Butternut Squash and Apple Galette

Good weekend! Visited La Jolla, R won his tennis tournament, got 9+ hours of sleep each night, and most importantly, I got to cook a WHOLE LOT these past few days. Oh, and not to mention, kicked ass on National Boards. (:

Ive been meaning to make a gallete for the longest time now, but I keep coming up with excuses not to make my very first pastry dough. “I have no food processor.” “I have no time.” “It’s too humid today.” but really, the truth is “I’m scared to f*ck it up.” Anyway. I used all of the excuses in my arsenal today. Went ahead and made this recipe with store bought dough. Still good! Maybe next time I’ll make it all from scratch…

Adapted from Food Network:

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large apple, sliced
• 1 small or 1/2 medium butternut squash (about 3/4 pound), halved, seeded
• 1 small red onion, sliced
• 1 tbs unsalted butter, melted
• 2 slice bacon, fried and diced
• 1.5 tsp rosemary
• 1.5 tsp thyme
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbs Dijon mustard
• 1⁄3 cup crumbled goat cheese
• 2 pie crusts, combined and rolled out

Preheat oven to 375F. Place halved butternut squash in a microwaveable plate and nuke for 4+ minutes or until just barely soft. Slice. Combine with sliced apples, red onions, butter, seasoning, salt and pepper, and bacon. Stack two pie crusts on top of each other and roll out into one large pie round (I like to roll some rosemary into the crust). In the center 9 inches or so, spread a layer of dijon. Add vegetable mixture. Bake for 30 minutes or until pie crust just begins to brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle on goat cheese in center of gallete. Raise temperature to 400F and continue to bake, 10 minutes or so, until cheese melts and crust turns golden brown.  Slice with pizza cutter and serve!

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Lamb Kabobs + Mango Chutney

Kind of a mix of genres here: Mediterranean lamb kabobs and Indian chutney. MMmmmm… my first attempt at chutney. Success! Sweet, tart, spicy… what’s not to like? As for the genre mix, I could probably use more classic Indian spices for the kabobs, but I had some leftover greek salad and tzatziki sauce from last night’s dinner, so I kept to the original recipe for the most part.

LAMB KABOBS:  (6 or so kabobs)

• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp whole coriander seeds, crushed
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for brushing on grill
• 24 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 20 minutes (optional)

In a large mixing bowl.,,  lightly combine lamb with garlic and seasonings. Do not over work or you’ll get tough kabobs. Set aside in fridge while you make the chutney. If you don’t have a grill or skewers, form short sausage-like links with the lamb and in a hot skillet (or griddle) coated in oil, “grill” kabobs until just slightly pink in the center. Make sure to rotate often to insure even browning.

MANGO CHUTNEY (makes ~1 cup)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 red onion, diced finely
• 1 small jalapeno, seeds discarded and finely diced
• 1 large mango, diced
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine diced mango, jalapeno, sugar, vinegar, and salt in a bowl. In a small saucepan, heat a bit of oil until hot. Add onions and saute 3 minutes or until soft. Add mango mixture. Reduce heat to a medium simmer (low bubbling). Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Chutney should be thick and almost jam-like. Set aside to cool while you grill your kabobs.

Serve kabobs with tzatziki sauce if desired, and warm pitas.