Pork Stew with Butternut Squash and Apples Using Nordic Ware 3 Qt. Dutch Oven #Holidaycooking #MadeinUSA

* I received Nordic Ware products to review and share a recipe. All opinions shared are my own.

The holidays are here and as a busy mom who works full time I am always looking for ways to make fancy dinners easier. Everyone always tells me how great a crock pot is but I do not own a crock pot since I am the sort of person who has a hard time leaving things plugged in and cooking when I leave home. But I have been wanting to find an item that can give me a slow roasted taste to my dishes while I am home doing other tasks, a dutch oven was the perfect solution for my family. I have seen them in stores and have always wanted a Nordic Ware Dutch Oven.

The Nordic Ware 3 Qt. Dutch Oven has been a wonderful addition to my cookware and bakeware collection. The red is beautiful and the cast aluminum pot is sturdy without being heavy like cast iron. It even has a self basting lid! Made in the U.S.A. with lifetime warranty this will be a pot I plan to cook delicious meals in for decades. It is non stick, non rusting with efficient even heating from the cast aluminum built. Make sure to use oven mitts with this cookware as the handles do get extremely hot when using for oven cooking.

The Fall and Winter for me are a time I enjoy cooking the most. When it is cold outside there is nothing like a delicious home cooked meal to bring my family together and warm us up. Most people are cooking turkeys and hams during this time of year so I decided to try a new Pork Stew recipe to serve something different.

I love the flavors of apples and butternut squash together, with that in mind I created a recipe that was simple but tastes amazing.

Recipe:

2-3 lbs of Pork Shoulder
2 Apples
3 Potatoes
1 White Onion
1/4 cup of apple cider
1 Can of Organic No Salt Added Butternut Squash Soup

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Cut into even chunks apples and potatoes, slice onions into long strips. Place pork and apple cider into Nordic Ware 3 Qt. Dutch Oven. Add potatoes, onions and apples. Open can of organic no salt added Butternut Squash soup, add soup on top of ingredients, do not mix. Cover with dutch oven lid, place in oven for 2 1/2 hours. Check to be sure pork is cooked entirely before serving. Enjoy!

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Butternut Squash Soup From Organic Marin Cookbook

I've been seeing all the pumpkins and different kinds of squash in the grocery stores lately, and it inspired me to make some Butternut Squash soup. This soup is such a great one to make on a chilly fall day, and it's also one of my favorites.

This recipe comes from a beautiful book that I bought a few years ago, Organic Marin. It's filled with delicious recipes, and inspiring photos that will make you want to go in the kitchen and start cooking.
I've also seen this at the library, so if you come across it there, be sure and check it out, I know you'll enjoy it.

I just love butternut squash, and use it in lots of recipes during the fall and winter. And it's super healthy for you.

I roasted two squashes, and will freeze the squash from one of them to make soup again in a couple of weeks. It freezes very well, and it's so handy to roast two at the same time.

Pair this with a light salad, and some crusty warm bread for a delicious fall dinner.

Recipe for Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large butternut squash (about 3 pounds) halved and seeded
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
6 cloves garlic
4 thyme sprigs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 shallots, chopped
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Rub the olive oil over the cut sides of the squash and season with 1/4 of the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper. Place the squash, cut side down, on the prepared pan. Tuck the garlic cloves and thyme sprigs under the cavity of the squash. Roast the squash for 50 to 60 minutes, until the squash is soft and caramelized. Remove from the oven and let cool. Reserve the garlic cloves and discard the thyme. Scoop the butternut squash flesh from the skin, coarsely chop and set aside.

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions and shallots for 7 to 10 minutes, until they begin to brown. Add the roasted squash, the reserved garlic cloves, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, until the squash begins to caramelize and stick to the bottom of the pan. Pour in the chicken stock, bring to a boil, then decrease the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Puree the soup until smooth with a hand-help blender or in a food processor. Return to the pan if necessary and stir in the cream. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Serves 6 as a first course.

Recipe For Ground Turkey Soup

The weather has officially turned fall-like, and put me into full soup making mode. There is nothing better than having a delicious pot of soup simmering on the stove on a cold day.

This soup calls for ground turkey, which I use often as a substitute for ground beef. It's healthier, and my family likes it. One of the good things about this Ground Turkey Soup is that it's loaded with veggies, and is a hearty soup, perfect for dinner.

Sometimes I have a small salad with a soup dinner, and some kind of bread, too. I do think you can skip the salad this time, as this soup is very filling. And there should be enough left over for lunch the next day, which is always so nice.

Recipe for Ground Turkey Soup

Ingredients:

1 pound ground turkey

2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) beef broth
2 cups water
1 can (28ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
3 celery ribs, chopped
3 large carrots, sliced
1 large onion, diced
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons dried tarragon
1tablespoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni

Directions:

In a Dutch oven, cook turkey over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add the broth, water, tomatoes, celery, carrots, onions, potatoes, tarragon, garlic powder, parsley, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.

Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain. Stir into soup; heat all the way through.
                                   
Serves 8.

Cheesy Vegetable Soup

I enjoy eating vegetable soup, and it's great for using up the veggies that you have on hand. It's also less expensive to make soup without meat in it, and with today's meat prices, sometimes it's nice to save a few dollars.

This recipe for Cheesy Vegetable Soup has a rich creamy base, made with heavy cream and two cups of cheddar cheese. It's definitely hearty and filling, and paired with a salad and crackers, makes a delicious meal.

Making soup is such a nice thing to do for yourself, or your family, and a pot simmering on the stove is one of my very favorites things about fall.

Recipe for Cheesy Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cans (14-1/2 ounce each) chicken broth
2 cups coarsely chopped broccoli
1 cup chopped carrots
3/4 cup chopped celery
1 small onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 egg yolk
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

In a heavy 4-quart soup pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour. Cook and stir until thick and bubbly, remove from heat. Gradually blend in broth.
Add broccoli, carrots, celery, onion and seasonings. Return to heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
In a small bowl, blend egg yolk and cream. Gradually stir in several tablespoonsful hot soup. Then return the egg-cream mixture to the pot, stirring until slightly thickened. Simmer 15-20 minutes.
Stir in cheese and cook over medium heat until melted.

Serves 6.

Kielbasa Vegetable Soup

I'm really not quite sure what's up with the weather here in Seattle. Normally by this time of year, we have cooled down with cloudy skies and drizzles of rain. Instead, we have been having 80-plus degree weather. And because I like those gray skies, I am more than ready to welcome in fall.

To at least make me feel a little bit like fall is coming, last night I made some great tasting soup. This hearty Kielbasa Vegetable Soup is packed with sausage and veggies, including potatoes, corn, onion, carrots, and celery.

 One of the things I love about making soup is the fact that you can be free to substitute other ingredients if you don't quite have everything on hand. Whatever veggies you choose to put in this soup, they will go beautifully with the rich broth. And the Kielbasa sausage lends a delicious flavor, and makes this meal very filling.

Recipe for Kielbasa Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces fully cooked Kielbasa or Polish sausage, diced
1 small onion, diced
6 medium all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
2 cups frozen, whole-kernel corn
2 cups chicken stock
1 celery stock, diced
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1-1/2 cups milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus extra cheese for on top of soup

Directions:

In a large soup pot, cook kielbasa and onions in olive oil until lightly browned. Transfer to a plate and wipe fat from pan.
Add potatoes, corn, chicken stock, celery, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to pan.Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer, cover, 15 minutes until vegetables are tender.
Add milk, cheese, onions, and sausage. Cook, stirring over low heat until cheese is melted and soup is heated through.

Makes 6 servings.

My Fall Favorite, Apple Bread Pudding With Vanilla Ice Cream

Sometimes I think my favorite thing about fall is the desserts. I mean, who can resist all the apple, pumpkin, and other flavors of the season??

Not me, so yesterday while in the kitchen, I made one of my very favorite desserts, Apple Bread Pudding. I love making bread puddings of all kinds, and apple flavor is one of my grandchildren's favorites.

And of course, that vanilla bean ice cream on top of it is a little piece of heaven.