I’ve been really busy this month with my blog since I’ve been posting a recipe a day so I’ve been trying to focus on delicious fresh food that doesn’t take a tremendous amount of work.  It’s really the way that I like to cook anyway.  Sometimes I get caught up with these elaborate procedures and recipes that seem pages long but at the end of the day if you have beautiful quality ingredients you shouldn’t have to manipulate them very much.  This salad is the best representation of that philosophy.  I know that crab is a luxury and I don’t indulge all the time but it’s nice to treat myself and it’s one of my very favorite foods.  Make sure that you buy the best quality ingredients you can find.  I have a wonderful local fish shop that I frequent and I find that their prices are actually very reasonable and the quality is amazing.  It’s a good practice to check out specialty grocers in your area, just like a farmer’s market you might find that the prices are just as good or even better than your local grocery chain.  Anyway I would rather spend a little bit more and get really quality ingredients rather than save a few dollars that I would probably spend on a fancy cup of coffee or a manicure anyway.  

Citrus is at it’s peak right now so I paired my favorite grapefruit with some fresh avocado and Dungeness crab.  You could omit the crab altogether and the salad would still be amazing or substitute some shrimp instead. 

I’m still posting a recipe a day for the rest of the month at www.scalingbackblog.com so come on by for more healthy recipes!

Grapefruit, Avocado & Crab Salad

Serves 4 

2 pink grapefruits, segmented and juice reserved

2 teaspoons champagne vinegar

1 Tablespoon minced fresh chives

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 head butter lettuce, leaves separated and torn into small pieces

2 firm but ripe avocados, cut into 1/2-inch (12-mm.) slices

1/2 lb. (250 g.) fresh lump crabmeat 

Method:

In a small bowl, whisk together 2 teaspoons of the grapefruit juice with the vinegar, shallot, chives and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Whisking constantly, slowly add the oil until well combined to make a vinaigrette.

In a bowl, toss the lettuce with 1 tablespoon of the vinaigrette. Divide the lettuce leaves among 6 salad plates. Gently toss the avocado slices in 1 tablespoon of the vinaigrette and place a few slices on each plate. Place the grapefruit slices, lettuce, avocado and crabmeat on a platter or in a serving bowl. Drizzle some of the vinaigrette over the top and toss until lightly coated. Season with salt and pepper and serve right away.

As I was sitting here trying to finish up this post I took my eyes off my dog for a few minutes and she managed to steal my friends glasses and eat them into oblivion. 

This is my life and this is why I am struggling to get enthusiastic about the holiday.  I can’t even keep my dog from shredding every single item that crosses her path, what is she going to do a Christmas tree? 

Every year I suffer from the syndrome of good intentions.  I want to transform my home into a winter wonderland of beauty and wonder, bake dozens of cookies to gift to friends and handcraft each and every item I gift. 

The month of December is one where I run around like a chicken with my head cut off, snarling at everyone to just stay out of my way.  I want to enjoy the holiday and my family so I’m trying to pick just a few projects and keep things simple.  However we are hosting a large party in a few weeks so I’ll let you know how that goes. 

Having dishes that I can prepare ahead of time and freeze really helps out with staying on task.  This is a dish that makes a pretty fair amount and I usually make extra so that I can take it out of the freezer and have a home cooked meal on the table without any preparation.  

The shells are stuffed with a mixture of ricotta, Parmesan and Swiss chard.  The chard adds a nice texture and helps lighten the dish a bit.  You can serve them with your favorite tomato sauce but this butternut squash sauce is sublime.  Rich, creamy and slightly sweet I can eat it by the spoonful.  The addition of the apple cider vinegar really brightens the flavors and balances the natural sweetness of the squash.  I think I might try just tossing it with a little spaghetti next time and adding a few fried sage leaves and hazelnuts.

I hope you all a sane and beautiful holiday.  Enjoy your friends and family and don’t worry about everything being perfect.  I’m going to try my hardest to do the same.  Be sure to visit me at www.scalingbackblog.com for more recipes!

Stuffed shells with butternut squash sauce

Serves 6

Ingredients:

For the sauce:

1 medium butternut squash (about 1 ½ pounds)

½ medium red onion, diced

1 tablespoon olive oil

¼ teaspoon red chili flakes

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

½ cup chicken or vegetable stock

½ cup half-and-half

salt and pepper to taste

For the filling:

1 pound Swiss chard

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese

1 egg, beaten

½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon finely grated nutmeg

1 cup grated mozzarella

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

20-25 jumbo dried pasta shells

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Using a large, sharp knife, trim the ends of the squash and cut it in half lengthwise.  Peel with a vegetable peeler. With a spoon, scoop out the seeds and discard.  On a baking sheet toss the butternut squash and onion with the olive oil, chili flakes and salt.  Roast until the squash is tender, about 40 minutes, tossing occasionally.

Transfer squash to a food processor or high-speed blender.  Add apple cider vinegar, chicken stock and half and half, process until smooth adding a little more stock if needed to thin if necessary.  Taste, and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Cook the shells according to directions in well-salted water until al dente.  Drain and let cool enough to handle with your hands.  Lightly oil a large baking dish or several smaller dishes.

To make the filling, combine the ricotta, egg, mozzarella, nutmeg, salt and pepper in a medium bowl

Remove the stems from the Swiss chard and finely chop and slice the rest of the leaves into ribbons.  Add the chard stems to a medium skillet with the tablespoon of olive oil.  Sauté for a few minutes until they start to soften and then add the rest of the chard and cook until wilted.  Let cool slightly before adding to the ricotta mixture.

Spread a 1/3 of the sauce across the bottom of a lightly oiled 9×13 inch baking dish or several smaller dishes.  Fill each shell with the ricotta mixture and arrange in a single layer in the pan.  Ladle the remaining sauce over the shells, cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes, uncover for the last 15 minutes or until the shells are hot and cooked through.  Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve.

A few years ago I had the pleasure of dining at ABC Kitchen in New York City.  It was one of my most memorable meals I had while visiting the city and the dish that stuck in my mind the most was the squash and ricotta toasts that I had as an appetizer.  There is nothing unusual about mashed squash but the addition of maple syrup and apple cider vinegar lends a sweet-tart depth of flavor that I don’t remember ever experiencing.  The squash would also make a wonderful side dish on it’s own, perfect for your Thanksgiving table.

Kabocha squash and ricotta toasts        

Serves 4

From The New York Times

Ingredients:

2 pounds of kabocha or other winter squash, peeled, seeded and cut into ¼ inch pieces

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon dried chile flakes

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

¼ cup maple syrup

4 slices country bread, 1-inch thick

½ cup whole-milk ricotta

coarse salt

4 tablespoons fresh mint

Method:

Heat the oven to 450 degrees.  Combine the squash, ¼ cup olive oil, chile flakes, and 1 ½ teaspoons of salt in a bowl and toss well.  Transfer the mixture to a parchment-lined baking sheet and cook, stirring every few minutes, until tender and slightly browned, about 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and reduce the heat to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, heat another ¼ cup olive oil over medium –high heat, add the onions and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are well-softened and brown, 15-20 minutes.  Add the vinegar and syrup, stir and reduce until syrupy and thick, for another 15 minutes; the mixture should resemble jam.

Combine the squash and onions in a bowl and smash with a fork until well combined.  Taste for seasoning and add more salt if desired.  

Spread the bread on a baking sheet and lightly coat both sides with the

Remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Bake until crisp and slightly golden brown 5-7 minutes.  Spread ricotta on toasts, and then top with the squash mixture.  Sprinkle with coarse salt and garnish with mint.