Roasted Butternut Squash & Apple-Ginger Soup

Posted on February 24, 2014 by Aprons & Stilettos

We finally received some much needed rain here in Northern California a few weeks back. For a minute there, I forgot it was winter with all of the beautiful, warm days we’ve experienced in December and January.

It was a Friday night and I had planned for my dear friend Morgan to come over and make dinner together. That morning over text we both had same idea for dinner: SOUP! What a perfect choice to pair with this rainy evening. She had a few ideas that we kicked around and then we both settled on making a comforting squash soup with granny smith apples paired with a pear & pomegranate salad.

1 large butternut squash
1 yellow onion, quartered
2 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
3 granny smith apples, peeled & cored
3 garlic cloves, grated
1/2 cup half & half
1 tablespoon fresh Thyme
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Olive oil
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 granny smith apple, for garnish

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Quarter the butternut squash, coat with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 45 minutes – 1 hour. Remove the skin and let cool. (If your local store doesn’t have whole butternut squash available, check to see if they have cubed butternut squash.)

Add the apples and 2 cups of broth into a blender or food processor (I used my Ninja and it worked great!) Puree until smooth and transfer it to a bowl. Set aside. In a heavy stockpot, add olive oil, onions and garlic and saute over medium heat until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the onions from pot and place in a bowl. Transfer the apple / broth mixture to the stock pot and simmer. Add the cooled squash to the blender along with 1/2 cup of broth and puree until smooth. Add the squash puree to the apple / broth mixture. Add the half & half and stir continuously until completely mixed together. Add the fresh thyme and ginger. Season with salt & pepper, to taste.

Garnish soup with thin slices of apples & fresh thyme sprig. Enjoy with your favorite salad or crusty bread.

Serves 4 -6

Pear, Pomegranate & Gorgonzola Salad

Arugula salad
1 – 2 ripe pears, sliced
Gorgonzola, crumbled
Pomegranate seeds (click here to learn an easy way to deseed a pomegranate)
Walnuts, toasted
Citrus vinaigrette (recipe below)

Combine pears, cheese, pomegranates and toasted walnuts over a bed of arugula salad. To make this simple vinaigrette, combine juice from 1 orange, 1/2 tablespoon white wine vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil (slowly added), salt & pepper.

Enjoy! ~Crystal

Safari Themed Baby Shower

Posted on February 4, 2014 by Aprons & Stilettos

In the beginning of December my sister’s best friend, Christina, and I threw a baby shower for my sister Sarah. Several years ago my sister, grandmother and I departed on an adventure throughout East Africa so right away we knew what the theme should be! Not to mention my sister’s affinity for giraffes. So it was set – now let the planning begin!

TABLE SETTING

The color palette we chose for the majority of our decorations were browns, greens, yellows, and blues. So let’s start at the table.

The table runners were made by my friend & co-worker Kim who purchased the fabric from a local fabric shop. For the center pieces, I purchased several large and small mason jars, wrapped them in burlap and finished it with a twine bow. The flowers were a combinations of green Poms, Hydrangeas, Birds of Paradise and Eucalyptus from our backyard. The plates, napkins, cutlery, table cloths and premium stemware were purchased online from PartyCity.com.

FAVORS

As a takeaway for our guests, we had a 187ml bottle of Kenwood Vineyards Yulupa Sparkling wine wrapped in a burlap bag with a tag that read:

Additionally, we had these adorable (and delicious!) giraffe cookies made by Trisha Thomas who owns Dessert Divas in Sacramento.

Parmesan & Cranberry Salad with Peach Vinaigrette

8 cups mixed greens
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
Toasted walnuts

2/3 cup peach nectar
2 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon canola oil
pinch of salt

This recipe yields 6 – 8 servings so I tripled it for the shower. To make the vinaigrette, mix together the peach nectar, vinegar, mustard, and salt in a large bowl. Slowly add in the oil whisking constantly. Add the cranberries and toasted walnuts to the mixed greens and toss well with vinaigrette. Garnish with the Parmesan cheese. The original recipe, adapted from Sandra Lee, calls for Pear Nectar but I swapped it our for peach and I also added in the walnuts to give it some crunch!

Jungle Juice Punch (Cranberry, Pomegranate & Tangerine)

5 cups cranberry juice
3 cups tangerine juice
2 cups pomegranate juice
1 liter soda water
Fresh cranberries, for garnish

This was a huge hit at the party and it was so easy to make. In a large punch bowl combine the cranberry, tangerine and pomegranate juice. Top with soda water and garnish with fresh cranberries. (Variation: swap out the soda water for sparkling wine to give it an adult kick!)

For dessert we had these adorable safari cake pops, made by our dear friend Lisa and this amazing raspberry marble (chocolate marble cake layered with chocolate ganache, vanilla buttercream, and fresh raspberries) giraffe cake made by Diana Katra, Cake Whimsy in Campbell.

While my sister was opening presents, we played baby bingo! These cards were so easy to make in Photoshop (or InDesign). If you don’t have the time to design your own baby bingo cards, you can find an array of adorable cards for purchase on Etsy.

My sister is due any day now so we’re just waiting around for the call! This will be her first, my parents first grandchild and my first time being an Auntie! I can’t wait! Cheers! ~Crystal

Creekview Cabernet Braised Short Ribs

Posted on January 24, 2014 by Aprons & Stilettos

Cabernet Short Ribs

Whew! Looks like some time has passed since our last blog post! What can I say… December was a busy month with the holidays and all, not to mention the planning of my sister’s baby shower (pictures will be up soon!) So thanks for sticking around… 2014 has kicked off to be a fabulous year so far and we can’t wait to share our latest posts with you. First of which is this AMAZING Cabernet Braised Short Ribs over crispy polenta.

8 beef chuck short ribs
1/2 cup minced onions
1 cup beef broth
2 1/2 cups Creekview Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil
Salt & pepper
Slow cooker for braising

Heat oil in a heavy skillet over high heat. Add the short ribs, season with salt and pepper and brown on all sides, about 3 minutes each side. Carefully place the caramelized short ribs in your slow cooker.

Add the minced onions to the skillet and cook on medium heat until they are soft and translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the tomato paste and mash the paste into the onions and continue cooking for about 3-4 minutes. Add the Cabernet, beef broth, brown sugar, salt, pepper and flour. Stir well. Bring the sauce to a boil and then simmer. Pour the sauce over the ribs in the slow cooker and cook for 5 1/2 – 6 hours on high. The meat should be falling off the bones!

Serve over creamy polenta or crispy polenta cakes and enjoy with a glass of Creekview Cabernet Sauvignon.

Cheers ~ Crystal

Wine Pairing

Creekview Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

I decided to open up a beautiful 2006 Creekview Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon from the Santa Clara Valley. I’ve had this bottle for a few years now and thought tonight was the perfect time to crack it open, incorporate it in this dish and enjoy a glass. Aromas of dark cherry and plum with a hit of vanilla. Full bodied with flavors of licorice, cherry and cocoa and a smooth, soft finish. While there isn’t any 2006 left to get your hands on, the 2010 vintage is tasting amazing and available online or at the winery.

Aprons & Stilettos

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