Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

Pumpkin, one of my favourite varieties of winter squash, is rich in potassium, fiber, and vitamin C and is wonderful roasted, used in soups or stews, or mixed with other vegetables. I roasted cubes of pumpkin for this salad and mixed it with peppery arugula greens, which I then dressed with a light maple syrup kissed light vinaigrette.

Ingredients
1 1/2-pound butternut squash, peeled and 3/4-inch diced
good olive oil
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons dried cranberries
3/4 cup apple cider or apple juice
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 ounces baby arugula, washed and spun dry
1/2 cup walnuts halves, toasted
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Preparations:
1.) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2.) Place the butternut squash on a sheet pan. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the maple syrup, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss.
3.) Roast the squash for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until tender.
4.) Add the cranberries to the pan for the last 5 minutes.
5.) 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 to 8 minutes, until the cider is reduced to about 1/4 cup.
6.) Off the heat, whisk in the mustard, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
7.) 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 immediately.

Baked brie in phyllo

With the days getting colder, this is the perfect dish to welcome your dinner guests. Fast, simple and delicious.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup apricot preserves; optional
1/2 lb wheel Brie or Camembert cheese
1/2 lb frozen phyllo dough, 10-12 sheets, thawed
1/2 cup butter, melted
Fresh dill, optional
Red and green grapes, optional
Apples, sliced, optional
Pears, sliced, optional

Preparation:
1.) Spread preserves on top of the Brie
2.) Wrap the Brie in thawed phyllo dough one sheet at a time, brushing each sheet with melted butter
3.) Turn cheese over after applying each sheet of phyllo for even distribution
4.) Brush phyllo-wrapped Brie with butter
5.) Cover & refrigerate
6.) Before serving, place the phyllo-wrapped cheese in a shallow baking pan. Bake in a 425 degree oven 8-12 minutes or until golden.
7.) Let stand 10 minutes.
8.) Garnish with optional dill and fruit if desired. Serve with crackers.

Cucumber Summer Salad

A terribly British, fast and simple summer salad recipe. Where's the Pimms?

Ingredients:
2 English cucumbers (2 pounds)
1 small red onion
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons dried dill or 2 tablespoons fresh

Preparation:
1.) Slice the cucumber lengthwise, remove the seeds, and slice thinly.
2.) Thinly slice the onion.
3.) In a colander, toss the cucumber and onion with the salt and let it sit and drain for 20 minutes.
4.) Press the liquid out of the vegetables and rinse well with cold water.
5.) In a medium bowl combine the vinegar and sugar and stir well.
6.) Add the cucumber mixture and toss to coat.
7.) Stir in the dill.

Rucola, Watermelon & Feta Salad

Here's a little taste of Italy to get you into the summer mood. Refreshing, tingy and creamy all in one delicous bite!

Ingredients:
For the vinaigrette:
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/4 cup minced shallots (1 large)
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 cups baby arugula, washed and spun dry
1/8 th seedless watermelon, rind removed, and cut in 1-inch cubes

Preparation:
1.) Whisk together the orange juice, lemon juice, shallots, honey, salt, and pepper.
2.) Slowly pour in the olive oil, whisking constantly, to form an emulsion. If not using within an hour, store the vinaigrette covered in the refrigerator.
3.) Place the arugula, watermelon, feta, and mint in a large bowl.
4.) Drizzle with enough vinaigrette to coat the greens lightly and toss well.
5.) Taste for seasonings and serve immediately.

Pizza with asparagus, tomatoes and Cantal cheese

Here is a pizza with a twist. A quick and easy light and soothing delight…

Ingredients: 
1 rectangular fine pizza dough
4 slices of skewered ham
3 tablespoons of fresh cream
12 green asparagus
12 glazed tomatoes
a few snips of chives
20 to 30 g of cantal cheese
Pepper

Preparations:
1. )Preheat your oven to 200 °C (th. 6-7).
2.) Wash the green asparagus, peel them and plunge in boiling water from 8 to 10 minutes until they are nice and tender.
3.) Verify the cooking with the tip of a knife. Pass for a few minutes under cold water to stop the cooking.
4.) Unroll the pizza dough on an oven plaque covered with baking paper.
5.) Spread the fresh cream on all the surface and place the asparagus and glazed tomatoes on the cream.
6.) Cut the ham in thin strips then in big squares and place them on the pizza.
7.) Sprinkle with chiseled chives and slivers of Cantal cheese, add ground pepper.
8.) Bake for 18 to 20 minutes while watching the cooking.

Tip: Serve your pizza with an arugula salad.

Gabriella's Coffee Cake

This is a cake that is easy and fast to whip up. It presents well and will impress your tea guests with it's taste and presentation. Kids and adults love it!

Ingredients:
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
4 cups flour, plus 3 tsp.
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 cups sour cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup dark brown sugar
5 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans

Preparations:
1.) Heat oven to 300°.
2.) Grease a 9½" bundt pan and set aside
3.) Whisk 4 cups flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl; set aside
4.) In another bowl, using an electric hand mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy
5.) Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition
6.) Add sour cream and vanilla and mix well to combine
7.) With the motor running, slowly add dry ingredients until smooth; set aside
8.) In another bowl, combine remaining flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
9.) Starting and ending with the batter, layer in bundt pan with sugar mixture to form five layers.
10.) Sprinkle with pecans and bake 1½ hours until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Mac & Cheese muffins

Your kids will love these. They are easy to make, easy to transport and easy to eat. An Amercian twist on the classic Neapolitan frittata.

Ingredients:
1 lb. Barilla macaroni
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
2 cups skim milk
8 oz. fontina or parmeggiano cheese, cubed (cheddar with cream cheese as substitute)
1 egg
cooking spray
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.
2. While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a large pot then whisk in the flour forming a roux (or a paste).
3. Gradually pour in the milk, whisking as you go; then add in the cheese and stir until all of the cheese has melted. Let simmer on a low flame.
4. In a small bowl, crack open the egg and whisk it with a fork, then add a little of the hot milk and cheese mixture to it to temper the egg. (You don't want to cook the egg. If it looks cooked or scrambled, you added too much liquid).
5. Add tempered egg to the milk and cheese mixture; then add in the cooked pasta and mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray, then using a small kitchen spoon, add the pasta to the tin so that it's filled to the top. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes; then allow to set for 5 minutes.
7. Use a plastic knife to release them from the pan (so it won't scratch it) and serve. Makes approximately 100.

P.S. Before adding cheddar cheese to a cream sauce to keep it from clumping, put your shredded cheese (it is better to shred it from a brick of cheese yourself) in a baggie or bowl and put just a scant tablespoon of flour into it and shake it all around and then add to the sauce, it will melt smoother with less clumping or separating of the cheese and fat in the cheese.

Christine's pulled pork recipe

While making sure the kids got their costumes and make-up on properly for the annual school play, somehow we got talking about a yummy pork recipe...

Ingredients:
1 large onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, peeled
1 pickled jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
2 teaspoons of Chipotle chile powder
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon paprika
1/3 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 bay leaf
Salt
3 lbs of pork butt shoulder roast, trimmed of excess fat
Baguette bread

Preparation:
1.)  Purée all of the sauce ingredients (everything except the bay leaf, the pork and the buns) in a blender until smooth. If you have extra time, marinate the pork in the sauce overnight or for several hours before cooking.
2.)  Put sauce, bay leaf, and pork into a large pot and add 1 quart of water. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer, covered, turning frequently, for 2 hours or until the meat pulls apart easily with a fork.
3.)  Remove from heat and cool pork in the sauce. When cool enough to touch, remove the pork from the sauce and shred into small pieces. Set aside.
4.)  Put the sauce back on the stove and bring it to a low boil. Let the sauce boil down until it has been reduced by two thirds. Add the pork back to the sauce. Salt to taste. Remove bay leaf before serving. Serve hot over open-face baguette bread.