The following recipes are courtesy of my new best friend Jen Yu of Use real butter . Ok, we’re not BFFs yet, but give it time, I just started stalking her. Use real butter has some of the yummiest food images I’ve seen so be sure to stop by. But beware, some of the recipes are not condusive to certain fitness goals so proceed with caution.
Please note that all of the images presented in this post are Copyrighted by Jen Yu and should not be copied/used without her permission. I of course got very special permission, but that was before Jen knew I was stalking her…er, hi Jen!
Sugar Plums
from Saveur Magazine
2 cups whole almonds
1/4 cup honey
2 tsp grated orange zest
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup dried apricots, finely chopped
1 cup pitted dates, finely chopped
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
Preheat oven to 400F. Arrange almonds on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast in oven for ten minutes. Set aside to cool and then finely chop. Meanwhile, combine honey, orange zest, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg in a small bowl. Mix almonds, apricots, dates and spice mix in a large bowl. Mix well. Pinch off rounded teaspoon-sized pieces and roll into balls. Dust the sugar plums with powdered sugar and refrigerate in single layers between sheets of wax paper in airtight containers for up to one month.
Modest Beet Salad
4 beets, peeled and cut into 8ths
2 oranges, segmented
2 oz goat cheese
wild greens (as much as you like)
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, mashed to hell
salt
pepper
1 tsp sugar
2/3 cup olive oil
garlicky croutons (optional)
Roast the beets in a sealed foil packet at 400F for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit sealed for another 10 minutes. Remove from foil. Spread the beets, oranges, and crumbled goat cheese over the greens. In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper, and sugar. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the oil to make an emulsion. Dress the salad and serve. I like to add some crunchy, garlicky homemade croutons.
Grandma Esau’s Zucchini Bread
3 eggs
2 cups grated zucchini
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup chopped nuts (I use walnuts)
Preheat oven to 350F. Beat the eggs until foamy. Gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Mix in the grated zucchini and the oil. Add the dry ingredients (flour, salt, and baking soda) and incorporate until just combined. Fold in chopped nuts and pour batter into two greased loaf pans. Bake for an hour or until a toothpick comes out almost clean (moist crumb stage).
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Jen swears this could serve over a dozen people
2 medium butternut squash
2 green apples, peeled, cored, diced
1 onion, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
1 tsp fresh marjoram (optional - I omitted)
2 qts chicken broth
salt
pepper
2 oz. butter
Cut squashes in half or quarters and scoop out the seeds. Roast in a 400F oven for 45 minutes to an hour or until soft. Peel and chop the squash. Boil onions, apples, and shallots in broth and simmer for 30 minutes or until soft. Purée the squash adding broth from the simmering pot as needed (I needed a few cups). Strain the apples, onions, and shallots from the broth and reserve the liquid. Purée the solids. Add both purées to the broth and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the butter and heat the soup until it just begins to simmer. Serve hot.
