RECIPES FROM CHEF

With the tempatures outside dropping, this festive soup & chicken dish may just hit the stop & turn a few heads along the way.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup * Goat Cheese-Cranberry Dumplings

Bacon Wrapped Chicken with Tomato Jam
Spinach Gala Apple Salad


3 tbl Olive Oil
1 Ea Butternut Squash
1 tbl Butter
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tbl Brown Sugar
½ tsp Ground Ginger
1 tsp Lemon Pepper
½ tsp Allspice

2 small onions, sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 Each Small Diced Carrot
1 Each Small Dice Celery Rib
3 cups Chicken Stock
2 cups apple cider or juice
Kosher salt
Cracked White Pepper
2 Cups Heavy Cream

Wash and cut squash in ½, remove seeds. Season with small butter, salt, pepper, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, lemon pepper, allspice & roast in pre-heated 325 degree oven until tender and skin can be peeled off with ease.

This may take 30-45 minutes.
Once cool enough to handle, peel & rough chop.

Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat.

Add the onion, carrots and garlic and cook, stirring, until soft, about 4 minutes.
Add the squash, Stock, and cider and season with salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, until the squash is tender, about 30 minutes.
Using a blender, puree the soup until smooth, stir in heavy cream & adjust seasoning.

Soup can be make 2 days on advance & reheated.

Goat Cheese-Cranberry Dumplings

4 oz Goat Cheese
1 Pkg Won Ton Skins or Egg Roll Wrappers
2 Tbl. Chifonade Basil
1 oz Chopped Reconstituted Dried Cranberries
1 oz Panko Bread Crumbs

Pastry Brush
Water for Pastry Brush

In bowl combine cheese, basil, cranberries, bread crumbs, salt & pepper
Lay won ton skins out on clean work surface.
Place small amount of filling in center of won.
Brush edges on won ton with water &Fold over corners & press to seal.
Fold corners over again, to resemble a look of a won -ton
Freeze dumplings until ready to serve.

Once frozen- you can deep fry in small amount of oil at 350 degrees or poach your dumpling in slightly salted boiling water until soft. 2-3 Minutes.

Ladel soup into pre-heated soup cups or soup plates

Place dumplings on top of hot soup, garnish with toasted squash seeds, and little minced chives

Enjoy!!

Applewood Bacon Wrapped Chicken * Tomato Jam
Warm Spinach Salad


4- 5-6 oz Chicken Breast- No Skin
Cracked Black Pepper
Salt
2 Tbl Chopped Parsley
2 Tsp Chopped Rosemary
4 Strips Bacon
2 Ea. Oven Roasted Red Pepper, divided into 4 even pieces

Preheat oven to 325 degree

Trim chicken breast of any excess fat, season with salt pepper, parsley & rosemary.

Place 2 breast together with roasted red pepper in between. Wrap bacon around chicken breast; overlap the bacon when going around chicken.

Heat sauté pan, when pan starts to smoke place bacon wrapped chicken in hot pan, once bacon has a light brown color, flip & sear other side. And place in 325 degree oven

Place in oven & cook for about 20- 30 minutes, or until juices run clear. (Meat probe reads 160 degrees)


Tossed Spoon Spinach with Frisse & Gala Apples
Winter Cider Dressing

4 oz    Spinach- Washed & Dried
1 oz    Frisse Lettuce- Washed & Dried
1 Ea    Slice Gala Apple- ½ Moon
½ Cup Toasted Walnuts

Cider Dressing

2 Cup apple cider – Reduced to 4 oz
2 tbl apple cider vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil
½ tbl shallots
1/4 tsp salt

Cracked black pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together the apple cider, vinegar, shallots and mustard. Slowly drizzle in the oil, whisking constantly until it emulsifies.
Add the, salt, and pepper, and adjust the seasoning, to taste.

Reserve dressing until ready to toss greens.