ML Interest Tag: butternut

Holiday Helper: Spots & Services To Make Thanksgiving A Breeze

by Mimi O'Connor

Ah, Thanksgiving. Some years you want to do the whole thing yourself, from the shopping to the peeling to the brining…and some years you just. don’t. Whether you want a little help getting the best ingredients and recipes guaranteed to work, or you really want to phone it in (i.e. let someone else do all the cooking and the clean up) this is a judgement free-zone, and we’ve got suggestions! Click through to see our ideas on how to make this turkey day a little easier — and enjoyable! — for the whole family.

For Locally-sourced Produce, Birds and Artisan Pie: Farmigo

Can't make it to the farmer's market and feel gouged by upscale grocery spots? Farmigo wants to be your go-to source for produce, meat and more from area farmers. (It's currently the largest online farmer's market, serving 15,000 families in the U.S.) They let you know where your birds are coming from, if they're free-range, and what they're fed. Produce is from small farms focused on sustainability, and pies such as Bittersweet Chocolate Bourbon Pecan are from the Brooklyn artisanal pastry chefs Pie Corp (you can also just get frozen crust). In addition, Farmigo is offering recipe bundles for stuffing starters, butternut squash soup, as well as prepared cranberry sauce from Beth's Farm Kitchen in Columbia County.

Farmigo is not membership or subscription-based, so you can try it out just for Thanksgiving, and there is no minimum order requirement. You do need to pick up your order, which is generally priced by weight (see site for specific costs); pickup locations both private and public are located all over the city, as well as in Long Island, New Jersey and Westchester.

Order by the first week of November to reserve your bird! (You'll put down a $30 deposit, which will be subtracted from the price of your bird, determined by weight, when it arrives.)

Farmigo: farmigo.com

photo: Farmigo

How are you getting help with Thanksgiving this year? Tell us in the comments below!

—Mimi O’Connor

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Bite Me! Where to Score Food on a Stick

by Phebe Wahl

Kebabs, corn dogs, popsicles—something about eating food on a stick delights everyone’s inner child. In celebration of National Something on a Stick Day on March 28th (for real ya’ll)—here are three spots to score fabulous, fork-free eats.

Bob
Bob (as in shish ke-), had us at hello. Their candy-colored interior tucked inside the Irwin Street Market, and menu of skewers is a guaranteed crowd pleaser. Try out tounge-and-cheek combos like the Bob Newhart (a heart healthy combo of grilled shrimp, sweet potatoes, and braised onions), or the Bob Markey (Jamaican jerk chicken, pineapples and poblanos). Kebabs not your thing? Order up a house-smoked, nitrate-free hot dog, served (how else?)—on a stick.

Address: 660 Irwin St. NE
Phone: 678-705-7945
Online: www.weluvbob.com
Order: The Farmer Bob (Rutabegas, Carrots, Beets, Sweet Potatos, and Butternut Squash)or the Thingamabob (and let them build their own “bob”)
Don’t Miss: Jake’s ice cream next door

Pallookaville
If it’s corndogs you crave, Pallookaville is your place. Touted as “gourmet carnival food,” the mamoth corndogs come in a variety of meats (Italian, Polish or Beef) and batter choices (double batter, cheese, or jalapeño). You can even add a double dip for an extra buck.

Address: 17N Avondale Plz, Avondale Estates or mobile corndog wagon (check their Facebook page for locations)
Phone: 404-500-1785
Online: pallookaville.com
Order: The Corndogski (polish sausage wrapped with their signature cornbread)
Don’t Miss: The milkshakes and fried pickles

King of Pops
Unless you have been living under a rock, changes are you have enjoyed these Atlanta-made, popular pops. In fun flavors like “key lime pie,” “tangerine basil,” or “cereal milk”—there is something to please palates both young and old. Find them at Whole Foods and various other retail locations throughout the metro area, or at one of their mobile carts throughout town.

Address: Click here to find location nearest you.
Online: atlanta.kingofpops.net
Order: Banana pudding or chocolate sea salt popsicle
Don’t Miss: Their fundraisers—they will bring the pop stand to your event or school and share the profits making for an easy-peasy moneymaker. Click here to learn more.

What is your favorite food on a stick? Share with us in the comments section below!

—Phebe Wahl

Photos courtesy of Creative Commons via Flickr, Annie C. via Yelp, Jim C. via Yelp and King of Pops via Facebook

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The Ultimate Creamy Winter Squash Soup

by Veggies Don't Bite

Relax into fall with this creamy delicious winter squash soup courtesy of Veggies Don’t Bite. Layers upon layers of flavor warm you from the inside out. Comfort food extraordinaire!

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups delicata squash
2 cups Tahitian Squash
2 cups butternut squash
4 cloves garlic
1 zucchini
1 cup sweet onion
6 sage sprigs
6 thyme sprigs
coconut oil for brushing squash for roasting (optional)
Himalayan pink salt to taste
½ cup cilantro (loosely packed)
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
½ cup walnuts (soaked overnight if not using a high speed blender)
½ cup raw cashews (soaked overnight if not using a high speed blender)
4 cups veggie broth
pumpkin seeds for garnish (optional)

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400. Wash and prepare squash. I scooped out seeds, peeled and cut into large pieces before roasting, but you can also roast whole and prep after. If you are using delicata squash, the skin can be eaten. The Tahitian and butternut needs to be peeled. Using a vegetable peeler works great. Make sure to cut in even sized pieces for even cooking. Peel the garlic. Place squash and garlic on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

2. If using coconut oil, brush each squash lightly. Place thyme and sage sprigs over squash making sure to spread out evenly. Lightly sprinkle with salt. Bake for 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, wash and cut zucchini and onion. Once 20 minutes is done, place zucchini and onion on the cookie sheet with the squash and garlic. Bake another 25 minutes. If your pieces aren’t uniform then take out any pieces that are soft when tested with a fork and continue to bake until all pieces are soft.

4. Once done and cooled a bit, place everything except sage and thyme in a blender (high speed works best) along with the rest of the ingredients. Then remove the thyme and sage leaves from the stems and add them to the blender. Blend on “soup” setting or on high speed until smooth. If using the “soup” setting, when it is done, the soup will be hot and ready to eat. If not, then you may need to warm on the stove depending on how much you let the veggies cool after roasting.

5. Garnish with pumpkin seeds if desired. Pairs well with my Smoky Tempeh, Apple and Arugula Sandwich!

What’s your favorite winter soup?

Sophia DeSantis is the author of Veggies Don’t Bite, a vegan, gluten free and refined sugar free food blog targeted to all types of eaters. She is the mom of two beautiful boys and wife to an amazing husband. Her and her family live a vegan, gluten free and refined sugar free life 90% of the time because she believes that the stress of having to be perfect shouldn’t overpower the benefits that their healthy lifestyle brings. Through her website, she hopes to reach anybody interested in making a positive health change in their life.

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Shoogies NYC: Homemade Baby Food Delivered to Your Door

by writerredri

In the age of infant yoga and sign language, baby-proofing consultants, and preschool advisers, prepping your own baby food is just par for the course. But sometimes there simply aren’t enough hours in a day to do it all. And that’s where Shoogies NYC comes into play. Founded by Shari Pessah, a passionate and knowledgable foodie and aunt of two, the service delivers homemade organic baby food right to your door. It’s the best of both worlds: You get to spend more time with your baby and less in the kitchen, and they get tasty, creative, and nutritionally-sound first eats without having to worry about preservatives. Here’s everything you need to know about Shoogies.

OK, Let’s Get Started. How Does It Work?

Parents get to select from a varied menu of baby-ready purees and toddler-friendly foods on the Shoogies website. Go a la carte by picking and choosing what might suit your baby best, or try an age-specific intro pack to get a pre-selected sampling of Shoogies eats. Then choose a delivery window when you know you’ll be home to accept in, and that’s it. Orders arrive tucked inside insulated (and reusable) coolers, and food can be refrigerated, frozen, or of course, eaten immediately.

This Sounds Really Expensive: True or False?

It’s not cheap, but it’s all organic, and everything’s included. Orders must hit a minimum of $35, with meals ranging between $4.59-$6.59. Purees arrive in 6-ounce containers, and should last for at least two feedings. Delivery is $5 in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and $10 on Long Island.

What’s on the Menu?

This is where Shoogies truly won us over. A trial run for our one-year-old tester consisted of a spinach grilled cheese, broccoli pita pizza and alphabet pasta with tomato sauce (to name a few). Infant purees range from single-ingredient fruits and veggies like apple, butternut squash and zucchini to combos for older babies including a broccoli-cauliflower blend, or apple-brown rice-sweet potato mix. All meals are nut-free and vegetarian, and no added sugar or salt is used.

Intrigued? Would you try a baby food delivery service for your early eater? We’d love to hear what you think of Shoogies if you decide to give it a try!

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Feed a Family of Four for $40…Without Cheaping Out

by Katie Kavulla

Tucked away, back off of busy Fremont Avenue North where Wallingford and Fremont meet, sits Pecado Bueno. You may have seen it from the street before — probably on your way to the zoo — but likely thought it was a bar, because honestly, it looked too fun to be family-friendly. Pecado Bueno is that restaurant in Seattle that every one loves, but nobody will tell you about because they want to keep it all to themselves. Sorry, friends. We’re here to break the silence on this family-friendly hotspot. While we realize that the first rule of Pecado Bueno is that you never speak of Pecado Bueno (Brad Pitt thinks we’re hilarious…), that $3 all day, everyday margarita is a total deal breaker.

$40 for Four…Without Cheaping Out
Put Pecado Bueno on the short list of places in Seattle where a family of four can dine out for under $40… and that includes margaritas! We know what you’re thinking — sure, the prices are great, but that probably means that they’re cutting corners, right? Not here. The phrase on their sign “sin well” goes beyond those $3 margaritas — Pecado Bueno is dedicated to cooking simply and with the best possible ingredients, including local seafood, organically fed and hormone-free meats and even tortillas that come from Sea-town. Leave your dining out parenting guilt at the door and just enjoy yourself. Or, order another $3 margarita.

What They Should Order
The kids’ menu is short, sweet and perfectly delicious. Our mini-food critics gave double thumbs up to the quesadilla (cheese only), which was big enough to feed two toddlers. The nachos were also a hit and were declared to be “so cheesy!” All of the kid entries are less than $5 each and include a drink from the fountain machine (we promise not to tell your kids that!). They also have Mexican sodas, which are fun for a special treat — get one to share to prevent sugar-induced Mexican hat dancing at 10:00 pm.

What You Should Order
Would one of each be a bad suggestion? Sorry, we know that doesn’t help much. Start with whatever specials they’re featuring, because they often include seasonal veggies. If those don’t grab you, the Chimichanga Dog is a popular choice (a bacon wrapped hotdog… Mexican-style), as are their tacos (chicken? carnitas? butternut squash? cod? carne asada? tiger prawns?). On the lighter side, the Mexican Chop Chop Salad (you can add chicken or steak) was perfect on the side of those “Mommy Margaritas,” as they’ve been dubbed by the regulars.

Let’s Get Festive
As soon as you walk into Pecado Bueno for the first time, you’re going to get the feeling that beyond all of that tasty food they whip up, they like to have a good time here too! And, it’s true. Often featuring live music and a hoppin’ patio area when the sunshine is sticking around, Pecado Bueno is not just a restaurant… it’s an experience. Grab a group of friends, let the kids scarf down on quesadillas until they can hardly breathe and tell the waitstaff to keep the margaritas coming. You’re going to wish it was a Pecado Bueno night every night.

Pecado Bueno
4307 Fremont Avenue North
Seattle, Wa 98103
Online: pecadobueno.com

Keep an eye on their Facebook page, where they often post trivia contests for gift cards, updates on family-friendly events and specials that will make you throw your meal planning menu out the car window.

Hours:
Monday through Friday: 11:00 am – 11:00 pm
Saturday & Sunday: 9:00 am – 9:00 pm (Happy Hour from 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm daily)

What do you love most about Pecado Bueno? Do you have a favorite item on the menu? Let us know in a comment below.

— Katie Kavulla

Salsa bar picture from the Pecado Bueno Facebook page. All other photos by Katie Kavulla… after she had a $3 margarita.

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Slow Cooker Chicken with Grapes

by writerredtri

There’s nothing like the simplicity of a slow cooker meal that makes the stress of the day fade away. Here, cumin seasoned chicken is slow cooked for 6 hours (translation: it’s easy to throw together in the morning or the night before) over a bed of simmering tomatoes, butternut squash and chickpeas. Stir in sliced grapes before serving for a sweet, bright crunch. If your kiddos aren’t a big fan of cumin, then simply omit it or substitute it for a less strong spice.

Ingredients:
2 tomatoes, chopped
1-2 cups cubed butternut squash
1 onion, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 cup chicken broth
3 pounds skinless chicken thighs
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup halved seedless green grapes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (10 ounce) box couscous

Method:
Together: Combine the tomatoes, squash, onion, garlic, chickpeas and broth in a slow cooker.

Kid: Sprinkle the chicken with the cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper

Adult: Place the seasoned chicken over the vegetables in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

Adult: Prepare the couscous according to package directions.

Together: When chicken has finished cooking, uncover, stir in the grapes and enjoy!

Serves 4

Source: This recipe was created by our friends at Dash.

We’ve teamed up with the Kids Cook Monday initiative to bring you recipes that encourages families to set aside the first night of every week for cooking and eating together as a family. Be sure to check out their website for more great ideas on how to empower your kids in the kitchen!

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Quick & Easy Dinnertime Meal

by Jacqui Boland

The folks at Cucina Fresca shared with us a recipe for an easy-to-prepare family meal. By combining  their pre-packaged fresh pasta and sauce, you can skip the time-consuming process of preparing lasagna from scratch and get to the good stuff right away: a yummy, sit-down family meal.


Lazy Lasagna By Cucina Fresca

2 10 oz. packages Cucina Fresca fresh ravioli (any variety)
1 jar* Cucina Fresca fresh sauce (any variety)
1 cup shredded cheese
Olive oil

Set oven to 350 degrees and prepare an 8×8 pan with olive oil.
Pour 1/4 jar of Cucina Fresca sauce in pan; tilt pan until the sauce has coated the bottom.
Layer 10 ounces of ravioli in pan. Pour 1/4 jar of Cucina Fresca sauce over ravioli. Layer remaining 10 oz of ravioli. Pour remaining sauce over ravioli. Top with cheese.
Cover with foil and bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove foil and cook 10-15 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

*If you choose Alfredo or Basil Cream as your sauce, thin it with 8 oz of milk for 16 oz of sauce total.

This recipe serves 4-5. To make a larger or smaller portion, remember this ratio: 8oz of sauce for every 10 oz of ravioli. Larger batches in deeper pans will require an upwards of 45 minutes covered cook time with 10-15 minutes uncovered cook time, or until cheese is golden brown.

Suggested Lazy Lasagna Combinations:

Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioli with Alfredo Sauce
Three Cheese Ravioli with Tomato Vodka Sauce
Spinach and Cheese Ravioli with Marinara Sauce
Wild Mushroom Ravioli with Basil Cream Sauce
Caramelized Pear & Gorgonzola Ravioli with Alfredo Sauce
Smoked Mozzarella with Alfredo Sauce

Cucina Fresca lazy lasagnas are available pre-cooked at all Metropolitan Market service delis.


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