79: Butternut Squash Soup / Vanilla, Amaretti & Cinnamon

Here’s an update to a timeless classic soup around the holidays. This soup came out absolutely incredible. The vanilla extract and amaretti cookies add a delicate sweetness to the soup without making it sweet. This is packed with flavor, give it a try.

Ingredients and Directions:

1 three-four pound butternut squash, halved

1 large onion, diced

3 cups chicken stock

2 tbs of chopped sage

2 tbs of olive oil

1 cup amaretti snap cookies, crushed

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cinnamon to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roast halved squash flesh side up for one hour. Scoop out seeds and discard when roasting is complete. Spoon out the pulp of the squash into a bowl, set aside.

In a large pot, heat oil on medium heat. Add onions and sage after a few minutes, reduce heat to low. Stir often until onions become translucent, a good 10 minutes. Now add the stock and squash pulp, bring to a boil, and cook for a few minutes to meld the flavors. I used a hand blender to puree my soup in the same pot. Reduce heat to low and puree to your liking. Now adjust seasoning with vanilla extract, amaretti cookies, cinnamon, and salt and pepper to balance the flavor out. It will probably be a little starchy tasting before you add any seasoning. Garnish with minced sage or a dollop of mascarpone cheese.  

Note: The soup will thicken while refrigerated, so you may need to add a little water when/if reheating the soup.

Enjoy!!

78: Braised Turkey Tenderloin / Maple & Cinammon-Glazed Carrots / Cornbread Stuffing w/ Sage & Proscuitto

Happy Thanksgiving!! Amber and I usually don’t go home for Thanksgiving, as our families are far away, and this year was no different. We decided to get away for a few days at a bed and breakfast in the Shenandoah Valley. We came back Thanksgiving night, and this was our dinner.

As with much of my cooking, the traditional is given a modern twist. The turkey tenderloin is treated much like a chicken breast, the maple syrup and cinnamon bring the all familiar flavors to the plate, and the dish is made complete with a cornbread stuffing that features sage, celery, and prosciutto.

Ingredients and Directions:

Turkey-

2 turkey tenderloins

Parsley, chopped

1/2 cup shallots, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup turkey stock

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Butter

Salt + pepper

Flour

Stuffing-

3 ribs of celery, chopped

1/2 cup shallots, chopped

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons of fresh sage, chopped

1/4 pound prosciutto, diced

Cornbread mix

1 cup turkey stock

Olive oil

Butter

Salt + pepper

Carrots-

1 baby carrots, halved lengthwise

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Dash of cinnamon

Olive oil

Salt + pepper

Turkey—Season turkey with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil with 1 tablespoon of butter over medium high heat in a 10 inch pan. Cook until butter stops foaming, about 3 minutes. Sweat shallots with garlic until shallots are translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Remove shallots and garlic, set aside. Now brown the turkey in the same pan, about 4 minutes on each side. Remove turkey, set aside. Add turkey stock and reduce by half. Now add parsley to the pan, and return the turkey, shallots, and garlic as well. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove turkey and set aside when finished. Add a tablespoon of flour to the sauce and simmer on low for 5 minutes to create thickness with the sauce, stirring occasionally. Spoon sauce over turkey on plate.

Stuffing—Cook cornbread according to package, let cool, and then crumble the cornbread. Combine oil and butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Once melted, add celery and onions and season with salt and pepper. Sweat celery and onions for about 5-6 minutes. Now add the sage and prosciutto and stir to combine. Toss in the crumbled cornbread, and moisten stuffing with turkey stock. Bring to a light boil, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat, and cover with foil to keep warm until serving.

Carrots—Heat oil in a pan for a few minutes. Sauté carrots with salt and pepper for a few minutes more. Add maple syrup and cinnamon and bring to a sizzling simmer. Continue cooking, while stirring, for a few minutes more.

Enjoy!!

77: Braised Goat Neck / Roasted Asparagus / Wild Black Rice

I shop at many a place to find my meat, veggies, and fruit. I was surprised to find goat neck slices at Safeway, but I was more than intrigued with what I could do with the cut. Goat is generally a leaner meat, incredibly low in fat, so you can’t sear it with salt and pepper, or it dries out in a bad way. I knew I wanted to braise it to soften up what can be a tougher texture if only sautéed. Goat is practically made for slow cooking. The result is tender, succulent, and mouthwatering.

I looked around the pantry, and I found a box of wild rice. I also spied some asparagus in the fridge. Thus, I found compliments to go with the goat.

Ingredients and Directions:

2 goat neck slices, bone in, fat trimmed

1/2 shallots, thinly sliced

1/2 carrots, diced

1/2 cup celery

3 cloves garlic, minced

Bouquet garni (parsley, oregano, rosemary, thyme)

1 cup hearty red wine

1 cup beef stock

1 cup fire roasted tomatoes

1/2 cup cultivated wild rice

Olive Oil

Salt + pepper

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a dutch oven. Brown the neck slices for 4-5 minutes per side. Remove to a plate, and add more olive oil to the same pan. Sauté the shallots, carrots, celery, and garlic, with salt and pepper for 6 or 7 minutes until soft, stirring occasionally. Stir in the red wine, bring to a boil, add goat slices back, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes. The wine should have reduced by half at this point.

Now add the tomatoes and its juices and beef stock to the pot with the bouquet garni, and stir well to mix everything together, pushing the bouquet garni down into the juices. Bring to a boil once more, reduce heat as low as you can, cover and cook for 90 minutes. The end result should be incredibly tender veal and a somewhat thick sauce. Cook a little longer if need be.

Cook rice according to package. It should take about 50-60 minutes, so time it against the dutch oven. Roast asparagus spears in salt and pepper 6 minutes before plating the meal.

Enjoy!!

76: Cauliflower Soup

I first made this soup for a Thanksgiving dinner that me and a friend teamed up to cook for a couple years ago. The soup was a hit, just one of 11 courses, and I’ve made this a couple times since then. This is the first time, however, that I have hared it publicly. It’s generally quick for a soup, and it packs an unbelievable flavor. The soup keeps well, too. I also added a large sprig of thyme to the container while it sits in the fridge for each use. I kept some chopped cauliflower to roast as garnish. Give it a try.

Ingredients and Directions:

1 head cauliflower leaves and core removed, coarsely chopped

1 cup shallots, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup dry white wine

3 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup fresh herbs, minced (rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano, parsley)

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Olive oil

Salt + pepper

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat and add the onion and garlic. Sauté mixture until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the wine with half the herbs and reduce by half, about 5 minutes. Now add the cauliflower and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, add in the remaining herbs, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and, using a hand held blender, puree the soup o desired consistency. Add the cheese and stir until smooth. Season the soup with salt and pepper as necessary. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!!

75: Orzo / Shrimp & Bacon / Roasted Tomoatoes & Broccoli / Pecorino Romano

I opened the refrigerator, and this recipe is what I created. I make a shrimp stock on the fly to serve as the sauce. This dinner comes out light and flavorful. The bacon adds a rich, crisp flavor, while the tomatoes add acidity and broccoli another layer of crunch and complexity, made complete with a little pecorino romano to round out the dish.

Ingredients and Directions:

1 cup (uncooked) orzo

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 cup shallots, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

12 cherry tomatoes, halved

Handful of broccoli florets, chopped

Pecorino romano, grated

Fresh basil , chopped

Olive oil

Salt + pepper

Cook the pasta according to package directions, without salt or olive oil. There will be plenty in the rest of the cooking.

While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp with salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes. There should be a thin layer of water from the shrimp counteracting the oil. This is your shrimp stock. Saute shrimp for about 4-5 minutes. Strain shrimp into a bowl, reserving the shrimp stock.

Add olive oil to the same pan. Add onion, garlic, and salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently, so the mixture doesn’t burn in the pan. Add tomatoes and broccoli now, and sauté for about 3-4 minutes.

Now stir in the orzo, shrimp, and basil until heated through, 1-2 minutes. Serve immediately, and use additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Enjoy!!