Fall Minestrone

When my husband says "This soup hits me at the cellular level," I know we've got a keeper of a recipe. And this one, from Ereka Vetrini, who is on Instagram as @erekav, is a real winner. It's colorful, flavorful, packed chock full with delicious, healthy vegetables and pasta too. What could be better? It warms you to the soul, and is the perfect transitional meal as summer's warmth morphs into autumn's chill. The only change I made to Ereka's recipe was to use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth, but you can do as you like. And because the pasta swelled so much after sitting for a few hours, I had to add more broth to thin out the soup a bit. I would suggest waiting to add the ditalini until shortly before you're ready to serve.

Check out Ciao Chow Linda on Instagram here to find out what’s cooking in my kitchen each day (and more).

 Fall Minestrone

Recipe from Ereka Vetrini @erekav on Instagram

Ingredients:
2 celery stalks finely minced
2 medium sized carrots finely minced
1 large sweet yellow onion finely minced
⅓ cup olive oil
2 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp dried rosemary
1 small butternut squash
1 large Yukon gold potato diced
6 cups low sodium vegetable broth (I used chicken broth)
3 cups water
10 thyme sprigs
Parmesan rind (optional)
1½ cups small ditalini pastina
1 large bundle of lacinato (dinosaur) kale or a 12 ounces bag of spinach (I used both only because I didn't read the recipe carefully enough, but adding both kale and spinach was delicious)
1 can cannellini beans drained
1 can cannellini beans blended
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Veggie Preparation:
-To quickly mince the celery, carrots and onion, add them to a food processor and pulse 20-25 times.
-Use a peeler to peel the skin off of your butternut squash. Slice the squash in half, deseed and dice into ½ inch pieces.
-Peel and dice the potato. Remove the ribs from the kale and chop the leaves into small pieces.
-Blend one can of cannellini until smooth. Do not drain the liquid before blending.

Minestrone Instructions:
-To a large pot, add the olive oil, the soffritto (minced celery, carrots and onions), 1salt, pepper and dried rosemary. Sautè over medium heat for 3 minutes then add the butternut squash, potatoes, vegetable broth, 3 cups water, thyme sprigs and parmesan rind. Bring to a boil and let boil for 6 minutes.

-Add the ditalini and cook for 8 minutes more stirring occasionally so the pasta doesn’t still to the bottom of the pot.

-Lower to a simmer then stir in the kale (or spinach), canned and puréed beans. Let simmer for 5 minutes more.
-Serve warm with grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Butternut Squash Al Parmigiana

When I saw this recipe of butternut squash, with a crispy coating of parmesan cheese, I knew I was done for. It combines one of my favorite fall vegetables with the king of cheeses until they cook and blend into a crispy, cheesy delight. This is truly addictive, so I have to be careful not to make a pig of myself.

I got the inspiration from an Italian Instagrammer, Viviana of "cosatipreparopercena" or "what I'm making you for dinner." Viviana's directions called for steaming the squash briefly before roasting with the cheese, and that's what I did the first time I made this.

However, the next time I next made it, I omitted that step and it worked just as well, with fewer pots to wash. Just peel the squash and cut into discs, semi-circles or whatever shape you want, but keep the slices uniform at about 1/4 inch thick. Spread a light layer of olive oil on your cookie sheet, then sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. For this amount of squash, I used about 2 tablespoons olive oil and about 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.  Place the squash slices over the oil and cheese and sprinkle with minced rosemary.

Roast in a 400 degree F. for about 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven, and separate the pieces immediately. They'll start to stick together because of the melted cheese, and I found the easiest way to separate them from each other is with a pair of scissors. Just be sure to use a spatula first to lift them off the pan, then use the scissors if need be, to separate the squash slices.

The squash slices paired beautifully with a stuffed pork roast, but they'd make a great part of a vegetarian meal too, for those friends and family who won't eat animal flesh.

Butternut Squash Al Parmigiana

printable recipe here

one small butternut squash, cut into 1/4 inch pieces, or half of a large squash

olive oil, about 3 tablespoons

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Peel the squash and cut into 1/4 inch pieces.

Smear the cookie sheet all over with the olive oil.

Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on the olive oil

Lay the squash pieces over the olive oil, then sprinkle with the parmesan cheese.

Roast for 20-25 minutes or until browned and crispy on one side.

Gnocchi with Butternut Squash, Mushrooms and Crispy Sage Leaves

I love carefree summer days at the beach, but when autumn rolls around, and some of my favorite foods are at their peak — like butternut squash — I enjoy spending more time in the kitchen. Pumpkins and squash are so redolent of crisp fall days, of Halloween, heartier cooking and family time. Unfortunately, Covid has severely limited family time, although we were all tested recently so we could gather for my granddaughter’s second birthday – YEA!!! I decided to make gnocchi for the occasion, one of my husband’s all-time favorite meals, and I knew it would be equally welcomed by my son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter. The recipe is included below, but if you want a photographic step-by-step tutorial on making potato gnocchi, click here.  If you haven’t got a gnocchi paddle, a little wooden implement that makes these ridged impressions, you can easily use a fork to roll them, as my mom always did when I was growing up — or even the rough edges of a cheese grater.

Getting the right consistency is the key to successful gnocchi, and it helps to have a “feel” that comes after you’ve made them a number of times. Too much flour and they’re leaden. Too little flour and they disintegrate in the water. So after you’ve mixed the dough, make a few gnocchi and test them out by boiling them in water. You’ll know right away if you need to add more flour. It’s so much easier to add more flour, but if you’ve already added too much, then you’ve got a problem. You can make these ahead of time, but refrigerate them on floured dishcloths if you’re making them the day before you serve them. You can freeze them too, but in my experience, they sometimes attract too much water from the freezer and fall apart when later boiled in water. Instead, I boil them to start with, drain them on paper towels or dishcloths, then lay them on cookie sheets and put the cookie sheets in the freezer. After the gnocchi have individually frozen, you can pull them off the paper towels or dishcloths, and pop them in plastic bags, ready to be reboiled again whenever you want to serve them. They seem to retain their consistency better, at least for me.I wanted to showcase some fall flavors with the gnocchi, so I cut up some butternut squash (I’ve used honeynut squash too, which I love) and some mushrooms. Roast at high temperature after you’ve drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper. You can do this ahead of time too, even the day before, and just set it all aside in the refrigerator until you need it.

Fry up some sage leaves in olive oil, drain on a paper towel, and sprinkle with salt. They’re hard to resist as a crunchy snack, so make a bunch if you have enough sage to spare.

Melt the butter in a large pan, add some fresh sage leaves and let the butter absorb the sage flavor for a couple of minutes. Then add the roasted squash and mushrooms, and scoop the cooked gnocchi directly from the boiling water into the pan with the butter and vegetables. Don’t worry if some water comes along with it. In fact, reserve a bit of water to add in order to get a little more “sauce.” Toss everything gently, and remove the sage leaves, which have become soggy. Serve with grated parmesan cheese sprinkled on top, and some crispy sage leaves on the side.

It’s a family favorite, as you can see from my little granddaughter. They was worth making just to see her sweet little smile.

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Gnocchi with Butternut squash, Mushrooms and crispy sage

Author: Ciao Chow Linda

printable recipe here

Ingredients

• FOR THE GNOCCHI:
• 5 large brown-skinned baking potatoes
• 2 large eggs
• 1 t. salt
• 1/4 t. white pepper
• pinch of grated nutmeg
• 1/2 c. parmesan cheese
• 2 cups flour (or more if needed)
• FOR THE ROASTED SQUASH AND MUSHROOMS:
• 1 1/2 cups honeynut or butternut squash
• a handful of mushrooms (cremini, baby portobello or button mushrooms)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• seasoned salt, pepper to taste
• FOR THE SAUCE:
• 8-12 tablespoons unsalted butter
• a dozen sage leaves
• some water from boiling the gnocchi
• grated parmesan cheese
• FOR THE CRISPY SAGE LEAVES:
• olive oil
• sage leaves

Instructions

1. FOR THE SQUASH AND MUSHROOMS:
2. Cut the squash into small pieces, cut the mushrooms into halves, or quarters if large, and toss with the olive oil and seasonings.
3. Roast in a 475 degree oven for 10 minutes, or until the pieces are tender.
4. FOR THE CRISPY SAGE LEAVES:
5. Place a little olive oil in a shallow saucepan and when it’s hot, add the sage leaves.
6. Fry for a minute or two and flip, removing to a paper lined plate.
7. Sprinkle salt on them immediately and set aside.
8. FOR THE GNOCCHI:
9. Bake the potatoes uncovered in a 375 degree oven for about an hour or until done.
10. Remove from oven and when you can handle them, peel them.
11. Put chunks of the potato through a ricer and spread on a cookie sheet.
12. Let it cool completely, then mix with the eggs, salt, pepper and nutmeg and cheese.
13. Add flour, 1/4 cup at a time.
14. You may not need all 2 cups flour, or you may need more.
15. Just add enough until the dough comes together and you can easily roll it into a big “log.”
16. Cut the log into four or five pieces, then take each piece and roll it out like a snake, about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick.
17. Using a knife, cut off some pieces of the roll, maybe about 1/2″ each.
18. Take each 1/2″ gnocco and make an imprint on it, using either a fork or a gnocchi paddle.
19. At this point, you can refrigerate if not using immediately — even overnight.
20. Bring water to a rolling boil, add salt and the gnocchi and let simmer gently until they rise to the top.
21. The recipe makes about 225 gnocchi so freeze half if you like.
22. If I’m planning to freeze some, I actually cook them all in the water, then drain them on paper towels, place half on a cookie sheet and put those in the freezer. When they have frozen hard, I move them to a plastic bag and keep them in the freezer until I need them.)
23. FOR THE SAUCE AND TO ASSEMBLE:
24. Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the sage leaves, letting them simmer a few minutes to impart their flavor.
25. Then using a slotted spoon, remove the gnocchi from the water and place them directly into the pan with the melted butter and sage leaves.
26. Don’t worry if a little water comes along when you ladle out the gnocchi, in fact, it’s good to add a little of the water to the sauce.
27. Add the roasted squash and mushroom pieces, and gently stir everything together.
28. Place everything into a serving bowl, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and scatter the crispy sage leaves on top.

3.5.3251

 

Gnocchi Alla Romana with Butternut Squash

This post contains original content by me and is sponsored by La Cucina Italiana

When most Americans think of gnocchi, they think of those soft little cushions of dough made with flour, potatoes and eggs and served with a tomato or pesto sauce. But there’s an entirely different type of gnocchi made with semolina flour called gnocchi alla Romana.

As you can guess, it’s a Roman dish that is served in a casserole hot from the oven, golden and crunchy on top. Talk about comfort food — these just melt in your mouth. They make a great primo piatto, or first course, but I frequently serve them as a starchy side dish with a roast, or even some meatballs or braciole. I decided to give the traditional gnocchi alla Romana a little twist and added some small cubes of roasted butternut squash. But they’re equally delicious without the squash if you prefer them plain.

Detailed instructions are in the recipe below, but you start by mixing the semolina flour with milk and butter until it’s very stiff. Many people recommend warming the milk first, but in my experience, you’re less likely to get lumps if you start out with cold milk. Keep stirring so it doesn’t burn on the bottom, and when it’s thick enough to hold a wooden spoon upright, you’re there.

You need eggs to make the gnocchi “puff up” in the oven, but if you stir the eggs directly into the pan with the hot gnocchi mixture, you’re going to wind up with scrambled eggs. So you need to temper the eggs first. To do this, place the eggs in a measuring cup and whisk them together. Then add a bit of the hot gnocchi mixture to the measuring cup, whisking all the time. Keep adding a few more tablespoons at a time, whisking vigorously each time, until the temperature of the mixture has warmed slightly and become a little thick. Now it’s safe to add this mixture into the large pot with the rest of the semolina gnocchi mixture, stirring all the while to blend everything together well.Stir in the cooked bits of squash.Then spread it out on a cookie sheet that you first moisten with a little water. Let it cool in the refrigerator several hours or overnight (covered with plastic wrap if overnight.)

Use a cookie or biscuit cutter (or even the rim of a glass) to cut circles about two to three inches in diameter. Arrange in a buttered pan. Generously sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. Bake in the oven until golden and crispy on top. Make extra, because they are always a hit and you’ll want leftovers. They’re easy to reheat in the oven or microwave the next day.

Connect with me on Instagram and find out what Ciao Chow Linda is up to in the kitchen (and other places too.)

Gnocchi Alla Romana with Butternut Squash

Author: Ciao Chow Linda

printable recipe here

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 1 hour

Serves: 6-8 people

Ingredients

• 1 cup butternut squash, diced into small pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt, pepper
• 9 oz. semolina (1 1/4 cup)
• 1 1/2 quarts of milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter
• pinch of salt
• pinch of white pepper
• a few gratings of nutmeg
• 1 cup parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Peel the butternut squash and dice into small pieces.
2. Toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper.
3. (I use herbed salt that I make from fresh herbs.)
4. Roast the squash in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes, turning once.
5. Remove squash from oven and set aside.
6. Place the milk and the semolina in a saucepan.
7. Many people tell you to heat the milk first, then add the semolina, but I find it gets lumpy that way, so I start with cold milk and add the semolina directly.
8. Whisk it constantly, adding half the stick of butter (4 tablespoons), the salt, the white pepper and the nutmeg.
9. After about five minutes, it will thicken quite a bit, and you can switch from stirring with the whisk to a wooden spoon.
10. Keep stirring another ten minutes until the mixture is very thick.
11. Remove from the heat and add half the parmesan cheese.
12. Whisk the eggs in a glass measuring cup or bowl.
13. Don’t add the eggs directly into the hot gnocchi mixture or you might wind up with scrambled eggs.
14. Instead, add a small amount – maybe a few tablespoons – of the gnocchi mixture to the eggs, stirring quickly with a whisk to incorporate.
15. Do this a few times until the mixture is thickened and homogenized.
16. Add the egg mixture back to the gnocchi mixture and stir in the reserved squash.
17. Wet a cookie sheet (one with raised edges) with a little water.
18. Spread the gnocchi mixture on the cookie sheet, to an even thickness of about 3/4 inch.
19. Place the cookie sheet in the refrigerator and let it cool for at least four hours or overnight.
20. Take a round cookie cutter, or biscuit cutter, or even the edge of a glass, and cut out circles, about two to three inches in diameter.
21. Grease an oven proof casserole, and place the rounds inside, overlapping slightly.
22. Make a second layer, but don’t completely cover up the first layer around the edges, since you want them to get some browning too.
23. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the gnocchi, then sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.
24. Bake uncovered, at 400 degrees, for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

3.5.3251

 

Butternut Squash Tarte Tatin

If you're like me, you've had your share of killing time waiting in a doctor's reception room. Sometimes however, there are magazines to read that don't date back to the Nixon era and from which I can glean some good recipes. 

Since butternut squash is one of my favorite vegetables, and the season is upon us, this twist on the classic tarte tatin made with butternut squash, rather than the traditional apples, caught my eye while I waited for my name to be called during a recent appointment.

It starts out with roasting half moons of butternut squash, seasoned with herbs, salt and pepper.

The roasted squash is delicious as is, just out of the oven as a side dish, but this recipe, with a hint of honey, transforms it into something special.

Layer the slices in an oven-proof skillet (cast iron is best), overlapping the edges slightly.

Fill in the center with another piece of squash.

Place a piece of puff pastry on top, and pierce holes into it with a fork.

Bake in the oven until golden,then carefully flip onto a plate.

It's a side dish fit for your Thanksgiving meal - or your family's everyday dinner table.
Now if only I could find a recipe this good each time I'm sitting in the doctor's reception room, I might not complain about that last one hour wait!

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Butternut Squash Tarte Tatin

printable recipe here

from Shape.com

1 (1 1/2 pounds) butternut squash, peeled, halved, seeded, and cut into 1/4 inch-thick half moons

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

salt

fresh rosemary, finely minced

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

3 T. unsalted butter (I used two)

1 t. lemon zest

1 T. lemon juice

1/3 cup honey

-Preheat the oven to 400 degree. Line a half-sheet pan with parchment. On the prepared pan, toss squash with oil, a pinch of salt, and about 3/4 of the rosemary. Spread in an even layer and roast until browned and tender, about 25 minutes. Let cool slightly on a plate.

-Meanwhile, cut the pastry into a round the same size as the top of a 9 to 10-inch cast iron skillet. Place on parchment paper and refrigerate.

-Melt butter in the cast iron skillet over medium heat. Stir in lemon zest and juice, honey and remaining rosemary. Remove from heat and when squash is done, drizzle most of it over the squash, leaving a thick layer in the bottom of the skillet.

-Arrange squash in concentric circle in the skillet over the remaining butter mixture. Scrape any juices from the plate into the skillet. Place the pastry over the squash, and prick with a fork all around.

-Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 35 minutes. Let pan cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. (I omitted this step because I was impatient.) Wearing oven mitts, center a serving dish over the skillet and carefully flip both together, then lift the skillet off the taste. Garnish with rosemary, if desired.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Red Onions

Although Italian food is my food of choice, and my cookbook shelves are lined predominantly with books from authors like Marcella Hazan, Lidia Bastianich and Domenica Marchetti, I am also a big fan of other types of cuisine - including Middle Eastern.

Cookbooks from Yotam Ottenlenghi and Sami Tamimi also feature predominantly on my shelves for their flavor combinations that are so distant, yet so wonderful, from what I grew up eating.

Someone brought this dish to a dinner party I attended a few months ago, and I found myself going back for seconds (I would have gone back for thirds, but didn't want to appear greedy!)

When I asked for the recipe, I was told it was from Ottolenghi's book, Jerusalem, one of my favorite cookbooks, and one that was sitting on my bookshelf all along.

I've since made it several times, with a slight variation. Instead of using the pine nuts called for in the original recipe, I used hazelnuts - a less expensive alternative to the costly pine nuts from the Mediterranean (for those of us who won't buy Chinese pine nuts for various reasons - see here). Gustiamo.com sells wonderful pine nuts from Tuscany, but fair warning - they don't come cheap.

The sweetness of the onions and squash is hard to resist after they've emerged from the oven, but wait until you drizzle the sauce, the nuts and herbs all over it to get the full effect. Zatar, a middle Eastern herb blend, features predominately at the end. I can find it locally at a shop in my town called Savory Spice, or at Williams Sonoma, but they'll also sell by mail order.

The first time I made this dish, the tahini in the sauce was overwhelming to my palate, so I toned it down by adding some yogurt. In fact, I made it subsequently using only Greek yogurt and lemon juice, giving the sauce a nice tang.

It may well become your go-to vegetable dish for holidays or dinner parties.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Red Onions

from Jerusalem, by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

printable recipe here

1 large butternut squash (around 1.1kg), cut into 2cm x 6cm wedges 
2 red onions, cut into 3cm wedges 
50ml olive oil
Maldon sea salt and black pepper (don't worry if you don't have Maldon sea salt - use kosher salt instead)

3½ tbsp tahini paste (or 1/2 cup Greek yogurt)
1½ tbsp lemon juice 
3 tbsp water 
1 small garlic clove, crushed 
30g pine nuts (I used about 1/2 cup hazelnuts, chopped)
1 tbsp za'atar
1 tbsp roughly chopped parsley

Heat the oven to to 220C/425F/gas mark 7. Put the squash and onions in a large bowl, add three tablespoons of oil, a teaspoon of salt and some black pepper, and toss well. Spread, skin down, on a baking sheet and roast for 40 minutes until the vegetables have taken on some colour and are cooked through. Keep an eye on the onions: they may cook faster than the squash, so may need to be removed earlier. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Put the tahini in a small bowl with the lemon juice, water, garlic and a quarter-teaspoon of salt. Whisk to the consistency of honey, adding more water or tahini as necessary. (I prefer a smaller amount of tahini, or sometimes eliminate it, adding about 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt to the mix)

Pour the remaining oil into a small frying pan on a medium-low heat. Add the pine nuts and half a teaspoon of salt, cook for two minutes, stirring, until the nuts are golden brown, then tip the nuts and oil into a small bowl.

To serve, spread the vegetables on a platter and drizzle over the sauce. Scatter the pine nuts and oil on top, followed by the za'atar and parsley.

Mac N' Cheese with Butternut Squash

There's nothing like the intense flavor of summer vegetables - juicy, red tomatoes, crunchy, sweet Jersey corn and more ... but when autumn comes, I'm in love all over again with squash. This fall, I came back from Europe to a plethora of ripe butternut squash in the garden. 

They were used for roasting, for soups and before they were all gone, for this pasta dish that I saw on my friend Stacey's blog, originally from Cooking Light magazine.

If you've got vegetarians sharing the table at Thanksgiving, you could eliminate the bacon, and they'd never miss the turkey if you present this dish. The only problem is that the vegetarians will be fighting off the rest of the meat eaters who want a second helping of this mac n' cheese.

Instead of the traditional elbow macaroni, I wanted something a little more festive, so I used torcinelli, from an artisanal pasta maker, found at a local Italian grocery store.

The vegetables and the bacon were roasted together. I used another pan to roast the onions and mushrooms that were cut in half. Make the sauce while the pasta is cooking, then mix everything together, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese and pop it in the oven. 

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Butternut Squash Mac N'Cheese

printable recipe here

adapted from Stacey Snacks via Cooking Light Magazine

Serves 6-8

1 lb. Brussels sprouts, halved
1 red onion, sliced 
3 large garlic cloves, unpeeled

1/2 lb. mushrooms, halved

1 butternut squash, peeled and cut up into cubes
about six slices of bacon 
olive oil
kosher salt 
hot pepper flakes 
12 oz. pasta 

1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1/4 cup bread crumbs

2 T. butter

fresh sage leaves for garnish, optional

Sauce:

1 cup milk
2 cups of chicken stock
2 tbsp butter
1 cup of grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (or your favorite cheese)
small bunch of sage leaves, chopped

Using 2 baking sheets, lay out the squash cubes, the brussels sprouts and the bacon. 
Drizzle the veggies with olive oil and kosher salt.

Roast in a 425F oven for 20-25 minutes, until the bacon is crispy.
If the bacon is crispy before the vegetables are tender, remove from the pan first.

On another pan, lay out the red onion slices and the 3 large unpeeled garlic cloves and the halved mushrooms. Drizzle w/ some olive oil and place the in the oven for about 15-20 minutes. 

Crumble the bacon and set aside. 
Remove the garlic cloves to a cutting board and set aside.

Using an 8" x 10" casserole pan, lay out the sprouts and cooked squash.
Using a fork or potato masher, mash down on the squash cubes to create a puree or mash. I like to leave some texture so I didn't make it a really smooth puree.

Add in the cooked onions, mushrooms and bacon pieces. Mix the vegetables together in the baking dish.

While your pasta is boiling, make the cheese sauce.

Smash the roasted garlic cloves with the back of a knife to remove the skins. Cut the garlic into pieces.

In a heavy saucepan, add the milk, roasted garlic cloves, cheese, butter, sage leaves and chicken stock and bring to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer and whisk until it is a nice even consistency, only a few minutes. It won't be really thick, but don't worry, once it's in the casserole, the other ingredients will absorb the sauce and thicken it.

Season the sauce with a pinch of salt, black pepper and hot pepper flakes.

When the pasta is done, drain and add to the casserole pan with the vegetables. Mix together.

Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and vegetables and mix together.

Melt the 2 T. butter and mix in the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle on top of the casserole.

Lower the oven temperature to 375F.

Place casserole back into the oven for 20 more minutes, until everything is blended and melted and bread crumbs are browned.

Garnish with sage leaves, if desired.

Puff Pastry Bites, Uncommon Goods and a Giveaway

With the holidays approaching, you might want to have a few recipes for appetizers at the ready. These puff pastry bites couldn't be easier. They freeze well too. You use packaged puff pastry dough, and in my case, leftover vegetables. I already had some roasted butternut squash, swiss chard, mushrooms and caramelized onions for the gnocchi dish I posted here. But I had more than I needed, so I transformed the leftovers into these appetizers. Use any vegetables you like - artichoke hearts, broccoli bits or spinach also come to mind. Add some cheese too, for a richer taste. For the ones below, I just cut the pastry into little squares and popped them into a mini muffin tin, then filled them with the squash and caramelized onions before baking.

For these spirals, I rolled out a sheet of the puff pastry and spread it with a mixture of the chopped Swiss chard and mushrooms. Then I added a layer of asiago cheese and rolled it up like a jelly roll, sliced it and baked it.

I served them on these handsome slate boards that were sent to me by Uncommon Goods. The company sells a variety of high quality gifts, for men, women and children. You'll find a plethora of holiday shopping ideas on their website, including these beautiful slate boards.



They're made by Brooklynites whose family has owned a quarry in upstate New York for three generations. They're available in both a grey slate and a terra cotta color too and they look great when serving all sorts of food.

They're perfect for serving cheeses too, and arrive with pieces of chalk, especially useful if you're offering different kinds of cheeses.

  The company has a variety of other gifts available too, for both home entertaining or appropriate for gifting to men, women and children. Check out their site here.

Wouldn't you like to have one of these slateboards to use for your holiday entertaining? Just leave a message in the comments on the blog (NOT on email) saying whether you'd like the grey or terra cotta colored slate, and be sure to leave a way for me to contact you - email is best. I'll have the computer generate one lucky winner and the company will mail you the slate board a short time later. You'll love it!

Puff Pastry Bites

printable recipe here

1 package puff pastry, completely thawed

(I used leftover vegetable for the filling, but if you want to start from scratch use the following:)

2 T. olive oil

1/2 large onion, sliced thinly

1 cup butternut squash, diced into small pieces

2 T. olive oil

salt, pepper

fresh herbs, finely chopped (rosemary, thyme)



Sauté the onions in the olive oil until golden. Remove from the pan, set aside, but cut into small bits. Add 2 T. more olive oil and sauté the squash, adding a bit of water if the squash starts to stick to the pan. Season with salt, pepper and herbs, and when the squash is cooked through, add the onions back to the pan.

Spray a small muffin pan with non-stick spray. Cut the puff pastry in small squares and push them down into the spaces in the muffin pan. Fill with a mixture of the vegetables and bake in a 400 degree oven about 20 minutes or longer, or until the pastry is golden.



For the spirals, spread the puff pastry out flat then spread with the following:

chopped spinach that's been sautéed with minced onion, salt and pepper, mixed with sautéed, minced mushrooms (mine were leftovers). Spread some grated asiago cheese over the vegetables, then roll like a jelly roll. Cut into slices about 1/4 inch thick, then place on a cookie sheet and bake in a 400 degree oven about 20 minutes or longer, until pastry is golden.

Butternut squash and greens

If you haven't already noticed from all the butternut squash recipes I've posted lately, it's one of my favorite vegetables - winter or summer. It makes a great soup, filling for lasagna, or even a delicious base for ice cream. It's also wonderful just as a vegetable side dish, as pictured here. My friend Dede made this dish a while ago for a luncheon of our Italian chit-chat group, and I wanted to eat the whole plateful. But I played nice and left some for others. Then  I went home and made more just for me. I used kale in my version, since that's what I had at home, but I much prefer it with swiss chard or spinach, as Dede made it.

You could even add some chick peas or cannellini beans to make this a vegetarian dish with complete proteins, or serve it as a side dish with a piece of grilled meat, as I did. 

Butternut Squash and Greens

printable recipe here

Note: Dede cooked her squash in a skillet, but I tossed the pieces with olive oil and roasted them in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes.

2 T. olive oil

1 3/4 lb. peeled and diced butternut squash, sprinkled with salt and pepper

a couple of large handfuls of greens, chopped - spinach, swiss chard or kale

1/4 cup onions, diced

1/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries

grated parmigiano reggiano sprinkled on top (I omitted it)

pine nuts 

Heat 2 T oil in skillet and cook 1 ¾ lb peeled and ¾’ diced squash sprinkled with S & P

Partially cover with lid…heat on med to low and cook until squash begins  to brown…

Add onions and raisins (I used cranberries and raisins)…cook until tender and browned

Add spinach or other greens until wilted.

Remove and add Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, or pine nuts to taste  

Risotto with Squash, Chestnuts and Prosecco

Have you got any half-full bottles of prosecco or champagne left over from New Year's festivities? OK, don't scoff -- there are some of us who don't quaff down a whole bottle in one sitting. In addition to the leftover prosecco, there were a dozen chestnuts and a small hunk of butternut squash in the fridge still uncooked and in search of a recipe. Hence the amalgam of these ingredients and birth of this risotto dish.

You can also use already-peeled chestnuts from France that come in a glass jar, but since I had these fresh ones, I cut them in half and plunked them into a pot of boiling water - not long enough to cook them through, but long enough to loosen the shell and pry out the interior. Click here for a more thorough explanation of how to do it. 

I thought I'd finally inaugurate this heavy copper pot with the risotto - a pot I bought in the town of Guardiagrele, Italy last summer, but still hadn't used.  It reminded to me that I've got a lot of kitchen tools that sit around unused because they're in cabinets where I don't often see them. So I'm taking it upon myself to pull out some of these pots, pans, and other gadgets more frequently in my attempt to "use it or lose it."

After cooking the risotto in this copper pot, I may never make risotto again in any other vessel. The heavy-gauge pan ensures really even cooking without any hot spots. And it's beautiful to look at as well.

Make sure you have all the necessary ingredients at the ready before starting to cook. Missing, but vital, to the dish, is the prosecco (use dry white wine if you haven't got prosecco), as well as butter and extra virgin olive oil. Dice the squash into small pieces because the squash needs to be small enough to cook while you're stirring it into the risotto. That should take only about 20 minutes. Make sure you make a little extra risotto, because my next post is a truly irresistible treat using leftover risotto.

First thing you do is soften the shallots in a mixture of butter and olive oil, then stir the grains of risotto about for a bit -- a process called "tostatura." You don't want the grains to turn brown, so just quickly heat the exterior for three or four minutes or until the grains are opaque. This will allow the rice to soak up the liquids without becoming soggy. By the way, make sure to use carnaroli, vialone nano or arborio rice, short grain varieties that release a lot of starch, adding a creaminess to the dish. 

Then it's time for the prosecco (or dry white wine). Don't forget the cook needs a sample!

Add the vegetables and chestnuts, and a bit of chicken broth, a ladle full at a time. When the rice is cooked (about 20 minutes or so), it's time for the "mantecatura."  Take it off the heat, add some dollops of cold butter ...

and the parmesan cheese. Dig in.

Risotto with squash, chestnuts and prosecco



printable recipe here



1 cup rice - arborio, carnaroli or vialone nano

1 large shallot

2 T. butter

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 cup butternut squash, diced in small pieces

1/2 cup chestnuts, cut into small pieces

1/4 cup dry white wine or prosecco

2 cups (or more) hot chicken broth

a couple more tablespoons butter and parmesan cheese to taste (1/4 cup) for the mantecatura



Place the olive oil and butter in a saucepan and add the rice. Toss the rice for a few minutes to coat, but don't let the grains brown. Pour in the prosecco and stir, then add the squash and chestnuts and a ladleful of the broth. Continue stirring and continue adding broth, one ladle at a time, until the rice is cooked and tender to the bite. Season with salt and white pepper. Remove from the heat and add the cold butter and parmesan cheese.