Last night, Michelle whipped up some tasty holiday themed dishes for some very happy fans at IKEA Sunrise. As promised, we're posting those recipes here on the blog....for your cooking pleasure. Enjoy!
Island Spiced Squash Soup:
4 – 5 cups peeled and diced calabaza, acorn or butternut squash
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup finely diced Spanish onion
½ tablespoon minced garlic
½ tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
½ teaspoon minced habañero pepper with seeds
6 cups Chicken Stock or broth
½ tablespoon sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons store-bought roasted, salted green pepitas, if desired
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Place the squash, apple, butter, brown sugar, kosher salt and spices in a metal bowl and mix well then place on a roasting pan. Cover the pan with aluminum foil, and bake until the pumpkin is soft to a knife tip, about 1 hour. Remove the pan from the oven and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in the thyme, habanero and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the stock simmer about 10 minutes.
Working in batches if necessary, transfer the roast pumpkin apple mixture and the chicken broth vegetable mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Taste for seasoning and serve. Divide the soup among 4 to 6 bowls and garnish each serving with pepitas, if desired.
Serves 4 to 6
Roast Pumpkin, arugula, Pine nut salad
5 cups sliced Pumpkin, peeled and seeded, (about 2-3 inch long ½ inch thick pieces)
5 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
kosher salt and pepper
¼ teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped fine
¼ teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped fine
Preheat oven to 375F.
In a large bowl, mix the pumpkin, olive oil, brown sugar, salt, pepper and herbs together well. Place on a baking pan and roast about 35 to 40 minutes, allow to come to room temperature before proceeding.
1 cup soft goat’s cheese, crumbled
½ cup pine nuts, toasted until golden
2 cups frisee (yellow center part only)
2 cups arugula
1 fennel bulb, sliced very thin (Japanese mandoline if available)
Sherry Mustard Vinaigrette:
½ cup olive oil
1 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
Mix the mustard and vinegar, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Combine the roasted and cooled pumpkin, frisee, arugula and fennel.
Toss with vinaigrette, a little at a time for desired amount. Season with salt and pepper. Top with cheese and nuts.
Sweet Potato Pound Cake and fresh cream
1 cups sweet potato, roasted covered in foil at 425F, until soft and cooked (about 1 hour), mashed
6 oz butter
1 ¼ cups sugar
3 large eggs
Zest of 1 orange
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup sour cream
1 ¾ cups AP flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon pumpkin spice
¼ teaspoon salt
Cream butter and sugar with the zest.
Add the eggs one at a time, scrape bowl and add the mashed potato (cooled) and the vanilla. Mix in the sour cream.
Add the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated
Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake in oven at 335 for about one hour or until skewer inserted in center comes out clean.
Serve with whipped cream.
