Monday, February 18, 2013

Butternut Squash Cheddar Galette


This was my first galette, and it was savory! I kind of associate galettes with sweetness, because I see so many recipes for sweet fruit ones, but this savory one was great. Perfect for packing lunches, and since the pie crust is rolled so thinly, you get more filling per pie crust (and therefore less butter per serving : ) ) This was also the first real think I've cooked since I started my new job (!!!). I'm not used to cooking so little, but I'm surprisingly drained after getting home from a whole day of training (after busy weekends of helping my parents out). Definitely hoping that I get some more energy to cook after work, and I think I will once I've completed training and the weather gets nicer/brighter.

I used about 1/4 the original recipe's measure of olive oil, so if you want to use the full 1/4th cup, feel free, I just feel it would be too greasy like that, but as you can see, my butternut squash was a little wrinkly (but still delicious). Up to you!

Butternut Squash Chedder Galette
slightly adapted from Domestic Deborah

Ingredients:
1 recipe pate brisee/pie crust (I used Martha Stewart's recipe)
1.5 lbs butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup aged white cheddar, grated
1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. fresh sage, minced
1 tsp. salt
black pepper to taste
1 large egg yolk + 1 Tbs. cold water


Instructions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 375F.
2. Roll out pastry into a 12" circle. Place on a large baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and refridgerate until ready to use.
3. Combine butternut squash, onion, cheddar, olive oil, sage, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl and fold together until mixture is reasonably consistent and lightly coated in olive oil.
4.  Mound filling onto the pie crust and spread out evenly, leaving 2" of pie crust all around the edges. Fold edge of crust over the filling.
5. Whisk together egg yolk and water, and brush onto crust.
6. Bake for 45-50 minutes (or more) until crust is golden brown and butternut squash is cooked (it may not completely soften and that's fine).
7. Let galette cool for 30 minutes, then serve

Fried Plantain


Fried plantain is one of my favorite island foods. So naturally sweet and delicious and, if fried right, soft on the inside and crispy. You want your plantain to be pretty much completely black on the outside before using it. Of course, you can fry your plantain when green or yellow, and that will be much more of a potato-y substance, and you can cook with it/flavor it accordingly. But in my opinion, the black, sweet plantains are the best.

Fried Plantain

Ingredients:
1.5 Tbs. butter
1 black plantain

Instructions:
1. On medium-low heat, melt the butter in a frying pan.
2. Cut plantain at an angle so the slices have a longer surface area (or you can cut length-wise into quarters if desired)
3. Evenly place plantain slices in the pan. Each must be on it's face (you may have to cook in batches)
4. Cook each slice until golden-brown on the bottom, rotating some from outside of pan to inside if needed. Flip each piece as it caramelizes onto it's other side and caramelize other side. Make sure there's extra butter in the pan on the edges of the plantain. If it gets too dry and plantains start sticking, add more butter.
5. Set plantains aside once golden-brown on both sides.