Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

The Barefoot Contessa knows soup.  She knows that the secret to a delicious and remarkably flavorful soup is to roast the vegetables first.  She's done it before, and now she's done it again.

I like butternut squash soup.  It can get a little monotonous by the time you're about halfway through the bowl, but the flavors are nice and it generally keeps me interested.  Roasted butternut squash soup, however, is a whole other ballgame.  The squash is roasted along with apples and onions, and everything gets browned and gorgeous before being pureed and then adorned with some curry flavors.  I think you're probably sold by now.

This soup is delicious.  You should try it.  Right now.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

adapted from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

1 small butternut squash (1 to 1 1/4 pounds), peeled and seeded

1 small yellow onion

1 small gala apple, peeled and cored

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken stock

1/4 teaspoon curry powder

handful of flaked coconut, lightly toasted

handful of sliced almonds, lightly toasted

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 425.

2.  Cut the squash, onion, and apple into 1 inch pieces.  Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper.  Toss together to coat.  Roast for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally, until very tender and browned.

3.  Meanwhile, heat chicken stock to a simmer.  When the vegetables are done, put them in a food processor or blender with about 1/4 cup of the stock, as well as the curry powder, a pinch of salt and pepper, and pulse until mostly pureed, but still chunky.   Add the rest of the chicken stock and pulse a couple of times.  The texture should be that of a thick soup.

4.  Serve the soup topped with the toasted coconut and almonds.

Enjoy!

Spanakopita

Oh my god.  Yes, this is that good.

Tonight I conducted an experiment in my kitchen, adapting the recipe for spanakopita filling from the barefoot contessa and making one big spanakopita instead of the individual triangles.  It was so incredibly fantastic, I don't know where to begin. 

Spanakopita is often served as an appetizer, but this variation can easily be your full meal.  Salty feta, earthy spinach, and gorgeous spices encased in a crispy phyllo shell - this is vegetarian bliss.   Yum. 

Eloquence is escaping me, so let's get straight to the recipe.

Spanakopita

adapted from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

serves 4-5

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 red onion, chopped

2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon freshly grated parmesan

2 tablespoons plain dry bread crumbs

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 cup small-diced feta cheese

1 1/2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

5 sheets frozen phyllo dough, defrosted and cut in half

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 375.

2.  Warm olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and cook for about 5 minutes, just softening, not browning.  Add scallions and cook for two additional minutes.  Remove from heat.

3.  Meanwhile, squeeze most of the moisture from the spinach and place in a large bowl.  Add onions and scallions when they're done cooking.  Stir in eggs, parmesan, bread crumbs, nutmeg, salt and pepper.  Gently fold in the feta and pine nuts.

4.  Lay out the phyllo sheets on a work surface.  Brush an 8 x 8 baking dish with vegetable oil using a pastry brush.  Working quickly so they don't dry out, brush a small amount of vegetable oil onto each phyllo sheet.  Lay the first five halves into the baking sheet after oiling each one.  The edges will go up the sides of the baking dish, so lay them in different directions to create a sort of crust coming up the sides of the baking dish.

5.  Spread the filling evenly over the phyllo.  Top with the remaining five halves of phyllo dough after brushing each one with oil in the same manner you did with the first five.  When all the phyllo is in the pan, fold down the edges that are coming up over the top of the baking dish to create a sort of seal.  Sprinkle lightly with salt, and bake for 30 minutes, or until browned and crisp.  Serve hot.

Enjoy!

Fall Persimmon Salad

I've had a few fuyu persimmons hanging out in my fruit bowl for a couple of weeks now.  I have to admit, I'm not a big enough fan to enjoy eating them straight up.  Unfortunately, most baked goods that contain persimmons call for the much pulpier hachiya persimmon, so I was running out of ideas of how to use these guys.

Then it came to me.  The fuyu persimmon is sweet and crunchy, much like an apple.  Apples are great in salads along with nuts, cheeses, and other such things.  Inspiration struck.  I turned to the Barefoot Contessa for the dressing idea, and decided to build a festive, fall-oriented salad.  There are so many delicious flavors in the bowl, that even if you're not a huge persimmon fan, I promise you'll enjoy it.  And if you are, well, there's no question.

Note - use a good quality blue cheese for this recipe, one that tastes good on its own, so that you don't botch the flavor of the salad with a nasty cheese.

Fall Persimmon Salad

serves 2 as a main course

INGREDIENTS:

2 ounces diced prosciutto

5 ounces mixed baby greens

2 fuyu persimmons, peeled, cored, and chopped

1/4 cup walnut halves, toasted in a dry skillet and chopped

1/4 cup dried cranberries

2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

the dressing:

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

1.  In a small skillet over medium-high heat, cook the prosciutto until crispy.  Set aside to cool.

2.  Combine the greens, persimmon, walnuts, cranberries, and blue cheese in a large salad bowl.  Add prosciutto when it's not too hot.

3.  Make the dressing by whisking all ingredients together, streaming in the oil last, or by putting all ingredients in a salad dressing shaker and shaking vigorously.  Pour just enough dressing over the salad to coat the greens (don't drench them), then toss everything together.  Serve.

Enjoy!

Spring Risotto

Just when you thought I had finally gotten over my asparagus craze, I go and dump another asparagus-oriented meal at you. Well I'm sorry, but it's spring. I can't help it.

Today I am sharing with you a zesty and hearty risotto. It's a lot like your typical risotto, but with a few interesting twists - most notable of which is the substitution of leeks for what would normally be onions or shallots. Leeks are a seriously under-appreciated flavor source, and I think this recipe showcases just what they can do. The leeks, chives, lemon zest, and parmesan work together to carry the asparagus and let it do its thing. They all join together like a happy little spring time family.

I changed this recipe pretty liberally from the original, but if you want more variety in your veggies you can do what Ina Garten suggested and include peas and fennel, too.

Spring Risotto
adapted from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics
serves 3

INGREDIENTS:

2 teaspoons EVOO
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1 leek, white and light green parts only, chopped
3/4 cup Arborio rice
1/3 cup white wine
2 cups simmering low-sodium chicken stock
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
zest of one small lemon
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan
1 tablespoons minced fresh chives

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat olive oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When the butter melts, toss in the chopped leeks and stir. Cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are tender, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the rice and cook, stirring, for about a minute, to coat with the oil and butter. Add the white wine and simmer, stirring constantly, until most of the wine is absorbed.

3. Begin adding chicken stock, a ladle at a time, stirring frequently and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next. (About 2-3 minutes between ladles). This process will take about 18 minutes or so.

4. When you only have a couple of ladles full of stock left to add, stir in asparagus and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Continue adding broth until none is left. When it is almost completely absorbed, stir in parmesan and chives.

So simple, so comforting, so good. Enjoy!

Lemon Yogurt Cake

I'm not doing a lot of cooking for a few days, as we have all sorts of dinners planned and all of them are away from our home. But I had to make this cake today, for two reasons: I couldn't stay out of the kitchen any longer, and I had about a million tiny lemons that my parents gave me from their tree. The logical choice was to make a lemon cake, and the logical chef to turn to for the recipe was Ina Garten.

This is her delicious, tangy, fluffy and sweet lemon yogurt cake. It's magnificent. I changed up a few ingredients to make it more my style. I have recommended using lowfat Greek style yogurt, but feel free to use the yogurt of your choice. I was a little low on yogurt so I made up the difference with skim milk, and the cake came out perfectly just the same.

The glaze is very tart, and nicely complements the sweetness of the cake. This cake just screams out "afternoon tea." That, and "eat me!"

Lemon Yogurt Cake
adapted from The Barefoot Contessa at Home
makes one loaf cake

INGREDIENTS:









1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plan lowfat Greek yogurt
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (approximately 1 large lemon)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate large bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer, mix the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Slowly stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

3. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a knife or toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

4. Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 lemon juice and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a small pan over medium-high heat, until sugar dissolves and mixture is clear and smooth. Set aside.

5. When cake is done, cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a cooling rack over a baking sheet. Drizzle the glaze over the loaf and spread it with a pastry brush to evenly distribute. (You might want to brush the sides of the loaf as well). Let cool, and serve.

This brings back so many memories for me, of the lemon tea cake my mother always used to make (and still does), and of the fact that the only type of yogurt I would eat as a kid was lemon flavored. Go figure.

Enjoy!

Roasted Winter Squash Salad

If you like winter squash, you will love this recipe. It tastes like a trip to New England, with its warm apple cider vinaigrette, a touch of cranberry here and there, and real maple syrup glazing the squash.

We, however, are not huge squash fans. You might wonder why I chose to make this when we're not crazy about squash. It's all about stepping outside of the comfort zone, folks. And I can honestly say the flavors in this salad are delicious, and it makes an elegant dish. The sheer amount of squash was a bit much for us, but that's us. Therefore I do still recommend it for the squash-lovers out there.

The recipe calls for butternut squash, but I decided to go with acorn squash since I'd been wanting to try it out. They are virtually interchangeable, so go with whatever sounds good to you. I'll warn you, though, that peeling an acorn squash is a remarkably challenging task.

Roasted Winter Squash Salad
adapted from the Barefoot Contessa's "Back to Basics"
serves 3-4

INGREDIENTS:








1 (1 1/2 pound) winter squash, peeled and 3/4 inch diced
2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup EVOO
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
handful dried cranberries
3/4 cup unfiltered apple cider
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
one small shallot, minced
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
3-4 ounces baby arugula, washed and spun dry
1/4 cup walnut halves, toasted
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place squash pieces on a sheet pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons EVOO, the maple syrup, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss to coat evenly. Roast for 15 minutes, turning once. Sprinkle the dried cranberries over the squash and then return to the oven, roasting for another 4-5 minutes, or until squash is tender.

2. While squash is roasting, combine apple cider, vinegar, and shallots in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cider is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Remove from heat and whisk in mustard, 1/4 cup EVOO, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

3. Place arugula in a salad bowl and add the squash mixture, walnuts, and parmesan. Spoon just enough vinaigrette over the salad to moisten, and toss well. Serve.

So squash-lovers, rejoice! Here is a delicately sweet, yet robust salad. Enjoy!

Roasted Potato Leek Soup

We had a few days of abnormally warm weather, but we're back to cold January nights. Enter my favorite cast member of the food pyramid, soup. (Okay, so maybe soup never got its own spot on the food pyramid, but if you ask me, it deserves one). Today I decided to try a soup that I've not only never cooked before, but I've never even eaten it before. Yet it always intrigued me.

We're talking potato-leek soup, people. It's French, it's classy, it's simple. And leave it to the Barefoot Contessa to think of a great way to make it extra flavorful and delicious - roast the vegetables first. I'm seeing this in more and more soup recipes, and I have to say it's pure genius. We all know that the best way to draw out incredible flavor from any vegetable is to toss it around in some EVOO, salt and pepper, and roast it in the oven. So why not do it to veggies before you puree them for soup? It's logical. And it's genius.

This soup warms the cockles of your heart, as my grandmother used to say. And it features my new favorite allium, the leek. I went to my farmers market on Sunday and picked up the most incredible-looking leeks I've ever seen. They were about a mile long.

The smell of the leeks and potatoes roasting has filled our entire home with a deliciously tantalizing smell. This is what winter smells like, my friends.

Roasted Potato Leek Soup
Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa's "Back to Basics"
serves 4

INGREDIENTS:



the leeks and potatoes are taking a cool bath together.






1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
2 large leeks, white and light green parts only, chopped
2 tablespoons EVOO
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 generous handfuls of baby arugula
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons skim milk
4 ounces creme fraiche
2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 400. Combine potatoes and leeks in a shallow roasting pan in a single layer. Toss with EVOO, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 40-45 minutes, tossing occasionally so they cook evenly, until very tender. Add the arugula and toss. Roast for an additional 4 minutes, until arugula is wilted. Remove pan from oven and place on the stove.

2. Over low heat, add the wine and 1/2 cup of the broth, stirring and scraping up any crispy bits in the roasting pan. Cook a couple of minutes.

3. In batches, transfer the roasted vegetables and liquid to a food processor. Add additional broth to each batch provide more liquid, and puree. After you puree each batch, put it in a large pot or Dutch oven. When all the veggies are pureed, you should have used about half of the broth. Add the rest of the broth to the pot along with milk, creme fraiche, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning.

4. When ready to serve, reheat the soup gently and whisk in the parmesan. Serve hot.

Like I said, I'm no expert on potato-leek soup, but I have a feeling that after having it this way I'll never want to eat it the "regular" way. There is a depth of flavor that can only come from roasting and caramelizing the vegetables. If you have some crusty sourdough laying around I think it would go great with this soup! Enjoy.

Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts

Frozen puff pastry sheets are just about the best culinary invention of all time. You can whip up impressive appetizers or desserts in a marginal amount of time, compared to what you'd have to go through if you made the pastry yourself (a feat I have yet to attempt, and probably never will since frozen puff pastry is out there, calling my name!) The inspiration for this recipe came from Ina Garten's latest cookbook, Back to Basics. And it really is that - basic. Yet incredibly delicious.

The recipe is listed as a "lunch" option - and I chose to make it alongside a green salad to make it dinner. However, in future I think I would make smaller versions of this and call them appetizers. They are a bit too daunting in their full size, and rather rich. I think making them small, say biscuit-cutter size, would be perfect. But you can decide - they make a pretty satisfying meal full-sized.

I know not everyone likes goat cheese and caramelized onions (my husband is such a person, so I made his with sun-dried tomatoes and pepperoni) so feel free to substitute whatever toppings strike your fancy. I do have to say the caramelized onions are incredible, and tangy goat cheese is the perfect complement. But hey, if you want to be different, be different.

I should also note that an earthquake hit while I was preparing these, and the epicenter was one mile from where we live. I don't really have a point in mentioning that, but just thought I would let you know that I managed to produce a successful dinner even while the house shook around me. Nuff said.

Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts
Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa, "Back to Basics"
serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed (1/2 package)
EVOO
1 medium-large onion, thinly sliced
1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons dry white wine
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan
2 ounces goat cheese (chevre)
1 medium tomato, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
2 tablespoons basil leaves, sliced into chiffonade
1 ounce fresh parmesan, shaved with a vegetable peeler

DIRECTIONS:

1. The pastry: unfold on a lightly floured surface and roll out until it is very thin, but thick enough to pick up without tearing. You should end up with a square sheet about 10" x 10". Cut into four squares to make four tarts, two per person (or use a biscuit cutter to make small rounds).

2. The onions: Heat about 1 tablespoon EVOO in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic. Sautee for 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions are limp and very little moisture remains. Add a pinch of salt, pepper to taste, wine, and thyme and cook an additional 10 minutes, until wine is absorbed/evaporated and onions are slightly browned. Remove from heat.

3. The assembly: Score a 1/4-inch wide border around each piece of pastry, and prick with a fork inside the border you just created. Sprinkle 1/2 tablespoon grated parmesan on each square. Place a quarter of the onion mixture on each square within the scored edge. Crumble the goat cheese over each pile of the onion. Place a slice of tomato in the center of each tart. Brush lightly with olive oil (or spray with olive oil spray). Sprinkle with basil, salt, and pepper, and top with the shaved parmesan.

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until pastry is golden brown and puffy. Serve warm.

It feels a little bit decadent, more like party food than regular dinner (that's where the salad comes to the rescue and makes you feel less guilty). But it's fun, it's different, and by all means don't open a bottle of wine just for the tablespoon and a half that's in the recipe - the wine will go nicely alongside dinner.

Enjoy!