Warm Fall Salad

I've thoroughly mourned the summer and come to accept that Fall is here. It has been stupid cold the last few weeks and there's no denying it now! In the spirit of embracing it, I've let go of cold salads and welcomed the warm comfort of an all cooked salad. Delicata squash is my all time favorite, so anything with that is going to lift my summer mourning spirits! Behold my improvisation / adaptation of Deb Perlman's Fall-Toush salad from smitten kitchen.

Salad

1 delicata squash sliced into approximately 1.5 inch slices (no need to remove the skin!)

1 large head of broccoli chopped into medium size florets

1 slice of pita bread sliced into crouton sized squares

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons of sumac

3 tablespoons salt

1/4 cup flat leaf parsley chopped

1 tablespoon mint

Dressing

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

Combine 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 2 talespoons of sumac, and 2 tablespoons salt into a covered jar and give it a good shake. Toss delicata squash, broccoli in oil, sumac, and salt mixture in a large bowl. Spread out over a large baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees about 20 minutes. Be careful not to overchar the broccoli. Remove and combine with parsley and mint in a bowl. While that is cooking, drizzle the remaining olive oil over the pita bread and sprinkle over with 1 tablespoon of sumac followed by the last tablespoon of salt. Place it in a toaster over to toast at 350 degrees. If toaster isn't available, simply wait until vegetables cook and then turn down the heat of your oven. Combine all dressing ingredients into the same jar you made the vegetable marinade and pour over the warm vegetables and pita combination. 

Cooked Forever Broccoli from Food 52 Genius Recipes

I am so completely in love with this new cook book, you guys. I got the most incredible wedding gift from my dear friend Christine of 6 of the best cook books I've ever seen and it has become my new favorite past time to flip through them and try whatever I have the ingredients for. The winner of this fine selection of knowledge has so far been the Food 52 Genius Recipes from the editor of Food 52.com. It's an assortment of the most successful recipes from the internet from all different types of cooks and chefs. When I found myself with an abundance of broccoli to use this week, I headed straight for the book and found the Cooked Forever Broccoli Recipe from the great Mark Bittman. I was skeptical of the lengthy cook time, but it was so incredibly delicious and super easy to execute.

2 lbs Broccoli
3 cloves garlic
2 hot chili peppers
3 anchovy filets (I plan on experimenting with kalamata olives for a veg version of this)
1/4 cup olive oil

Begin by carefully chopping your broccoli into a combination of small florets and 1/2 - 1 inch stems. I was really precise this time and I'm glad I took the time because the lengthy time on the pan means everything really needs to be close to the same size. Slice the anchovies into small strips, mince the garlic, and slice the chili peppers in half before setting aside.

Blanche the broccoli for five minutes and set aside to cool. Add the olive oil to a skillet and begin to heat up the garlic and chili in the oil. Once they are simmering, add the anchovies and begin to stir until they are mostly disintegrated. Add the broccoli and begin stirring so that all pieces get a healthy coat of the olive oil mixture. Cover and simmer for 1.5 hours (the recipe calls for 2, but I was really happy with it after an a hour and a half), stirring every 20 minutes or so. Can be served hot or room temperature.

Easy Comfort Food - Baked Potato with Cheese and Broccoli

It looks as casual as it is! Sometimes spring doesn't come on schedule and you find yourself looking around your kitchen in late April and wanting nothing but warm and creamy treats. I like to keep this within caloric control and include some vegetables with this simple baked potato with cheese sauce and broccoli. It takes very little effort and is just the soul warming comfort you want on a rainy day.

Baked Potato with Cheese and Broccoli (serves 2)
2 russet potatoes
2 heads of broccoli
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Cheese Sauce
1 cup cheddar cheese
1/4 cup of onion - chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1.5 tablespoons flour
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash potatoes and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with tablespoon of olive oil on each potato and a pinch of salt each. Place in the oven for 45 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking, prep broccoli  and mince garlic. Add to a sauce pan with 1 cup of water and let steam with a pinch of salt and pepper. Grab another sauce pan and add the butter and sautee the onions until translucent  before adding cheese. After the cheese is melted, add flour and stir until thick.
Split potatoes and place broccoli within each mid-section before pouring over a generous helping of cheese sauce. Enjoy!