VEGETARIAN DINNER
- Smoked Acorn Squash with Maple Spiced Butter
- Cabbage Rolls with Roasted Vegetable Sauce
- Spinach Cherry Sauce
- Roasted Vegetable Calzone
SMOKED ACORN SQUASH WITH MAPLE SPICED BUTTER Maple Spiced Butter Smoked Acorn Squash 3 cups apple wood chips (750ml) |
In a small bowl combine softened butter with spices and maple syrup. Stir until evenly combined. Place half the butter into a small saucepan. Reserve the other half to serve with the smoked squash.
Place saucepan with butter over low heat and melt (about 2 minutes).
Cut each squash in half and using a spoon scrape out the seeds and fibers. Discard.
Brush the inside cavity of the squash with ½ of the maple butter that has been melted. Wrap the base of the squash in foil.
Prepare smoking pouch by soaking 2 cups (500ml) of apple chips in water for 1 hour. Mix the drained chips with the dry chips wrap in foil. Poke holes in foil with the tines of a fork.
Prepare barbeque for indirect smoking by turning one side to 400°F/204°C or high heat. Remove grill grate over heat source. Leave the other side of the barbeque off.
Place the smoke pouch directly on heat source. Close the lid and wait for the barbeques cavity to fill with smoke. About 15 minutes.
Once smoke is achieved add the acorn squash to the side of the barbeque without the direct heat source below it.
Close the lid and allow the acorn squash to smoke for 1 hour or until soft and slightly caramelized.
Remove from grill. Place on a large serving platter. Sprinkle with cranberries and toasted almonds.
Top each squash with a dollop of reserved room temperature maple butter.
CABBAGE ROLLS WITH ROASTED VEGETABLE SAUCE Cabbage Rolls 1 tablespoon of olive oil for drizzling (15ml) |
Prepare rice by following manufacturer instructions. Let cool.
Using a sharp knife remove core from cabbage. Discard.
Place whole cabbage head in a large pot of boiling salted water set over high heat.
Cook cabbage for 2 minutes.
Remove cabbage from water and let cool slightly.
Clean the blanched cabbage by carefully removing leafs from base and keeping shape intact. Refresh leaves in ice water bath.
Strain the cabbage and pat dry you should have 8 large leaves
Combine the cooked cooled rice, cheese, chopped tomato and herbs in bowl mix to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Place the leaves of cabbage down on work surface slightly flattening them (if the ribs of the cabbage are so firm they won’t flatten cut a small triangle from the center bottom of rib). Add filling (about 1 cup (250ml) evenly in the center of each cabbage leaf. Tuck sides over like making an envelope and roll up to end of cabbage leaf. Secure with a presoaked toothpick placed in overhanging cabbage leaf. Repeat the process until all filling is used. You should have 8 large rolls.
Preheat barbeque to 350°F/176°C or medium heat.
Drizzle rolls with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Oil preheated barbeque grill.
Place the cabbage rolls on grill and sear each side for 1 minute or until lightly charred. Reduce heat to 300°F/148°C or medium low and continue to cook for 15 minutes.
Remove from grill and place in a tray.
Serve covered with Roasted Vegetable Sauce. (Recipe follows)
Yield: 8 large rolls
Roasted Vegetable Sauce
1 medium red onion quartered
3 vine ripened tomatoes cut in ½
2 medium zucchini sliced in ½ inch rounds (8mm)
2 red bell pepper seeded and sliced in 1’ pieces (16mm)
4 cloves of garlic placed on skewer with skin in tack
3 tablespoons olive oil (45ml)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 bamboo skewers soaked in cool water for 1 hour
Dressing
2 teaspoons sugar (10ml)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (15ml)
3 tablespoons freshly chopped basil (45ml)
1 tablespoon freshly chopped oregano (15ml)
1 cup diced stewed tomatoes (250ml)
Salt and pepper to taste
Prepare all vegetables.
Thread garlic cloves onto pre-soaked skewers 5 per skewer. Preheat barbeque to375°F/190°C or medium high heat.
Place all chopped vegetables in a medium bowl.
Drizzle the chopped vegetables with olive oil and season with salt and pepper Toss the vegetables to ensure each is evenly coated in oil and seasoning.
Oil preheated barbeque grill.
Place onions and garlic on grill and grill for 4 minutes flip and continue to cook until slightly soft and caramelized (about another 4 minutes). Remove from grill and place in a large bowl.
Place the tomatoes cut side down directly on the grill and cook for 3 minutes per side. The skins will be slightly charred and the flesh will be tender. Add to the bowl with the onions.
Add remaining vegetables and grill for 2 minutes per side or until nicely charred. Remove vegetables and add to the bowl with the onions, garlic and tomatoes. Let cool.
Peel skins from garlic and tomatoes and discard.
In a bowl mash tomatoes and garlic add sugar, balsamic, canned diced tomatoes, herbs and salt and pepper.
Chop the remaining vegetables in small pieces add to bowl.
Place sauce in a saucepan set over medium heat and gently heat about 5 minutes.
Pour the sauce over grilled Cabbage Rolls.
SPINACH CHERRY SALAD Dressing Salad |
Place 6 medium salad bowls in refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill.
In a small bowl combine dressing ingredients and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Place the cleaned spinach in a large bowl and gently toss with dressing.
Place spinach into 6 chilled serving bowls and equally top each bowl with cherries, nuts, apples and Gorgonzola cheese.
Serve with crusty bread.
Note to achieve nice clean- cut pieces of cheese, warm knife with hot water wipe dry and slice cheese. Repeat cleaning the knife each time.
ROASTED VEGETABLE CALZONE 2 pre-made pizza dough |
Olive Crust
½ cup black Kalamata olives pitted and halved (125ml)
1 teaspoon capers
6 cloves of roasted garlic
¼ cup olive oil (60 ml)
The juice of 1 lemon
Egg Wash
1 egg
2 tablespoons water (30 ml)
Flour for dusting
Cornmeal for dusting
Prepare vegetables: Cut leeks to size and leave the top root attached. Soak the standing up in a large container of cold water root side up. (Note leeks have a large amount of dirt between leaves; by soaking up side down the dirt will fall to the bottom of the container. You may have to repeat several times to remove all grit and dirt.
Clean mushrooms by lightly brushing with a dry cloth or mushroom brush.
Cut and remove seeds and veins from peppers.
Place garlic cloves with skins in tack on soaked bamboo skewers.
Place all vegetables in a large bowl.
Toss vegetable with olive oil and evenly coat season with salt and pepper.
Preheat barbeque to 375°F/190°C or medium high heat.
Oil preheated barbeque grate.
Place leeks and garlic on grill first and grill for 4 minutes. Flip leeks and add the mushrooms and peppers. Cook the mushrooms and peppers for 2 minutes per side (The vegetables should still be tender- crisp as you will be cooking them again later in the calzone). Remove all the vegetables. Place in tray and let cool.
Peel the skins from garlic and reserve for olive crust.
Once vegetables are cool chop all into bite sized pieces. Set aside.
In a food processor combine olives, roasted garlic, lemon juice and capers blend just to combine with the pulse button. The mixture will be slightly chunky.
Lightly sprinkle board with flour and cornmeal.
Roll pizza dough into 2 x 12 inch rounds (2 x 19.6cm) on a lightly floured board.
Smear olive mixture on half of the pizza dough. Leave a 1 inch border around the outside. Repeat with the other rolled pizza dough. Place cheeses on top of olive crust then top with spinach chopped vegetables and sun dried tomatoes. (Remember keep all ingredients on only half of the pizza skin.)
Sprinkle with freshly chopped basil.
Make egg wash by whisking egg with water in a small bowl. Using a pastry brush, brush egg wash over half of the pizza dough’s border. Carefully fold the crust over top the vegetable cheese mixture to form a half moon shape. Using your fingers or the tines of a fork seal crust by pressing both edges together. You should have 2 ½ moon shaped calzone.
Place calzone on a cornmeal dusted pizza paddle.
Preheat barbeque to 350°F/176°C or medium heat on one side of grill and 250°F/137°C or low heat on the opposite side.
Oil the grill.
Place cal zone on medium heat side for 3 minutes or until crust is set up and can easily be moved.
Move calzone over to low heat side and close lid on barbeque.
Cook with lid down for 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown and crisp. The calzone will puff up to form what looks like a pillow.
Remove from grill with the pizza paddle.
Cut in wedges and serve.
Yield: 8 large wedges---
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