Butternut Squash and Mushroom Lasagna by Heather

Even though September and October are apparently the "summer" months in SF, I'm ready for fall.  While this may be a pasta dish, it's still relatively healthy- there's mushrooms, squash, kale, and Greek yogurt!  I'd save this dish for a Sunday supper, though, as it does take some time to prepare, but trust me- it's worth it!

Ingredients:
1 lb. shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and roughly chopped lengthwise (you could also use a blend of chantrelle and oyster mushrooms)
3 portobello mushroom caps, cleaned and roughly chopped lengthwise
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large shallot (or 3 small), minced
2 rosemary sprigs, leaves separated and chopped
3 tbs. sage leaves, chiffonade
2 lbs (2 packages) chopped butternut squash
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 cup part-skim ricotta
5 oz. shredded parmesan
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1 package no boil lasagna noodles
3 leaves kale, chopped
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste (note: since butternut squash gets quite sweet when roasted, you'll have to add a good deal of salt.  The best rule of thumb is to taste as you go and season the squash mixture thoroughly once blended)

Oyster Stuffing by Heather

My mom makes this stuffing every year for Thanksgiving, and in my opinion, its the best stuffing.  It's an old recipe that I'm pretty sure comes from a Betty Crocker cookbook, and sometimes the best recipes are the ones we grew up with.

Ingredients:
1 loaf of bread (I used a whole wheat sourdough boule), cubed
5 stalks celery, diced
1 onion, diced
3 sprigs thyme
5 leaves sage, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbs. butter, cut into small pieces
2 cans of fresh oysters, drained and chopped (these aren't the smoked variety; you can normally find them near the seafood counter of the grocery store)
1/4 cup chicken stock

Combine all ingredients except for butter and chicken stock in a bowl and mix to combine.  Pour mixture into baking dish.  Pour chicken stock over the stuffing, and then top with pieces of butter.  Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.  If stuffing starts to get too brown, cover with foil.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Prosciutto by Heather

Here's an idea for a really easy side dish.  It's great at Thanksgiving or really with any fall meal.

Ingredients:
1 carton brussels sprouts, bottom part and outer leaves removed, and quartered
3 sheets prosciutto
1 garlic clove, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 tbs. lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
3 tbs. olive oil

Place brussels sprouts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, garlic, shallot, and olive oil, and combine with your hands. Tear prosciutto into small pieces and place on top of Brussels.

Roast in oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, shaking tray half way through.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with more salt and lemon juice.

Mushroom Lasagna by Heather

This is a very versatile dish.  You can really add whatever mushrooms and cheese you like.  I decided to use portobello and chantrelle mushrooms, but any mushrooms with an earthy flavor would work.  I found a great truffle gouda at Whole Foods, which I sprinkled on top of the lasagna to finish the dish.  Instead of a red sauce, you could certainly add a cream sauce if you wanted the mushroom flavor to really stand out.

Ingredients:
1 box no boil lasagna sheets
2 shallots, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup white or red wine (I used red)
1 lb assorted mushrooms, chopped
1-2 tbs. minced rosemary
1-2 tbs. minced sage
1 28 oz. can crushed tomato
8 oz. container goat ricotta
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed, and squeezed of excess water
pinch of nutmeg
8 oz. shredded parmesan cheese
4 oz. shredded truffle gouda

Bourbon Cider Cocktail by Heather

Last night, Brandon and I came up with a very easy fall cocktail.  This drink is great because it requires very few ingredients, but looks festive.

Ingredients:
(makes 1 drink)
2 jiggers bourbon
2 jiggers spiced apple cider
1 tbs. lemon juice
grated fresh ginger to taste
large ice cube
cinnamon stick for garnish

Combine all ingredients in cocktail shaker with one ice cube and shake shake shake!

Pour into cocktail glass with large ice cube and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Mushroom Toast by Heather

Sometimes the best meals come about by cleaning out the fridge.  Last night, I had a bunch of shiitake mushrooms, some bread, and a lot of cheese, so I decided to make mushroom toast.  The best mushroom toast I've had is in Venice, CA at Gjelina, and this is my take.

This recipe is very versatile.  If you don't have all the ingredients below, you can substitute for whatever you have in your fridge.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. shiitake mushrooms, rubbed clean with a lightly damp paper towel, and roughly chopped
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. cider vinegar (any type of vinegar will do)
1/4 cup red wine
1/4 cup ricotta (you could also use greek yogurt)
1/3 cup milk (can be any kind- obviously the higher the fat, the more creamy this will be)
1/4 cup feta (you could also use goat cheese)
truffle salt to taste (you could also use truffle oil)
1 tbs, parsley or chives
loaf of bread, cut into slices and toasted or grilled- I used a rosemary sourdough boule

Quinoa with Pomegranate and Spinach by Heather

Yesterday, I posted a recipe for a very decadent Thanksgiving side.  Today, I'm offering up a lighter side that's easy to prepare and very festive.  I also turn to this dish when I need an easy weeknight side that can be served along something like  miso-soy glazed salmon.

Ingredients:
1 cup dry quinoa
2 cups water
1 box frozen spinach
juice of 2 lemons
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (make it easy on yourself and just get a carton of the seeds so that you don't have to de-seed a pomegranate yourself)
1 Tbs. basil infused olive oil (if you don't have this, regular olive oil and a few basil leaves will work)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bring the quinoa and water to a boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer, cooking for about 15-20 minutes, covered, until quinoa is fluffy.

While the quinoa cooks, defrost the spinach and add to a bowl.  Combine rest of ingredients in bowl, then add cooked quinoa.  Easy as that!

Special Ingredient: Brussels Sprout Gratin by Heather

This month, our special ingredient is brussels sprouts.  I've featured them in a gratin that would make a great side at Thanksgiving.  This recipe is definitely heavy on the cheese, so it's guaranteed to win over any one that says they don't like brussels!  This recipe is adapted from Bon Appetit- I added Stilton to the cheese mixture, and it adds a sharp bite that helps cut through the density of all the cream in this dish.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts, washed, trimmed, and quartered
1 1/2 pound head cauliflower, trimmed, and cut into small florets
2 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup chopped shallots (about 2 large shallots)
1 Tbs. chopped fresh sage
1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
2 Tbs. chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
3 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 lb. stilton or any other blue cheese you prefer

Special Ingredient: Kabocha and Goat Cheese Empanadas by Heather

I decided to make empanadas with the special ingredient this month.  I wanted to create a dish that captured the flavors of fall and played on elements that were both salty and sweet.

In full disclosure, I don't do a lot of baking, so I was a little nervous to make these empanadas, but the dough recipe is basically fool-proof, and you can really add whatever ingredients you desire for the filling. I thought goat cheese would be a nice complement to the kabocha, but you could also try a blue cheese if you wanted to make these a little more daring.  The sweetness of these empanadas are balanced by the tanginess of a nicely aged, syrupy balsamic vinegar.  Using a good quality balsamic vinegar is really key to this recipe.  I used Olivier&Co's Balsamic Vinegar of Modena.

For the dough, I stuck to this recipe here: Give Me Flour

For the filling, I used the following ingredients:
1 kabocha squash, halved
1 sprig rosemary
3 sage leaves, chiffonade
1/4 cup diced onion
1/2 log soft goat cheese
2-3 tbs. milk
2/3 cup vegetable stock
1/4 cup aged balsamic vinegar, divided
spice mix: 2 parts cinnamon, 1 part chili powder, couple dashes of nutmeg
Egg wash: 1 egg white and 1 tbs. of water

To prep the squash, cut in half, and rub inside and out with olive oil.  Place squash cut-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.   Bake in over for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, or until you can easily insert a knife into the outside of the skin. When the squash bakes like this, it's called steaming.  Because the moisture within the squash is trapped inside, it allows the squash to cook more quickly.

While the squash cooks, prepare the dough and set aside into the fridge to cool.

As the squash cools, saute the onions with the herbs in olive oil until the onions are translucent and set aside.
Once the squash has cooled, remove from skin and cut into chunks, adding them to a food processor.  Add the onion mixture, vegetable stock, and most of the spice mixture to the food processor, and blend until all ingredients are smooth.  If the mixture looks a little dry, add the milk to add in some creaminess, then half of the balsamic vinegar and blend until combined.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the dough from the fridge and roll out into a thin sheet 1/8 in. thick on a floured surface.  Use a cookie cutter or any rounded object you have on hand to cut the dough into disks.

Spoon about a tablespoon of the squash mixture onto one side of each disk and as much goat cheese as desired, leaving about 1/4 in. room at the edges.

Fold the empanadas in half, then crimp edges together with a fork.

Repeat process until all empanadas have been filled, then brush with egg wash and sprinkle the remaining spice mixture on top for a bit of color.

Cook until empanadas are lightly browned on top, about 30 minutes.

Serve with a small dish of balsamic for dipping and enjoy!!