Butternut Squash Gratin with Blue Cheese and Sage

This gratin was very well received by my husband.  He loves blue cheese.

Butternut Squash Gratin with Blue Cheese and Sage

From Cooking Light

Serves 6

Ingredients:

5 cups (3/4-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 2 pounds)

1 slice white bread (1 1/2-ounce)

4 teaspoons olive oil, divided

2 cups thinly sliced onion

1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Cooking Spray

1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  

Steam butternut squash, covered, 10 minutes or until tender.

Place bread in a food processor, and pulse 12 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1/2 cup.  Transfer to a small bowl; add 2 teaspoons oil, and toss with a fork to combine.

Lightly grease a 1-1/2 to 2-quart casserole dish with a drizzle of olive oil.

Use a mandolin or chef’s knife to slice the squash and potatoes into very thin slices, 1/8 inch or less.  Toss the sliced vegetables with 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large bowl.

Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add sliced onion to pan; saute 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.  Transfer the onion mixture to a large bowl.  Add butternut squash, chopped sage, salt, and black pepper to bowl, and toss gently to combine.  Spoon squash mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.  Sprinkle crumbled blue cheese evenly over squash mixture, and sprinkle evenly with breadcrumb mixture.  Bake an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and crumbs are golden brown.

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook

Eggs Benedict

I hadn't made Eggs Benedict since I took a French cooking class probably two years ago.  While we were away on vacation, my husband ordered it and I got the bright idea to make it myself at home.  I went ahead and promised the boys I would try to make it.  I used a recipe that I got from www.simplyrecipes.com.  I figured that the simpler, the better for me.  It turned out well, I think.  Especially since my son requested it twice since I first made it.

Eggs Benedict

Ingredients:

8 pieces of bacon or 4 pieces of Canadian bacon

2 tablespoons chopped parsley, for garnish

4 eggs

2 teaspoons white or rice vinegar

2 English muffins

Butter

Blender Hollandaise:

10 Tbsp. unsalted butter

3 egg yolks

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

½ teaspoon salt

Dash of cayenne or Tabasco 

Method:

1.     Start with the bacon, Heat a large skillet on medium low heat.  Add the strips of bacon or slices of Canadian bacon.  Slowly fry, turning occasionally, until the bacon is browned on both sides, and if using strip bacon, much of the fat is rendered out (about 10 minutes).  Use tongs or a fork to remove the bacon from the pan, set on a paper towel to absorb the excess fat.  Don’t pour the bacon fat left in the pan down the drain!  Either soak it up with paper towels when it has cooled or pour it into a jar to be used later.

2.     While the bacon is cooking, bring a large saucepan two-thirds filled with water to a boil, and then add the vinegar.  Bring the water to a boil again, and then lower the heat to a bare simmer.

3.     To make blender hollandaise, melt 10 Tbsp. unsalted butter.  Put 3 egg yolks, a tablespoon of lemon juice, ½ teaspoon salt in a blender, and blend on medium to medium-high speed for 20-30 seconds, until eggs lighten in color.  Turn blender down to lowest setting, slowly dribble in the hot melted butter, while continuing to blend.  Taste for salt and acidity and add more salt or lemon juice to taste.  Transfer it to a container you can use for pouring and set it on a warm – but not hot – place on or near the stove top.

4.     To poach the eggs, work one egg at a time.  Crack an egg into a small bowl and slip it into the barely simmering water.  Once it begins to solidify, you can slip in another egg, until you have all four cooking.  Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let sit for 4 minutes.  (Remember which egg went in first, you’ll want to take it out first.)  When it comes time to remove the eggs, gently lift out with a slotted spoon.  Note that the timing is a little variable on the eggs, depending on the size of your pan, how much water, how many eggs, and how runny you like them.  You may have to experiment a little with your set up to figure out what you need to do to get the eggs exactly the way you like them.

5.     As soon as all the eggs are in the poaching water, begin toasting the English muffins.  If you can’t get all the muffins toasted by the time the eggs are ready, gently remove the eggs from the poaching water and set in a bowl.

6.     To assemble the eggs Benedict, butter one side of an English muffin.  Top with two slices of bacon or 1 slice of Canadian bacon.  You can trim the bacon to fit the muffin if you’d like.  Put a poached egg on top of the bacon, and then pour some hollandaise over it.  Sprinkle some parsley over it all and serve at once. 

Yield:  Makes 4 one-egg one-muffin servings of eggs benedict.

 Enjoy!

The Creative Cook