Creamy Butternut Squash Bisque

Instead of the usual Thanksgiving at Aunt Sheila's where spicy stuffing, Black and Tans and rounds of Liar's Poker are a plenty, Kevin and I headed south to DC to meet up with friends and family for the holiday.

We made reservations for dinner at a great little place in Georgetown called Clyde's and the 8 of us, including two doctors, one nurse, a Naval officer and Capitol policeman had one great, filling meal complete with turkey, potatoes and the works!

McCarthy, who isn't afraid to try anything, (or 3 of everything) ordered the butternut squash bisque with duck confit and Marge and I had to have a bite. It was TDF so we ordered a cup to share, (sans duck). And so, here is the recipe I used in attempt to re-create one of the best tasting things of all time. Clyde's has me beat, but it's definitely up there!!

Servings: 4

2 pounds of butternut squash ( Use 2 halves that were pre-peeled, much easier)
1/3 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground peppercorns (or ground pepper, either one will work)
2/3 tablespoons EVOO
1/2 of a large sweet onion (Walla Walla and Vidalia are in season)
2/3 of a shallot
1 whole garlic head (*roasted and chopped)
2/3 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz. can) drained
2 2/3 tablespoons dry sherry
1 2/3 cups vegetable broth (plus some


Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Brush the squash with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven until browned and fork tender (about 35-45 minutes) . Mash into smallish pieces, set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and shallot and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add the tomatoes and sherry. Boil until almost all liquid evaporates.

Add the squash and stir in 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer to heat and incorporate the flavors, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Pureé the soup with a food processor until very smooth. Stir in cream. Bring soup to a simmer, uncovered, and cook until thickened. If the soup is too thick, add vegetable stock. Serve in a soup bowl and, if desired, garnish with a piece fresh thyme.

*Roasted Garlic Tip - I found it easiest to peel all of the garlic pieces, put them in a sheet of aluminum foil and drizzle EVOO and salt and pepper over them. Close up the top of the foil (sort of in the shape of a hershey's kiss) and roast for 15-20 minutes with squash, then chop when finished.

A side-dish to Warm Your Tummy

1 Acorn Squash, halved
2 pats of butter
2 teaspoons of honey or maple syrup - I used maple syrup
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
Salt & pepper

Pre heat oven to 375 - 400 degrees F

Scoop the seeds out of each half with a spoon
Add 1 pat of butter, 1 teaspoon of honey or maple syrup, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, salt and pepper to the hollow scoop of each half.
Place upright on a greased cookie sheet and roast for about 1 hour or until tender when flesh is poked with a fork.

This is a delicious, quick and easy side dish that is great anytime of the year.

Faux Cheese Fries

Really flavorful, not as fatty....

2 pounds sweet potatoes, skin on, sliced into 1/4-inch by 2 1/2-inch sticks
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon seasoning salt
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Put sliced sweet potatoes in a large bowl. Drizzle the olive oil over and toss with the seasoning salt and paprika until well coated.

Place sweet potatoes on a wire rack on a cookie sheet and roast in the oven until crunchy, about 25 minutes (I don't have a wire rack, so I put them on a cookie sheet lined w/ foil).

Remove from the oven and toss in a medium bowl with the Parmesan until well coated. Return to wire rack placed on cookie sheet and return to the oven. Bake until the cheese is melted. Remove and serve warm.

My Thanksgiving Dishes - Spinach Artichoke Dip w/ Homemade Tortilla Chips

This recipe takes a little bit of time to make, more so than typical dips, but its so yummy and worth it. Every year I say I am not making the chips again and will buy them at the store, but alas, I always end up doing it.

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 cup flour 2 cups milk

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)

1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese (about 2 ounces)

1 cup chopped onions

1 (10-ounce) bag of fresh spinach, stemmed, rinsed and chopped

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

2 cans of artichoke hearts, julienned

Salt and cayenne

10-15 small corn tortillas, cut into fourths

Vegetable oil for frying

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Preheat the fryer.

Combine 1/4 cup of the vegetable oil and flour, in a sauce pan over medium heat. Stir the mixture constantly for 5 to 6 minutes for a blond roux (be careful not to burn). Whisk in the milk and bring the liquid up to a boil. Season the liquid with salt and cayenne. Simmer the liquid for 5 to 6 minutes, or until its thick and coats the back of a spoon. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the cheeses. Set the sauce aside.

In a saute pan, heat the remaining vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions and saute for 2 minutes. Stir in handfuls of spinach at a time, until all the spinach is incorporated. Add the garlic and artichoke and saute for 2 minutes. Season the vegetables with salt and cayenne. Remove the vegetables from the heat and turn into a mixing bowl.

Fold the Bechamel sauce into the vegetables. Turn the mixture into a baking pan. Bake the dip for 10-15 minutes, or until the top is golden brown (I always have to cook mine longer).

Fry the tortilla chips, batches at a time, for about 2 to 3 minutes or until the chips are golden and crispy (make sure they have enough oil to crisp the chips, but not too much so they're chewy). Remove from the oil and drain on a paper-lined plate. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve the chips with the dip

My Thanksgiving Dishes - Broccoli Casserole

This will be my fourth Thanksgiving making this casserole. Its a big hit and really easy. Depending on the amount of guests in attendance on Turkey Day, I usually double the recipe. I got the recipe from my mom - not sure where she got it.

1 pkg frozen broccoli or fresh (I use both)
1 can mushroom soup
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c. mayonnaise (I use lite)
1 beaten egg
1/4 c. milk (I use skim)
1/4 c. dry bread crumbs

Topping: bread crumbs and 1 TBSP butter.

Cook and drain broccoli. Stir cheese and soup. Gradually add milk, mayo and egg. Stir until well blended. Pour over broccoli in a 10x6 baking dish. Cover w/ topping. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Its okay if you cook it longer than 45 min, you can't really screw it up.

Gnudi (Italian for "nude")

This gnudi recipe, courtesy of our favorite, Giada De Laurentiis, is so simple and delicious. To me its reminiscent of gnocci or ravioli, but without the potato/pasta. So its like the filling without the outside. The recipe makes a large amount, so I prepare the mixture, then only cook what I am going to eat that meal and put the rest in the fridge to make the rest of the week.


1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese (I used lite)
1 pound frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup grated Parmesan
2 eggs 2 egg yolks (you have to use the exact amount, or else they won't stick together properly)
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (I of course, don't use freshy grated)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus 1 cup for coating
1 jar store bought marinara sauce, heated

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

In a large bowl, mix ricotta, spinach, parmesan cheese, eggs, and yolks. Stir in nutmeg, salt, pepper, and flour. Form mixture in to small, flattened balls.

Dredge the formed gnudi in flour to coat, tapping off the excess. Carefully slide formed gnudi into the boiling water. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan; work in batches if necessary.

Cook gnudi for about 4 minutes and remove from pan with a slotted spoon after they have floated to the top.

Drizzle with marinara sauce and enjoy!

...Jack-O-Lanterns Inspire a Risotto with Flair!

Pumpkin Risotto

- 2 lbs pumpkin peeled and cut into 1/3 inch cubes (you can purchase baking pumpkins at Whole Foods)

- 1/4 cup olive oil

- 1/2 tbs honey, plus extra to drizzle

- 3 ½ cups vegetable stock

- 1 onion chopped

- 2 celery stalks

- ¾ inch piece ginger, grated

- 1 cup aborio rice (risotto)

- 2/3 cup white wine

- Juice of 1/2 lemon

- 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus extra to garnish

- 2 tbs mascarpone, plus extra to serve

Preheat oven to 425 Lay pumpkin cubes in an even layer on a large baking tray and drizzle with 2 Tablespoons of oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes, then remove and drizzle with 1/2 Tablespoon of honey, tossing well to coat each piece. Roast for a further 15 mins until cooked and golden.

Place stock in a sauce pan and keep at a simmer over low heat. Heat remaining tablespoon of oil in a large heavy based pan over low heat. Add onion and stir for 2-3 minutes until soft. Add celery and cook for 1 minute, stirring to coat grains. Increase heat to medium-low, add wine and cook until absorbed. Add stock a ladleful at a time, allowing each to be absorbed before adding the next. Continue for 15 mins or until rice is cooked but still firm to the bite.

Add lemon juice, pumpkin and parsley. Season, then stir in mascarpone. Serve with a dollop of mascarpone, a drizzle of honey and extra parsley.