an acorn squash sitting on my counter top for longer than I would care to admit. (Luckily, they keep really well!) I wanted to use it, but I just kept putting it off. Then a couple of days ago, I was leafing through one of my many favorite cookbooks, Mrs. Chard’s Almanac Cookbook: Hollyhocks and Radishes, by Bonnie Stewart Mickelson. This cookbook is so much fun to simply look at, with lots of stories and beautiful illustrations about life in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. And the recipes are beguiling too, with many of them based on local, seasonal produce. I found a recipe for acorn squash that caught my eye, and I am so glad I found it that I wanted to share it as soon as I could get a blog post together. The recipe combines acorn squash with apples and a brown sugar/lemon juice/ginger mixture. Not only does this combination taste really great together, but it also looks so festive. And it is super-easy–most of the time it is simply baking away in the oven, warming up your kitchen and making it smell divine. You can scoop out the apple/squash mixture and serve it in bowls, but if you find small enough acorn squashes, they serve as their own pretty bowls. The only thing I did to change the recipe is that I cut it down by thirds, since I was only making enough for my husband, myself, and our children this time. And truth be told, not everyone in the family is a squash-lover. But some of us are, and we really enjoyed this side dish. (I even converted one non-squash-lover into a squash fan!) For the recipe I post below, I will use the amounts given in the above-mentioned cookbook. However, if you are cooking for a smaller group, just divide by half or thirds. If you are looking to jazz up a standard squash dish or need a fun dish to make for guests, this is a good one to use.

Apple-Filled Acorn Squash

Servings: about 6
Time: 15 minutes for preparation, about 60 minutes for baking
Print

Ingredients:

3 acorn squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
4 tart apples, peeled and sliced
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
about 6 Tablespoons butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place squash halves, cut-sides down, in a buttered baking dish. Bake 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine apples, lemon juice, brown sugar, and ginger.

Turn baked squash over and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Fill with apple mixture, then dot with butter. Return to oven for another 25 minutes. Enjoy!

This recipe comes from Mrs. Chard’s Almanac Cookbook: Hollyhocks and Radishes by Bonnie Steward Mickelson.

Paprika Sweet and Red Potato Fries

October 29, 2014 / Dragonfly Home Recipes / 2 Comments

I must admit that putting a meal on the table has been a bit of a struggle this past couple of weeks. Things have been so busy with my kids’ soccer and basketball schedules, school events, and other things that it feels like we have been running around a lot, in need of wholesome nourishment to ground us. It is all good stuff, and I am glad my kids are involved in activities they enjoy. But eating well during this busy season can be a challenge. The recipe I posted below for homemade fries made from sweet potatoes and red potatoes is a good one for this busy time. It does take a little time to slice the potatoes and bake them, but while they are baking I can throw together a salad and heat up some veggie burgers, and by the time the fries are done, I’ve got a delicious, healthy meal. And the few minutes I spend slicing the potatoes is worth it–the homemade fries are of course much healthier than the fries found at most restaurants. They are baked in a small amount of olive oil and only a sprinkling of salt, with the paprika and garlic powder giving them lots of flavor. The sweet potatoes are full of vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin A and potassium. The red potatoes aren’t so bad either; they have lots of vitamin C, minerals, and fiber. The key to making these homemade fries taste good is to bake them long enough that they are kind of crispy and not too mushy. I love the colors of these fries–they remind me of fall leaves. As for the veggie burgers, I just heat them in a skillet, toast some bagels to serve the burgers on, and add some sliced cheddar.

Paprika Sweet and Red Potato Fries

Servings: 4-6 side servings
Time: 10 minutes prep. time plus about 18 minutes bake time
Print

Ingredients:

3 cups sweet potatoes, sliced into strips
3 cups red potatoes, sliced into strips
1-2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
salt to taste

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Thoroughly wash the sweet potatoes and red potatoes. Slice the potatoes into thin strips, like the shape of french fries. Place them in a medium-size bowl. Gradually add the olive oil. Add just enough oil to lightly coat the potato slices, but not so much that it is dripping from them. Add the paprika, garlic powder, and salt. You can adjust the seasonings to suit your own tastes–these are just suggested amounts that work for my family. Toss the potato slices so the olive oil and spices are evenly distributed. Arrange the potato slices on two baking sheets and put in the oven. Bake for about 16-20 minutes. It helps if you flip the fries about halfway through baking time. Fries are done when they are just crispy on the outside. Enjoy!

Easy Homemade Applesauce for the Vagabond Soul

October 7, 2014 / Dragonfly Home Recipes / 0 Comments

Around this time of year, every year, I feel the old familiar stirring, the wistful yearning to be out rambling through the woods, among the golden and crimson trees. The third stanza of a poem by Canadian poet Bliss Carman captures this feeling well for me: “There is something in October / Sets the gypsy blood astir; / We must rise and follow her, / When from every hill of flame / She calls and calls / Each vagabond by name.” The trees and bushes are turning colors before our very eyes, and the beautiful changes are irresistible to the vagabond in our blood. Right along with this desire to wander in the woods is a heightened appreciation for the comforts of home. After walking outside in the chilly (and sometimes wet) elements, we savor the warmth of something simmering in a pot on the stove. Especially when it smells as good as homemade applesauce. The recipe I have posted below is one of my mom’s recipes–it is very simple, and it makes a hearty, chunky applesauce that tastes delicious and makes your kitchen smell amazing. I have great memories of returning from a long walk to her warm, fragrant kitchen with apple sauce bubbling on the stove, and I enjoy making it in my own kitchen too. It creates instant autumn coziness and warms the chilly wanderer. It’s also a good way to use apples that have gone a little soft. You can serve it warm and steaming, or use it as a healthy topping for waffles or oatmeal. Also, if you have any left over, you can store it in the refrigerator and serve it cold.

Easy Homemade Applesauce

Servings: 4-6
Time: approximately 5-10 minutes for preparation, and about 30 minutes for cooking
Print

Ingredients:

6 medium-sized apples, any variety–I like Empire, Cortland, or Macintosh best
1 Tablespoon water
3/4 to 1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions: Wash, peel, and slice the apples into eighths. Place them in a medium or large pot. Add the tablespoon of water (you may need another tablespoon of water, depending on how juicy the apples are as they cook). Add the sugar and cinnamon and stir. Heat the apple mixture over medium heat until the apples cook down a little and the sauce begins to bubble. Then reduce the heat to medium-low. As the apples cook and soften, stir them and break them with a wooden spoon periodically. After about 30 minutes of simmering, the apples should be very soft and as you break/mash them with the wooden spoon, they should be forming a sauce. The sauce is done when the apples are soft enough to be mashed into a chunky, hearty sauce. Serve warm in a bowl or as a topping for waffles or oatmeal, or refrigerate and serve cold. Enjoy!