Kalyn Denny's blog

If You're Cooking Thanksgiving Dinner This Year, There's Plenty of Help on the Web

2009-11-22T19:20:37-06:00

Thanksgiving is the most food-centered holiday of the year, which means food writers all want to weigh in on it. Every year newspapers, food magazines, food sites, and food blogs all offer tips, suggestions, and menu ideas for the big day. For a few weeks now I've been watching for Thanksgiving advice to show up on my favorite food blogs and food sites.

The links I've collected here can help BlogHer Readers navigate the web to find what they need to know about cooking their Thanksgiving meal, whether it's traditional turkey with stuffing, vegan, gluten-free, low-glycemic, or diabetes friendly.

General Tips for Thanksgiving Dinner Preparations
From Sarah's Cucina Bella ~ A Guide to Planning Thanksgiving in Five Days
From Mashable ~ How to Prepare Thanksgiving with Help from the Web
From Baking Bites ~ Holiday Hotlines Offer Baking Help
From Daily Unadventures in Cooking ~ Tips for Cooking Thanksgiving Dinner
From $5 Dinners ~ Thanksgiving - Your Plan Ahead Guide
From Life as Mom ~ Thanksgiving on a Budget
From About.com ~ List of Holiday Hotlines for Help on the Phone
From Tipnut.com ~ Thanksgiving Helpers

Photo of The Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey
from My Own Sweet Thyme

Tips for Cooking Turkey:
From What We're Eating ~ Turkey Cooking Basics
From My Own Sweet Thyme ~ The Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey
From Half Assed Kitchen ~ The Martha Turkey
From Baking Bites ~ The High Heat Turkey Method
From Better Homes and Gardens ~ Turkey Roasting and Carving 101
From Kitchen Parade ~ How to Roast a Whole Turkey

Photo of The High Heat Turkey Method
from Baking Bites

Traditional Thanksgiving Recipe Collections:
From Umami Girl ~ Holiday Recipes Round-Up: Thanksgiving
From Erin Cooks ~ Thanksgiving's Greatest Hits
From Kitchen Parade ~ Six Thanksgiving Menus
From A Veggie Venture ~ Thanksgiving Vegetable Recipes and Vegetarian Main Dishes
From I Ate a Pie ~ Healthy Thanksgiving Menu Plans
From BlogHer ~ Homemade Dinner Rolls to Try Out Before Thanksgiving
From BlogHer ~ BlogHer's Top Ten List of Thanksgiving Side Dishes
From BlogHer ~ Thanksgiving-Worthy Brussels Sprouts to Take on a Trial Run
From BlogHer ~ The Great Thanksgiving Pie Challenge
From My Online Meals ~ Martha Stewarts Thanksgiving Recipes
From Serious Eats ~ Pumpkin Pie Alternatives for Thanksgiving
From Mark Bittman in the N.Y. Times ~ Things to Prepare Before the Turkey Goes in the Oven
From The Washington Post ~ Holiday Recipes from the Food Section
From Saveur.com ~ Thanksgiving Recipes and Menus
From Better Homese and Gardens ~ Thanksgiving Recipes

Photo of Vegan Stuffing
from Happy. Healthy. Life.

Non-Traditional or Special Diet Thanksgiving Recipe Collections
From Karina's Kitchen ~ Thanksgiving Recipes and Tips for Gluten-Free and More
From Happy. Healthy. Life. ~ Vegan Thanksgiving 101
From Happy. Healthy. Life. ~ A Vegan Recipes Series for Thanksgiving
From Cooking in Color ~ Vegan Thanksgiving Ideas
From Cheap Healthy Good ~ Vegetarian Thanksgiving Tips, The Main Dish and The Sides
From A Year of Slow Cooking ~ A Gluten Free or Allergy Free Thanksgiving
From Kalyn's Kitchen ~ Low Glycemic Menu Ideas for a South Beach Diet Thanksgiving 2009

Thanksgiving Safety Tips:
From Blue Kitchen ~ Thanksgiving Fire Safety Tips

That's a lot of Thanksgiving information, but no one can possibly find all the good Thanksgiving posts that show up in a year. If you posted a Thanksgiving round-up, or even one or two of your favorite Thanksgiving recipes, please share with a link in the comments!

Kalyn Denny also blogs at Kalyn's Kitchen, where she's focused on creating low-glycemic recipes using fresh ingredients. Kalyn rarely makes dessert, but for Thanksgiving she'll be making Low Sugar Cheesecake Pumpkin Pie this year.

Weekend Menu Planning: Homemade Dinner Rolls to Try Out Before Thanksgiving

2009-11-19T19:37:58-06:00

When I was a kid, my mom was famous for her homemade bread, rolls, and cinnamon rolls. This was in the days before breadmakers, no-knead bread, or rolls that pop out of those cylinder-shaped containers. Mom had a lot of good tricks for homemade bread, and today I'm sharing one she used every Thanksgiving.

Every year my mom would make big pans of homemade rolls a few days before Thanksgiving, cooking them until they were nearly done, but not too browned. Then on Thanksgiving day she'd pull them out of the freezer, thaw, and pop them in the oven after she took out the turkey, so they'd be perfectly browned and hot when it was time for dinner.

There are a lot of good cooks making rolls these days too, and most recipes for rolls can be frozen, then thawed and reheated the way my mom used to do it. If you haven't made homemade rolls, or haven't settled on what kind of rolls you'd like to serve for the big turkey holiday, here are some very Thanksgiving-friendly recipes for rolls I found on the BlogHerAds food blogs.

Photo of Glazed Honey Pan Rolls
from The Frugal Girl

The Frugal Girl has Glazed Honey Pan Rolls that look very similar to what my mom used to call Pull-Apart Rolls. There are step-by-step photos here of how to make the rolls, as well as links to some other recipes for rolls.

Photo of Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
from In Good Taste

I love whole wheat rolls, and the Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls from In Good Taste are just what I'd want to mop up my gravy with on Thanksgiving day. Maris mentions that this dough can be frozen, then thawed and cooked on Thanksgiving (and I bet my mom's trick would work with this recipe too!)

Photo of Easy Homemade Crescent Rolls
from Baking Bites

You also couldn't go wrong with the Easy Homemade Crescent Rolls from Baking Bites. This is another type of roll I'm sure could be partially baked, frozen, thawed, and finished in the oven on Thanksgiving day because I remember my mom doing it with this type of rolls.

Photo of Rosemary Fan Rolls
from KitchenMage

Beth from KitchenMage is one of three bloggers behind the bread-baking site A Year in Bread, so you know her Rosemary Fan Rolls are going to be just as good as they look. Beth says this is a "never-fail" recipe, and if rosemary isn't your thing, you can use other fresh herbs.

Photo of KitchenAid Sixty Minute Dinner Rolls
from Erin Cooks

Finally, if you manage your time you might even be able to make these KitchenAid Sixty Minute Dinner Rolls from Erin Cooks while your other food is cooking. This recipe makes 24 rolls, which Erin made in two different shapes, but you can cut it in half if you don't want that many rolls.

More Thanksgiving-Worthy Rolls You Might Like:
Whole Grain Dinner Rolls with Three Seeds from FamilyStyle Food
Quick Rosemary Dinner Rolls from Mihow
How Rolls, One Dozen Ways from Andrea Meyers
Vegan Dinner Rolls from Novel Eats
The Best Ever 100% Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls from 11th Heaven Homemaking Haven

Do you have a great tried-and-true recipe or tip for making homemade dinner rolls? If so, please share in the comments!

(Every Thursday night on BlogHer, we spotlight five recipes with a common theme for a feature called Weekend Menu Planning, hoping one of them might make it onto the menu at your house. You can find previous recipes shared by clicking the tag Weekend Menu Planning.)

Kalyn Denny also blogs at Kalyn's Kitchen, where she's focused on creating low-glycemic recipes using fresh ingredients. Kalyn hasn't even posted a recipe for rolls, but recently she made some amazingly easy and tasty 100% Whole Grain White Whole Wheat Bread.

BlogHer's Top Ten List of Thanksgiving Side Dishes

2009-11-15T18:02:04-06:00

Wouldn't it be fun to play the game "Family Feud" with the topic of Thanksgiving side dishes? If you haven't seen this American TV game show, two sets of extended family members square off against each other to try to predict what the most common responses are for a particular topic. I'm guessing the number one response for Thanksgiving side dishes would be mashed potatoes or stuffing, but after that, who knows?

Thanksgiving dinner may be the only holiday meal where the main course is taken for granted, and the real attention is on side dishes. Most people like roast turkey well enough, but it's menu items like mom's famous caramelized sweet potatoes or your favorite version of stuffing that really define this holiday. Coming up with a top ten list of Thanksgiving side dishes was a challenge, so let me start by clarifying that I'm defining "side dishes" as things that share the plate with juicy slices of turkey. I'm not including salads or homemade rolls, which I think have their own category, and in my mind, side dishes are most often vegetables, so that's what I'm focusing on.

Of course everyone probably has their own picks for a top ten list of Thanksgiving side dishes, but here are some dishes I'd suggest you take a look at and consider adding to your holiday table. And if I've missed something that you consider a "must-have" side dish for Thanksgiving, please let me know about it in the comments!

Photo of Horseradish and Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes
from Life's Ambrosia

Thanksgiving Side Dish #1: Mashed Potatoes
At Thanksgiving mashed potatoes are what's under the delicious homemade gravy, and even if you don't need a recipe to make basic mashed potatoes, Crockpot Mashed Potatoes from Feels Like Home may be an idea you'd find useful. If you'd like something a bit more special, may I suggest Horseradish and Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes from Life's Ambrosia, Garlic Mashed Potatoes from Half Assed Kitchen, or Mashed Potato Casserole from Pinch My Salt?

Thanksgiving Side Dish #2: Stuffing
There are a lot of variations of stuffing, but when I asked people on Twitter about their favorite Thanksgiving side dishes, food blogger Madeline from Madeline's Adaptations gave two thumbs up to Mom's Turkey Stuffing from Simply Recipes. I also like the sound of Nana's Sausage Stuffing from Kitchen Parade, Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing from What We're Eating, and Wild Rice Stuffing with Hazelnuts and Dried Cranberries from Dawn's Recipes. A Year of Slow Cooking also has Perfect Homemade Stuffing in a Crockpot.

Photo of Brown Butter Greens Beans with Almonds
from Andrea Meyers

Thanksgiving Side Dish #3: Green Beans
Of course, there are those traditional canned green bean casseroles with mushroom soup that some people love, but fresh green beans are what I'd go for as a Thanksgiving option. Roasted Green Beans were even a hit with the kids at Rookie Cookie. For more ideas, Lisa is Cooking has a "made from scratch" Green Bean Casserole, Your Home Based Mom has Tropical Green Beans, and Andrea Meyers has Brown Butter Greens Beans with Almonds.

Thanksgiving Side Dish #4: Sweet Potatoes
I'm not a fan of those traditional "candied" sweet potatoes, but I do like the sound of Nikki's Sweet Potatoes from 101 Cookbooks, which use coconut milk to add flavor. I'm also drooling over Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Maple Smoked Bacon and Beer from Food Blogga, Candied Lime Sweet Potatoes from Vegan Yum Yum, and Lemon Glazed Sweet Potatoes from A Yankee in a Southern Kitchen

Photo of Lemony Quinoa with Butternut Squash
from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen

Thanksgiving Side Dish #5: Butternut Squash
I'm a huge fan of butternut squash, and I'd love to see it on the Thanksgiving table whether it was a roasted squash dish like Maple-Pecan Roasted Butternut Squash with Goat Cheese from The Inadvertent Gardener, a casserole like Butternut Squash Gratin from Dlyn or something non-traditional like the Lemony Quinoa with Butternut Squash from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen.

Thanksgiving Side Dish #6: Brussels Sprouts
You might consider brussels sprouts to be one of those "love 'em or hate 'em" types of vegetables, but in recent years roasted or pan-fried brussels sprouts dishes have been winning over a lot of brussels sprouts nay-sayers. I shared ten outstanding recipes for Thanksgiving-Worthy Brussels Sprouts earlier this week, all of which can help you make the case for brussels sprouts.

Photo of Herb Roasted Onions
from The Way the Cookie Crumbles

Thanksgiving Side Dish #7: Onions
You may be surprised to see onions on this list, but when I was a kid we always had Onions with Cheese Sauce for Thanksgiving. I certainly think a dish like the Parmigiano Reggiano Stuffed Onions Wrapped in Prosciutto di Parma from Ms. Adventures in Italy would make a perfect Thanksgiving side dish. For other onion options, how about Roasted Balsamic Onions from Dianne's Dishes, Baked Stuffed Onions from Retro Food, or Herb Roasted Onions from The Way the Cookie Crumbles?

Thanksgiving Side Dish #8: Carrots
Carrots sometimes don't get the respect they deserve, but sweet organic carrots can have the most wonderful flavor, especially when they're roasted. Carrots can be a Thanksgiving side dish that more traditional-minded eaters will like, and I think Pan-Roasted Carrots from Stumptown Savoury sound simple and traditional, but tasty enough for a holiday meal. More carrots that sound interesting include Wrinkled Roasted Carrots from Modern Beet, Roasted Moroccan Carrots from My Own Sweet Thyme, and Rustic Carrot Tart Tatin from 64 Sq. Ft. Kitchen.

Photo of Best Beets Ever
from Kayotic Kitchen

Thanksgiving Side Dish #9: Beets
Beets are another one of those subject-to-controversy vegetables, but beets can be positively elegant when they're prepared well, and I love the color that beets add to the Roasted Root Vegetables that Tea from Tea and Cookies says her mom always makes at Thanksgiving. The Best Beets Ever from Kayotic Kitchen also sound positively addictive. More ideas that sound nice to me are Honey Roasted Beets with Orange and Thyme from The Perfect Pantry, Grilled Beets with Feta from Sarah's Cucina Bella, and Beets Dijonnaise from Seriously Good.

Thanksgiving Side Dish #10: Broccoli
Broccoli is a vegetable that's easy to dress up and take to dinner, and last year I made Broccoli Gratin with Swiss and Parmesan for Thanksgiving, which was a huge hit. I'd also give a thumbs up to Parmesan Roasted Broccoli from The Purple Foodie, Caramelized Broccoli with Garlic from Sweetnicks, and Broccoli with Burrata, Pine Nuts and Warm Anchovy Vinaigrette from The Traveler's Lunchbox.

More About Thanksgiving Side Dishes Previously on BlogHer:
From 2007 ~ Food Bloggers Test Out Thanksgiving Recipes
From 2008 ~ Stuffing vs. Dressing: Food Safety Concerns and What's It Called at Your House?
From 2008 ~ Make-Ahead of Crockpot Recipes for Thanksgiving
From 2008 ~ Thanksgiving Recipes from the BlogHer Community
From 2009 ~ Cooking with Sweet Potatoes

Kalyn Denny also blogs at Kalyn's Kitchen, where she's focused on creating low-glycemic recipes using fresh ingredients. Kalyn isn't sure yet, but her favorite new Thanksgiving side dish for 2009 is either Soy-Glazed Sweet Potatoes with Sesame Seeds or Roasted Butternut Squash with Rosemary, Pecans, and Gorgonzola Cheese
.

Weekend Menu Planning: Thanksgiving-Worthy Brussels Sprouts to Take on a Trial Run

2009-11-12T13:59:21-06:00

I suppose there are a few people who love brussels sprouts right from the start, but there are many more of us who've needed a bit more convincing to embrace these mini-cabbage shaped vegetables. I was a bit of a slow adapter myself when it came to brussels sprouts, but these days I love them. Apparently a lot of other food bloggers do too, because right now brussels sprouts are hot, hot, hot on the food blogs, with drool-worthy brussels sprouts recipes popping up every day.

It's time to start thinking about your menu for Thanksgiving (more coming about that over the weekend and next week!) but I thought brussels sprouts deserved their own special post, since they seem to be the trendy Thanksgiving side dish this year. If you're not quite sure brussels sprouts will fly as a Thanksgiving vegetable at your house, give one of these recipes a trial run over the weekend and see if you're convinced.

Photo of Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan Cheese
from White On Rice Couple

Let's start with a recipe that White on Rice Couple is calling Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan Cheese. There's more than Parmesan going on here though, because these are brussels sprouts baked slowly at low heat with cream cheese, mayo, and Parmesan cheese. When I read this recipe, my tastebuds shouted "Wow!"

Photo of Brussels Sprouts with Black Bean Garlic Sauce
from Simply Recipes

I also did a culinary double-take and zeroed in on these Brussels Sprouts with Black Bean Garlic Sauce by guest author Garrett McCord at Simply Recipes. This sounds like an amazing non-traditional Thanksgiving vegetable, and it's also easy to make.

Photo of Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Parmesan
from Eating/sf

Kasey from Eating/sf is another blogger who's noticed that brussels sprouts are in the spotlight, and her Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Parmesan are a combination that I think could convince almost anyone. There's also the tiniest bit of lemon here to really brighten the flavor.

Photo of Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Walnuts, and Balsamic Vinegar
from Daily Unadventures in Cooking

Another recipe that got my attention was the Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Walnuts, and Balsamic Vinegar from Daily Unadventures in Cooking. As a bonus (especially on Thanksgiving) Katrina says this recipe only dirties one pan!

Photo of Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pecans and Gorgonzola Cheese
from Kalyn's Kitchen

Finally I must seriously advise you to try Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pecans and Gorgonzola Cheese, the recipe that rocked my world last week. This recipe was good even without the added Gorgonzola cheese, but after Sean from Hedonia advised me on Twitter to add some blue cheese to my roasted brussels sprouts, I couldn't stop eating them!

Brussels Sprouts Know-How:
How to Buy and Prep Brussels Sprouts from Vegan Yum Yum
How to Buy and Store Fresh Brussels Sprouts from Grocery Coupon Guide

More Ideas for Brussels Sprouts:
From BlogHer ~ Alanna also recommends brussels sprouts as one of Three Vegetables to Cozy Up to When the Weather Gets Cold
From A Veggie Venture ~ Creamy Brussels Sprouts Gratin
From Nourishing Days ~ Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pears and Thyme
From Chez LouLou ~ Gnocchi with Carmelized Brussels Sprouts and Pecans
From Lucullian Delights ~ Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts, Sesame Seeds, and Thyme

Now it's your turn to gush over brussels sprouts if you love them too. If you have a great recipe for brussels sprouts, please play along with a recipe or link to the recipe in the comments!

Kalyn Denny also blogs at Kalyn's Kitchen, where she's focused on creating low-glycemic recipes using fresh ingredients.

Cooking with Sweet Potatoes (and Please Don't Call Them Yams!)

2009-11-08T18:42:37-06:00

For a few years now, I've been a fan of sweet potatoes. In fact, nearly two years ago I made the bold statement that Sweet Potatoes are the New Potatoes, in a BlogHer post outlining why sweet potatoes are a better choice than white fleshed potatoes. Since that time, my love for sweet potatoes has stayed strong, and I keep coming across new ways to use them. If your exposure to sweet potatoes has mostly been the brown-sugar and marshmallow type some people cook for Thanksgiving, maybe it's time for you to expand your sweet potato horizons.

First though, let's get one thing out of the way. Unless you live in Asia or Africa, those orange potato-like things you may call yams are not yams, they're sweet potatoes. In fact, yams are rarely even found in the United States. Sweet potatoes come in a different colors, and some varieties are moister than others, but unless you're shopping at an international market, nearly all the vegetables sold as yams in the United States are actually sweet potatoes.

Photo of Sweet Potatoes from Culinary Types

I once tried to tell the produce guy at the store that the orange-skinned potatoes the store was calling "Sweet Yams" were actually sweet potatoes. He kept pointing me to the white-skinned sweet potatoes and telling me, "No, these are sweet potatoes and those are yams." It quickly became apparent I was not going to convince him with my new-found sweet potato knowledge, and if your family has been eating "yams" for Thanksgiving for many years, you may decide the name is not worth fighting about. What you probably won't get any arguments about is how great sweet potatoes taste and what a wide variety of ways there are to cook them. Here are some new sweet potato ideas you may not have thought of. One of these might even possibly make it on to your Thanksgiving table, but if it does, please don't call them yams!

Photo of Crunchy Sweet Potatoes
from Kayotic Kitchen

Savory or Barely-Sweet Ideas with Sweet Potatoes:
From Kayotic Kitchen ~ Crunchy Sweet Potatoes (pictured above )
From Dlyn ~ Crash Hot Sweet Potatoes
From Food Blogga ~ Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Pomegranate Glaze
From Cookin' Canuck ~ Grilled Sweet Potatoes with Pancetta and Sage Vinaigrette
From My Own Sweet Thyme ~ Sweet Potatoes with Bacon and Pecans

Photo of Savory Sweet Potato Bread
from The Barefoot Kitchen Witch

Sweet Potatoes in Bread or Pasta
From The Barefoot Kitchen Witch ~ Savory Sweet Potato Bread (pictured above)
From Culinary Types ~ Sweet Potato Walnut Bread
From Happy Herbivote ~ Maple Kissed Sweet Potato Muffins
From Vanilla Garlic ~ Sweet Potato Gnocchi
From Not Eating Out in New York ~ Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Arugula and Hazelnuts

Photo of Baked Sweet Potato Latkes
from Erin Cooks

Thinking Outside the Box Sweet Potato Dishes
From Erin Cooks ~ Baked Sweet Potato Latkes (pictured above)
From Fat Free Vegan Kitchen ~ Sweet Potato Falafel with Yogurt Tahini Sauce
From Half Baked ~ Sweet Potato Chips
From A Life Less Sweet ~ Sweet Potato Cookies
From Karina's Kitchen ~ Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas

Kalyn Denny also blogs at Kalyn's Kitchen, where she's focused on creating low-glycemic recipes using fresh ingredients. Kalyn has possibly spoken too soon, but she's already predicted that Soy-Glazed Sweet Potatoes with Sesame Seeds may be her favorite new Thanksgiving Recipe of 2009.

Weekend Menu Planning: Rethinking Spaghetti with New Options for Noodles

2009-11-05T19:17:36-06:00

Mention spaghetti and most people probably think of red sauce, meatballs, and maybe some Parmesan cheese on top. Of course there's nothing wrong with that combination, but lately I've been seeing so many interesting ways to cook noodles that I thought I'd see if I could entice BlogHer readers to branch out in their spaghetti options.

What seems newer than new these days is combining spaghetti with vegetables for pasta dishes that are ultra nutritious. If there's been a bit too much Halloween candy on the menu at your house, how about cooking one of these combinations over the weekend?

Photo of Spaghetti with Braised Kale
from Dinner With Julie

Spaghetti and kale is a classic Italian combination and the Spaghetti with Braised Kale at Dinner With Julie looks like a nice savory and healthful dinner. Julie was inspired by a recipe from fellow food blogger Molly that appeared in Bon Appetit Magazine, so this recipe has the double food blogger stamp of approval.

Photo of 16-Minute Kale and Mushroom Spaghetti
from Foodie Reflections

Jackie at Foodie Reflections has lived in Italy, so that might be where she has learned to love the combination of kale and spaghetti, and her 16-Minute Kale and Mushroom Spaghetti sounds wonderful. Jackie made this for lunch (in 16 minutes!) but it could be a quick dinner option as well.

Photo of Spicy Soba Noodles with Chicken and Cabbage
from Half Assed Kitchen

Another quick dinner option involving noodles and veggies is the Spicy Soba Noodles with Chicken and Cabbage at Half Assed Kitchen. Soba noodles are made from Buckwheat, and although they look like spaghetti, the flavor is a bit different, but very tasty!

Photo of Creamy Spaghetti with Buttrenut Squash, Leek, and Oregano
from Lucullian Delights

As I said last week, I love all things butternut squash, so this Creamy Spaghetti with Buttrenut Squash, Leek, and Oregano from Lucullian Delights looks wonderful to me. Ilva had me at butternut squash, but then she goes on to say it's topped with walnuts and parmesan. Also, Ilva is living in Tuscany, so I think she knows a thing or two about spaghetti.

Photo of Collard Greens with Spaghetti
from Modern Beet

And one more fantastic spaghetti and greens combination is the Collard Greens with Spaghetti at Modern Beet. If you haven't tried many greens, collards are a good one to start with because they're milder and a bit sweeter in flavor than kale or chard.

More Ideas for Rethinking Pasta:
At Two Peas and Their Pod ~ Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Vegetables and Chickpeas
At Owlhaven ~ Spaghetti Frittata
At Sunday Nite Dinner ~ Chinese Spaghetti
At Mostly Eating ~ Spaghetti with Courgette (zucchini), Lemon and Goats Cheese
At A Mingling of Tastes ~ Slow Simmering Calamari with Spaghetti and Spinach

How do you like to eat spaghetti or noodles? Are you a red-sauce-and-nothing-else-will-do kind of household, or do you like more unusual spaghetti combinations? If you have your own take on spaghetti, please share your recipe or a link in the comments.

Kalyn Denny also blogs at Kalyn's Kitchen, where she's focused on creating low-glycemic recipes using fresh ingredients. Kalyn has been excited about spaghetti ever since she made Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Garlic, Chard, and Pecorino-Romano Cheese.

Weekend Menu Planning: It's Time to Make Some Butternut Squash Soup

2009-10-29T13:21:30-05:00

How do you feel about butternut squash? Personally I never liked squash as a kid, but as an adult, I can't get enough of it, and I consider butternut to be the premium type of squash for roasting, using in casseroles, or for making yummy butternut squash soup. When variations of butternut squash soup start showing up on food blogs, you know Autumn is really here.

Every year I bookmark lots of recipes for creamy butternut squash soups, and then I end up roasting all my squash to serve as a side dish and never making the soup. This is the year I'm making some type of creamy butternut squash soup, that's a commitment. Now I just have to narrow down the recipe I want to use, and here are some I'm considering.

Photo of Butternut Squash, Apple, and Vadouvan Soup
from The Perfect Pantry

At The Perfect Pantry, Lydia loves to try out new spices by using them in a favorite recipe and recently she tried a spice blend called vadouvan in Butternut Squash, Apple, and Vadouvan Soup. I'm a spice-mix addict, plus Lydia has a link showing how to make vadouvan if you don't have any, so this is a recipe that looks like something I'd love.

Photo of Coconut Curry Butternut Squash Soup
from Not Eating Out in New York

I love curries with coconut milk, so this Coconut Curry Butternut Squash Soup from Not Eating Out in New York was another one that caught my eye. In this recipe I love the addition of lemon juice just before serving, and Cathy reminds us that all types of winter squash are interchangeable in recipes.

Photo of Curried Butternut Squash Soup
from Taste Food

There's a slightly different version of Curried Butternut Squash Soup at Taste Food, and this one has some apple and a bit of brown sugar for added sweetness. Lynda says the original version of this soup came from The Silver Palate Cookbook, and she's tweaked the soup and made variations in the countries where she's lived.

Photo of Roasted Red Pepper and Butternut Squash Soup
from Dlyn

I love roasted red pepper as much as I love roasted butternut squash so when saw Roasted Red Pepper and Butternut Squash Soup at Dlyn, that had to go in the bookmarks folder too. This soup has cumin, paprika, and chile powder, three more reasons I'd love to try it.

Photo of Delicata Squash Bisque
from Vegan Yum Yum

Finally, for a delicious version of roasted squash soup that's vegan and could easily be made with butternut squash, I have my eye on the Delicata Squash Bisque from Vegan Yum Yum. Lolo says this is the best squash soup she's made ever, and the use of cashew cream to thicken the soup and add richness sounds to me like it would make a very luxurious-tasting soup.

More Butternut Squash Soup That Could Be on the Menu:
From Life's Ambrosia ~ Butternut Squash Soup with Curried Squash Seeds
From A Year of Slow Cooking ~ Crockpot Butternut Squash Soup
From The Hungry Mouse ~ Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
From White on Rice Couple ~ Truffled Butternut Squash Soup
From Phoo-D ~ Butternut Squash Soup with Parmesan

Do you have a favorite recipe for Butternut Squash Soup? If so, please leave a link or your soup recipe in the comments.

Kalyn Denny also blogs at Kalyn's Kitchen, where she's focused on creating low-glycemic recipes using fresh ingredients, and the closest she's come to creamy butternut squash soup is Autumn Harvest Soup with Butternut Squash, Kale, and Farro or Brown Rice.

For Celiac Awareness Month: Please Add to This List of Gluten-Free Blogs

2009-10-25T12:59:58-05:00

October is Celiac Awareness Month in the United States, designated to encourage all types of public media to share information about celiac disease. There's no doubt that diagnosed cases of Celiac disease, sometimes called gluten intolerance, have risen dramatically in recent years, but the good news is that there's also a corresponding increase in resources for people who need to avoid gluten in their diet.

Google Health defines Celiac Disease as "an inherited, autoimmune disease in which the lining of the small intestine is damaged from eating gluten and other proteins found in wheat, barley, rye, and possibly oats." No one knows whether the disease is really on the increase, or whether doctors are simply becoming more knowledgeable about the disease and better at accurately diagnosing it, but some reports are now saying that as many as one out of every 100 persons may have celiac.

Celiac disease is something I had only minimal awareness of when I started food blogging in early 2005, and I've watched the number of excellent blogs offering gluten-free recipes increase so that blogs about gluten-free eating are now one of the best resources for anyone seeking recipes that don't contain gluten. For Celiac Awareness Month I want to help spread the word about gluten-free food blogs, so I'm sharing links to a few gluten-free blogs I love.

Of course, I'll miss many more blogs than I'm able to mention, so I'm hoping BlogHer readers can help make this a more comprehensive list. If you have a gluten-free blog, or I miss your favorite gluten free blog, please tell us about it, and share a link to the blog in the comments. Together we can create a list that will be a great resource for forwarding to anyone who needs gluten free recipes.

(Disclaimer: The order in which blogs are mentioned here isn't any kind of ranking! I know some of these bloggers, so naturally their blogs will come to mind first. My apologies to any bloggers I know that are inadvertently left off the list, but please do add your link in the comments!)

Karina's Kitchen ~ One of the most visually appealing blogs you'll find, Karina serves up "gluten free recipes with a side of life." This blog has a long list of Gluten-Free Resources and Blogs, and sponsors a Gluten-Free Recipe Search. Karina also recently wrote a post about Gluten-Free Cooking for Simply Recipes.

Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef ~ Gluten-free girl Shauna is a former teacher turned blogger and cookbook author who now cooks and blogs about delicious food with the chef, her husband and co-author. Her Gluten-Free Links has resources for information about celiac, as well as a list of other gluten-free blogs.

Elana's Pantry ~ I enjoyed meeting blogger and cookbook author Elana when we were on a panel together recently at BlogHer Food, and her blog is "a place for organic gluten free recipes and tips for good living." Besides wonderful recipes, this blog also has a Gluten-free forum where readers share in the discussion.

A Year of Slow Cooking ~ This is a blog of slow cooker recipes, all of which happen to be gluten-free. Stephanie O'Dea started the blog with a goal of using her crockpot every day for a year, and she's since written a cookbook of gluten-free slow cooker recipes that's getting a lot of good press.

Celiac Chicks ~ Kim and Kelly are the dual force behind Celiacchicks.com, a comprehensive site they call "the guide to a hip & healthy gluten-free lifestyle. Besides recipes, this site can help with information about gluten-free restaurants, gluten-free bakeries, gluten-free products, and book reviews.

Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free ~ In the six years she's been living sugar and gluten-free, blogger Amy Green has lost sixty pounds. Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free is the blog where she shares the recipes that are helping her maintain that weight loss and stay healthy.

Book of Yum ~ This is a blog featuring "gluten-free vegetarian recipes and reviews." There's a good list of gluten-free links with information about celiac and a list of gluten-free blogs, and this blog also sponsors a monthly event called Adopt a Gluten-Free blogger where bloggers sign up to feature another gluten-free blogger on their site.

The W.H.O.L.E. Gang ~ This gluten-free blog written by Diane Eblin focuses on "Whole Healthy Organic Living Everyday." Besides recipes, she has a blogroll of gluten-free and dairy-free blogs, shares sources for gluten-free products, and is starting a list of Gluten-Free blog events.

There are many, many more excellent blogs focused on gluten-free recipes, so please help people find them by telling us about the blog in the comments if you have additions to this list.

Kalyn Denny also blogs at Kalyn's Kitchen, where she's focused on creating low-glycemic recipes using fresh ingredients. Kalyn often blogs recipes that just happen to be gluten-free, and plans to add a gluten-free recipes category so people can find things like Baked Brown Rice Tortilla Chips or Low-Sugar and Flourless Zucchini Muffins.

Halloween Treats to Make With Kids

2009-10-18T17:32:03-05:00

Halloween is less than two weeks away, the annual holiday where for many American kids the goal is to see how much candy they can consume in a short period of time. For adults, the Halloween challenge is to find other activities for the kids that can compete with eating candy, not always an easy task. I love cooking with my sister's kids when I go to visit, so I've been scouring the food blogs for some fun Halloween treats that would be fun to make.

If you're cooking with kids, you'll want to choose a recipe where at least part of the preparation can be done by the kids. Things that cook quickly or don't need cooking are a plus, so the kids can see the results right away. Finally, Halloween treats should be fun to eat, and hopefully, a bit less sweet than candy!

Photo of Frankenberry Cereal Bars
from Baking Bites.

At Baking Bites Nicole uses a type of Halloween cereal called Frankenberry to make Frankenberry Cereal Bars. These are basically a variation of Rice Krispy Treats made with Frankenberry cereal, and I'm guessing they'll be a hit with the kids.

Photo of Gingerbread Pumpkins
from Prudence Pennywise.

Prudence Pennywise has Gingerbread Pumpkins, made with a dough that Prudy says is sturdy enough for chubby little hands to cut out with cookie cutters. This post also has some great recommendations for Halloween-themed kids books, so while the kids eat their gingerbread, you can read together.

Photo of Jack-o-Lantern Cheese Balls
from Fab Frugal Food

The Jack-o-Lantern Cheese Balls at Fab Frugal Food are something kids would love to help make, although it will probably be the adults at the party that will gobble these up. This post has links to other Halloween treats after the recipe too, so scroll down to see them.

Photo of Pumpkin Cookies
from Suzy Homemaker

You only need 15-18 minutes baking time for the Pumpkin Cookies at Suzy Homemaker, and you know when the cookies are done the kids will love to help add the orange sprinkles.

Photo of Candy Corn Bark
from My Baking Addiction

And you have to agree that the Candy Corn Bark from My Baking Addiction is going to be devoured by all, although Jamie says it's sinfully sweet, so you may need to do a little portion control on the kids. Little hands can sprinkle on the candy corn and sprinkles for this one after mom pours the hot white chocolate on.

More Ideas for Halloween Food:
~Pumpkin Spice Pancakes from Sweetnicks would be fun for Halloween morning, since it's on a Saturday. Or if you want to kick it up a notch, how about Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes from Sarah's Cucina Bella or Pumpkin French Toast from Panini Kathy.

~The Whole Pumpkin Baked with Custard at A Veggie Venture looks like a Halloween dessert that the whole family will enjoy.

~If you're feeling ambitious, or you have older teenagers to help with the work, you might want to try the recipe from Cakespy for Making Homemade Candy Corn (via Serious Eats.)

~Zoe Bakes has Halloween Marble Cake (with spiders!) that will be a hit with the boys in the family.

~Love and Olive Oil went with a mummy theme for her Pumpkin Chip Cupcakes (with icing that looks like mummy bandages.) There are more Pumpkin Cupcakes at Mom Grind and Pumpkin Bars at Real Mom Kitchen.

~Don't forget pumpkin bread! Whisk has a yummy-looking Orange Pumpkin Loaf, and In Good Taste has Pumpkin Bread, with a whole week of pumpkin recipes coming up on this blog.

So, What Are You Going to Make?
Can you believe I've found that many Halloween-themed treats from bloggers posted this year and Halloween is still nearly two weeks away? Obviously people love to make treats for Halloween, and I'm sure you can find something in all these Halloween treat ideas that looks good. Of course, maybe you have a traditional Halloween recipe that you make every year? If so, please do share in the comments!

Kalyn Denny also blogs at Kalyn's Kitchen, where she's focused on creating low-glycemic recipes using fresh ingredients. This Halloween Kalyn is hoping to avoid the candy and eat things like Low-Sugar Pumpkin and Apple Crumble instead.

Weekend Menu Planning: Make Your House Smell Great with Homemade Applesauce!

2009-10-15T21:18:30-05:00

Fall means time for apples, and cooks who like to bake go crazy in the fall with homemade apple pie, apple tarts, and apple cake. Of course all these apple dessert creations taste great, but one of the best and easiest use for fresh apples is homemade applesauce. If you haven't made homemade applesauce, you've never had *real* applesauce, which tastes amazing and makes the house smell wonderful too.

I've been noticing a lot of food bloggers making applesauce lately, and it seems there's an applesauce recipe for every type of cook, from crockpot applesauce to microwave applesauce, or simmer on the stove applesauce. Pick an applesauce recipe that suits your cooking style and make some homemade applesauce this weekend.

Photo of the Family Crockpot Applesauce Recipe
from Cookin' Canuck

Using the crockpot has to be one of the easiest ways to make applesauce, but when Dara from Cookin' Canuck announced on Facebook that she was going to share the Family Crockpot Applesauce Recipe that she'd gotten from her mother-in-law, some family members weren't sure if they wanted this family favorite recipe posted on a blog. Luckily for her readers, Dara called her mother-in-law, who gave her approval for the recipe to be shared.

Photo of Crockpot Chunky Cinnamon Applesauce on Toast
from Two Peas and Their Pod

Obviously Dara's applesauce recipe was a hit, because Maria from Two Peas and Their Pod has already made Crockpot Chunky Cinnamon Applesauce from Dara's recipe and posted it too. What I love about this post is the idea Maria shared about her favorite way to eat applesauce, spread on on whole wheat toast instead of jam. Don't you think that sounds great!

Photo of Ancho Chile Applesauce
from Homesick Texan

Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves are traditional in applesauce, but Lisa from Homesick Texan spices it up a bit more when she makes Ancho Chile Applesauce. Lisa took the train from NYC to Connecticut to pick the apples with her mother, who was there for a job interview, so there are two reasons this is special applesauce.

Photo of making applesauce using The Only Applesauce Recipe
from Occupation Mommy

Occupation Mommy calls her naturally sweetened applesauce The Only Applesauce Recipe, but you do need a food mill. I do love it that this applesauce recipe has no added sugar (and I have a food mill!)

Photo of Mom's Homemade Applesauc
from Unami Girl

Another applesauce recipe that uses a food mill is Mom's Homemade Applesauce, which Carolyn at Umami Girl says is "life on a spoon" for her. She makes the applesauce on the day of her parent's 40th wedding anniversary, and there's a beautiful tribute to two loving parents here along with Mom's recipe.

Photo of microwave applesauce made with The Applesauce Recipe
from Super Healthy Kids

Finally, if the microwave is your favorite cooking appliance, you need The Applesauce Recipe from Super Healthy Kids. It doesn't get much easier than this, and the applesauce looks great.

More Applesauce Recipes:
~Cate's Homemade Applesauce (in 20 minutes!) from Sweetnicks
~Homemade Applesauce from Macaroni and Cheesecake
~Stevia Sweetened Applesauce from Nourishing Days
~All-American Applesauce from Food Blogga
~Canning Applesauce from CalliMakesDo at BlogHer.com

What Else to do With Apples:
~Curried Apple Soup and All About Apples (an amazing post) at Green Gourmet Giraffe
~The Ultimate Apple Recipe Collection from Sam Breach at BlogHer.com
~Start Thinking About Caramel Apples from BlogHer.com
~Video of Making Rustic Apple Gallette from BlogHer.com

Have you ever made homemade applesauce? If you have a good applesauce recipe, we'd love to hear about it in the comments.

Kalyn Denny also blogs at Kalyn's Kitchen, where she's focused on creating low-glycemic recipes using fresh ingredients. Kalyn hasn't made applesauce yet, but last fall she was going crazy over Low Sugar and Flourless Apple Cranberry Crumble.

Hundreds of Bloggers Join the Celebration for Vegan Month of Food (VeganMoFo)

2009-10-11T19:54:22-05:00

In a glorious celebration of all things vegan, October has once again been designated Vegan Month of Food or VeganMoFo. Inspired by National Blog Posting Month, VeganMoFo asks that bloggers commit to writing about vegan food on every weekday throughout of the month.

VeganMoFo banner image from Post Punk Kitchen.

I was well aware that there are lots of vegan bloggers in the food blog world, but I was still slightly stunned to see the huge list of participants for VeganMoFo posted on Cake Maker to the Stars, who's hosting the event this year. The deadline to join in was October 2, but if you're looking for vegan recipes, there are several hundred possible sources on that list.

Vegan Search Engine Logo from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen

You can also find great vegan and vegetarian offerings through a custom google search engine for vegetarian and vegan blogs, maintained by Susan from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen. Here is information on how to add your blog if you're a vegetarian or vegan blogger.

Photo of Tandoori Style Tofu
from One Hot Stove

Of course, eating vegan is about much more than how the food tastes, but that doesn't mean you can't find some drool-worthy recipe ideas that are vegan. I'm not even a vegetarian, but I still get delighted when I see an interesting cooking idea that uses food in an unusual way, and vegan cooks are some of the most creative around. I'm talking about things like the Crispy Roasted Kale from Vegan Visitor, Tandoori Style Tofu from One Hot Stove, or Coconut Kefir Cheesecake from Bittersweet. Don't forget that every type of vegetable, fruit, grain, nut, seed, herb, and spice is vegan, which gives a realm of possibility for interesting recipe creations.

Photo of Coconut Kefir Cheesecake
from Bittersweet

Don't take my word for it though. Go check out some of the blogs that have participated in VeganMoFo over the last three years. You'll see lots of creative recipe ideas that would be right at home in your kitchen, whether or not you're a vegan.

~Vegan Month of Food list of participants 2009

~Vegan Month of Food list of participants 2008

~Vegan Month of Food list of participants 2007

If you have a vegetarian or vegan blog that isn't on one of those lists, we'd love to know about it. Please leave a comment telling us about your blog, and share the link.

Kalyn Denny also blogs at Kalyn's Kitchen, where she's focused on creating low-glycemic recipes using fresh ingredients. Kalyn's blog has a lot of vegan recipes, but her favorite is probably Vegan Tomato Salad with Cucumber, Avocado, Cilantro, and Lime.

Weekend Menu Planning: Autumn Means It's Time to Make Soup!

2009-10-08T18:55:09-05:00

On my blog I've often talked about how I hate winter weather, but I love winter cooking. There's something about a big pot of simmering soup or stew that fills the house with wonderful aromas and makes you feel like all's right with the world. Autumn is officially here, so it's time to make soup!

For a few weeks I wondered when I'd start to see soup recipes popping up on the food blogs, and then one day about two weeks ago I suddenly felt like making soup myself. There must be some kind of seasonal-recipe biological clock that tells food bloggers when it's time for certain dishes, because before I had even posted my soup recipe, I started spotting soup recipes on other blogs. Here are some of the first soups of the season that have been looking good to me.

Photo of Chickpea Soup
from The Pink Peppercorn

It was the Chickpea Soup from The Pink Peppercorn that inspired me to make my own version of Chickpea Soup. Gail said she didn't think this soup looked that appetizing, but to a chickpea lover like myself, it was impossible to resist!

Photo of New England Fish Chowder
from Simply Recipes

At Simply Recipes I thought this New England Fish Chowder looked warm and comforting. Elise recalls her years living in Boston as she makes this creamy "chow-dah."

Photo of Bacon and Potato Leek Soup
from The Hungry Mouse

I also loved the sound of Bacon and Potato Leek Soup from The Hungry Mouse. If you haven't cooked with leeks, there are good photos and instructions here about how to cut and wash them.

Photo of Zucchini, Potato, and Ham Soup
from Everything Rachel Ray

At Everything Rachel Ray, Madeline declares "Yippee! It's Time for Soup!" as she shares the recipe for Zucchini, Potato, and Ham Soup. Madeline just posted this yesterday, and one commenter has already made it and agreed it's a keeper.

Photo of Onion Soup
from Mrs. W's Kitchen

Finally, Amanda at Mrs. W's Kitchen got a jump on the season when she posted her recipe for Onion Soup clear back in September, but it's easy to see why she couldn't wait to make this wonderful looking soup. Amanda also has some good information to share about the health benefits of onions, so be sure to read that.

More Autumn-Welcoming Soups I'd Find Hard to Resist:
~Italian Chicken and Escarole Soup from Food Blogga
~Crab Bisque from Phoo-D
~Curried Sweet Potato and Wild Rice Soup from Happy Herbivote
~Spiced Up Lentil Soup from Tales from the Fridge
~Carrot Soup with Rosemary Apple Bread from Half Baked

Has soup been on the menu yet at your house this Autumn? If you have made soup, please share your recipe, post the link, or at least tell us about your soup in the comments!

Kalyn Denny also blogs at Kalyn's Kitchen, where she's focused on creating low-glycemic recipes using fresh ingredients. Kalyn's first soup this year was Chickpea Soup with Garlic, Sumac, Olive Oil, and Lemon, inspired by The Pink Peppercorn's soup mentioned above.

For Vegetable Gardeners, It's Time to Get Creative with Green Tomatoes

2009-10-04T17:44:08-05:00

Vegetable Garden season is winding down in most parts of the U.S., and gardeners everywhere are looking for ways to extend the harvest. One way to keep the garden goodness going is by making the most of whatever vegetables are left on the plants when the weather turns cold. Since tomatoes are such a beloved garden crop, many gardeners rescue all their green tomatoes that would otherwise freeze and bring them in the house. The question then becomes, what to do with all those green tomatoes?

For tomatoes that are close to full-size which just haven't ripened yet, you can actually wrap them in newspaper and they will ripen in a short time, although the flavor isn't really a match for summer vine-ripened tomato taste. I've done this many years when I had a big surplus of tomatoes, but other years I've had fun getting creative with the green un-ripe tomatoes, which do have a good flavor, slightly tart and firmer than ripe tomatoes. And with recent evidence that eating green tomatoes can help reduce cholesterol, it's time to explore some recipes using green tomatoes.

Photo of Fried Green Tomatoes with Mozarella
from Life's Ambrosia

Of course Fried Green Tomatoes are the most famous use of green tomatoes, and if you've tasted them you know how they became famous long before there was a movie of that name. The traditional recipe for Fried Green Tomatoes involves dipping slices of green tomato in egg, then flour or cornmeal, and frying them until the coating is crispy and the tomatoes are cooked. Traditional fried green tomatoes are definitely tasty, but the Fried Green Tomatoes with Mozarella from Life's Ambrosia are taking it up a notch by inserting a layer of mozzarella between the tomatoes, kind of like a fried green tomato sandwich! Life's Ambrosia also has a recipe for Fried Green Tomatoes with Bacon Ranch Dip that looks like another winner.

At Christie's Corner, after she picks all her tomatoes for the season she makes Fried Green Tomato Parmesan, a variation of Eggplant Parmesan using green tomatoes to sub for the eggplant.

Photo of Oven Fried Green Tomatoes
from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen

If you like the idea of crispy green tomatoes, but don't want the mess or calories of frying, the Oven Fried Green Tomatoes from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen might be just the thing. This recipe uses cornmeal, quinoa flour, and flax seed for a healthy option for this traditional dish.

Photo of Curried Green Tomatoes
from The Perfect Pantry

There are definitely other ways to enjoy green tomatoes, and at Whistlestop Cafe Cooking, Sandi is making Grilled Green Tomatoes with Goat Cheese, which sounds like a perfect season-spanning recipe. Another recipe I thought sounded intriguing was the Curried Green Tomatoes from The Perfect Pantry, which would be perfect to serve over rice. I also loved the sound of Spicy Green Tomato Soup from The Joy of Soup.

Photo of Deep Dish Green Tomato Pie
from A Yankee in a Southern Kitchen

If it's cool enough to use the oven and there are still green tomatoes on the vine, the Green Tomato Gratin from [No Recipes] sounds heavenly. And just one more recipe to leave you drooling and wishing you had some green tomatoes to use up, and I think Deep Dish Green Tomato Pie from A Yankee in a Southern Kitchen is a stunning way to use green tomatoes.

Kalyn Denny also blogs at Kalyn's Kitchen, where she's focused on creating low-glycemic recipes using fresh ingredients. Kalyn vows some year she's going to make fried green tomatoes, but most often when she has a surplus of green tomatoes she'll make something like Salsa Verde with Green Tomatoes, Avocado and Cilantro.

Weekend Menu Planning: Put Some Spaghetti Squash on the Menu

2009-10-01T20:21:05-05:00

I'm old enough to remember when spaghetti squash first made an appearance on the culinary scene, but it's now a beloved vegetable among people who are interested in keeping calories and carbs low or avoiding gluten in traditional pasta. Spaghetti squash is a type of winter squash, so called because it can be stored through the winter. The inside of the squash strings apart like spaghetti after it's been cooked, and the mild flavor of this squash makes it the perfect canvas for a lot of other seasonings. You can tell spaghetti squash is a versatile ingredient by checking some of the interesting ways food bloggers are using it.

Photo of Spaghetti Spaghetti Squash.
from Joyful Abode

To start, let's make it clear that you can indeed serve spaghetti squash topped with red sauce, just as you would spaghetti. This may be a good way to go if you're trying it for the first time. When Emily from Joyful Abode serves it this way, she calls it Spaghetti Spaghetti Squash.

Photo of Tomato Soup with Spaghetti Squash
from Happy Herbivore

At Happy Herbivore, the tables have been turned on the traditional Italian spaghetti with tomato sauce with the recipe for Tomato Soup with Spaghetti Squash. This time the "spaghetti" is a garnish of squash on top of the soup.

Photo of Spaghetti Squash with Mushrooms, Tomatoes, and Spinach
from Foodie Reflections

Spaghetti Squash with Mushrooms, Tomatoes, and Spinach is on the menu at Foodie Reflections, where they find spaghetti squash to be "the perfect crossover vegetable providing a canvas for combining summer and fall flavors."

Photo of Spaghetti Squash Gratin
from Daily Unadventures in Cooking

If your family likes Potatoes au Gratin, there's a good chance they'll like Spaghetti Squash Gratin, and the gratin I found at Daily Unadventures in Cooking looks perfect for fall. Katrina says this can be made ahead, and the leftovers also reheat well.

Photo of Baked Spaghetti Squash with Butter and Cheese
from Food Blogga

And finally, when Susan from Food Blogga thinks about her favorite way to eat pasta, she translates it to Spaghetti Squash with an easy recipe for Baked Spaghetti Squash with Butter and Cheese. Now what's not to like about that!

More Ideas with Spaghetti Squash:
~Spaghetti Squash with Parmesan from Half-Assed Kitchen
~Spaghetti Squash Baby Food Ideas from Humble Baby Food Recipes
~Brown Butter Spaghetti Squash from Sweet Basil
~Spaghetti Squash, Shitake, Arugula, and Pistachio Spring Rolls from Vegan Yum Yum
~Spaghetti Squash Pasta from Southern Grace Gourmet

Have you tried cooking spaghetti squash? If you have an interesting way to cook this unusual vegetable, please share the recipe or recipe link in the comments.

Kalyn Denny also blogs at Kalyn's Kitchen, where she's focused on creating low-glycemic recipes using fresh ingredients. Kalyn has spaghetti squash in her garden, so she'll soon be making Twice-Baked Spaghetti Squash with Pesto and Parmesan.

BlogHer Food Conference and if You've Cooked Okra, You Might Be a Foodie

2009-09-27T12:06:36-05:00

By the time you read this post, the BlogHer Food Blogging Conference will have ended after lots of sharing of blogging knowledge and rhapsodizing over interesting things people have blogged about. I'm writing this in advance so I can't discuss what the conference was like, but I have no doubt, there'll be plenty of talk about interesting things people have eaten. Some food bloggers are put-off by the word "Foodie" but I think it serves a purpose to distinguish those of us who are thrilled with the pursuit of unusual taste adventures compared to people who just want to eat. I was thinking about that and wondering what unusual food I'd never written about for BlogHer.com, and the next thing you know, a recipe for Fried Okra popped up in my feed reader!

I do consider myself to be a foodie (and don't even mind the word) but I've never cooked Okra. I was intrigued by how good it looked and decided to see what other good-looking okra ideas I could find.

Photo of Southern Fried Okra from Home with Mandy

This very tasty looking Southern Fried Okra from Home with Mandy is the one that got me thinking okra-loving thoughts. A slightly more sophisticated take on fried okra is the Tempura Okra from Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once. You can also make Cajun Fried Okra with Remoulade Sauce from The Well Seasoned Cook if you don't want a coating on your fried okra, or if frying isn't your thing, but you don't mind a bit of coating, consider the the Better Than Fried Okra at Kath Eats Real Food.

Most every type of vegetable tastes great when it's roasted, and at Daily Unadventures in Cooking, Katerina made Roasted Okra that sounds simple and truly looks delicious. There's more Roasted Okra at Fat Free Vegan Kitchen and Spicy Oven Baked Okra at Food in the Main. (Who knew roasted okra was a trend?)

Photo of Quick Chicken and Okra Stew from Food Blogga.

Susan from Food Blogga is another okra fan, and she shares a lot of information about okra in her post about Quick Chicken and Okra Stew. Charlotte at The Great Big Vegetable Challenge even entices kids to eat okra with her Chicken with Okra.

Another take on okra is the Spicy Pickled Okra that Lisa from Homesick Texan decided she liked after a friend chided her into trying them. There's more Smoky Pickled Okra at Desert Candy,
and Pickled Okra at The Slow Cook.

Photo of Dahi Bendi or Okra Curry from Sailu's Kitchen

A simple saute of okra with peppers and tomatoes results in what The Chocolate Lady at In Mol Araan calls The Best Okra Ever. Another okra saute that I think looks wonderful is the Dahi Bendi or Okra Curry from Sailu's Kitchen.

Finally, Okra Gumbo has to be one of the most classic uses of this interesting vegetable and of course it's from a New Orleans blog, Nola Cuisine.

So what's your take on okra? Have you ever cooked it, and do you like it? And if you have a good okra recipe, do share in the comments.

Kalyn Denny also blogs at Kalyn's Kitchen, where she's focused on creating low-glycemic recipes using fresh ingredients, and after seeing all these recipes Kalyn has no idea why she's never cooked okra.