Delicata Squash with quinoa

A friend of mine just became a vegetarian and asked me to find some recipes for her. While looking through the March 2010 issue of Food & Wine, I saw this recipe and thought what a great idea. It has quinoa, raisins, honey, mint, parsley, arugula and apple. I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious it was and will make it again. And it's good for you.

1 delicata squash

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup quinoa

1 tablespoon raisins

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)

1 teaspoon honey

1/2 granny smith, cut into small pieces

1/2 shallot, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon chopped mint

1 tablespoon parsley

2 oz (60 g) arugula

1. Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C). Cut the squash lengthwise and remove the seeds. Brush the inside of the squash with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place the squash cut side down and bake for about 45 min or until tender.

2. In a sauce pan, bring 2 cups (500 ml ) water to a boil. Add the quinoa, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the raisins and simmer covered until the water is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Transfer the quinoa to a large bowl.

3. In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, honey and olive oil, season with salt & pepper. Add the dressing to the quinoa along with the apple, shallot, garlic, mint and parsely and toss well. Add the arugula and toss gently.

4. Set the squash halves on a plate and fill with the quinoa and serve.

This serves two

Roasted Turbot with asparagus & capers

Went to the store to get sea bass, but they didn't have any so I got Turbot instead. It was delicious. I roasted the potatoes, asparagus and fish with capers.
Ingredients:
400 g (14 oz ) baby potatoes sliced (you can use larger ones if you cannot find baby
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch asparagus
1 tablespoons capers
1 tablespoon chives for garnish
sea salt
Preheat oven to 200 C (400F). Slice the potatoes and mix with the olive oil and sea salt and place into the roasting pan. Roast for about 25 minutes. Add the fish, asparagus & capers to the roasting pan on top of the potatoes and roast for another 15 - 20 minutes or until the fish is done and the potatoes are golden. When done, plate and garnish with chives.
Serves 2

Boeuf Bourguignon

Superbowl Sunday and I made a Boeuf Bourguignon, the classic one over a bed of gemelli pasta that had grated parmigiano and butter. Yummy!!!!

Go Saints!

Brined Pork Chops

Brining is awesome and really adds flavor, I brine pork, chicken & turkey, you can do salmon also. There are many brining recipes so whatever you do will be good.

It was too cold to cook outside, so I used my inside grill.

Here is my brine for Pork Chops:

• 4 pork chops



• 2 litres (2 quarts) water



• 1/2 cup sea salt (you can use Kosher if you like)



• 1/4 cup sugar (or you could use honey)



• black peppercorns



• 1 bay leaf



• lemon peel from one lemon (this is optional)



• extra virgin olive oil



• juice of half a lemon

1. Mix the water, sea salt, sugar, peppercorns, bay leaf and lemon peel, when sugar is dissolved add the pork, cover and refrigerate for 5 hours of overnight.

2. Preheat a charcoal grill or you could do this inside in the broiler.

3. Get the pork chops and rinse off and pat dry. I brush a little olive onto the pork and grill on both sides. When the pork is done, drizzle some extra virgin olive onto the pork and squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the pork.

I love broccoli rabe and often serve it with this dish.

Fallen choclate cake

Here is what it looks like when you cut into it.....yummy!

fallen chocolate cake

Fallen chocolate cake this is one of my favorite desserts and there are several variations, I have been making it so long I forget where it came from. It is quick and easy and you can make prepare it several hours before you serve it by putting it into the refrigerator. Take it out of the fridge about an hour before you cook it (make sure it is at room temperature).

Ingredients:

1 stick of unsalted butter (100 g)

4 ounces (100 g)of bittersweet chocolate, I use Valrhona

2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks

1/4 cup of sugar

2 teaspoons of all purpose flour, plus some for dusting

4 (4 oz) ramekins

1. In a double boiler set over simmering water. heat the butter and chocolate together until it is almost completed melted. Meanwhile beat the eggs and sugar together until thick.

2. Beat the melted chocolate & butter . Pour this into the egg mixture and immediately add the flour and mix.

3. Butter and flour the ramekins repeat this twice. Add the mixture to the ramekins and you can now refrigerate for several hours, but bring to room temperature before baking.

4. Preheat oven to 450F (230 C0. Bake the molds on a tray for 6 to 7 minutes. The cakes will be soft in the middle but the sides will be set.

5. Invert the molds onto a plate for about 10 seconds , unmold and enjoy.

Risotto

Last evening we had risotto with asparagus & crimini mushrooms, soy ginger flank steak & fallen chocolate cake.....yummy!

Here it is being cooked.

Ingredients:

300 grams of cannaroli rice (this is better than aborio for risotto)

2 litres of chicken stock, and I put the rind of parmigiano cheese into the stock (adds lots of flavors)

1 bunch asparagus cut into small pieces and these were blanched in boiling water.

crimini mushrooms about 5 chopped up, you can add more if you wish.

parmigiano cheese 1/4 cup or so

1. Place the stock and rind of parmigiano into a heavy bottom pan and bring to a simmer.

2. Heat a heavy bottom pan and add olive oil to the bottom, chopped onions and let them sweat; then add the rice and coat with the oil and onions.

3. Start by adding two ladles of stock and stir your rice and keep on stirring and adding stock as needed, it takes about 20 minutes or so, add the mushrooms and asparagus and continue on.

4. Taste the rice as you go and add the parmigiano rice and keep on stirring.

5. When finished, serve IMMEDIATELY (you wait for risotto, risotto does not wait for you), grate some parmigiano and enjoy.