Roasted Squash Mac & Cheese with Crispy Sage

Another fabulous urban market!! This week, we spent some time combing through the stalls of the wonderful Jean Talon Market in Montreal.  Who knew that we grew so many different varieties of squash in Canada?? It should be no surprise, since they are a native species to the Americas!

This weeks mac & cheese recipe hits all of the buttons for the cool weather that has been teasing us lately. It is comforting and familiar, while at the same time surprising you with the rich and creamy maple-roasted squash and a savoury sage garnish. When prepared this way, you are basically substituting half of the pasta in traditional Mac & Cheese with the roasted squash, thereby replacing the simple carbohydrates in the noodles with complex carbohydrates, fibre and nutrients!

Mac & Cheese with Roasted Acorn Squash and Sage

Roasted Maple Squash:

1 acorn squash, halved and seeded

1/3  cup maple syrup

Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the barbecue on HIGH for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to MEDIUM. Clean and seed the squash,sprinkle with salt and pepper and pour the maple syrup into the centre of each piece, as shown.  Arrange the  squash on the upper rack and grill for 30 minutes.When cool to the touch, cut into cubes.

Cheese Sauce:

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp white flour

½ yellow onion, finely diced

1 cup 2% milk

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp dry mustard

½ tsp salt

½ tsp cayenne pepper

½ tsp ground white pepper

1 cup old white cheddar cheese, grated

Melt butter over low heat. Add diced onions and sauté until onions are translucent.  Add flour and blend over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Stir milk in slowly. Cook and stir with a whisk until thickened and smooth. Add worchestershire sauce, dry mustard, salt, cayenne and white pepper. Reduce the heat and add grated cheddar cheese.

Pasta:

200 gram dried fusilli

Cook pasta according to the manufacturers instructions. Drain.

 

Crispy Sage:

We seem to be having a great season for the fresh herbs that are growing in pots on the patio.  This is a good thing, since we will continue to use them to flavour a variety of dishes until a hard frost hits. At that point, we will dry the sage, thyme and oregano. Until then, we love gently frying the sage leaves and using them in all sorts of recipes - soups, salads, eggs and here, in this mac & cheese dish.
In a shallow saute pan, heat 1/2 cup of canola oil over MEDIUM heat, until it starts to bubble.  Add the sage leaves and watch them as they gently crisp up and turn a golden colour- approximately 60-90 seconds. Remove with tongs and place on a paper towel. Sprinkle with sea salt.


To assemble: Place a layer of cubed squash in the bottom of a buttered baking dish. Layer drained pasta over squash, then top with another layer of cubed squash. Pour the cheese sauce over top of this. Place in a 350 C oven and bake for 30 minutes. Garnish with Crispy Sage and serve with a refreshing green salad. 

Harvest Season on the Grill

 

With gardens and farmer’s markets bursting with fall harvests of peppers and zucchini, here are two new ways to enjoy them on the barbecue.  Do not despair, meat-lovers:  these are good on their own or as a side dish with your favourite protein. 

Quinoa and Vegetable Stuffed Bell Peppers

It was such a treat to find our cottage garden laden with fire-engine-red peppers.  Ours were not bell peppers so we didn’t make them upright but rather as “boats”. 

8 bell peppers

1 cup quinoa

2 cups chicken stock

olive oil

1 medium onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 small zucchini, medium diced

1 medium tomato, medium diced

4 cups swiss chard (roughly a handful-sized bunch)

1 bayleaf

1 sprig thyme

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon oregano

4-5 drops of hot sauce or a dash of red chili flakes

1 teaspoon orange zest

½ cup feta, small diced

¼ cup fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped

S+P to taste

Cut the tops off of the peppers leaving the stem on. Remove seeds and membranes. Set prepared peppers aside in a casserole dish.

For the Quinoa:
Heat an empty medium saucepan on medium-high heat. Rinse quinoa in a sieve strainer under running water. Strain out as much water as possible before adding the quinoa to the hot pot (you should hear a sizzle). Toast the quinoa until it is no longer wet before adding the chicken stock. Let it come to a boil and turn down the heat to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let stand.

For the Filling:

In a large pan (enough to fit quinoa and vegetables), heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan on medium heat. Saute onions, garlic, zucchini, tomatoes, swiss chard. Add herbs and seasonings. Cook until tender, around 15 minutes. Incorporate the cooked quinoa and finish with orange zest and feta. Salt and pepper to taste. Add fresh parsley or cilantro.

Peppers:

With a spoon, fill the peppers with the quinoa filling. Cover the peppers with the tops and cook on the top shelf of the barbecue for 30 minutes with the outside burners on low. Serve!

We developed this fritter recipe to make use of a new stainless griddle or “grilling steel” accessory.  It held the heat very nicely and because of the ultra smooth surface there was no worry about food sticking.

Gluten Free Corn and Zucchini Fritters

2 cups sweet corn

1 ½  cup grated zucchini, using the largest holes on a grater

1 jalapeño, minced

1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions, white and green parts

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons basil pesto

¼ c chopped cilantro

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ cup grated cheddar cheese

3 large eggs, beaten

1  cup gluten free flour

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Slice the corn kernels from the cobs using a sharp knife and place in a large mixing bowl.  Add the zucchini, jalapeño, green onions, garlic, pesto, cilantro, salt, and cheese. Toss well with a large spoon or your hands.

In a small bowl, stir together the beaten eggs and gluten free flour. Add this very thick mixture to the vegetables and combine thoroughly using a spoon or your hands. 

Let it all relax in the bowl at room temperature for at least 20 minutes so that the egg is absorbed by the flour and the zucchini releases some of its moisture.

Meanwhile, place the grilling steel on the grates of your barbecue and preheat on MEDIUM. Brush 1-2 tablespoons olive oil over the surface.  Working in batches, drop about ¼ cup of batter onto the hot surface. Space the fritters about 1 inch apart.

Allow to cook about 5 minutes until the bottom edges just begin to turn brown. Using a flat spatula, flip them over. Cook for another 4 - 5 minutes. The fritters should be lightly browned on both sides.  Move them up to the top rack to stay warm while you repeat with the remaining batter.  Serve with Avocado Cream.

Avocado Cream

1 ripe avocado

2 cloves garlic, minced

small handful cilantro

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon kosher salt

few dashes chipotle hot sauce

½ cup mayonnaise

Whir together all of the ingredients in a blender until smooth. 

Seegmiller Annual Pig Roast'14

The Seegmiller family fall pig roast is becoming a tradition that is much anticipated by family and friends.

After 14 hours in the smoker, it was finally ready-juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside. Yummy!

Tim and Geoffrey start plotting days in advance, brushing off their smoker, ordering the pig and deciding what tantalizing dishes to serve along with it to their guests. This year, Geoffrey decided to stuff the pig with sausage and a beef brisket!! We can not tell you how he managed to pull it off, but the pig was succulent and tender, the brisket was moist and flavourful, and the sausages were juicy and fully cooked!! Yeah!

The Witzels brought a bit of Oktoberfest to the pig roast!

The buffet was rounded out with salads and baked beans and all of the fixings from the Edelweiss in Kitchener. Of course, we can never arrive at a party empty handed, so we decided to grill up some cornbread. The savoury recipe that we developed for the pig roast contained grilled corn and red and jalapeno peppers. It was made extra special with the addition of cheddar cheese to the batter, and topped with a maple/lime glaze when removed from the oven. It can be baked in the barbecue, over indirect heat, or in the oven.


Cheesy Grilled Cornbread with Grilled Peppers and Corn with Maple/Lime Glaze
(makes 2 loaves)

4 ears of corn, remove a layer of the husk and pull away the silk from the ears of the corn
2 red peppers, cleaned
2 jalapeno peppers, cleaned

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
2/3 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
4 eggs
2 cups buttermilk or 2% milk +2 tbsp white vinegar
1 cup melted butter, cooled
1 cup grated old cheddar

Glaze:
1/4 cup maple syrup
juice of 1 lime (2 Tbsp)

Preheat the barbecue on HIGH for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to MEDIUM.  Oil the grids well.
Prepare corn and peppers for grilling. Place directly on the grids, close the lid and grill for 30-40 minutes. Turn every 5-8 minutes.  Remove corn from the grill once the niblets have begun to caramelize and turn a nice golden yellow.   Remove the peppers once the skins have begun to blacken and bubble.  Set aside to cool  while preparing the cornbread batter.

Mix together the flour, cornmeal, white sugar, baking powder, salt and cayenne pepper in a large mixing bowl. In another bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk and melted butter and beat with a wooden spoon until well blended. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl containing the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon, just until the batter forms.
Cut the kernels from the corn cobs. Peel and seed the peppers and dice.  Add corn, peppers and grated cheese to the batter and fold in gently.
Pour into 2 well oiled loaf pans.

Bake in a 375°F barbecue over indirect heat, or  oven for 35-40 minutes.

Combine maple syrup and lime juice in a small dish. Use a silicone brush to baste the glaze onto the surface of the warm cornbread. Allow to cool for 20 minutes before slicing.

Almost ready?

Anticipation.......

You cooked that where???????

If you have some pictures from your Thanksgiving gathering that you would like to share, check out this link: Chow Down. 

Roasted Vegetable Salads

We sure felt the fall weather nipping at us this weekend!  This is the perfect weather for heading out to the local farmers market and stocking up on the final crops of the year. We love all of the varieties of squash, potatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, brussels sprouts, apples, even the very last of the corn.........The offerings are endless.  Consequently, everything that we have been making over the past couple of weeks has been chock full of these delicious vegetables, because they are so fresh and wonderful.  Here are recipes for 2 very delicious salads, featuring grilled vegetables.

Maple Glazed Grilled Vegetable Salad with Monforte Dairy Cheese

We picked up everything for this salad at the Market in Waterloo Square last Thursday. As usual, one of the highlights of that shopping experience is picking up a sampling of cheeses from the Monforte Dairy stand! Use any kind that you like, they are all delicious. We used a cheddar in todays recipe.

This salad is simple as 1, 2, 3!!  Open your fridge and pull out whatever vegetables are calling out to you. Grab some maple syrup, olive oil and freshly ground black pepper and sea salt for basting your vegetables. Turn on your barbecue and  start grilling!!
The cherry tomatoes become so sweet and delicate when they are grilled, they become the centre piece of the dressing! Here is the recipe for what we had in our refrigerator.

1 acorn squash, cut in half lengthwise and remove seeds
2 large eggplants, sliced thickly
2 leeks, scrubbed
2 pints cherry tomatoes
1 small bunch of fresh parsley
200 grams Monforte Dairy cheese

1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt

Preheat the barbecue on HIGH for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to medium. Have a medium sized bowl on hand beside the grill, so that you can remove the cherry tomatoes to the bowl before they split.

Clean and prepare squash, eggplant, leeks and cherry tomatoes as directed.  Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Arrange the  squash on the upper rack and grill for 15 minutes.
 Place cherry tomatoes, leeks and eggplant slices on a grill tray and place it directly over the lower grids and continue grilling for 15 minutes. Using a silicone brush, baste the vegetables liberally with maple syrup every 5 minute. Gently remove the cherry tomatoes from the grill as they slowly become soft and golden. Add 3 tbsp of the remaining maple syrup and 1 1/2 tbsp of the remaining extra virgin olive oil to the bowl containing the grilled tomatoes. This becomes the dressing.
Arrange the grilled vegetables on serving plates and drizzle with the grilled cherry tomato dressing. Garnish with chopped parsley and shaved cheese.

Grilled Hangar Steak Salad with Gorgonzola Dressing

This salad is so simple to prepare! Just put everything on the grill, and within 20 minutes, it will be ready to serve. The steak is made even simpler by using The Perfect Steak Marinade, a prepared product that you will find at all stores that carry Broil King Barbecues. It features a zesty blend of balsamic vinegar, white vinegar, vegetable oil, garlic, onion and spices.  You may be surprised to know that it is as close as your local Canadian Tire, Lowes or Home Depot Store!

1 400 gr Hangar Steak

1/2 bottle Perfect Steak Marinade 

2 cobs of corn, husk on, silk removed

2 red peppers, seeded

8 cremini mushrooms

4 cups mixed greens

Garnish:

1/2 red pepper, sliced thinly

1 cup mixed sprouts 

Marinate steak for half an hour in the Perfect Steak Marinade.

•  Preheat grill on HIGH for 5 minutes, then reduce to MEDIUM.
•  Prepare corn, peppers and mushrooms as directed in the Vegetable Grilling Guide .  Put corn, peppers, mushrooms and steak on the grill at the same time. 
• Grill steak as directed in The Perfect Steak grilling chart, for a total of 7-8 minutes.  Grill vegetables as directed in the Vegetable Grilling Chart, and remove when finished.
• Set everything aside to rest and cool while you prepare the Gorgonzola Dressing and assemble the salad. Remove corn from the cobs.
• Assemble salad by spreading a layer of mixed greens on each plate. Top with thin slices of hangar steak, strips of red pepper, mushroom quarters and corn. Drizzle Gorgonzola Dressing over top and garnish with red onion rings and mixed sprouts.

Gorgonzola Dressing
4 ounces Gorgonzola cheese
2/3 cup Greek yoghurt (at least 2% MF)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Put the Gorgonzola in a small mixing bowl and mash it with a fork. Add the Greek yoghurt, mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and black pepper and whisk to combine. Serve or store in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to 1 week.

 

While working with all of these delicious vegetables, someone asked : "Where's the meat?" Imagine?!
Not to worry! Next week we will be back with news and recipes from the annual all pork extravaganza - Geoffrey's Annual Pig Roast. Stay tuned.....................