butternut squash soup

Prep time:  1 hour and 50 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients:
One healthy sized butternut squash
4 tbsp. butter
1 quart vegetable stock (see my previous recipe for this)
2 tbsp. millet flour
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven at 350°. Wash whole squash. Poke holes around the squash with a fork. Bake squash in a baking dish for one hour and twenty minutes, then let cool for 10 minutes. Slice it in halves and scoop out and discard the seeds. Then separate the squash from the skin with the spoon. Puree half the squash to half a quart of the vegetable broth in a blender.  Pour into a stockpot on the stove and put on low. Do the same for the other half of the squash. Add millet flour, salt, and cinnamon. Bring to medium heat. Allow mixture to boil, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes. Reduce heat, then place in bowls and sprinkle with cinnamon.

green and garbanzo beans

Prep time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients:
1 lb. green beans
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. Italian seasoning
1 cup cooked garbanzo beans
Parmesan cheese for garnish

Steam beans for 10 minutes or to your liking. Drizzle with olive oil and mix in salt, garlic, and seasoning. Toss in the cooked garbanzo beans. Plate and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.

veggie stock

Prep time: 60 minutes
Servings: 10

Ingredients:
4 qts. water
3 unpeeled potatoes diced
5 celery stalks sliced
2 large onions chopped or diced
6 unpeeled carrots sliced

Boil water in a stockpot. Add potatoes, celery, onions, and carrots. Cover and simmer for 40 minutes.

For vegetable stock, strain the vegetables out. If you choose to enjoy vegetable soup, leave the vegetables in and add cooked rice or pasta, and salt and pepper to taste.

If you’ve strained the vegetables out, you can use them for vegetable fritters. This should yield a dozen, depending on their size: Mash the cooked vegetables in a large bowl. Add 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs, mix, and shape into small patties. Fry in a skillet with a little bit of oil until brown on each side.

The vegetable stock can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze it.

Stay tuned for recipes where we'll use the stock.

parmesan perch

Prep time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
2 lbs. fresh  caught lake perch
½ cup milk
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
½ cup Parmesan cheese
4 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 lemons sliced
Dried parsley

Preheat oven to 400°. Spread 1½ tbsp. olive oil each in 2 large baking dishes.

Pour milk into large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix bread crumbs and cheese.

Rinse fish and, with a fork, dip piece-by-piece in the milk and then in the bread crumbs. Place into the baking dish skin-side down. Place fish evenly in each baking dish.

Drizzle ½ tbsp. olive oil evenly over the fish in each dish. Then, evenly place the sliced lemon over the fish. Bake for 15 minutes. Broil on low for 5-10 minutes, checking for crispness.

Plate, and garnish with parsley. Salt and pepper to taste.

autumn pancakes

Prep time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
1 batch of your favorite pancake mix
Eggs, oil, and milk (depending on mix)
1 tbsp. cinnamon
2/3 cup quick oats
3 tbsp. flaxseed meal
1/3-cup raisins
Maple syrup
Optional—almonds, walnuts, or pecans

Follow directions on pancake mix. Then add cinnamon, oats, flaxseed meal, and raisins to the mix and cook on a griddle. Plate, and add syrup and nuts to your liking.