Roasted Sirloin Steak with Chanterelle Mushrooms and a Halter Ranch Cab

Do you start with the food or the wine when coming up with a wine pairing? Well, I go both ways, but I do love the challenge of creating a recipe that will be well-suited for a particular wine. OK, sometimes this isn't all that challenging. Like when you have a bottle of Halter Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles. A bold California Cab calls out beef to me. I'd picked up some dried chanterelles mushrooms recently, so it wasn't long before I came up with this Roasted Sirloin Steak with Chanterelle Mushrooms to go with the Halter Ranch Cabernet. An easy idea to come up with, but very tasty!

Lest you think I always go for such natural pairings, be sure to check out the Grilled Tuna with Eggplant and Peppers I came up with for a different Halter Ranch red.

Back to the steak dish. This is my standard way to cook steak when it's not grilling season. Quick pan-sear on the stove top, then roast briefly in the oven. The lean sirloin cut cooks quickly, and is best served medium-rare. You could definitely go for a cut like ribeye with more fat content, might be an even better pair for the Cab. But we were definitely very happy with this dish and pairing!

One other quick note before the recipe. I combine "regular" mushrooms with the fancier chanterelles as a cost-effective way to get the deeper flavors from the gourmet mushrooms. You could go with a full ounce of chanterelles and skip the regular mushrooms if you like.

For the steak
1 large sirloin steak, about 1.25 lbs
1/2 tsp herbes de provence
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt

For the mushrooms
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1/2 oz dried chanterelle mushrooms
6 button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/3 cup red wine
1 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the dried chanterelles by pouring boiling water over the mushrooms, then set aside for 30 minutes. Drain the water, and then chop the chanterelles into bite sized pieces.

Pre-heat the oven to 400.

Make the rub: combine the herbes de provence, garlic powder and salt in a bowl. Sprinkle half the rub onto one side of the steak, then gently rub it into the meat. Turn the steak over, and rub the remaining half into that side. Set aside for 10 to 15 minutes to let the rub absorb a bit into the meat.

Make the mushrooms: heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet. Add the shallot, sauté  on medium for a few minutes until softened. Add the button mushrooms first, stirring them into the pan along with another tablespoon olive oil. Add the chanterelles a minute or two later, stirring to combine everything. Add salt and pepper to taste along with the thyme.

Cook the mushrooms for about 5 minutes until they begin to "sweat" (moisture starts coming out of the mushrooms). Add the cooking wine, bring to a boil briefly, then reduce to simmer until the wine is mostly absorbed, about 5 more minutes. Finish the mushrooms by stirring in the butter, letting it gradually melt in and combine with the mushrooms. Keep warm on low heat as the steak cooks.

Cook the Steak: You can start the steak around the time the wine gets added to the mushrooms. Add a tbsp of olive oil to an oven-proof skillet (if you don't have a cast iron skillet, it's a must have in my kitchen!), and heat the skillet on medium high. When the skillet is good and hot, with oil beginning to shimmer, add the steak. Sear on one side for one minute, then turn to sear the other side for a minute.

Move the steak from the stove top to the oven. Roast the steak 11 to 12 minutes for medium rare. Adjust the cooking time slightly based on the size of your steak and your desired doneness. (The steak in the photos here came out at 10 minutes, at which time it was rare. I correctly figured that rest of the steak would continue to cook up as we were taking these tasty photos!)

Let the steak rest for a minute or two, then slice it up, and serve topped with the mushrooms. Enjoy with a green salad, and a potato of your choosing if you're not shunning the carbs. Of course, there's that glass of wine to enjoy with it too...

Wine Pairing: This dish was created with the 2012 Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon from Halter Ranch in mind. I hadn't tried it before, but based I expected it to be a big, beef-worthy wine. I wasn't disappointed.

The wine is deep red in the glass. I got eucalyptus on the nose. I tasted blackberry and cherry fruit, along with notes of charcoal. Tannins are well-integrated. It's approachable now, but I suspected decanting or aging would really make this shine. So I decanted after the first small tasting pour. Just 15 minutes or so in the decanter really help show a nice long finish on the wine.

No surprise that this robust Cab paired nicely with the steak. In addition to standing up to the beef, there was enough nuance to the wine to play well with the subtle flavors of the chanterelle mushrooms. A winning match for sure!

One more note on the wine: this Cab is comprised of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Malbec and 3% Petit Verdot. I'd say the grapes blended in with the Cab add to the depth and complexity. Halter Ranch is a SIP Certified sustainable winery, too. One more reason to grab a bottle!

Full disclosure: I received a courtesy sample of this wine from the winery. As always, the opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Linguine with Roasted Carnival Squash and a Garnacha for #winePW 5

I mulled over for some time what to do for the "Fall fruits and wine pairings" Wine Pairing Weekend 5 theme announced by our host, Culinary Adventures with Camilla. Apples and pears came to mind first, but I haven't cooked with them much. Then I realized squash was fair game, and I sure enjoying cooking with them in the fall. I had some colorful carnival squash on hand from our fall farmshare, and thought they'd be fun to use. So I came up with this Linguine with Roasted Carnival Squash recipe.

Now, what wine to pair with this roasted carnival squash dish? You could make the case that a white might be best for this fairly light pasta dish. In fact, we did enjoy a white with the leftovers (Gastronomie Rousette de Savoie). But when the weather starts turning cooler, I'm definitely gravitating more toward reds. Smells of roasting garlic and squash in the house, that seals the deal.

While I wanted red, I didn't want something heavy or tannic with this pasta dish. I'd enjoyed a Garnacha from Abadía de la Oliva Winery recently and had an extra bottle on hand. I welcomed a chance to open that bottle and see how it paired with this dish...stay tuned for the pairing details after the recipe!

1 head garlic, root end cut off for roasting
2 small carnival squash, cut in half and seeds removed
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup cooking liquid or water (more as needed)
2 to 3 cups baby arugula
1 tbsp parsley
12 ozs linguine or penne
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil on the root end of the garlic for roasting. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, wrap tightly with foil and place in oven.

Drizzle the squash flesh with a tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Lightly coat a baking tray with oil spray, and place the squash flesh side down on the tray. Put the squash in the oven to roast.

After the squash has roasted for about 30 minutes, start a pot of water to boil for the pasta. Check to see how the squash and garlic are coming along, though they will need closer to 45 minutes. A fork should be able to puncture the squash skin easily when it is done, and the flesh should be soft and beginning to brown. The garlic should be down around the same time, with soft, browned cloves.

Remove the squash and garlic and set aside to cool for a few minutes. When the squash is cool enough to work with, scoop out the flesh into a bowl and break up with a sturdy spoon.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium in a large skillet. Squeeze the garlic into the the skillet, stirring it in to combine with the olive oil. This is a good time to add the pasta to the boiling pot of water.

When the garlic has begun to sizzle, stir the squash into the skillet, combining it with the garlic and oil. Add the chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer for about 5 minutes, adding 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water toward the end of that time.

Stir the arugula into the squash mixture, cooking for another minute or two to wilt the arugula. Cover and keep warm on very low heat until the pasta is ready.

Drain the pasta when cooked to your liking, then gently toss it with the squash mixture. You need to stir it up pretty well to get the squash evenly distributed. Add the cheese and the parsley, and you are ready to serve along with a glass of wine.

Wine Pairing: So our September #winePW selection was the 3 Riberas Garnacha 2012 from Abadía de la Oliva Winery, located in the Ribera del Duero area of Spain. This Garnacha also had a small amount of Graciano blended in. This wine has violet on the nose. Blackberry and cherry fruit, leathery on the back end. I recall this wine being a bit more fruit forward when I first had it (perhaps in contrast to the sausage I had it with!) which is why I thought of it to go with the sweetness of the squash.  It worked reasonably well, picking up the pepperiness of the arugula as well as matching OK with the squash. Definitely a good Garnacha for the price, but I wouldn't say this was as spot-on as some of my other #winePW pairings, such as last month's Grilled Tuna with a Halter Ranch Syrah. Nonetheless, this Garnacha is a good value wine and a decent pairing.

Wine Pairing Weekend #5 Bloggers
Here's what all of the bloggers have created for the October Wine Pairing Weekend!

On the Menu...

Savories
Pumpkin Lasagna with Halter Ranch's Côtes de Paso by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Squash and Sausage Soup with Pumpkin Cornbread and McKinley Springs 2010 Bombing Range Red by Tasting Pour
Linguine with Roasted Carnival Squash and a Garnacha by Cooking Chat
Pinot Vs. Syrah - Pork Tenderloin with Fig & Apple Sauce by Confessions of a Culinary Diva

Apple Cider Pork with Red Cabbage and Oak Aged Apple Cider by Curious Cuisiniere

Sweets

Harvest Fruits-Maple Crisp paired with a Riesling by Eliot's Eats

Caramelized Almond Apple Upside Down Cake with a Late Harvest Riesling by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Forgotten Fire Late Harvest Riesling and Warm Apple Crisp by Grape Experiences

Peach and Ginger Cobbler and Tablas Creek Petit Manseng by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

Surprise!
Wines for a Sweet & Savory Fall Harvest Meal by foodwineclick

Fall Fruit and Wine Pairing by Rockin Red Blog

Autumn Pumpkin Food Flair by Vino Travels -- An Italian Wine Blog

Butternut Squash Risotto: White Wine or Rosé by Pull That Cork
Autumn Puff Pastry Tart and La Crema Chardonnay by It's Okay to Eat the Cupcake

Join the #winePW conversation: Follow the #winePW conversation on Twitter throughout the weekend and beyond. If you're reading this early enough, you can join us for a live Twitter chat on our theme "Fall Fruits + Wine" on Saturday, October 11, from 11 a.m. to noon Eastern Time. You can also visit our group Pinterest board to pin some great pairing ideas for later! Stay tuned for the November Wine Pairing Weekend focusing on "Creative Thanksgiving Pairings", hosted by Curious Cuisiniere. This #winePW 6 will be on Saturday, November 8.

Butternut Squash Soup with Sage and Sautéed Mushrooms for #SundaySupper

Really, I do have fall foods in my repertoire other than butternut squash. But #SundaySupper friends who visited my Risotto with Butternut Squash, Chicken and Sage may start to wonder, because here I go again with butternut squash as the primary ingredient for this week's edition of Sunday Supper. This week's theme is "Fabulous Fall Foods", and yup, butternut squash is the first thing that popped into mind.

I had some butternut squash on hand, so that sealed the deal. Even though this recipe has butternut as well as sage again, I hope you'll agree it's a pretty different meal than the risotto dish. It's my first homemade soup of the cool weather season. The risotto dish had some chicken, but this soup is vegan. Served with crusty bread, it makes for a nice meatless meal option. Oh yeah, don't forget those sautéed mushrooms on top! They give an elegant touch to the soup, making it fit for a weekend meal.

You'll have to stop by again soon to see that I do cook without butternut squash in the fall! But meanwhile, onto the recipe for this tasty soup.

For the soup
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and chopped (about 7 cups squash)
2 cups diced potatoes (1 large or a few small)
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup water
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp fresh sage, sliced, plus additional for garnish
generous pinch of cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste

For the mushrooms
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small shallot, diced
10 ozs button mushrooms, sliced
a few shiitake mushrooms, sliced (optional, for additional flavor)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/3 cup white wine

1) Heat the olive oil in a large pan on medium. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes until it begins to soften.

2) Stir in the carrots, cook for a few more minutes. Add the garlic and sage, cook for one more minute.

3) Add the squash and potatoes. Stir to combine with the onion mixture, then add the vegetable broth and additional cup of water, along with the bay leaf.

4) Bring the soup pot to a boil, then reduce heat to a steady simmer. Let the soup simmer for about 25 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

5) Get the mushrooms ready while the soup simmers. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet, then add the shallot. Sauté a few minutes until it begins to soften, then add the mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes, they should start to "sweat". Add the wine, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for another 5 minutes. Keep warm on low heat while you finish the soup.

6) When the vegetables are soft, remove the bay leaf and then puree the soup with an immersion blender or by transferring the soup to a blender or food processor. Return to heat, add salt and pepper to taste.

7) Ladle the soup into a bowl. Using a strainer spoon, scoop up some mushrooms, letting excess liquid drain back into pan. Spread the spoonful of mushrooms over the top of the soup, and add an extra sage leaf or two for garnish if you like. Serve with some crusty bread.

Leftovers: If you have leftovers, just stir any remaining mushrooms into the soup and re-heat them together the next day.

Wine Pairing: I gravitate toward Pinot Noir for butternut squash soup anyway; the earthy mushrooms make that choice a slam dunk. We kept it simple with the Bouchard Aine and Fils Pinot Noir from France; this is a very reliable pinot for about $10. We also like the Hahn Pinot Noir from California for another good value. Soup doesn't seem to call for an expensive wine!

Be sure to check out these tasty posts from my fellow Sunday Supper bloggers! Thanks to Coleen of The Redhead Baker and Conni of The Foodie Army Wife for hosting this week.

Appetizers and Drinks

• Hatch Chile Hummus by Shockingly Delicious
• Pearfect Harvest Cocktail by Eat, Drink and be Tracy

Soups, Stews, Chili, and Casserole

• Butternut Squash Chowder by The Texan New Yorker
• Butternut Squash Soup with Sage and Sautéed Mushrooms by Cooking Chat
• Cheesy Potato Chard Bake by Food Lust People Love
• Fall Harvest Onion Soup by MealDiva
• Homemade Poultry Seasoning and Chicken Dumpling Casserole by Hot Momma's Kitchen Chaos
• Kale and Sweet Potato Stew by What Smells So Good?
• Pumpkin Chili by Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
• Smoked Gouda Cauliflower Casserole by Casadecrews

Salads and Side Dishes

• Brie and Pear Salad by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Butternut Squash Dinner Rolls by Life Tastes Good
• Carrot and Chevre Souffle by Jane's Adventures in Dinner
• Fall Harvest Panzanella by Curious Cuisiniere
• Garlicky Roasted Butternut Squash by Panning The Globe
• Maple Roasted Acorn Squash by Jelly Toast
• Roasted Vegetables with Spiced Pepitas and Sunflower Seeds by Nosh My Way
• Wild Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash by Ruffles & Truffles

Main Dishes

• Chicken alla Vendemmia by Crazy Foodie Stunts
• Oktoberfest Schnitzel Melt Sandwich by Kudos Kitchen by Renee
• Ratatouille by A Mama, Baby & Shar-pei in the Kitchen
• Roasted Pork Tenderloin over Sweet Potatoes by Family Foodie
• Streamlined Weeknight Shepherd's Pie by The Weekend Gourmet

Desserts and Baked Goods

• Apple and Cinnamon Cake by Happy Baking Days
• Apple Challah Bread French Toast by Desserts Required
• Apple Dumplings with Salted Caramel Rum Sauce by The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch
• Apple Hand Pie {Apfeltaschen} by The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
• Apple Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookies by Pies and Plots
• Apple Pie Bars by The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Caramel Apple Cider Ginger Ale Floats by NeighborFood
• Chai Tea Jello Shots by Peaceful Cooking
• Cranberry Orange Baked Doughnuts by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Maple Glazed Apple Galette by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• No Bake Caramel Apple Cheesecake Parfaits by Chocolate Moosey
• Peanut Butter Ginger Apple Cookies by Ninja Baking
• Pear Walnut Bread Pudding by Magnolia Days
• Pumpkin Bagels by The Redhead Baker
• Pumpkin Cheesecake by Confessions of a Culinary Diva
• Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip Cookies by Momma's Meals
• Pumpkin Coffeecake Muffins by Take A Bite Out of Boca
• Pumpkin Ice Cream by Amee's Savory Dish
• Pumpkin Pie Cookies by Fit Foodie Runs
• Pumpkin Scones with Maple Glaze by The Foodie Army Wife
• Pumpkin Snack Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting by Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Rustic Apple Pie by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Southern Coffee Cookies by Killer Bunnies, Inc
• Sticky Apple and Gingerbread Cake by Mess Makes Food
• White Chocolate Chip Sugar Cookie Bars with Browned Butter Pumpkin Spice Frosting by Cupcakes and Kale Chips

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Risotto with Butternut Squash, Chicken and Sage for #SundaySupper

It's not easy to embrace the shorter days and end of beach/grilling season that comes with September. But my love for the savory flavors of fall softens the blow. Squashes like acorn and butternut are right there at the center of my fall cooking, so I knew I had to join the #SundaySupper Squash Fest fun! I thought this Risotto with Butternut Squash, Chicken and Fresh Sage would be a perfect dish to share to capture the savory elements of fall food that I enjoy.

I hadn't made this risotto with butternut squash in a long time, so was glad to revisit it! In addition to the butternut squash, the sage is a key ingredient here--I think sage is the quintessential fall herb. I encourage you to bookmark this for one of the first fall days with a chill in the air, and let the savory and just a bit of sweet goodness of this dish warm you up, along with a nice glass of red wine. Thanks to Alice of A Mama, Baby and Shar-pei in the Kitchen and Christy of Confessions of a Culinary Diva for hosting our Squash Fest!

1 1b. butternut squash, diced
2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped, plus 4 extra sage leaves
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups water
3 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large garlic cloved, minced
2 cups arborio rice
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut in inch pieces
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup pecorino romano or parmesan cheese (I used a blend)
handful of baby spinach (optional)
1/2 teaspoon white truffle oil (optional)

Combine the chicken broth, water, and the 4 sage leaves, and bring to a boil. Add the butternut squash, and boil gently for about 8 minutes, until the squash begins to soften. Remove the squash with a slotted spoon, reserving the liquid. Set the squash aside and keep the liquid on low heat. Discard the 4 sage leaves.

Melt the butter on medium heat in a nonreactive, nonstick pan. Add the onions and 1 tbsp sage, saute until onions soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the the garlic, cook for another minute. Add the chicken and cook until it begins to turn white on the outside. Add the rice and stir for about 2 minutes, until the rice is thoroughly coated with butter.

Begin ladling the liquid into the rice pan, about 1 cup at a time. After adding a cup of liquid, gently stir the rice virtually nonstop (OK, you can run briefly to the refrigerator, but you need to be committed to the risotto!). When the cup of liquid has been absorbed, add another cup and repeat the process.

The cooking time for the risotto (once you begin the ladling) is about 30 minutes. When all the liquid has been absorbed, check the consistency of risotto. It should be tender but still have firmness. If it seems too hard (think--would you want to eat it?), add additional water and follow the same process until you get to the desired consistency. When the risotto is done, it can't absorb more liquid, so there's a bit of liquid left. This helps to mix in the cheese and squash.

Stir in the reserved squash, the cheese, 1 more tablespoon of sage, pepper to taste, and truffle oil if you're using it. When I made this most recently for Sunday Supper, I added a handful of baby spinach to add some additional color to the dish. Serve with crusty bread and a green salad or broccoli rabe. Offer additional cheese at the table. Enjoy!

Wine Pairing: I went with the Perticaia Rosso from Umbria.  That was a pretty good pairing, though I a better pairing from that winery was one with our Heaven Sent Grilled Pork Chops. I was debating between that or the 2013 Castello La Leccia Vivaio Del Cavaliere Toscana Rosso, which we wound up having another night. The Castello is a bit softer and more fruit forward and I'd recommend that as a good pairing option. A Pinot Noir could work nicely, too.

Be sure to check out these tasty Squash Fest Recipes from the #SundaySupper bloggers!

Starters – Appetizers and Cocktails:

• Bourbon Pumpkin Pie in a Glass from Confessions of a Culinary Diva
• Spaghetti Squash and Zucchini Pancakes from Kudos Kitchen by Renee
• Zucchini Pizza Bites from Mommas Meals
• Zucchini Tomato Focaccia Bread with Pretzel Salt from Family Foodie

Pickles & Relish:

• Zucchini Pickles from Jane's Adventures in Dinner
• Zucchini Relish from Magnolia Days

Soups & Salads:

• Creamy Dairyfree Zucchini Soup from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
• Easy Slow Cooker Pasta e Fagioli e Zucchini from Hot Momma's Kitchen Chaos
• Pumpkin Soup with Bacon and Persimmon from Culinary Adventures with Camillia
• Tofu Vegetable Soup from What Smells So Good?
• Zucchini Cheese Soup from Noshing with the Nolands
• Zucchini Noodles with Basil Vinaigrette from Ruffles and Truffles

Main Dishes

• Acorn Squash Ramen from Ninja Baking
• Beef, Butternut & Potato Pie from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Beef Ragu over Spaghetti Squash from The Texan New Yorker
• Black Bean, Butternut Squash & Millet Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Ancho-Guajillo Chile Sauce from Simply Healthy Family
• Chorizo-Stuffed Zucchini from La Cocina de Leslie
• Gluten Free Zucchini Noodles & Meatballs from Gluten Free Crumbley
• Italian Sausage Zucchini Lasagna from Curious Cuisiniere
• Risotto with Butternut Squash, Chicken and Sage from Cooking Chat
• Sausage and Farro Stuffed Acorn Squash from The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
• Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Cups from Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
• Sesame Zucchini Noodles (Zoodles) from Cupcakes and Kale Chips
• Spaghetti Squash Casserole from Shockingly Delicious
• Spinach and Mushroom Quiche with Spaghetti Squash Crust from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Stuffed Red Kuri Squash from Food Lust People Love
• Zucchini-Corn Pancakes from The Weekend Gourmet

Side Dishes:

• Cheesy Thyme Baked Acorn Squash from An Appealing Plan
• Creamy Baked Acorn Squash from Simply Gourmet
• Grilled Zucchini and Corn Succotash from Take a Bite Out of Boca
• Kabocha no Nimono (Simmered Acorn Squash) from A Mama, Baby and Shar Pei in the Kitchen
• Roasted Kabocha Squash from Peaceful Cooking
• Roasted Zucchini and Yellow Squash Galette from Rhubarb and Honey
• Spaghetti Squash Fritters from Nosh My Way
• Sweet and Savory Roasted Delicata Squash and Pear from Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Zucchini Succotash Cobbler with Cornbread Topping from The Wimpy Vegetarian

Sweets to Start or End the Day:

• Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Chocolate Zucchini Coffeecake with Chocolate Crumb from Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
• Chocolate Zucchini Pancakes from Brunch with Joy
• Granny’s Zucchini Bread from Pies and Plots
• Pumpkin Cheesecake French Toast Roll Ups with Pumpkin Spice Dipping Sauce from Chocolate Moosey
• Pumpkin Cookie Butter Cinnamon Buns with Cookie Butter Glaze from Grumpy's Honey Bunch
• Pumpkin Pie Layer Cheesecake Bars from Wallflour Girl
• Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes from The Foodie Army Wife
• Vegan Pumpkin Spice Cookies from Killer Bunnies Inc.
• Zucchini Brownies from Eat, Drink and Be Tracy
• Zucchini Lemon Ginger Bread from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Festive Fall Fettuccine

If I put the main ingredients in the post title, you might have quickly passed this one by. But that would be a shame, because this is a tasty version of fettuccine, well-suited for fall. Now that you're reading this far, I can encourage you to stick with it and give it try!

OK, you're still with me? Leftover turnip puree served as the inspiration for this dish. Now, it's not too often I find myself inspired by turnips. But I was tried out Barbara Lynch's recipe in  Stir: Mixing It Up In The Italian Tradition for Pork Chop with Caramelized Apples, Celery and Spiced Walnuts, which she recommended serving over turnip puree. It was a tasty dish, but generated a lot of extra turnip puree. Noting its thick creaminess, I figured that it would make a good basis for a pasta sauce. But it would need some salt and sweetness to offset the slight bitterness of the turnip. Bacon, which I like to cook with greens, and cranberries seemed to be in order...

I made this dish a few weeks ago, and am just now getting to finish up the post on the day after Thanksgiving. Which leads me to suggest that this would a nice way to use leftover turnips (see my note on how to do that in the instructions). I'd also imagine adding a few cups of bite sized pieces of turkey meat to the dish would be tasty, and a nice change of pace from turkey sandwiches!

Enough preliminaries, on to the details of the dish!

For the turnip puree (basically half of Chef Barbara's recipe is right for this dish):
1 cup heavy cream (I used coconut cream because of a dairy allergy).
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 lb turnips, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

For the rest of the dish
1 bunch collard greens, coarsely chopped (other dark leafy greens like chard could work)
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup or so chicken broth
1 or 2 slices bacon
pinch salt and red pepper flakes
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
bit of fresh oregano (or other fresh herb you have on hand)
12 ozs fettuccine noodles
1/4 cup walnuts, lightly toasted & coarsely chopped
handful of dried cranberries
1/4 cup or so feta cheese (or pecorino would work)

Make the turnip cream: Heat the cream and butter in a pan over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the turnip and a pinch of salt. Reduce to simmer, partially covered, for 30 to 45 minutes, until the turnip is tender when pierced with a fork. Puree the combination in a food processor until you get a nice, even consistency. Return to the pan and keep warm on very low heat as you make the rest of the dish. Note: If you have cooked, mashed turnip already on hand from Thanksgiving or some other occasion, you could heat that turnip gradually with the cream, stirring to gradually combine.

Make the rest of the dish: Heat a large pot on medium high and spray with cooking oil (I use olive oil). Add the bacon and cook until it is nice and crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan and cool it on paper towel set on a plate to absorb the excess grease. Pour most of the extra grease out of the pan, but leave a bit for that bacon flavor! When the bacon is cool, crumble it into bite sized pieces and set it aside to add to the dish later.

Add a tablespoon of the olive oil to the pan, heat on medium. Add the garlic, cook for a minute or so until it starts getting fragrant. Gradually add the greens in a few batches, stirring the greens as you add them so they get well coated with the oil and garlic. Add a light pinch of salt, then stir in the chicken broth and balsamic vinegar. (You could certainly use other cooking liquid in place of chicken broth). Heat the liquid until it begins to simmer, then cover to cook gently on moderate heat. Stir the greens occasionally. You'll want to braise the greens for at least 20 minutes, 30 is better if you have time, so they get nice and tender, absorbing the garlic and broth flavor. Add the oregano and red pepper flakes about halfway through the greens cooking time.

Start boiling the water for pasta after you've added the greens. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain the pasta when it's done, then toss the pasta with the turnip puree. Once the turnip has coated the noodles well, toss in the the greens. Be sure to use up all the good liquid from cooking the greens to capture all the nutrients and flavor. After mixing the greens and pasta, stir in the cheese followed by the bacon. Plate the pasta, and top each dish with a bit of the walnuts and cranberries. Serve at the table with a bit of extra cheese, and enjoy!

Roast Chicken with Herb Butter and Shiitake Mushroom Sauce

We are definitely getting into roast chicken weather in New England! With whole chickens on sale at Whole Foods and Sandy bearing down on the region last weekend, it seemed like the perfect time to roast some chicken. I always get a least two meals out of it by making chicken stew on the second night--which in this case was finished right before we lost our power. Made for a nice candle light meal! But I'm getting ahead of myself. I often use this roast chicken recipe from Food & Wine, but noticed we had a few herbs and shiitake mushrooms that I hadn't gotten a chance to use yet. So I applied some basic concepts from the recipe I'd used before to create this new and very tasty dish!


for the butter:
6 tbsp butter, brought to room temperature
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 sage leaves, chopped
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
salt & pepper to taste

1 whole chicken between 4 to 5 lbs, giblet removed
4 smash garlic cloves
quarter a lemon, you need 2 quarters for this dish.

for the sauce
2 cups shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 tbsp olive oil 2 butter
2 shallots, minced
1/3 cup red wine
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 dried thyme
1/4 cup cream
fresh ground pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 375.

Make the butter: When the butter has softened, combine it with the other ingredients. It tends to be a bit hard to stir at first, but work at it vigorously with a sturdy spoon and it will soon be blended into a nice consistency with the ingredients well distributed. You can microwave the butter for 5 or 10 seconds if it hasn't softened enough to work with. I actually use Earth Balance dairy free butter spread due to my son's allergies, and that works nicely.

Prep & roast the chicken: Have a large roasting pan ready. Rinse the chicken and pat dry, and place on a cutting board to do the prep. Use your fingers to lift up the skin on the breast a bit. Take about 2 tbsp of butter and insert under the skin, rubbing into the breast meat. Rub the remaining butter all over the skin, making sure the chicken is thoroughly coated. Insert the smashed garlic, lemon and any remaining butter into the chicken cavity. Place the chicken breast side up into a roasting pan, and roast for approximately 90 minutes. Ovens vary, so you'll want to get a sense of whether you typically need a bit more or less time than recipes call for. You don't want to overcook the chicken, nor do you want it raw. You can determine doneness with a meat thermometer, but I prefer the method of piercing the thick thigh meat or cutting into it a bit--the juices should run clear and the breast meat should be white, but still good and juicy. When done, place the chicken on a carving board and let rest for 10 minutes. Save that pan juice for the sauce.

Make the sauce: Start prepping the sauce ingredients after the chicken has roasted for about 45 minutes. Heat the olive oil on medium, and add the shallots. Saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, stir occasionally. Cook for about 5 minutes until they start to get soft and begin to "sweat". Add the red wine and butter, stir to combine. Simmer for another 5 minutes or so to reduce the liquid by roughly half. After that, keep warm on low heat until the chicken is done roasting. After you remove the cooked chicken from the roasting pan, pour the juices into the sauce. (I poured it all in; you might want to measure out a cup to use). Add the parsley, thyme and pepper after pouring in the pan juices. Simmer for about 10 minutes to reduce the liquid, stirring frequently.

Serve and enjoy! Carve and plate chicken, topping with a bit of the sauce for a nice presentation. Pass extra sauce at the table. Enjoy! We served it with some orzo & butternut squash and an arugula salad.

Wine pairing: An earthy pinot noir would be a natural choice to pick up the mushrooms as well as the roast chicken. I went off the beaten path and served it with the Grillo Azienda Agricola, a red wine from Italy's Fruili region made with the Schioppettino grape. It's a nice bottle of wine and change of pace, and worked well with the dish.

Lidia's Spaghetti in Tomato Apple Sauce

The new cookbook arrived in the midst of apple picking season, so the recipe for Spaghetti in Tomato Apple caught my eye right away. Now, apples cooked with tomatoes to make a pasta sauce does sound a bit strange at first. No offense to us bloggers, but if I came across the idea on an unknown blog I'd just chuckle and pass on by. But when I saw it featured in Lidia's Favorite Recipes: 100 Foolproof Italian Dishes, from Basic Sauces to Irresistible Entrees, I had to give it a closer look. Lidia explains that this combination is common in the apple laden Alto Adige region of Northern Italy. That was good enough for me, and I'm glad I gave it a try! This is a refreshing tomato sauce with a nice bright taste. The apple flavor is not distinctive but rather contributes to the overall impression that this is something other than your typical pasta sauce. This follows Lidia's recipe almost exactly, with a slight reduction in the celery called for; and the wording of the instructions slightly tweaked.

an unlikely combo!

3 cups canned tomatoes, San Marzano recommended
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium celery stalk, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb tart green apple, like Granny Smith
1 lb spaghetti
1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
salt to taste

Puree the tomatoes in a food processor until smooth. Pour 4 tbsp olive oil into a skillet on medium heat. Add the celery and onion to the pan. Cook until the onions begin to soften and caramelize, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the pureed tomatoes, season with a bit of salt. As the tomatoes begin to simmer, peel and core the apples, removing seeds. Shred the apples, using coarse holes of a shredder or grater.

When the tomatoes have cooked about 5 minutes, stir the apples into the sauce. Bring the skillet back to simmer, and cook the sauce uncovered for about 15 minutes, stirring a bit here and there, until it has begun to thinkcn and the apple shreds are cooked and tender.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil, drop in the spaghetti, and cook it until al dente. Strain the pasta and combine with the sauce. Toss the pasta with the sauce for a minute or two, until it is thoroughly coated and cooked just right. Turn off heat, sprinkle the grated cheese over the pasta and toss well. Serve the pasta immediately, passing extra cheese at the table.

Wine pairing: Though I failed to note or tweet the wine we had with this dish when I made it a couple of weeks ago, I seem to recall having a Dolcetto and it working pretty well. Though that puts you in the same country as Alto Adige, I'm thinking a wine from the region would be nice. It so happens last night we had a red from Alto Adige, a 2010 Muri-Gries Alto Adige Santa Maddalena. This is a blend of the local grapes Schiavae and Lagrein. It has a light, fresh quality to it that I think would work with the dish. I didn't test the pairing yet so can't vouch for it! Let me know if you try this or another pairing that works.

Full disclosure: I received a review copy of the book. My adventures with the recipes and opinions of my book are fully my own!