Butternut Squash

1 Butternut squash

2 T butter

1 - 2 T brown sugar depending upon size of squash

Karyo syrup

Peel and cube the squash (1/2 inch). Put in Pyrex dish with  three or four T of water.  Cover and microwave until tender, about 8 - 10 minutes.  Stir once or twice while cooking.

Drain the squash. Add butter and brown sugar and mash

Transfer to an oven safe baking dish.  Drizzle with Kayro syrup and bake in 400 oven for 15 minutes. 

Poblano Peppers

Serves 4

4 poblano peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
4 plum tomatoes, halved
1 red onion, cut into wedges
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
kosher salt and pepper
1/2 cup instant polenta
1 10-ounce package frozen corn
1/4 cup soft goat cheese (2 ounces)
4 scallions, sliced  

 

Directions:  

1. Preheat broiler. Place tomatoes, onions, and peppers cut side down on an oiled baking sheet. Roast until charred and tender. Stir halfway through.
2. Switch oven to baking mode and preheat to 400°F. While you wait, puree tomatoes and onion with cinnamon, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper in a food processor. 
3. Spread half the sauce in a baking dish and arrange the peppers cut side up.
4. Bring 2 1/4c of water to a rolling boil in a medium saucepan. Add a pinch of salt. Stir in the polenta slowly, using a whisk or fork. Cook the polenta, whisking steadily, until it becomes thick, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Add the corn, cheese, and all but 2 TB of the scallions. Remove from heat.
5. Divide the polenta mixture between the peppers, topping with the remaining sauce. Bake 5 to 10 minutes until heated through. Garnish with the leftover scallions.

Mustard Coated Chicken Breasts

Mustard Coated Chicken Breasts

Two servings

1 1/2 T Dijon mustard. (I like the coarse grain for this)

1 1/2 T EVOO

1 large clove garlic, minced

1/4 t Tarragon dried. (Substitute Thyme, possibly Oregano)

1 cup bread crumbs

2 skinless chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 450

Spray foil lined baking sheet with olive oil

Mix together mustard, EVOO, garlic and Tarragon

Spread mixture onto chicken

Coat with bread crumbs

Put prepared chicken on baking sheet

Bake for 14 minutes. 

Good with mashed potatoes and creamed (panned) spinach. 

Cauliflower

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 head cauliflower

1½ cups plain Greek yogurt

1 lime, zested and juiced

2 tablespoons chile powder

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon curry powder

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400° and lightly grease a small baking sheet with vegetable oil. Set aside.

2. Trim the base of the cauliflower to remove any green leaves and the woody stem.

3. In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt with the lime zest and juice, chile powder, cumin, garlic powder, curry powder, salt and pepper.

4. Dunk the cauliflower into the bowl and use a brush or your hands to smear the marinade evenly over its surface. (Excess marinade can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days and used with meat, fish or other veggies.)

5. Place the cauliflower on the prepared baking sheet and roast until the surface is dry and lightly browned, 30 to 40 minutes. The marinade will make a crust on the surface of the cauliflower.

6. Let the cauliflower cool for 10 minutes before cutting it into wedges and serving alongside a big green salad.

Limoncello

Franny's Limoncello Recipe

What You'll Need:

• 1 bottle Skyy Vodka (750ml.)
• 2 lemons, rinsed (ideally organic, Meyer lemons)
• Cheesecloth
• Twine

To Finish:

• 1.5 cups simple syrup (50/50 water and sugar by weight)
• Zest of two lemons (new, fresh Meyers)

Directions:

1. Pour vodka into a clean glass jar.
2. Wrap lemons in cheesecloth and suspend over vodka (using the twine to secure them).
3. Seal tightly, and let sit undisturbed (in a cool, dark place) for one month.
4. After one month, discard lemons, then add syrup and the fresh zest of two new lemons.
5. Let sit for 15 minutes, and strain through a fine mesh sieve (or more cheesecloth).
6. Chill and then drink up.

Sounds simple, right? Luckily, it is! I found that this technique gives it the the pure lemony essence that you get from the suspension technique, but it also adds just a but of the satisfying oils, from the quick dunk of the zest. I've also found that limoncellos that use the typical technique (soaking the peels for a month) generally have a heavier, less vibrant flavor and aroma, whereas the suspension technique is incredibly light and vibrant. Franny's technique is, to me, the best of both worlds.

SEXPAND

Other Considerations

First off, while we aren't always stickler for this kind of thing, in this case, using organic lemons is very important. Why? Because the alcohol is going to strip out everything that's in the peel. That means that if your lemons were sprayed with pesticides, it's going to end up in your limoncello. Nobody wants pesticides in their limoncello.

Another thing to consider is the spirit. I was really surprised to learn that Franny's uses regular old 80-proof Skyy vodka. Like I said, Franny's is the best I've ever had, so I'm hesitant to mess with success, but I can't help but wonder what kind of results you might be able to achieve using 100-proof vodka, or even Everclear (which isn't typically available in New York). I think it's worth experimenting with—BUT, if you do, keep in mind that you're going to have to adjust the amount of simple syrup and/or water that you use. If using a higher-proof spirit, I'd say start with the 1.5 cups of simple syrup that Franny's recommends, then give it a taste. The balance of sweetness and lemon might be right, but the alcohol content will likely be way too high. In that case, don't add more simple syrup, start adding water, just a little at a time, until you get to the balancing point you're looking for.

Oh, and a quick note on simple syrup. Most places just use a 1:1 ratio (by weight) of white, granulated sugar and water, then they heat it up and stir it until it's dissolved. While the 1:1 ratio by weight is solid, personally, I've found you get better results and much, much richer flavors if you use raw sugar (the dark, coarse stuff) and don't heat it at all. Simply combine the sugar and room-temperature water in a glass bowl, and stir it until it's dissolved. It takes a little longer, but it's worth it. The syrup is usually a bit sweeter and thicker, so you may not need to use as much of it. Generally, it's best to add a little less and then taste as you go.