Cookbook Project: The Stinking Rose

So the Stinking Rose Cookbook's Pasta with Butternut Squash, Fried Sage, & Garlic Chips (p. 55) was a big ol' disappointment.  It's also two recipes in one, because you top the pasta with deep fried garlic, which is a separate recipe (p. 152).

Ingredients:
1 1lb butternut squash
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper
2 tablespoons butter (I had to substitute Earth Balance since we are out of butter)
1 bunch sage, stemmed
1 pound pasta
Garlic Chips (recipe follows)

I'm not going to repost the whole recipe, but basically, peel and cut the squash into little pieces (1/2 inch cubes), toss it with the olive oil and salt and pepper, then roast it in the oven at 400 for 30 minutes, turning twice.  My advice is then you skip the remainder of the recipe and eat the butternut squash with a fork.  Because that actually turned out excellent, and I was surprised that only a tablespoon of olive oil was enough to keep the squash from getting dry and crunchy.

Then you melt the butter, and add the sage until it is crisp and the butter is golden brown.  I think I cooked the sage too long, because it definitely tasted burnt.  I would pull the sage when it becomes aromatic, rather than crispy.

Cook the pasta, mix everything together, and then top with garlic chips.

Garlic Chips
Ingredients:
4-5 large bulbs elephant garlic (I used regular, and I used the better part of one bulb)
3 cups whole milk (I used 2% and skim)
Vegetable oil, for deep frying.

Process:

Boil a pot of water.  Take the garlic cloves with the crunchy bottom part chopped off and toss them all in the boiling water.  Let boil for thirty seconds, fish out, and peel.

Slice the garlic into tiny "chips".

Bring slivers & one cup of milk to a boil.  Immediately remove from heat, pour through a colander/sieve.  Repeat with the remaining two cups of milk.  I used less than a cup.  Drain well on a paper towel.

Heat oil to 375 in skillet or deep fryer.  Add cloves and fry them until golden.

Note: do NOT put the lid on the deep fryer.  Somehow the garlic chips will burn and explode.  It will get ugly.  Also add cloves in small batches after blotting them with a towel.

Bad chips

Good chips

Roasted Squash Seeds

A few secrets about squash:

1. It takes forever to cook. 

2. The seeds are delicious.  

When I make squash, I like to roast the seeds in the toaster oven, and then snack on them while I make the rest of dinner.  Tonight I shared with Mr. Barefoot, so that was good for my relationship but sad for me, since usually I eat them all before he gets home.  

To roast seeds, just spray with a bit of cooking spray, add some salt or other spices, and then spread in a greased pan and bake at 400 or so.  

Vegetarian Turducken

Mr. Barefoot's friends like to get together every year for a Turducken.  A turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken.  There was also stuffing involved.

Since I don't eat meat, I always challenge myself to come up with something vegetarian but equally impressive.  Once, peppers stuffed with peppers stuffed with peppers.  Once, peppers stuffed with mushrooms stuffed with onions.  This year, I decided to make a quiche stuffed with mini-quiche.  Something went wrong with the crust and it wasn't very good, but the quiche itself was pretty good, and not a disaster health-wise - I opted to use skim milk and greek yogurt rather than heavy cream, saving fat and adding protein.  

Recipes - for mini caramelized onion quiches

1 batch of quiche crust 

1 batch of caramelized onions 

2 eggs 

1/3 cup greek yogurt (or just pour it in.)  

Splash of milk

Shredded parmesean cheese

Procedure:

1.  Put crusts into mini-muffin cups.  Fill with Parmesan cheese on the bottom.  Add caramelized onions.    

2.  Mix together eggs, yogurt, and milk, until at a creamy consistency.  

3.  Pour mixture on top of onions.  

 4.  Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes.

Recipe:  Butternut Squash Quiche

1 cup butternut squash, cut into small cubes

3 eggs - separate whites from yolks.  

1 cup greek yogurt

large splash of milk

4 oz goat cheese

1 quiche crust

Procedure:

1. Cook the butternut squash on 400 degrees for 20 minutes until soft.  

2. Fit pan with quiche crust.  Add goat cheese to the bottom.  If you are stuffing the quiche with the mini-quiches, add the cooked mini-quiches into the pan.  

3. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.  

4.  Mix greek yogurt, egg yolks, and milk together.  Add butternut squash.  Fold in egg whites.  

5.  Pour over crust.  

Bake on 375 for 25-30 minutes.