Chicken and Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette
February 3rd, 2012 § 1 Comment
Have I ever confessed my love for Ina Garten’s cooking? In addition to be completely envious of the gorgeous barn she built as an addition to her home in East Hampton, I adore her cooking style.
(I mean, seriously! Look at this place!)
I love watching Ina’s Barefoot Contessa shows on Food Network, so I decided to add her “Back to Basics” cookbook to my collection of recipes. Best. Idea. Ever. I have tons of bookmarks for recipes all throughout the book, including this salad. The combination of cold, warm, crunchy, soft and chewy makes this salad a well rounded meal. The spiciness of the arugula and the slight sweetness of the squash provide a great balance, plus the bright colors make it pretty to look at. Ina really knew what she was doing when she created this recipe!
Chicken and Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette
Recipe adapted from “Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics”
Ingredients
1 cup roasted chicken breast, shredded
1 (1 1/2-lb) butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4″ pieces
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
3 tablespoons dried cranberries
3/4 cup apple juice
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 ounces arugula, washed and dried
1/2 cup walnut halves, toasted
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place the squash on a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil (for easy clean up). Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the maple syrup, Kosher salt and pepper and toss to coat. Roast the squash for 15-20 minutes, turning once, until tender. Add the dried cranberries during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
While the squash is roasting, combine the apple juice, vinegar and shallots in a small pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat until reduced to about 1/4 cup (about 6-8 minutes). Remove from heat and whisk in mustard and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Place arugula, chicken, squash, walnuts and cheese in a large bowl. Spoon just enough dressing over the salad to moisten – being careful not to overdress – and toss well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.
Barn photo courtesy of HouseBeautiful.com.
Roasted Parsnips and Carrots
February 1st, 2012 § 3 Comments
If you’re like me and have never made parsnips before, you’ll be in for a pleasant surprise. A parsnip looks like a funky white carrot and has a slightly sweet flavor like a carrot, but the texture – when cooked – is a bit starchy. Using this simple roasting recipe allows the subtle flavors of the carrots and parsnips to take center stage. So, next time you’re at the farmers market and see those strange white root vegetables, don’t be nervous; pick up a few and get your roasting on!
Roasted Parsnips and Carrots
Ingredients
2 lbs parsnips
1 lb carrots
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
Freshly cracked pepper (to taste)
Fresh dill, minced
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Peel parsnips and cut into thick pieces. For the carrots, peel or scrub clean and cut into thick pieces. Combine parsnips, carrots, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl and toss to coat. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 20-40 minutes depending on the thickness of the vegetables. Stir occasionally throughout. Serve sprinkled with fresh dill.
Pesto and Sun Dried Tomato Quiche
January 27th, 2012 § Leave a Comment
Eggs are wonderful. From baking to breakfast, they are a true workhorse in the kitchen. Quiche is a versatile egg dish and a nice canvas to work with when you want something quick, easy and tasty — which is especially handy on lazy weekend mornings. The addition of creamy goat cheese really brings out the nuttiness of the pesto and the tang of the sun dried tomatoes!
I “cheated” and used a store bought crust because – as with my mini quiche – I’m still not quite comfortable making my own yet.
Ingredients
1 store-bought pie crust, frozen
2 tablespoons pesto
4 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese
1/4 Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
5 sun dried tomatoes, packed in oil, drained and cut into strips (I preffer Mezzetta)
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spread pesto evenly in the bottom of the pie crust and sprinkle goat cheese and Monterey Jack cheese over pesto.
In a bowl, beat together eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over goat cheese in pie crust and arrange sun dried tomatoes on top.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until done. Cool to near room temperature before serving.
Note: The last step is important. The quiche needs to be completely cool before you try to slice it so it has time to settle a bit. Can you eat it hot out of the oven, yes, but it will be a hot mess (literally and figuratively) to get out of the pan. Plus, letting it cool down a bit allows the flavors a little more time to meld together.
