Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

 Sorry, no photo on this one guys. I know, it's sad. I'm sad, too. The kicker is, it was really, really pretty and would have made a great photo, with the juxtaposition of the white cream and the rich orange soup. Just make it for yourself and then you can look at the absolutely beautiful, autumnal (I know it's still 90 degrees outside, but ask anyone who knows me, and they'll tell you I've always been rather obsessively punctual) bowl of gently spiced, just-a-little-sweet goodness.

The whipped cream topping gives it kind of a fun presentation, I thought, but take a word of advice from someone who's done this before; put it in at the last possible second, because it melts quickly in the hot soup. However, even after it's melted, the white swirls with the cinnamon are beautiful.

Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

• 2 pounds butternut squash, diced to 1 inch cubes
• 1 large Macintosh apple, diced to 1 inch cubes
• 1 large sweet, yellow onion, diced to 1 inch cubes
• olive oil for drizzling
• salt & pepper
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 0.5 cup apple cider
• 1 cup whipping cream, divided
• 1.5 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
• 0.25 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Place the squash, apples, and onions in a roasting pan. Drizzle with the olive oil, and cover with salt and pepper. Stir them all to evenly coat the vegetables. Place in the oven for 45 minutes.

While the vegetables are cooking, bring the chicken stock to a boil (reserve about 2/3 a cup to deglaze the roasting pan), then reduce to simmer. Once the vegetables are done roasting, add them to the simmering chicken stock. If there are browned bits of veggies stuck to the pan, add the reserved chicken stock and stir to remove them, then add them back to soup on the stove.

Using a hand blender, or in a blender or food processor in batches, puree the soup to a very smooth consistency. Add the apple cider, 0.5 cup of the cream, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and the nutmeg to the soup, and puree (or stir) until smooth and incorporated. The the soup just barely simmer for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, whip the remaining 0.5 cup of cream and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Serve the soup with a dollop of the cinnamon cream.

Caramelized Cipollini Onions

I know people who say that they don't like onions. I don't understand this philosophy. I mean, let's be serious here, I'm not going to just go eat a great big Vidalia like an apple anytime soon, but can you make such a sweeping, general statement? Do you really want to banish onions from cooking entirely? Onions are in just about everything, people. Let's open our minds. Wikipedia states that evidences of onion use can be found dating back to 5000 BC. Are you gonna' fight with 7000 years of human culture? I thought not.

More often than not, people say it's the texture of the onions that they don't like. I think that's where cipollini onions can help us. These are not regular onions, people. They caramelize beautifully with a soft texture, they're sweet without the strong bite of other onions, and frankly, they look really cool. However, they are nasty little buggers to peel, so they're not quite perfect. But they're probably pretty close.

I love them, and I'm pretty sure that you will, too (yes you, the onion-hating people who are reading this who know who you are). I was cooking a few of these up the other day for some people who had ever heard of this concept before, and they just kind of looked at the pan and asked, "Are those onions?" Yes, they are. "Do we just eat them whole?" Yes, you do. Oh boy, do you.

Caramelized Cipollini Onions

• 1 pound cipollini onions, peeled and hard roots carefully cut off, leaving as much onion as possible
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• About 1/4 cup beef stock
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2-3 large basil leaves, thinly sliced.

In a heavy-bottomed skillet, eat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, and stir frequently until browned, a few minutes on each side. Don't overcook, or they'll get kind of mushy, and that's a shame.

Remove the onions from the pan, and keep them close. Add the beef stock and vinegar, and stir, deglaze the bottom of the pan as much as possible. If there are any browned bits on the pan, dissolve them back into the liquid, because you don't want any of that sweet, oniony goodness to go to waste. When the liquid has reduced by about half, add the onions back, allowing them to reheat. Top with salt and pepper, Parmesan cheese, and basil.

2nd Annual Relief Society General Broadcast Dinner

Once again, I found myself at the helm of a multi-course, sit-down, plated, served by well-intentioned guys pretending to be waiters, church dinner for 50 women. I love my life.

Course 1: Soup: Curried carrot soup.

This was a great way to start. The curry and ginger started the meal with a pretty powerful punch, and the carrot and sweet potato were a subtle reminder of autumn which is just barely creeping around us down here in the south. The coconut also gives an interesting depth to it, so while the soup is complex, it was perfect for a fresh, eager palette.

Course 2: Salad: Orange and goat cheese salad with candied walnuts and lemon vinaigrette.

I am in love, and the lucky girl is goat cheese. I was a little worried that "goat" may scare away some non-seasoned cheese eaters, so we called it chevre, and everyone was happy. The little citrus and the tangy cheese were a perfect punch together, and went well following the curried soup.

Course 3: Entree: Mustard sage-braised pork loin, wild-rice pilaf, and roasted asparagus.
Don't be fooled by the link that takes you to a chicken recipe. I essentially used the same recipe with the pork, just upping the mustard a little, replacing the herbs with sage, and using a crockpot fpr 2 hours instead of the oven. For a large crowd, it was perfect. I bought whole pork loins, cut them in fourths, seared them, then stuck them in crockpots with the sauce for 2 hours, and sliced them in advance. When it was time to serve the entree, all I did was take them out and spoon the sauce over. It was easy as pie (editors note: pie is not easy--crusts take serious work!--so I have no idea where this phrase comes from).

Course 4: Dessert
Caramel chocolate cheesecake. I will admit that making 4 of these was ambitious, as it takes forever, but I love this cheesecake. You need to go make it right now. It will make your life better, I promise. It was a nice way to end the dinner with a punch, especially when served with a few chocolate chips and chocolate grahams crumbs sprinkled over top. That's love, right there.

Orange and Goat Cheese Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

This is a quite elegant yet simple salad. The sweetness of the orange and honey compliment the goat cheese quite well, and the little burst of lemon in the dressing pulls the whole thing together. I used arugula as the greens, which may be a little much for some people, but I really liked it. I'm sure any baby lettuce would work well.

As with almost any salad, I'm just going to let you figure out quantities of ingredients based on your preference and the size of your dinner party. I also cheated just a little and used orange slices rather than supremes, but supreming citrus is a lot of hard work.

Orange and Goat Cheese Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

for the candied walnuts

• 1/2 cup small walnut pieces
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  

for the dressing

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey
• salt and pepper, to taste

for the salad

• baby green lettuces
• oranges slices, peel and pith removed
• goat cheese, cut into rings
• honey, for drizzling

Candy the walnuts
In a flat-bottomed pan, toast the walnut pieces over medium heat for a few minutes until fragrant, stirring regularly. When they are becoming browned, add the butter, and stir to coat. Then add the brown sugar, and stir to coat. Cook for a few more minutes until golden brown.

Make the dressing
Whisk together all the dressing ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste.

Compile the salad
Toss the greens with some of the lemon vinaigrette until lightly coated. Layer on the orange and cheese slice, then drizzle the fruit and cheese with honey. Garnish with candied walnuts.

Spinach & Artichoke Stuffed Chicken Breast

Thanks to LacyLu for the inspiration for this beautiful, fancy, tasty little dish here. This flavor combination was inspired by a Hot Pocket (well, actually a lean pocket). This is (hopefully) a slightly more fulfilling, non-microwavable version taking slightly more than 90 seconds until piping hot, but hey, Mom says it's nice enough for company (and it's pretty dang good, too).






Spinach & Artichoke Stuffed Chicken Breast

ingredients

• 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2/3 cup chopped, marinated artichoke hearts
• 1 cup frozen, chopped spinach
• 1 shallot, finely diced
  
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, divided
  
• 5-6 sprigs fresh thyme, divided
  
• 6 boneless, plump chicken breasts
• extra virgin olive oil, for sauteing
• salt and pepper
• 2 cups chicken broth
• juice of 1 lemon
• zest of 1/2 lemon (I zested the other half in long strips to use as a garnish)
  
• a few tablespoons cornstarch

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Mix the cheese, artichoke, spinach, shallot, and some salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Finely dice 1 sprig of the rosemary and 2 - 3 sprigs of the thyme, and add to the mixture.

Cut a deep slice into the sides of the chicken breast, forming a pocket inside (being ever so careful as to not cut through them completely). Evenly distribute the filling into 6 portions, and stuff the chicken breasts, closing off the edges with toothpicks, as needed.

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a deep-sided frying pan over medium-high, and sear the chicken breasts a few at a time on both sides (about 3-5 minutes a side). Transfer the chicken to a 9 by 13 inch pan (retaining the juices in the frying pan), and roast in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until juice run clear.

Add the chicken broth, lemon juice,lemon zest, and remaining herbs to the pan with the chicken drippings. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer to reduce as the chicken roasts.

When the chicken is finished, pour any juices from the baking pan into the gravy. Thicken the gravy with a few tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in cold water, then added to the gravy. Stir until thickened. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve the chicken breasts with the gravy, and garnish with additional herbs and lemon zest.

You can serve it with roasted asparagus and some roasted red potatoes.

Pan Seared Tuna with Asparagus and Tomato, Caper, Parsley Reduction

I grew up hating fish (as in loathing it, if that verb is strong enough). As I have grown up, however, I have realized more and more that it's not fish in general that I hate--it's overcooked, frozen fish that I hate (and in all honesty, what's not to hate about it?). It has taken a surprisingly long time for me to overcome the childhood aversion. When I did, though, I came to love a well-cooked piece of fish.

This recipe was inspired by a challenge I saw on a cooking reality competition show, and then adapted from a recipe by Emeril. While it looks like I have prepared two plates, one for me and one for a special someone, in the name of full disclosure, I ate both pieces myself in one sitting. It was good.

Lesson learned. A few capers go a long way.


Pan-Seared Tuna with Asparagus and Tomato, Caper, Parsley Reduction

Serves 2: multiply as needed

Ingredients

• extra virgin olive oil, for sauteing
  
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
  
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 1 medium ripe tomato, diced
• 1/4 cup water or fish broth
  
• 1 tablespoon capers, with the brine
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 -4 sprigs fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 sushi-grade tuna medallions (or steaks, if you're looking for a larger, heartier meal)
• 10 thin stalks asparagus

Heat a few tablespoons olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallot, and saute for a minute or two, until slightly browned. Add the tomato, and stir until soft. Add the water/broth, capers, and lemon juice and simmer for a few minutes, until reduced and thickened. Add the parsley and butter, stir to incorporate. Turn down the heat to low, and let it simmer while you cook the fish.

Season the tuna with salt and pepper. Cover the bottom of a wide pan with some olive oil and heat over medium high. Move the pan off-center so there is a definite hot side and a cooler side. Add the fish to the direct heat, and let cook undisturbed for 2 minutes. Place the asparagus in the cooler side of the pan, and season with salt and pepper. Turn the tuna, and cook for an additional 2 minutes for medium (maybe longer if you're using full steaks). Place the asparagus on a plate, top with the tomato caper sauce, and the fish. Garnish with parsley.

Blood Orange Scallops with Sea Beans

This was my attempt at a fancy appetizer. Scallops are kind of intimidating to me for some reason, but they really are super easy to prepare. I found some jumbo scallops at Whole Foods, and they make for a really dramatic presentation with very little effort. I did learn a few things about scallops, though, if you're experimenting with them for the first time.

Scallops have little 'feet' which is just a small, tough muscle along the side which needs to be removed. Also, if you can find dry-pack scallops, they sear much better and keep a much better consistency than wet-pack.

This is also my experience with sea beans, but I saw them used them on Iron Chef one night and so that practically makes me professional. They have a briny crunch to them which pairs really well with the scallop. I used them raw here, but you could probably stir fry them for a minute or two to soften them up (I don't think they need it, though).

And just one more note on the presentation. You'll notice in the picture that I used a blood orange slice to the plate as garnish. The red and orange make a beautiful contrast, but were I to do it again, I would use a supreme wedge of the orange so you could actually eat it rather than just look at it.


Blood Orange Sea Scallops with Sea Beans

Ingredients

• 2 medium blood oranges
• 4 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 or 3 sprigs parsley
• salt and pepper, to taste
• extra virgin olive oil
  
• 4 large sea scallops
• Sea beans, enough to form small beds for each scallop

Supreme 4 segments of the blood orange, and set aside. Place the rest of the flesh from both oranges in a food processor with the cream and salt and pepper. Puree until very smooth.

Remove and discard the feet from the scallops, and then lightly salt and pepper the remaining flesh. If you want to add a few presentation points, slice shallow X's across the top and bottom of the scallops (they sear beautifully that way).

Pour a thin layer of oil in a non-stick pan and heat to medium high (until the oil starts to smoke slightly). Add the scallops and let sit still for a few minutes (3-4) until the edges are seared golden, then flip and sear the other side.

Meanwhile, wash and arrange the sea beans and the orange supreme on the plates. When the second face of the scallops are seared, place on the bed of sea beans.

Quickly pour the orange-cream mixture into the hot pan, and stir quickly to incorporate the olive oil into the mixture. Taste for seasoning, then top the scallops with the sauce.

Chicken, eggplant, and polenta with roasted-red pepper sauce

Now, I've got to admit that with this one, there is a story. Once upon a time, after an evening of black-and-white silent movies accompanied by a live organist at a tiny little theater in Salt Lake City, we were off in search of something to eat. Now, I'm not gonna' lie to you, we weren't in exactly the hippest part of the valley, so our chances of finding some amazing place were probably low. Undeterred, we continued down the dodgy little lane, and there it was. Sitting on the side of the road, a rather dumpy little place boasting Greek, Mediterranean, and Persian food. Sounded promising, even though one of our group had spent several months on a cruise around the world with a Greek captain, so they had lamb and pasta every night (needless to say, she was a little sick of it). Inside, the decorations were tacky, Egyptian-themed, and seemed to have too many artificial flowers for a small building. The local clientèle had us convinced that this was a mafia hangout. However, we were inside and committed, so we sat down and perused the menus.

Then the fateful moment came: the waitress explained the daily special. I've been smitten ever since. I have tried to recreate this recipe multiple times, the only catch is, that event in the shady part of town was so long ago, I don't really remember how it tasted, but I still have fun playing around with this recipe.

I hear polenta isn't hard to make, but I just use the store-bought stuff because it eliminates one extra step in the multi-component meal. The hard thing about this recipe is you have to do about three things at exactly the same time right before you serve, but I have faith that you can do it.

Again, the recipe makes enough for a party (8 people), so adjust as needed.


Chicken, Eggplant, and Polenta with Roasted-Red Pepper Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 large red bell peppers
• 1 8-oz can tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon chopped or minced garlic
• oregano, to taste
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 8 chicken breasts
• 2 large eggplants
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  
• 2 packages pre-made polenta
• salt and pepper, to taste
  
• extra virgin olive oil for drizzling and sauteing
• feta cheese, for garnish
  

Remove the gree stem from the peppers, and cut them into 3-4 large, flat segments. Coat with a little olive oil. Place them on a hot skillet or grill, skin-side-down, for a few minutes until the skin is black and charred. Remove from heat. To help loosen the skins before peeling, place the peppers in a bowl covered with plastic wrap or foil, and let sit for a few minutes. When they're cool, peel off the skins and place the flesh in a blender or food processor with the tomato sauce, garlic, oregano, some salt and pepper, and a few good glugs of olive oil. Blend until smooth. Stir in the cream. This step can be done in advance, and the sauce can be placed in the fridge if you're going to do this earlier in the day.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the chicken breasts in a roasting pan, coat with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for about 10-12 minutes, until they have a nice, golden crispiness to the tops. Pull out of the oven and cover with the red pepper sauce.

Switch the oven to broil. Slice the eggplant into 8 slices each. Heavily salt both sides of the slices, and let them sit out for a few minutes. This will draw out some of the water and allow them to stay a little more firm when roasting. Wipe off the salt with a paper towel, and brush with a little olive oil (the eggplant absorbs the olive oil very easily, so just don't pour it on and expect to spread it around: use a brush). Lay them out on a baking sheet, and top with some pepper and Parmesan cheese. Broil them until the cheese is crispy and you have a crust on the top, just a few minutes! After you pull them out, quickly replace with the roasting pan of chicken and sauce to heat it up. This is the tricky part: keeping everything hot until you serve.

Meanwhile, cut the polenta into slices. Saute a little on both sides until warm in a pan on the stove. When they're ready, put a few on a plate, then top with a slice or two of eggplant, then one of the chicken breasts with plenty of sauce. Top with some feta, and serve immediately.