Fall Party at Restaurant Ramstack

Good afternoon, Chef Jake here. I just wanted to share two great new recipes we made, Beef & Butternut Squash Chili and Chicken & Vegetable Soup. We recently had the family over for a Fall Party and these soups were a hit.  

Let's start with the Beef & Butternut Squash Chili, you will need: 

1 pound extra-lean ground beef

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 (14.5-ounce) cans Mexican-style stewed tomatoes, chopped

1 (16-ounce) can chili beans

1/2 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 cup low-sodium beef broth

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1 cup frozen corn kernels 

Do you know the easiest way to chop an onion? First cut the onion lengthwise and crosswise on one end, but don't go all the way to the end - this will keep it all together. 

Then when you turn it around, you can slice through and all the pieces are nicely chopped! 

Take a break to clean the little butternut squash that falls on your shoe. 

Here are the directions:

Cook beef, bell pepper, onion, and garlic in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain well, and return to Dutch oven.

Stir in tomatoes and next 5 ingredients; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Stir in corn, and cook, uncovered, 15 minutes or until squash is tender and chili is thickened. View a printable recipe here. 

The second recipe is the Chicken & Vegetable soup, posted by blogger, Honey & Jam. You will need: 

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 medium carrots, cut into cubes

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 pinches of red-pepper flakes

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

5 1/4 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock

1 1/2 cups water

2 Yukon Gold potatoes (about 12 ounces), cut into cubes

about 3 cups of fresh spinach

1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 whole chicken, roasted and shredded

Directions: 

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat. Cook onion, , carrots, garlic, red-pepper flakes, and 1 teaspoon salt, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add stock and water, and bring to a boil.

2. Add potatoes. Return to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, until they are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in spinach, chicken and chickpeas, and return to a boil. Stir in lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

What a great time celebrating the Fall season with family and hearty soup.

Speaking of all things Fall, have you tried the Pumpkin Pie Blizzard at DQ yet? Don't judge, it's awesome.