Shaved Butternut Salad

SHAVED BUTTERNUT SALAD By: Christopher St. Onge

This one is for the social media foodie—it’s unusual enough that it’ll get your dining companions talking, and it’s fetching enough to inspire them to take a pic. There’s little need to think ahead—it all comes together in under 10 minutes. If prepping at home, rub your bowl with garlic and assemble everything in it up to a day ahead, but dress and season only when you’re close to eating. Toast your almonds dark for this—a little bitterness is welcome here. Ingredients: DRESSING ⅓ cup olive oil 2 tbsp sherry or red wine vinegar 1 tbsp lemon juice Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 large clove garlic, peeled 2 lbs butternut squash Pinch chili flakes ¼ cup finely chopped mint 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley ⅓ cup chopped toasted almonds ½ cup loosely packed shaved or coarsely grated Parmesan Dressing, whisk together oil, vinegar and lemon juice; season to taste with salt and pepper. Cut garlic in half and rub insides of serving bowl with exposed surfaces; discard garlic. Salad: Peel squash. Using a peeler (a y-peeler is ideal for this), create long thin strips of squash. Add to prepped bowl. Continue until the neck of the squash becomes so thin this becomes impractical; keep remaining squash for soup, or discard. Sprinkle squash with chili flakes, mint and parsley, then with almonds and cheese. When ready to eat, pour dressing over and toss to combine. Check seasoning; adjust if necessary. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serves 8 to 10

Passion Fruit Vinaigrette

Passion Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
1⁄2cup passion fruit juice
1⁄8cup oil (try flavored oils too if you like)
1⁄8cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
salt & pepper

Directions:

Place ingredients in cruet and mix well.

Sourdough, Bacon, And Leek Dressing

SOURDOUGH BACON AND LEEK DRESSING

Ingredients:
10 cups sourdough bread cubes (about l lb. loaf) 8 thick bacon slices, diced
2 T. unsalted butter
2 leeks, white and light green parts
only, halved lengthwise and sliced
across into 1/4 inch thick slices, well rinsed
1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup)
3 ribs celery, cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T. chopped fresh sage leaves
1 T. chopped fresh thyme leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups turkey or chicken broth plus more as needed 1 cup whole milk or more broth
3 T. chopped Italian parsley leaves

Serves 8 to 10.

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Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread bread out on a baking sheet and toast n oven until lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool.

2. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet until crispy and golden. Remove to paper towels to drain. Drain off all but 2 T. bacon fat and add butter to skillet. Cook the leeks, onions, celery and garlic in the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the sage and thyme and season with salt and pepper.

3. In a large bowl, combine the toasted bread cubes, bacon, leek mixture and 1 1/2 cups stock, milk or more stock and parsley. If too dry add more stock to make a fairly moist mixture. Season again to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, cover and bake until heated through, about 40 minutes. Dressing may be uncovered for the last 10 minutes to crisp up the top, if desired. 

Sausage, Apple And Dried Cranberry Stuffing

Sausage, Apple And Dried Cranberry Stuffing Serves 10 to 12.
1 lb. firm white bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 12 cups)
1 lb. sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
1/4 cup unsalted butter
6 cups sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only; about 3 large leeks) 
1 lb. tart green apples, peeled and chopped
2 cups chopped celery with leaves 4 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 cup dried cranberries
4 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
2/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 eggs, beaten to blend
1 1/2 to 2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth

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Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Divide bread cubes between 2 large baking sheets. Bake until slightly dry, about 15 minutes. Cool completely.

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2. Sauté sausages in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, crumbling coarsely with back of spoon, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to large bowl. Pour off any drippings from skillet. Melt butter in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add leeks, apples, celery and poultry seasoning to skillet; sauté until leeks soften, about 8 minutes. Mix in dried cranberries and rosemary. Add mixture to sausage, then mix in bread and parsley. Season stuffing to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Mix eggs into stuffing. 

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3. To bake, preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 15x10x2-inch baking dish or 2 smaller casseroles. Mix 1 1/3 cups broth into stuffing. Transfer to prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil and bake until heated through, about 45 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is golden brown if desired, about 15 minutes.

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Blue Cheese Cole Slaw

BLUE CHEESE COLE SLAW

Summertime and salads are synonymous.  One can never have enough inspiration. 
Ingredients:
Dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise 
1/2 cup sour cream 
3 T. white wine
3 T. sugar
1/2 tsp. celery seed 
1 tsp. salt

Serves 6 to 8.
Salad:
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper 
1 medium head green cabbage,finely shredded
1 large carrot, julienned
1 red bell pepper, julienned
3/4 cup crumbled Danish blue cheese

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Directions:

Stir mayonnaise and sour cream together in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the vinegar, sugar, celery seed, salt and pepper. Toss with cabbage, carrot, bell pepper and blue cheese. Chill until ready to serve but no longer than 8 hours. 

Meyer Lemon Dressing ~ Big Sur Bakery

Meyer Lemon Dressing  ~  Big Sur Bakery  5*****

This is a very universal dressing.  It can be used on shell fish, grilled fish, roasted or grilled veggies, like asparagus and beets.  The reduction of the orange juice gives it the viscosity.  It will keep several days in the refrigerator.  Makes 1 cup.

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Meyer Lemon Dressing

Ingredients:

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

2 tablespoons golden or white balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice

Grated zest of one Meyer lemon

3/4 cup canola oil or rice bran oil

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Directions:
Pour the orange juice in a small pan and reduce it over medium-high heat until syrupy, about 5 to 7 minutes.  You should be left with about 1 tablespoon.  Put the orange syrup, vinegar, mustard, salt, lemon zest,

and juice in a blender.  With the blender running slowly add the oil in a slow and steady stream until the dressing is thick and emulsified.  Transfer the dressing to a plastic container or glass jar and refrigerate until ready to use.  

Recipe from The Big Sur Bakery. 

Oriental Salad .... This salad is a great crowd pleaser.

If you have invited company for lunch or are going on a picnic, take along this salad, a nice crusty baguette, and a bottle of chilled Chardonnay wine.

Oriental Salad

Dressing:

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons sugar

3 Tablespoons rice vinegar

1/2 cup salad oil

seasoning packet from chicken or pork ramen noodles

1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sesame oil

Directions:

Place ingredients in jar and shake well then refrigerate. Do not substitute the sesame oil.

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Salad

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, cooked and sliced

4 green onions sliced

2 Tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

1 package ramen noodles, crushed

Salad greens of choice

fresh pea pods, trimmed

1 can water chestnuts, sliced

fresh parsley or cilantro

1/2 cup peanuts

1 red pepper, cut in strips

1 yellow pepper, cut in strips

Directions:

Place ramen noodles in skillet with just enough butter to toast. Stir often. Set aside to cool.

Assemble the salad ingredients and toss with dressing.

This is a complete meal and so refreshing.