Squash on Toast Recipe (from ABC Kitchen)

It took one viewing of Mark Bittman's video with Jean-Georges Vongerichten to know the next thing I wanted to make in the kitchen- squash on toast. Imagine this: pan-toasted rustic bread slathered with a layer of fresh ricotta (I love this California brand, Bellwether Farms) and topped with a butternut squash-caramelized onion mixture. Finally, a dash of fresh mint is sprinkled on top. It was probably the best thing on toast I have ever eaten. In fact, my dinner last night consisted of this toast and red wine. 

I followed the recipe pretty much to a T (I think it tastes great with butternut squash) but I might even add more onions next time. The caramelization makes them deliciously sweet but they break down in the process, so a bit more wouldn't have hurt. It's the first time I've truly caramelized onions (it took about 30 minutes overall) and I used apple cider vinegar and maple syrup a friend brought from Canada. 

As Bittman mentions, the mint on top takes the dish to another level. Somehow, the sweet and tangy onions, the smooth squash, and creamy ricotta all come together with the herb.

Caramelizing onions (patience required!)

Summer Corn Salad with Feta and Chile-Lime Dressing

Yesterday was a busy day in the kitchen.  There was chicken marinating, galette dough making, and two batches of scones (the first one had to be thrown out due to forgetting the eggs!) being whipped up.  I wanted something simple to accompany our chicken that we were going to grill on the BBQ.  I had cooked up three ears of corn the night before and decided on a corn salad.  After glancing in the fridge and pantry for what I had on hand, I went to work.  Wanting to relive my wonderful trip to Greece, I included feta cheese and grape tomatoes (if only they were Santorini cherry tomatoes!).  At first taste, the dressing tasted too sharp and acidic, so I added a teaspoon of sugar and that did the trick.  This salad is extremely fresh and tastes best eaten right away.  Recipe below.

Summer Corn Salad with Feta and Chile-Lime Dressing (serves 3-4)
Ingredients
3 ears of corn
10 oz. grape or cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 cup crumbled feta (with the liquid)
1 shallot, chopped finely
juice of 1 lime
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon chile
1/4 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste
5 large butter lettuce leaves
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 F.  Boil 3 ears of corn on stove.  Let cool to room temperature.  Use a knife to remove kernels and place in a medium-sized bowl.  Put tomatoes on a parchment-lined baking sheet and lightly toss with olive oil and salt.  Cook in oven for 25 minutes or until tomatoes are ready to burst.  Make dressing by combining lime juice, cumin, chile, sugar, and salt and pepper.  Add tomatoes, feta, and chopped shallots to bowl.  Toss with dressing.  Arrange the butter lettuce leaves around the serving plate and scoop salad onto leaves.  Enjoy!

Asian-Style Spicy Coleslaw

I just arrived back from beautiful Greece a little past midnight.  Until I get those posts up, I have a backlog of things I prepared before my trip.  After taking a cooking class last month, I was up to my head in fish sauce, lime juice, tamarind, and lots of other wonderful Thai ingredients.  This Food and Wine coleslaw recipe was contributed by our neighbor to accompany our Thai food party and it went perfectly.  If you are in a rush to throw dinner together, just grab a coleslaw-type bag of pre-chopped cabbage and whip up the dressing.  If you plan on having leftovers, reserve some of the dressing in a jar and pour over the salad right before serving to preserve freshness.

Asian-Style Spicy Coleslaw from Food and Wine

Ingredients

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons fish sauce

3 tablespoons sugar

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon Sriracha chili sauce

2 pounds napa cabbage, thinly sliced (12 cups)

3/4 pound red cabbage, thinly sliced (3 cups_

3 medium carrots, julienned 

2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

15 mint leaves

salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

In a medium bowl, whisk the peanut butter with the lime juice, fish sauce, water, sugar, garlic, and Sriracha.

In a large bowl, toss the napa and red cabbages with the carrots, peppers, cilantro, and mint.  Toss the salad with the dress and season with salt and pepper.  Serve right away.  Enjoy!