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

Lemony Ricotta Crostini with Roasted Butternut Squash & Crispy Sage

Posted on November 27, 2013 by Aprons & Stilettos

Hosting a gathering this holiday season? Whip up this easy-to-make fall appetizer inspired by a recent recipe I stumbled upon from Bon Appétit. I reserved some extra uncooked butternut squash cubes from Tuesday’s Butternut Squash Lasagna blog post in anticipation to today’s recipe. The fluffiness from the ricotta and brightness from the lemon really complement the butternut squash…making this a beautifully balance and easy hors d’oeuvre.

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
Sage leaves
3/4 cup fresh ricotta cheese
Finely grated lemon zest, to taste
Fresh lemon juice
Baguette slices, toasted
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly brush bread slices with olive oil and toast in the oven for about 7 minutes. While crostinis are in the oven, begin to peel, seed and cut butternut squash into 1/2 inch cubes. Coat squash with olive oil and brown sugar. Season with salt and pepper and arrange squash pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet. Remove crostinis and increase oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Roast squash, turning occasionally, until squash is golden brown and tender (about 20 -25 minutes.) Allow to cool.

Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium – high heat. Fry sage leaves for about 30 seconds to 1 minute – until edges begin to curl and leaves begin to turn dark green. Careful not to burn the leaves. Transfer leaves to a paper towel to drain. Begin ricotta mixture by combining cheese, lemon zest, salt and pepper.

Spread ricotta mixture on crostini and top with a few cubes of butternut squash. Drizzle olive oil and lemon juice on bread slice and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with fried sage leaves.

Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving! ~Crystal

Butternut Squash with Pancetta, Pomegranate Seeds, Arugula, Pears and Asiago Cheese

Posted on December 5, 2012 by Aprons & Stilettos

Butternut Squash with Pancetta, Pomegranate Seeds, Arugula, Pears and Asiago Cheese

One of the benefits of where I work is the opportunity to work with some exceptional chefs. The below recipe shared by the Executive Chef at Kenwood Vineyards, Robin Lehnhoff-McCray, has it all. The sweet and nutty flavors from one of my favorite winter squashes married with tart pomegranate seeds (I’m on a pomegranate kick right now), crispy pancetta to add richness and texture, spicy arugula, sweet pears and Asiago cheese for added complexity makes this recipe the perfect winter dish. Serve it as your main entrée or as an accompaniment on the side.

1 large Butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced 1 inch

2 T olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup apple cider vinegar

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 cup pomegranate seeds

8 ozs. pancetta, sliced thinly or cubed and cooked crisp

2 cups fresh baby arugula

2 large Bartlett pears, sliced thin

4-6 ozs Asiago cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, toss the squash, olive oil and salt and pepper to coat. Place this on a sheet pan and cover with foil. Bake until tender, 15 – 30 minutes (mine took about 20 mins). Uncover and continue to bake until the squash starts to turn brown on the edges. Sprinkle with the cider vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Set aside to cool.

In another bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and add in the squash. Gently toss together and serve immediately.

Serves 6-8 as main entrée.

Wine Pairing

A Merlot or Pinot Noir would be a perfect match to the flavor profiles in this dish. Some personal favorites are Creekview Vineyards Santa Clara Valley Merlot, Benovia Winery Pinot Noir or Jack London Vineyards Merlot.