chop A Culinary Playground

Easy Butternut Squash Salad

As most of my readers know I try to use whole, unprocessed, local, organic food in my everyday cooking. But I am not perfect and when I am short on time I will used a prepared food.  This salad uses, precut butternut squash and Wholesome Fruit and Nut Medley from Costco, and is the closest I am going to get to Sandra Lee.  It is great for Thanksgiving.

Serves 4

1   Package of prepeeled and precut butternut squash

3   Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2   Teaspoons chipolte chile powder

1    Teaspoon ancho chile powder

1/2    Teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 Cups Fruit and Nut Medley (walnuts, hazelnuts,

      pistachio, dried cranberries and raisins)

1    Satsuma Mandarin, juiced

1    Tablespoon chives, chopped

1     Teaspoon, dried thyme

 Salt and Pepper

Toss squash with olive oil, chile powders and cinnamon.  Place on baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for about 25 minute or until fork tender and caramelized.   Cool down and toss with nuts and fruit, satsuma juice, chives, thyme and salt and pepper.  Serve at room temperature.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup with Spiced Carmelized Apple

This is a great fall soup.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup with Spiced Caramelized Apple

serves 4

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons madras curry powder

   Pinch cinnamon and nutmeg

1 Shallot, chopped

4 Cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed

4 Cups veggie stock

   Salt and Pepper

Heat oil and add curry powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and shallots.  Saute for a couple minutes. Add squash and stock and bring to a boil.  Cook until squash is tender.  Strain squash, reserving cooking liquid.  Puree squash in blender. Put back in pot and thin with cooking liquid for desired consistency.  Garnish with spiced apple slice and cream.

Spiced Caramelized Apple Slices

2    Tablespoons butter

1    Jonathan apple, sliced in thin wedges

1    Tablespoon chipotle powder

1/4 Teaspoon cayenne pepper

1    Teaspoon brown sugar

Melt butter in saute pan. Mix chipotle, cayenne and sugar together.  Place apples in butter, sprinkle with spice mixture, turn over and sprinkle opposite side.  Cook until caramelized.

 

 

 

 

 

Fennel and Apple Salad – A Great Fall Treat

Although it is still summer, fall is coming upon us soon.  In Hawaii we don’t have the dramatic change of seasons as other non tropical locales but we do have some subtle changes, it gets a little cooler   (in the low 80's not the high 80’s) and it rains a little more than usual.  It is also great gardening weather.  I have had good luck with fennel at that time of the year.

This salad I made last year for Thanksgiving and it was so popular that night I made it again for Christmas. It is great because it can hold for several hours and just needs to be tossed right before serving.

Fennel And Apple Salad

serves 10

Dressing

In a salad bowl combine the following

2      Tablespoons grainy Dijon mustard (I   

  like Maile brand)

2      Tablespoon sherry vinegar

2      Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2      Tablespoon hazelnut oil

        Kosher salt and lots of black pepper

Whisk mustard, vinegar salt and pepper together slowly whisk in the oils. 

5     Granny Smith apples, cored and thinly

       sliced in wedges

2     Large fennel bulbs, halved, cored and

       sliced thinly

1     Handful fennel fronds chopped

1/2  Large red onion, thinly sliced

2     Heads of Belgium endive, julienne

11/2Cups hazelnuts, skinned and roughly

       chopped (in the picture I used walnuts

        but I prefer hazelnuts)

Coat the apples in the dressing so they don’t discolor. layer the rest of the ingredients on top of the apples.  This can be held in a refrigerator for several hours.  Toss right before serving.

Tomato Vodka Salad

Several years ago I tore a recipe out of a magazine for cherry tomatoes macerated in vodka.  I always wanted to make it for a catering job but never did because of the tedious task of  peeling the tomatoes.  I have long lost the recipe.  This year I seem to have a lot of cherry tomatoes in the garden from some rogue plants and I decide to try to make this tomato and vodka salad.

This salad would be great for brunch or a hot summer afternoon.

Cherry Tomato and Vodka Salad

serves 8

2 pints cherry tomatoes

2 cups vodka

  Coarse grain sea salt (I used Hanepepe Alae

  from our friend's salt bed) 

  Fresh basil, jullienned

Put a pot of water to boil.  Cut a X on the bottom of the tomato.  Do not cut too deep, just cut the skin.  Place in boiling water for 15 seconds, drain and place in an ice bath. Peel skin off. Place in container with vodka and basil. Macerate for 3 - 10 hours.  Drain (vodka can be used for Bloody Marys) Place tomatoes in individual glasses and top with sea salt.

This would also be excellent with some Buratta Cheese

Fourth of July 2009

 We spent the holiday over at a friend's house and enjoyed wonderful delights from their wood burning oven.

Jicama Stars

 Brick Oven Seared Rib Eye

 

 Potato and Truffle Oil Pizza

 

Prime Rib and Horseradish Pizza

 

 

 

 

Fresh Lilikoi Juice

 

Would you like a lychee??

Trio of Potato Salad

I am counting the days until the Fourth of July.  The fourth is one of my favorite holidays.  Until last year we would spend the holiday at my mother’s beach house on  the North Shore of Oahu.  The day was spent playing in the water and sand and was always capped off with a sunset BBQ with more food than we could eat.  My mother sold her house last year and this will be our second year spending the fourth in town.  We do have a great view of the fireworks, and still make too much food.

I decided to stray from the classic potato salad and made an Aegean, Moroccan and Japanese inspired potato salad.

We used to serve this salad in our former restaurant Beau Soleil.

It was really popular and the food editor of the Honolulu Advertiser had a request for the recipe. 

Aegean Potato Salad

1      pound red potatoes, quartered

1/4   cup extra virgin olive oil

2      tablespoons red wine vinegar

2      tablespoons capers

1/2   red onion, thinly sliced

1/2   cup crumbled feta cheese

2      tablespoons chopped Italian

        parsley

        salt and pepper

Boil potatoes in salted water, until fork tender.  Drain and place hot potatoes in bowl.  Do not cool.  Add the rest of the ingredients and toss.  Serve at room temperature.

Moroccan Potato Salad

This salad is flavored with Moroccan Argan oil.  I will write more about this ingredient later.

1     pound red potatoes

2     tablespoons argan oil

1     tablespoon chopped Italian

       parsley

1     cup pitted kalamata, or Moroccan

       olives

       salt and pepper

Boil potatoes until fork tender. Drain and toss with the rest of the ingredients while still hot.  Serve at room temperature.

Japanese Style Potato Salad

1     pound red or waxy potatoes

1/2  cup mayonnaise

2     tablespoons finely diced red

       onion

2     tablespoon tobbiko (flying fish     

       roe)

Cook potatoes in boiling water until fork tender.  Drain and let cool.

Mix with the rest of the ingredients and refrigerate.  Serve cold

Count down to Memorial Day - Hot Dog Bar

We are counting down the days until Memorial Day.  In our catering business we create a lot of live stations or bars.  This seems to make the flow of the party smooth instead of people lining up at one long buffet line.  So at your party why don’t you make a hot dog bar.  I started with a variety of sausages and hot dogs, a couple of different buns and a slew of toppings.

Hot Dog Bar

Hot Dogs and Sausages ( brats, knockwurst, andouille)

Buns (white, wheat, sprouted wheat)

Ketchups (plain and curry)

Mustards (coarse grain, Dijon, yellow)

Sliced Tomatoes

Pickles

Sauerkraut

Cheese

Onions in Tomato Sauce

Chopped onions

Chili

Did I miss anything??  If I did please comment and let me know.