Roast Squash

Roast squash is one of my favorite fall items, I love the sweet yummy flavor that it has. I like how versatile it is because you can use it as a side dish, a snack or like I have done here, added to a salad. Taking the skin off the squash is the hardest part of the process, make sure you have a very sharp knife or heavy duty vegetable peeler!

Roast Squash

1 Squash (Acorn or Butternut are my favorites)
Olive Oil
Brown Sugar
Salt

Cut squash in half, remove seeds and skin. Cut into 3/4 inch cubes and place on a non-stick baking pan. Drizzle with a little olive oil and then lightly sprinkle with salt and brown sugar. Bake at 400 degrees until sugar starts to caramelize and squash is just tender, about 20-30 minutes. Serve hot or let cool and use on salads or enjoy as a snack.

I made a simple salad using some mixed greens, a seared steak and a pungent blue cheese...the sweet squash and blue cheese together were to die for!

Beef Ragu with Pappardelle

I was looking through my new Sur la Table catalog a couple weeks ago and stumbled upon the "Wild Boar Ragu Kit" which would set you back $80, yikes!!! This immediately made me curious about a two things...Can I make this with beef instead (yes), and can I make this dinner more amazing for less than $80 (yes)...which led me to this recipe. Then I realized that the "kit" didn't include the fresh veggies, wine, or stock you would actually need to make this amazing dish, adding another $20+ to your meal. Normally I don't squawk at the prices of good ingredients, but I was a little shocked that the kit had so little, at such a large price (and working for Williams Sonoma Inc...I'm used to expensive foods and such).
Ok, I'll get off my soap box now and talk about the important things, like this outstanding recipe! In my attempt at serching the interweb I found many recipes that peaked my interest, but ultimately ended up doing a little of this, and a little of that to create my own "Beef Ragu with Pappardelle." I must admit that it's a time consuming recipe, but if you enjoy puttering in the kitchen on a day off; this is the perfect Fall meal. I almost fainted mid-cooking because the aroma of the dish wafting throughout the house was completely intoxicating! I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

Beef Ragu with Pappardelle

3 Pound Beef Chuck Roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
2 Basil Leaves
2 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary
5 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
2 Sprigs Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley
2 Large Carrots, peeled & diced
2 Stalks Celery, diced
1 Onion, diced
2 Shallots, diced
1 Pound Mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 Tablespoon Flour
4 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
1 16 Ounce Can Crushed Tomatoes
1 Bottle Cabernet Wine
1/2 Head Garlic, cloves peeled and separated
4 Cups Beef Stock
1 Pound Fresh Pappardelle, or other fresh pasta
Chopped Parsley
8 Ounces Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese
8 Ounces Pecorino Romano Cheese Curls

Heat oven to 325 degrees.

Place a large 6-8 Quart Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add oil and heat until it is almost smoking. Season beef generously with salt and pepper. Working in 2 separate batches, add beef to the hot oil cook until browned on all sides. Remove from Dutch oven and transfer to a plate and set aside, continue with next batch, remove from pan.


Place rosemary, thyme, and parsley together and tie with kitchen string, set aside. Add carrots, celery, onion, shallots, and mushrooms to Dutch oven and cook over medium high heat, stirring occasioinally, until vegetables are softened and golden, about 10 minutes. Add flour and tomato paste, and stir to combine. Add wine; stir with wooden spoon until all browned bits have been scraped from the pan. Add tomatoes, garlic, beef stock, herbs, bay leaves, and galic cloves. Return meat to the Dutch oven and bring to a simer over medium-high heat. Cover the dish and place in the oven. Cook until beef is tender, about 3 hours.


Place the Dutch oven on the stove top over medium heat and simmer until reduced by half and thickened. Using a wooden spoon press the meat against the side of the pot to break up into shredded pieces. Remove the herbs and bay leaves and turn to low.

Fill a large pot with water and cook pasta until just al-dente, add to ragu and stir with shredded romano cheese to combine. Serve in large bowls with chopped parsley and shaved romano cheese as a garnish.

Pork Loin

I personally think pork should be illegal because it is so delicious! I think I could eat it every day, especially if it came in bacon form. I decided to do a more healthy pork lunch last Sunday that was really quick and easy to make. I simply roasted a pork loin with some herbs and it was amazing. The key to really good pork loin is to not over-cook it, as it dries out very quickly once it gets overdone. Also, giving it a good rest after cooking helps drive the juices back into the meat as well. Since I was making this for lunch I wanted an easy side dish to go along side, so I made my yummy Oven Fries and an arugula salad with my House Dressing. Enjoy!

Pork Loin

3 Pound Pork Loin
Olive Oil
Salt
Herbs de Provence

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Generously salt pork loin and then cover with herbs de provence. In a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat add enough olive oil to just coat bottom of pan. Add pork loin and sear on all sides until golden brown. Transfer the pork loin to the oven and bake for about 30-40 minutes or until internal temperature reads 145 degrees on an instant read thermometer. Remove, cover tightly with foil and let rest 10 minutes before serving (meat will continue to cook while resting).

Guacamole

I love guacamole and could just sit in front of a large bowl of it and eat myself like it's Thanksgiving. Luckily I don't make it that often, so I'm not that out of control! This is a very simple recipe and you need to make this with my favorite Salsa recipe which was just recently posted. I like my guacamole a little chunky, but feel free to process the avocados as much or as little as you like. You will also notice that I left the avocado seed in my guacamole...did you know this helps it from turning brown?

Guacamole

4 Ripe Avocados
Roma Tomato
Juice from 1/2 fresh Lime
1/4 Cup Salsa
1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin

Cut avocados in half and remove the seed. Next cut avocado into cubes while still in the skin, then scoop into bowl with a large spoon. Using a fork smash the avocados to desired consistency. Cut tomato in half, remove stem and seeds, then cut into a fine dice, add to bowl. Add the lime juice, salsa, garlic salt, and cumin and mix thoroughly. Adjust seasoning with salt. Let sit for a few minutes before serving so flavors all meld together.

Salsa

I have been making this salsa recipe for years and it seems to be ever-evolving, as I like to experiment with different peppers, roasting, and variations, but this is my favorite salsa. It is inspired by my friend Silvia's salsa (which is a secret recipe) but I have tweaked it enough that I feel comfortable sharing this recipe with you all. I like to roast all my veggies so it adds a bit of smoky flavor to the dish, and what I've been doing recently is using more peppers, but removing all the seeds and ribs so it's not too spicy. I hope you enjoy this as much as my friends and I do!

Salsa

1/2 Sweet Onion, skin removed and cut into two thick slices
2 Roma Tomatoes, cut in half and seeded
2 Jalapeno Peppers, stemmed seeded and ribs removed
1 Serrano Pepper, stemmed seeded and ribs removed
1 Poblano Pepper, stemmed seeded and ribs removed
1 Large Clove Garlic
1/2 Bunch Cilantro
28 Ounce Can Tomato Sauce
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin

Turn broiler on high to pre-heat. Cover a large baking sheet with foil and place onion, tomaotes and all peppers skin side up on tray. Broil until peppers are blackened and onion and tomato are slightly charred. Place roasted veggies into the bowl of a food processor (or blender) and pulse until just chopped up. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until well chopped. Add more salt if necessary, enjoy!

Mole Verde

This recipe is a lot of work, but well worth it. I love the rich flavor of the mole sauce and it is different than anything I have ever tasted. The main base of the mole sauce is pumpkin seeds, which is unusual, but they give a lot of flavor to the dish. You can find raw pumpkin seeds at your Whole Foods market or you can order them online. I think this would also be really yummy with pork, but it's traditionally served with chicken. For a side dish I made my Spanish Rice (except I added black beans instead of peas) and then of course I had to make salsa and guacamole to go along with it.
This recipe is from the book "Authentic Mexican" by Rick Bayless (a must have for those of you who like traditional Mexican food!)

Mole Verde

1 Cup Pumpkin Seeds, hulled and unroasted
13 Ounce Can Tomatillos, drained
3 Serrano Chilies, seeded
5 Large Romaine Lettuce Leaves
1/2 Medium Onion, roughly chopped
3 Cloves Garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
3 Large Sprigs Fresh Cilantro
1/4 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
6 Black Peppercorns
3/4 Inch Cinnamon Stick
2 Cloves
1 1/2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1/2 Teaspoon Salt

Chicken

4 Chicken Breasts, bone in
1 Small Onion
1/2 Teaspoon Salt

Start by cooking the chicken: Bring 6 cups water and the salt to a boil in a large saucepan with the diced onion. Add the chicken breasts, skim off any grayish foam that rises during the first minute of simmering, partially cover and simmer over medium heat for about 12 minutes, until the breasts are barely done. Let chicken cool in the broth. Remove, strain the broth, then spoon off all the fat that rises to the top.
Mole: Heat a medium skillet over medium-low for several minutes, then pour in the pumpkin seeds in a single layer. When the first one pops, stir them constantly for 4-5 minutes, until all have toasted and popped. Cool completely. In batches, pulverize the seeds in a spice grinder. sift through a medium-mesh sieve, then stir in 1 cup of the broth.
Drain canned tomatillos and place in the blender or food processor with the raw chiles. Tear the lettuce leaves into rough pieces and add to the tomatillows along with the onion,garlic and cilantro. Pulverize the spices in a mortar or spice grinder, add to the blender then process until smooth.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium. When hot, add the pumpkin seed broth mixture and stir constantly as it thickens and darkens, 4-5 minutes. Add the vegetable puree and stir a few minutes longer, until very thick.
Stir in 2 cup of the chicken broth, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, for about 30 minutes. Season with the salt and, if necessary, thin to a light consistency with a little broth.
Just before serving, add the chkicken to the simmering sauce. When heated through, remove the breasts to a warm serving platter, spoon the sauce over them and garnish with a sprig of cilantro.

Chicken Parmesan

I'm laughing a little bit right now because I am realizing how many chicken recipes I've been making lately...I guess I'm on a chicken craving or something! At least I mix it up a bit and make different versions, so it doesn't really count-right?
I made a batch of my yummy Tomato Meat Sauce and the thoughts of it on plain pasta for left-overs just didn't sound too good so I decided to mix it up a bit and make chicken parmesan. This is such a sinful dish because you bread and fry the chicken and then top it off with melted cheese, but it sure is tasty! I just wouldn't recommend it very often:) I did do a small side of pasta and some mixed greens sauteed with butter and garlic, so it was a little balanced.

Chicken Parmesan

2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 Batch Tomato Meat Sauce (or 1 jar of your favorite store bought pasta sauce)
2 Eggs
1 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese
Oil

Start by heating up the pasta sauce and keep warm on the stove. Next to prepare the chicken place one breast in a large zip lock bag and pound to 1/2 inch thickness, do the same with the second chicken breast. Next break the eggs and beat on a large plate or dish, set aside. For the breading combine the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese on another large plate. Coat the chicken breasts with the eggs and then dredge in the bread crumb mixture pressing to coat evenly. In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of oil over medium high heat, place chicken in oil and cook until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes and flip and cook other side until golden brown, another 3-4 minutes, then drain on a paper towel for a minute.
Next turn your broiler on high. Place the chiken breasts on a heavy baking sheet, spoon enough pasta sauce over the chicken to coat, then sprinkle with the mozzarell cheese. Place in the oven and broil until cheese is melted and starts to turn golden, just a minute or two. Enjoy!

Chicken Enchiladas

There is nothing better than a good chicken enchilada, at least I think so. I was wanting a quick Mexican dinner and decided to whip up a batch of chicken enchiladas. I did cheat a little bit, actually quite a bit, but who cares, right? I started off with a rotisserie chicken, so I wouldn't have to cook my own chicken and used store bought enchilada sauce instead of making my own. They turned out pretty darn good if you ask me! They literally took 20 minutes to assemble and a few minutes in the oven so it's a great week night meal.

Chicken Enchiladas

1 Rotisserie Chicken, skinned and shredded
1 28 Ounce Can Enchilada Sauce
1 13 Ounce Can Enchilada Sauce
12-14 Corn Tortillas
8 Ounce Package Cotija Cheese

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. To make the enchiladas, start by mixing the shredded chicken with the small can of enchilada sauce, set aside. Crumble the Cotija cheese and set aside and coat the bottom of a 9x12 baking dish with enchilada sauce.


Spoon a good amount of the chicken into the tortilla and top with a bit of the Cotija cheese, fold edges in to cover and place seam-side down into the baking dish.


Continue with the rest of the tortillas until pan is full. Now pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the enchiladas to cover evenly. sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake until hot an bubbly, about 30 minutes or so. Serve immediately.

Easy Roast Chicken

I think it's quite funny that I have been writing a food blog for two years, cooking for 20 and never in my life have I roasted a whole chicken! I have made a couple versions of roasted Cornish hens, I've whipped up a ton of Thanksgiving Turkeys, and I've made MANY chicken recipes, just never the basic roast chicken. I knew it was easy to roast a chicken, I mean seriously, how much different is it than roasting a turkey, or a chicken breast? I wanted simple, flavorful crispy skin, and decided to use very basic ingredients. It turned out moist, tender, and made the house smell absolutely delicious!

Easy Roast Chicken

1 Chicken
1 Tablespoon Dried Thyme
1 Tablespoon Dried Oregano
Kosher Salt
Pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Clean chicken thoroughly removing all innards, wash and pat dry with paper towels. Generously salt and pepper the cavity of the bird, then tie legs together with kitchen twine and fold wing tips underneath the bird. Next drizzle outside of bird with olive oil to coat, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and herbs. Place bird on a roasting or wire rack rack on a foil lined baking sheet (makes clean up so much easier!). Roast chicken in a pre-heated 375 degree oven until liquids run clear, and a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees, about 45 minutes. Tent with foil and let rest 10 minutes for the juices to go back into the bird. Slice meat and serve, bon appetite!

Rosemary Focaccia Bread

I found this amazing recipe on Recipe from OurBestBites.com and had to immediately go to the kitchen and whip it up. I’m not much of a bread maker, but I thought this recipe was so easy and delicious I had to give it a try. I was completely shocked at how amazing the bread turned out, it had the perfect texture, flavor, and my friend Patti and I gobbled it up. I served it on a plate with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. You must try this one out, it’s so good…I’ve been craving it ever since.

Rosemary Focaccia Bread

1 Cup Warm Water (105-115 degrees Fahrenheit)

1 Tablespoon Yeast

1 Tablespoon Sugar

1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt, plus more for sprinkling

2 Tablespoons Butter, divided

2 Tablespoons Crushed Dry Rosemary

2 1/4-2 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour

In a large mixing bowl, combine warm water, yeast, and sugar. Allow to stand for 10 minutes or until bubbly. While the yeast is getting bubbly, combine 2 C of the flour, salt, 1 Tbsp. rosemary.

Add flour mixture to yeast mixture along with 1 Tbsp. melted butter. Mix well. (I put it in my stand mixer with the dough hook on). Slowly add remaining flour to make a very soft dough--try and resist the urge to add too much flour. You probably won't use the entire extra 1/2 c. of flour. I usually only use about 1/4 cup. You want a soft, wet dough.

Cover and allow to rise 1 hour.

Lightly flour work surface and transfer dough onto this surface. Divide in half. Shape each half into a round loaf and place on a greased cookie sheet or pizza stone. Cover and allow to rise another 45 minutes.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Melt remaining tablespoon of butter and mix with remaining tablespoon of rosemary. Brush on loaves and sprinkle lightly with Kosher salt.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until very lightly golden-brown. Serve immediately (if you can) with olive oil and balsamic vinegar (if you want) and feel your butt get bigger (you will. It just happens. And it's worth it.)