Butternut Squash Bisque

Butternut Squash Bisque
Peace Meals by the Junior League of Houston

To celebrate the beautiful fall weather I decided to make Butternut Squash Bisque for dinner. This is a delicious and easy to make recipe. It took a little over an hour including prep but there was quite a bit of inactive cooking time so it was nice to not have to slave in the kitchen non-stop. Best of all is the surprise ingredient… a jalapeno! The jalapeno added some “heat” in the background in addition to some depth to the bisque. The carrots, celery, leeks, jalapeno, butternut squash, and chicken broth needed to be pureed after they had simmered awhile. The recipe says to puree using a food processor or blender, which translates to more dishes to wash. Luckily I had my secret weapon the immersion blender (and yes I do have the green one). My sister-in-law, Jill, gave me the immersion blender for Christmas last year and it’s a Godsend. This nifty tool makes pureeing soups and sauces a breeze since you can leave everything in the pot. I rounded off the dish with a chopped pecan garnish. I skipped the fried sage because it just wasn’t a step I felt was needed for a Monday night dinner. However I did think about frying up some bacon, but decided to forgo for the same reason.

The recipe claims to be 4 servings. I think a proper portion should be 1 cup; however Scott prefers 2 cups, so the recipe really yields seven 1 cup servings or ~three 2 cup servings. I have some leftover which I have frozen in individual his and hers servings to enjoy in the future.

Pan-Roasted Pork Chops with Yellow Pepper Mole Sauce

Recipe by Bobby Flay

Saturday night Scott and I had a date night at home. We haven’t cooked a nice meal on the weekend in awhile and were long overdue. I always enjoy trying recipes from Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill cookbook because they are always delicious and we are never disappointed.

I’ve never understood why my husband, or any man for that matter, is obsessed with pork chops. I’ve never had a pork chop I’m excited about until I made this recipe. These pork chops were tender and juicy, which I credit to their massive size. Often times when I buy pork chops at the grocery store they are cut thin, cook too fast, and I’m often left with a dry and tough meal. These chops were so big that they weighed a pound each, but for two I only spent $10 which is significantly less than I usually spend on a good cut of meat for the two of us. So not only are these delicious but also affordable.

There are two secrets to making this recipe a success...

1. Get really good pork chops! I of course went to Central Market and had the butcher cut me double cut bone-in pork chops.

2. You must make the mole sauce! This sauce is fantastic, it’s got a little sweet and savory all rolled into one. We have some sauce left over so I’ll be added it to my standard weeknight pork tenderloin recipe tomorrow night.

Restaurant Review: Killen's Steakhouse

Scott and I recently went to Killen's Steakhouse per the recommendation of a friend--a friend that likes really good food. He had claimed Killen's had the best steak he'd ever eaten and we agree. The drive to Pearland was worth every bite. From the outside, it doesn't look like much, but the inside was very tastefully decorated and the cuisine, very tasty!

We had an excellent waiter who helped steer us through the menu.

I started with a cosmopolitan that was perfectly blended and Scott relaxed with a dirty martini. We ordered a bottle of the Reynold's Family Reserve Cabernet to compliment our steaks.

Appetizer

• NUESKE BACON WRAPPED U‐10 SCALLOPS •
Jumbo Scallops wrapped in bacon served on a bed of spinach, with lemon butter sauce

These scallops were amazing, some of the best I've had. I'm sure I was influenced by the bacon but they would have still been divine without it. The scallops and spinach rested upon a thick slice of fried potato. There were 4 jumbo scallops on the platter, I could easily come back and order the scallops as entree paired with a salad.

Salad

• GARDEN •
Mixed Greens, Tomatoes, Red Onions, Cucumbers and Carrots

• WEDGE •
Fresh Iceberg Lettuce Wedge topped with diced Tomatoes, Apple Wood Smoked Bacon, Chives and Chef Ron’s Roquefort dressing

Both salads were good, but not the focal part of our meal. We were planning to eat a lot, and I couldn't believe Scott wanted to waste valuable stomach real estate with a salad.

Entree

• 16 oz Kobe Beef RIB-EYE •
This was one of many Rib-eye options on the menu. They actually had a 32 oz one that we could have spilt but we decided on a divide and conquer approach. I did see two men at another table each ordered their own 32 ounce rib-eye and eat all of it, let's just say they looked like they could have each eaten two of them. I had a bite of Scott's rib-eye but it was nothing in comparison to the Kobe Beef filets that I had.

• (3) 3 oz Kobe Beef Filet Mignon •
I opted for the special, fully expected all kobe beef to be equal. This flight really surprised my palette.

1. Nebraska Morgan Ranch
The Nebraska beef was fantastic. It tasted like a hunk of meat drenched in butter.
2. Texas AKAUSHI KOBE BEEF
I fully expected the Texas beef to be better, since well everything is bigger and better in Texas, but it was least favorite. Had I had it on its own I'm sure it would have been awesome but in comparison it just wasn't.
3. Australia Blackwood Ranch
The Australia beef was so good I am speechless. We were told it was the most comparable to the highest grade of Japanese kobe and I believe it.

We split a side of macaroni and cheese, which was of course delicious.

Dessert

• Creme Brulee Bread Pudding •
I don't get very excited about bread pudding, but this one was excellent. It was moist, without being wet, and also won the best bites competition at the Houston Rodeo.

This meal was a super splurge for us so maybe next time we will attemp to try some of the more affordable items on the menu.

The Weekly Menu

I plan my meals for the week and grocery shop on Sunday. I developed a spreadsheet to plan for each day and also prepare my grocery list. When planning for the week, I take inventory of my pantry and freezer to see if there are any ingredients I can use. I also mark our social activities on the menu so that my husband and I can keep up with each other's schedules. I use the other section for things such as baking for birthdays, book club, etc. This helps me stay organized and makes it easier to enjoy healthier meals more often. I hear people make excuses and say they come home from work and then can't decide what to have for dinner, then they don't want to go the store, and next thing you know its fast food for dinner. I have certain weeknight staples that I stick to during the week, and the weekend is my time to test recipes and enjoy extravagant gourmet dinners.

Also I am big fan of using the freezer. Often when purchasing chicken, meat, or pork I try to get a value pack and I'll freeze the extra pieces in the necessary quantity/serving combo to be thawed later as needed. I recommend reading "Can I Freeze It?", it provides a lot of great information on what types of food freeze well and the best freezing materials and methods. I haven't tried any of the recipes, but I use the methods all the time.


Click here to print a copy of the weekly menu plan.

Here are a few of my weeknight staples. I'll be sure to add more in the future

kebabs
You can skip the pomegranate glaze, it doesn't add flavor and isn't worth the effort to make

pork chops w/ sauteed apples

poblano & mushroom tacos

spice crusted pork tenderloin w/ roasted baby carrots

Restaurant Review: Chez Nous

Scott and I celebrated Valentine's Day at Chez Nous in Humble. We celebrated our fist Valentine's day together at Chez Nous, back in 2004, so we decided we were long overdue for a trip back. The owner/chef was the executive Chef at Tony's back in the 80s, so its great food. Chez Nous is French for our home, and its just that...a cozy cottage with seating in various rooms. We were sitting in the library next to some wine bottles. We enjoyed the 5 course chef's table with wine pairing, everything was delicious. We were told the chef's table is logged with each reservation so that diners can have a new experience each time they request it. Chez Nous is worth the drive.

I
Riesling
Salad of Raindrop Farms Tomatoes, Organic Field Greens, marinated Red Onions, Feta, Chick Peas and our signature Vinaigrette
I love tomatoes so this was a treat for me.

II
Chardonnay
Grouper with oranges and roasted fennel
I don't eat a lot of seafood but this fish was light and delicious. The citrus added a nice flavor and was nicely complimented by the roasted fennel.

III
Pinot Noir
A Classic Country Terrine of Veal and Duck with Cornichons and Sauce Charcutiere
This pate was complete with some bacon...need I say more.

IV
Pinor Noir
Filet w/ Risotto a port reduction
The filet was delicious but the risotto made the course.

V
Rose Champagne
Passion Fruit-Raspberry Souffle
This souffle was delcicious and I wish we'd had a larger portion. I love anything with raspberries. The rose champagne was the perfect way to end the night.

Pork Chops with Sautéed Apples

This is a super fast recipe that has become one my weeknight staples. Its so easy to make and delicious. I freeze the extra pork chops from the package to have on hand for a future weeknight.

Pork Chops with Sautéed Apples
serves 2

2 boneless pork chops
salt and pepper
1 granny smith apple, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup apple juice*
1 Tbsp butter

• Heat skillet over medium heat.
• Lightly sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper.
• Cook chops for 5 min one side, and then 3 minutes on the other side for medium.**
• Remove chops from pan.
• Add apples to skillet and saute for 3-4 minutes.
• Add juice and butter to pan and cook with apples for 1 minute.
• Spoon apples and sauce over the chops and enjoy.
  

*I use whatever juice I have on hand. Sometimes cranberry juice, tonight I used blueberry pomegranate juice.
**Many people think that pork has to be thoroughly cooked like chicken, and that is not true. It is perfectly safe to eat pork that is pink in the center. If you want to cook your pork all the way through then cook for 5 minutes on each side.

Restaurant Review: The Strip House

The Strip House is celebrating its 5 year anniversary during the months of January and February with a special promotion--5 courses for $55. Scott and I have never dined at the Strip House, so we decided to take advantage of this special. Due to the variety of the menu we decided to opt for wine by the glass so we could drink a compatible wine with each course. All of the courses were delicious and each better than the last. I would have like a few more minutes between each course, but I am a very slow eater, so maybe that's just me.


Wine: House Champagne
I opted for champagne for two reasons: 1. I became an aunt that week and wanted to celebrate and 2. I thought it would go well with the lobster bisque.

I LOBSTER BISQUE CAPPUCCINO, chopped lobster and chives
The bisque was the perfect amount and consistency, it didn't fill me up too quickly.

Wine: Flora Springs Chardonnay
Chardonnay is often paired with Scallops so I wanted them to taste their best.

II GRILLED TOMATO & BUFALA MOZZARELLA SALAD, balsamic glaze and basil
This was a delicious salad and a good twist on a caprese salad. It was also garnished with finely sliced red onion.

III SEARED SEA SCALLOP, edamame succotash, black truffle butter, corn broth
The scallop is one of the best I've ever eaten at a restaurant. Great flavor and meaty texture.

Wine: 75 Wine Co Cabernet
Cabernet and steak are two peas in a pod.

IV 6OZ. FILET MIGNON, black truffle creamed spinach, goose fat potatoes
The filet as cooked to perfection. The black truffle creamed spinach was amazing, I could not get enough of this. The goose fat potatoes were delicious with interesting presentation and flavor. They were like a fried mashed potato ball, bu the consistency and level of saltiness were a hybrid between a french fry and a hash brown.

V STRIP HOUSE PROFITEROLE, chocolate malt & espresso ice cream, hot fudge sauce
I think the best part was the hot fudge sauce! Yummy!