Butternut Squash Casserole with Leeks, Prosciutto, and Thyme

It is certainly starting to feel like Fall in the Pacific Northwest, and that means it is time to eat more squash! If you know me, you know I love to eat squash. I will use any excuse I can to eat any kind of squash I can get my hands on. This dish actually incorporates several favorites of mine; bread pudding, leaks, squash... Yum!

Seamus and I have had another busy weekend hanging out with our good friend Dorothy who was visiting us from New Orleans. We decided to lay low for the rest of our Sunday, and this was the perfect recipe to make while hanging out together. It takes some time (you have to roast the squash and bake the casserole), but if you have the time, it is totally worth the day of delicious smells and tastes that are the result!

Butternut Squash Casserole with Leeks, Prosciutto, and Thyme

Courtesy of Justin Chappel at Food and Wine

INGREDIENTS

3 pounds butternut squash—peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 leeks—white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise (about 4 cups)
6 large eggs
2 1/2 cups half-and-half
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
8 ounces baguette, crusts removed and bread cut into 1/2-inch dice
4 ounces thinly-sliced prosciutto, cut into thin strips

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400° and butter a 9-by-13-inch baking ceramic baking dish. In a large bowl, toss the butternut squash with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Spread the squash on a baking sheet in a single layer and roast for about 25 minutes, until tender, tossing once halfway through. Let cool.
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3. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, melt the butter in the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the leeks and season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderate heat, stirring, until tender, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly.
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5. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the half-and-half, cheese, 1 teaspoon of salt and a 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Stir in the bread and let stand for 10 minutes. Fold in the squash and the prosciutto. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and bake for about 1 hour, until lightly golden on top. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Thyme-Basted Pork Tenderloin with Oyster Mushrooms

Shea and I both had really hard weeks at work and we knew that we needed some comfort food on this Sunday evening. Shea had been eyeing this recipe for a couple of weeks, and I am glad he did. The earthiness from the mushrooms paired with the fresh herbs, perfectly cooked pork, and interesting garnishes make this an extremely special meal. Right after we finished eating we both agreed that this was a company-worthy recipe, and that we even make make it for my parents who are visiting us next week!

We used chantrell mushrooms mixed with oyster mushrooms because it is Chantrelle season and we live in the Pacific Northwest. Both of the types of mushrooms were fabulous, but I have to admit that I am partial to Chantrelles and would probably use them exclusively the next time I make this meal.

Thyme-Basted Pork Tenderloin with Oyster Mushrooms

Courtesy of Food and Wine

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
• One 1 1/4-pound pork tenderloin
• Kosher salt
• Pepper
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds oyster mushrooms, trimmed and torn into 1-inch pieces
• 4 garlic cloves, 2 minced and 2 crushed
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 large thyme sprigs
• Toasted walnuts, for garnish
• Chopped shallot, for garnish
• Chives, for garnish
• Flaky sea salt, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a 12-inch ovenproof skillet, heat the grapeseed oil until shimmering. Season the pork with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat until browned all over, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the oven and roast the pork until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 135°, 18 to 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a very large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in the olive oil. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until golden, about 15 minutes. Add the minced garlic and the parsley and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat.
3. Set the pork over moderate heat. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, the crushed garlic and the thyme to the skillet and cook until the butter is foamy. Baste the meat with the butter just until the butter browns, 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and cut into thick slices. Spoon the mushrooms onto a platter, top with the pork and drizzle with the brown butter. Garnish with walnuts, shallot, chives and flaky salt and serve.
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Sea Trout and Baby Leeks with Crushed Potato and Tomato Butter

Things haven't slowed down for Seamus and me. Between our jobs, visitors (my parents were just here for my dad's birthday), and trips, we  have been rolling into Fall full-steam ahead.

Seamus busted out one of our favorite cookbooks for this recipe; in fact, Seamus thinks this might be the first cook book he ever had (his mom gave it to us as a gift for Xmas). We love Gordon Ramsay, and this cookbook is chock-full of great recipes. This one is no exception!

This dish is essentially a fancy potato salad, brown tomatoes, and fish with a delicious sauce. We had to make several substitutions (milk for cream, Italian seasoning for basil, apple cider vinegar for sherry vinegar), but it still turned out fabulous. Seamus and I were both grinning ear to ear as we ate this!

Sea Trout and Baby Leeks with Crushed Potato and Tomato Butter

Courtesy of Gordon Ramsay in "Gordon Ramsay Makes it Easy"

Ingredients
2 wild sea trout or salmon fillets, with skin, about 5 oz each
9 oz new potatoes, peeled
sea salt and pepper
4 oz vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
4 oz baby leeks, halved
few scallions, chopped
2 tbsp classic vinaigrette

Tomato Butter Sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
4 oz vine-ripened cherry tomatoes
1 tsp sherry vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp butter, diced
1 tbsp chopped basil

Directions
Check the fish fillets for tiny bones, score the skin side deeply, and set aside. Cook the potatoes in salted water until tender. heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

To make the tomato butter sauce, heat the olive oil in a small pan, add the tomatoes, and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Transfer to a blender or food processor, add the sherry vinegar and sugar, and whiz to a puree. Pass through a strainer back into the pan. Add the cream and simmer for a few minutes. Whisk in the butter and basil, keep warm.

Put the tomato halves, cut side up, on a baking sheet. Drizzle with a little olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Bake for about 5 minutes. Steam the leeks until tender.

Drain the potatoes, toss with a little olive oil over heat, then crush lightly with the back of a fork. Stir in the scallions and vinaigrette. Season to taste.

To cook the fish, heat a nonstick skillet and add the olive oil. Saute the fish, skin side down, for 3.5 minutes or until the skin is crisp, then turn and cook for 30 seconds only. Season lightly and rest in the pan for a few minutes.

Pile the crushed potato and leeks in the center of two warm serving plates and top with the fish fillets. Surround with the cherry tomatoes and serve the tomato butter sauce on the side.

Sesame-Spiced Turkey Meatballs and Smashed Chickpea Salad

Seamus and I have both been VERY busy this summer. Between our jobs, visitors, and gorgeous Seattle summer, we have barely had any time to just relax and spend time together in the kitchen. We both got home early from work tonight, so we thought it would be fun to try to make this meatball recipe together.

We stopped at the local fancy grocery store (Metro Mart) on our way home to look for Sumac spice, but unfortunately they didn't have it. I googled for substitutions, and decided to use a mixture of lemon rind and salt as a substitute in this dish.

Sesame-Spiced Turkey Meatballs and Smashed Chickpea Salad

Courtesy of Deb Perelman in the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

Ingredients

Meatballs
1 pound ground turkey
2/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon table salt
1 large egg
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
Olive oil to coat pan

Directions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Combine all of the meatball ingredients in a medium bowl with a fork, breaking up the clumps of meat until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Form turkey mixture into golf ball sized balls and arrange them on a tray. Wet hands help them from getting sticky.

Heat a generous slick of oil in a large ovenproof saute pan with a lid. Brown the meatballs in batches, being careful not to crowd the pan or nudge them before they are nicely browned. Transfer the meatballs to a paper towel lined tray and continue to brown all meatballs.

Discard the oil and wipe all but a thin layer from the pan. Return all of the meatballs to the pan, and transfer to preheated oven. Bake until a thermometer read an internal temperature of 160 to 165 degrees, or about 10-15 minutes.

Salad Ingredients

1 and 3/4 cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
one handful of pitted, halved, and very thinly sliced green olives
1/2 teaspoon ground sumac, plus more for garnish
Chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 small clove garlic, minced
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon table salt
olive oil

Directions

Mix everything but the olive oil in a small to mid-sized bowl. Very lightly smash the chickpea mixture with the back of a fork. Dress the chickpea with a drizzle of olive oil and stir to combine. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Khao Phat Muu

When Seamus and I were considering moving out to the Pacific Northwest, we decided to take a trip to Portland to check it out. We had a fabulous time there hanging out in the bars, restaurants, and parks, and one of our favorite experiences was eating at Andy Ricker's Thai restaurant called Pok Pok. From the drinking vinegar to the chicken wings to the amazing ambiance, we had a great time. When I saw Andy's cookbook at our local library, I knew that I needed to check it out!

Many of the recipes in this book are extremely complicated, filled with obscure ingredients and multiple steps. This recipe is simple, yet delicious. It reminded Shea and I both of the classic take-out Chinese fried rice, but with a fresher and (obviously) Thai spin on it. Suffice to say, I loved it!

Khao Phat Muu

Courtesy of Pok Pok by Andy Ricker

Ingredients
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
1 teaspoon Thai thin soy sauce
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Pinch ground white pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large egg at room temperature
1 ounce peeled small shallots, preferably Asian or very small red onions halved and sliced with the grain (about 1/4 cup)
11 grams peeled garlic cloves halved lengthwise and lighting crushed into small pieces (about 1 tablespoon)
4 ounces boneless pork shoulder, sliced against the grain into approximately 1/8th inch think bite-sized pieces
2 cups Kaho Hom Mali (Jasmine rice); preferable day-old
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions, lightly packed, plus a pinch for finishing
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped cilantro, lightly packed

To serve alongside
8 or so 1/4 inch think slices of firm cucumber
1 lime wedge
Phrik Naam Plaa (Fish sauce-soaked chilies)


Directions
Combine the fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and pepper in a small bowl and stir well.

Heat a wok over very high heat, add the oil, and swivel it in the wok to coat the sides. When it begins to smoke, crack in the egg (it should spit and sizzle violently and the whites should bubble and puff) and cook without messing with it until all but the center of the whites have set, about 15 seconds. Flip the egg (it is fine if the yolks break) and push it to one side of the wok (up the wall of the wok is fine). Add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring them (but not the egg) often, until they have lightly browned, about 1 minute.

Add the pork, stir everything together well, and stir fry (constantly stirring, scooping, and flipping the ingredients) until the pork is no longer pink on the outside, about 30 seconds.

Add the rice and stir fry, breaking up the egg a bit, for 30 seconds. Add the fish sauce mixture (add a splash of water if needed to make sure nothings left behind in the bowl) and continue to stir fry until the pork is just cooked through and the flavors have permeated the rice, a minute or so more.

Turn off the heat, stir in the 2 tablespoons of green onions, and transfer the rice to a plate. Top with the cilantro and remaining green onions, and serve with the cucumber slices on the edge of the plate, the lime wedge for squeezing, and the fish sauce soaked chilies in a small bowl to spoon on top.

Pulled Pork Lettuce Wraps

I made this dish for my brothers, Jamila, and Matt a couple of weeks ago, and I have STILL been thinking about how delicious it was. It smelled and tasted so good that we all gobbled it up before I could even snap a picture of it , so there won't be a picture included in this post until I make this recipe again (which I think will be quite soon).

I was initially attracted to this recipe because it was apparently inspired by Momofuku head chef David Chang, who Shea and I both love. I'm also a fan of lettuce wraps in general, so I figured I had to give this dish a try.

When I was first preparing the pork for the slow cooker, I thought that I misunderstood the recipe because of the large amount of salt and sugar that you rub onto the meat. Seamus reassured me that we were doing everything right, and advised me to trust the recipe. And boy, am I glad he did! The pork was perfect completely on its own, and with the added sauce that is included in this recipe, this dish is fabulous.

Pulled Pork Lettuce Wraps

Courtesy of Cooking Light, July 2015 issue

Ingredients

2 tablespoons sugar 

2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

1 (2 1/2-pound) boneless pork shoulder, trimmed

1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger

2 tablespoons sherry or white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 

2 tablespoons unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)

1 tablespoon gochujang (Korean chile paste)

1 1/2 teaspoons lower-sodium soy sauce 

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

30 Boston lettuce leaves (about 2 heads) 

1 cup thinly sliced radishes

Lime wedges (optional) 

Preparation

1. Combine sugar and salt in a small bowl. Place pork in a large bowl; rub evenly with sugar mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 300°. Place pork on a rack set inside a roasting pan. Place pan in oven; bake 4 hours or until a thermometer registers 210°, basting occasionally with drippings. Remove from oven; let stand 30 minutes. Shred pork with 2 forks.

3. Combine ginger and next 5 ingredients (through soy sauce), stirring with a whisk. Stir in onions. Reserve half of sauce. Toss shredded pork in remaining half of sauce. Divide pork evenly among lettuce leaves. Top with radishes; drizzle with reserved sauce. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Cornmeal-Dusted (cat)Fish Sandwiches with Tangy Slaw

It's summer time in Seattle, and nothing says summer time like fried fish! We have been eating a fair amount of fish and chips lately (there is a great place called Seattle Fish Co. right near our new apartment), and I swear there is nothing better than a well cooked fish and chips.

I was flipping through a Cooking Light magazine (which, by the way, I am not 100% sure how I started getting), and I saw this recipe for a friend fish sandwich and thought it looked yummy and slightly healthier than my Fish and Chips. We made it tonight with Rockfish instead of Catfish, and we loved it! A little dab of hot sauce on the end really brought this sandwich to a whole new level.

Cornmeal-Dusted (cat)Fish Sandwiches with Tangy Slaw 

Courtesy of Cooking Light July 2015 Issue

Ingredients
4 (5 ounce) catfish fillets (we used Rock Fish)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 and 1/2 tablespoon coarse cornmeal
2 teaspoons canola oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons canola mayonnaise
2 teaspoons stone-ground mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup shredded red cabbage
1 cup shredded green cabbage
1/2 cup thinly sliced green apple
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
4 Kaiser rolls, lightly toasted

Directions
1. Sprinkle fish with 1/4 teaspoon pepper and salt. Sprinkle with cornmeal. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add fish to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Set aside and keep warm.

2. Combine cider vinegar, mayo, mustard, sugar and remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add green cabbage, red cabbage, sliced apple, and red onion; toss to coat. Place 1 fillet on bottom half of each Kaiser roll. Top each serving with about 1/2 cup slaw and top half of roll.