ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH RIGATONI

I am in love with Rigatoni!  I can't believe I have gone my entire life not cooking with it.  I always thought it was too big.  But I started using it in my Cheesy Pasta dish, which is a favorite, and realized that it is especially good in a pasta dish where you want the noodles to stay firm and meaty.  I made this dish for Mike and I last Sunday, which would serve about 8, and then ate the leftovers for lunch the rest of the week.  It was heavenly.  I baked it in a casserole that is a little smaller than a 9x13.

Boil: 1/2 box of rigatoni until it is still a little chewy.  Drain and hold.
Melt: 2 T. butter in a saucepan and cook until very brown but not burned.
Add: 2 1/2 C. Milk
         5 T. Flour
          3/4 tsp. salt
           Some generous grates of fresh ground pepper
Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.
Remove from the heat
Add: 1/3 C. sour cream
          1/2 C. Parmesan Cheese
           1/4 C. Mozzarella or Monterey Jack Cheese
Stir until well blended.  Set aside until you roast the squash.

Cut up 4 generous cups of butternut squash to a good bite-size piece.  Pam a large cookie sheet and toss the squash with 2 T. melted butter, 1 large clove of grated garlic and 2-3 T. grated onion and some dashes of salt and pepper.  Broil on high, on the top rack, for about 10 minutes, until the edges start to brown and the squash begins to get tender.  Don't get mushy.  Stir in the pan after 5 minutes. 

In a bowl toss all the elements together (be sure to scrape out all the little bits left on the cookie sheet into the mix), stirring gently so as not to break up the squash too much.  Pour into your greased baking dish and bake 350, for 15-20 minutes.  Sprinkle on 1/2 C more Mozzarella cheese the last 5 minutes. (Next time I am going to sprinkle with some soft buttered bread crumbs before baking)

PRALINE FUDGE BROWNIES

 I doubled the recipe for the Praline Fudge Tart , I lined a 11X14 pan with release foil and sprayed it well with Pam.  Regular foil would be fine with plenty of Pam.  Cook the syrup and pour it into the bottom of the pan and cover with chopped nuts.  I used pecans here and they were great! But the toasted almonds were also very good.  (a 9x13 pan would be too small.)

Beat the fudge batter and pour carefully over the nuts.  This size will take 25-27 minutes to bake at 350.  When the top is firm it is ready.  Turn over onto a foil covered platter right out of the oven.  Scrape any syrup left on the foil and cool.  Cut into the bars.  These are fabulous!

SUNDAY AFTERNOON IN MUELLER PARK

This is one of my favorite places in the world. Mueller Park is in Bountiful, 20 minutes from our home,  and we have spent many happy hours here with the family over the years, often on a Sunday afternoon.  There is a shallow creek gurgling close to the picnic tables, perfect for wading in the summer.  There is a trail up the edge of the canyon to a large "Elephant" rock.  You can hike or ride a Mt. bike.  It is especially beautiful in the fall when the glorious maples are red.  We had a nice picnic this past Sunday with Colette, Dave and family.  It was a perfectly wonderful balmy fall day.


Click on the picture for a full screen slideshow.

STICKY CHICKEN

 Sticky Chicken made with my homemade apricot pineapple jam

 Served with cabbage, stir fried with fresh garlic.

Made with orange marmalade.  I think I liked it the best.

This was quick to put together and Mike and I both liked it, which is always nice.

 Sticky Chicken  adapted from ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2/3 cup orange marmalade or apricot jam

1 tsp. cornstarch
1 T. cider vinegar
3 T. honey
1T lime juice
 1 T. spicy brown mustard (or any mustard)
1 T grated fresh ginger (or bottled fresh)
1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder

¼ tsp salt
2-3 chicken breasts or 9-10 tenders

1 tablespoon snipped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon sesame seed, toasted

Directions:
1)  Place the marmalade in a saucepan with the cornstarch and bring to a slow boil for 1 minute. Add vinegar, honey, lime juice, mustard, ginger and five-spice, salt and stir to combine.  Simmer 1 more minute

2) Cut up 2-3 chicken breasts (depending on the size) into 3 pieces and pound until even. (I used 9 tenders)  Rub with some oil, garlic powder,  salt and pepper.  Grill,broil or fry the chicken just until done. (If you fry, stir the sauce into the pan so you can get any brown pieces for flavor.  Put into a baking dish and cover with the sauce and bake for 15 minutes at 350. (just to heat through good)

3) Sprinkle with Sesame seeds and parsley (could use cilantro or snipped chives) serve with rice.  Makes 4 servings.