Monday, February 15, 2016

Recipe: Butternut Squash and Farro Salad


Butternut Squash and Farro Salad
Us Weekly Magazine, Oct 19, 2015, p. 51
5 stars

Talk about a healthy, hearty winter salad that's so easy to make!  I saw this recipe in US Weekly magazine of all places -- it's a recipe from Katie Lee, the co-host of The Kitchen on the Food Network.

Just 13 ingredients:  butternut squash, shallots, raisins, farro, smoked Gouda, walnuts, arugula, grainy mustard, extra-virgin olive oil, sherry vinegar, ground cayenne pepper, salt and pepper

Well, 14 ingredients because we added bacon.  Bacon makes everything better!

In short since I can't find a link to the recipe online:
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Peel and cut butternut squash into 1/2-inch chunks and slice 4 large shallots -- place them on the lined baking sheet and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.
  • Roast until squash is soft and shallots begin to brown (about 25-30 min)
  • Pour 4 tbsp sherry vinegar over 1 cup of raisins.  Soak for 15 min then drain the vinegar into a small bowl; place raisins in another bowl.
  • For the dressing:  Whisk 2 tsp whole grain mustard into the sherry vinegar from the step above;  add 6 tbsp oil, season to taste with ground cayenne pepper, salt and pepper
  • Toss 2 cups of cooked farro, the butternut squash, shallots, raisins, 6 oz diced smoked Gouda and 1 cup of walnut halves and toss with the dressing.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and toss in arugula.

Saturday, February 6, 2016

Recipe: Shanghai Noodles with Golden Garlic and Soft Tofu


Shanghai Noodles with Golden Garlic and Soft Tofu
Asian Flavors of Jean-Georges (cookbook), p.235
5 stars

After being so impressed with Jean-Georges' restaurant in Deer Valley, I checked out his cookbook from the library to test out some recipes.  (This was my first time borrowing a cookbook from the library which is such a great idea!  Got the idea from reading a review on Amazon.com.  I hate buying cookbooks only to test out recipes and be disappointed.)

So. . .  we didn't make this exactly per the recipe.  Changed it up a bit, but it turned out delicious!  With all the changes we made to the recipe, I should make this as-is next time.

HUGE learning for me:  Steeping the mint and basil and adding chicken broth to it made an incredibly flavorful base.

Changes we made to the recipe:
  • Sauteed some ground beef with onion and garlic and added it when mixing the final dish.
  • Added green beans
  • Added shitake mushrooms
  • Did NOT use 1 cup of garlic -- used 4 cloves instead
  • Did NOT use 1/4 cup of serrano chiles -- sliced up 2 instead
  • Couldn't get fresh Shanghai noodles so used some other similar Asian noodles we had
  • Couldn't find pea shoots so left that out