Stuffed Acorn Squash: A Twist on the Original

A couple months back, I made vegan stuffed acorn squash. I had procured two acorn squashes from a family friend and thought, why don't I add browned homemade sausage to the stuffing mix and see how it works out?

First, prepare the recipe like you otherwise would, just add sausage made with marjoram, sage, ginger, and salt that you browned in a pan. When you fill the squash with the filling, do not sprinkle brown sugar over the top of them.

This recipe turned out fantastic! Will and I were both pleased with how it turned out, and I will definitely make this again.

Penne with Gorgonzola and Asparagus Sauce: Easy, Quick, and Tasty

Asparagus is one vegetable that's in season, so I thought, why not make a pasta or something with it? This turned out surprisingly well and has now added some variety to our menu.

First, make a blue cheese sauce using cream and about five ounces of gorgonzola; once the cheese has melted and the sauce is thickened, add chopped asparagus pieces. Cook this until the asparagus is tender and heated through. Meanwhile, cook and drain the pasta. Place the pasta in a bowl and pour the sauce over; serve immediately.

Will loved this dish; he went back for at least thirds. The asparagus really mellows out the gorgonzola in a way that every other vegetable I've cooked in gorgonzola sauce has not. I think next time that I'll cross two recipes together and make this with asparagus and walnuts to add some extra protein and good fats to this recipe.

Splurge Night: Toad in the Hole

So I'm always looking for a new flavor or texture to liven up the drudgery of our ordinary menus. Needless to say, when I came across this English favorite, I had to give it a shot.

First quarter two onions. Add six Irish bangers and the onion to a baking dish; toss to coat with a Tablespoon of safflower oil. Place the baking dish in a 475 degree oven and lightly brown the bangers and onions, turning once.

While the bangers are cooking, combine 2/3 cup of flour with a teaspoon of salt. In another bowl, combine one and one quarter cups milk with two eggs. Whisk the egg mixture into the flour mixture. Pour this into the baking dish with the bangers and cook until the eggs are puffed and set, about half an hour.

Will and I both loved it. The flavor was nice, and the bangers browned up beautifully! I will have to learn to make my own bangers, because these have such a lovely flavor and Trader Joe's only carries these in March.

Golabki: An Experiment in Usage of Leftover Cabbage

This was a two-pronged experiment. First, I wanted to see how well I could use leftover cabbage, and second, I wanted to see about solving the mystery of my great-grandmother's origins. She said she was German Jewish, but her cooking more closely resembled that of Polish cuisine. Unfortunately her family immigrated here in the late 1700's, so it's hard to find conclusive data. Even more unfortunate, her recipe was lost when she passed, so I had to find a recipe that might be comparable and go with it. I will have my auntie or grandmother try it and let you know the conclusion.

First, brown one chopped onion in two Tablespoons of butter. Once they are browned, set them aside. Combine a pound each of ground beef and pork with about a cup of cooked rice. Mix together two eggs, salt to taste, and two Tablespoons each of marjoram and sage. Combine the eggs and the onions with the meat mixture and knead with your hands.

Next, blanch about eight cabbage leaves in boiling water; once they're bright green, take them off the heat. Trim off anything that will not bend. Place about a handful of the meat mixture in the center and roll it up; place it in a casserole dish seam side down. Continue until you run out of cabbage and meat. Pour one can of diced tomatoes in juice over the top and bake at 350 for at least an hour and a half or until your thermometer reads 150 degrees.

Will and I both loved it. I will make this again, regardless of how comparable it is to my grandma Solomon's recipe.