There's an App for That.....

...not that kind, you techie geniuses.  I'm talking appetizers! 

This is my favorite time of year, because appetizer parties are all the rage during the holidays.  This pic was taken at a Holiday Appetizer class I taught recently: Procsiutto, Arugula & Fig Roll-ups on the left, Vegetarian Potstickers next to it, and Field Green Salad in a Parmesan Cup.  Soooooo yummy!!

But no appetizer party is complete without crostini.  It's the most versatile appetizer on the planet because you can top them with any single dingle thing you like.  My new obsession is a Shiitake Mushroom Crostini:

There are two key things to remember when making crostini:  1) They get crispier (not in a good way) the longer they sit, so don't make too many at once or too far in advance.  You can make a bunch of your filling ahead, but toast the bread as you need it,  They only take about 8 to 10 minutes to toast, so it's not time consuming.  2) Brush both sides of the bread with olive oil; this helps them stay nice and soft right out of the oven.

I like to buy chiabatta baguettes and cut them into 1/4" slices.  Bake them at 350 for about 8 minutes until lightly toasted.

While they're baking, saute some sliced shiitake mushrooms, sliced shallots and chopped garlic in a little bit of almost-browned butter over medium high heat until the mushrooms are soft and brown.  Add chopped thyme leaves, a splash of balsamic vinegar or marsala, a pinch of salt and pepper and remove from the heat.

Place the toasted bread on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and top with the mushroom mixture. 

If you want to....and you know you do.... add a little dollop of Pt Reyes bleu cheese and pop back in the oven for another five minutes or so until the cheese melts.

Soooo dang good!!  I can't get enough of these little nuggets!  Give it a try at your next dinner party and you'll start the night off right!  Or do what I did the other night.....just make this for dinner with a big ol' salad.

Great..... now I'm hungry all over again.  So tell me, what's your favorite appetizer to make or eat???

Yum it up!!

What's Up, Butternut?

Dating a guy who not only loves to cook, but is really dang good at it is pretty cool for a girl like me.  Even better is that he's classically trained (from the CCA) and a big science guy, so he teaches me new things all the time and can answer every one of my culinary questions. And even though he rolls his eyes a lot at the wackadoo "natural chef" stuff I tell him I'm going to cook, I know he learns from me, too.  Best of all though, is that whenever I say that I want to try making something (well, something "normal"), he's always game.

So my new fascination was homemade pasta. I told Tom I wanted to make Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter Sauce for the Farm to Table dinner at Farm Girl Nursery.  I had only made my own pasta once before in the Natural Chef program over two years ago, and had no recollection of how I made it.  He jumped at the chance to refresh my memory.  He dug out his pasta maker, his "Pasta Facile" (a motorized attachment that passes the pasta sheets through), and his ravioli molds....and away we go!

So let's start with the pasta.....semolina.  You can get some tips on making it from Tom's blog, but we pretty much followed the directions on the package::

While Tom took to the pasta (felt a little like someone else doing my homework) I set to making the filling.

I started with a simple flavor profile....butternut squash, sage, walnuts.  Then added some essentials: olive oil, half & half and apple cider vinegar.  Real food, fresh ingredients.....don't need much to make it taste great!

I roasted cubes of butternut squash and popped it into a food processor for a little go-around, until it came together into a smooth, creamy texture.  I added the sage and chopped walnuts and gave it another spin, then with the motor running, drizzled in the olive oil, half & half, and apple cider vinegar (the acid from apple cider, red wine or white wine vinegars will brighten almost anything you think needs "a little something").

Tom has these great ravioli molds.... we laid a sheet of pasta in, brushed them with a beaten egg

 (works like glue)...

... then filled them with the butternut puree...

... topped them with another sheet of pasta and used this cute little, baby rolling pin to press the pasta onto the mold, which essentially cuts the scalloped edges of the ravioli...

If this sounds like too much trouble for your busy life, I get it!  I can recommend using wonton wrappers (the square ones).  Place a tablespoon of filling in the middle of a wrapper and wet the edges; top with another wrapper and seal the edges all around.  Works just as well.....but not nearly as satisfying as your own homemade pasta....but I get it, we don't all have a Tom in our kitchens whipping up fresh pasta for us.   No matter what you do, you gotta make this filling......

Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioli Filling

Makes approximately 2 cups

1 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped  into 1” pieces

¼ cup chopped toasted walnuts

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon half & half

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

Pinch pepper

Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

·         Preheat oven to 400°.

·         Place squash on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and roast 20-30 minutes until softened.

·         Allow squash to cool slightly and pulse in food processor until well blended.

·         Add walnuts and sage and pulse to combine.

·         With motor running, drizzle in olive oil and half & half, and process until smooth.

·         Add vinegar, salt, pepper and nutmeg and process 1 minute more until creamy.

Tell me.....what is your absolute favorite pasta dish??????

Yum it up!!!