TasteFood

Cider-Braised Pork Shoulder with Caramelized Onion and Apple Confit

One of the best things about the colder weather is cooking and eating comfort food.  Comfort food warms us, feeding our soul and palate.  It's rich, rustic and innately appealing, reminding us of home, lit fires, baking bread and beloved recipes we grew up eating.  It also reflects the season, taking fresh, economical ingredients and slow-cooking them with rich satisfying results.  

Cider-Braised Pork Shoulder with Caramelized Onion and Apple Confit is a perfect fall season dish that lands squarely in the comfort food category in my book.  Pork shoulder slowly braises in apple cider and a confit of onions and apples until it is falling-apart tender.  The cider and natural juices from the meat create a sweet and savory sauce which is fortified with Calvados brandy and finished with Dijon mustard, adding depth and sharpness to this hearty dish. As with most one-pot meals, it's meant to be eaten family-style and is easily doubled to feed a crowd.  Prepare yourself: the pork will cook in the oven for several hours and fill your home with its delicious aroma.  In the meantime, you can light a fire in the fireplace, grab that book you've been meaning to read and curl up on the sofa with a cup of tea. Enjoy the moment - this is what comfort food is all about.

Cider-Braised Pork Shoulder with Caramelized Onion and Apple Confit

Serves 4

2 1/2 lb. (1.25 kg.) tied pork shoulder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 large yellow onions, halved, thinly sliced
1/4 cup (60 ml.) Calvados brandy
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, cut in 1/2" cubes
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 cup (240 ml.) apple cider
1 cup (240 ml.) chicken stock
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 400 F. (200 C.)

Pat the pork dry and season with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in a large ovenproof pot or Dutch oven with a lid.  Brown pork on all sides, turning with tongs, 6-8 minutes per side.  Transfer pork to plate.
Pour off excess fat from pot.  Add onion and 1 teaspoon salt.  Sauté over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are very soft and deep golden brown, 18-20 minutes.  Add Calvados and stir to deglaze pan.  Add apple, garlic and thyme, and cook, stirring, 30 seconds.  Return pork to pot, nestling it down in the onions.  Add cider and chicken stock.  Cover pot and place in oven. Reduce heat to 325 F. Braise until meat is very tender, 2 1/2 - 3 hours. Transfer pork to a serving dish and remove kitchen strings.  Boil onion and apples until thickened and liquid slightly reduced, about 2 minutes.  Stir in mustard.  Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Cut pork in serving pieces and spoon onion and apple confit over and around the meat.  

Serve with Garlicky Mashed Potatoes.
 

You might enjoy these other one-pot dishes from TasteFood:

Beef Bourguignon







Chicken, Leek and Mushroom Fricassée

Braised Chicken with Porcini Mushrooms












Or try these delicious pork recipes from the Foodblogs:
Cranberry Apple Stuffed Pork Loin from Simply Recipes
Japanese Braised Pork Belly from Just Hungry
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Chipotle BBQ Sauce from Andrea's Recipes
Pork Roast with Mushrooms and Apricot Sauce from Karina's Kitchen

Holiday Timeout: Turkey Vegetable Soup with Swiss Chard

I posted this recipe last year between Christmas and New Year when I suffered a food hangover and needed a gastronomic time-out.  This soup was the perfect antidote:  simple, healthy and fortifying.  It handily uses the leftovers from a holiday turkey dinner, adding a satisfying economy to the pleasure of this meal. The broth is clean and light and packed with chunky vegetables.  Swiss chard is added at the end for extra depth.  During the ever-so-festive excesses of the holiday season, we all need a comforting and restorative dish like this in our repertoire.  Consider this recipe an early holiday gift from me to you. Happy Thanksgiving!

Turkey Vegetable Soup with Swiss Chard
Serves 4-6

Try using red Swiss chard - it adds a lovely red hue to the stock as it cooks.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, halved lengthwise, cut in thick slices
3 large carrots, sliced 1/2" thick
4 celery stalks, sliced 1/2" thick on the diagonal
8 cups turkey stock (see below)
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cups thickly shredded Swiss chard leaves
2 cups cooked turkey meat, in large chunks

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large pot.  Add onion, carrots and celery. Sauté over medium heat until the vegetables brighten and begin to soften, about 3 minutes.  Add turkey stock, bay leaf and thyme.  Bring to a boil and simmer, partially covered, until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in Swiss chard and turkey meat.  Simmer until chard is wilted.  Discard bay leaf.  Serve immediately.  

Easy turkey stock:

Bones from turkey carcass
1 large yellow onion, quartered
3 garlic cloves, smashed
3 celery stalks, cut in 1" pieces
2 large carrots, cut in 1" pieces
2 bay leaves
2-3 thyme sprigs
1 small handful parsley sprigs
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

Place all of the ingredients in a large stockpot.  Cover with water.  Bring to a boil, and simmer, partially covered, 2-3 hours, occasionally skimming any fat. Remove from heat.  Carefully drain in a colander placed over a large bowl or saucepan.  Strain again through a fine meshed sieve.  Cool.  Stock can be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 6 months.

 

Kitchen Magic: Cream of Parsnip Soup

There were four lonely parsnips in my refrigerator yesterday.  Somehow, they missed the chicken dinner I made earlier in the week, when I scattered onions, rutabagas, and potatoes around the chicken while it roasted.  The parsnips were meant to be included, but were inadvertently left behind in the vegetable crisper, minding their own business nestled between the gypsy peppers and fennel.  It was all for the best. 

Yesterday was an indisputable soup day: cold, blustery and rainy.  As I surveyed my refrigerator for inspiration, I eyed the forgotten parsnips and instantly knew what I would make - Cream of Parsnip Soup.  I found some celery hiding behind the fennel in the crisper, and reached for an onion in my onion basket. And, of course, I had a quart of chicken stock that I made from the aforementioned roasted chicken.  With a little cooking and blending, these solitary ingredients transformed themselves into a silky rich Cream of Parsnip Soup.  Kitchen magic at its best.
 

Cream of Parsnip Soup
Serves 4-6

The sweet and nutty flavor of parsnip is evened out by the celery and and chicken stock.  You can substitute 2 cups chopped celery root for the celery stalks for a softer flavor.  

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 celery stalks, diced
3 large parsnips, peeled and diced (about 3 cups)
4 cups (1 liter) chicken stock
4 sage leaves
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup (125 ml.) heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.  Add onion and sauté until they begin to sweat.  Add celery. parsnips and garlic and sauté one minute.  Add 3 cups chicken stock, sage and bay leaf.  Simmer, covered, until vegetables are very soft, about 25 minutes.  Remove and discard bay leaf and sage leaves. Purée soup until smooth in a food processor or with an immersion blender. Return soup to pot and stir in cream. Thin soup to desired consistency with additional chicken stock. Heat gently over medium heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.  
 

You might like these other soul-satisying soups from TasteFood:

French Onion Soup au Gratin




  

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

      


Salmon and Cauliflower Chowder

 

And more delicious and hearty soups from the Foodblogs:

Potato Leek Soup from Simply Recipes
Chickpea Soup with Garlic, Sumac and Lemon from Kalyn's Kitchen
Hearty Lentil Soup with Sausage from Farmgirl Fare
Pumpkin Tortilla Soup from Apartment Therapy

 

     

 

Southwestern Spiced Sweet Potato Fries with Chili-Cilantro Sour Cream

Here is the good news:  Sweet Potatoes are one of the most nutritious vegetables you can eat.  They are packed with dietary fiber, Vitamins A and C, iron, calcium, protein and complex carbohydrates. Not only that, they are low in calories and taste great.  There are many ways to eat a sweet potato. They can be mashed, baked, puréed and roasted.  They are delicious in soups and stews, curries and ragouts.  And, of course, their natural sweetness makes them a perfect addition to desserts - puréed in pie fillings and baked in breads and cakes.  

Southwestern Spiced Sweet Potato Fries is one of my favorite preparations. The fries are sweet and salty with a fiery kick from the added spices and served with a cooling chili-cilantro sour cream dipping sauce.   They are quick to prepare and healthy to eat, since they are not deep-fried, but roasted in a hot oven.  I'm not sure if they should be called a side dish, snack or meal, but they are guaranteed to be gobbled up faster than you can say "Sweet Potato Fries."
 

Southwestern Spiced Sweet Potato Fries

I like to keep the skin on my sweet potatoes adding texture and extra nutrients to this healthy side dish. 
Serves 4 -6 as a side dish or snack

2 large sweet potatoes, cut in large matchsticks/batons approx. 1/4" x 2"
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chile powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste

Chili-Cilantro Sour Cream (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 425 F. (220 C.)  
Toss sweet potatoes and olive oil in a large bowl.  Combine salt, cumin, chile powder, paprika, pepper and cayenne in a small bowl.  Add spices to potatoes and toss to coat.  Arrange potatoes in one layer on baking sheet.  Bake in oven on lowest rack 10 minutes. Turn potatoes with a spatula and bake 10 more minutes.  Remove from oven and serve with Chili-Cilantro Sour Cream.

Chili-Cilantro Sour Cream:

1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons sweet chili sauce
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 heaping tablespoon chopped cilantro

Combine all the ingredients except the cilantro in a medium bowl and whisk together. Stir in cilantro.

Here are some other delicious recipes using sweet potatoes from the Foodblogs:
Sweet Potato Gnocchi from Sassy Radish
Sweet Potato Pecan Pie from Closet Cooking
Baked Sweet Potato Falafel from 101 Cookbooks 
Warm Sweet Potato Salad from A Veggie Venture
Sweet Potato, Okra, Chick Pea Gumbo from FatFree Vegan Kitchen

 

Winter Green Salad with Pomegranate, Prosciutto and Warm Balsamic Vinaigrette

Winter is just around the corner, and it's more important than ever that we get our daily dose of vitamins and nutrients from fresh greens and vegetables.  The cooler climate lends well to cooked veggies incorporated into soups and stews, puréed with butter and cream, or roasted and baked until crispy.  But don't forget a salad at this time of year.  A seasonal winter salad is not only fresh and palate cleansing, it can be an elegant accompaniment to a meal, or, when served with cheese and salumi, an easy rustic dinner.  

Winter Green Salad with Pomegranate and Prosciutto is pretty and hefty; it can easily play a decorative role on a holdiay dinner table or star in a light weeknight dinner.  It's loaded with favorite seasonal greens: ruby white-streaked radicchio, curly spiky frisée, and cool upright endives.  Each of these hardy greens are bitter and assertive, so mix them with nutty spinach and peppery arugula leaves to balance the flavors and texture.  Crunchy sweet pomegranate seeds add a jeweled touch and complement salty crisped prosciutto chards, while a warm, syrupy balsamic vinaigrette sweetly binds the salad's robust flavors.  Rich, festive and satisfying - with this salad there is no excuse for not eating your vegetables!

Winter Green Salad with Pomegranate, Prosciutto and Warm Balsamic Vinaigrette
Serves 4-6

6 slices prosciutto

2 garlic cloves, smashed 
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 small head radicchio
1 Belgian endive
1 small head frisée
2-3 cups arugula
2-3 cups spinach
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds

Bake prosciutto:
Arrange prosciutto slices in one layer on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake in preheated 300 F. (150 C.) oven 15 minutes.  Turn off oven without removing prosciutto for another 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool.  Break prosciutto into 3/4" pieces.   (Can be prepared 4 hours in advance. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.)

Prepare dressing:
Heat oil and garlic in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat until garlic is soft and just beginning to color.  (Do not let it darken, or it will become bitter.)  Remove and discard garlic.  Carefully add balsamic vinegar and sugar, whisking to combine well.  Simmer until dressing has a syrupy consistency, 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat.  Whisk in salt and freshly ground black pepper. 

Arrange salad:
Combine mixed greens in a large bowl.  Pour dressing over and toss to combine.  Arrange on salad plates.  Scatter pomegranate seeds and prosciutto over salad. 

You might also like these salads from TasteFood:
 
Bacon, Avocado, Tomato Salad with Mustard VInaigrette

Figs and Greens with Blue Cheese, Walnuts and Honey 

 

Salad of Heirloom Tomatoes, Chard and Basil

 

 

The BloggerAid Cook Book

Last April I posted a Mystery Recipe that was created for The BloggerAid Cook Book.  This cookbook is a collection of recipes by food bloggers from around the world.  They are united by their commitment to making a difference by raising funds for the United Nation's World Food Programme and their passion for "all things foodie."   This is BloggerAid's biggest fundraiser to date and 100% of the proceeds from the cookbook will benefit the WFP's School Meals Programme, which benefits an average of 22 million hungry children each year. 

After months of work and effort, BoggerAid is happy to announce the publication of The BloggerAid Cook Book, which can be purchased here from Create Space.  I am grateful to have been a small part of this inspiring and collective result with my recipe for Asparagus and Leek Frittata, and cannot think of a better gift to give in this holiday season.  

 

Asparagus and Leek Frittata - TasteFood
from The BloggerAid Cook Book 

This recipe is simple to prepare, economical in ingredients and fresh with seasonal produce.  It can be prepared for lunch or an easy dinner.  Accompany with a Green Salad and Roasted Potatoes.

Serves 4

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 leek (white and green part only), halved lengthwise and sliced thinly - about one cup
1 lb./500 g. asparagus, ends trimmed, cut on diagonal in 1" pieces
6 large eggs
6 oz. (175 g.) Gruyère cheese, grated
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preheat oven broiler.
Heat oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium heat.  Add leek and sauté until soft but not turning brown, about 3 minutes.  Add asparagus, sprinkle lightly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and sauté until bright green and crisp tender, about 5 minutes.
Lightly beat eggs in a medium bowl.  Add 3/4 of the Gruyère cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Pour eggs over asparagus, gently stirring to distribute evenly.  Cook over medium heat until bottom is set and top is still runny.  Sprinkle remaining Gruyère cheese and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese over top.  Place skillet in oven under grill.  Broil until frittata is puffed and golden brown, 2-3 minutes.  Remove and serve immediately or at room temperature.

 

Tequila-Spiked Cranberrry, Apple and Jalapeño Relish

 

At about this time last year, I was trying to make a perfect fall drink for a football party.  The result was a warm concoction of apple cider, cranberry juice, tequila and lime which (needless to say) was very popular.  This year I was searching for variations on the traditional cranberry sauce and remembered this combination.  I added jalapeño to the ingredients for a bit of kick, and otherwise reinvented this drink in a relish form.  While it's very appropriate for the Thanksgiving table, Tequila-Spiked Cranberry, Apple and Jalapeño Relish would also make a fresh and zesty accompaniment to roasted pork, chicken or steak.

Tequila-Spiked Cranberry, Apple and Jalapeño Relish
Makes 2 cups

1 12 oz. package cranberries, washed and picked over
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 Granny Smith apple, cored, peeled, cut in 1/4" dice
2 tablespoons tequila
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded, finely diced
1 teaspoon lime zest, from an untreated lime
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt, to taste

Combine cranberries, sugar, orange and lime juice in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, until cranberries begin to pop.  Stir in apple, tequila and cinnamon and continue to cook, one minute.  Remove from heat.  Stir in jalapeño, lime zest, black pepper and salt.  Allow to cool.  Refrigerate, covered,  at least 2 hours or overnight to let flavors develop.
 

Try serving Tequila-Spiked Cranberry, Apple and Jalapeño Relish with these dishes:
Spiced Chicken under a Brick
Ginger-Soy Marinated Pork Tenderloin
Seven Hour Lamb - Gigot de Sept Heures

More Cranberry Sauce variations from the Foodblogs:
Blackberry Cranberry Sauce from Baking Bites
Cranberry Orange Sauce from Wednesday Chef
Crockpot Cranberry Sauce from A Year of Slow Cooking
Cranberry Sauce with Rosemary and Persimmon from What We're Eating

  

Prosciutto, Fig, Arugula and Goat Cheese Roll-ups with Honey

 

It's November and there are baskets of figs for sale in our market.  As a transplant from northern Europe, this is positively decadent.  I was shopping yesterday for an autumn dinner, thinking of apples, braising meat, a turnip or two. I rounded the corner in the produce department, and there they were:  baskets and baskets of plump purpley-green tinged figs  And they didn't even look sad or weary from lengthy storage or intercontinental jet travel.  These were the real ripe deal - all perky, fresh and plump.  So, of course, I had to have them. 

 
And this is what I made with what I had at home in my refrigerator:

Prosciutto, Fig, Arugula and Goat Cheese Roll-ups with Honey
Makes 16

8 slices prosciutto, cut in half horizontally
8 small figs, halved or 4 large figs, quartered
2 cups arugula leaves, washed and dried
1/3 cup soft mild goat cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
Runny honey

Lay prosciutto slice on work surface.  Arrange 1-2 fresh arugula leaves at one end.  Place fig on top of arugula.  Spoon one teaspoon goat cheese over fig and arugula.  Sprinkle with a pinch of pepper.  Roll up prosciutto from end with fig.  Arrange on serving plate.  Repeat with remaining ingredients. (Roll-ups can be prepared 3 hours ahead of serving.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  Allow to come to room temperature before serving.)  Lightly drizzle honey over roll-ups before serving.

You might also like these other fresh recipes with figs from TasteFood:

Crostini with Honey Roasted Figs, Mozzarella and Prosciutto Crisps

Figs and Greens with Blue Cheese, Walnuts and Honey Vinaigrette





 

Stuffed Figs with Goat Cheese and Prosciutto 

Rich Chocolate Brownies

Chocolate: a Swiss Remedy  (updated from the TasteFood archives)

Living in Switzerland for 10 years gave me a certain perspective on chocolate as sustenance.  In this special country, chocolate is considered a staple and a panacea for all that is fraught in the world.  It's found in every lunch box, ski-pack and pantry.  It's not considered a dessert, but really it's own food group that transcends all nutritional categories and is arguably a national symbol, right up there with banks, cows and the Matterhorn.  In a manner of efficiency, as only the Swiss can do, chocolate is the the multi-tasking equivalent of a power bar, a balanced diet, a healthy psyche and an aspirin.  How can you not love a country for this?

When I lived in Crassier, near the French border about 15 miles outside of Geneva, I would cross the border regularly to shop in the French supermarkets.  When I would return to Switzerland, the Swiss border guards would often stop me and question my purchases.  (There were strict restrictions on quantities of wine, cheese, and meat that could be purchased abroad.)  One day when I was still new to the country, I returned with some French chocolate.  When I informed the Swiss guards that I had chocolate in my shopping bags they gaped at me in disbelief.  Forget the case of Burgundy wine, the kilos of runny French cheese, or the side of beef in my backseat - zut alors! - they were aghast and appalled that I would have the gall and obvious lack of taste to purchase French chocolate instead of Swiss.  I had committed an act of treachery in their minds, and diminished my already lowly foreign status.  The next time I crossed the border, I would have to wear a paper bag over my head.

I learned my lesson.  Clearly, integrating meant more than learning the local language and paying taxes.  It also meant buying Swiss chocolate.  (Like I said, how can you not love a country for this?)  Now, many years and several countries later, I continue to buy Swiss chocolate - a.k.a. the Swiss remedy for everything.  And these days when life is throwing lots of curve-balls our way, a little chocolate medicine is a comforting and restaurative pleasure.  Straight-up and dark is my preferred manner of consumption, but when a little extra TLC is needed, there is nothing like a gooey, decadent, home-baked brownie. 

Chocolate Brownies
This brownie recipe is one of those no-fail, crowd-pleasing brownies.  It's dense and fudgey, chocolate-y enough to please the adults and sweet enough to appeal to kids.  I use Lindt 70% dark chocolate, bien sûr. 

Makes 32 small squares

1 cup (225 g.)  unsalted butter
12 oz. (350 grams) good quality dark chocolate (70%), coarsely chopped
3/4 cup (85 g.) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups (340 g.) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Butter a 9-inch square baking pan.  Line bottom and sides with parchment paper.  Butter paper. 
Melt butter and chocolate in a double boiler or heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth.  Remove from heat.  Mix flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.  Whisk eggs, sugar and vanilla together in a large bowl until the mixture lightens in color.  Add chocolate to the eggs and stir to combine well.   Add flour to the chocolate batter, stirring with a wooden spoon, until combined. 
Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake 30 minutes, or until top is set and sides begin to pull away from pan.  Brownies will be fudgey and a wooden pick will not come out clean.  Cool completely on rack.  For best results, refrigerate brownies covered overnight in pan. To cut, remove brownies from pan by lifting paper at sides.  Cut in small squares.

Tip:  These brownies are very rich and soft.  Keep them stored in the refrigerator, and they will last for up to one week. 

Need more chocolate medicine?  Try these recipes from TasteFood:

Chocolate Oblivion Cookies

 

 

 

Chocolate Terrine with Orange Crème Anglaise and Gran Marnier Oranges

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Coulis

 

Spice-Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

 

Looking for a healthy diversion from all of the Halloween candy in your house? Pumpkins are not just good for decoration and their sweet nutrient-rich flesh. Their seeds are high in iron, fiber and protein, rich in amino acids and zinc.  So when you are carving up pumpkins or squash for decoration or baking, be sure to save  your seeds.  Clean and dry them before roasting for best results.  Then, when you find yourself peeking at your kids' Halloween stash, reach instead for Spice-Roasted Pumpkins Seeds for a healthy, savory snack.

Spice-Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

2 cups pumpkin seeds
2 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or more to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil

Clean and dry seeds: 
Remove most of the pulp from the seeds without washing them.  Arrange seeds in one layer on a baking tray and leave them out to dry at least 3-4 hours or overnight.

Roast the seeds:
Preheat oven to 375 F. (190 C.) Toast the cumin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, one minute.  Grind cumin to a fine powder in a mortar with pestle.  Whisk cumin, paprika, salt, cayenne and oil together in a medium bowl.  Add dried pumpkins seeds and toss to coat well.  Arrange in one layer on baking sheet.  Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.  Cool and store in air-tight container.

Tarte Tatin

 

Tarte Tatin is pure heaven for lovers of caramelized fruit.  Essentially, it's an upside-down tart, with the fruit slowly caramelized in buttter and sugar on the stove top, then topped with pastry and baked in the oven.  The origin of Tarte Tatin lies with the Tatin sisters who had a restaurant in the French village of Lamotte-Beuvron at the turn of the 20th century.  The story goes that they made an error while baking a traditional apple tart, when the pastry was omitted from the bottom of the tart pan.  Not to be deterred, the Tatin sisters added the pastry as an afterthought on top of the fruit, and so we have the Tarte Tatin.  This is a perfect example of going with the flow in the kitchen - with spectacular results.  

 Tarte Tatin
 
A perfect dessert to finish an autumn meal.  Traditionally prepared with apples, but pears and apricots work well, too.
Serves 10-12

Sour Cream Pastry:
1 1/2 cups (165 g.) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt 
3/4 cup (170 g.) chilled unsalted butter, cut in pieces
6 tablespoons sour cream

Apple Filling:
1/2 cup (115 g.) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (225 g.) plus 2 tblsp. sugar 
5-6 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, quartered top to bottom

1 egg, beaten to blend, for glaze

Prepare pastry:
Blend flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl of a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add butter and mix at medium-low speed until butter is size of peas, about 3 minutes. Add sour cream and mix until moist clumps form, about 1 minute.  Gather dough into ball, flatten and wrap in plastic.  Refrigerate at least 2 hours. (Can be made one day ahead. Keep refrigerated.) Let soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.

Spread butter over bottom of large oven-proof skillet with sloping sides.  Sprinkle 1 cup sugar over butter. Place skillet over medium-low heat and cook until butter melts, sugar begins to dissolve and mixture starts to bubble, about 3 minutes.  Remove from heat.
Arrange apples, core side up, around edge of skillet, placing tightly together. Place remaining apples in a circle in center of skillet.  Sprinkle with the remaining sugar.
Set skillet over medium-high heat. Boil until a thick amber colored syrup forms, repositioning skillet to ensure even cooking, about 30 minutes.  While apples cook, fill in gaps with additional apple quarters. Remove skillet from heat.  

While apples are cooking on stove, preheat oven to 425 F.
Roll out pastry on floured surface or parchment paper to a round shape to fit size of skillet. 
Place dough over apple mixture once removed from stove, pressing dough down around the apples at edge of skillet.  Cut 4 slits in top of pastry.  Brush pastry with some of the egg glaze. 
Bake tart until pastry is deep golden brown, 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool one minute.
Cut around edge of skillet to loosen pastry. Place large platter over skillet. Using oven mitts, hold skillet and platter together tightly together and invert tart onto platter.  Cool 30 minutes. 
Cut in wedges and serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

 

Roasted Spiced Acorn Squash with Cilantro and Lime

Have you noticed that fall vegetables are hard?  It's as though Mother Nature is providing a protective shield for her bounty to hunker down for the winter.  Unlike the squishy, juiciness of summer berries and tomatoes, autumn's pumpkins and squash can double as paperweights and door stops; drop a butternut squash on your foot, and you might break a toe.

This is why I love to cook pumpkins and winter squash. Before my eyes, they undergo a culinary transformation.  Their ugly-frog exteriors, all bulbous, mottled and flecked, morph and soften with roasting, exposing their innate sweetness.  What was once an impermeable skin becomes an edible, toothsome texture that compliments the buttery, vividly colored interior flesh.  No sloucher in the nutrient department either, winter squash and pumpkins, are treasure troves packed with iron, potassium, Vitamin A, and rich sources of beta-carotene.  

So go ahead and continue to use these rock-hard seasonal sculptures as table decorations or bowling balls.  But, I promise you, if you cook them they will transform into the Prince Charming of autumn vegetables.

Spiced Acorn Squash with Coriander and Lime

Do not even think of peeling the squash.  It's skin will soften while roasting and add texture and nuttiness to the dish.
Serves 4 as a side dish

2 small or one large acorn squash, stem ends removed, halved and seeded
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 Freshly ground black pepper

1 red serrano chile pepper, stemmed, seeded, ribs removed, finely chopped
Juice of one lime, about 2 tablespoons
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander/cilantro leaves

Prepare:
Pre-heat oven to 425 F. (200 C.)
Cut squash in 3/4" wedges.  Toss squash with oil, sugar, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper in a large bowl so squash is evenly coated with spices.  Arrange squash in one layer on baking tray, flesh-side down.  Roast in oven until tender and golden, about 45 minutes.  Remove and cool slightly.  Transfer to large bowl and toss with chile pepper, lime juice and cilantro leaves.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

More seasonal vegetable recipes from TasteFood:

Curried Butternut Squash Soup







Baked Root Vegetable Purée

 

Garlicky Smashed Potatoes

More recipes with Acorn Squash from the Foodblogs:

Roasted Acorn Squash with Apples, Nuts, Sage from Andrea Meyers
Acorn Squash with Mustard and Honey from A Veggie Venture
Moroccan-Style Stuffed Acorn Squash from Eliza Domestica
Acorn Squash with Green Chiles from Karina's Kitchen

Sautéed Brussel Sprouts and Shitake Mushrooms

 
Brussel sprouts - you either love them or hate them.  As for me, I am a confessed brussel sprout lover. When I was younger, my affinity to these crucifers was a closely guarded secret.  More commonly viewed as offensive by my friends, I feared that announcing my love for the mini-cabbages might lead to humiliation and ostracization.  So, I became a closet brussel sprout eater, bingeing in secrecy, sneaking bags into my college apartment to steam when home alone - with the windows wide open to air out the tell-tale aroma.

Years later, I am far more comfortable in my crucifer-loving shoes, the first to announce their appeal, both as a flavor component in a dinner menu as well as in their nutritional qualities. (Brusssel sprouts are packed with vitamins A and C, and are rich in potassium and cancer-fighting sinigrin.)  But even within the walls of our family home, we are divided in the Brussel Sprout Department, so their appearance at the dinner table always garners mixed reviews

Imagine my delight, then, when I prepared brussel sprouts one evening in a skillet, rather than my go-to steamer, with shitake mushrooms, garlic, and soy sauce.  The earthy flavor of the brussel sprouts was toned down as they were sautéed with the garlic.  The soy sauce added a rich, salty component that bound the dish, and the shitakes contributed a meaty quality that offset the cabbaginess of the sprouts.  The verdict was unanimous at the dinner table:  this was flavorful, addictive and satisfying.  Everyone wanted a second helping - well, everyone except the child who won't eat mushrooms, but that's another story.

 

Sautéed Brussel Sprouts and Shitake Mushrooms
To dress up this vegetable dish, add one tablespoon white truffle oil to the brussel sprouts before serving.

 Serves 4 as a side dish

1 lb. (500 grams) brussel sprouts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 lb. (250 grams) shitake mushrooms, ends trimmed, halved
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
 
1 tablespoon white truffle oil (optional)

Wash and trim brussel sprouts:  
Wash brussel sprouts. Cut off ends and remove any discolored outer leaves.  Cut brussel sprouts in half, top to bottom.  Keep any small brussel sprouts whole.

Prepare:
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add brussel sprouts and sauté until they begin to color, 3 minutes.  Add shitake mushrooms and garlic.  Sauté until mushrooms begin to soften, 2-3 minutes.  Add 1/4 cup chicken stock and cook, stirring, over medium heat until stock evaporates.  Add remaining stock in increments, stirring, until brussel sprouts are crisp-tender.  Add soy sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste (remember the soy sauce will also add salt.)  Remove from heat. Drizzle with optional truffle oil and toss to combine.  Serve immediately.

Note:  To serve as a vegetarian course, substitute chicken stock with mushroom stock.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Sweet and spicy, warm and comforting: Curried Butternut Squash Soup is a luxuriant soup for the autumn season.  My original inspiration for this soup came from the Silver Palate Cookbook many years ago.  Since then, I have tweaked and made variations of this soup in the different countries where I have lived.  What I love about this rich soup is that there is no cream in the stock.  Sweet onion, tart apples and squash cook down in chicken stock, then puréed and thinned with apple juice.  The apples add a sharp, spicy sweetness that compliments the earthy, sweetness of the squash, while curry powder adds heat and roundness to the flavor.  As a final flourish, I like to add a dollop of cool crème fraîche as garnish with a few sprigs of cilantro.  This is a hearty, healthy and pleasing soup for a cool fall day.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup
As we moved around  Europe it was difficult to find the prolific American butternut squash, so I would improvise with small hokkaido pumpkins that were available in the fall.   You can also substitute the butternut squash with another sweet, orange fleshed squash or pumpkin.

Serves 6

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, cut in 1" chunks
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut in 1" chunks
2 tablespoons currry powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup unsweetened apple juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1-2 teaspoons salt, to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Crème fraîche
Fresh cilantro/coriander leaves

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add onions and stir until transluscent, about 3 minutes.  Add apple and squash and cook, stirring, one minute.  Add curry powder and ground coriander and cook, stirring, 30 seconds.  Add chicken stock.  (Stock should cover squash and apples.  If not, then add additional stock or water to cover.)  Simmer, covered, until squash and apples are very soft, about 30 minutes.  Purée soup in batches in a food processor or with an immersion blender.  Add apple juice to soup and gently cook to heat through.  (If the soup is too thick, add additional apple juice to desired consistency.)  Stir in brown sugar, salt and pepper. 
Serve soup hot, garnished with a spoonful of crème fraîche and a few cilantro leaves.

You might also enjoy these recipes with butternut squash from other foodblogs:
Butternut Squash with Lemon, Thyme and Parmesan from Kalyn's Kitchen
Butternut Squash Apple Cranberry Bake from Simply Recipes
Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Gratin from Pinch My Salt 

Three Pears