Acorn Squash and Pear Soup

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
2 medium acorn squash, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
4 medium firm pears, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 celery ribs, thinly sliced
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried sage leaves
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 carton (48 ounces) chicken broth

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the first nine ingredients; toss to coat. Transfer to a greased shallow roasting pan. Roast at 375° for 1-1/4 hours or until squash is tender, stirring occasionally.

Cool slightly. In a food processor, process squash mixture with broth in batches until smooth. Transfer to a Dutch oven; heat through, stirring occasionally.

Comments:
I halved this one as well because we're just two people here. We can only eat so much. Anyway, the worst part of this recipe is the squash. Holy hell, those are a pain in the ass to peel and chop up! Once that hurdle is cleared it's easy sailing. The house smelled heavenly as the mixture roasted. I took it out a little shy of the 1 1/4 time as it was beginning to get kind of crispy on the edges. It's got a sweet overtone from the pears but overall it's really good. I did add a few good grinds of black pepper to my bowl and I cooked up some crusty rolls for dipping.

Chicken & Pear Panini

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs
Salt and pepper
2 onions, thinly sliced (about 3/4 pound)
1 pear, cored and thinly sliced
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
4 dinner rolls, preferably poppy seed, split

Directions:
1. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add to the skillet and cook, turning occasionally, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to a plate. Let cool slightly before thinly slicing.

2. In the same skillet, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper and cook until golden, about 7 minutes. Stir in the pear and cook until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and toss with the chicken and cheese.

3. Divide the chicken mixture among the rolls. Using a panini press, cook the sandwiches according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Comments:
These were really good. A nice blend of flavor and texture. Adam didn't like that I cut the pear up a little to fit the buns. Other than that he was on board with these too. I'll definitely make these again.

Rosemary-Dijon Roast Pork with Autumn Fruit Compote

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
For the pork
1 (2 1/2-lb.) boneless pork loin roast, trimmed
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

For the fruit
4 (3") fresh rosemary sprigs
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed
1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 Bartlett pears, peeled and sliced
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup fresh cranberries

Directions:
Roast Pork
Pat pork roast dry with paper towels. Sprinkle or rub roast with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Brown pork roast on all sides, about 5 minutes total. Place roast on a rack in a lightly greased roasting pan.

Combine mustard and 2 Tbsp. rosemary; spread onto browned pork.

Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45 to 55 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in center of roast registers 155°. Cover with aluminum foil, and let stand 10 minutes or until thermometer registers 160° before slicing.

Fruit Compote
Place rosemary and crushed peppercorns in a small square of cheesecloth; tie to secure. Place cheesecloth bag, orange juice, and next 6 ingredients in a large saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 8 minutes or until apple and pear are almost tender. Remove from heat, and let cool to room temperature. Remove and discard cheesecloth.

Comments:
Obviously I went with thick-cut pork chops rather than a roast. I couldn't find any small roasts and didn't want a ton of leftovers. Not being a pork enthusiast, I only ate half of one chop. It was ok, but nothing to yell from the rooftops about. The fruit compote was wonderful. I couldn't find fresh cranberries so I used Craisins instead. I'm thinking this probably made it a bit sweeter than it should have been, but it was still good. And I even ate the raisins.