Recently I entered Perdue’s Verifiably Good Video Contest where I submitted my Braciole di Pollo with Parmesan Herb Polenta and a Roasted Tomato Puree. In preparing this dish I drew inspiration from my childhood, as my mother would make a more traditional braciole using beef and a filling of cheese and bread crumbs.

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Braciole di Pollo

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved horizontally
1 cup bread crumbs
1 cup parmesan reggiano, grated
1/2 cup fontina cheese, grated
1 cup arugala, finely chopped
1/4 cup golden raisins, macerated in white wine (optional) and chopped
zest and juice of a lemon
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 pound proscuitto, sliced paper thin
butchers twine
Olive oil, salt and pepper to taste

Parmesan Herb Polenta

1 cup polenta
4 cups milk (or water, or chicken stock)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup parmesan reggiano cheese, grated
1/2 cup fontina cheese, grated
2 tablespoons basil, finely chopped
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Roasted Tomato Puree

6-8 tomatoes, cored (about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds) and roasted
1 head garlic, halved and roasted
2 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup blanched and dry roasted almonds
1/4 cup blanched and dry roasted hazelnuts
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons dry red wine, if necessary
1 slice day old bread, if necessary

assemblage

Braciole di Pollo

• Cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally, then use a meat tenderizer to flatten into thin cutlets
• Combine the bread crumbs, cheeses, arugala, lemon zest and juice, golden raisins, garlic and eggs in a medium mixing bowl
• Spread a tablespoon or so of the bread crumb and cheese mixture over the chicken cutlet, lay a slice of proscuitto on top, then roll up
• Tie the chicken up with some butchers twine, then place it in a roasting pan or Pyrex dish
• Drizzle olive oil over the chicken, then season liberally with salt and pepper
• Roast in a 350 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes, depending on your oven.

Parmesan Herb Polenta

• In a medium saucepan add the milk and polenta and bring to slow boil while stirring frequently, about 15 minutes
• Stir in the cheeses, butter, herbs, salt and pepper
• Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary
• If the polenta is too thick, add milk a little at a time until you achieve the consistency you desire

Roasted Tomato Puree

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees
• Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil over the cored tomatoes and halved garlic head in a non reactive pan and roast for 45 to 60 minutes, then remove and allow to cool
• Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium heat and toast the hazelnuts and almonds until golden brown (5 to 6 minutes) while shaking the pan frequently to avoid burning, then set aside to cool
• Add the cooled tomatoes, garlic, hazelnuts and almonds in a food processor and pulse until combined
• Slowly drizzle 1/3 of a cup olive oil in a steady stream, then add the vinegar, salt and pepper
• Continue to process until it comes together, but still retaining a coarse texture
• Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary
• If the sauce appears to be too thick add some of the red wine a little at a time, if too thin then add a little of the bread until it reaches the consistency you desire

presentation

I’ve plated this up two ways before, individually and family style. For both I lay down a foundation of polenta in the middle of a plate or serving platter, then ladle on the roasted tomato puree. For the individual plating place a whole braciole right on top, while for the family style I slice up the braciole and rest them on top. A nice finishing touch is some chiffenaded basil and some freshly grated hazelnut.

In today’s fourth installment of the fall flavors recipe series I’m offering up roasted butternut squash ravioli. The base mixture is very similar to that of the roasted butternut squash lasagna with a few minor changes. While raviolis are more labor intensive initially, the fact that you can make a big batch and freeze them in individual or family serving sizes makes them more convenient in my view.

Fall Flavors: Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioli from PJ Mullen on Vimeo.

hardware

• food processor
• large mixing bowl
• spatula, measuring cups and spoon
• basting brush
• ravioli stamp – 2 inch (optional)
• drying rack

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• 2 cups roasted butternut squash (see link for recipe)
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
• 1/2 cup parmesan reggiano
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• fresh grated nutmeg to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3-4 pounds fresh pasta sheets

assemblage

• combine the butternut squash, ricotta, mascarpone and parmensan cheeses, one egg, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper in a food processor and pulse until thoroughly mixed
• beat second egg in a bowl with a little water to thin it out
• spread out a pasta sheet and place 2 teaspoons of the squash mixture spaced about an inch to an inch and a half apart
• take the basting brush and lightly apply the egg wash to all edges and in between the little piles of the squash mixture
• lay a second pasta sheet of equal length on top of the first one and gently press to combine around the piles of the squash mixture, be sure to press out as much air as possible to avoid bursting while cooking
• take the ravioli stamp, fit around the pockets of the squash mixture and press down to seal and cut the pasta sheets (you can also do this with a sharp knife or pizza cutter, then use the tongs of a fork to press the edges closed)

presentation

These delicate raviolis are served with a brown butter sage sauce that is prepared by melting about 4 tablespoons of sweet cream butter with 6 to 8 fresh sage leaves. Melt the butter over a medium low heat and watch it closely as it starts to foam and turn a light brown.

The brown butter sage sauce will have a toasted, nutty taste to it, but it can also turn on you very fast if you aren’t watching it closely.

With the third installment of the fall flavors series I’m turning my attention to dessert by making a port wine cranberry creme brulee. It has taken me some practice to make a good creme brulee and I feel like I’m still learning, but this came out quite well.

hardware

• medium saucepan
• medium mixing bowl
• 6 ramekins (7 to 8 ounce in size)
• large cake or roasting pan
• measuring cups and spoons
• whisk, strainer (or sieve) and other assorted utensils

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• 3 cups heavy cream
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped (or 1 teaspoon extract)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup granulated sugar, divided evenly
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1 cup port wine cranberry sauce
• 2 quarts hot water

assemblage

• preheat oven to 325 degrees
• combine the vanilla bean and pulp, cardamom and heavy cream in a medium saucepan over medium high heat and scald (warm to the touch, but not to the point of boiling)
• mix the eggs yolks with a 1/2 cup of sugar and whisk until well blended and the yolks are a light, creamy yellow
• remove the vanilla bean from the scalded cream by straining it through a sieve into a large measuring cup and temper the creamed egg yolk mixture by adding just a little bit of the cream at a time (this brings the temperature of the egg yolks up so that they don’t curdle in the hot cream), then whisk vigorously until totally combined
• strain the cream base again this time to remove any bits of cranberry that didn’t get obliterated when it was blended, then divide the liquid between the ramekins
• place the cake or roasting pan on the oven rack and pour the hot water in the cake or roasting pan
• set the ramekins gently in the pan and make sure the hot water comes about half way up the sides of the ramekins
• bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the center of the creme brulee is set, but not firm
• remove the ramekins from the pan and cool in the refrigerator for at least two hours and up to three days

presentation

remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you plan on caramelizing the sugar on top. divide the second 1/2 cup of sugar and spread out evenly. using a torch or the broiler, melt the sugar until it is a crispy and golden brown. give the creme brulee about five minutes to rest after browning the sugar before serving.

if you wanted to make it a little fancier, you could reserve a little of the port wine cranberry sauce before it was pureed smooth as a topping and finish it off with a mint leaf for effect.

* in the video you’ll note that I said 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom, but that was based on an earlier version of this recipe and I have instead substituted that with 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg.

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For the second entry in my fall flavors series I’m offering up my roasted butternut squash lasagna with port wine cranberries. If you want to learn a little more about the story behind how I came up with this recipe, you can check out the post on my fatherhood blog, Real Men Drive Minivans.

As with the first recipe in this series I put together a quick video showing how I made the dish. I hope you enjoy it.

Fall Flavors: Roasted Butternut Squash Lasagna with Port Wine Cranberries from PJ Mullen on Vimeo.

hardware

• food processor and/or blender
• stock pot to cook pasta
• saucepan or saucier
• spatula, whisk, spoons
• measuring cups and spoons
• 13 X 9 buttered baking dish

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• 4 cups roasted butternut squash (see link for recipe)
• 1 15 oz container ricotta cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 3 or 4 amaretti cookie, ground*
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 package lasagna noodles or fresh pasta sheets
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 3 cups milk
• nutmeg, grated fresh or ground, to taste
• 1 cup port wine cranberry sauce (see link for recipe)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup Parmesan Reggiano, grated

assemblage

• preheat oven to 350 degree
• fill the stock pot with water and bring a boil
• pulverize the amaretti cookies in the food processor and set aside
• puree the butternut squash in the food processor, then add the eggs and ricotta cheese
• add the amaretti cookies and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, refrigerate the filling until needed
• melt the butter in sauce pan or saucier, add the flour and whisk constantly until combine
• slowly add the milk to the butter and flour mixture, whisking constantly, then bring it to a boil
• reduce the heat and fold in the port wine cranberry sauce (you can transfer the bechemel to a blender to more thoroughly combine the cranberry sauce, if desired)
• spread a thin layer of the cranberry bechemel sauce in the butter baking dish and add your first layer of pasta noodle
• alternate layering the butternut squash puree filling, cranberry bechemel and pasta noodles until your baking dish is nearly ful
• cover with any remaining cranberry bechemel and then top with a generous layer of shredded mozzarella cheese
• cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes, then remove the foil and bake uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted and crispy.

presentation

Whether you are serving this as an entree or a side item it is no different than any other lasagna you’ve had. I just divided it up into equal sided servings and since this was our main dish the night I made it I plated it up all by its lonesome.

Just a word of caution on the amaretti cookies, three is plenty for this recipe, but if you want it a touch sweeter you can use four. Any more than that and it can get really sweet fast. The tartness of the cranberries does help, but just be careful. They are small and the first time I made this I didn’t think it “looked” like enough.

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today over on my fatherhood blog, real men drive minivans, i posted the first recipe in my fall flavors series. i also created a quick video of me making the bisque and thought i’d share that over here.

hardware

• dutch oven or large stock pot
• blender or immersion blender
• measuring cups and spoons, wooden spoon

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4 cups roasted butternut squash (see link for recipe)
2 granny smith apples, peeled and chopped
olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons orange zest
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
6 cups chicken stock (or cold water)
1 cinnamon stick
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1/2 cup heavy cream (or half and half)

assemblage

• heat olive oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven
• add onions and saute for three to five minutes, or until translucent
• add the onions and carrot and saute for another three to five minutes
• add apples, orange zest, pulp from vanilla bean, ginger, nutmeg, salt and pepper
• add chicken stock (or cold water) and bring to a boil
• add cinnamon stick, vanilla bean and roasted butternut squash
• reduce heat, cover and cook for approximately 35 to 40 minutes
• turn off the heat, remove cinnamon stick and vanilla bean, then transfer to a blender in batches or use an immersion blender and blend until smooth
• add the heavy cream and stir to combine
• taste the soup and adjust seasoning, if necessary

presentation

there isn’t too much you need to do to make a bowl of soup look appetizing, but sometimes I just want to twist things up a bit. with other bisques I’ve made I’ve used mascarpone cheese to replace half of the heavy cream to give it a different texture and creaminess. rather than repeat myself, I chose to make a cinnamon scented mascarpone sauce as a garnish to swirl on top of the soup before serving.

cinnamon scented mascarpone sauce

• 1/2 container mascarpone cheese
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1. soften the mascarpone
2. add the milk a little at a time until you achieve the consistency you desire (I shot for a slightly thick pancake batter consistency
3. stir in the cinnamon