maple mustard vinaigrette Archives

Italian Bolognese Sauce

February 29, 2016

Eating an Italian Bolognese Sauce at the farm

It takes a bit longer to make a Bolognese Sauce, but it’s worth every mouthwatering moment. I’ve made this recipe for years. It’s fool proof, freezes well, and serves eight or more people. When I served it at the farm this past weekend, little did I know that one of my guests was from Northern Italy. How’s that for pressure?

I served the sauce and noodles in my big, colorful spaghetti bowl, and sprinkled it with freshly grated Parmesan (after I took the photo). In deference to the food pyramid, I also served a broccoli with lemon-butter and a wonderful new salad: Butternut Squash, Spicy Pecan, and Dried Fig Salad.

I love the colors in this photo of butternut squash and red onions. The vegetables are oiled, seasoned and ready to be roasted.

A worthy partner for a Bolognese Sauce: Butternut Squash, Spicy Pecan, and Fig Salad with Maple Mustard Vinaigrette

In addition to a mixture of greens and roasted vegetables, the salad has spiced nuts, goat cheese crumbles, and dried figs. The Maple Mustard Vinaigrette has just the right amount of tang. A gorgeous bowl of greens and oh-sooo good! I could’ve made a meal on the salad alone.

A few simple ingredients can turn these apples into an amazing side dish.

One other dish was noteworthy, because it can serve as a quick side for almost any meal: Sautéed Apples or just plain fried apples, as my mother would’ve called them. Just add the apples slices (I usually peel them), to several tablespoons of butter in a skillet, cover and cook until almost soft. Add a mixture of sugar and cinnamon and cook a bit longer. Top with a squeeze of lemon juice. That’s it.

One of my guests put the warm apples over ice cream and pronounced it superb. She may have found a new Ben and Jerry’s flavor. Sautéed apples are also a perfect accompaniment to breakfast pancakes.

Sliced apples go into the skillet with butter and a mixture of sugar, cinnamon, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

After Note: My Northern Italian dinner guest was approving of the meat sauce, though I suspect that lighter, simpler sauces are more typical in his area.

All recipes mentioned above are in GoodFoodSTL Recipe Gallery. Click below:

Italian Bolognese Sauce
Butternut Squash, Spicy Pecan, and Fig Salad with Maple Mustard Vinaigrette
Sautéed Apples or Fried Apples
Spiced Nuts

Maple Mustard Vinaigrette

February 16, 2016

Maple Mustard Vinaigrette

As you know from previous posts, my favorite homemade salad dressing is Basil Vinaigrette. It was atop every salad I served at the Governor’s Mansion during the nineties. But it requires fresh basil, which I have difficulty growing in my condo kitchen or on my sunless deck. At the farm, I have a prolific patch of basil that keeps me well supplied during the summer months. But I digress.

Chef’n Emulstir, a salad dressing emulsifier

What I want to tell you about today is another vinaigrette that I love. This one you can probably prepare right now. All ingredients are likely to be in your cabinet just waiting to be whisked together for this sweet-tangy Maple Mustard Vinaigrette.

It works on green salads, roasted vegetables, as well as beet salads and chunky chicken salads. Since the mustard acts as an emulsifier, it doesn’t separate like so many homemade dressings.

If you’re just getting into making your own dressings, here’s an item that might make the transition easier: the handy Chef’n Emulstir bottle. It costs about $15 at Amazon and offers an easy way to mix, emulsify, store, and pour your dressings. Take a look at their short video clip.

Maple Mustard Vinaigrette

1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbs. shallots or 1 clove garlic
2 Tbs. real maple syrup
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 Tbs. vinegar (sherry, apple cider or white balsamic)
salt and pepper

Whisk all ingredients together and serve over salad or vegetables. Below is a great recipe for using Maple Mustard Vinaigrette for an elegant salad.

Butternut Squash, Fig, and Goat Cheese Salad

Ingredients

1/2 cup pecans chopped
1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2″ cubes
1 medium onion
1/8 cup olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
8 cups lettuce or mixed greens
1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled
4 dried figs, sliced

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss squash and onions with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 35 minutes or until squash is tender.

Toss the greens with enough Maple Mustard Vinaigrette to lightly coat. Top with roasted squash-onion mix, pecans, goat cheese and figs. Season with salt and pepper and more dressing if needed.