A few months ago, I found myself at a local grocery store staring at the colorful selection of winter squash.   Out of all the different types of squash, butternut squash was by far the most intimidating to me.   Up until this winter, I thought it belonged only in the hands of professional chefs, crafting their fancy raviolis and creamy bisques.

Before I knew it, I had a 4-pound squash in my shopping cart, and it was time to find out what to do with it! Knowing that I wanted to use the squash in a pasta dish, I began searching for recipes and found a lasagna dish on Epicurious.  While it was a tasty starting point, I wasn’t completely in love with it.  The use of only Parmesan cheese resulted in a lasagna that lacked a creamy texture, and the lasagna topping left the top layer dry and uncooked.

Two months and six pans of lasagna later, I created my perfect recipe. I made some tasty changes to the original recipe, such as the addition of Asiago Fresco cheese.   A cheese connoisseur at Whole Foods recommended Asiago Fresco, suggesting that it would melt better than Parmesan but would not overpower the butternut squash.    I also added mild Italian sausage to the filling, although you can skip it for a delicious vegetarian version.   Altogether, the flavors are simple yet rich: sweetness from the squash and nuttiness from the cheese are bound together by a creamy Béchamel sauce.   Also, I really liked serving the lasagna with a simple salad.   One of my new favorites is just mache/lamb’s lettuce tossed in a simple dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, and salt + pepper.

After making this recipe for my family, friends, and even FareStart volunteer buddies, I can proudly post this as my lasagna season finale.   I hope you can try it for yourself before we’re forced to say farewell to fresh butternut squash!

P.S – Here’s a helpful link on how to peel & cut butternut squash like a pro!

Roasted Butternut Squash Lasagna
Makes 6-main course servings

3 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced (1/2 inch cubes)
10 ounces mild italian sausage (roughly 3 large links)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 cups milk
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, left whole
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 stick butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
9 sheets of dry no-boil pasta (7 x 3 1/2 inch sheets)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup grated Asiago Fresco cheese

1. Preheat oven to 450 F. Lightly oil two baking pans.

2. Add diced squash to a large bowl and drizzle with vegetable oil. Toss to coat squash evenly, then spread on the two pans.

3. Roast squash in oven for 10 minutes and season with salt. Gently stir the squash and roast roughly 10-15 minutes more, or until tender and golden.

4. In a lightly oiled skillet, cook the sausage until it resembles small, bite-size pieces.

5. In another saucepan, bring milk to a simmer along with the rosemary. Stir constantly to avoid the milk from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook for 10 minutes.

6. In a large heavy-bottomed pot, cook garlic in butter over medium-low heat. Stir in flour and cook roux, stirring quickly for a few minutes. Add milk and stir until sauce thickens. Gently add roasted squash and sausage. Season liberally with salt and pepper.

7. Reduce oven temperature to 375F and butter a 13×9x2 baking dish.

8. Reserve one cup of sauce, avoiding pieces of squash or sausage. Set aside. Pour another cup of sauce into the baking dish and spread evenly (will be very thin). Cover with 3 sheets of lasagna, making sure they do not touch each other. Add half of the remaining sauce over the pasta, and sprinkle with 1/3 cup Parmesan and 1/3 cup Asagio. Repeat for 1 more layer, beginning and ending with pasta. For the top layer, add the reserved cup of sauce and sprinkle with remaining cheeses.

9. Cover dish tightly with foil, slightly tenting the middle of the foil. Place dish in the middle of the oven, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and finishing baking lasagna for 10 minutes more, or until top is bubbling and golden. Serve warm and garnish with fresh rosemary.

It’s good to be back in the kitchen and back to the blog, especially in time for my favorite season!

I love autumn for more reasons than just food, but that’s definitely on my list.  I’m on the prowl for recipes starring this season’s delicious vegetables: squash, pumpkin, Brussels sprouts… Yes, Brussels sprouts.  Unlike the childhood experiences of many I know, mine was without Brussels sprouts.  I discovered them for myself a few years ago and absolutely love their slightly bitter and nutty taste.  I found a recipe from Gourmet Magazine that does them just right: Seared Sea Scallops with Brussels Sprouts & Bacon.  

It’s nearly impossible to go wrong with scallops and bacon.  Seared scallops are super simple to make – one reason why I usually don’t order them at a restaurant. The key is to make sure the sea scallops are dry.  Any moisture will make it difficult to get that desirable golden sear. Also, be conscious of the amount of salt used in this dish.  The bacon will most likely be fairly salty on its own, so taste as you go to make sure the flavors are balanced.   Lastly, the recipe mentions brown bits a few times. Consider this culinary gold.  Brown bits are concentrated nuggets of flavor, so don’t forget to scrape them from the skillet to boost the flavor. My favorite touch in this dish was the addition of the lemon juice to the sauce.  This really makes the sauce!

The recipe took me about 45 minutes from start to finish, and that included prep work (washing the sprouts, cutting the bacon, etc).  Not bad at all considering the impressive results, both in appearance and taste.  I recommend serving a warm loaf of rustic broad on the side.  You’ll definitely want something to dip in the leftover sauce on your plate!

Seared Scallops with Brussels Sprouts & Bacon
Adapted from Gourmet Magazine  (October 2003)

Serves 4 people

10 ounces Brussels sprouts, stems trimmed and cut lengthwise
4-5 bacon slices, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup + 2 teaspoons water
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
12 large sea scallops (roughly 1 1/4 pounds)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Once bubbling, add Brussels sprouts and blanch for 3 minutes, uncovered. Drain and set aside.

2. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon pieces until crispy. Transfer to a small bowl using a slotted spoon, and reserve bacon fat in another bowl.

3. Add 1/4 cup chicken broth and 1/4 cup water to the skillet and simmer, scraping up any brown bits.  Add butter, salt, sugar, a pinch of black pepper, and Brussels sprouts. Simmer covered for 4 minutes. Remove lid and cook over medium heat stirring occasionally. The sprouts are done when the liquid has evaporated and they are tender and golden brown (about 6-8 minutes).

4. Dry scallops by patting them with a paper towel. The more dry, the better they will sear. Season with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil plus 2 teaspoons of bacon fat in a large skillet over medium-high heat. The pan should be hot enough to sear the scallop, but should not be smoking. Place the scallops in the pan and sear on one side. Turn over once and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to a platter and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.

5. Discard any fat from the skillet used to cook the scallops. Add 3/4 cup chicken broth and simmer. Make sure to scrape any brown bits on the pan. In a small cup, stir cornstarch with 2 teaspoons water, then pour into skillet. Stir well to incorporate. Also, add any juices from the platter of scallops. Simmer and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.

6. Serve Brussels sprouts and scallops topped with sauce, and with a side of rustic bread.

Thanks to the film “Julie and Julia”, beef bourguignon has never been so popular, especially in the summertime.  I’ll be the first to say that it’s pretty strange that there are hundreds of foodies cooking beef bourguignon in August.  Consider it just as out of place as Thanksgiving in June – though, like beef bourguignon, that would still be delicious.  I’d like to believe that the French are laughing at us, but it’s really hard to care when you have a refrigerator stocked with some of the finest leftovers to grace its shelves.  New foodie rule: Beef bouguignon is *absolutely* delicious, regardless of the time of year. 

I was able to find a copy of the Julia Child recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking  (now on the NY Times bestseller list).  While Child’s recipe took some time and effort, it wasn’t nearly as difficult as I expected it to be. As Julie Powell did in the movie, I recommend making this the night before you plan to serve it.  The bourguignon was good the first night, but the flavors really develop after a day, so make sure to cook enough for leftovers. Also, I chose to serve my bourguignon over egg noodles, but you can substitute them for potatoes, rustic bread, or rice.

Bon appétit!‎

Beef Bourguignon
Adapted from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Serves 6 people

6 strips thick center cut bacon, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 pounds lean stewing beef, cut into 2 inch cubes
1 carrot, sliced roughly 1/3 inch thick
1 sliced onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups red wine, preferably Beaujolais, Burgundy, or Côtes du Rhône
2-3 cups brown beef stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 cloves crushed garlic
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
18-24 white pearl onions, brown-braised in stock (see recipe below)
1 pound fresh button mushrooms, sautéed in butter (see recipe below)

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a dutch oven or deep pan, sauté the bacon in the olive oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes to brown lightly. Transfer bacon to a side dish.

2. Dry the beef in paper towels (this assists in browning the meat). In the same pan, sauté a few pieces of meat at a time, until nicely browned on all sides. Add the meat to the bacon.

3. In the same pan, add the sliced carrot and onions. Brown the vegetables, then add back the beef and bacon. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Sprinkle flour on the beef and toss to coat evenly. Place the uncovered casserole in the middle position of the preheated oven for 4 minutes. Remove the casserole from the heat, toss the meat once again, and return to the oven for an additional 4 minutes. This will brown the flour and cover the meat with a light crust. Remove the casserole from the oven, and reduce heat to 325 degrees.

5. Add the wine to the casserole, and enough beef stock to barely cover the meat. Add the tomato paste, crushed garlic, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring the casserole to a simmer on the stovetop. Then cover, and place in the lower third of the preheated oven. Let cook for 2.5 to 3 hours, checking each hour to ensure there is enough liquid. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

6. While the meat is cooking, prepare the pearl onions and mushrooms (see recipes below).

7. When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve placed over a saucepan. Return the beef, bacon, and vegetables to the casserole dish. Add the pearl onions and mushrooms.

8. Simmer the liquid in the saucepan. The sauce should coat a spoon lightly. If it is took thick, add some stock to thin it out. If the sauce is too thin, bring the sauce to a rapid boil. Season with salt and pepper as necessary. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables.

9. Cover the casserole and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Serve over noodles, potatoes, or rice and garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

Braised Pearl Onions:
18-24 peeled white pearl onions about 1-inch in diameter (fresh preferred, frozen works)
1 ½ Tablespoons butter
1 ½ Tablespoons oil
½ cup of brown stock or red wine
Salt and pepper to taste
Herb bouquet: 4 parsley sprigs, 1 bay leaf, and ¼ teaspoon fresh thyme tied with cooking twine

1. Add the butter and oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Once bubbling, add the onions and saute over for about 10 minute, rolling the onions about so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins; you cannot expect to brown uniformly.

2. Add the liquid (either wine or stock), season to taste, and add herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for roughly 30-40 minutes, until the onions are perfectly tender, but retain their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove and discard the herb bouquet.

Sautéed Mushrooms:
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound white button mushrooms, sliced
Salt and pepper

1. Heat butter and olive oil in a large skill over high heat. Once the butter’s foam subsides, add mushrooms.

2. Toss mushrooms for 5 minutes, until they absorb the butter and oil. Continue to sauté for 3 minutes until the mushrooms release their fat. Remove from the heat when the mushrooms turn light brown. Add salt and pepper to taste.

It’s 4pm on very long Tuesday in the office, and I’m already thinking about dinner.  I’ve switched gears from creating formulas in Excel to planning my dinner via Google search.  “Enchiladas Verde”…no not quite.  “Enchiladas with Tomatillos”…getting warmer.  After a half hour of intense searching, I now know of Enchiladas Suiza.   

Still, there are many variations to Enchiladas Suiza.  The consensus is that it includes chicken, tortillas, cheese, and a sauce made from green chiles and sometimes, tomatillos.  Most of the recipes I found involved buying enchilada sauce or pre-made salsa verde.  I decided to make my own sauce, because I’ve been eager to cook more with tomatillos.  I’ve used them in salsas before and really like their tangy flavor and tomato-like texture.  The salsa recipe below is from Tyler Florence, but I’ve modified it by grilling the peppers instead of broiling, as well as changing some of the proportions.

When I was assembling the enchiladas, I noticed that there wasn’t as much salsa as I would have expected.  There’s nothing worse than a dry enchilada, but thankfully the cheese, chicken, and salsa had released enough moisture while in the oven to create a delicious enchilada.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream, some sliced tomatoes, and a lime wedge.  This is quite a filling dish, so expect to have leftovers (even better the next day)!
 
Chicken Enchiladas Suiza
Makes 6 enchiladas
 
Chicken
1 1/4 pounds bone-in chicken breast halves, skin removed
1 medium onion, quartered
1 whole garlic clove
1 teaspoon salt

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, husked and washed
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
4 garlic cloves
1 poblano pepper
1 jalapeno
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1 lime, juiced

Enchiladas
Extra-Virgin Olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons cumin
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock
6 flour tortillas
3 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
Sour cream
Lime
 
Preparing the Chicken
1. Place chicken, onion, garlic and salt in a large saucepan. Add water to cover the chicken by 1/2 to 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer for about 20-25 minutes, until chicken is completely cooked through.

2. Remove chicken from the pan and let cool on a plate. Do not cut through immediately or juices will escape.  Once cooled, removed chicken from bone and pull apart in shredded pieces.
 
Making the Salsa
1. Heat grill to medium-high heat. Place tomatillos, poblano, onion, and jalapeno on grill. Rotate as they start to blacken, for about 10 minutes. Let cool.

2. Transfer grilled peppers and onion to a food processor. Add garlic, cumin, salt, cilantro, and lime juice. Pulse mixture until combined, but still chunky.
 
…Now We’re Making Enchiladas
1. Pour a few tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened. Add the garlic and cumin, and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Slowly begin adding the flour and mix well with the other ingredients. Finally, add chicken stock and stir over low heat. The liquid will begin to thicken.

2. Turn off the heat, add half of the roasted tomatillo salsa to the saucepan and the cooked shredded chicken breast. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Heat over to 350 degrees F. In a 13×9 baking dish, spread some of the reserved tomatillo salsa on the bottom. Add some of the chicken enchilada mixture to a flour tortilla, and sprinkle with cheese. Fold the tortilla over the filling and roll. Place the tortilla seam side down on the baking dish, and repeat for the remaining tortillas.

4. Once all tortillas are rolled, pour the remaining salsa over the tortillas and top with cheese. Bake for 30 minutes. Broil for an additional 2-3 minutes to give the enchiladas a golden color.

5. Serve immediately along with sour cream, tomatoes, and lime.

There’s nothing like being stuck in a plane, waiting on the runway at JFK airport for 4 hours. There’s also nothing like landing at Sea-Tac airport at 3:30am on a Monday, 5 hours after you originally planned…knowing that you have to be in the office in 5 hours. Let’s just say that when it came to making dinner on Monday night, I wanted to make something *really* easy and delicious.

Why not just order food and take the night off from the kitchen? As much as I love to cook, I recognize the value of delivery pizza and take out Chinese food. But, I had just spent 8 days in New York, and that meant eating out for every meal. There comes a time when all you are craving is something homemade…even if that means being half asleep while cooking.

I avoided anything too ambitious, and decided that pasta was a safe start. I came across a recipe on Everyday Food that had a delicious combination of sugar snap peas, petite peas, ricotta, and tarragon (one of my favorite herbs). I was eager to use ricotta cheese in a dish other than lasagna; perhaps it’s underused these days? This recipe seemed simple enough to make, even in my zombie-like state of mind. I modified the recipe by adding pancetta and garlic to give some more depth in flavor and lemon zest to lighten up the ricotta sauce. Also, I topped off the dish with some parmigiano-reggiano cheese to give it a nice salty finish.
Pasta with Peas, Ricotta & Pancetta
Serves 4

1/4 pound pancetta, cut into bite size pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 ounces gemelli, campanelle,or other short pasta
12 ounces sugar snap peas, stem ends removed
10 ounces frozen petite peas
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
Zest of 2 lemons
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1. In a large skillet at medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add pancetta and cook until crispy and golden. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and add minced garlic. Let garlic cook for a few minutes, watching closely to avoid burning. Remove skillet from heat and set aside.

2. Fill a large pot with water. Add 1 tablespoon salt and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bring water to a boil, and add pasta. Cook until pasta is close to al dente, but not quite done.

3. To the boiling water, add snap peas and cook for no more than 2 minutes. Add petite peas and cook for an additional minute. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water; set aside. Drain pasta peas.

4. Add pasta and peas to the large skillet with the pancetta and garlic. Add butter, tarragon, lemon zest, and ricotta. If the sauce is too thick due to the ricotta, add the reserved pasta water until you have a thin sauce that lightly coats the pasta. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Garnish with chopped tarragon, lemon zest, and parmagiano-reggiano cheese. Serve immediately.