Share Your Autumn Recipes

I recently stumbled across 2 seasonal recipes that sounded fabulous to me and I thought I would share. I'm only a mediocre cook but the cooler weather makes me at least want to try. Please add your favorites too!


Butternut Ravioli Stew
Serves 6

  2        tablespoons  butter
  2        onions -- chopped
  3        pounds  butternut squash-- stab, microwave to soften, peel, deseed and cube
1/2      cup  white wine
  3         cans  chicken broth
  1         pinch  nutmeg
  1         pinch  cinnamon
  1         pinch  ginger
  1         pound  ravioli, cheese-filled -- frozen
 3/4     cup  neufchatel cheese (also known as low fat cream cheese)
salt and pepper
3/4       cup  half and half

In a soup pot, heat butter over medium high heat. When hot and melted,
add onions and saute till translucent. Add the squash, wine, and
chicken broth. Add the spices. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook ravioli according to package directions. Drain and set
aside.

In a blender, blend HALF the stew and all the Neufchatel cheese to a
smooth consistency, add back to the stew. Now add raviolis and
carefully incorporate in. Add half and half, heat till almost a
simmer, correct seasoning if necessary and serve.

PER SERVING:
431 Calories; 17g Fat (34.3% calories from fat); 14g Protein; 58g
Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 132mg Cholesterol; 710mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 3 1/2 Grain (starch); 1 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat
Milk; 2 1/2 Fat.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: A big spinach salad and some whole grain rolls
would round this off nicely.




Streusel Topped Apple Butter Cake

1/2 c butter
1 1/2 c all purpose flour
3/4   c  firmly packed brown sugar
1 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1 t vanilla
1 c apple butter **
1 egg
1/2 c raisins

** I c applesauce, 1 t cinnamon and 1 t allspice can be substituted for apple butter


Generously grease bottom of 9' square baking pan. Melt 1/2 cup butter/margarine in saucepan. Set aside. Combine remaining ingredients. Add to butter and mix well. Pour into greased pan.

Topping

1/4 c sugar
1/4 c firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 c all purpose flour
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 c butter or margarine, softened
1/2 c chopped nuts

Combine in mixing bowl; sprinkle over cake batter.

Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly in center.


Yum!

All my recipes are Autumn ones. 

But, I may dig out my chili recipe and post it here later.  It is quite tasty and warming for when the days (and nights) are on the cooler side.

I cook 'autumn food' all year long! 
My fave butternut squash recipe is this one:

peel & quarter the squash, spray with olive oil and roast in oven for 30 minutes.
chop up into bite sized pieces, and sautee in olive oil with a chopped onion, a couple of chopped green chillies, a few crushed cloves of garlic, cooked rice.   Bung it all into a baking dish, pour a bit of double cream in to moisten it, and top with grated cheese... bake till heated through and melty.

A favorite autumn beverage -

Apple cider - the kind you find in Michigan, or natural apple juice if you can't find good cider (not the hard kind, we'll get to that part later) 

Heat the cider on the stove until hot but not boiling - about 6-8 cups
Add:
cinnamon sticks - about four broken in half
one or two cloves
a couple slices of orange
Simmer for about 5-10 minutes so the flavours can mix

Pour into a big mug:
Apple Jack Brandy, or Spiced Rum - amount depends on how much you want to feel it!! 

Fill the rest of the mug with the cider and one cinnamon stick, strain out the rest of the stuff.

Warm and nice!!!!

~Liza

By the time Autumn comes 'round, I have so many zucchinis that most of my meals contain them!  Here are a couple yummy sweets:

Zucchini Bread

2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil (I like to substitute apple sauce for a low-fat option)
2 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3 cups flour
3 teaspoons cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together. Bake in greased loaf pan at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until done.

For added yummy-ness, add 1/2 cup crushed pineapple.  YUMMY!

Zucchini Cookies with lemon glaze

3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel OR 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 cup chopped walnuts

Lemon Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

To Prepare:

Cream butter and granulated sugar; beat in egg and lemon peel or extract. Stir in sifted dry ingredients, then mix in zucchini and walnuts. Drop on greased baking sheets; bake at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes.
Glaze cooled cookies with the lemon glaze or your favorite glaze or icing.
Makes about 2 to 3 dozen cookies, depending on size.

Made this last night and we had it hot with Aldi vanilla ice cream,  Mmmmm,

Pampered Chef Apple Crisp

4-6 large Granny Smith apples
9 digestive biscuits
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup porridge oats
1/2 cup plain flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

Peel, core and slice apples and place in microwaveable baking dish (I use the pampered chef Deep Dish Baker).

Smash the digestives to tiny bits with whatever implement of destruction you have handy (I used my potato masher). Combine them with the sugar, oats, flour and spices.  Add the melted butter and mix well.

Spoon the mixture over the apple slices and microwave on high for 12-15 minutes.

Serve hot or cold with or without vanilla ice cream or squirty cream. 

veg shepherd's pie

carrots
celery
peas
green beans
lima beans
corn
onion
mushrooms
whatever other veggies your ickle heart desires
potatoes
paprika

saute sliced/chopped veg in olive oil with salt, pepper, basil, thyme, parsley, rosemary (you get the drift). spread evenly in a 9 x 12 baking pan.
top with fluffy mashed potatoes & bake for appx. 1 hr.
when potatoes begin to brown, sprinkle with paprika & pop back into the oven to continue that lovely browning spudly goodness.


enjoy