Smoky Squash Soup - Food Network Laura Calder

Watching Food Network which is a frequent activity for me and  this morning Laura Calder was cooking Smoky Squash Soup that looked very good. I do enjoy watching this show as most recipes look great on TV, but do they taste as good as the host leads us to believe. Well here was my chance to take Laura up on that task, I have her cook book and sure enough the recipe was there. I was pleased with the advice on the TV show to peel and cube the butternut squash before roasting as this was easier to remove the skin and give more roasting flavor. This a thick rich soup and small portions would be recommended as the flavor could become overwhelming than a thinner soup. However I did enjoy the Smoky Squash Soup and pared well with a candied walnut, fig, feta cheese salad topped with a balsamic dressing. I have left over from supper to us for my Brown Bag lunch tomorrow, Thank you Laura.

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Low Budget Easy BBQ Chicken Sandwich

When ever you have a busy day and need to make a meal that requires little effort that the whole family will love this meal for only $2.50 per plate you'll make it again. Buy boneless chicken thighs typically 9 or 10 piece pack for $9 place in crock pot with 1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce and let simmer for the day; Or place in your oven covered at 325F for 2 hours until chicken is cooked through and tender. Serve inside a toasted bun with steamed rice, and broccoli makes for easy Brown Bag Lunch the following day.

Wendy's Chili - Cloned Recipe

Wendy's Chili is one of my favorite versions and I have always wanted to find a recipe that comes close, my youngest daughter is also a huge fan of this brand. I stumbled across this website http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/Wendys-Chili-Recipe.html that boasts a cloned version of our favorite. This recipe is so easy to make prep time was only 15 min and let simmer for 2 to 3 hours I would recommend you simmer for at least 3 hours for the flavors to combine and tomato to break down. I was very surprised as this tasted very close to the original, my entire family enjoyed it and said this was one of the best they have ever tasted! One of the key ingredients that makes the difference is the green chili, I have become a huge fan of green chili after visiting New Mexico over the years. This will taste great the 2ND day after flavors continue to blend over night in the fridge which will make a great lunch.

Ingredients
2 pounds ground beef
1 can 29oz tomato sauce
1 can 29oz Kidney beans (with liquid)
1 can 29oz Pinto beans (with liquid)
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced green chili
1/4 cup diced celery
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 teaspoons cumin powder
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups water

1. Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium heat and drain off fat.
2. Combine rest of ingredients to browned beef and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes.
3. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 - 3 hours until tomatoes have broken down.

KOREAN-STYLE BURGER

Made this burger at home this evening a Korean-Style Burger with wasabi mayo, and pickled cabbage all went nicely with the soya/sesame beef patty. Very easy to make and the whole family enjoyed this infusion change to regular hamburgers.

Wasabi Mayo
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons wasabi paste

Combine mayonnaise and wasbi together in a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Provides a nice creamy texture with a bit of heat.

Pickled Cabbage

2 Cups bagged shredded cabbage mix

1/4 Cup vinegar

1 tablespoon white sugar

 Combine vinegar and sugar together mix than pour over top of cabbage mixture.

Toast bun to desired browning, spread wasabi mayo on bottom bun, hamburger patty, than desired amount of pickled cabbage on top to Finnish it off. The balance between the heat of the wasabi mayo, saltiness of the soya/sesame patty, and sweet pickled cabbage makes this a mouth watering combination. Accompany with your favorite salad or sweet potato fries makes this a fast easy meal.

Learn How to Roll Sushi

Quick video on rolling sushi