I love Butternut Squash. I mean, who doesn't? :-) But most of us are used to it being on the sweet side - be it in Bisque or Casserole form. This recipe is a surprise because it's savory & it contains some ingredients that you might think wouldn't work well together. I'm here to tell you that they do!
This recipe came from Allrecipes.com - my favorite online recipe site. I was looking for a way to use up the extra Butternut Squash I had leftover from Thanksgiving. I decided to give this recipe a try & I'm glad I did. I hope it makes you happy, too!
Butternut Squash Bake
Serving Size: 6
1 (4 pound) butternut squash - peeled, seeded, and cubed
1/3 yellow onion, minced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
6 ounces crumbled blue cheese
sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
Directions:
Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Toss the squash, onion, olive oil, 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs, thyme, and blue cheese in a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour the mixture into an 8" X 8" baking dish. Sprinkle 1/4 cup bread crumbs over the squash.
Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned on top, 35 to 40 minutes.
Notes:
Feta cheese can be substituted for the Blue Cheese.
Cornflake crumbs can be substituted for the bread crumbs.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Top Chef Recipe
This recipe is from Top Chef All Stars Finalist Chef Mike Isabella. I could see adding some cheese to this finished sauce & serving it as a dip in a bread bowl. I served it over a filled pasta called Sachetti that I found in the freezer section of Shop-Rite. It's similar to Tortellini but it looks like little bags (sacks). Topped it off with shredded Parmesan.
I doubled this recipe & subbed in a half pound of Gaspar's Chourico. I removed the bay leaves before I "processed it" with my stick blender. Good meaty sauce that's easy to make. I'm sure it's going to freeze well, too.
Pepperoni Sauce
Yield: 4 1/2 cups to 4 3/4 cups
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, cut into small dice
5 medium cloves garlic, cut into very thin slices
1 lb. pepperoni, cut into thin slices
1 teaspoon fennel seed, toasted
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
8 to 12 ounces canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, chopped, with their juices (San Marzano)
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 fresh bay leaf
Directions:
1. Toast the fennel seed in a small dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the skillet often to keep the seeds from burning. They will become fragrant and slightly darker in color.
2. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, until the oil simmers.
3. Add the onion and garlic; cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until they are golden and fragrant.
4. Stir in the pepperoni; cook for about 5 minutes, until fragrant and evenly coated, then add the toasted fennel seed and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute, stirring.
5. Add the tomatoes and their juices (to taste), the broth, and the bay leaf; stir to incorporate. Once the mixture starts to bubble at the edges, cover and cook for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. The pepperoni slices will be soft, with a deeper color. Remove from the heat.
Working in batches as needed, transfer to a food processor or a high-powered blender (including the bay leaf). Puree until smooth. The sauce is ready to use. Or cool, cover and refrigerate or freeze.
I doubled this recipe & subbed in a half pound of Gaspar's Chourico. I removed the bay leaves before I "processed it" with my stick blender. Good meaty sauce that's easy to make. I'm sure it's going to freeze well, too.
Pepperoni Sauce
Yield: 4 1/2 cups to 4 3/4 cups
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, cut into small dice
5 medium cloves garlic, cut into very thin slices
1 lb. pepperoni, cut into thin slices
1 teaspoon fennel seed, toasted
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
8 to 12 ounces canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, chopped, with their juices (San Marzano)
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 fresh bay leaf
Directions:
1. Toast the fennel seed in a small dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the skillet often to keep the seeds from burning. They will become fragrant and slightly darker in color.
2. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, until the oil simmers.
3. Add the onion and garlic; cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until they are golden and fragrant.
4. Stir in the pepperoni; cook for about 5 minutes, until fragrant and evenly coated, then add the toasted fennel seed and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute, stirring.
5. Add the tomatoes and their juices (to taste), the broth, and the bay leaf; stir to incorporate. Once the mixture starts to bubble at the edges, cover and cook for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. The pepperoni slices will be soft, with a deeper color. Remove from the heat.
Working in batches as needed, transfer to a food processor or a high-powered blender (including the bay leaf). Puree until smooth. The sauce is ready to use. Or cool, cover and refrigerate or freeze.
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