A Couple Winter Recieps

A Perfect Winter Salad: Arugula & Butternut Squash with warm cider vinagrette

1 bag arugula
2 butternut squash, cubed
small handful crasins
1/2 c walnuts
2 T shallots
1 T maple syrup
3/4 c apple cider
2 T cider vinegar
2 t dijon
parmesan

1. Preheat oven to 400
toss squash in olive oil, 1 T maple syrup, S&P and roast for 15-20 minutes
add crasins at the end

2. toast 1/2 cup walnuts, set aside

3. in a small sauce pan mix together 3/4 c cider, 2 T cider vinegar, 2 T shallots
boil over medium head 6-8 minutes until it reduces to ~ 1/4 c

4. remove from heat and whisk in 1/2 c olive oil, 2 t dijon, 1/2 t pepper, 1 t salt

5. to arugula add roasted squash, toasted walnuts, shredded parmesan (generous amount), vinagrette.  toss and serve.  



Molly Wizenberg just posted this recipe on Orangette, and I made them this morning.  They are a simple cookie-cracker, much like a digestif biscuit (which I *love*) or the carrs sweet wheaty crackers that come in the dark red box.  Molly suggests eating these with cheese, and she's right -- a sharp cheddar was perfection; and Silas crumbled his on chocolate chocolate chip ice cream, which may have been even more brilliant.  Easy to make, too.


Oatcakes

Adapted slightly from Orangette (who adapted slightly from Stephanie Congdon Barnes and 3191 Quarterly No. 9)

1 ½ cups oats
1 cup flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, diced (mine ended up being more room temperature -- fine -- just not soft)
¼ cup full-fat plain yogurt (not greek, though it would probably work, just add a little milk)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.

-In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt, whisking to blend. 
-Add the butter and use your fingers to work it into the oat mixture until it resembles a coarse meal. 
-Stir in the yogurt until a soft dough forms. The dough should be a little crumbly. 
-Lightly flour a work surface, and turn the dough out onto it, rolling to a ¼-inch thickness. 
-Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, stamp out oatcakes, and transfer them to the prepared sheet pans. 
-It’s okay to gather and re-roll any scraps of dough.

Bake the oatcakes for about 15 minutes, or until they are golden brown around the edges. (mine were a bit on the light side and I think the darker the better -- a little crunch at the edges would be good here). 
Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, and then store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Yield: about 25 oatcakes