Butternut Squash with Walnuts and Cheese
Smoked Salmon Kedgeree
Sautéed Chard with Red Onion
Cooking time: 40 minutes for menu Cooking schedule: see below for instructions
Butternut squash is another 'large' vegetable, like cabbage and cauliflower, that takes a bit of planning to use completely. Peel it, tonight, scooping out the seeds. Cut off what you'll be using, from either the neck or the bowl end, and wrap the rest in cling film for later in the week. We'll be using it 3 times so adjust accordingly.
Butternut Squash with Walnuts and Cheese
Total time: 20 minutes
This is a simple starter that showcases the flavors of fall. Add the sage leaves at the end to just make them crisp. Use a pungent, soft or semi-soft cheese; it will melt slightly when add to the hot squash.
Ingredients:
- 10oz (300gr) butternut squash 2 - 3 cups large chunks
- 1/2 cup (1.5oz, 45gr) walnuts
- 10 - 12 fresh sage leaves substitute 1 tbs dried
- 2oz (60gr) strong, semi-soft cheese
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 tsp butter
Instructions:
- Slice butternut squash thickly, (.5", 1.25cm) then cut into large pieces.
- Heat butter and oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium high heat.
- Add walnuts and squash and sauté 10 - 15 minutes, until squash is nicely browned.
- Snip the sage leaves into large pieces and add for the last 2 - 3 minutes.
- Divide and put onto two plates.
- Cut cheese into small cubes and arrange on top.
Smoked Salmon Kedgeree
Total time: 25 minutes
Kedgeree was, traditionally, made with smoked haddock and served as a part of a large breakfast. We smoked the salmon, using a kettle grill, for about 20 minutes. You could use purchased smoked salmon, if you prefer, but it should be hot-smoked, American-style rather than the wet-smoked, Scotch or Irish style. Gravlax would not work.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup (3.3oz, 95gr) Basmati rice
- 1 cup (8oz, 240ml) chicken stock
- 8oz (240gr) smoked salmon purchased or see below
- 2 eggs, hard boiled
- 1 onion
- 2 tbs butter
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 2 tbs Greek or plain yogurt, or cream
- 2 tbs snipped fresh parsley substitute 1 tbs dried
- 1 tbs lemon juice
- To Smoke Salmon:
- 8oz (240gr) salmon filet, one or two, depending on size
- 1 tbs dill weed
- 1 tsp course salt
- wood chips
Instructions:
- Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat.
- Add rice and sauté, stirring for 2 - 3 minutes.
- Add stock, cover and cook for length of time on package.
- Hard boil eggs.
- Thinly slice onion.
- Heat remaining 1 tbs of butter and oil in large nonstick skillet.
- Add onions and sauté until tender and transparent.
- To assemble:
- Peel eggs and cut into eighths.
- Cut salmon into large pieces.
- When onions are ready add rice to skillet along with yogurt, lemon and parsley. Mix well.
- Add salmon and eggs to rice and, mixing gently, heat through.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
- To Smoke Salmon:
- Sprinkle salmon with dill weed, then salt.
- If using charcoal: Put some charcoal in the barbecue, off to one side and light it. If you are using small, commercial wood chips, put them in water to soak. When the coals are glowing, add the fish - either in a basket or on a grill mat of some sort, to the other side - in other words, not over the coals. Throw some wood chips on the coals and cover. Check it halfway through and add more wood chips if it has stopped smoking. It's done when the fish flakes easily with a fork, 15 - 20 minutes.
- To use a gas grill: Only light one side of the grill. Wrap the soaked wood chips loosely in foil. Poke a few holes in the foil and place on the grill. Keep the fish off of direct heat and the grill cover closed and vented or propped open an inch or so.
Sautéed Chard with Red Onion
Total time: 15 minutes
Chard and Red Onion - with a hint of bacon. Greens at their best!
Ingredients:
- 6oz (180gr) chard or Swiss chard
- 1 small red onion
- 2 strips bacon
- 1 tsp oil if you need it to fry the bacon - I do
Instructions:
- Wash the chard and trim any bad bits. Stack the leaves together and fold over, the long way. Slice into thin strips, using both leaves and stems, but keeping the stems separate.
- Slice the onion.
- Heat oil in a large skillet if using. Add the bacon and fry until crisp.
- Remove and drain on paper towels. Remove all but 2 tsp fat / oil.
- Add the onion and chard stems and sauté over medium heat until onion is transparent and chard starts to get tender, about 8 minutes.
- Add the chard leaves and stir until the leaves soften and fit into the skillet. Crumble bacon, stir into chard, remove from heat and serve.
Cooking Schedule: 40 minutes
Assemble all food, utensils and serving dishes
Utensils: measuring cups, spoons, knives,
scissors, 2 small saucepans with lids, 3 large skillets,
barbecue grill if smoking salmon with pan or basket
Turn on/light barbecue grill if using
Soak wood chips if using
Start to cook eggs
Peel squash, clean, cut
Wrap what you don't use and refrigerate
Slice, cut squash for starter
Sauté squash, walnuts
Prepare chard, cut
Mind the eggs
Put dill, salt on salmon if smoking
Cut cheese
Sauté bacon
Snip parsley, sage
Turn squash, nuts
Slice both onions
Sauté onion for kedgeree
Turn bacon |
Cool eggs when done, peel
Start to smoke salmon
Add sage to squash
Remove bacon and fat if needed
Sauté onions, chard stems, turn heat to low
Turn heat off under onions for kedgeree
Start to cook rice
When squash is browned nicely, remove to 2 plates
Add cheese, serve
Done?
Turn rice off when done
Turn heat up under onions for chard
Add chard leaves, stir
Turn heat on under onions for kedgeree
Remove salmon, scrape off dill and salt
If using purchased, smoked salmon, cut into large
pieces
and add to the skillet to heat slightly
Add rice, yogurt, lemon and parsley to skillet, stir
Cut eggs, salmon
Add to rice, mix gently, arrange on platter
Crumble bacon, stir into chard
Serve
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