Saturday, November 20, 2010

Roasted Butternut Squash


Here's another dish I'm thinking of adding to the Thanksgiving menu. See the notes at the end of the recipe for turning this dish into Roasted Butternut Squash soup - yum!

Roasted Butternut Squash

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced*
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp maple syrup
1 medium orange, juiced
1 stem fresh sage leaves
Freshly ground salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400°. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and arrange squash on sheet in a single layer. Drizzle with oil.

Mix oil, maple syrup, and orange juice in a liquid measuring cup or another vessel with a spout. Drizzle over squash and toss to coat. Tear sage pieces and scatter on top of the squash.

Bake for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Test pieces for tenderness and adjust cooking time as needed.

*I microwave my squash for a few minutes to soften it before trying to cut it

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Use leftover squash from recipe above and add the following:

Shallot, thinly sliced & sauteed in a little olive oil
Vegetable broth (amount depends on how much squash is left and how thick you want the soup)
Pinch of nutmeg

Heat all ingredients in a stock pot. Once warmed, working in batches, puree in blender or food processor. Return to stock pot and heat thoroughly.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Brussel Sprouts with Shallots and Pancetta


This recipe is so delicious I'm thinking of serving it on Thanksgiving. I have to give credit where credit is due and thank Cooking Light for putting it in their magazine recently (October 2010). Enjoy!

Brussel Sprouts with Shallots and Pancetta

1 1/2 lbs fresh brussel sprouts, cleaned and halved
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 C thinly sliced shallot
1 oz finely chopped pancetta
4 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp sweet vermouth
Freshly ground salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400°.  Lightly coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Arrange brussel sprouts on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil - toss to coat sprouts with oil. Bake for 15 minutes. Add shallot, pancetta, salt and pepper, toss well. Bake for 10 minutes. Add sugar and vermouth, toss to coat and bake an additional 10 minutes.