Roasted Butternut Squash with Apple-Cider Vinaigrette

All the colors of the rainbow.  // Instagram @kguymon

Man, I wish sometimes that I could make a living by being a food photographer. That way, I wouldn't have to resort to Instagram pics during instances of free-time famine. And, I'd get to lovingly handle food all day. And, then hopefully I'd get to devour said  food at the end of every shoot. That's how it works, right?

In any event, I made some highly addictive roasted squash not too long ago that I thought was pretty enough to capture with my old-ass iPhone 4.

Turns out, it's incredibly tasty, too. The apple-cider vinaigrette and shallots balance the sweetness of the squash, so all the ingredients hold hands and do that perfect sweet-savory dance. I served this with a very garlicky roasted pork tenderloin. All felt right with the world.


Roasted Butternut Squash with Apple-Cider Vinaigrette [adapted from Real Simple]
-1 3 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch thick half-moons
-8 shallots, cut into wedges
-4 tablespoons olive oil
-kosher salt and black pepper
-1 cup apple cider
-1 tablespoon cider vinegar
-1 tablespoon dijon or whole grain mustard
-1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1. Heat oven to 400° F. Divide the squash and shallots among 2 large rimmed baking sheets.

2. Toss the vegetables with a total of 2 tablespoons of the oil and season with a total of 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Arrange in a single layer and roast, turning once, until golden brown and tender, 40 to 45 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, simmer the cider in a small saucepan until reduced to 1/4 cup, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. Whisk in the vinegar, mustard, parsley, the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.

4. Drizzle the squash and shallots with the vinaigrette when they are out of the oven, but still hot.

Asian Noodle Salad

Photo by Katie Guymon

While looking for online recipes that stray from your run-of-the-mill summer pasta salads, I found this Asian noodle salad on the PBS website, of all places. Yet another reason we should all pick up the phone during telethon season and make that donation. Elmo loves you.

The dressing for this salad is thick and very peanutty, so I found a drizzle Sriracha at the end helped cut through that sweetness. While I paired this with grilled tuna (and later, for leftovers with honey-mustard salmon), you could make it a complete meal by adding shrimp. Other veggies like bean sprouts, carrots, edamame, or sugar snap peas would also be great.

Asian Noodle Salad [recipe adapted from PBS Food]
-1 pound whole grain spaghetti
-1/2 cup vegetable oil
-4 tablespoons of smooth peanut butter
-1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
-1/4 cup soy sauce
-1/4 cup dark sesame oil
-2 tablespoons honey
-2 large garlic cloves
-1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled
-3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
-1 seedless cucumber, peeled and cut in half vertically, and thinly sliced
-1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded, and thinly sliced
-6 green onions, sliced vertically
-Sriracha
  
1. In a large pot, cook (al dente) the spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and set aside. 

2. While the spaghetti is cooking, prepare the dressing. In a blender or food processor, blend the vegetable oil, peanut butter, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, garlic, and ginger until smooth. Mix in the sesame seeds and red pepper flakes. 

3. When the spaghetti is ready, toss the noodles with the dressing. Add the bell peppers, cucumbers, and green onions and toss again.

4. Add a drizzle of Sriracha to each individual serving.

Israeli Couscous Tabbouleh

Photo by Katie Guymon

Is it weird to tell you that I find Israeli couscous to be the cutest food item around? I mean, they are such teensy little plumpers. (Plumpers? I dunno. I made that up.) Avery calls them "bubbles." She's got the right idea.

After becoming transfixed with the photograph of this beautiful salad in my most recent issue of Bon Appétit, I decided to make it for myself. I served it alongside steaks with chimichurri sauce. 

And even though it's semi-difficult to eat this couscous tabblouleh because it's so freaking adorable, you'll get over it really fast. I did.

Note: if you want to do a more traditional tabbouleh, here's a great recipe that uses bulgar wheat and grilled sweet peppers.

Israeli Couscous Tabbouleh [adapted from Bon Appétit]   
-1 1/2 cups of Israeli couscous 
-1 small shallot, finely chopped 
-1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil 
-fresh juice of two lemons
-1 English hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, finely chopped 
-3 cups cherry tomatoes, yellow and red, halved 
-2 tablespoons of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 
-2 tablespoons of chopped fresh mint 
-kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

1. Cook couscous according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water to keep the couscous from sticking together and drain well.

2. Whisk shallot, oil, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice in a large bowl. Add couscous, cucumber, tomatoes, parsley, and mint; season with salt, pepper, and the rest of the lemon juice and toss to combine.

Note: if you'd like to make this a day ahead, don't add the herbs until you're ready to serve. 

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Apples

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Apples [adapted from Little Pink Monster]
-1 lb. of Brussels sprouts, halved
-1 apple, chopped into 1" pieces
-4 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1" pieces
-olive oil
-kosher salt
-pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place bacon pieces on a roasting pan and bake for 8-10 minutes, until browned.

2. Meanwhile, mix Brussels sprouts with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Add to the roasting pan with the bacon, and at this point, loosen the bacon to make sure it's not sticking to the pan. Roast for 10-15 until Brussels sprouts begin to brown.

3. Add the apple pieces to the pan and roast until soft, approximately five minutes.

Tabbouleh Salad with Grilled Sweet Peppers

Summer calls for healthy salads. Here's one that's great for many lunches in row (God bless leftovers) or as a side with grilled shrimp, or lamb chops if you're a fancy pants home cook.

Tabbouleh Salad with Grilled Sweet Peppers
-1 cup of bulgar wheat
-1 large red bell pepper, stemmed and seeded
-1 large yellow bell pepper, stemmed and seeded
-1 medium cucumber, seeded and diced
-3 green onions, thinly sliced
-1 large tomato, seeded and diced
-1/4 cup of flat leaf parsley, chopped
-1/4 cup of mint, chopped
-3 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil, divided
-1 lemon, juiced
-salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook the bulgar wheat according to package instructions. Drain and cool.

2. Preheat grill pan to medium high. Brush peppers with a 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Grill until soft. When cool enough to handle, dice.

3. In a large bowl, combine the wheat, cucumber, onions, tomato, peppers, parsley, mint, lemon juice, and remaining olive oil. Adjust seasoning as needed with salt and pepper.

4. Chill for at least two hours and let come to room temperature for about thirty minutes before serving.

Barbeque Pasta Salad

Our dear friends Corey and Caitlin were in Saint Louis over the three-day weekend, and they came over last night for dinner. God, I love the outdoor grilling season. For one, it's the time of year for make-ahead, cold side dishes that can sit in the fridge all day, becoming tastier by the minute. Two, I can force Matt to cook at least half of any given meal, as I absolutely refuse to learn how to grill. Continuing to play dumb earns me extra downtime when we have guests. Strategery, folks.

I made this recipe for barbeque pasta salad, and I was reminded how much I love it. It's kinda sorta unique, and that's saying a lot where pasta salad is concerned. It's creamy instead of vinegary, but it's not disgusting like the drenched-in-mayo elbow macaroni perpetually offered at any given salad bar.

The original recipe by The Neelys calls for pulled pork, but since we were doing burgers, I omitted the meat and just upped the number of veggies. Here's my adapted version.

Barbeque Pasta Salad [adapted from The Neelys' recipe]
-1 pound rotini pasta
-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
-1 teaspoon hot sauce
-1/2 teaspoon chili powder
-1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
-Pinch cayenne pepper
-3/4 cup Miracle Whip
-3/4 cup barbeque sauce
-1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
-3 ribs celery, sliced
-3 whole green onions, sliced thin
-Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring water to boil, in a large pot, over high heat. Salt the water, add the pasta and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and allow to cool.

2. In another large bowl, mix together vinegar, hot sauce, chili powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, mayonnaise and BBQ sauce.

3. Add chopped vegetables and pasta and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Roasted Ranch Cauliflower

Matt and I love our roasted vegetables. In the past two weeks, we've had roasted asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower. So, now you know I'm not lying.

Here's a roasted cauliflower recipe I kind of threw together based on what I had lying around from a trip to the farmers market. I had no idea it would be so freaking good. Matt took one bite and blurted out some swear words in appreciation.

Roasted Ranch Cauliflower
-1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
-1 package of dry ranch dressing
-1 lemon, juiced
-1/2 cup olive oil
-4 green onions, chopped (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix the dry ranch dressing, olive oil, and half of the lemon juice in a large bowl.
3. Add the cauliflower florets and toss until the florets are fully coated with the mixture.
4. Spread the florets evenly on a roasting pan and roast for approximately 20 minutes, or until the florets are tender and slightly browned.
5. Before serving, squeeze the remaining lemon half over the cauliflower and toss in the green onions.

Matt's Birthday Dinner

Last Saturday, I hosted what will probably be my last dinner party for quite awhile (I hear new babies require a lot of attention) in honor of Matt's birthday. The birthday boy requested scallops and risotto. Holy heavy! Holy delicious! Needless to say, I kept the rest of the of the menu light.

Enjoy all of the recipes from the night.

Roasted Tomato Bruschetta [adapted from Rachael Ray]
-2 pints grape tomatoes
-1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
-salt and freshly ground black pepper
-1 loaf French bread
-4 scallions, finely chopped
-1/2 cup basil leaves, thinly sliced

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. 

2. Coat the tomatoes in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast 20 minutes to concentrate the flavor and burst the tomatoes.

3. Cut the French baguette into 1/2 slices and broil until lightly toasted.

4. In a bowl, lightly mash the roasted tomatoes and combine with scallions and basil. Top the French bread slices with the mixture and serve.

Seed Salad
This is one of my family's favorite salads of all time! My mom has been making it for years and years. It doesn't keep very well in the fridge (the word "soggy" comes to mind), so make sure there are no leftovers.

-1 1/2 heads of iceberg lettuce
-1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds
-1/4 cup chopped white onion
-2 tablespoons sesame seeds
-2 tablespoons poppy seeds
-4 tablespoons sugar
-4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
-1 teaspoon salt
-1/2 teaspoon pepper
-1 teaspoon Accent
-1/8 cup olive oil

1. Cut up lettuce in large bowl. Add almonds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and onion.

2. Mix together remaining ingredients, adding the olive oil last. Shake or blend well.

3. Pour the dressing over the salad no more than one hour before serving. Toss well.

Roasted Asparagus
-2 bunches of asparagus
-olive oil
-kosher salt
-fresh cracked pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 

2. Cut off the tough ends of the asparagus. Place the asparagus on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, then toss to coat the asparagus completely. Spread the asparagus in a single layer and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

3. Roast the asparagus for 20-25 minutes, until tender but still crisp.

Goat Cheese, Pancetta, and Mushroom Risotto
I posted this recipe as one of my favorites of 2011 after only making it one time. Two times in, I continue to stand firm in my endorsement of this risotto. Wow, wow, wow.

-5 cups low sodium chicken broth
-10 ounces cremini mushrooms
-3 tablespoons butter
-1 medium onion, diced
- 1/2 cup pancetta, diced (4 ounces)
-1.5 cups Arborio rice
-1/2 cup dry white wine
-1/2 cup grated fresh parmesan cheese
-3/4 cup goat cheese (3-4 ounces)
-1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped
-1/2 teaspoon. kosher salt
-1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the stock to a boil over medium-high heat and keep warm over low heat.

2. In a large, heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, mushrooms and pancetta and cook until the onions are tender but not brown, about 3 minutes.

3. Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost evaporated, about 3 minutes.

4. Add ½ cup of warm stock and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes.

5. Continue with remaining stock, adding ½ cup at a time, and allowing each addition to be absorbed, until the rice is tender to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 to 25 minutes.

6. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the parmesan, goat cheese, chives, salt and pepper. Allow to sit for a few minutes before serving.

Seared Sea Scallops [recipe courtesy of Alton Brown]
-1 to 1 1/4 pounds dry sea scallops, approximately 16
-2 teaspoons unsalted butter
-2 teaspoons olive oil
-kosher salt
-freshly ground black pepper

1. Remove the small side muscle from the scallops, rinse with cold water and thoroughly pat dry.

2. Add the butter and oil to a 12 to 14-inch saute pan on high heat. Salt and pepper the scallops. Once the fat begins to smoke, gently add the scallops, making sure they are not touching each other.

3. Sear the scallops for 1 1/2 minutes on each side. The scallops should have a 1/4-inch golden crust on each side while still being translucent in the center. Serve immediately.

Greek Salad

Yesterday, my friends and I celebrated the dawning of Loufest II with a little pre-music festival lunch. Of course, I picked a Barefoot Contessa recipe to bring to the par-tay because, really, Ina's never done me wrong. It was the first time I've really used the kitchen in our new house, and it was the first time that I've put my camera together in a long, long while. It felt good to make something yummy and then creepily take 15 million pictures of the finished product. I'm back, baby!

I think this lettuce-free Greek salad is a fantastic late summer recipe. All the veggies are ripe and tasty, and it's about the most colorful salad I've ever seen. (Please notice that the color black is missing from the above picture in the form of black olives. I forgot to buy them at the grocery store.) I think next time around, I'll have to add some pepperoncini. It would only be right.

Greek Salad
Salad:
-1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/4-inch thick
-1 red bell pepper, large-diced
-1 yellow bell pepper, large-diced
-1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
-1/2 red onion, sliced in half-rounds
-1/2 pound feta cheese, 1/2-inch diced (not crumbled)
-1/2 cup calamata olives, pitted

Vinaigrette:
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1 teaspoon dried oregano
-1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
-1/4 cup good red wine vinegar
-1 teaspoon kosher salt
-1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
-1/2 cup good olive oil

1. Place the cucumber, peppers, tomatoes and red onion in a large bowl.

2. For the vinaigrette, whisk together the garlic, oregano, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Still whisking, slowly add the olive oil to make an emulsion. Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables. Add the feta and olives and toss lightly.

3. Set aside for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Serve at room temperature.

A Super Bowl Party

So, it's the Monday after the Super Bowl, and despite the fact that I'm feeling quite disgusting after eating my weight in food yesterday, I'm here to share a few recipes from the little get together Matt and I hosted.

Our friends and I had engaged in general merrymaking, and for us, that included (but was not limited to): pulling up pictures of Fergie as proof of the unfortunate time she wet her pants onstage, whimpering over the cuteness of puppies, and drinking beer. Good times had by all.

These are the adorable cookies that Alice brought over the day before the game. They are from Clayton's Bakery and Deli in Saint Louis, the place Alice swears is the best for frosted cookies. Good to know. (Although, I have ordered cookies through the same gal who did my wedding cupcakes, and they were pretty spectacular. Just had to give a shout out).

Antipasto Pasta Salad [recipe courtesy of Cuisine at Home]

I had my eye on this recipe from the Cuisine at Home magazine ever since I saw it at the beginning of football season last fall. It contains approximately one million ingredients, and all of them are individually fantastic. But, put 'em all together, and that's when the magic really happens.
Vinaigrette:
-1 1/2 tablespoons capers, drained
-2 teaspoons anchovy paste
-2 teaspoons minced garlic
-1/4 cup red wine vinaigrette
-1 teaspoon dried oregano
-6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
-salt and black pepper to taste

Salad:
-8 ounces dry tri-color rotini pasta
-2 cups seeded and half-moon sliced cucumbers
-1 cup diced smoked mozzarella
-1 cup diced Italian salami
-1 cup thinly sliced red onion
-3/4 cup pitted and chopped kalamata olives
-1/2 cup pepperoncini, rinsed and stemmed
-1/2 cup sliced roasted red peppers
-1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts, quartered
-2 tablespoons capers, drained

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, according to package directions. Drain pasta, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
2. Purée capers, anchovy paste, and garlic for the vinaigrette in a food processor. Add vinegar and oregano; pulse to combine. Slowly drizzle in oil, and bled until emulsified. Season vinaigrette with salt and black pepper.
3. Mix together cooked pasta, cucumbers, tomatoes, mozzarella, salami, onion, olives, pepperoncini, roasted peppers, artichoke hearts, and capers for the salad in a large bowl. Toss the salad with vinaigrette to coat.
4. Refrigerate salad overnight.

Italian Beef
The hardest part of this recipe is the required shredding of the meat after all the cooking is done. All you need is a fork, some elbow grease, and some patience. The easiest part of this recipe is the joyful eating of the meat after the shredding is done.

-4 lbs. boneless sirloin
-1 package of dry Italian dressing mix
-1 package of au jus gravy mix
-5-6 pepperoncini and juice
-6-8 fresh garlic cloves
-hoagie rolls

1. Place all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low for 4-5 hours. (I usually cut in the meat in half after four hours to check on doneness).
2. Shred, baby, shred.

Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip
Holy Lord, this dip is my Kryptonite. Courtney brought it over yesterday, but I think my recipe is exactly the same as hers. Luckily, most people serve it with celery sticks, so it's, at least, got something healthy going for it.

-8 ounces Frank's Red Hot buffalo wing sauce
-12 ounces cream cheese, softened
-8 ounces Marie's Blue Cheese salad dressing
-2-4 cups cooked chicken (can use Tyson's precooked grill strips and chop into smaller pieces)
-2-3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. Mix first four ingredients, spread into a baking dish, and top with cheddar.
2. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until cheese is bubbling.
3. Serve with tortilla chips and celery.