It seems only apt that the first (eep) post to christen this page would be a recipe courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa. Sadly, the title does not properly convey her low, sensuous timbre and eyebrow raises. For all fellow Ina devotees out there, you know what I am talking about. If not, just trust me.
After a rather rich feast last night at Grill 23, where thousands of butter soaked calories were consumed, my conscience (and wardrobe) were imploring me to concoct something healthy. It must have been the leering autumn windchill (the first of the year!), since on my lunchtime walk thoughts of roasted butternut squash were conjured up in my head. I remembered a particularly beautiful photograph from Ina’s “Back to Basics” tome, of a roasted butternut squash salad and decided that this (along with some leftover steak, oops!) would be dinner.
……… It was absolutely delicious! The recipe calls for you to roast the butternut squash, followed by the cranberries. Although the instructions were to roast for around 20-25 minutes, i found that 25-35 was closer to accurate, but that also depends on your oven! Roasting cranberries gives a great chewy, yet firm texture which I found very nice as well.
nothing says fall better than this! I added some cinnamon to this although the recipe didn't ask for it - if you ask me, you cant go wrong with cinnamon!
One of the best parts of this salad was the warm cider vinaigrette. This was made by reducing a concoction of shallots, apple cider and apple cider vinegar, and adding dijon mustard, olive oil and salt and pepper – a winning combination for sure, and one i would not hesitate to use again. Look how pretty!
I also made a last minute decision to add some cubed apples to the salad, which added a very nice crunch element to the dish. Sometimes the texture combinations really do make a difference!
The Final Product!
I am definitely making this again – although you might see the leftover roasted squash making its way into a soup of some sort. [ponders] Before I forget, the recipe can be found here . Anyway, I am taking my contacts sticking to my eyes as a sign that slumber awaits. Lates!
Welcome to the blog world!! Love the header and your first recipe sounds wonderful (and very autumn-inspired!).
Yum, that makes me hungry for lunch!