Spinach Pear Cranberry Salad

Recipe Copied from Epicurious


Dressing

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper

• 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries
• 8 cups lightly packed fresh baby spinach leaves, stemmed if needed
• 2 firm but ripe Bosc pears (do not peel), quartered lengthwise, cored, and cut into long, thin slices
• 2/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted (see Cook's Notes) and chopped (I've used pecans and walnuts)

print a shopping list for this recipe

preparation

To make the dressing, in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. Cover tightly and shake vigorously to blend. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Set aside.

Place the onions in a medium bowl and cover with cold water. Let stand for 30 minutes. This crisps the onion and takes away the raw onion taste. Drain well and pat dry on paper towels.

In a small bowl, toss the cranberries with 2 tablespoons of the dressing to soften them. Set aside for at least 20 minutes or until ready to serve the salad.

To assemble the salad, place the spinach, onions, and pears in a large bowl. Give the remaining dressing a last-minute shake and pour over the salad. Toss to coat evenly. Arrange the salad in a large serving bowl or divide it evenly among 8 salad plates. Scatter the cranberries and hazelnuts over the top(s). Serve immediately.

Cook's Notes
Try to buy shelled hazelnuts (also called filberts) with the brown, papery skins removed as well. To toast, spread the hazelnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and place in a preheated 375°F oven. Toast for about 12 minutes until lightly browned. If the nuts still have the skins on, transfer them while they’re hot to a clean kitchen towel. (Use a clean towel that is old or you don’t mind washing with bleach, because the skins tend to discolor the fabric.) Rub the nuts to remove most of the skins (they never come completely off).

You can substitute unsalted cashews for the hazelnuts. Toast cashews, as directed above for hazelnuts, for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly browned.

Do AheadThe dressing can be made up to 1 day in advance, covered tightly, and refrigerated. Remove from the refrigerator 2 hours before serving. The nuts can be toasted up to 1 day in advance; store at room temperature in an airtight container. The onions and cranberries can be prepared up to up to 4 hours in advance. Set aside at room temperature.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Spinach-Salad-with-Bosc-Pears-Cranberries-Red-Onion-and-Toasted-Hazelnuts-355430#ixzz1cOqOrwyH

Curried Butternut and Pear Soup

I loved this version of butternut squash soup. I liked that it leaned more to the spicy side than the sweet. The recipe is taken from here.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs butternut squash (raw weight), about 1 large or 2 small
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root (I used bottled)
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon salt (or less depending on saltiness of your broth)
• 4 cups broth (as always, I used my favorite vegetable broth concentrate)
• 2 firm ripe Bartlett pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 1 inch dice
• 1/2 cup whole milk, or half and half, or cream (I used milk

Directions

1. Prepare squash. Cut squash in half lengthwise, remove and discard seeds and stringy stuff. Roast at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until tender. You can alternately cook this in the microwave in a glass casserole dish with 1 inch of water at the bottom, for 10-15 minutes on high, until tender. Or, place it in a crock pot for 4-6 hours. When squash is tender scoop out flesh and reserve for soup.
2. Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, garlic, ginger, curry powder, and salt. Cook and stir until the onion is soft, about 10 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the pears and squash. Reduce heat and simmer about 30 minutes.
3. Pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender. Puree in batches until smooth. Return the soup to the pot, stir in the milk. Reheat if needed.

Hawaiian Haystacks with Mushroom Gravy

Despite the random assortment of canned fruits and vegetables, I really love Hawaiian Haystacks. Somehow the combination of flavors and textures just works. It is a great meal to feed a crowd with minimal preparation too. I used to make gravy with chicken broth and diced chicken breasts, but I've since decided I prefer it meatless, so I make this gravy instead. Dave does however like his chicken so I grill up a thigh or something for him to throw in or open a can of cooked chicken. I'm also thinking about experimenting by adding garlic and onions.

Mushroom Gravy

Melt  2T butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add 8oz finely chopped mushrooms and saute until tender. Add 2 T. all-purpose flour and stir well until mushrooms are well coated. Continue to stir about 2 minutes to cook out the flour taste. Slowly add 2 cups vegetable broth (made with my favorite veggie broth concentrate, or chicken broth, or beef broth). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened, stirring constantly. Thin out with more broth or milk if you want it creamier

To make a Haystack: Start with cooked rice and top with gravy and any or all of the following:

Fresh or canned pineapple (or mandarin oranges, or marachino cherries)

Fresh or canned tomatoes

Shredded cheddar cheese

Green onions

Chow mein noodles (the crispy ones you buy in the Asian aisle of the grocery store)

More mushrooms

Chopped bell pepper

Chopped celery

Slivered almonds

Anything else that sounds good...