Cookbook #8: Barefoot Contessa Back To Basics

Barefoot Contessa is my favorite on Food Network. She’s so calming, and lives such a fantasy life. I have kind of a Liz Lemon-esque fascination with her. I’m kind of surprised I never had one of her cookbooks until last year, when Steph and Jerry got me this one for my birthday.

There were so many recipes I could have made out of this – they all look so good. I decided on Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Vinaigrette and Indonesian Grilled Swordfish. We had butternut squash on hand, so that’s how I selected the salad, and the swordfish just seemed like it’d be a good match. I also threw in (pan)grilled lemons, which I saw featured on another recipe in the book.

Adaptations: For the swordfish, I cooked in a cast iron pan rather than grilling outside. For the salad, I subbed candied walnuts for pecans, onions for shallots and dried cherries for dried cranberries.

What I learned: Not a lot of new technique here, but I’m not sure I would have put squash in a salad before this.

Recipe results: Both are terrific. The salad is really well balanced and the fish is addictive. The fish marinade would work equally well on chicken or flank steak, I bet.

Cookbook verdict: A total winner. Straightforward recipes, everything looks delicious and I love the conversational style.

Recipes: See beyond the jump.

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad With Warm Vinaigrette

About 2 cups diced butternut squash

olive oil

1 tablespoon maple syrup

salt and pepper

3 tablespoons dried cherries

3/4 cup apple juice

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoons minced 0nion

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

4 ounces baby arugula, washed and spun dry

16 candied pecans

1 oz parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the butternut squash on a sheet pan. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the maple syrup, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss. Roast the squash for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until tender. Add the cranberries to the pan for the last 5 minutes.

While the squash is roasting, combine the apple cider, vinegar, and shallots in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the cider is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Off the heat, whisk in the mustard, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.

Place the arugula in a large salad bowl and add the roasted squash mixture, the walnuts, and the grated Parmesan. Spoon just enough vinaigrette over the salad to moisten and toss well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Indonesian Pan-Grilled Swordfish

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup canola or peanut oil, plus extra for brushing on the grill

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup minced or finely chopped ginger root

2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)  

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 pound swordfish

salt

2 lemons, halved

Combine the soy sauce, canola oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, ginger root, garlic, and mustard in a bowl. Put aside half your marinade for another day (I’m freezing mine). Pour remaining marinade over fish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.

Preheat cast iron pan and spray with cooking spray (pan should be very hot). Cook swordfish 5 minutes per side and then let rest 20 min, covered with foil. If swordfish hasn’t reached 145 degrees, cook until it gets there. While you’re cooking the fish, cook lemons on each side in pan to serve with.

Cut fish into 3 portions. Serve each with a half lemon.