Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette and Croque Monsieur
If I implore you to try anything on this blog, it's this one. Heaven in your mouth. Promise.
Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette
1 (1 1/2 #) butternut squash, peeled and 3/4 in diced (I used buttercup squash)
olive oil
1 Tbsp pure maple syrup (Use Pure!!)
Kosher salt and black pepper
3 Tbsp dried cranberries
3/4 c apple cider or apple juice
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 Tbsp minced shallots
2 tsp dijon mustard
4 oz baby arugula (I used spinach)
1/2 c walnut halves, toasted
3/4 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Place squash on a sheet pan. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil, the maple syrup, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper and toss. Roast the squash for 15-20 minutes, turning once, until tender. Add the cranberries to the pan for the last 5 minutes.
2. While the squash is roasting, combine the apple cider, vinegar, and shallots in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 6-8 minutes, until the cider is reduced to about 1/4 c. Off the heat, whisk in the mustard, 1/2 c olive oil, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper.
3. Place the arugula in a large salad bowl and add the roasted squash mixture, the walnuts, and the grated Parmesan. Spoon just enough vinaigrette over the salad to moisten, and toss well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.
From Steph's saturday morning cooking group
Ken's rating: ****
Chalsea's rating: ****3/4
Sooo good.
Croque Monsieur
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 c hot milk
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
pinch of nutmeg
12 oz Gruyere cheese, grated (about 5 c) - This is expensive! I used swiss. Just as good.
1/2 c grated Parmesan
16 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
Dijon mustard
8 oz baked Virginia ham, sliced
1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Melt butter over low heat in a small saucepan and add the flour all at once, stirring with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Slowly pour the hot milk into the mixture and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thickened. Off heat, add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 c gruyere, and the parmesan and set aside.
3. To toast the bread, place the slices on 2 baking sheets and bake for 5 minutes. Turn each slice and bake for another 2 minutes, until toasted.
4. Lightly brush half the toasted breads with mustard, add a slice of ham, and sprinkle with half of the remaining gruyere. Top with another piece of toasted bread. Slather the tops with the cheese sauce, sprinkle with the remaining gruyere, and bake the sandwiches for 5 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil for 3-5 minutes, or until the topping is bubbly and lightly browned.
From Steph's saturday morning cooking group.
Ken's rating: *****
Chalsea's rating: *****
Ken loved this so much that he even raved about it to his office. :) It's absolutely delicious. It's a bit messy so plan to knife and fork it. Enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comments:
this Squash Salad is my ULTIMATE fave fall meal-so good!!!
Post a Comment