Weekly Recipe #100: Coconut Squash Pudding

Here it is mid-January, the roads are iced over and our yards are slushy with half-melted snow -- and so we continue to think about putting together comforting, toasty meals. Roasting winter squash can be an excellent way of supplying heat to the house on a chilly evening.

This aromatic recipe comes from our chef and baker Rita Panton, who writes, "My pudding is a relative to pumpkin pie, incorportaing coconut milk and varying the spices. I make the delightful pudding in ramekins for individual servings, but it can also be tasty if poured into a pie shell."

Coconut Squash Pudding
(Serves 8)

 1 1/2 cup squash puree (kabocha, red kuri, hubbard, or butternut)
1 cup coconut milk, canned
4 large eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
6 cardamom pods, crushed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1. Begin by cutting the squash in half and placing flat side down on a sheet pan. Roast for 30-45 minutes. The squash will be soft when poked. Once you remove it from the oven, reduce the heat to 350 degrees.

2. Allow the squash to cool slightly, and then remove the skin, puree the squash in a food processor and set aside.

3. Heat coconut milk in a saucepan on low heat. Steep the cardmom pods for 10 minutes. Strain.

4. Combine all ingredients in food processor, stand mixer or bowl. Mix well.

5. Divide mixture between ramekins and bake for 40 minutes, or until just barely set.

Recipe #99: Paul's Winter Crock Pot Chili

By Paul Tatro

There’s nothing quite like the comfort and convenience of a good crock pot to warm you on an icy day.

Below is a list of suggested ingredients and basic steps for making a delicious chili using a standard crock pot; however, the beauty of crock pot cooking lies in its flexibility, so feel free to make changes as you see fit.

Paul's Winter Crock Pot Chili
(Serves 4-6)

Directions:
Brown ground beef in skillet, drain. Put meat in crock pot. Add as many of the ingredients as you have. All quantities are approximations, so no need to be precise. Set to "High" for about 90 minutes, then turn to "Low" for 3-5 hours stirring occasionally.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 small can tomato paste
3 tomatoes (frozen or fresh, any kind)
2 cans of different kinds of beans (kidney, chili, red, black, garbanzo - you really can't miss)
2-3 bell peppers (mix and match colors if possible)
Fresh garlic cloves, chopped - as many as you like
2-3 chopped onions (any color is good)
1-2 shallots if available, chopped (optional)
Assorted other peppers if available (jalapeno, Serrano, banana, chili, dried or habeneros, be very careful with them!)

Spices and seasoning:
Chili powder -- lots of it, like at least 1/2 cup - add more if it still lacks "chili" flavor
Cumin -- generous amount, at least a tablespoon
Salt -- small pinch, add more if necessary
Sugar and/or honey -- 2 teaspoons or so
Pepper, black -- up to 1/2 teaspoon
Cayenne pepper and/or hot sauce -- use according to taste, slightly more than a pinch
Red wine (soured) or Vinegar -- quarter to half a cup
Olive oil -- drizzled in, not more than a tablespoon
Basil (fresh or dry) -- pinch
Oregano (fresh or dry) -- pinch

Suggested garnishes:
Sourdough bread
Corn bread
Corn chips
Cheddar cheese
Green onions/chives

Weekly Recipe: #98 Jerk Chicken

Asei’s Jerk Chicken
From the kitchen of Asei Tendle, Food Services Director

What better way to comfort yourself against the Minnesota cold then with a dish straight from The Caribbean?

When the temperature gets this cold, there is simply nothing better than a traditional spicy Jamaican jerk rub to liven up your day and take the edge off.

A perfect for appetizer for the big game, this incredible dish is easy to make and goes well with ginger beer or tamarind soda. 

Ingredients 6 green onions, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice (pimento)
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh ginger minced
1 tablespoon fresh garlic minced
Scottish bonnet pepper (optional)
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions
1) In a food processor or blender, combine everything but the chicken. Mix for about 15 seconds.

2) Place the chicken in a medium bowl, and coat with the marinade. Refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours, or overnight.

3) Preheat grill for high heat. Or oven to 375 degrees F

4) Lightly oil grill grate. Cook chicken on the prepared grill 6 to 8 minutes, until juices run clear. Or roast in oven for 10 to 15 min or until internal temp reaches 165 degrees F

Weekly recipe #97: Celeriac Remoulade

By Susan Pagani

This past weekend, we ate Sunday dinner with some friends in St. Paul. They gave us Italian sausage in a rich chile sauce served over polenta -- a warm, satisfying dish that was so spicy it gave us the hick-ups. Happily, it came with a heap of creamy, mouth-cooling celeriac remoulade.

I had never eaten shredded celeriac: In the remoulade, it was like a savory cole slaw, with a satisfying crunch and not so much mayo or fussy flavors that it overwhelmed the root's earthy, celery goodness.

Here is a recipe, adapted from one that appeared in the New York Times. I have added almonds because, at our dinner, some snuck in from a neighboring salad and all the ingredients seemed to get along. I suspect this recipe would work with kohlrabi, too.

Celeriac Remoulade
(Serves 4)

INGREDIENTS

1 big or 2 small celeriacs, trimmed and julienned
1 egg
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, or more to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup sliced almonds, plus some for garnish

PREPARATION

1.Trim and julienne the celeriac. I suggest the grating disk of the food processor to julienne, but you could use a box grater or mandolin. Sprinkle with salt and set aside in a serving bowl.
2.To make the mayonnaise, put the egg, mustard, salt, pepper and acid in a food processor. While the machine is running, add the oils in a slow, steady stream. You can also make the mayonnaise by hand: Put the egg, mustard, salt, pepper and acid in a medium bowl. Beat together with a wire whisk or a fork, adding the oils in a slow, steady stream until it is incorpated, about 5 minutes.
4.Taste the mayo, adjust the seasoning and then combine it with the julienned celeriac. You will not use all of the mayonnaise.
5. Fold in almonds and garnish with a little more. Enjoy!

Weekly Recipe #96: Noodles with Sausage and Fried Sage

By Susan Pagani

Long ago, when I lived in Oakland, Calif., there was a restaurant called Oliveto's in my neighborhood. It sat on the corner adjacent my train stop and so became a convenient after-work haunt. My favorite dish there was a simple combination of handmade gnocchi in a sauce of fried sage leaves and brown butter -- wonderfully comforting at the end of a long winter's workday.

This recipe was inspired by that deliciousness and by a recipe from food writer Moira Hodgson. She likes cream in it, but I prefer it with the sage butter alone. In fact, the sausage could go! Either way, this dish comes together in about the time it takes to boil water and cook pasta, and that, too, is comforting at the end of the day.

Noodles with Sausage and Fried Sage

(Serves 4)

INGREDIENTS
1 pound fettuccine
4 mild Italian sausages
About 24 sage leaves
4 to 5 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Freshly grated Parmesan

PREPARATION

1. Bring four quarts of water to a boil for the fettuccine and cook it per instructions, until al dente.

2. Meanwhile, in a small frying pan, simmer the sausages in water to cover for 10 minutes. When they are done, finish them in a little oil, cooking until they are nicely brown, and then setting aside.

2. Fry the sage leaves in the butter in a skillet until they are crisp. Drain them on paper towels, leaving the butter in the skillet.

3. Add the garlic to the butter, so that it gets golden but not burned. 

4. Drain the pasta and put it in a heated serving bowl. Chop the sausage into bite size pieces and put it on top of the pasta, and then toss the whole with butter sauce and sprinkle with sage leaves, salt and pepper. (Note: You want enough butter to coat the pasta, but not so much that it becomes an oily mess.)

 Parmesan can be added at the table. Enjoy!