{Star Ingredient Round-Up}: Butternut Squash 3 Ways

 

Inspiration and preparation remain two of my very favorite ‘super powers’ and especially so when it comes to the big wide world of cooking.  Added emphasis when cooking for an occasion, a special someone(s), or to simply make good use of the food that’s been lingering in my fridge, on my countertops, and in my pantry.

Enter the genius I affectionately label as star ingredients.  Translation: one ingredient transformed in myriad ways and dishes.  As we make our way into the holiday season, I want to share a few variations on one of my absolute favorite seasonal ingredients, butternut squash.

My round-up includes recipes that can deliver as exceptional side-dishes, main courses, and appetizers:

Hasselback Butternut Squash with Maple Butter

Butternut Squash Galette

Butternut Squash Soup

Want more of this delicacy?  Simply search butternut squash and enjoy even more…

Happy Eating!

{Star Ingredient} -- Balsamic Done Savory and Sweet

Balsamic vinegar is a wonder.  Its tangy brightness, characteristic of vinegars, generally, and undeniable sweet notes, make it a versatile, star ingredient that should be resident in every gourmand's kitchen.  And while I first became acquainted with the savory, more traditional, ways of bringing balsamic into my cuisine, I have long since welcomed its ability to elevate and transform sweeter offerings into something truly special.

Today's post offers the best of both worlds, serving up easy, yet indulgent, recipes that will leave you forever convinced about why this pantry staple is a star ingredient, indeed. 

Balsamic Chicken

On the savory end, I'm sharing a recipe for Balsamic Chicken that will steer you away from the "we're having chicken again" doldrums. And for my sweet take, a little balsamic goes a long way.  Starting with the best aged balsamic I can find, it stars as the perfect finish and accent to luscious, roasted pears.  While these dishes are a cinch to pull together, they equally score as courses elegant enough for special occasions.  So whether you're in the mood for sweet, savory, or both, balsamic will give you something to relish.

Balsamic Roasted Pears

Happy Eating!

Balsamic Chicken

Ingredients:
1.5-2 lbs. skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly parsley, roughly chopped (optional)

Method:
Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in a resealable bag.

In a small bowl, add vinegar, honey, soy, garlic and chili flakes, stirring or whisking to combine.   Pour marinade over chicken and reseal bag.  Massage chicken with marinade to coat well and place in the refrigerator for at least two hours or up to overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Remove chicken from bag and place chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet, skin side down.  Bake for 30-35 minutes.  Reserve marinade.

Turn on broiler and turn chicken skin side up.  Place chicken under the broiler for 3-5 minutes or until the skin becomes crisp, keeping a close eye on it. 

Pour the marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Stir frequently and allow sauce to cook until reduced and thickened.  Brush sauce over cooked chicken and garnish with fresh parsley, if using.  Serve and enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Just a Taste
 

Balsamic Roasted Pears

Ingredients:
Bosc pears, halved and cored
Brown sugar
Butter
Aged balsamic
Ice cream

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place pears in a baking dish, flesh side up.  Place a pat of butter in the hollow of each pear half, where the core once was.  Sprinkle brown sugar over the pears (as much as you please).  Place pears in heated oven and bake for 30 minutes, until pears are tender.

Remove pears from oven and place over ice cream.  Finish with a generous drizzle of balsamic over the ice cream and pears.  Serve and enjoy!

    


 

Mini Sausage Rolls

Puff pastry has been in my life a lot recently.  You may recall these chocolate croissants that served up a bit of sweet goodness not too long ago.  And now--just a little while later--I'm back again with a savory rendition of this most loved star ingredient.  A small, elegant, scrumptious rendition that makes for the perfect appetizer, snack or cocktail bite--sausage in puff pastry, to be exact.  

I started with my favorite Italian sausage and encased it in the flaky, buttery puff pastry dough, accented with a smear of dijon mustard (for extra kick) and a sprinkling of fresh herbs (for extra joie de vivre--and color!).  Sealed and crowned with flaked sea salt and freshly ground pepper, they were baked off to golden, succulent perfection and soon devoured--I mean savored bite by bite. :)

Great things often come in simple and small packages, and these mini sausage rolls more than measure up. 

Happy Eating!

Mini Sausage Rolls

Recipe courtesy of Lorraine Pascale

(Cook's Note: I "free-styled" a bit by using my sausage of choice, adding dijon, using herbs I had on hand, etc., and didn't stress too much about the exact measurements of the dough.  It's an easy recipe that lends itself to your creativity, so have fun, and I'm sure the results will show!)





 

Chocolate Croissants

Making croissants from scratch is no small feat.  I learned this first hand last year when I attended a baking class for that very purpose.  It was a multiple hour endeavor filled with lots of learning, technique, precision and, finally, indulging!  But my takeaway (besides the fruits of my labor) was: this is serious work.  And while I'm not one to shy away from something I love because of the effort involved, I can certainly appreciate a well-suited shortcut to get me to my end goal.  And in the case of making croissants in my own kitchen, thankfully, there was such a shortcut to be had.

Keeping my class recipe notes at bay, when I decided to bring the same flaky, buttery deliciousness I love in a good great croissant into being, I went for one of my favorite ingredients: store-bought puff pastry.  I'm a big fan of how easy it is to create both sweet and savory delicacies with it, and I enjoy using it in everything from turnovers to sticky buns to tops for my homemade pot pies and more.  It's an indispensable "star ingredient" when I need good pastry in a relative hurry.

So what could be better than the flaky, buttery goodness I was describing?  The same with chocolate and sea salt tucked inside!  (These days sea salt and chocolate are virtually inseparable in my kitchen.)  With my ingredients at the ready, scrumptious chocolate croissants were waiting to be devoured in a matter of minutes.  And breaking open a croissant to see the melted chocolate oozing on the flaky dough was the icing on top.

Whether you're talking breakfast, breakfast in bed, brunch, or breakfast for dinner, this recipe will have you off to the perfect sweet start--and finish.  It deserves all the love you'll want to give it, and it will definitely love you back.

Happy Eating!

Chocolate Croissants

printable recipe

Ingredients:
1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed and chilled
1 chocolate bar, chopped in small squares, or chocolate chips
Sea Salt
Flour, for dusting the work surface
1 egg, beaten
Turbinado sugar, optional

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Roll out pastry dough onto a lightly floured surface.  Cut the dough into large squares (6 to 8), then cut each square diagonally to form triangle pieces.  Place the chocolate on the dough closer to the wider end and sprinkle with the salt.  Roll the dough towards the narrow end to seal, being sure to tuck in the overhang.  Round the sides inward to form the crescent/croissant shape.  Brush the croissants with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar, if using.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.  Serve warm and enjoy!

Star Ingredient: Herbs

Periodically, I'll be dedicating my blog space to a new series entitled, "Star Ingredient".  In this series, I'll take a key, or star, ingredient and feature it in different ways.  And to kick off our new series, I'm starting with the star ingredient, herbs. 

Enough can't be said about herbs.  The way they impart life and flavor and freshness and beauty to  dishes literally takes food to another level.  They're the perfect finish for most savory courses and even shine brightly in desserts and drinks.  I can't imagine my kitchen--or my cooking--without them.  Simply put, I love herbs!  And I hope you'll have a greater appreciation for them, too, as you dive into the featured recipes for Herbed-Baked Eggs and Tuna Pitas with Herbs.

Happy Eating!

Herbed-Baked Eggs

Herbed-Baked Eggs
Serves 4
If you're looking to switch up your breakfast or brunch eggs course, this recipe is the ticket!  Easy, yet elegant, it packs superb flavor with a medley of herbs, garlic, cheese and more!

Ingredients:
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
12 extra-large eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the broiler for 5 minutes and place the oven rack 6 inches below the heat.

Combine the garlic, thyme, rosemary, parsley and Parmesan cheese and set aside.  Carefully crack 3 eggs into each of 4 small bowls or teacups (you won't be baking in these) without breaking the yolks.  (Note: It's important to have all the eggs ready to go before you start cooking.)

Place four individual gratin dishes on a baking sheet.  Place 1 tablespoon of cream and 1/2 tablespoon of butter in each dish and place under the broiler for about 3 minutes, until hot and bubbly.  Quickly, but carefully, pour 3 eggs into each gratin dish and sprinkle evenly with the herb mixture, then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.  Place back under the broiler for 5 to 6 minutes, until the whites of the eggs are almost cooked.  (Rotate the baking sheet once if they aren't cooking evenly.)  The eggs will continue to cook after you take them out of the oven.  Allow to set for 60 seconds and serve hot.
Recipe by Ina Garten

Tuna with Dill and Herbed Pita

 Tuna Pitas with Herbs
Serves 1
Dill wakes up this tuna recipe and takes it from ordinary to extraordinary, while the dried oregano does similar duty on the pita.

Ingredients:
One 5 oz. can of tuna
1 tablespoon, plus 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons mayonnaise 
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus extra for sprinkling
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for sprinkling
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill leaves
Dried oregano
Olive oil
Mixed greens

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine together tuna, mustard, mayonnaise, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, sugar, vinegar and dill in a bowl.  Set aside.

Cut pita bread in half and season each half with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt, pepper and oregano.  Bake in preheated oven for 5-6 minutes.

Fill baked pita pockets with mixed greens and tuna.  Serve and enjoy!