A Fresh Thanksgiving Side dish {Fresh Brussels Sprout Hash with Caramelized Shallots}

It is upon us...Thanksgiving Day.  The Thanksgiving table seem to be laden with carb-heavy selections: dressing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and rolls. Even the traditional vegetable sides can be heavy - green bean casserole, I'm looking at you. Factor in the longing for sameness and comfort of the holiday and it can be difficult to make a change to the menu. When Mama passed the turkey leg baton to me several years ago and I was charged with hosting the holiday, I decided to make a few slight changes to the menu. Sort of like the old rhyme about friends "make new dishes, but keep the old; one is silver the other gold." One of the first things I added into our menu rotation that, actually, has become a regular member of the menu is this wonderful brussels sprouts dish. It sort of straddles the line between classic Thanksgiving fare and something fresh. Even if you think you're not a brussels sprouts fan, you should give this one a try - since they are treated here like the tiny cabbages they are and prepared using a saute, you will avoid the usual smell associated with cruciferous vegetables and instead enhance the nuttiness of these morsels.

Brussels Sprouts Hash with Caramelized Shallots

(adapted from Molly Stevens)

• 6 Tbsp butter,divided
• 1/2 lb shalots, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 4 tsp sugar
• 1.5 lbs brussels sprouts, trimmed
• 3 tbsp bacon drippings (aka bacon grease)
• 1 C water

1. Melt 3 tbsp butter in medium skillet over med heat. Add shallots; sprinkle with a bit of coarse salt & pepper to taste. Saute until soft and golden (about 10 minutes) add vinegar and sugar. Stir until browned and glazed (about 3 minutes more)
2. Halve brussels sprouts lengthwise & then cut into thin (1/8in) shreds. Heat bacon grease in a large skillet over med-hi heat. Add sprouts; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute until browned at edges (about 6 min). Add 1 cup water and 3 tbsp butter. Saute until most of the water evaporates & sprouts are tender, but still bright green (about 3 minutes) 
3. Stir in cooked shallots and serve. 

If you are not a bacon grease kind of a person, you should be you can sub in olive oil for the saute of the brussels sprouts. But, the bacon grease will give a smokiness to the dish that is delicious.  I first shared this last year on the TGK facebook page and have since had a couple of requests for the recipe. So, here it is - to be added to the catalog of recipes here. As I said, I hope you give it a whirl this Thanksgiving and maybe it will earn a permanent place in your menu, too.

Happy Cooking!
sld

Farmers' Market Friday - Fending Off the Buzzards {Easy Autumn Appetizers}

Just in case you hadn't noticed, Thanksgiving will be upon us in about 3 weeks. Menu planning will begin in earnest around the TGK soon. I have a stable of tried-and-true-cannot-vary-recipes that will always appear on the menu, but I do also like to play around with a few of the sides. Some of my new introductions have made their way into the regulars list and others, well, let's just say, we should never speak of them again. Regardless of what you are making for your feast, one thing is certain, folks get hungry and start circling like buzzards around the kitchen. They just hope you won't be looking when they nab that little morsel of crispy skin from the turkey as it rests or the missing spoonful of mashed potatoes from the serving dish. 

Of course, the last thing anyone wants to do is *add* work to the already full day of cooking. But, a really great way to keep the pests hungry on-lookers away is to serve up some appetizers. Simple, yet tasty, is the key here. The following are two such items that will keep your guests happy and keep you sane in the kitchen.

Items from the market: 

• Brazos Valley Brie
• Pumpkin Pecan Butter from Star Farmers Market
• Watermelon Radishes from Star Farmers Market

Baked Brie with Pumpkin Pecan Butter

• 1 quarter wheel wedge of brie
• 1 jar of pumpkin pecan butter

1. Heat oven to 350F. 
2. Slice cheese very close to the top rind to make a thin "lid".
3. Spread a generous amount of pumpkin pecan butter over the bottom cut part of the cheese. Replace lid on top.
4. Place cheese on an oven proof baking dish and pop into the oven for about 5-7 minutes until soft and melty. (from the photos, you can see what happens when you get distracted and go a bit longer - super runny, completely delicious, but not so photo lovely).
5. Serve with hearty crackers of your choice or even sliced fall apples.

Watermelon Radishes with European Butter and Sea Salt

One of the great things about the farmer's market is that you will find varieties of common vegetables that you won't see at the standard supermarket. Case in point, the watermelon radish. This heirloom variety of the daikon radish is noted for its creamy to pale green exterior and lovely pink hued center. They are tender, crisp and firm. Their flavor is mild with a slightly peppery taste (which, Farmer Terry reports can be diminished by peeling them.) They range in size from a golf ball to soft ball and are great served fresh or cooked; hot or cold. For our purposes, raw and cold is the order of the day for this very traditionally French presentation of a light snack.

• 1 (or more) bunches of watermelon radishes (depending upon size); sliced to 1/4"thickness
• European-style butter (available at most local HEB stores, it has a tangy flavor and higher milk fat content and is a perfectly matched topping here)
• sea salt

1. Wash radishes well. Slice as directed. 
2. Serve with a dish of butter and sea salt.
3. Diners should smear a bit of butter on the radish slice, sprinkle with sea salt and enjoy.
4. If desired, you can also serve this with a nice round cracker and have folks top their cracker with the radish, etc. but honestly, the buttered radishes on their own are surprisingly delicious. 

I hope that having these 2 easy appetizers in your arsenal will help with your Thanksgiving menu planning and also will help avoid any sneaky buzzards from hitting the main attractions before its time!

Happy Cooking!

sld

Farmers' Market Friday - Treats not Tricks {Everything in a Pumpkin}

One Halloween, when I was about 10 years old or so, my mother found a recipe in a magazine that entailed stuffing a pumpkin with a bunch of stuff (including ground beef) and putting it in the oven to cook while the family was out trick or treating. The goal was that when you returned from the fun, the dinner would be complete in the cooked pumpkin. Well, that recipe was an atrocity. What resulted was a soupy, foul mess - in a pumpkin. We ended up having grilled cheese that night and that pumpkin was thrown out in the brush for the for the foxes and other animals to come and have at it. It was definitely more of a trick than a treat!

So, last year when my good friend, KPQ, raved about an "everything in a pumpkin" recipe from a Dorie Greenspan cookbook that we both own, I was skeptical. In fact, I was so scarred from that first foray into pumpkin cooking that I wouldn't even consider another go. This year, the Greenspan recipe resurfaced yet again as a can't miss recipe. Considering the pumpkin-palooza at the farmers' market, and that this recipe didn't include ground beef, I decided to give it a whirl.

I can happily report that I'm glad I finally gave in after some 30 years or so. This one is a real treat and certainly something you'd be happy to come home to after trick or treating or anytime on your fall table.

Items from the market:

• pie pumpkin
• country bread of your choice
• bacon
• cheese 

Everything in a Pumpkin

(adapted from Dorie Greenspan)

• 1 pumpkin (about 3 lbs)
• 1/4 lb crusty bread, cut into 1/2"chunks
• 1/4 lb cheese, cut into 1/2"chunks (I used Gruyere, but found it overpowering for the delicate flavors of the rest of the dish - I would try a milder Gouda or even a Cheddar or mixture)
• 4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 lb bacon, cooked crisp and chopped
• 1/4 C green onions, sliced thinly
• about 1/3 C heavy cream

1. Before heating oven, place your pumpkin on a baking sheet and into the oven to test for size/placement of the oven racks. Move racks as needed to ensure pumpkin will fit and not hit the top heating element. Remove pumpkin and while preparing it for cooking, heat oven to 350F.
2. Using a sharp knife,carefully cut the cap off of the top of the pumpkin like you would if you were going to carve a jack o'lantern. Be sure to make a large enough opening to allow you to clean out all of the pumpkin seeds and strings. Once you've cleaned out the pumpkin and the cap, season the inside of the pumpkin with salt and pepper.
3. Place pumpkin on a parchment or foil lined, rimmed baking sheet.
4. Toss bread cubes, cheese, garlic, green onions and bacon together in a large bowl. Pack this mixture into the pumpkin. The pumpkin should be filled to the top. (I had to press my filling in to make it all fit.) If you don't have enough filling, add some more bread and a bit more cheese. Pour the cream into the pumpkin (you don't want your mixture to be floating in cream, but you do want to make sure the bread gets moistened - you'll need to eyeball this and add just enough cream.)
5. Put the cap on the pumpkin and bake it for 2 hours (check on it at the 90 minute mark) Once everything in the pumpkin is bubbly and the shell of the pumpkin is soft (can be pierced easily) it is almost ready. Remove the cap during the last 20 minutes of cooking to allow the excess liquid to bake off and the top of the stuffing can get a crusty brown layer. 
6. Once complete, carefully remove from the oven.(it will be a little unwieldy to remove from the oven).
7. Serving suggestions: 1) you can slice wedges of the pumpkin as is and serve. 2) stir the whole thing together mixing the cooked pumpkin flesh into the stuffing mixture and serving with a spoon. - we served in wedges and enjoyed that.

This dish definitely changed my attitude about stuffed pumpkin dishes. I will definitely do this one again, with the only change being the type of cheese I use. As I said, we found the Gruyere to be a bit too pungent and would prefer a creamier, more mild flavor to go with the sweetness of the pumpkin and the saltiness of the bacon. This is a great fall dish and I hope you give it a try!

Happy Cooking!

sld

Disclosure: I was invited by Wolf Ranch Farmer's Market to visit and meet the vendors and was provided Market Money with which to purchase ingredients for use in the Farmers' Market Friday posts.  I was not compensated to write this article and all opinions are my own.

Farmers' Market Friday - Last Minute Ideas {Sweet Potato & Arugula Risotto}

I was stuck for something to make for dinner the other night. Usually when that happens, I search the fridge for what vegetables I have on hand, defrost some meat and make up something on the fly. This time, however, I relied more on the pantry. We just recently got a new fridge, and, in the process of restocking it and rearranging the pantry in an entire kitchen edit, I was keenly aware of what I had on hand. 

To be honest, risotto isn't one of my go-to items. I've only made it once before, and I'm not entirely sure why. I think there is an unfair idea that it is hard to make or takes a lot of babysitting which might just keep it out of the top spots for things to make in a hurry. But, truly, it isn't that hard, and takes just about 30 minutes or so to make, so I think it will be more of a go-to dish around here in the fall and winter.

The basic method of making risotto (a Northern Italian rice dish in which rice is cooked in broth to a creamy consistence) remains the same regardless of your flavorings and additional ingredients; you cook rice (classically, the arborio variety) slowly, gradually adding broth so that the rice kernel expands, the outer layer dissolves and the whole thing takes on a luxurious, creamy texture.  This base can take on a whole range of flavor combinations that are limited only by your imagination. 

For my purposes, I wanted to use some leftover baked sweet potato that I had in the fridge and some bright, fresh, peppery arugula that was at the market. The combination was wonderful - sweet and creamy accented with that peppery arugula. It definitely earned a place on the dinner rotation.

From the market: 
Sweet Potatoes
Arugula
Onion
Olive oil

Sweet Potato & Arugula Risotto

serves 4

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 2 C. baked sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 1 C arborio rice (local HEB has store brand available in rice section)
• 3 C chicken broth, heated
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 large handfuls of arugula leaves, rough chopped

1. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over high heat, add onions and cook until soft and glassy. (if they take on a little color, that's okay, too.)
2. Add dry rice grains and stir to ensure that each kernel is coated with oil.
3. Add 1.5 C of hot broth; bring to a boil slowly, then reduce heat to a simmer. As broth is absorbed, add small additional amounts of broth & stir often. (if you have your heat at the right setting, you will not need to stand and stir continuously - steady simmer is what you want and not a rapid one).
4. Cook the rice until it is slightly al dente (still has a little bite) and most of the broth has been absorbed. Add the sweet potato cubes and stir to incorporate. Rice should be creamy. (This process takes about 20 minutes) 
5. Finish risotto by stirring in the butter & cheese & arugula leaves. 
6. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.

There are many risotto variations - pumpkin and butternut squashes are a natural partner to the rice base. You can also do a mushroom variation by skipping the squash and adding sliced mushrooms during the cooking process. So many different options with just one basic cooking method - that's my kind of dish!

Happy Cooking!

sld

Disclosure: I was invited by Wolf Ranch Farmer's Market to visit and meet the vendors and was provided Market Money with which to purchase ingredients for use in the Farmers' Market Friday posts.  I was not compensated to write this article and all opinions are my own.

Farmers' Market Friday - Fall is in the Air {Beer-braised Beef Short Ribs & Garlic Mashed Potatoes}

For a while now (perhaps the past 2 years or so), I've been noticing that beef short ribs are all over the place in cooking magazines and cookbooks. I've been wanting to give them a whirl and the promise of a cool front coming was just the incentive to make it happen. 

Not being well-versed in beef short ribs, (or beef ribs, in general - our family has always been more about the pork ribs than the beef) I decided to do a little research on the cut and how it is generally prepared. According to that research, beef short ribs are cut from the rib and plate primals. Typically, you'll find them in rib strips that are about 8-9 in by 3in and vary from 3-5 in thick. Being ribs, they include about 4 flat bones. These can be cut apart to make individual rib pieces which makes for easier browning, cooking, and serving.They are meatier than their pork counterparts and have a good balance of meat and fat. 

While there are many ways to prepare these short ribs - many cultures grill them - it is that combination of meat and fat (and connective tissues) that make this cut of meat perfect for braising. Braising is a combination of cooking methods that uses both dry and moist heat and relies on three variables, time, heat, and moisture, to break down the collagen in the cut of meat to produce a tender, succulent, fall-off-the-bone deliciousness. Many classic peasant dishes (eg. coq au vin) use slow braising to tenderize a tough, less palatable (and typically, less expensive) meat into something amazing. You might think this sounds complicated but really, if you're a fan of the slow cooker, it is likely that you've employed the technique of braising in your cookery.

After reviewing a passel of recipes for braised short ribs, I had the general gist of the method and set out to make (what I would hope to be) a rave worthy dinner.

Ingredients from the market:

Beef short ribs from Mike Kelley Ranch

Onions

Tomato

Olive Oil

Beer-Braised Beef Short Ribs

• 2 lbs beef short ribs, cut into 1-rib pieces
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 2 ribs of celery, chopped
• 4 medium carrots, sliced into 1/2"thick slices
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 tomato, cored and chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 bottle of dark beer of your choice
• 1 C beef stock
• 1 1/2 C white mushrooms, quartered
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced 
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp flour (all purpose)

1. Preheat oven to 300F.
2. Generously season the rib pieces with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil over high heat. Brown ribs in batches (you want a nice brown crispness. If you over load the pot, they will steam instead of browning nicely). Transfer browned ribs to a rimmed pan or dish.
3. To the hot oil and drippings, add onion, garlic, carrot, celery and tomato. Cook until slightly browned (about 4 minutes or so). Add bay leaf, beef stock and beer. Bring mixture to a simmer. Add ribs back to the Dutch oven (along with any juices that are in the pan or dish.)Once the pot has returned to a simmer, cover and transfer to the oven. Cook until the meat is tender (test with a fork) and about to fall off the bone.(2 1/2 to 3 hours).
4. Once ribs are fall off the bone tender, remove ribs from braising liquid and place in an oven proof dish/pan. Cover and return to a 200F oven to keep warm while you complete the sauce. Using a ladle skim excess fat off of the sauce and then bring the mixture to a simmer; reduce the liquid by 1/4th or so.
5. In a small sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring continuously to create a quick roux (thickener for the sauce). Whisk roux into the reduced sauce and simmer on low for about 5 minutes or so to thicken up the sauce.
6. In a large saute pan, heat remaining olive oil. Add mushroom and green onions and saute until mushrooms brown a bit (about 5 minutes). Add mushrooms and onion mixture to the braising liquid. Place warm ribs back into the braising sauce over low heat until ready to plate.

A dish like this requires a good, hearty foundation - for me, that foundation is garlic mashed potatoes! We usually only have these on Thanksgiving & Christmas for some unknown reason. So, I knew it would be a big treat for the family to find these on the menu.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

• 2 lb yukon gold potatoes, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 C heavy cream
• 1 stick of butter
• 2 tsp salt

1. In a large saucepan, place potatoes and garlic and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat and keep a slow boil to cook potatoes until fork-tender (about 20 minutes).
2. Once potatoes are cooked, drain in a colander and shake to remove as much water as possible. If you have a potato ricer, pass potatoes through it and back into the sauce pan.. Melt butter. Add cream and melted butter to the riced potatoes and then stir to mix well with a large spoon or spatula. Taste for seasoning and add salt to taste. (If you do not have a ricer, add 1/2 the liquid and mix with an electric hand-mixer until smooth. Add rest of liquid and continue to mix until liquid is completely incorporated.)

Putting it all together - 

To serve, dish a generous serving of potatoes into the center of individual plate or large bowl. Top with 2-3 rib pieces and then with a ladle of the thickened braising sauce and vegetables. Serve and enjoy!

My! Oh my! This dish is everything you'd want to welcome fall. Warm, comforting, mashed potatoes topped with fall-off-the-bone, tender meat. The meat itself was fantastically flavored and just soaked up the braising liquid in that long slow cooking. Top that off with the richness and vegetable sweetness of the sauce - enhanced with the mushrooms and onions and you've got quite an impressive meal that (aside from the browning & sauce making) happens in the 3 hours in the oven. The family definitely approved. The funny thing is that while I was cooking this dish, I kept having a feeling of deja vu...a feeling like this is something I've done before, when I surely had not. Upon looking at this dish and getting one whiff, my sweet daughter, T, said, "Is this beef bourguignon?!" *That* was it - so similar in method and ingredients, these beer-braised beef ribs are the Texas cousin to that Fraunchy dish! I highly recommend you give this a try - head out to the market and grab some of those short ribs - it will make for a great "hello fall" meal.

Happy Cooking!

sld

Disclosure: I was invited by Wolf Ranch Farmer's Market to visit and meet the vendors and was provided Market Money with which to purchase ingredients for use in the Farmers' Market Friday posts.  I was not compensated to write this article and all opinions are my own.

More Than an Apple For The Teacher {Roasted Butternut Squash with Caramelized Pear Soup}

I have a soft spot in my heart for educators. Teachers have an increasingly thankless job and yet it is the most important one on the planet. Our local PTA at the elementary school that my son attends (and my daughter attended up until this year when she moved on up to middle school) does a lot in the way of hospitality for the faculty and staff at our school so that we can show them how much they are appreciated. One of the things they organize almost every month is a themed luncheon on site at the school for them. Then, parents can volunteer to send in a dish or dessert that fits that theme so that the teachers, etc can enjoy a buffet during their lunch period.

This month's theme was Soup and Salad. Typically, I send a dessert (see here) and last time they did soup I sent this. After seeing the list of items that were being sent this month, I decided that a delicious vegan offering would be a great addition to the menu that was filled with fabulous sounding things like Taco Soup, Baked Potato Soup, Cheese Soup, Ravioli Soup, etc. The only problem is was that I don't really have a bunch of vegan items in my binder of tried and true recipes. I searched through a few of my favorite vegetable soup recipes and decided that one that we featured during a TGK Cooking Club session could easily be adapted to for a vegan lifestyle. Considering that not a drop was left and I was stopped no fewer than 5 times by teachers commenting on the soup as I visited the campus today, I'd say it was a success!

Roasted Butternut with Caramelized Pear Soup

• 5 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 red Anjou pears, cored and cut into 1/4 in thick slices
• 4 celery stalks, cut into 1/2 in dice
• 2 yellow onions, cut into 1/2 in dice
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 lbs of butternut squash puree (see notes for info)
• 4 C vegetable broth (plus a bit more, if needed)

1. In a large (5 1/2 Qt) Dutch oven, over medium-high, heat 2 Tbsp of the olive oil. Add enough pear slices to form a single layer and cook, turning once, until caramelized on both sides (about 4-5 minutes total - you want a nice browned color, but not burnt). Transfer cooked pears to a plate and repeat to cook the remaining pears.
2. In the same pot, over medium heat, heat the remaining olive oil. Add the celery and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook briefly (about 30 sec or so.) Stir in the squash puree, the 4 cups broth, the pears and salt and pepper (to taste). Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes more.
3. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Add more broth or water if needed to reach the desired consistency of the soup. Ladle into bowls and enjoy!

Notes:

• Butternut Squash Puree: Follow directions seen here. Use the cooked squash (scooped from the shell.) Since the soup will be pureed in the pot, the smoothness and silkiness is less important at the cooking stage.
• If you do not have an immersion blender, I highly recommend you get one. Otherwise, in order to puree the soup, you will need to use a standard blender and transfer batches of hot soup to puree to the blender and place it in a new pot. Continue until all of the soup is pureed taking care to not blow the top off of your blender.
• If you would like to make a variation that is not vegan, make the following substitutions/additions
• butter instead of olive oil (same amounts)
• chicken stock instead of vegetable broth (same amounts)
• use one cup of half & half instead of broth/water to thin soup in step 3.
• To gild the lily:
• Caramelize 2 extra pears and lay slices on top of the individual servings.
• Top individual servings with a few toasted hazelnuts or other toasted nuts of your choice.
• For non-vegans: On a baking sheet, bake 8 oz of thin prosciutto in a 350F oven for about 20 minutes (until crispy) Allow to cool and then use to garnish individual servings.(along with pear garnish - fabulous!)

This soup is just so delicious. It is sweet and savory at the same time and the vegan version is creamy and silky without a touch of dairy. 

Happy Cooking!

sld

The Beet Goes On...{Roasted Beets and Goat Cheese Salad}

So, Texas has funny weather. Not funny "ha-ha" per se, but funny peculiar. The saying goes "If you don't like Texas weather, wait five minutes...it'll change." There is even a whole movie about our crazy Texas weather at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum. Today is sunny and clear and gorgeous and teasing us of spring. But,yesterday was gloomy and overcast, a bit drizzly and (for us) chilly. In addition to the winter weather, I needed to make space for my latest produce pick up from Johnson's Backyard Garden (cannot say enough good things about this CSA.) A root vegetable roast was in order. All of the beets and all of the turnips made their way via separate pans into the oven for a roast. Once they were finished up, the question was what to do with them. Since I am so very ready for Spring to have sprung, I decided to use those beets in one of my favorite ways - a roasted beet and goat cheese salad. This pairing appears in no fewer than 5 of my recipe books, and it is a good one. It uses root vegetables (which I usually think of solely as Fall/Winter fare), in a bright and springy way.  As for those turnips, they are waiting patiently in the fridge, already roasted, for their turn in the spotlight another day.



Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad 
(serves 4)

• 1/4 C balsamic vinegar
• 1-2 Tbsp shallots - minced
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/3 C extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 medium beets, roasted, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
• 6 C salad greens of your choice
• 1/2 C nuts, toasted and chopped (I've used walnuts and pine nuts with good results - pick what you like)
• 1/4 C dried cranberries
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and cubed
• 4 oz. soft fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled (I selected a Honey-flavored goat cheese that was nice with the honey of the dressing, but plain ol' goat cheese will be great too.)

1. Make salad dressing: In a small mixing bowl or pint sized mason jar, whisk together balsamic vinegar, honey, oil and shallots. Season with some salt and pepper to taste. Whisk well until the mixture is emulsified and slightly creamy.
2. In 4 large salad bowls, divide the greens evenly. Add beet pieces. Top with avocado chunks. Sprinkle with cranberries and nuts. Add the cheese crumbles. Drizzle with dressing to suit your liking and serve.

Happy Cooking!

sld

Butternut Squash with Brown Butter Sage Sauce over Pasta

This post was originally published on 1/23/13. The post is short and sweet (and so is the dish - quick to prepare and delightfully sweet from the squash.)

This combination screams Fall and Winter - the sweet squash paired with the sage, nutmeg and hazelnut flavors are classic - a truly seasonal dish.

1 butternut squash (~3lb) (roasted (click link for instructions), peeled and cubed) 

Salt and pepper to taste

1 lb dried pasta, cooked according to directions 

1/2 C unsalted butter

6 large fresh sage leaves torn

1/4 C chopped, toasted hazelnuts or pinenuts (optional)

1/2 C  parmesan cheese freshly grated
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1. When squash is done, cool slightly, peel and cube.

2. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente, then drain well.

3. While the pasta is cooking, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it bubbles. Reduce heat to medium-low, then add sage, and a dash of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, 2 to 3 minutes.(Butter will begin to take on a golden hue.)

4. Add cubed squash to the skillet and cook until squash caramelizes slightly. Add nuts and stir to incorporate. Toss with cooked pasta and serve with Parmesan and nuts and top with a sprinkle of fresh nutmeg.

Note: The roasted squash cubes may start to break apart. Do not be alarmed. This will create a variety of textures in the finished dish.

Happy Cooking!

sld

Butternut Squash

My family favorite winter squash was always Acorn. But, my husband has always favored the Butternut variety....and, for once, after he persuaded me to start cooking it,  I have to agree with him. The deep orange flesh is naturally sweet and delicious. 
I am a huge fan of roasting pretty much every vegetable. It is my cooking method of choice in the winter as it warms up the house, takes no constant attention and is super easy.
Once roasted, the squash can be used in a number of ways - eaten just as is, or used with additional ingredients to create something more complex such as a soup, or accompaniment for pasta.

Basic Roasted Butternut Squash: 

Yes, while pre-peeled and pre-cubed squash can be picked up at most supermarkets, I prefer to deal with the whole thing myself. It really isn't all that difficult and you have a better handle on the safety of the preparation.

• Preheat oven to at least 350 degrees (although you could go as high as 400 depending on how quickly you want to roast the squash)
• Line a roasting pan with foil.
• Wash the squash and cut across into rather large pieces. Then, cut those in half length wise.
• Many will recommend that you peel the squash, but I find cooking then peeling makes this a much simpler process.
• From the "bulb" of the squash, remove the seeds and as much of the stringy part as you can with a spoon. 
• Place all of the pieces cut side down in the pan and add about a 1/4 cup of water.
• Cover pan with foil and place in hot oven. Roast at 350 for about 1 hour. Be sure to test for doneness at the 30 minute mark.  Squash is done when it can be easily pierced with a fork or skewer.
• Notes: at this point, it can be served deliciously with a pat of butter and if you really want to gild the lily, a sprinkle of brown sugar. Even the peel can be eaten on a tender enough squash.(Hello, Fiber!) Or, if you're doing some advance prep for meals later in the week, the cooked squash can be stored in the fridge for use in the next 2-3 days following cooking.

Happy Cooking!

sld