Butternut Squash Galette

Ingredients:

1 1/4 c flour
1 stick unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2" pieces
1/4 tsp salt
4 to 6 Tbsp c ice water
1 Butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
3 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for oiling a baking sheet
2 Tbsp fresh thyme
salt & pepper
1 Tbsp butter
1 large onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
pinch sugar
1/2 c gruyere cheese, grated
Preparation:

1. Prepare the dough: Pulse flour, butter and salt in a food processor until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Drizzle ice water into the processor and continue pulsing until the dough just forms a ball. Roll dough into a ball and flatten into a small disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour.

2. Prepare the filling: Preheat oven to 375. Toss squash cubes with 2 tablespoons olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes, until the squash is just fork tender. Be careful not to overcook the squash or let it get mushy, since it will cook a little bit more once in the galette. Turn the oven up to 400.

3. While the squash roasts, caramelize the onions. Heat remaining tablespoon of oil and butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add onions, salt and pepper and a pinch of sugar. Cook, stirring only occasionally, until the onions turn golden brown. Stir more frequently, but not constantly, as the onions darken further. The onions are done when they are deep brown. This will take about 20 minutes.

4. Assemble the galette: Roll dough into an approximately 12" round on a lightly floured surface and lightly floured rolling pin. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled baking sheet. Top evenly with roasted squash, leaving a 2 to 3" border of dough. Top the squash with caramelized onions. Top the onions with gruyere. Fold the border of dough over the fillings, overlapping where necessary, creating an edge.

5. Bake galette (in a now 400 degree oven) for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool for 5 minutes or so, but serve hot.

Southwestern black bean burger

(adapted from The Kitchen Sink)
2 cans of black beans
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 T cumin
1 T chili powder
1/4 t chipotle powder
1/4 t cayenne powder
a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce (optional)
1/2 t salt
3 T greek low-fat yogurt (or soy yogurt or soy milk + vinegar)
3/4 c oat bran
1/4 c wheat germ
1 T ground flax seeds
1/4 c cilantro
1 lime, juiced
3 T olive oil
8 hamburger buns, warmed

In a blender or food processor, blend together 1 can of beans, garlic, yogurt and spices. When that’s blended, dump into a bowl along with the remaining can of beans, oat bran, wheat germ, flax, cilantro and lime. Stir everything with a wooden spoon until you reach a consistency that is enables you to form patties. Too soft? Add in more oat bran. Too stiff? Add in a bit of water. Shape patties into 8 burgers and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Heat oil in a skillet over med-high heat and brown each side, about 3 minutes per side or until slightly crispy. Want to top each burger with a slice of cheese? Do so and pop in the oven along with the burger buns until melted. Top with salsa and guacamole.

Vegetarian Split Pea Soup

(adapted from Sheila Lukins End of the Line Split Pea Soup)


INGREDIENTS
1 pound dried green split peas
2 carrots, peeled
2 ribs celery
1 onion
1 parsnip
1 leek (3 inches of green left on, root trimmed, split lengthwise + washed well)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bay leaf
4 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon dried tarragon, or 1-2 T chopped fresh
4 cups vegetable broth
4 cups water
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

1. Pick over the peas; rinse, drain and set aside:

2. Cut the carrots, celery, onion, parsnip and leek into small dice. Heat oil in a large, heavy pot over low heat. Add the diced vegetables...

...cook until wilted, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the peas; cook for 1 minute. Add the bay leaf, thyme, tarragon, broth and water.

...Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover partially and cook, stirring occasionally, until the peas are cooked, about an hour. (If you are cooking in a crock pot, just add chopped vegetables and everything else to the pot and cook for 8-10 hours).


Remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs, if used. Season to taste with salt and pepper. You can let it sit for awhile to thicken. Then when ready to serve, heat it up and stir in the parsley. (Serves 6 & can be doubled!)

Chocolate Cakes

Two of my favorites:

Chocolate Date Cake
(makes 1- 10 inch round cake)

2 cups pitted dates (chopped)
1 1/4 cups hot coffee
2/3 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 lg. eggs
1 cup white flour
1/2 c. cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter cake pan (line with parchment paper and butter it also.)

2. Loosely fill 2 cup measuring cup with dates and cover with the hot coffee. Let sit for 5 minutes.

3. Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs and add vanilla.

4. Sift flour, cocoa powder, salt, and soda together. Add to butter and egg mixture. Combine by mixing gently.

5. Blend the dates and coffee in a blender and add this to the batter.

6. Pour batter into pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips on the top. (Or don't, it's goo either way.)

7. Bake 40-45 minutes. A toothpick should come out basically clean.


Garbanzo Bean Chocolate Cake (Gluten Free)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 (19 ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
4 eggs
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour (with cocoa or gluten free flour) a 9 inch round cake pan.

Place the chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. Cook in the microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring every 20 seconds after the first minute, until chocolate is melted and smooth. If you have a powerful microwave, reduce the power to 50 percent.

Combine the beans and eggs in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Add the sugar and the baking powder, and pulse to blend. Pour in the melted chocolate and blend until smooth, scraping down the corners to make sure chocolate is completely mixed. Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan.

Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

Roasted Squash, Apple & Shallot Soup

1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into cubes
2 apples, peeled, cored and cut into cubes
2 shallots, peeled and quartered
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper
1 Tbsp fresh thyme, optional
3 1/2 c vegetable or chicken broth (homemade is best)
1/2 c apple cider
1/2 c heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss squash, apple and shallots with oil, salt, pepper and thyme. Roast for about 35-45 minutes, until cooked through and caramelized in spots.

2. Puree roasted vegetables and apples with broth and cider. You can put everything in a stock pot and use an immersion blender or blend in batches using a stand blender or food processor.

3. Put puree in a pot, add cream and heat through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. I like serving this with a dollop of sour cream or creme fraiche on top.

Fennel and Apple Slaw

serves 4

2 large fennel bulbs, thinly shaved
1 large apple, thinly julienned
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp plain yogurt (ideally, Greek-style)
1 tsp mayonnaise
1 tsp honey
2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
salt and pepper

1. Combine shaved fennel and julienned apple in a bowl.
2. Whisk together remaining ingredients to make dressing. Toss with fennel and apple to coat. Serve right away or, if there’s time, chill for a few minutes first.

Lentil and Sausage Soup

(serves 6-8)

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 ounces smoked (or other fully-cooked) sausage, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 large onion, chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 large celery stalks, chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound brown lentils (about 2 ⅓ cups), picked and rinsed
1 quart low-sodium chicken broth, plus extra
2 quarts water
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, for seasoning

Preparation:
Heat oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook until browned, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to bowl. Add onion, carrots, celery, thyme, and oregano, to drippings in pot. Cook until the onion is translucent and the vegetables have started to soften, stirring often, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and garlic, and saute for 1 minute more. Add lentils; stir to coat. Add 3 quarts broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally, about 35 to 40 minutes. Add more broth by the ¼ cupful if soup is too thick.

Add sausage to the soup and simmer for another 10 to 12 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with crusty bread.