Roasted Acorn Squash

Acorn squash is one of those easy-yet-elegant side dishes that is just so good, you think you should be punished for eating it with dinner rather than a dessert.  This winter squash is just beginning to appear on local farmstands and I am happy to welcome it here!

 

Try this method for a simple yet satisfying accompaniment to your next meal.  It is so effortless that with a small head start, you could add this to any weeknight meal for a special touch.

 

  

Roasted Acorn Squash

• 1 acorn squash
• 1 & 1/2 T butter
• 2-3 T brown sugar
• 2 T chopped walnuts

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut acorn squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds, making little bowls.  Place the bowls in a baking dish.

Divide butter in each "bowl" and top with brown sugar.  Add walnuts and roast in center rack of oven for 40-50 minutes.  Don't be afraid, it is hard to overcook this squash!

That's all!  I told you it was easy ;)

 

 

 

Meatless Monday - Roasted Cauliflower Gratin

I am growing terribly upset that summer is almost over.  Though it is still quite hot outdoors, summer vegetables are less abundant.  I love fall veggies but there is nothing quite as bright and ethereal as those produced in June or July.

Making my way through a recent delivery of local, farm-fresh veggies, I pondered what to do with a head of Cauliflower.  A self-proclaimed Gruyere maniac, I thought there would be no better dish suited for this delectable white vegetable.

Roasted Cauliflower Gratin

• 1 medium (about 2 lb.) head cauliflower trimmed and cut into florets
• 2 tsp butter
• 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
• /2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese, divided
• 2 T finely chopped chives
• 1 T canola oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 T all-purpose flour
• 2 cups fat milk
• 1 pinch of nutmeg
• 3 T chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Kosher salt and white pepper

Preheat oven to 400°.

Coat a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray and add florets.  Season with salt and white pepper, toss to distribute.  Bake for 30 minutes, remove from oven and set aside.

Preheat oven to broil.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then remove from heat. Stir in the breadcrumbs. Stir in 1/4 cup of the cheese and all of the chives.

Heat canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add onion to pan; saute 4 minutes or until almost tender.

Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Add flour and stir over heat for a minute to get rid of the raw flour taste.  Gradually whisk in the milk and bring to a boil.  Cook, stirring constantly, until milk has thickened, 3 or 4 minutes. 

Remove from heat and stir in remaining 1/4 cup cheese, parsley, nutmeg, 1/4 tsp of salt and a large pinch of white pepper. Pour milk mixture over cauliflower mixture and top with the cheese mixture.  Broil 3 minutes or until golden brown and thoroughly heated.

Stay tuned for a recipe for another late-summer produce gem appearing in markets across the regions... acorn squash!

Sweet Potato and Swiss Chard Gratin

My New Year's resolution was to eat healthier and also more organically, sustainably, & locally.  My diet has always been on the healthy side, typically organic, and often locally produced, but I just wanted to push myself a little more and rid my kitchen of anything with unpronounceable ingredients shipped from some city in Guam.

So far, I've drastically reduced the amount of meat my fiancé and I consume.  Ryan is Italian and never even considered something to be a meal without meat - and this past weekend he actually SUGGESTED getting a spinach pizza, with no meat!  This is huge!  So far, I'm proud to say that we're on a good track for fulfilling my resolution.  Now is the time for you to remind me we're only 8 days in to 2010...

With a crisper full of veggies (organic and mostly local), I pondered what to make.  Tonight's dinner was going to be a light, tasty meal that will not only be delicious, but nutritious!  I served this gratin alongside of roasted chicken for a delicious, satisfying meal.

When I refer to sweet potatoes in my recipe, do not confuse this with yams.  The yam is not even distantly related to the sweet potato, but a tuber that is much higher in natural sugar than sweet potatoes (generally yielding a much sweeter dish) and have a higher moisture content.  For this recipe, I used the paler, more yellow variety.

Sweet Potato and Swiss Chard Gratin – Serves 4

• 1 small onion, diced

• 3 T butter, divided
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 bunch red-stemmed Swiss chard
• 1 cup milk
• 1 T flour
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 very large sweet potato, sliced into about 1/4" rounds
• 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp parsley
• Salt & Pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat 2 T of butter and the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onions until translucent. Add the Swiss chard to the skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the massive amounts of green leaves shrink down to 1/16th its original size (you won’t believe your eyes!). Remove from heat and strain as much of the liquid out as possible.

To make a béchamel- heat the milk over medium-high heat until bubbling. In the meantime, place 1 T of slightly softened butter into a small bowl and add the flour. Mash with a fork to combine and whisk into the milk until thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Season with nutmeg, salt & pepper.

Spray an 8” x 8” baking dish with cooking spray and layer half of the sweet potatoes on the bottom. Layer with 1/2 of the swiss chard, then 1/3 of the cheese and sprinkle with half of the thyme and parsley. Top with half of the béchamel sauce.

Repeat with remaining potato slices, the remaining swiss chard, 1/3 of the cheese,  thyme and parsley and the rest of the béchamel sauce. Press everything down so that the entire dish is saturated with the béchamel and top with the remainder of the cheese.

Bake for 45-55 minutes, until bubbling and golden-brown on top.

 

 

Smashed Sweet Potatoes with Candied Pecans

Unfortunately, this dish escaped the paparazzi and I have no good photos of just the sweet potatoes. I can tell you, however, that the addition of the candied pecans was good enough to earn me an invitation (with sweet potatoes in tow) to my soon-to-be brother-in-law's for Thanksgiving!

This is a unique way to jazz up those sweet potatoes! "Smashing" the potatoes is not quite mashing them, leaving them soft but chunky.

Candied Pecans

• 1 egg white
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/2 to 3 cups pecan halves

Beat egg white until foamy; slowly beat in the brown sugar mixed with flour.

Add salt and vanilla flavoring, then fold in pecans.

Transfer pecans to a greased baking pan and bake at 400° for about 8 minutes.


Smashed Potatoes

• 6 medium (about 3 1/2 pounds) orange sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 1/2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• Candied pecans (recipe above)

Combine sweet potatoes and enough water to cover in 4-quart saucepan. Cook over high heat until water comes to a boil (5 to 6 minutes). Reduce heat to medium-high. Cook until potatoes are tender (30 to 35 minutes). Drain. Cool slightly.

Place sweet potatoes and all remaining ingredients except pecans in large bowl. Mash with an old-fashioned potato masher until just slightly "smashed".

Spoon 1/2 of potato mixture into lightly greased 2-quart casserole. Top with half of the pecans. Add the rest of the potatoes and top with the rest of the pecans. Cover; bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through.

Enjoy!

Brussels Sprouts You Will Love, Believe Me!

Brussels sprouts are commonly mispronounced as simply brussel sprouts. The modern Brussels sprout that we are familiar with was first cultivated in large quantities in Belgium, hence the name "Brussels" sprouts. I have to admit, I was one of the wide population who mispronounced the name and I also have to admit, this was also the first time I've tried them...

Their flavor was surprisingly delicious, not as bitter or cabbage-like as I was expecting. The pancetta in this recipe gives them a delicious, salty flavor. These Brussels sprouts made many a non-sprout eater huge fans!!



Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta Bits

• 1 & 1/2 lbs. Brussels sprouts
• 1/4 lb. pancetta, cubed into 1/4" cubes
• salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut Brussels sprouts in half. Put them in a deep skillet or wide pot and cover with water until water is about 1/2" above the sprouts. Cover and bring to a lightly rolling boil. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until bright green and beginning to soften.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook pancetta bits until crispy. Remove from heat and spoon out pancetta bits with a slotted spoon, reserving grease. Set aside.

Add Brussels sprouts to pancetta grease, tossing to coat. Spread Brussels sprouts out on a cookie sheet and roast in oven for 10-15 minutes, until lightly browned on edges.

Place in serving bowl and top with pancetta bits.

Enjoy!

Michele's Aunt Lyle's Cranberry Relish *Guest Spotlight*

This makes a very chunky, flavorful relish that compliments poultry and pork. It makes a lot, but disappears quickly - believe me. While testing recipes, Michele, me, and 5 other people devoured this entire batch in no time!

It's not hard to make, but follow the notes.

Notes:

1. Use a 13x9x2 inch ceramic baking dish, NOT a metal pan, and crushed pineapple in juice, NOT heavy syrup.
2. Plan to make this early in the day, or the night before. Cover with plastic wrap DIRECTLY on the finished relish to maintain freshness.
3. As a variation, Michele also added finely chopped apple, but this is the classic recipe from her great-aunt.

Aunt Lyle's Cranberry Relish

• 1 large package cherry Jello- 6oz.
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 1 scant cup granulated sugar
• 1 T lemon juice
• 3/4 cup pineapple juice
• 1 1/2 cups chopped, fresh cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 small can mandarin oranges, chopped
• 1 cup crushed pineapple
• 1 cup chopped celery

In a medium sized glass bowl, dissolve Jello and boiling water. Add sugar, lemon juice and pineapple juice. Pour into ceramic baking dish and refrigerate until partially set, about 30 minutes. Do not cover.

Add remaining ingredients. Refrigerate until set, then cover relish with plastic wrap until ready to serve.

Stir to break up into a relish/jelly consistency before serving.

Hide a small container in the fridge for yourself for later. Seriously.

Sunday Night Pork Tenderloin

Wanting to make something nice for Sunday dinner, I turned to one of my favorites - the pork tenderloin...




Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Pears

• 1 large or 2 small pork tenderloins, totaling about 1.5 lbs
• 1 can pears in juice
• 3 apples, cut into 1" wide chunks
• 3/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 T honey
• 2 T dijon mustard
• 2 T stone ground mustard

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, honey, and mustards.

Place tenderloin(s) in baking dish. Surround with apples and pour pears & juices around it. Pour soy sauce mixture over tenderloin.

Cover dish with tin foil. Bake for 40 minutes.

Remove foil and bake 10-15 minutes longer (until center of tenderloin reads 140 degrees on a meat thermometer). Set pork on a cutting board and tent with foil.

Allow to rest for 10 minutes before cooking to allow juices to redistribute. Slice in 1/4" slices and serve alongside of apples and pears.

Couscous with Carrots and Cranberries

• 1 cup couscous
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup diced carrots
• 2 tsp chopped chives

In a saucepan, combine chicken broth, salt and carrots and bring to a boil. Add couscous and cranberries, remove from heat, and cover for 6-8 minutes.

Stir in chives and serve alongside of pork tenderloin, apples, & pears.

Nothin' says lovin' like potato chips from the oven!

My good friend Priya and I were chatting about mandolines the other day, and it made me think of a coworker who is always talking about the oven-made potato chips that she makes. Inspired, I went in search of a way to prepare this version of America's snacking staple. I rarely give my mandoline any attention and it is such a great tool, I felt the need to dust it off and show it some love.

I scoured the internet for a good way to prepare them and found something along the lines of:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Scrub potatoes and slice very thin with a mandoline. Spread them out in a single layer on the baking sheet and spray the potatoes with cooking spray. Bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Sprinkle with salt after removing from the oven.

I tried this recipe with two different types of potatoes to see which would work best: baking (aka russet, Idaho) and all-purpose. The baking potatoes were not good for this project at all. Their high starch content caused the chips to be either under-baked or extra-crispy with no happy medium. The all purpose potatoes worked much better. Keep an eye on them though; they cook unevenly and become brown very quickly.

It may not be worth doing instead of just buying the stinking things, but this project was fun to try and a healthier option than most store-bought chips. If you feel up for this job, I warn you that you may need to try this a few times; practice will probably make the finished product much better. Also, don't plan on saving any leftovers - I tried this and resulted with undesirable soggy potato slices.

Do you have any noteworthy experiences with your mandoline? Please share them with us!


I apologize for the lack of a picture- I am working on getting original photos of my projects on here. Stay tuned…

Good for You Grilling - Chicken Sausage

Grilling doesn't always equal healthy, but I am always looking for a take on conventional food with a healthy twist. That is why I absolutely love Trader Joe's (please, please bring a store to Lafayette Hill, PA!). They provide such a superabundance of healthy, scrumptious, and easy-to-make food - I cannot think of a better grocer!

I love, love, love their chicken sausages. They taste wonderful - better than regular pork sausages in my opinion - and they are a much healthier option than conventional sausage. For last night's dinner, I made a delicious, quick but substantial meal with chicken sausage headlining the meal. I served them up along side of a salad and quinoa.

If you are unfamiliar with quinoa, it is a super grain. Super because it contains all eight essential amino acids so it is a complete protein, having the highest amount of protein in any grain. It also delivers fiber, iron, magnesium, calcium and vitamins A and E. It is actually a seed, and it can be used in place of rice, pasta, couscous, bulgar, etc. in just about any recipe.

Quinoa’s flavor is slightly nutty with a pleasing crunchy texture. In addition to tasting great, it’s also very simple to cook. And it’s gluten free - excellent news for anyone with a gluten allergy or sensitivity.

Chicken Sausage Sandwiches

• Chicken sausages (I use TJ's Sundried Tomato)
• Whole wheat hot dog buns
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 T butter
• 1/2 cup diced onions

Heat grill to medium-high. Cook sausages for about 8 minutes, turning a few times to cook each side.

In the meantime: in a cast iron pan on grill, heat olive oil and butter. Saute onions for 6-8 minutes. I sauteed extra onion and set aside for my quinoa.

Serve sausage in buns and top with diced onion.



Quinoa Pilaf

• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1 T olive oil
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• Salt and pepper

Put the broth and quinoa in a medium sized saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and grain is tender.
Meanwhile, toast the nuts in a large dry skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown and fragrant, about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove nuts from pan and set aside.
When the quinoa is done, fluff with a fork and transfer to a large serving bowl. Stir in the pine nuts, the reserved onions from the chicken sausage, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Turkey Burgers and New Potato Salad

Still on my healthy/eating locally kick, I tried something new for dinner last night - turkey burgers.

I often sneak turkey in the place of beef in things like chili and sloppy joe's, but I have never tried making, or eating for that matter, turkey burgers. This recipe does not try and fool you into thinking it is a regular beef burger, but in my opinion, it's flavor actually surpasses that of the usual red meat treat.

I don't feel that the burgers photographed well, but believe me - they were absolutely delicious. I used locally grown zucchini for the burgers. I also used locally grown new potatoes for the potato salad - which was another WINNER in my book.

Since I was only cooking for 2, I made 5 patties and froze 3 for later. I also halved the recipe for potato salad. Please try these recipes. They were absolutely delicious... and I am sure my pants fit better today!



Turkey Burgers

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 large zucchini
• 1 large carrot
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3/4 tsp dried thyme
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 large egg
• 1-2 T olive oil
  
• 5 whole wheat (or regular) hamburger buns
• 5 leaves of lettuce
• 5 T mayonnaise
• 2-3 tsp lemon juice

With a food processor fitted with a grating blade, grate carrot and zucchini (if you do not have a food processor, you may use a box grater).

In a large bowl, combine carrot, zucchini, turkey, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, and egg. Form into 5 patties.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the patties about 5 minutes per side, until no trace of pink remains in the center.

Meanwhile, lightly toast hamburger buns in toaster oven or under broiler.

Combine mayonnaise and lemon juice. Spread on tops of buns. Add turkey patty and top with a leaf of lettuce and bun top.



New Potato Salad

• 1 1/2 lbs. small red new potatoes, sliced 1/4 " thick
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
  
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped herbs (I used tarragon, chives, and parsley)
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced

Set a steamer basket in a large pot with a fitted lid. Fill with enough water to come just below basket. Bring to boil.

Place potatoes in basket, reduce heat to simmer. Cover pot and steams 10-12 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, place lemon zest and juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine.

Remove potatoes from heat and add to bowl. Top with herbs and carefully stir to combine.

You will make these recipes over and over, they are so good!

Black Bean and Corn salad ¡Ay, caramba!

For a recent 3-day weekend, our street held a block-party. Since we were headed to the mountains and were not planning on attending, I did not plan on making anything.

We ended up returning much earlier than normal, so I was faced with pulling something together to bring to the pot-luck party that we decided to attend last-minute. Thinking about the fare I knew would be present (hot dogs, burgers, chicken, pasta salad.. the usual), I surveyed my pantry and came up with a snazzy little side dish that couldn't be easier to prepare! This dish was so tasty, I decided to turn it into a salad for my next week's book club meeting.

This yummy dish can be made with items you may already have on hand. It's a quick and easy side with a little zip!




Black Bean and Corn Salad

• 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
  
• 1 can of yellow corn kernels, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 red onion, diced into small pieces
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced into very small pieces
• 2 tsp of lime juice
• 1/4 cup of chopped diced cilantro

Combine beans, corn, onion, and jalapeño in a medium bowl.

Add lime juice and cilantro, sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste, stir.

That's it! I told you it was easy!

*Since we all know I hate cilantro, I added that in the recipe just for my readers! Cilantro would be perfect for this Southwestern-style dish, but I actually used chopped Italian parsley to give it a little color.

To make this dish a salad:

• Black bean and corn salad
• Romaine lettuce
• Shredded carrots
• Shredded Mexican cheese blend
• Newman's Own Light Lime Vinaigrette
• Tortilla chips
  

In serving bowl, toss lettuce, carrots, and dressing.

Top with cheese and bean & corn salad.

Nestle in tortilla chips.

Enjoy!