Sausage, Sweet Potato and Sage Pasta With Roasted Squash

This is a crazy good dish!

Recipe for two:

pasta
1 small delicata squash, cut in half lengthwise and seeded
4 mild Italian sausage, cut with scissors into 1/2" slices
1/2 c red onion, chopped
1/2 c leek, chopped, white and pale green parts only
1/2 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
6 fresh sage leafs, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 c white wine
1/2 c veggie stock
1 t tomato paste
salt and pepper
olive oil
butter

Ok get the pasta water going, and pop the squash into a 325* oven with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.  While that's happening brown the sausage in a heavy saute pan over medium high heat, with a little olive oil.  When done add the sage, onion and sweet potato, season with salt and pepper and cook.  Just before they are done, add the wine and reduce by half, then add the stock and tomato paste and do the same.

When done, turn off the heat and add a nice chunk of butter, shake the pan back and fourth to melt the butter.  Combine with the drained pasta, and serve onto warm plates with the roasted squash.

Bon Appetit!  Chef Hobbes

Roasted Cauliflower With Black Truffle Oil And Garlic

This is one sexy dish!

With the oven nice and hot set at 450*  Place 1" thick cauliflower steaks into a roasting pan with and good amount of olive oil, salt and pepper and a few cloves of garlic, not peeled.

Cook for about 40 minutes turning once the first side has caramelized.  Plate and drizzle with truffle oil...

Bon Appetit!  Chef Hobbes

Chicken Tenders With Roasted Vegetables, Garlic And Rice!

A beautiful dish, that's full of flavor and the sauce is already done for you!

The recipe for ?

Simply peel some beets, carrots and onions, then quarter them and throw them in a covered roasting pan with some garlic, fresh lemon thyme, butter olive oil, white wine, salt and pepper and a pinch of chili flakes.  Roast in the oven set at 350* for about an hour and a half.

When the vegetables are about done, start the rice, and use chicken or vegetable stock for the liquid instead of just water.

When the rice is about done, heat up a large saute pan over medium high heat.  Add a little olive oil and cook the seasoned chicken tenders until they're brown on both sides.

Serve on warm plates. . .

Bon Appetit!  Chef Hobbes

Where's the Beef Bourguignon...

Julie Child had this dish down, she may have even invented it!  She cooked this bad boy for hours and hours!  So here's a quick version that still takes 3-4 hours, but dudes, it's all cook time!  A little prep and a little fuss, then sit back in the chair, let it cook, and have some wine!!

Recipe for two:
1 pound of beef, cubed on the large size
4 slices bacon, cut into 1" pieces
1 red onion, chopped small
2 carrots, chopped small
3 stalks celery, chopped small
1 small parsnip, chopped small
1 leek, chopped small
4 cloves garlic, chopped
4 sprigs of rosemary, left intact with the stems
3 c  beef stock
1 12 oz can Eden tomatoes, puree'd
1 bottle red wine, reduced by half
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 c flour
1 pinch chili flakes

Serve with mash potatoes and sweet potatoes.

I use a cast iron dutch oven for this dish, but almost anything deep that can be covered will work!
First set your oven to 350*  Puree the tomatoes and add the stock to covered oven dish or pan, and place in the oven for an hour or two.  The longer they are in the oven, the richer and more condensed they will become.

Get the pan hot with a bunch of olive oil in it.  While that's happening, brown the bacon and set aside.  Now cut the beef into cubes and season with salt and pepper, then dust with flour.  Now place the meat in the pan and brown a few pieces at a time.  Don't put too many in at once because they will just steam and not brown.

When done, set the meat aside and add the butter.  When the butter is foaming add all the vegetables, and cook until soft!  While this is happening reduce the red wine by half in a small saucepan...

Now mix everything together in the dutch oven or roasting pan.  The tomatoes, bacon, beef, vegetables, rosemary and seasoning.  Cover and place in the oven for 2-3hours, checking on it once in a while.  If it needs more liquid add some stock...

Serve on warm plates over (or next to) the mash!

Bon Appetit!  Chef Hobbes

A Healthy Snack For Kids...

For the most part our schools are doing a great job feeding our kids a healthy lunch, at least here on San Juan Island.  It's my opinion that kids are becoming unhealthy when they get off school, around 3:00pm.  This is when they're alone at home, or with their friends, and they tend to get stuck into the bad stuff, like candy, chips and cereal, which is highly processed.

Here's a healthy little snack you can prep in the morning so it's ready for when they get home!

Thinly sliced apple or pear, and Parmesan cheese, with a balsamic drizzle.  Deb's kids love this snack food, it just takes the edge off, while dinner is underway...

If you prep this in the morning, squeeze lemon juice on the apple or pear to stop it turning color.  Remember fruit is fructose (sugar), so avoid eating to much.

Bon Appetit!

Coconut Shrimp Martini

Use fresh, wild, local, spot shrimp for this recipe, if possible.

Peel, de-vein and wash shrimp, then dry the little buggers and lay flat on a plate, salt and pepper, then throw them in a bowl with organic, non GMO corn starch and mix gently with your hands...

Add some coconut oil to a heavy fry pan and heat until it's really hot, add shrimp, cook for 2 minutes +/- then turn. While waiting add julian carrots to a martini glass, add hot cooked shrimp and then drizzle with spicy coconut milk...

Coconut milk: Add milk to a bowl and whisk adding cayenne until the desired heat is required...