While exercising at the gym recently, I stumbled upon Trisha Yearwood’s cooking show. She was preparing a dinner for her sister and husband for the husband’s birthday. The food looked sooooo good, I just had to look it up and prepare that menu myself. I’m starting this dinner with a small cup of cauliflower soup, because it’s February, cold, and something comforting sounds like what the doctor ordered!
Here’s the menu:
Menu
Cauliflower Soup
Chicken Saltimbocca
Roasted Vegetables with Balsamic Glaze
Cauliflower Soup
(Adapted from recipetineats)
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cauliflower, cut into florets
2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 cups milk
2 cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
To garnish (optional): Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle over the top once cooked and/or a tiny sprinkle of thyme
Place all soup ingredients in a large pot over high heat and bring to boil, then turn down to medium and let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cauliflower is soft. Cool a bit.
Once, cooled, place ingredients in stages in a food processor, blend until smooth, then add more salt and pepper if needed, to taste.
If the soup is too thick for you, add more milk or stock. Reheat gently before serving (or you can refrigerate for another time.
Serve in individual bowls, drizzled with olive oil, and/or sprinkled with thyme, if desired.
Chicken Saltimbocca
2 TBSP unsalted butter
2 TBSP flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
4 medium chicken cutlets
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 slices prosciutto
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
Add the flour to make a roux and cook, stirring, about 1 minute. The roux should have a wet sand consistency.
Add the chicken broth and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and whisk constantly until thickened, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
Season both sides of the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper.
Lay a slice of prosciutto on each piece of chicken, spread with some ricotta and top with some spinach.
Roll up each cutlet and secure with a toothpick.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sear the chicken, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
Add the chicken broth mixture to the skillet and bring the liquid to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter, remove the toothpicks and spoon over the pan sauce.
Roasted Vegetables with Balsamic Glaze
Roasted Vegetables:
2 large sweet onions, peeled and cut into quarters
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
8 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1/2 medium butternut squash, peeled and diced (see note at the end of this recipe)
8 ounces carrots, peeled and cut on the bias into 1-inch slices
8 ounces fingerling potatoes, halved
12 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Glaze:
1/3 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 TBSP honey
2 tsp country Dijon mustard (If country Dijon is not available, mix 1 teaspoon regular Dijon with 1 teaspoon mayonnaise.)
1 tsp lemon juice salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the roasted vegetables: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large bowl, toss the onions, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, carrots, fingerling potatoes and garlic with the oil, salt and pepper on a large jelly roll pan.
Spread the vegetables in an even layer on a baking sheet.
Roast, stirring once halfway through, until tender, 40 to 45 minutes.
For the glaze: Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, whisk together the vegetable broth, oil, vinegar, honey, mustard, lemon juice and some salt and pepper. Cook over low heat until the glaze is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Serve over the vegetables or as a dipping sauce.
*To peel a butternut squash: Using a heavy knife, cut off the bottom of the squash in an even slice. Then cut off 1/4-inch from the stem end. Holding the squash in one hand, use a vegetable peeler in the other hand to peel off the outer layer of the squash. It shouldn’t wobble. (If it is wobbly, make another cut at the bottom to even it out.) Make one long cut, down the middle from the top to bottom, with a knife. Use a metal spoon to scrape out the seeds and the stringy pulp from the squash cavity.
Lay the squash halves, cut side down on the cutting board for stability. If you are cubing the squash, lay the slices down (you can stack a few at a time) and make another set of lengthwise cuts. Then make crosswise cuts to make cubes.
what are we having for dinner? 