Tag Archive for butter

Acorn Squash Soup

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Acorn Squash Soup - thesurprisedgourmet.com

Acorn Squash Soup is good as an appetizer or side dish

As the days begin to warm this spring, a  delicious bowl of Acorn Squash Soup hits the spot.

People tend to think of the acorn squash as a winter squash, but it’s good anytime of the year. Acorn Squash Soup can be a flavorful appetizer or a delicious side dish with a meal.

Cut an acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds and pulp. Place the squash open side down on a greased baking pan. Place the pan in a pre-heated 400 degree oven and cook for 40 minutes. When the squash is done, take out and set aside to cool.

Once the squash has cooled, remove the squash from the skin and place in a boiler. Add 2 tablespoons softened butter, 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 2 tablespoons sugar, a pinch of Kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon to the cooked squash.

Mix the ingredients well. Using a hand-held blender, puree the soup mixture until the desired consistency.

Acorn Squash Soup Meal - The Surprised Gourmet

Acorn Squash Soup goes well as a side dish to a meal

This makes 2 to 3 servings and can be served hot or cold. For an added touch, place a dollop of sour cream in each soup bowl when it is served.

When I prepared this Acorn Squash Soup, I served it with Blue Cheese Meatballs (recipe to come later) and Creamy Cheesy Spinach.

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope I’ve enticed you to try this Acorn Squash Soup recipe. If you do, please be sure to stop back by and let me know how it turned out. Do you have a favorite Acorn Squash Soup recipes? Do you have a favorite type squash you like to cook?

Cucina Felice!

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Acorn Squash Soup

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 2 to 3 Servings

A flavorful appetizer or side dish
Ingredients
  • 1 Large acorn squash
  • 2 Tablespoons softened butter
  • ½ Cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 Teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ Teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar
  • Pinch of Kosher salt
  • ½ Teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Cut an acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds and pulp. Place the squash open side down on a greased baking pan. Place the pan in a pre-heated 400 degree oven and cook for 40 minutes. When the squash is done, take out and set aside to cool.
  2. Once the squash has cooled, remove the squash from the skin and place in a broiler. Add 2 tablespoons softened butter, ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons milk, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, 2 tablespoons sugar, a pinch of Kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon to the cooked squash.
  3. Mix the ingredients well. Using a hand-held blender, puree the soup mixture until the desired consistency.
  4. This makes 2 to 3 servings and can be served hot or cold. For an added touch, place a dollop of sour cream in each soup bowl when it is served.

 

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How Do You Like Your Toast?

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How do you like your toast seems to be a simple questions on the surface. However, it can lead to numerous possibilities and everyone has their own special way.

Reading an article recently online about how to butter your toast got me to thinking. While a simple procedure, there are many ways to do it. There is no right or wrong way to butter toast, just whatever way makes you happy is the best.

First, there are several ways to make toast. Some use the oven, some use toaster ovens and others just use a toaster. How long to toast bread depends on what you like – soft toast, slightly crisp, burnt and so on.

Then, you have to consider what type of bread to use. Is it really toast if you don’t use traditional loaf bread? Sure it is, if that’s what you want. For instance, in our house toast is generally made using French bread, but we also use Garlic bread, English muffins, Cheese bread, Ciabatta rolls, and just about anything we have a taste for. Technically, it may not be toast but it serves as toast for us. I’d say 90 percent of the time we use a toaster, but occasionally use the oven depending on how much time we have and the type of bread we’re using.

Now the hard part. How to butter your toast and when to butter it.

You can spread cold butter on your bread before you toast it. This way can cause your bread to tear. Sometimes you also get more butter in spots causing your bread to be soggy.

You can spread butter on your bread after you’ve toasted it. This works okay. You have to be careful though or you’ll have a tub of butter that’s full of bread crumbs. Every time you spread butter on the toast, you come away with a few crumbs on your knife that go into your butter.

The only way that wasn’t mentioned in the article is the one way I think is the best way to butter toast. For me the best way is by melting my butter, using a pastry brush and spread the desired amount of delicious wonder on my bread after it’s toasted. I melt just a small amount of butter needed for the toast. This way, there’s no crumbs in my tub of butter, the butter spreads evenly over the bread and it’s not soggy.

Oh no, I forgot. There’s also liquid butter you can squeeze onto your toast from a bottle. See, a simple tasty staple of the breakfast menu has so many possibilities.

Thanks for dropping by today. So tell us, how do you like your toast buttered? Do you even use butter or do you prefer jam or jelly instead or just plain toast?

Cucina Felice!

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Lamb Chops with Mint Sauce

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Lamb Chops with Mint Sauce - The Surprised Gourmet

Tasty lamb chops with mint sauce paired with potatoes is delicious

You just can’t go wrong when you serve savory Lamb Chop with Mint Sauce.

This tantalizing dish is a wonderful combination of tender meat and sweet minty flavor. While the flavor of lamb is often thought to be strong and overpowering, these chops weren’t anything like that.

Place the broiler on high. Sprinkle each chop with fresh ground kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Drizzle olive oil over them and gently rub in. Put the lamb chops (these were 1/4 pound each from Kroger, don’t you just love that place) on a broiling pan and place approximately 4 inches from the heat. Cook for 5 minutes, turn the chops and cook for another 5 minutes. The chops should reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees for medium well.

Take the chops out of the oven and set aside allowing the meat to rest while the mint sauce is prepared.

There are a vast number of recipes on how to make mint sauce from scratch. If you want something a bit quicker and easier, begin with mint jelly.

Lamb Chops with Mint Sauce - The Surprised Gourmet

A meal of delectable lamb chops with mint sauce

Take 2 tablespoons mint jelly (I used Crosse & Blackwell Mint Flavored Apple Jelly) and place in a small saucepan on medium heat. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons butter and 2 large mint leaves, finely diced. Cook approximately 2 minutes or until the mixture has combined and come to a sauce-like texture. Additional butter can be added, if needed.

Drizzle the mint sauce over the lamb chops right before serving. Pair this with a side dish of mashed potatoes for a delicious meal. The mint sauce is so scrumptious you may find yourself drizzling some over the mashed potatoes as well.

I appreciate you dropping by today. Do you like lamb? Do you have a favorite lamb recipe to share? If you try this recipe, please be sure to drop back by and let me know how it turns out. If you post your results online, include the tag #thesurprisedgourmet. I’d like to know what you think.

Cucina Felice!

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Lamb Chops with Mint Sauce

Rating 

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 3 servings

A delectable meal sure to please everyone at the table
Ingredients
  • 3 (1/4 pound) lamb chops
  • fresh ground kosher salt (to taste)
  • fresh ground black pepper (to taste)
  • Olive oil (to taste)
  • MINT SAUCE
  • 2 Tablespoons mint jelly
  • 1½ Tablespoons butter
  • 2 Large mint leaves, finely minced
Instructions
  1. Place the broiler on high. Sprinkle each chop with fresh ground kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Drizzle olive oil over them and gently rub in. Put the lamb chops on a broiling pan and place approximately 4 inches from the heat. Cook for 5 minutes, turn the chops and cook for another 5 minutes. The chops should reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees.
  2. Take the chops out of the oven and set aside allowing the meat to rest while the mint sauce is prepared.
  3. Mint Sauce
  4. Take 2 tablespoons mint jelly and place in a small saucepan on medium heat. Add 1½ tablespoons butter and 2 large mint leaves, finely diced. Cook approximately 2 minutes or until the mixture has combined and come to a sauce-like texture. Additional butter can be added, if needed.
  5. Drizzle the mint sauce over the lamb chops right before serving. Pair this with a side dish of mashed potatoes for a delicious meal. The mint sauce is so scrumptious you may find yourself drizzling some over the mashed potatoes as well.

 

 

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