Chopbiscuit at home recipes: Maple-Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Spicy Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

It's fall. It's harvest time. It's soupy.

Cooking in the fall just feels right. Especially when you're cooking with local, hand-made ingredients. Butternut squash gives off a bright golden hue with deep, sweet flavor. Accompany that with some Vermont Grade A medium amber maple syrup and it's a nice, warm, fall appropriate dish. This soup is great for any occasion outside of a Hitler Youth rally. You get the picture.


Maple-Roasted Butternut squash Soup with Spicy Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
Yield: 4-6 servings

1 medium butternut squash
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons Grade A maple syrup
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons creme fraiche/heavy cream
3 cups chicken stock (low sodium)
2 cups spicy toasted pumpkin seeds

(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a large knife, cut the squash lengthwise down the middle. Scoop out the seeds and set them aside if you're planning to use them for anything. (Glaze them with maple?)

(2) Place the squash halves, flesh side up, in a baking dish. Place a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of maple syrup in each squash cavity. Sprinkle each half with a 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cover the squash with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours until the squash is tender and soft.

(3) Pour the liquid from the squash cavity into a food processor and then scoop all the flesh into it. Add another tablespoon of butter, maple syrup and 2 tablespoons of creme fraiche. Puree until smooth and silky.

(5) Transfer the puree to a medium saucepan and whisk in 2 cups of chicken stock and heat over medium heat. Thin it out by slowing adding the remaining one cup of stock and salt to taste.


*When serving, top with spicy toasted pumpkin seeds.

Chopbiscuit recipes: Baked Eggplant and Basil Ricotta Rolls

I've had an inappropriate relationship with eggplant for a few years now. My wife is aware of it and I've sought out some professional help. Eggplant is easy, delicious and dog-friendly. This is an easy recipe below you can make at home or in your neighbors kitchen when they're sleeping at night. They will be surprised and delighted that you broke into their house to bake this eggplant recipe.

Baked Eggplant and Basil Ricotta Rolls
Yield: Serves 4 - 5

2 medium eggplants
2 cups fresh ricotta
1/2 cups chopped fresh basil
1 cup finely grated Parmesan
1 cup Primavera pasta sauce
3/4 cup coarsely grated mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 large baking trays with olive oil. Cut the eggplants into 1cm thick slices lengthways. Arrange the eggplant, in a single layer, on the prepared trays. Lightly spray with olive oil spray. Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until golden. Meanwhile, place the ricotta, basil and three quarters of the Parmesan in a medium bowl and stir until well combined. Taste and season with pepper.

Place 1 tablespoon of the ricotta mixture on 1 eggplant slice and roll up firmly to enclose filling. Place the roll, seam side down, in a 30 x 20cm baking dish. Repeat with the remaining ricotta mixture and eggplant. Pour the tomato sauce evenly over the rolls. Sprinkle with fresh mozzarella and remaining Parmesan. Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until the mozzarella melts evenly

Chopbisuit recipes: {that you'll probably never make} Strawberry Rhubarb & Ginger Crisp

We're getting about ankle high into the late spring/early summer season so I thought I would make a little dish that get's you feeling all "Summa time". My better half brought some fresh rhubarb home from a co-worker and ordered me to make something with it. We'll, she actually asked pleasantly, so I agreed and whipped up a nice little dish. So, Let's get into it and hit play on your tape deck. You still have a tape deck right?

Strawberry Rhubarb & Ginger Crisp

1. 4 cups  rhubarb , diced 1/2 inch thick
2. 1 1/4 cups sugar
3. 4 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered 
4. 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger 
5. 2 tablespoons cornstarch
6. 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
7. 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
8. 1 teaspoon orange zest
9. 1 tablespoon tawny port 

Topping

1. 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
2. 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
3. 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
4. 1 1/4 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
5. 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
6. 1/2 teaspoon salt  

 

The lineup

1. MAKE THE FILLING Preheat the oven to 375°. In a bowl, toss the rhubarb with 1 cup of the sugar and let stand for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. In another bowl, toss the strawberries with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the rhubarb to the strawberries; discard any rhubarb juice. Add the ginger, cornstarch, lemon juice, orange zest Tawny Port and vanilla to the fruit and stir well. Transfer the mixture to a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. 

Nuttin' beats fresh summertime fruit

1. MAKE THE TOPPING Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, mix the ingredients together until large crumbs form. You know how you like it when "large crumbs form".....!

1. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the filling and bake for 30-35 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325° and continue baking for about 20-25 minutes longer, until the fruit filling is bubbling and the topping is nicely browned. Put in a Johnny Gill tape into your boom box and get your groove on.  Let the crisp rest for 10 to 20 minutes before serving. 

 

Enjoy with a dollup of vanilla ice cream

 

Since I had a pretty busy day, I actually forgot to add the ginger to the recipe. (Good thing I'm not getting paid for this) If I made this again, I probably would remove the orange zest and reduce the amount of Tawny Port. It may have been a little too sweet for my taste buds.