Crowd pleasing, belly warming, joy bringing recipes that might just become your hosting season staples.
Chloe Lucas-Walsh’s Delicata Squash Risotto with Crispy Sage & Parmesan
Serves 4-6 people
- x2 delicata squash
- 1 large shallot, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
- 2 tbsp of red pepper flakes
- 1 cup of risotto rice
- 1 of dry white wine
- 8 cups of vegetable stock
- 1 cup of parmesan (and more to serve)
- Sage, 6 large leaves
- flaky salt
- extra virgin olive oil
- Begin by cutting both of the delicata squash in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds with a spoon and discard the seeds.
- Next, take one of the halves and dice into one inch cubes. With the next half, slice horizontally, approximately half an inch apart, creating half moon shapes.
- You should be left with 2 delicata halves, the delicata cubes and the delicata half moons. coat everything liberally with extra virgin olive oil, and spread evenly onto a baking sheet. Make sure the 2 halves are baked flesh side down. Season with salt and pepper to taste and bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes.
- In a frying pan, add a good glug of extra virgin olive oil and the sage leaves and fry until just crisp (approximately 2 minutes). Once cooked, set on some kitchen paper to soak up any excess oil, and sprinkle liberally with salt. Save the sage oil for later!
- Once the squash is fully cooked, set the cubes and half moons aside, as we will use them later. Let the remaining delicata halves cool until cool enough to handle, then remove the roasted flesh from the skin and blend in a food processor until smooth. Set aside.
- Now to begin the risotto!
- Add the diced shallot and sliced garlic to a heavy bottomed pan (I like a dutch oven) with a littl eextra virgin olive oil, a tsp of salt and sauté over medium heat until translucent.
- Next add in the rice and let the rice toast in the pan with the garlic and onions for 1-2 minutes. You can now add in the cup of dry white wine and let the liquid cook off until almost gone.
- Add in the first cup of vegetable stock and stir into the rice. Keep stirring until the liquid has almost absorbed. When the rice appears almost dry, add another cup of stock and repeat the process until all the stock has been used and the rice is plump and almost cooked through.
- Stir the blended delicata squash into the rice, this will help the risotto achieve an extremely creamy, unctuous consistency. Next, stir in the cubes of squash and the cup of parmesan. Check for seasoning again here.
- Serve the risotto in your favourite bowl, with a few pieces of the half moon delicata on top, a few fried sage leaves, more parmesan and a generous drizzle of the sage infused extra virgin olive oil.
- Enjoy!
- Chloe is a chef, recipe developer, writer, photographer, food stylist, and supper club host based in LA, originally from the UK. She cooks with seasonality in mind and is inspired by the farmers markets in Europe and, most importantly, California.
- Find her @chloecooks___ and her Substack Anchovies & Soup
Roti Brown’s Sweet Potato Pie Latte
- 1 small sweet potato
- ½ brown sugar
- ½ cup + ¼ cup water
- 2 dates
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- Pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg
- Espresso or tea
- Milk
- Instructions
- In a pot, boil one small sweet potato with ½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup water, 2 dates, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, and a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Once the potatoes are fork-tender, add all the ingredients from the pot to a blender with an additional ¼ cup of water.
- After blending, push the ingredients through a sieve to ensure the purée is completely smooth.
- To assemble the latte, add your preferred amount of espresso or tea (I like to do two tablespoons), milk, ice, and the sweet potato purée.
Find her @rotiibrown and her substack Flavor Garden
Grandma Moe’s Cheesecake- Crust:
- 12ish graham crackers
- ⅓ cup melted butter
- Cheesecake:
- 12 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla
- (barely) ⅔ cup sugar
- Topping:
- Large cup sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 tbsp sugar
- Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Crush crackers with a rolling pin (or smash any way you can) on wax paper or between parchment works.
- In a bowl, add the smashed graham cracker and butter and mix to combine. Push crust mixture into a pie plate.
- Blend the cream cheese, eggs, vanilla, and sugar. Pour into the prepared pie crust.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Then let the cheesecake rest as you’re preparing the topping.
- Combine sour cream, vanilla, and sugar. Slather on top of cheesecake and bake for 5 more minutes.
- Topping options: Any fruit you love, top with a little sugar and lemon and let sit for 30 minutes.
Chloë Crampton's Shepherd's Pie
Serves 4-6 people
For the mash-
6 large russet potatoes
1 egg yolk
1 cup whole milk (or half and half)
4 tbsp butter
1 tsp nutmeg
2 cloves garlic, minced
Shredded English mature cheddar to sprinkle on top
For the filling-
1.5lbs organic ground lamb (or grass fed organic ground beef (85/25))
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 carrots, diced
2 sticks celery, finely diced
1 cup frozen peas
1 bay leaf
A few springs of fresh thyme
2 tbsp tomato paste
Olive oil
About 10-15 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup beef bone broth
Salt/pepper
Preheat your oven to 400 F
Start by peeling your large russet potatoes and wash them. Cut them in to chunks and put them in cold salted water and bring them to a boil.
Boil until soft, fluffy and they are almost falling apart when you put a fork in. That's when mashed potatoes come out the smoothest and fluffiest.
Drain the potatoes and run them through a potato ricer to get them super smooth.
Now add in warmed milk, the butter and combine. Then add in your nutmeg and garlic, and finally the egg yolk which helps the mash brown.
Now it's time to work on your filling!
Start with olive oil in a pan along with your onions, garlic, carrots, celery and bay leaf with sprigs of thyme.
Salt and pepper the veggies and let them sweat in the oil for a few minutes.
Now add in your ground lamb (or beef) and cook until browned and finely minced.
Then it's time to add in your red wine and reduce for a few minutes.
Now add in your tomato paste and mix in to the filling. Then add in the beef broth, peas and Worcestershire sauce.
Let us all reduce a little and thicken, about 10-15 minutes.
Test to see if it needs any extra salt or black pepper. Then remove your thyme springs and bay leaf.
Add the filling in to a baking dish (or make the filling in a cast iron skillet so you can put the whole pan in the oven). And then spoon over your mashed potatoes.
Smooth out the mash over the filling and then with a fork, make rake marks in the potatoes because shepherds take their fields.
Now sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese over the top and bake in the oven at 400 F for 25-30 minutes until golden brown on top and bubbling.
Serve hot with a veggie on the side like some lemony garlic roasted broccolini and enjoy by a cozy fire on a chilly day.
Find her @chloeskitchen and Chloë's Kitchen
