Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Salad

I made this salad with my Aunt Jane for Thanksgiving dinner this year and it was a great addition to the table. Next time, though, I might save it for a time when you can really keep the rest of the food hot in the kitchen during the salad course--the rest of our food ended up getting a bit cold! But, it was still a very tasty salad that I would really recommend...lots of strong flavors but they still go together well with nothing overpowering anything else. It also looks very elegant with the endive leaves and would be a great start to any dinner party. With the jewel-toned orange of the butternut squash and red of the cranberries, it's also perfect for the holidays.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Salad (adapted from Bon Appetit)
Serves 5

Dressing:
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 T fresh lemon juice
3 T extra-virgin olive oil

Salad:
Olive oil
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 T balsamic vinegar
1 tsp (packed) dark brown sugar
1 2-pound butternut squash, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded
Coarse kosher salt
2 heads of Belgian endive, root ends trimmed, leaves separated into individual leaves
1 heart of Romaine lettuce, chopped
1 unpeeled firm apple, halved, cored, cut into very thin slices
4 ounces blue cheese (such as Maytag), coarsely crumbled
1/4 cup dried cranberries
Freshly ground black pepper

For dressing:
Whisk vinegar and lemon juice in small bowl; gradually whisk in oil. Season with salt and pepper.

For salad:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush 2 large rimmed baking sheets with oil; spray with nonstick spray. Whisk vinegar and sugar in small bowl; set aside. Cut squash halves crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange squash in single layer on prepared sheets; brush with oil and sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper. Roast 5 minutes; brush with sugar-vinegar mixture. Turn squash over and brush with sugar-vinegar mixture; roast 5 minutes. Roast until squash is tender when pierced with small knife, about 15 minutes longer. Cool on sheets and let stand at room temperature.

Arrange 4 endive leaves on each plate. Coarsely chop any remaining endive and toss with the romaine lettuce and dressing in a large salad bowl. Place butternut squash slices in center of each plate. Scatter apples, cheese, and cranberries over squash. Season with freshly ground black pepper.

Bacon Cheddar Quick Bread with Dried Pears

Bon Appetit has a new column by Dorie Greenspan that I'm just in love with...she always has some great insights about cooking as well as a delicious new recipe each month. It's one of the few saving graces of Bon Appetit since they have this strange new photography style that seems to make all their dishes look incredibly unappetizing. This one turned out really well anyway, though. :)

This is a tasty savory quick bread that's a great accompaniment to a light dinner (I enjoyed it with a spicy potato dish) or brunch. It's got lots of flavors going on, but they go together quite well. I used black walnuts, which I think were too strong for this bread and did tend to overpower the more subtle sage and pears; next time I would use toasted, chopped pecans or regular walnuts. Bacon may sound a little strange in a quick bread, but trust me, it's delicious!

Bacon Cheddar Quick Bread with Dried Pears (from Dorie Greenspan in Bon Appetit)

5 bacon slices, chopped
1 cup coarsely grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese plus 1/2 cup 1/4-inch cubes extra-sharp cheddar cheese (about 6 ounces total)
1/2 cup finely chopped moist dried pears (about 3 1/2 ounces)
1/3 cup toasted, chopped walnuts or pecans
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 large eggs
1/3 cup whole milk
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Generously butter 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2-inch metal loaf pan. Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain.

2. Combine bacon, all cheese, dried pears, walnuts, and sage in medium bowl. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and black pepper in large bowl to blend. Whisk eggs, milk, and olive oil in another medium bowl to blend. Pour egg mixture over flour mixture and stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Add bacon-cheese mixture and stir until incorporated (dough will be very sticky). Transfer dough to prepared loaf pan; spread evenly.

3. Bake bread until golden on top and slender knife inserted into center of bread comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool bread in pan 5 minutes, then turn out onto rack and cool completely.

Depths of Fall Pie

This autumn pie from Dorie Greenspan is unusual yet also comforting...it would be a great addition to any fall or winter table. My housemate was craving pumpkin pie, but I was feeling all pumpkin-ed out, so this was the perfect compromise...squash pie, presented in a way totally different from your usual pumpkin pie!

We used banana squash because our grocery store had it precut and it was less expensive than the more common butternut squash, but I think either would work perfectly here. We also used pears that were too crunchy because there wasn't a ripe pear in the store! If you can only get crunchy pears, I would recommend cooking them a bit first to help them soften up in the oven, although they were still tasty. You can substitute any sort of dried fruit for the cranberries that you like, though they gave a nice tart element to the pie; you can also add nuts for some crunch.

Depths of Fall Pie (adapted from Dorie Greenspan)

Your favorite pie crust, enough for a double-crusted pie, rolled into two rounds and chilled
1 1/4 pounds peeled banana squash, cut into 1-inch cubes (feel free to substitute butternut squash)
2 ripe pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup moist dried cranberries
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
Grated zest of 1/2 orange
2 T freshly-squeezed orange juice
2 T plain dry bread crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (or, if chilling the pie in step 4, wait to preheat the oven).
2. Cook the squash in the microwave for 6 minutes, or until almost cooked through. Pat dry and toss into a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, and turn gently with a spatula to blend. Let sit five minutes, and then gently stir again.
3. Put one pie crust round in a pie plate, pour in the filling, and cover with the other pie crust round. Pinch together the edges, and pierce the top of the pie in a few places to let steam escape.
4. Refrigerate the pie for 30 minutes if you have time. Then bake 55-60 minutes, or until the crust is deeply brown and the filling is bubbling. Check the pie at 40 minutes and cover with tin foil if browning too quickly.

Roasted Butternut Squash-Tomato Soup

This is the ultimate comfort soup--smooth, creamy, and a combination of two of the most comforting soups ever, butternut squash and tomato. I am often not a fan of pureed soups, but this one really hits the spot both flavor- and comfort-wise...it's perfect for a chilly evening along with some nice crusty bread. It takes a bit of work what with roasting all the vegetables and pureeing the soup, but it's totally worth it!

Roasted Butternut Squash-Tomato Soup (adapted from Sara Foster's The Foster's Market Cookbook and Cooking Books)

1 large butternut squash, halved and seeds removed

1/4 cup olive oil, divided

6 plum tomatoes cored and halved, seeds removed

4 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/2 stick butter

1 red onion, diced

1 carrot, peeled and diced

2 celery ribs, diced

6 cups chicken stock

Salt and pepper

1 large handful fresh thyme, leaves stripped

1 T fresh sage, cut in chiffonade

Juice of 2 oranges
Sour cream, to serve (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Pour 1 cup of water and a little of the olive oil into a baking pan and place the squash cut-side down in the pan. Roast the squash for 35 minutes, until tender.

2. Meanwhile, toss the tomato halves and the garlic cloves with more of the olive oil and with the vinegar, then put them in another baking dish and roast them for 30 minutes until soft and with shriveled skin.

3. Heat the rest of the olive oil and the butter over medium heat in a Dutch oven. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, then add the carrots and celery and continue to cook until all the vegetables are soft. Stir often. Add the broth along with salt and pepper to taste and reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. In the meantime, scoop the squash out of the skin and add it to the soup. Continue simmering for another 20 minutes.

4. Mash the tomatoes and garlic into smaller pieces with a potato masher, reserving the juices. Add tomatoes, juice, and garlic to the soup along with the herbs and orange juice. Blend in a blender in batches, being careful not to overfill the blender and burn yourself. You can also use a food processor or immersion blender. After each batch, pour into a clean pot until all of the soup is nicely pureed. Reheat the soup to make sure everything is nice and hot, and serve with freshly cracked black pepper and sour cream.

Pork Chops with Mustard Sauce and Amazing Potato Gratin

We made this delicious dinner for some friends, and it's the perfect meal for guests...not too much last-minute work, but it feels special and is really delicious. The pork chops taste amazing slathered in rich mustard sauce. The potato gratin is rich but not too rich to enjoy a big scoop, and the flavors meld together perfectly. A green salad rounds out the plate well to give something cool and a bit healthier between bites of cream sauce and cheesy potatoes. :)

Amazing Potato Gratin (adapted from Fine Cooking)
Serves 8

2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/8-inch rounds (a food processor is great for this task)
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
4 oz. pancetta, cut into small dice
4 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
3 oz. Gruyere cheese
3 oz. Cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper

Topping:
1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/2 cup Gruyere

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 3-quart gratin dish (I used a 9x13 Pyrex pan).
Combine the potatoes, cream, and broth in a Dutch oven. Add 1/2 tsp salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Simmer, partially covered, over medium to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally and gently with a rubber spatula, until barely tender, about 8-12 minutes.

2. Saute the pancetta in a non-stick skillet until nicely browned. Remove from the skillet and add the artichoke hearts. Saute until just starting to brown.

3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer half the potatoes to the gratin dish, spreading evenly. Layer on the pancetta, artichoke hearts, and cheeses (excluding "Topping" cheeses). Top with the remaining potatoes, spreading evenly. Pour over any remaining liquid.

4. Combine the "Topping" cheeses and scatter over the potatoes. Bake until bubbly and brown, and until the potatoes are completely tender, about 25-30 minutes. Let sit for 10-30 minutes before serving.

Pork Chops with Mustard Sauce (from Fine Cooking)

Eight 1/2-inch-thick boneless pork chops (about 3 oz. each)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 T all-purpose flour
1 T unsalted butter
1 T extra-virgin olive oil; more as needed
1/2 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup lower-salt chicken broth
1/4 cup stoneground or country-style mustard

1. Season the chops lightly with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour, shaking off the excess.

2. Put the butter and oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. When hot, add 4 of the pork chops and cook, turning once, until golden on both sides and just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes total. Transfer the pork to a serving platter and tent with foil. Repeat with the remaining chops, adding another tablespoon of oil to the pan if necessary.

3. Pour off any fat in the pan, add the wine, and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Increase the heat to medium high and boil until the wine is reduced to about 2 Tbs., 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the cream, chicken broth, and mustard and boil until reduced to a saucy consistency, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Serve pork with sauce on the side.

Beer Braised Pot Roast

This recipe for beer braised pot roast is perfect for fall and winter (whichever season it might be for you right now...here in Berkeley it still mostly just feels like fall). The recipe changes up the usual veggies, adding in rutabegas and parsnips, which we thought was a really delicious change of pace from the usual potatoes. The meat itself was super tender and flavorful. This is also a great dish to make if you have most of a keg of PBR in your backyard due to the miscalculations of a housemate (no, nobody wants to drink that after they turn 21). Given the beer used, I can definitely say that in this recipe at least, bad beer will not make for bad sauce, probably because it cooks for so long.

We used two 2-pound pieces because that is what was available, and did not tie anything up with twine...it worked out fine. :)

Beer Braised Pot Roast (recipe from Fine Cooking)
serves 6

2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 sprigs fresh sage (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
5 whole black peppercorns
1 4-lb. boneless beef chuck pot roast
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
5 oz. thick-sliced (1/4 inch) bacon, cut into 1/2-inch squares (to yield 1 cup)
1-1/2 cups finely chopped onions
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1-1/2 cups beer or ale
1-1/2 cups homemade or low-salt chicken or beef broth
2 cups peeled, diced carrots (3/4-inch chunks)
2 cups peeled, diced parsnips (3/4-inch chunks)
2 cups peeled, diced rutabagas (3/4-inch chunks)
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard or prepared horseradish

1. Brow the aromatics and prepare the meat: Set a rack on the lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 300°F. Select a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid. Cut a large single-layer square of cheesecloth, and rinse it to remove any loose fibers [we used a little "make your own teabag" teabag]. Spread the cheesecloth flat and pile the garlic, sage and peppercorns in the center. Gather the edges to form a pouch and tie tightly with kitchen twine. Set aside. Tie the roast into a snug shape with twine, pat it dry with paper towels, and season with salt and pepper. In the Dutch oven, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Brown the meat thoroughly on all sides, turning with tongs, about 5 minutes per side. The meat should sizzle but not scorch; adjust the heat accordingly. Transfer the meat to a large plate.

2. Lower the heat to medium, add the bacon, and cook until just browned and beginning to crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to the plate with the beef. Spoon 2 Tbs. of the fat from the pan into a small dish and discard the rest.

3. Evaluate the drippings on the bottom of the pot. They may be very dark, almost black, but if there are any scorched bits, wipe these out with a wadded paper towel (if in doubt, taste a fleck; as long as it doesn't taste acrid, it's fine). Return the pot to medium heat and add the 2 Tbs. reserved fat. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook until they start to soften, about 5 minutes.

4. Deglaze and braise: Add the balsamic vinegar, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up any remaining drippings on the bottom of the pot if necessary. Bring to a boil over high heat, and cook until the liquid has reduced to about 2 Tbs.

5. Add the beer, beef or chicken broth, and the cheesecloth pouch of flavorings to the pot. Bring the liquid to a simmer. There should be at least 1 inch of liquid in the pot. Add more broth or beer if needed. Return the meat to the pot, along with the bacon and any juices that have accumulated. Return the liquid to a simmer, and cover the pot with a sheet of parchment, pushing down so the paper touches the meat. Set the lid in place. Slide the pot into the oven and cook for 2 hours, turning the roast with tongs after 1 hour.

6. Turn the roast over once more and then scatter the carrots, parsnips and rutabagas into the liquid around the roast. Continue braising, covered with the parchment and the lid, until the meat is fork-tender, about an hour longer. Test for doneness by spearing the meat toward the center with a carving fork. Pull out the fork carefully: If it lifts the meat along with it, continue cooking for another 20 to 30 minutes.

7. Transfer the pot roast and vegetables to a shallow platter (don't worry if a few chopped onions or bits of bacon come along too); tent with foil. Strain the remaining liquid into a measuring cup, discarding the spent onion and bacon, and the cheesecloth sachet of flavorings. Let the fat rise to the surface and spoon it off [We had a tough time getting the fat skimmed off, but our sauce tasted just fine]. Wipe out the braising pot with a paper towel.

8. Return the strained juices to the pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Taste and evaluate. If the flavor seems weak, simmer vigorously over medium-high heat to reduce the volume and concentrate the flavor, 5 to 15 minutes; season to taste with salt and pepper. Whisk in Dijon mustard or prepared horseradish.

9. Snip the strings from the pot roast and carve the meat across the grain into 1/4- to 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange the meat on a serving platter. Ladle about half the sauce over all, garnish with the vegetables, and serve, passing the remaining sauce at the table.

Easiest Chicken Pot Pie

I've been sick with pneumonia for the past week or so, and my baking/cooking has been pretty much non-existent. But, here's a recipe I made a while back that's perfect for a night when you're not feeling so well and don't have the energy to cook a huge dinner.

This recipe from Bon Appetit is sort of a fancied-up Sandra Lee-style recipe...while it uses good ingredients, it definitely takes a lot of short cuts. It's a great recipe for a weeknight when you want something filling but don't have a lot of time to make dinner. The results are impressive for all the shortcuts...probably not as good as if everything was homemade, but pretty darn tasty for semi-homemade! Good chicken flavor, not too heavy, and a good ratio of crust to filling.

Easiest Chicken Pot Pie (Adapted from Bon Appetit, original recipe here)

5 slices thick bacon
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
16-20 oz. frozen mixed vegetables (I used an organic frozen veggie mix including corn, carrots, peas, and green beans)
4 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram
1 3/4 cups low-salt chicken broth
2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon crème fraîche
Coarsely shredded chicken from 1 small purchased roasted chicken
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of 17.3-ounce package), thawed

Preheat oven to 450F. Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Chop/break into bite sized pieces. Add onion to drippings in skillet; sauté until tender and golden, about 8 minutes. Add the vegetables; stir 1 minute. Add broth; bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium high and boil until some liquid is reduced, about 4-8 minutes. Stir in 2/3 cup crème fraîche, chicken, and bacon. Bring to simmer. Season with pepper. Divide among four 2-cup soufflé dishes or use one larger casserole dish.

Unfold puff pastry onto work surface; roll out to 12-inch square. Cut into 4 equal squares. Top filling in soufflé dishes with pastry; fold edges down onto rims of dish. (Or, just roll the pastry out to the size of your casserole dish.) Brush top of crusts (not edges) with remaining 1 tablespoon crème fraîche. Cut small X in center of crusts; pierce all over with fork. Bake until crusts are golden brown and filling is heated through, about 22 minutes.