ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH, SAUTEED SPINACH, AND CARAMELIZED ONION LASAGNA

My family's kitchen is one filled with random odds and ends.  Some left over vegetables from dinner, a half eaten cheese platter, maybe some unused salad greens, all of these litter the drawers of the fridge.  I usually end up throwing some of these things in a pasta, breakfast hash, or, yes, eating it out the fridge with my bare hands, hoping no one catches me.  But if I know a group is coming over, or I want to have dinner ready for a week, I trot out this lasagna recipe and fill it up.

For this recipe I chose my favorite combination, but please feel free to make it your own.  When you peel away the extra ingredients, you're left with noodles, white sauce, and cheese, which, in my humble opinion, go with practically anything.  So if you want to add tomato sauce and zucchini, go for it; or you can drizzle on a pesto and add in some sauteed mushrooms, it's really up to you how you want to make this dish sing.

Making it from start to finish can take a bit of time, as each component requires cooking, which is why I love this recipe as a left-over dish.  If all you have to do is assemble, it's done in 30 minutes and is wonderful.  To save on time, you can make all of the components a day or two before, or when you make dinner earlier in the week, make sure to make a little bit extra.  Roasted butternut squash makes a delicious side, satueed spinach is a classic dinner companion, and caramelized onions are perfect on burgers or to give some depth to soups and sauces.   Enjoy!

4 cups butternut squash, cut into 1/2" cubes

16 oz spinach, washed and dried

3 onions, thinly sliced

1 lb lasagna strips (enough for three layers)

12 oz ricotta

3 balls buffalo mozzarella (or about 2-3 cups regular mozzarella)

1/2 cup grated parm (or any other hard cheese, I sometimes use gouda)

chili flake

4 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup basil, julienned

Olive oil

Butter

for the beschamel:

1 3/4 pints milk

several sprigs of parsley

1/4 teaspon nutmeg

10 peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon chili flake

1 bay leaf

6 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup flour

2/3 cup grated parm

Preheat oven to 425F.  Drizzle the butternut squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the butternut squash for about 30 minutes, or under soft and browned.  Meanwhile, over medium heat, saute the spinach in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add 2 minced cloves of garlic and a pinch of chili flake.   It should be totally wilted.  Set aside on a paper towel to drain.  To caramelize the onions,  melt 1 tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.  Add the onions with a big pinch of salt and cook down for about 30-40 minutes (just be patient, it's worth it), until a dark brown.  Halfway through add the remaining two cloves of  minced garlic. Set aside.  

Boil the lasagna noodles until just al dente (one minute before what the box says to cook it to).  Set aside in a bowl of cool water (from the tap is fine).

Slice the mozzarella into 8 slices per ball.

For the beschamel:

Bring the milk and everything else except for the butter, flour, and pram to a simmer.  In a separate sauce pan, melt the butter and add the flour.  Stir until doughy and smelling a bit nutty (about one minute).  Strain in the milk about a half cup at a time, whisking to incorporate with the butter and flour mix.  It should be smooth and velvety, not chunky or too thick.  If it is, just add some more milk to thin it out.  Add the parm and set aside.

Pre heat the oven to 375

In a pyrex dish, place a layer of noodles, a bit of the veg, the mozzarella, dot with a third of ricotta, add the basil, and cover with a 1/4 of the beschamel.  Repeat three times, and finish with the remaining beschamel and grated parm.  

Bake for 25 minutes, or until bubbling.  Turn the broiler on and bake for another 5 minutes, or until brown and crunchy on top.  Allow to sit for 20 minutes.  Enjoy!

ROASTED SQUASH SOUP

Consider this the anti-classic sweet potato side dish. Yes, it's filled with that squash-y yammy sweetness, but without the marshmallow intensity you'll find with most side dishes. Subtly spiced and all about the vegetables, this kabocha squash, yam, and celery root soup, with hints of smoked paprika, cumin, and coriander, is the perfect Thanksgiving appetizer. Enjoy!




1/4 cup olive oil, plus two tablespoons
2 onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons coriander seeds, crushed
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, crushed
1/2 teaspoon chile powder

1 tablespoon smoked paprika (aka pimenton)
1/4 teaspoon dried chile flakes
1 kabocha squash
1 butternut squash
1 large yam

1 large celery root
Salt
Fresh-ground black pepper

Brown Sugar
8 cups chicken broth
4 cups water (if needed)
Pepitas

Halve and seed the kabocha and butternut squash, peel and halve the celery root, and coat them, plus the yam, in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Roast in a 425 F oven for 30 minutes, or until soft and deeply browned. Heat a large pot over medium heat, add a 1/4 cup of olive oil, add the onion and garlic, caramelizing. Grind the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and chile flakes in a mortar and pestle. Scoop the roasted kabocha and butternut squash out of its shell, and the yams out of its skin, and add them, along with the celery root, to the pot with the caramelized onions. Add the spices and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the broth and simmer for about 30 minutes. Pour the soup into a blender or using an immersion circulator, blitz the soup until luxuriously smooth. Add water if it feels too thick. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and brown sugar. Enjoy!

CHOCOLATE BROWN BUTTER BREAD PUDDING

Let me repeat this just in case you didn't get the picture: Chocolate with brown butter, made into bread pudding. Total deliciousness. What I love about brown butter, which is just butter melted until the milk solids turn golden brown, is that you get a very special flavor with very little effort.  In French cookery it's referred to as Beurre noisette, literally "hazelnut butter," which speaks to the aroma, taste, and depth one little step adds.  Sweet, simple butter is transformed into a rich, nutty ambrosia, delicious in sweet and savory dishes alike.  I love the interest it brings to chocolate, so for my first attempt at bread pudding I thought "why not?" and I'm so glad I did.


When it comes to chocolate, embellishments can be wonderful but if it's a richer dish I sometimes like to keep it simple.  Chocolate is one of those stand alone ingredients, like a steak, where when it's good, it's really really good.  You're just there to make sure it's seasoned properly, otherwise, it does its own thing.


For this bread pudding I used brown butter and brown sugar to bring out the depth of the chocolate and highlight the maple/coffee notes that sometimes come through.  Served with a dollop of whipped sour cream, this dessert is decadent, but perfectly balanced, and even better the day after.  Enjoy!

1 baguette or french loaf, cubed and dry (stale bread is perfect), about 6-7 cups

3 cups half and half

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

6 eggs, lightly beaten

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, grated/chopped

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp sea salt

8 oz creme fraiche or sour cream

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch baking dish or 5-6 12oz ramekins  with butter and fill with the bread. Sift the brown sugar and cocoa into the half and half and mix well. Add the vanilla and salt to the beaten eggs. To make the brown butter, melt the butter over medium heat until the milk solids turn golden brown.  Take off heat and pour into a bowl to cool (it can still burn in the warm pan).  Combing with the egg mixture and add to the milk mixture, mixing well.

Stir the grated chocolate into the mixture. Pour the mixture over the cubed bread in the pan. Let the mixture stand, stirring occasionally for approximately 20 minutes or until bread absorbs most of the milk mixture. Bake the large pudding for 1 hour or 45 minutes in the small ramekins until set in a water bath. 

To garnish, whip the creme fraiche until it forms soft peaks with the sugar and vanilla.  Top the ramekins with a dollop or serve on the side. Enjoy!

RASPBERRY ROSE & PISTACHIO PAVLOVA

My mum is a proper Aussie, meaning, she raised me on pavlova and regret-drenched love ballads sung by the torchiest torch light singers of the 60s.  And Abba.  Australians looooooove Abba (if you don't believe me, just watch Muriel's Wedding). 

But back to Pavlova and my mum.  My mum baked a lot of fabulous things when I was growing up.  Everyday after school, I'd rush through the door to see what she had made.  On the off chance she was busy and couldn't bake, my dad would take over, which usually meant epic milkshakes, marshmallow fluff sandwiches, or a trip to the market to fill the candy drawer; all things that horrified my mum.  We were a collectively chubby family in the 90s.

Anzac biscuits, lamington, her ridiculous sour cream coffee cake; all of these were sliced up for after school snack and packed up and taken to school to share with my class.  The principal had to tell her to stop sending me with my daily ration after kids started tossing their lunchables in anticipation of my mum's baking. 

What I remember most about her kitchen was the music.  She's the most musical person I know.  Dance parties to the B52s was a common occurrence, drumming on the kitchen island with wooden spoons and teaching each other dance moves.  Not much has changed, really.  I begrudgingly join the dance parties that she always kicks into gear after a birthday or Thanksgiving, but by song number two I'm in with both feet, doing my best to not look like a total dork.

Pavlova is one of the special desserts for me.  My mum gave in to our every whim when it came to the birthday cake conversation: baked Alaska one year, a three tiered wedding cake for my sister the next, but pavlova would always pop up around my birthday because it was the quintessential summer dessert.  Light, sweet, and airy, just like the ballerina whose tutu it was named after.

I had never made pavlova until this post.  It always came with a lot of bother attached because of the meringue, and meringues can be fussy if they want to be.  When I mentioned the idea she was ready with tips and corrections, she is a seasoned Pavlova pro after all.  

So mum, this Pav is for you, this song for you, and on your birthday month, this post is for you.  Happy early birthday, I love you!

For Meringue
(1 large or 6 small)
4 large egg whites
1 cup superfine sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
Pinch salt

For Filling

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablspoon sugar

1/4 tsp rosewater

1 tsp vanilla

1-2 pints raspberries

For Garnish

2 pints raspberries

1 tablespoon sugar

pistachios, husked and coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 275F. Sift the sugar, cream of tartar, and cornstarch. On low mix the whites and salt for 1-2 minutes or until frothy. Go up to medium high, gently adding in the dry ingredients in a stream. Once the meringue is glossy and forming soft peaks (anywhere from 4-10 minutes, depending on your mixer), finish on high speed and add the vanilla. Meanwhile, on a piece of parchment paper, draw your heart shape as a template.  You don't have to do this, but it definitely helped me. Spoon the meringue onto the shape, and spread so it forms a 1/4-1/2 thick layer (thicker for larger pavlovas) and then add more meringue around the edge, forming a border of little peaks. It should be anywhere from 1-3 inches high, depending on how large your pavlova is.

Pop in the oven and turn down the temperature to 250F.  Bake for 30-40 minutes for small pavlovas and 1 hour for a large pavlova.  It should be a slight beigey-pink and definitely NOT toasted. Turn off the heat and crack the oven open.  Let the pavlovas cook to room temperature and remove (this is to prevent cracks and to cook it totally through).  You want it crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.

For filling, whip the cream, sugar, vanilla, and rosewater until soft peaks form.  Fold in the raspberries (do more if you like a lot of raspberries).  Mound the whip cream in the middle of the meringue and top with fresh raspberries and pistachios.

NOTE: Do this just before serving since the whipping cream will dissolve the meringue over time.

For a quick raspberry sauce, combine the raspberries and sugar over low heat (add a spoonful of water to get things started) until saucy (about 5-10 minutes).  Let it cool a bit and drizzle over the pavlovas.

"GAL"-ENTINES DAY DESSERT FOR DINNER PARTY

Whether or not you have a date this Valentines Day doesn't really matter when you have good friends, good food, and good wine. The Chalkboard, an amazing lifestyle blog by the team behind Pressed Juicery, reached out to me for some fun Valentines Day ideas, so I corralled up my favorite foodies for the ultimate dessert fest to celebrate not only the day of love, but the launch of Joy the Baker's first Cookbook as well! Whitney Adams from Brunellos Have More Fun selected the perfect wines to sip with the sweet stuff; Joy Wilson of Joy the Baker brought Chocolate Cream Pie and Homemade Toasted Coconut Donuts; and I made Chocolate Brown Butter Bread Pudding and Raspberry Rose and Pistachio Pavlova, plus captured the whole thing in this fun  video. I'm getting a residual sugar high just watching!


For all of the recipes and wine pairings, check out the full article on The Chalkboard.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: SNACKS ON SNACKS

Today on Food For Thought I noshed on my go-to snacks with my sister Amanda.  We enjoyed some of our party favorites, like pig candy and bacon wrapped dates filled with goat cheese (aka devils on horseback), which are always devoured by her fashionista friends.  Then we sampled some healthier options, like a Smoked Salmon Tartine and my ultimate favorite Avocado Toast.  Simple, delicious, and ready in a flash, what's not to love about snacks?




Avocado Toast

This is my everything. Breakfast, lunch, snack, I'm bored so I'll eat, dinner, whatever the reason, this tartine is instant gratification. The warm, crunchy wheat toast, which has just a hint of sweetness, is the perfect textural counterpoint to the avocado, while the Tapatio's punch of vinegar and spice brightens the whole thing up. Enjoy!

1/4 reed avocado, sliced

Tapatio (or tobasco)

Olive Oil

Wheat Bread

Toast the wheat bread, cover with avocado. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on top, plus a little olive oil and hot sauce. Eat, enjoy, repeat.


Pig Candy



My dad just informed me that it's national bacon day, so I figured I re-post an old favorite that I make EVERY time I have people over. It's just one of those slam dunk dishes that everyone loves. Pig Candy.
Really, what could possibly be better than candy made of pig? Bacon to be precise. Smokey, salty, spicy, sweet: yes please! And the best part is that it is ridiculously easy to make. In 30 minutes you’ll have a bowl of kitsch bar snacks that are just as delicious with a rich red wine as with a spicy ale or sweet and smokey stout. The possibilities are endless and so is my appetite for these little pieces of heaven. In the words of the ad man, bet you can’t have just one.











For 4

8 strips thin cut bacon (hickory smoked bacon was a wonderful maple flavor already within it)
1 cup golden brown sugar
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper


Turn the oven on to 350 F. Meanwhile, blend the sugar and pepper together in a bowl. Taste it. If it’s too spicy, add more sugar, not spicy enough, add more cayenne. However, the spice does become a little more pronounced after being cooked, so be aware of that. Lay the bacon on a cooling rack placed over a baking pan lined with aluminum foil (these means minimal clean up!). Cover each slice of bacon with the brown sugar mixture. It should be an even layer, thick enough so that you cannot see the bacon through it (about 1/8 or ¼ of an inch). Place the bacon in the oven for about 15 minutes, or until the sugar is completely browned, and the bacon has curls at the edges and appears mostly cooked. Remove the bacon from the oven and flip. Cover the bacon with the rest of the brown sugar mixture, and pop back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes, or until the bacon appears how you like it, like crunchy, but not burnt. If the bacon seems underdone, just leave in the oven for a minute or two more.


Let the bacon cool on the rack for at least 15 minutes to let the sugar harden a bit before you start cutting the pieces. I find it’s easiest to use a pair of kitchen scissors and cut the pieces over the serving bowl. Serve it up with the libation of your choice and enjoy!




Smoked Salmon Tartine







I am such a selfish daughter. Have you ever seen that Simpson's episode where Homer gets Marge a bowling ball that has "Homer" engraved on it as a birthday present? Luckily my self interest isn't quite so brazen, but still, this smoked salmon from Russ & Daughters has my finger prints all over it. My father's birthday rolled around last week, and unsure what to get the man who has a very complete collection of military patches and books on clipper ships (or is it schooners? Correct me in the comments, Dad!) the smoked fish I got him last year seemed like a welcome repeat. It just so happens I love it too, sooooo....yeah. Pastrami cured salmon for everyone! To balance out the repeat present, I created a a sandwich recipe (more of a composition, I suppose) and left a plate of them in the fridge. Now it's my favorite thing to snack on; a lovely blend of bright lemon, herbaceous dill, a swipe of cream cheese, sweet and spicy pumpernickel, and of course, some amazing smoked or cured salmon. Light, fresh, and absolutely delish, perfect for lunch or when you're feeling peckish between meals. Happy Birthday, again, Dad!




Ingredients:

1 slice pumpernickel bread, toasted and crusts cut off

1 tablespoon cream cheese

1-2 sliced smoked or cured salmon

2 dill sprigs

1 lemon slice

Black Pepper (optional)

To assemble, swipe the cream cheese on the toast. Pile the salmon on top, and slice the bread in half diagonally. Top each half with a sprig of dill, a bit of black pepper if you want, and squeeze some lemon just before you eat. Enjoy!

 

DEVILS ON HORSEBACK: BACON WRAPPED DATES FILLED WITH GOAT CHEESE

These bites used to be the hottest appetizer of the 70s and are way overdue for a comeback.  Possibly named after Norman warriors who terrorized southern England, these little treats are ugly as sin but oh so delicious.  They will be hoovered up in a minute so definitely have some extra floating around.  The toothpicks, while kitsch, also make them an extremely convenient hors d'oeuvres.  Enjoy!















20 medjool dates (or any large date), pitted
10 strips of bacon, cut in half crosswise
1 small log of fresh chevre
toothpicks


Preheat the oven to 375 F. Poke your finger in the pitted dates, creating a little hole. Take a small junk of chevre (between 1/2 and 1 teaspoon) and push it into the date. Don't overfill them, otherwise you'll get a mess in the oven. Wrap each filled date in one half-slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet (I put mine on top of a silicone pad or wrap in aluminum and top with parchment) and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the bacon is fully crisped. There will be some grease on the pan, so before plating, pat the dates on a paper towel. Plate and serve after they've cooled for a few minutes. They're hot!

CHIPOTLE PALE ALE CHILI AND MEXICAN BROWN RICE TABBOULEH

If you're hosting a Super Bowl party this year, a few things are guaranteed: people are going to get loud, hungry, and thirsty, and not necessarily in that order.  The best way to stay ahead of the game? Serve simple, make ahead dishes and make sure to tell everyone it's BYOB.  This smokey, savory chili get more delicious the longer it cooks and the bright and zesty Mexican tabbouleh makes a perfect side dish, but is even better paired with the chili.  

Chipotle Pale Ale Chili

Ready in 3 steps and even better on the 2nd day, this smokey, meaty, and slightly spicy chili is perfect for a crowd.  Slow cooking means cheaper cuts of meat become deliciously tender, and the longer you cook it, the better it tastes.  And if you're not keen on red meat, try it with turkey for a lighter take. 

2 lbs chuck or sirloin, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 lb ground sirloin

1 bottle pale ale or IPA

1 28 oz can whole tomatoes 

1 16 oz can refried beans

2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

1 tablespoon ground cumin

3 cloves garlic

Brown all of the meat over high heat so it gets nice and seared.  Put the meat in a pot and add the cumin, salt and pepper and stir for a few seconds until fragrant.  Add add of the other ingredients, and season with another few pinches of salt and pepper.  Let is simmer over medium low heat for at least an hour, or until reduced to chili consistency.  Keep tasting and seasoning with salt, pepper, and more adobo sauce from the chipotles. Enjoy!

Mexican Brown Rice Tabbouleh

Delicious on it's own, this bright and zesty rice is perfect for soaking up the juices from the chili.  The kick of lime and fresh cilantro cuts through the rich and savory flavors of the chili.  You can also switch out the brown rice with quinoa for a higher protein side.

2 cups brown rice

1 medium red bell pepper, diced

1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

2 limes, juiced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons chopped mint

Salt and Pepper

In a pot, cover the brown rice with 4 cups of room temp water and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Turn down to a simmer, cover,  and cook for about 45 minutes, until all of the water is absorbed.  Take the pot off the heat and let it stand for 10 minutes.  In small bowl, combine the lime juice, red onion, oil, and some salt and pepper.  Add all of the ingredients to the rice and dress with the red onion mixture.  Add salt, pepper, and lime to taste.  Enjoy