Secret Recipe Club: Chicken and Vegetable Cobbler

So.
It's time again for the Secret Recipe Club!  When last we left our heroine, she was once again eating carbs and enjoying Pumpkin Muffins.  This month, I took a slightly different tact when looking for a recipe.
The blog I was assigned was one that I am familiar with because we've been involved in other projects together.  I was pleased to have a chance to explore Adventures in All Things Food written by Andrea.  Andrea lives on a farm, has really cute kids, and is crafty.  But she does also cook.
I decided that I didn't want to be just baking again this month.  I mean, I love to bake, and with Andrea's participation in #BundtBakers there were some amazing cakes to choose from (including my favourite cake, Pineapple Upsidedown Cake; or how about Rum Rocky Road??)  But I decided that I wanted to make an entree, so I searched chicken, and came up with something yummy.
When I first told J I wanted to make a chicken cobbler, he looked at me a little oddly.  Like myself, I reserve the use of the word "cobbler" for a fruit dessert.  But with this casserole chock full of chicken and vegetables under a crispy topping, baked in the dish that I would normally make the fruit dish, I am more than willing to make an exception.  But whatever.  When the weather won't warm up, this was a welcome dinner.  On a miserable and drizzly night, we were warmed from the inside out.
I present to you now from Adventures in All Things Food, Chicken and Vegetable Cobbler:

#FreshTastyValentines: Tex-Mex Stuffed Butternut Squash

So.

One of the promises that I made to J with his new healthy eating outlook was that I would cook 1 meatless dinner a week.  This was probably one of my less popular promises, seeing as my husband is big on meat.  Big.  As in if I cooked it 3 times a day he'd be all good.
But I went looking for some dishes that contained more beans and less animal protein on my favourite source for such things - Pinterest.  I even created a new board so that I could find things more easily.  This is one of the first things I pinned, knowing full well how much my husband wouldn't be in favour.
While J likes way more vegetables than I do, he's not a fan of squash - except as pumpkin in baked good form.  I like it, but never cook it as a result.  However, I had high hopes for this as really the squash was a vehicle for the Tex-Mex flavours that J is a fan of.  I was wrong.  It's too bad, really; seeing as this is delicious.  I made the stuffing for 4 (I didn't want to use half a can of black beans and have half a can leftover) and took it to work for lunch for a few days afterwards.  It's filling, and so, so good.
I scraped my squash half clean.  J?  Well, he ate the filling and said it was good.  I personally would recommend both.  I present to you now from Life Tastes Good, Tex-Mex Stuffed Butternut Squash:

#FreshTastyValentines: Tomato Tart

So.

Welcome to #FreshTastyValentines, a week's worth of recipes that are healthier for tempting those you love!  I'm thrilled to have joined with the other bloggers and our sponsors for a fun event!

My first recipe is from Rachael's blog, Pizza Rossa, who happens to be my Secret Recipe Club partner this month.  I couldn't just feature one of the recipes from her lovely blog - I featured a second that was a perfect entree for in which we didn't miss the meat.
I have made a similar tart to this in my preblogging days, but it used sliced tomatoes and minced garlic.  I was intrigued by the idea of roasting the tomatoes and garlic first.  Plus with basil and lots of cheese, how could this possibly be bad?
I present to you now from Pizza Rossa, Roasted Tomato Tart:

Secret Recipe Tailgate Bonus: Chicago Style Pizza

So.
I've been busy this month with Secret Recipe Club.  My regular Group A post, I picked up an orphan, and now a bonus party for the fifth Monday of the month.  Then next week, September is in full swing, and I'm posting with Group A once again.  Whew.
The premise of Secret Recipe Club is simple:  a group of foodie bloggers, all choosing a recipe from each other's assigned blogs, posting simultaneously.  There are 4 groups, but what happens when there's a fifth Monday?  Up until now, nothing.  But Sarah, our fearless leader thought that we could have some fun with a club-wide party for those interested.  We'd pick a theme, be assigned a blog, and make something for the theme.  This one is perfect for heading into fall.
Tailgating is a proud tradition involving lots of food, lots of alcohol, and the occasional sporting event.  Often, they take place in a parking lot while waiting for said event to happen.  J and I tailgate 7 or 8 Saturdays every fall, usually in the front seat of our car in Ann Arbor with Zingerman's Grab and Go Tailgate bag lunches before heading into the Big House to join the faithful (in case you ever want to try these...I recommend Benno's Birdie as a sandwich.  It's delicious!)
Weekends that the Wolverines are away, we start watching Game Day in the morning and usually turn off the TV around midnight (yes, we are that family) while eating a large breakfast and then finger foods in the evening.  I'll make wings, like I am this coming weekend; or nachos.  Sometimes, I'll make a hot baked dip.  Or sometimes, I'll make pizza.
I was assigned Wendy's blog, A Day in the Life On the Farm.  She and I both participated in Camilla's #TenDaysofTailgate last year, so I knew there would be lots of fun recipes that I might be able to use.  Ultimately, I made something I would never make for a true tailgate, but I would make for a long day of football, lounging, and too much food.
Wendy spent a year posting pizzas.  I found one that sounded good, and when I went back to look at her source material I discovered that this pizza was to mimic the absolutely delicious Chicago pizza of Pizza Papali's in Detroit.  While my favourite will be from the Pizza House in Ann Arbor, Pizza Papali's is darn good.  I was sold.  It's even meatless to boot.  Don't tell J.
I present to you now from A Day in the Life On the Farm, Chicago Style Pizza:

Mile High Vegetable Pie

So.
My mom is here for a few days.  We've been doing the family thing the last few days:  my mom's brothers and spouses, my cousins and spouses and their kids here; and then my mom and her brothers and cousins out for lunch a couple of days later.  With big family groups, we do a lot of potluck.  But with my mom staying here, we try a lot of new things.
My mother and I are both believers in having company and trying new recipes.  If it works, you're a genius, and if you don't, well...you have a funny story later and people to help you hide the evidence in the present.  So it's not a surprise when my mom comes that we try new recipes that we probably wouldn't try with 2 of us at home.
I know I've said it before, but I'm a big fan of the Podleski sisters and their wildly successful series of cookbooks, Looneyspoons.  Their recipes are fun, made with pantry staples, and delicious.  While their original cookbook is now somewhat outdated in terms of nutrition trends, the recipes are solid.  They're low in fat, and often with a few tweaks are something that we enjoy.
I don't tweak a lot of recipes without trying them once.  One should, I believe, trust the process of the author.  But in this case, when I read 2 cups of mushrooms, there was no way they'd be going into my main course; and I don't keep reduced fat butter or margarine, nor do I use egg substitute.  Tweaking was necessary.
This is exactly what the title suggests:  lots of vegetables on a crust.  With a little egg and cheese to hold it together, how could that be bad?
I present to you now from the Looneyspoons gals, Mile High Vegetable Pie:

Classics: Dill Pickles

So.
I posted a picture on Facebook of the enormous bag of cucumbers that I bought at the Farmers Market this past Tuesday.  I think it was a bushel.
Every summer, my one canning project is making dill pickles using the same recipe my mom uses.  It's simple and forgiving.  I'm not really sure why I started, but I know it was after J and I got married, but I've done it every summer since; even the summer we moved. J is obviously a fan, or I wouldn't bother with something this time consuming that only I eat.  I also make these as Christmas gifts, so buying 23 lbs of baby cucumbers might not seem so crazy.
That's right.  23 pounds.  No one needs that many cucmbers.  I ended up having a friend take some.
One thing that that picture on Facebook did was have a whole bunch of my friends ask if the pickles are crunchy (I think so), and would I share the recipe (yes).
I present to you now from the Mary Moore Cookbook Dill Pickles:

Bride of Magazine Challenge: Glazed Shallots

So.
I'm still making posts for things I made last year.  Sigh.  My excuse on this one is that these little gems graced our Christmas Dinner table.  I didn't really blog much between then and the end of the year.
I've made these and another onion side in the past year.  In both cases, J wasn't convinced that they were going to be good.  In both cases, he was pleasantly surprised.  Frankly, in terms of this recipe, so was I.
I'm not much of a sweet and sour girl.  I really don't think sweet things belong in an entree course.  But I thought these sounded good and they helped to fulfill my quota for Year 2 of the Magazine Challenge.
The biggest challenge?  Peeling a whole pound of shallots.  They're small and fiddly.  Martha did, however, have a tip for peeling them that did make decidedly short work of them.  Soak the shallots in warm water until the skins are wrinkled and cracked.  Then slip them off with a paring knife.  It didn't take me long that way!
I present to you now from the December 2006 issue of Everyday Food, Glazed Shallots:

Bride of Magazine Challenge: Classic Tomato Soup

So.
You know why I do so well with the March issue of Everyday Food for the Magazine Challenge?  Because I'm home and can plan for making things that might take a little longer than usual, and because the number of meals I'm making suddenly doubles.  Obviously, I need to work from home to make my hobby easier to complete.
I haven't been making as much soup recently.  I don't know why not, but I haven't.  I love soup for lunch - it's quick, it's easy, and there are so many varieties.  I was a little confused as to why there would be both oil and butter in the recipe, but the roux is what helps thicken this up and make it more like the tomato soup that we know from a can.
But it's better than the can - it's not as sweet.  And there's more texture.  And flavour.  Have I sold you on making it yourself?  I hope so.
I present to you now from the March 2006 issue of Everyday Food, Classic Tomato Soup:

Magazine Challenge: Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Apple

So.
I post this today in honour of American Thanksgiving.  I made these for Canadian Thanksgiving in October, and they were well received.  I was serving enough things that J would be skeptical about that I decided to cook a vegetable that he likes and I'm not quite so sure about.  Brussel sprouts.
I have to admit, if I'm not sure about a vegetable, the best thing to do is roast it.  The only people who were skeptical about these were my friend's 2 girls.  But they're often skeptical about what I cook when their family comes for dinner.
While there's no time to make them for Thanksgiving this year, there's always Christmas.  Or Tuesday.
I present to you now from the November 2005 issue of Everyday Food Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Apple:

New and Different Side: Crispy Parmesan Asparagus Sticks

So.
I haven't been cooking.  The past couple of weeks have had me losing my mind, and I'm pretty sure the roller coaster is going to continue until school is over.  My back yard is all torn up as we have stairs installed in our pool, along with a new liner.  My cat is shedding like there's no tomorrow, and it's cold.  Bah.
But the last nice weekend that we had, we used our new grilling toys and I needed a side.  I chose this off of Pinterest as something different to go with the kebabs.
J and I both like asparagus.  Usually, I roast it in the oven in a little olive oil, or grill it with a little olive oil.  I'm not super creative when it comes to side or vegetables.  Sometimes, I make the asparagus saute with sausage.  Then asparagus season ends, and we wait until the price is reasonable again.  I will need to add this to the rotation.  Next year.  When the asparagus sprouts again.
I present to you now How Sweet Eats' Crispy Parmesan Asparagus Sticks:

Pinned: Garlic Parmesan Roasted Brussel Sprouts

So.
I feel like vegetables much like J feels about fruit.  I like a few specific things, and I'm not adventurous.  Most weeks, I buy broccoli in the winter.  In the spring, we eat a lot of roasted asparagus.  If I had my way, we'd eat mostly frozen corn and green beans with a few frozen green peas for variety.
J likes all vegetables - he'll eat any I put on his plate other than squash and sweet potatoes.  So this week when we went to the grocery store, brussel sprouts were on sale.  For whatever reason, I have been pinning brussel sprout recipes.  I decided to see whether or not I liked them.
I present to you now Joy in the Jumble's Garlic Parmesan Roasted Brussel Sprouts: