Tag: rosemary
Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto
This was delicious risotto, especially since I served it with my world famous braised short ribs! I would recommend this for the holidays. People will be very impressed with this dish. It is quite easy to make, especially since you can make the puree a day ahead.
Butternut Squash Puree
- 1 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
- Salt
- Pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Add the squash to a lined cookie sheet. Add the oil, honey, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Mix well and roast for 30 to 40 minutes or till the squash is tender to the touch. Process till smooth in a processor. Take out and keep aside.
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 large shallots, minced
- 2 cups Arborio rice
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 cup butternut squash puree
- 4 to 6 cups chicken stock, hot
- ½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Salt
- ½ cup parsley, chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper
Add the oil and butter into a medium saucepan and sauté the shallots until translucent and soft. Add the rice and stir until the rice is coated with oil and butter and gets translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add white wine and stir over medium heat until all liquid is absorbed. Add the butternut squash puree, stir to combine. Add the chicken stock in ½ cup increments. Allow the stock to absorb while stirring. Repeat this process with each addition of stock. Add enough stock so that the rice is cooked al dente and slightly creamy. Stir in the cheese and salt. Mix well and check for seasonings. Serve with braised short ribs or any other protein.
Tuscan Style Cannellini Beans and Tomato Ragu
This ragu is delicious and very easy to make. I decided to make it dried beans and soaked them overnight, but you can definitely make them with the canned variety. The dried beans give the dish a bit more depth of flavor but the canned ones are very comparable.
I started with pancetta, onion, celery, carrots and garlic. I got fresh herbs from my backyard including rosemary, thyme and sage. I always buy San Marzano tomatoes which are special ones grown in Italy and have an amazing flavor. Some white wine and chicken broth later, I had a start to a very delicious stew. I let it cook for a couple of hours. The good thing about this dish is you can make it in advance. In fact it will taste better the next day as all the flavors will have a chance to marry.
Make this ragu with the lamb roast and have a wonderful holiday.
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Roasted Cauliflower with Rosemary
- 1 cauliflower head, cut into florets
Add to a lined cookie sheet.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Marinade
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of half a lemon
Add the garlic, rosemary and salt into a mortar and pestle. Pound and crush the garlic and rosemary. Add the oil and mix well till it becomes a thick mixture. Rub all over the cauliflower and roast in oven for 30 to 40 minutes or till the florets are soft and golden brown. Check for seasonings and add salt if necessary. Serve warm.
Turkey Meat Sauce with Zucchini
I thought I would continue with the meat theme. This one healthy as well- especially because it has grated zucchini. It is great to feed the kids- they won’t know what they are eating. My daughter who if very discerning, was not able to guess it had zucchini.
Next time you want to make healthy spaghetti and meat sauce, try this recipe…
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Roasted Butternut Squash and Sausage with Herbed Polenta
I saw this dish on Rachel Ray’s show. I can’t remember exactly what she did but it definitely inspired this recipe. I love buying the already cut up butternut squash from Trader Joes– I can’t help myself- I just pick it up. The problem is, my daughter is not a big fan- she doesn’t care for the texture. I get it- everyone has something they don’t like.. so I don’t push it.
I love the healthy, orange vegetable. I especially like it with sausage. I roasted the squash and an apple chicken sausage I got from Trader Joes as well. In case you didn’t guess, I am at TJs almost everyday.
I made herbed polenta which is the easiest starch to make. Try this dish- very easy to make…
- 1 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 pound cooked chicken sausages (apple and chardonnay), sliced into 1 inch pieces
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped
- 1 tablespoon sage, chopped
- Salt
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Transfer the squash, sausage, garlic, rosemary, sage, salt and olive oil to a lined cookie sheet. Roast till the squash is tender and sausage is warmed through- about 40 minutes, while tossing one time in between. Drizzle the balsamic glaze, mix well. Keep aside.
Herbed Polenta
- 1 cup fine polenta
- 1½ cups milk
- 1½ cups chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons sage, chopped
- 2 teaspoons rosemary, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- Salt
- ½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Add the milk, broth (you may need to adjust quantity according to your polenta package instructions), sage, rosemary, garlic and salt. Bring to a boil and cook according to instructions. Once the polenta is done, add salt and cheese. Serve with the roasted squash and sausage.
Roast Lamb with Potatoes
Cool weather makes me want to eat stews, roasts and meatballs. I also feel like drinking some delicious red wine. It is my favorite time of year. There is still a lot of fresh produce available at the farmer’s market so the possibilities are endless.
I bought a lovely leg of lamb from Whole Foods and decided to roast it with lots of herbs, garlic and pancetta. I made a lovely paste with all the aromatics- most of them from my backyard. I slathered the paste all over the lamb as well as the potatoes.
Last year in Spello, Italy- Paola made a fabulous lamb dinner for us. She used similar ingredients to roast the meat and the potatoes. I tried to replicate the flavors and was quite successful. The lamb was super aromatic cooked with the delicious paste. It was cooked just right with a delicious crust.
The potatoes were yummy as well- I added the paste and a bit more salt. Since the paste had pancetta and olive oil, I didn’t need an extra fat for the vegetables. They roasted to perfection with tons of flavor.
Now for something green- I made creamed spinach. The dinner was delicious. We drank a delicious bottle of red and enjoyed the evening.
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Tuscan Shrimp and Cannellini Beans
I made this dish after eating at an Italian restaurant in Chatham- D’Oro. I reviewed it for the Patch. I liked the place and we ordered a shrimp and bean dish for an appetizer. It was good but not great and so I decided to replicate and improve it a bit- to my taste.
The white beans in the original dish were tender but without a lot of flavor. I cooked the beans with a bit of pancetta and garlic to give it a lot of flavor. I also added some shallots and rosemary as well. I finished the dish off with my home grown cherry tomatoes and white wine. All the aromatics and wine made a huge difference and added a lot of flavor to the dish.
I marinated the shrimp in lemon juice, olive oil and salt. I quickly grilled it outside and served it with the yummy beans. I served the dish with some yummy bread and red wine.
My daughter ate it with some reservation but enjoyed it once she got over eating something new.
Serve this dish for an appetizer or a meal with a salad. Either way it is delicious.
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