Baked Acorn Squash

1 acorn squash
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Slice acorn squash in half.

Scoop out seeds and pulp.

Place upside down in baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake 30 minutes.

Turn over so cut side is up.  Salt to taste. 

In a small bowl, combine butter, syrup, and sugar.  Mix well.  Spread on squash, covering the flesh completely.  Bake an additional 20 to 30 minutes.

Spoon the liquid in the acorn over the flesh of the acorn and serve.

 

 This easy squash recipe is the way my mom made it when I was a little girl.  I love the sweet savory taste with just a hint of maple flavoring!

Check back on Tuesday,

for my Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post! 

Follow me on my Facebook page!

Visit my friends blogs!

GINGERLOCKS' KITCHEN, has become one of your favorite blogs! Stop by Jordan's blog and take a peek! 

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too! 

Roasted Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
5 strips bacon, chopped

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Cut the cauliflower into florets that are approximately the same size. Place cauliflower on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.  

 Sprinkle chopped garlic over top.  

 Arrange bacon over cauliflower. 

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown on the edges, stirring the cauliflower a couple of times while baking.

The weather is warming up and I only have a few days left to use my oven before it gets too hot.  I love to roast vegetables!  This recipe and my Roasted Brussels Sprouts recipe are two of my families favorites.  Roasting gives the vegetables a rich and I think a slightly sweet flavor.  I end up eating more vegetables than meat when they are roasted, and that is a good reason to heat the kitchen up a little.

My new cookbook is available at schools, businesses, hospitals, and book fairs in cities across the United States.  Be sure to pick up a copy or two, when you see them.  They make great gifts!

Check back on Tuesday,
for my Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post! 

Follow me on my Facebook page!

Visit my friends blogs!

GINGERLOCKS' KITCHEN, has become one of your favorite blogs! Stop by Jordan's blog and take a peek! 

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts
1/4 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Trim the very end of Brussels sprouts and remove damaged leaves.

Cut in half. 

Place in large bowl.  

 In a small bowl, combine butter and olive oil.

 Drizzle butter mixture over top of Brussels sprouts, toss to coat.  

Salt and pepper to taste.

Arrange Brussels sprouts on baking sheet.

Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until browned.

My mom never had to tell me to eat my Brussels sprouts.  I just love these little bundles of goodness.  When they are roasted they become nutty and sweet tasting.  And who wouldn't love that?  Even if you hated Brussels sprouts in the past, give this recipe a try, you may end up liking them. 

My new cookbook is available at schools, businesses, hospitals, and book fairs in cities across the United States.  Be sure to pick up a copy or two, when you see them.  They make great gifts!

Check back on Tuesday,
for my Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post! 

Follow me on my Facebook page!

Visit my friends blogs!

GINGERLOCKS' KITCHEN, has become one of your favorite blogs! Stop by Jordan's blog and take a peek! 

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Grilled Cabbage

Grilled Cabbage

1 head cabbage
2/3 cup melted butter
8 slices cooked bacon, cooked crumbled, or turkey bacon or real bacon bits

Slice cabbage into 8 slices. 

Place cabbage wedges onto sheets of aluminum foil.  Brush butter on both sides of cabbage wedge.

Sprinkle bacon on wedges. Pepper to taste.  

Wrap foil around wedges.  Grill over medium high heat 10 minutes on both sides or until softened and light golden brown on edges.

My great grandmother, made skillet cabbage with lots of butter and bacon.  I loved it!  But sorry grandma, this is my new favorite way to make cabbage.  It is quick and easy to make, with very little clean up.  It is so full of flavor, that even if you are not a cabbage fan, this recipe will make you one.
  

Check back on Tuesday, 

for Tuesday's Tip & Tricks Post!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Grilled Salsa

Grilled Salsa

4 large firm tomatoes
2 to 4 jalapenos
1/2 of a medium onion
3 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
1/4 cup cilantro
3 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon cumin

Rub oil over tomatoes, jalapenos, and onion. 

Grill over high heat until chard on all sides.  

Remove stem from tomatoes.  Cut top off of jalapenos.  Slice jalapenos lengthwise.  Scrape out seeds.

Combine all ingredients in blender.  

Cover.  Blend until well mixed

When we were in Mexico last month, my husband could not get enough of this salsa.  After asking several people, I finally got the recipe. The key to making this salsa is getting the vegetables as charred as possible.  The more char, the better the flavor.

I am in Cape Town, South Africa.  

You can follow my trip by visiting my Facebook page.

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Deep Fried Veggies

Deep Fried Veggies

2 cups complete just add water pancake mix

1 3/4 cups water, add more water if you want a thinner coating

1/2 cup flour

4 cups fresh mixed vegetables, cleaned, dried

Vegetable oil for frying

In medium bowl, combine pancake mix and water. Mix well.  Place flour on wax or parchment paper.   In large saucepan, pour oil to 2 inches deep.  Heat oil over high heat.

 

To test if the oil is hot enough, place the end of a wooden spoon in the oil, if bubbles form around the spoon it is hot enough to deep fry.

One at a time, dredge vegetables in flour. 

Dip in pancake batter. 

Carefully place in hot oil.  Repeat process until several pieces are in the hot oil, but do not over crowd the pan.  Fry until golden brown. 

Drain on paper towel. Salt to taste.  Serve with ranch dressing.

Tips:

To add a little or a lot of heat to the batter, add Tabasco sauce it the batter.

 Cauliflower: Steam until crisp tender before deep frying.

Jalapeno pepper rings: Slice into rings, remove seeds and ribs.

 For a milder flavor, blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds.  Dry before deep frying.

We deep fried mushrooms, cauliflower, jalapeno slices, green beans, onions rings, red and green bell pepper slices.  We loved all of the deep fried vegetables.  If we had to pick which one of the veggies were our favorites, I guess I would choose the green beans.    

My husband Stan’s favorite was the jalapeno slices.   Mine (our home stay daughter form Bangkok) loved the cauliflower.  Miki (our home stay daughter from Hong Kong) couldn’t pick just one.  She loved the mushrooms, onion rings, and the bell pepper slices.   

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Stop by and visit Ashley, at What Does A Songbird Sing.  She posts recipes and exercise tips on her blog, and who couldn't use a little more of both!