Bibb And Butternut Salad With Pumpkin Seeds Cracklings And Cranberry Vinaigrette Food

GREEN SALAD WITH CRANBERRY VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Put the cranberries in a small saucepan; add the honey and 1/3 cup water. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries pop and the liquid thickens, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.
• Toast the walnuts in a small dry skillet over medium heat, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool slightly, then roughly chop. Stir the olive oil and vinegar into the cooled cranberries. (Add more honey, 1 teaspoon at a time, if the vinaigrette is too tart.) Season with salt and pepper.
• Toss the lettuce and watercress in a serving bowl; season with salt and pepper. Spoon the vinaigrette over the lettuce and top with the walnuts and herbs. Toss before serving.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH TORTELLINI WITH BROWN BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• To make the tortellini, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. On a foil-lined baking sheet toss together the butternut squash, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, herbs de Provence, salt, and pepper. Bake in the oven until soft and golden, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a small saute pan over medium heat. Cook the shallots and garlic until lightly golden, about 3 minutes.
• In a food processor, combine the butternut squash mixture, the shallot mixture, and the ricotta cheese and pulse a few times to blend. Add the crushed amaretti cookies, the nutmeg, and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pulse until smooth. The tortellini filling can be made one day ahead.
• To make the tortellini, lay out 6 wonton skins, keeping the remaining skins inside the package or under a very lightly dampened paper towel. Place 1 tablespoon of squash mixture in the middle of each skin. Dip a pastry brush in a little water and wet the edges of the skin. Gently fold the square wrapper into a triangle, making sure the edges are securely closed and there are no air pockets inside. Dampen the two bottom corners of the longest side of the triangle and gently bring them together, pressing lightly to secure. Place the formed tortellini on a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Before laying out another 6 wonton sheets, be careful to dry the work surface. This will help keep tortellini from sticking to the baking sheet. Continue until all the butternut squash mixture is used. There should be approximately 36 tortellini. (The tortellini can be formed, frozen on the baking sheet, transferred to a tightly sealed plastic bag or container and stored for up to six months. To cook, simply toss the frozen ravioli into the salted boiling water and cook for 4 minutes.)
• To make the sauce and serve, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat.
• Add the sage, walnuts and cranberries and let cook until the butter starts to brown, about 3 minutes. Turn the heat off and season with salt, and pepper.
• Stir to combine. Then, gently place the tortellini in the boiling water and gently stir. When they begin to float they are done, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, gently spoon the tortellini onto a serving platter, Top with the brown butter sauce, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

BREAST OF CHICKEN ON PUMPKIN/CRANBERRY RISSOLE WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE BALSAMIC SAUCE AND ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• For the rissole cakes, boil the squash cubes for the rissole cakes until just tender, and drain well. Set aside until needed. At the same time, boil the potatoes until soft and drain well.
• Begin the sauce while the squash and potatoes for the rissole are boiling. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat in a saucepot (reserving the other 2 tablespoons) and cook the onion until translucent. Add the chicken stock, vinegar, soy sauce, and potato chunks and let the potato chunks cook while the liquid reduces and thickens.
• For the chicken, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. While the chicken stock mixture is cooking for the sauce, season chicken breasts with salt, pepper and lime powder. Heat the grapeseed oil over medium high heat in a separate large skillet and sear the chicken leaving undisturbed for the first 3 minutes or so on each side to let the seasonings integrate into the surface of the chicken and allow the caramelization process to begin to prevent tearing of the chicken or "crusting off" of the seasonings. After the chicken is seared on both sides, transfer to a baking sheet and finish chicken in the oven.
• For the garnish, boil asparagus spears until just tender in salt water and set aside.
• In the same pan you used to sear the chicken, heat additional grapeseed oil (if needed) and saute the white onion until tender. Transfer the onion to the potatoes which have been boiled for the rissole cakes, reserving the saute pan. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper, and mash together. Fold in the white chocolate chips, scallions, cranberries, and cubes of squash, trying not to break up the squash. Allow to sit until cool enough to handle, then use a 3-inch circle cutter to form rissole cakes. In the same pan, heat additional grapeseed oil (if needed) over medium-high heat and sear the rissole cakes. Leave undisturbed for the first 2 to 3 minutes on each side to let the caramelization process begin and to prevent the cake from breaking apart. When you see the edges of the cake beginning to turn golden brown, flip and sear the other side. Then cook further until the cake is firm. Remove from heat and keep warm.
• In the same pan, sear the asparagus spears for a few minutes to add a little color and a nutty flavor.
• Return to the pot of the chicken stock mixture which has been cooking for the sauce. Fold the white chocolate chips into the sauce, and transfer the sauce to a blender and puree until smooth. Whisk in the reserved 2 tablespoons butter to finish the sauce, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Place a rissole cake on serving plate, top with a chicken breast, spoon sauce over and garnish with asparagus spears.

BIBB LETTUCE SALAD

Steps:

• Carefully cut out the core from each head of lettuce and separate the leaves, but keep each head of lettuce together; discard any tough outer leaves. Because each head of lettuce will be reassembled, the easiest way to work is with one head at a time. First, place the leaves in a bowl of cold water to refresh them and remove any dirt, then lift out and spin-dry in a salad spinner.
• Place the leaves from a single head of lettuce in a bowl. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, a few grinds of pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the shallots and chives, and 1 tablespoon each of the parsley, tarragon, and chervil. Then toss gently with 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Repeat with the remaining heads.
• For each serving, arrange the outer lettuce leaves as a base on the plate and rebuild each head of lettuce, ending with the smallest, most tender leaves.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SALAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Spread the squash over a large baking sheet, drizzle over the oil and bake for 30 mins or until tender.
• Meanwhile, cook the rice and lentils in boiling salted water for 20 mins, adding the broccoli for the final 4 mins of cooking. Drain well, then stir in the cranberries and pumpkin seeds with some seasoning. Add the squash, pour over the lemon juice and serve.