Butternut Squash Tart with Fried Sage

I love just about anything with butternut squash in it. My very favorite is the butternut squash soup at Grounds in Long Beach, California. I think they served it every Tuesday in the fall and winter (and I ordered it every time it was available). I soooooo miss going to lunch there. If you live in Southern California, you must try it. They also have great sandwiches. Since I can't have my favorite soup, I got my butternut squash fix from this tart. It is a simple snack, lunch, or light dinner that's perfect for fall. It comes together in no time and is absolutely delicious. The fried sage is the perfect flavor match to the squash. You could serve the tart with a little salad to make it a meal.

Butternut Squash Tart with Fried Sage

1 small butternut squash

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water
3 tablespoons olive oil
12 fresh sage leaves (approximately)

1/4 cup shaved parmesan cheese

salt & freshly ground pepper
Chile honey

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Peel the neck of a butternut squash using a vegetable peeler. Using either a sharp knife or mandolin slicer, cut 1/8-inch thin rounds from the neck portion and reserve the rest of the squash for another use.

Flatten the sheet of puff pastry on a baking sheet that has been covered with parchment paper. You can use a rolling pin if you need to or you may be able to just create a rectangular shape by unfolding it with your hands.

Brush the pastry dough with the egg wash (egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water). Arrange the squash rounds on the pastry dough, overlapping the edges to cover the entire dough, but allowing about 1/2-inch boarder of crust around the edge.

Place a second sheet of parchment paper over the squash and top with a second baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes. Then remove the top baking sheet and the parchment paper that's covering the squash. Brush the squash with a tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Return to the oven and bake for about 25 minutes.

While the tart is baking, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. When it just starts to smoke a bit, add the clean, dry sage leaves to the oil. They will cook very, very quickly - about 5 to 10 seconds. You just need them to sizzle a bit to get crispy and then remove them from the skillet and place on a plate lined with a paper towel.

When the tart crust is golden brown around the egdes and cooked in the middle, remove it from the oven, slice, and top with the saved parmesan. Drizzle with chile honey (the epicurious.com link below has a recipe or you can buy some at your local market - it may also just be called hot honey or spicy honey). Top with fresh ground pepper and the fried sage leaves.

Enjoy!

recipe from epicurious.com

Pumpkin Scones

I am a huge fan of pumpkin EVERYTHING in the fall. Pumpkin isn't just for pie anymore... Pumpkin spice lattes are everywhere now, pumpkin muffins, Sonic has pumpkin pie milkshakes, I even saw pumpkin pie at McDonalds, and the pumpkin candles at Bath & Body Works are amazing! I wait all year for the pumpkin scones at Starbucks. It is by far my very favorite food from Starbucks. I found this recipe a long time ago on one of my favorite food blogs - Annies Eats. I've made it several times and added my own little variations, but it is absolutely luscious every time. It's the perfect fall breakfast treat.

Pumpkin Scones
2 cups flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tbsp. cold butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips, or cinnamon chips (optional)
1/2 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
2 teaspoons water plus more as needed to thin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch cloves
Preheat the oven to 400° F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt; whisk just to combine.  Add the cold butter chunks to the bowl and stir with a fork to combine.  Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and the largest butter pieces are no bigger than peas. I use a pastry blender (you can pick one up at most stores that sell cooking and baking supplies), but you could also use a fork to mix the butter into the dry ingredients or even pulse a few times in a food processor. 

If desired, mix in white chocolate, cinnamon chips, or butterscotch chips.  Mark suggested adding rasins, but I don't think rasins are good in anything (hahaha). If you like rasins, you should try it and let me know how it works.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, pumpkin puree and vanilla extract.  Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and  stir together gently just until the dough comes together. Do not overwork the dough or the scones will be tough. The dough will be very sticky.

Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet.  Pat the dough into a 8 or 9-inch round.  You could also shape it into a rectangular shape. Bake at 400 degress for about 22-25 minutes.  Allow to cool to room temperature.  Slice the dough round into 7 or 8 wedges, depending on the size of scones you desire. At this point you can freeze half of the unglazed scones if desired. When ready to eat, just thaw to room temperature and add some glaze.

To make the vanilla glaze, combine the 1 cup of powdered sugar, vanilla, 1 teaspoon of corn syrup, and 1 teaspoon of the water in a small bowl.  Whisk to combine, until a thick glaze forms, adding more water if necessary.  Use a knife or spatula to spread the vanilla glaze on the top of each scone.

To make the spiced glaze, combine the remaining powdered sugar, spices, corn syrup, and water in a small bowl. Whisk to combine and add more water if necessary to create a thinner glaze. This one will be used to drizzle on top of the vanilla glaze so it should be thinner than the vanilla glaze you just made. Spoon the spiced glaze into a baggie, snip off one corner, and squeeze some glaze onto each scone. Enjoy!

I store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

recipe slightly adapted from annies-eats.com

Thai Chicken & Coconut Soup

Hooray for "soup season!" I love soup... It always makes me feel warm and cozy on a cool day. Several years ago, I forced the whole family to eat only soup for 6 weeks in the spring. Andrew broke his jaw that season at high school football practice and had to have his jaw wired almost completely closed until it healed. He could only open his mouth enough to use a straw or very carefully sip liquids through his teeth. We even pureed his birthday cake that year with some milk and ice cream - it was a yummy birthday cake milkshake. Now, Andrew never eats soup. I guess he had enough in those 6 weeks to last him a lifetime. I still love it. So here's a very flavorful soup to warm you up on a cool fall day.

Thai Chicken & Coconut Soup
1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into thin 1/2 inch strips
3 tablespoons fish sauce (availble in the Asian section of your grocery store)
juice of 2 limes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1 teaspoon crushed dried lemon grass or lemon zest
1 can coconut milk
1 can chicken broth
1 red chile or jalepeno, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
salt & pepper
1/4 pound soba noodles (if you can't find soba, you can use rice noodles or even whole wheat angel hair pasta)

NOTE: This only serves about 2 people. So double or triple the recipe if you want to serve a crowd.

In a small glass bowl, combine the fish sauce and lime juice. Add the chicken pieces and stir to coat. Allow chicken to marinade while you prepare the rest of the soup.

Head the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook until tender and translucent (about 8 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the coriander, ginger, lemon grass and stir, cooking for 30 seconds. Add the coconut milk and chicken broth and bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the soba noodles in boiling water (they cook quickly - about 5 minutes). Rinse with cold water and drain until ready to use.

Add the chicken and marinade to the soup and cook for about 5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through (the chicken is thin and small so it should cook very quickly).

To serve, ladle some of the soup into bowls, add noodles, sprinkle with cilantro and chiles. Enjoy!

adapted from foodandwine.com

Gluten-Free Buttermilk Pie with Browned Butter

I first encountered buttermilk pie in Oklahoma City at a restaurant. I had never even heard of it (I guess because it's a traditional southern recipe and I've never spent any time in the south). Well, I loved it! And tried to make some at home. It was delicious and I posted that buttermilk pie recipe here. This time I wanted to make it gluten-free so that Katie could enjoy it. I searched the web for various recipes and decided to just create my own using those as a guide. I used a gluten-free pie crust and non-wheat flour in the filling. I also decided to brown the butter to give it a deeper, warmer flavor. I like to serve it with fresh whipped cream (used honey whipped cream this time) and raspberries. 

Gluten-Free Buttermilk Pie with Browned Butter
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon oat flour*
1 tablespoon white rice flour*
1 tablespoon tapioca flour*
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum*
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 stick butter, melted & cooked until slightly brown, then cooled
1 teaspoon lemon zest
pinch nutmeg

prepared pie crust (I used a gluten-free pie crust mix that I found at my local market, but you can used your favorite pie crust)

*If you don't want or need to make this pie gluten-free, just eliminate the oat, rice, & tapioca flours and the xanthan gum. Replace them with 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour.

Roll the pie crust between two pieces of platic wrap. Remove the top piece of plastic wrap. Turning the crust over, carefully place in a deep pie dish, remove plastic wrap (that was originally on the bottom before you flipped it over), and crimp the edges. Pierce the crust all over with a fork and line the pie crust with parchment or waxed paper. Fill with pie weights or uncooked rice or beans (this just keeps the crust in place and keeps it shape while it cooks).  Bake the crust in the bottom third of the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and the pie weights and parchment paper from the crust. You can do this step ahead of time if you like.

Whip the egg whites in a medium bowl using an electric mixer until light and fluffy and soft peaks form (but not stiff peaks).

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flours, salt, egg yolks, buttermilk, vanilla, cooled melted butter, lemon zest, and nutmeg. You can mix it by hand or use an electric mixer. Fold in the egg whites until incorporated. Pour the filling into the pre-baked pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Sprinkle with large grain sugar as soon as you remove the pie from the oven.

Allow to cool. Serve with whipped cream and raspberries. Dust with powdered sugar if desired. Enjoy!

Sausage & Peppers with Orzo

Fall arrived in full force in Oklahoma this weekend. It was cold... especially after getting used to temperatures in the 90s and 100s all summer. I'm sad to see summer go, but this weather gave me the opportunity to bring out some of my favorite cold weather recipes. This one is a favorite in our house for a few reasons - first, it's delicious, but it's also easy to put together, can feed a whole family, and reheats quite nicely for leftovers. (I'd have it for lunch the next day. Andrew would have it as a midnight snack.) You could serve this with a simple salad and some fresh bread.

Sausage & Peppers with Orzo
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large green bell pepper, seeded, deribbed, and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded, deribbed, and chopped
1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage (casings removed)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (or 1/2 tablespoon dried parsley)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 large can (49 ounces) chicken broth
1 3/4 cup uncooked orzo pasta
salt & pepper
1/2 cup grated Paremsan cheese (optional)
shredded Parmesan cheese, for serving

In a large stockpot over medium heat, warm the olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pot. Add the onion, garlic, and bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion and peppers are tender and the onion is traslucent, about 10 minutes. Add the sausage and cook, stirring and breaking up any clumps, until lightly browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, parsley, oregano, and broth and bring to a simmer.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the orzo pasta, cover, and continue cooking until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the pasta has a soft and creamy texture, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Ladle the mixture into individual bowls and sprinkle with a little shredded Parmesan.

Enjoy!

recipe slightly adapted from Nordstrom Entertaining at Home Cookbook

Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal

I saw this recipe on one of my favorite food blogs, Annie's Eats, a long time ago. If  you've never seen it, you should check it out. Annie has some wonderful and practical recipes along with nice photos. I've been waiting for fall so I could try this baked pumpkin oatmeal. I love pumpkin and this was a perfect gluten-free breakfast to make for Katie. Knowing she's also an oatmeal fan, I thought it was a good choice for a cloudy Sunday morning. Mark's not a huge fan of oatmeal - he says he had to eat it waaayy too much as a kid, - but even he said this oatmeal was tasty. Try it next time you're looking for a warm fall breakfast. It makes a large amount, but I think it will reheat well.

Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal
1 cup steel-cut oats

4 tablespoons butter

4 cups hot water
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
dash cloves
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla

Put the steel-cut oats in a large bowl with the butter. Pour hot water over the oats and cover. Let them sit for 20 minutes.

Stir in the old-fashioned oats, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Whisk the pumpkin, milk, vanilla, and syrup in a small bowl, then add to the oat mixture. Pour it all into a large greased baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for  35 to 40 minutes.

Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

I served the oatmeal with berries. Annie's recipe calls for caramelized bananas in the oatmeal. Other's have said they tried apples in the oatmeal. I think it's perfect with nothing or with a few berries. Whatever you decide to do... Enjoy!

recipe slightly adapated from Annies Eats

Poached Eggs & Parmesan On Toast

I am a huge fan of eggs benedict. Actually, I'm a huge fan of just about any kind of egg. As a kid, my favorite was sunny side up with toast on the side so I could dip it in that warm, runny egg yolk. Yumm!! I still whip one up now and then, usually for a quick dinner. Eggs benedict became one of my favorites as an adult - no surprise there I suppose. Eggs benedict can be kind of involved to make because of the hollandaise sauce. This recipe is similar, but the ham is replaced with parmesan and the hollandaise is replaced with basil oil. I think it's actually rather luscious.

Poached Eggs & Parmesan on Toast
1/3 cup basil leaves, packed
1/3 cup olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
4 eggs
sliced brioche or challah bread, toasted

parmesan cheese, shaved

1 tablespoon vinegar

First, puree the basil leaves and olive oil in a blender or food processor. I actually used my Magic Bullet (so quick and handy for little sauces like this). Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

Fill a pot or 2-inch deep pan with about 1 1/2 inches of water. Stir in the vinegar. Bring to a boil and set to just simmer.

While you're waiting for the water to simmer, plate the toasts and top with the shaved parmesan so you can be sure to serve the eggs warm as soon as they are cooked.

When the water is simmering, crack an egg into the water. Try to crack the egg and dump it all in at once so that the white holds close to the yolk. Depending on the size of your pan, you may be able to cook more that one at at time. Cook for 3 minutes.  Remove each poached egg from the water using a slotted spoon. Carefully place an egg on top of each prepared toast. Sprinkle with salt & pepper if desired. Drizzle with basil oil. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

recipe slightly adapted from foodandwine.com