Arugula Salad with Roasted Harvest Vegetables, Goat Cheese, and Pepitas

As soon as the cooler weather hit, I was all over the winter squash selection.  Butternut squash soup and spaghetti squash with meat and veggie sauce came first, which put roasted winter squash on my to do next list.  And since I was contributing it to a dinner party, I figured I'd jazz things up a bit.  So I roasted the squash along with beets and rutabaga, and then used these as topping for a salad.  Definitely had better presentation than a simple pan of roasted squash, and the flavor was more festive too!

You can use a different mix of vegetables if you like.  Butternut squash, parsnips, carrots, or sweet potato would all work.  I liked the mix I used because it gave a fairly varied flavor profile and texture.  

This makes about 8 hearty side dishes or about 4 main course servings.

What you need:

Roasted Veggies:

1 large acorn squash, cut into ~1 1/2 inch chunks- I did NOT peel (or use butternut or your favorite winter squash)

1 rutabaga, peeled and cut into ~1 1/4 inch chunks

1 bunch of beets, or three medium beets, cut into ~1 1/4 inch chunks

3 tablespoons walnut or olive oil

salt and pepper

Salad Stuff:

1 (5 ounce) container arugula

4-5 ounce goat cheese (the one I used happened to be herbed)

1/4-1/3 cup pepitas

Dressing:

1/2 apple cider or apple juice

1/4 apple cider vinegar

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

2-3 teaspoons mustard (I used a sweet and spicy Dijon-like variety, but really whatever mustard you like will do)

salt and pepper to taste

Roast the Veggies:

You can make this ahead of time and then reheat if you want.  

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spread all three cut veggies on a jelly roll sheet or 13 x 9 baking dish.  Drizzle with oil and generously sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Toss to evenly mix. Roast for 45 minutes to an hour, tossing once about halfway through.  Veggies should be very lightly browned and tender.

Create the Salad:

Optional step: Toast the pepitas by placing in a small saucepan on medium heat.  Stir frequently for 4-5 minutes, or until they start to very lightly brown and you can smell a nutty aroma.  Take off heat and set side.

Make the dressing by whisking or blending all ingredients listed under dressing.

Place arugula in a large bowl.  Crumble goat cheese on top and then sprinkle with the pepitas.  Spoon the roasted vegetables into a pile in the middle.  Drizzle dressing on top.  Once you've let any guests/family members admire your presentation, toss it all together to evenly distribute the dressing.  

Serve and enjoy!

Chipotle Vegetable Soup

Mmm... I love pureed soups.  And nice autumny ones like this help me feel more like it's Fall, even though it doesn't seem like it here in the Caribbean.  This came about because I had certain things that needed to be used up in the fridge, the vegetable mixture is a little random.  I'm sure variations depending on what you have in your vegetable drawer would work as well.  

I served this with Pan-Seared Red Snapper and garlic bread for Rob.

What you need:
1 pound fresh pumpkin
1 large carrot
olive oil spray
salt and pepper
1 medium onion, chopped roughly
1 head of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
3 stalks of celery, sliced
1 yellow or red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2-3 canned chipotle peppers plus a little of the adobo sauce (I used 2, but was torn between wanting more.  The flavor definitely came through with two, but 3 would have added some nice heat)
3 cups broth of choice (I used seafood in this because I was serving it with fish and had concentrated seafood broth packets that I wanted to try... but normally I'd use chicken)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 spicy V-8 juice (or tomato juice)
2 cups Silk Coconut Milk (or regular milk- I like this because it is slightly sweet which is nice with the pumpkin, and tastes richer than skim milk, which has comparable calories)
3-4 tablespoons fat-free cream cheese
1-2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
goat cheese and red pepper flakes


Start by roasting the pumpkin and carrot.  This can be done ahead of time if you want.  Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Cut pumpkin into VERY rough chunks (maybe a few inches across) and the carrot into smaller rough chunks (about 1 inch pieces).  Spray a baking sheet with olive oil and spread the pumpkin and carrot across it.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Spray again with oil and then roast for about an hour, or until cooked through.  Set aside (or refrigerate until ready to use if doing this a while ahead).

Now for the rest of the soup: Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot.  Add onions, celery, garlic, and bell pepper.  Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and just slightly beginning to brown.  Add in the roasted pumpkin and carrot, the broth, the soy sauce, and the spicy V-8.  Bring to a boil and then lower heat to medium-low and cover with a lid.  Let simmer for 20 minutes.  Add the milk, cream cheese, and apple cider vinegar.  Use an immersion blender to puree.  At this point, you may want to add more salt and pepper... I did (but I like salty and peppery).

Serve with a little crumbled goat cheese and red pepper flakes on top.  Enjoy!

Salmon Topped with Goat Cheese and Roast Vegetable, Olive, and Walnut "Tapenade"

Tasty, healthy, and pretty simple to make.  We ate it by itself, but it would pair nicely with some sort of rice or potato dish if you want some carbs.

What you need:

1 large red bell pepper, cut in half, seeds removed

1/2 onion, cut into slices

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

Olive oil spray

Salt and pepper

2 (6 ounce) salmon fillets

2 teaspoons honey

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

2 ounces goat cheese

3 tablespoons toasted walnuts

1/4 chopped green olives 

1 teaspoon hot red pepper paste (or use red pepper flakes to taste)

garlic powder (I probably used nearly a tablespoon, but we like it garlicky around here)

2 teaspoons dried oregano (or throw in some fresh and maybe basil too if you have it)

1/4 panko crumbs

Start by roasting the vegetables:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spray a baking sheet with olive oil and spread onions,bell pepper (skin facing up), and tomatoes across it.  Season with salt and pepper and spray again with the olive oil.  Place in oven and roast for 15-20 minutes.  Remove tomatoes and place pan back in the oven.  Roast for another 10-15 minutes or until bell pepper is slightly charred and onions are completely cooked and slightly brown.  Remove from oven and let cool.

Now, start the salmon:

Place the salmon on a greased baking sheet, skin side down.  Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon of honey on each piece, then season with salt, pepper, and fennel seeds.  Spray with olive oil.  Broil on high for 5-7 minutes, or until the top is slightly browned.  Remove from oven.

As the salmon cooks, make the tapenade:

Skin the bell pepper, and chop it, the onions, and the tomatoes into small pieces.  Place in medium-sized bowl.  Add 1 teaspoon of honey, garlic powder and red pepper (to taste), oregano, olives, and walnuts.

Now, assembly time:

Spread one ounce of goat cheese on each piece of salmon and top with a thick pile of tapenade.  Sprinkle evenly with the panko crumbs.  Broil for 2-3 on high, or until top is lightly browned.

Enjoy!

Goat Cheese and Nectarine Filo Pastries

This would make a lovely appetizer or accompaniment to a light main dish.  I made four and served them along with my earlier post of tilapia and shrimp on top of salad.  They are decadent and delicious.  This makes four generous servings (with the salad and seafood I only had half of one.  Rob managed his with impressive swiftness).  And there are the two (and a half) leftover for another day!

What you need:

3-4 ounces goat cheese, divided into four pieces and shaped into 1/4-1/2 inch thick rounds

4 pieces thawed filo pastry

1 large nectarine, cut into thin slices

2 jalapenos, chopped into thin slices

1/3 cup mixture chopped fresh basil, mint, and sage- I used the most basil and the least sage

Salt and pepper

Spread your four pieces of filo out on a clean surface, one on top of the other (wrap the rest of package tightly and save for another use... or make more of these).  Place one round of goat cheese on the top filo piece.  Then top with three thin wedges of nectarines, a few slice of jalapeno, a sprinkle of the herbs, a pinch of salt and sprinkle of pepper.  Wrap the filo neatly around the goat cheese to create a little packet or bundle.  Place on a oil-sprayed baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining pieces.  Place any remaining nectarine or pepper slices alongside the packets and season lightly with salt.  Spray the entire pan with olive oil and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  The filo should be browned but not burned, and the extra nectarines should be slightly softened.  Top each packet with a few nectarine and pepper slices.  Serve on top of a green salad (preferably one that includes arugula).

Enjoy!