Since I will not be here for Halloween, then I should post a few receipes that are appropriate for the holiday season.
Here is a really good dip for when you are sitting around waiting for all those trick or treaters. Also, a couple of butternut squash items that can complement a meal or perhaps be the main entre.
And just because it’s a holiday, I included a couple of easy drinks to make the evening go a bit smoother.
Baked Three-Cheese Onion Dip With Chive and Pepperoncini
When great dips get together, it’s magic. This recipe boasts all the beauty of a creamy onion dip with the irresistible appeal of queso.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- Kosher salt
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 4 ounces sharp white cheddar, coarsely grated (about 1 cup), divided
- 2 ounces Monterey Jack, coarsely grated (about 1/2 cup), divided
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped pepperoncini
- Crackers and/or tortilla chips (for serving)
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 375°. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium. Cook onion, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and softened, 8–10 minutes; season with salt. Let cool.
- Pulse cream cheese and mayonnaise in a food processor until smooth.
- Toss cornstarch, 3/4 cup cheddar, and 1/4 cup Monterey Jack in a medium bowl to coat cheese. Mix in cream cheese mixture and cooked onion, season with salt and pepper. Scrape into a 1-qt. baking dish and top with remaining cheddar and Monterey Jack.
- Bake dip until golden and bubbling, 20–25 minutes. Let dip cool 5 minutes, then top with chives and pepperoncini. Serve with crackers.
Roasted Butternut Squash with Chorizo-Spiced Kale
With its earthy sweetness and dense texture, butternut squash makes a hearty vegetable steak
Ingredients
- 2 medium (3-pound) butternut squash, necks peeled, each squash cut lengthwise into 4 (1/2-inch-thick) planks (squash bulbs reserved for another use)
- 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
- 2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
- 1 1/4 teaspoons black pepper, divided
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon Pimentón de la Vera picante
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 medium bunch lacinato kale (about 8 ounce), stems removed and leaves cut into 1/2-inch-wide ribbons
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 ounces Cotija cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)
- 1/4 cup salted roasted pepitas
Directions
- Preheat oven to 475°F. Place a rimmed baking sheet in oven; let warm 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, drizzle squash steaks evenly with 2 tablespoons oil; sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.
- Arrange squash steaks on hot baking sheet in a single layer. Roast in preheated oven until golden brown and tender, 22 to 30 minutes, flipping after 12 minutes.
- While squash steaks roast, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium. Add cumin, Pimentón, and coriander; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until slightly softened, about 1 minute. Stir in kale, 2 tablespoons water, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover and cook, stirring often, until kale is wilted and tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vinegar. Season with salt to taste.
- Divide squash steaks among 4 plates. Top squash with kale mixture, and sprinkle with cheese and pepitas.
Make Ahead
Roasted squash steaks can be held at room temperature up to 2 hours and served at room temperature. Make the kale mixture just before serving.
Any hard winter squash, such as honeynut or buttercup, can be substituted for butternut in this recipe.
Cheesy Baked Butternut Squash Polenta
Butternut squash melts into the polenta as it cooks for this creamy make-ahead dish. Once transferred to a baking dish, pressing chunks of creamy Fontina cheese into the polenta ensures that once baked it will be full of gooey pockets of cheese throughout.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. kosher salt, plus more
- 1 cup coarse polenta (about 5 oz.)
- 1 medium butternut squash (about 2 lb.), peeled, seeds removed, cut into 1″ pieces
- 2 cups whole milk
- ¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
- 1½ oz. Parmesan, finely grated (about ½ cup)
- ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for pan
- 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- ¾ cup sage leaves
- ½ lb. Fontina cheese, cut into ½” pieces
- Combine 1 Tbsp. salt and 6 cups water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Gradually whisk in polenta, then cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until polenta just begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Stir in squash, reduce heat to medium-low, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until polenta is thick and no longer gritty, and squash mashes easily when pressed with the back of a spoon, 30–40 minutes.
- Mix in milk and nutmeg, increase heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring constantly and smashing squash with the back of spoon, until squash is dissolved into the polenta, 10–15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan and ¼ cup butter until melted. Let cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Add sage and cook, stirring, just until leaves are lightly crisped and darker in color, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sage to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Grease a shallow 3-qt. baking dish with butter, then transfer polenta mixture to baking dish. Scatter Fontina cheese over and press down lightly with spoon to submerge. Top with crisped sage. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and chill overnight and up to 2 days.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Uncover dish and bake casserole until bubbly and lightly browned on top, 30–35 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.
This Spooky Scotch Cocktail Is Actually a Classic
This is the perfect gateway drink for people who aren’t sure if they like Scotch whisky.
This classic cocktail’s name is a tribute to the 1922 silent movie “Blood and Sand”, which stars Rudolph Valentino as a young Spaniard who eventually becomes a great matador. Made with a blend of Scotch, cherry liqueur, sweet vermouth, and freshly squeezed orange juice, the Blood & Sand is fruity and smoky. This is an excellent, approachable drink for people who aren’t sure they like Scotch.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce blended Scotch
- 1 ounce sweet vermouth
- 1 ounce cherry liqueur (such as Heering)
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 orange wheel, for garnish
- Combine the Scotch, vermouth, cherry liqueur and orange juice in an iced-filled cocktail shaker, Shake well, about 20 seconds.
- Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with the orange wheel.
Dark ‘n Stormy
Unstirred, this drink’s dark rum floats on top of the lighter ginger beer, resembling a looming storm cloud in cocktail form.
According to a Gosling’s rum tale, the Dark ‘n Stormy was invented more than 100 years ago when members of Bermuda’s Royal Naval Officer’s Club added a splash of the local rum to their spicy homemade ginger beer after World War I. They described its ominous hue as “the color of a cloud only a fool or dead man would sail under.” Prepared in this manner and unstirred, the dark rum floats on top of the lighter ginger be
er, resembling a looming storm cloud.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces dark rum (preferably Gosling’s)
- ½ ounce fresh lime juice (optional)
- Ice
- 1 candied ginger slice
- 3 ounces chilled ginger beer
- 1 lime wheel
Directions
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Add the rum and lime juice and shake well.
- Strain into an ice-filled collins glass.
- Stir in the ginger beer.
- Skewer the ginger slice and lime wheel and garnish the cocktail.
