Butternut Squash Carbonara with Bacon and Sage

The first signs of spring have just started appearing... the temperature has finally crept over the 0 degrees C mark! Last week was unseasonably cold and I'm hoping that it will be the last snow we see at lake-level this year. I was in Lake Como with Ashleigh this past weekend and it was stunning to see that the mountains high above the lake were snow-capped -- it had snowed in Milan, just 30 minutes from Como, earlier last week, also extremely rare for the middle of March. Although the haze from the changing temperatures made it a bit difficult to capture the stunning beauty of the surroundings, here is a feeble attempt:


Hopefully winter is on its way out for good, but I have a few more winter recipes to share. I've been obsessed with courge (like butternut squash) all season, since autumn in fact, and this is another great recipe. It's rather simple, pretty quick to make, especially if you use pre-cooked squash and it offers a different taste than the other pastas I tend to make. Ashleigh and I sampled some incredible pastas this weekend, but not a peep more on any of that! ;)

Note, this another recipe was based on something I saw on one of my favorite food blogs, Closet Cooking. I made a few changes to the seasoning, as well as added roasted red peppers.

Courge Pasta Carbonara

1/2 pound orecchiette pasta
8 slices bacon, chopped into slices
1 1/2c roasted butternut squash or courge, cut into bite-size cubes (see previous recipe here for roasting)
1 roasted red pepper, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sage, torn
salt and pepper to taste
crushed red pepper
2 egg yolks
2 Tbsp heavy cream
Dash of nutmeg
1/4c Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt and add the pasta. Cook until almost al dente, then drain, reserving 1/2c of cooking liquid. While the pasta is cooking, fry the bacon, drain most of the fat (if there is a lot) and add the squash, red peppers, garlic, sage, crushed red pepper and salt and pepper and toss to coat in the bacon grease. Mix the egg yolk, heavy cream, nutmeg and Parmesan in a bowl. Add the pasta to the pan with the squash mixture and toss. Remove the pan from the heat, let cool just slightly and add the egg mixture, tossing to coat. Add just a little bit of the pasta water and toss to mix and coat. Top with more sage and crushed red pepper if desired.

Results: A much lighter version of carbonara, I loved this bright and colorful dish. I've never cooked with orecchiette (ear pasta) before, but it seemed to be the perfect choice to keep the squash and pasta sizes balanced. When I asked Dave what he thought, he said, 'More bacon and less courge and it would be perfect' -- but isn't that always the truth?!

Meatball Subs with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

I didn't grow up eating meatballs and definitely didn't have a lot of meatball subs, but after passing by the same photo in one of my cookbooks at least a dozen times, I decided it was about time to give it a try. I didn't follow the recipe exactly, and there are probably hundreds of different meatball recipes, but I did use one of Rachael Ray's tips of sort-of flattening the meatballs so they don't roll around too much.

After Saturday morning yoga, Dave kindly agreed to walk around the outdoor market with me. We were both starving when we got home and after much begging, I finally agreed to make these for lunch instead of for dinner. It turns out we didn't even need dinner -- this was quite a feast!

Meatball Subs with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

1 lb ground beef
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2c bread crumbs
several heavy dashes of crushed red pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp finely chopped fresh basil
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp freshly grated Parm
salt and pepper

Sauce
1 can of crushed red tomatoes
2 roasted red bell peppers, sliced
crushed red pepper, as desired
Tabasco, as desired
1 tsp oregano
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp freshly chopped basil

shredded mozzarella cheese
1 loaf of crusty thick bread

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, then form into balls. Before setting on a baking sheet, push down on the top of each with the heel of your hand so it's slightly flattened on one side. Place in oven and cook for 10-12 minutes, until browned. Break open a meatball to make sure they're done. Drain on a paper towel.

While the meatballs are cooking, empty the crushed tomatoes into a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the roasted red peppers, oregano, crushed red pepper, Tabasco and salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Cook until heated through, then remove from stove and stir in the basil.

Cut the bread into sandwich sizes and place on baking sheet. If the bread is really doughy, you can remove some of the inside to make room for the fillings. If it's light, leave it as it. Add a spoonful of sauce on each bottom piece, then top with 3 meatballs - or enough to fill the sandwich. Add another spoonful of sauce on top, then sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Turn on the broiler and put the sandwiches in the oven. Watch carefully and remove the sandwiches after the cheese has just started browning and bubbling. Serve with additional sauce and lots of napkins!

Results: This was an insane feast, so delicious and I don't think I've been that full in a long time. One thing to note is that while the recipe is very straight forward, and can be made even easier if using a jarred tomato sauce and pre-made meatballs, when making everything from scratch, it takes longer than you think it would. From start to finish, it must have been at least 45 minutes before we were eating. I think what took the longest was preparing the meatballs and forming them. But it was definitely worth the time. While I don't see making these too often, I think they'll be a special treat for both Dave and I every once in a while.

Roasted Garlic Chicken with Courgette Pots of Couscous

One of the things I promised myself when I started my sabbatical, was that I would use some of my newfound free time to practice my French in every day situations, one being shopping at the daily vegetable market in our town. I have to admit that it has been so brutally cold out lately (especially to someone that doesn't usually need to leave the house during the week!), that I haven't done too well on this yet. But I still do intend to do this, especially when I saw how fun it was conversing with one of the women working in an epicerie in Val D'Isere. I think if I choose to do my shopping in an off-time (which I would think would be almost any time in our small town), and go to the fromergie, bucherie and boulangerie, instead of just to the grocery store, it will provide opportunities for much more interaction than just replying that no, I don't have a Migros card.

So while I haven't been shopping at the vegetable market just yet, I was so excited to find pumpkin-like courgettes at the grocery store last week. I loved serving autumn dishes in pumpkins, but these green speckled zucchinis are even better. While they don't provide a lot of flesh, they're the perfect personal serving dish for a side of grains.

I had first been tipped off to this courgette variation on a food blog by a Parisian who spent some time in the Bay Area (the blog is in English). Ever since, I've been on the lookout for these courgette rondes. Although I did go back to her recipe, you really don't need much of a recipe at all. Just fill with a mixture of grains, vegetables, etc et voila!

Roasted Garlic Chicken with Courgette Pots of Couscous

1 1/2c couscous, prepared according to the box
2 leeks, chopped
4 cloves of roasted garlic
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
salt and pepper
2 round zucchinis
Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the top off of each zucchini as if it were a pumpkin you were carving. Scoop out the inside flesh of each and set aside. Drizzle a little olive oil on the insides and season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until tender but still holding their shape.

In the meantime, saute the zucchini flesh, draining out any liquid that develops. You may also need to drain further over a sieve but that's usually if you're working with a larger amount of zucchini. Saute the leeks in a bit of olive oil, then stir into the couscous along with the zucchini flesh. Added the roasted garlic, and smash into the couscous. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper. Fill the zucchinis, grate a bit of Parmesan on the top and bake for 20 minutes.

For the chicken:

4 whole leg pieces (including thigh)
6 cloves of roasted garlic
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp finely chopped parsley
olive oil
salt and pepper

Garlic Herb Butter
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, slightly softened
4 cloves of roasted garlic
1 Tsp chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
salt and pepper

For the chicken, combine the rosemary, thyme, parsley and garlic, mash together and tuck beneath the ski of each piece of chicken. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Prepare the garlic herb butter by combining all ingredients in a bowl.

Heat the oven to 450 degrees F. Heat an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat and add a bit of olive oil. Add the chicken pieces, skin side down. Cook until the skin is golden brown, about 5 minutes, then flip and cook for 3-4 minutes until the other side is browned. Drain out any excess oil, then return the chicken pieces to skin-side down. Put the pan in the oven and roast for 4 minutes, flip the chicken pieces over, add a dollop of the garlic butter to the top of each and cook until done, about 5 minutes more. Juices should run clear.

Serve chicken with a dollop of garlic herb better.

Results: I've made a variation of this chicken before and while the meal was really inspired by the courgettes, I thought they would be nicely complimented with a simple chicken. The inclusion of the roasted garlic in each tied them together. Note, I made more couscous mix than actually fits in the courgettes. You could serve more than one courgette per person, or just have an additional bowl of the couscous for people that want a bit more as the serving size is actually pretty small.

Sausage and Roasted Red Pepper Lentil Curry Stew

Well, my French is already looking up. Not only did I spend about 10 minutes on the phone several weeks ago making the hotel reservation, including credit card details, spelling out my full email address and confirming that I was getting the Travelzoo offer including all the extras, the weekend at the French ski resort was a great excursion to practice everything I'd brushed up on during my first week of French class. Dave could tell immediately how much more confident I am in speaking. I'm definitely not suggesting that I say everything correctly now, but I think I stood out from all the others that know a few words of French as I was actually told on two separate occasions, in French of course, that I speak very well! Now of course I still have a long way to go, but a little compliment goes a long way, especially from the French. Positive-reinforcement isn't really their thing so I'll take what I can get!

Now I think everyone knows that I don't love skiing, but everyone should also know that I love seeing new places so if this is combined with skiing, then it's okay. Dave and I have explored quite a few of the major ski resorts around here, but we still wanted to check out ritzy Val D'Isere this winter and when Travelzoo France ran an outstanding (of course) offer for a 4-star hotel in this French ski town, I immediately booked. This area is definitely the furthest we've been to as far as driving, but it was still just 3 hours away. A spectacular drive put us in town just in time to enjoy our bottle of champagne (part of the Travelzoo deal) before heading out to dinner.

Drive to Val D'Isere, the mountains seem so close!

I had a serious cheese hangover after consuming a ridiculous amount of cheese fondue on Friday night, but surprisingly I managed to ski the next day. What a great resort!

pulling into town

Dave and I had so much fun, skiing all over the large ski area and even into neighboring Tignes. It was the perfect resort for me, plenty of blues and reasonable reds; I somehow even managed to get off-piste, although it wasn't a pretty sight. It was so cold and by mid-afternoon it started to snow and visibility was poor so we headed back to the hotel (only a few steps away from where I had to take off my skis!) and relaxed in the spa. Definitely my kind of ski weekend :)

A long run, skiing all the way back to town

Dave and I had eaten enough hearty, but rich foods this weekend; cheese, meat, sausage, bread, bread and more bread, that nothing sounded good. The weather has been freezing here too; it seems like we're still months away from spring. Lentil soup is always my go-to for a hearty winter warmer as the heartiness comes from good-for-you ingredients. So browsing one of my favorite food blogs, I found something that caught my eye immediately.

I made a few changes to the recipe, added some more seasonings, but I definitely recommend the addition of roasted red peppers and definitely throw in a parm rind if you have one (never throw those away!)

Sausage and Roasted Red Pepper Lentil Curry Stew

3-4 thick Italian sausages, casing removed and crumbled
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 small leeks (light green parts), chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
chili pepper flakes to taste
1 Tbsp yellow or Madras curry powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup red wine
1/2c green lentils
2 cups chicken stock
1 can diced tomatoes
2 roasted red peppers, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 Parmigiano Reggiano rind, optional
1 cup red lentils
1/2c sliced kielbasa
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup parsley, chopped

In a dutch oven over medium high heat, add a little olive oil and then add the sausage and cook until browned. Drain out the sausage, keeping the oil in the pot. Add the onion, carrot, celery and leeks and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper, stir, then add the curry powder and cayenne. Add the red wine and deglaze the pan. Add the green lentils and the next 7 ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, then add in the red lentils and cook until tender, another 20-30 minutes. Add the sliced kielbasa and cook until heated through, 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and more crushed red pepper if necessary. Dish out and sprinkle with parsley and serve with a crusty baguette.

Results: Dave and I both love lentil soup now, but it's still fun to experiment a bit. I added the green lentils as red lentils can get a bit mushy so I figured the combination would be the be way to balance texture. You could easily just got with the red and not cook it as long. In fact, I added the green and the red at the same time and that's not a good idea -- green lentils take longer to cook, so when the rest of the soup is done, the green ones aren't tender yet.

Year of the Tiger: Delayed Chinese New Year Feast

I love cooking up big feasts for any holiday possible and Chinese New Year is one of my favorites. While technically this celebration was back in mid-February, since it actually started on Valentine's day, I was already busy with a different menu. It's been a whirlwind since then so I just got around to making my feast, and on a Tuesday night no less.

I started my sabbatical on Monday which means all the stress of work will be put on hold for the next 6 weeks so I can focus on learning French. My classes have been great so far and I'm really hoping that the intensive daily format will help me improve by leaps and bounds so that I can finally become more confident in my speaking skills and build on my knowledge instead of just re-learning all the things I've learned in my previous French experiences.

The classes are every morning, but by noon I'm on the train back to Nyon and have the whole afternoon ahead of me. Too bad days go by so fast when you're not working! I admit to wasting several hours yesterday catching up on The Bachelor, but come on, I couldn't go online until I knew who won! Generally Tuesday nights are my longest night of work in preparation for publish on Wednesday, but last night I was able to use the free time to whip up homemade egg rolls, fried rice and broccoli beef -- just like the good ol' days of when I was trying to win Dave over.

We started dating during the summer after I graduated from college and he, from business school. He had just moved out to California and after continuing my lucrative private swim lesson business for one last summer and then traveling around Eastern Europe with some friends, I was out into reality for the first time: a college graduate with no job. I was doing some baby-sitting and living at home with my parents, but I immediately became obsessed with Food Network and discovered a passion for cooking. Dave was the lucky one that got to reap the benefits of my newfound hobby. Since I had all this free time, I would go to the store, let myself into Dave's place around 5pm and cook until he got home. And yes, almost every night even included homemade appetizers. Well, it obviously worked, but as work came into the picture and our waistlines expanded, the meals became somewhat abbreviated and now the only appetizer I'd make on a weeknight is a salad. But as Dave referenced that I'd have all this time at home, I knew he'd love a blast from the menu past. Yup, appetizers or not, there's no one he loves more than relaxed and happy Sabbatical Lo.

Easy Egg Rolls
egg roll wrappers
1 head of bok choy
green onions
lime juice
baby shrimp, chopped larger shrimp or crabmeat
soy sauce

There are lots of fillings for egg rolls, but as my grocery store doesn't have a lot of Asian ingredients, I kept mine pretty basic this time. Roughly chop up the leaves on the head of bok choy and add to a skillet over medium heat with a bit of oil. Chop the green parts of the green onions (maybe 3 onions, into 2-in pieces) and add to the bok choy. Cook for 8 minutes or until both greens are wilted. Add a Tbsp of lime juice (doesn't have to be fresh), then add the shrimp and a dash of soy sauce. Stir to mix and cook just until the shrimp are heated through.

Lay out the egg rolls and put a spoonful of the mix in the middle of each one. Having the square shaped like a diamond in front of you, fold 2 opposite corners together (one at your left hand and one at your right), then roll the corner closest to you towards the other corner. Gently press the top corner into the egg roll and it should stick. If not, a bit of egg white or water should do the trick.


Shrimp Fried Rice
1 cup cooked white rice
2 leeks, chopped
1 carrot, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
2 eggs
1/2c baby shrimp
crushed red pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Add the leek, carrot, bell peppers and celery to a skillet over medium-high heat with a bit of oil. Cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and add 2 eggs directly to the pan and stir to scramble. Add the baby shrimp, cook for 1 minute, then stir in a tablespoon of oil and the rice. Add some crushed red pepper and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a canned sweet chili sauce if desired.

Broccoli Beef
1 large stalk of broccoli, cut into smaller florets
1 lb beef, chopped into thin strips
1 onion, sliced into half moons
1/2 carrot, cut lengthwise through the middle and into slices
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
1 chile, sliced
cornstarch
water
soy sauce
honey
oyster sauce

Steam the broccoli over a pot of boiling water, set aside, uncovered, a few minutes before being tender. Mix the 2 Tbsp cornstarch with 1 Tbsp water and a dash of soy sauce and add the meat to the mixture. Set aside for 15 minutes. In a wok over medium high heat, add some oil, the onion, carrot, bell pepper and chile. Cook until almost tender. In a separate bowl, add 1 Tbsp cornstarch and combine with 1 Tbsp honey, 2 Tbsp oyster sauce and a dash of soy sauce. Stir to mix. Remove the beef from the marinade, discarding the marinade. Add the beef to the skillet of vegetable, adding more oil if necessary. Add 2 Tbsp of water to the skillet and return the broccoli. Then pour in the sauce, stir and let cook for 4 minutes or until thickened. Serve alongside fried rice and top with cilantro and chili sauce if desired.

Results: I've made all these dishes before, but altered the ingredients by using vegetables I already had on hand. The fried rice or broccoli beef could be simplified and could exclude the bell peppers, or the rice could use other vegetables like peas. While I've always used recipes in the past for these dishes, I'm now familiar enough with them that I can make them on my own, using whatever I have.

Leftover Roast Beef with Soba Noodles and Vegetables

Dave and I have spent the last few days in London. It's always good to be back and catch up with friends and colleagues and of course get a taste of foods that are much harder to come by here. Over the past few days, I've had Indian, sushi, full English breakfast and our favorite rib roast for two at Anchor and Hope on the Cut.

Much to Dave's disappointment, arriving home on a Sunday to a country where grocery stores aren't open doesn't leave much opportunity for a Sunday roast, but in a way we had ours last night and I personally could not stomach that much beef two nights in a row. We did have a Sunday roast beef several weeks ago, and as usual, we had lots of leftovers. So I figured it was about time to write up the leftovers transformation from a full roast beef to an Asian noodle bowl with leftover beef and fresh vegetables.

Noodle Bowl with Beef and Vegetables

8 oz soba noodles
2 bell peppers, any color, cut into strips
1/2c snap peas
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
1/3c chicken broth
1/4 soy sauce
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
sliced green onions

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to the package. In a steamer basket over the noodles, cook the snap peas for 6 minutes.

Heat some olive oil and add the ginger. Cook for a minute before adding the bell pepper strips. Then add the steamed snap peas. Cook for 4 minutes, then add the broth, soy sauce and sesame oil. Add the noodle and toss to coat.

Note on the beef, since I was using leftover, I seared for just a few seconds to heat without actually cooking. Top each bowl of noodles with a few slices of beef and sliced green onions.

Results: This was a great way to use up the leftover beef but turn it into something completely different from the roast. Dave loves one-pot meals, whether it's rice and stir-fry, noodles, etc. While it wasn't the most colorful dish, the soba noodles are a healthy alternative to other pasta. I topped with some Asian chile paste as well. Use whatever vegetables you have on hand and this goes for the meat as well -- shrimp, chicken or pork would work well too.

New Winter Favorite: White Turkey Chili

Chili is one of my favorite foods to eat on a cold day, but my red meat chili can be a bit intense and heavy. I decided to switch it up a bit by using turkey and white beans while keeping most of the flavor with the normal spices I usually use. I browsed through several white turkey chili recipes and decided that I wasn't willing to lose some of the bright ingredients of my former version, so I used a colorful variety of poblanos and a red bell pepper, as well as added a can of black beans as a contrast to the white ones. And no, that's not cheddar in the photo, just an orange cheese, mimolette -- the only thing close to cheddar that I can find at our grocery store.

White Turkey Chili

olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
3 medium poblano peppers, seeded, deribbed and diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 can white beans, rinsed
1 can black beans, rinsed
3c chicken broth
3 turkey breasts, chopped
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1 can corn
salt and pepper to taste
sliced green onions
chopped cilantro
shredded cheddar cheese

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat and add the onion, celery and poblano peppers; cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened. Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, cayenne and chili powder, stirring to mix. Add the beans and chicken broth, then the turkey. Reduce the heat and cook for 20 minutes or until the turkey is cooked through. Then stir in the oregano and corn and season with salt and pepper. Dish out, top with green onions, cilantro and cheddar cheese.

Results: A nice change to the red-meat version I generally make, this is just as filling, but naturally tastes like it's better for you. I still season mine with plenty of regular and hot peppers. Serving with tortilla chips is always a hit too.