We had a great time at our Auction Dinner on Sunday! We were blessed with a beautiful fall day, a fantastic turnout, and we raised over $12,000 to support our ministries. The Riverview Retreat Center was filled with many of our faithful supporters… gathering by the fireplace… getting competitive over the Silent and Live Auctions… and enjoying the food! In fact, so many people raved over Chef Chris’ autumnal menu that we had to share a couple recipes. Who knew that a spinach salad could be so inspired? And while more than a few people raised their eyebrows at the sight of brussel sprouts with dinner, once people tried Chef Chris’ grilled brussel sprouts with bacon we saw more clean plates than raised eyebrows. Whether or not you were here to enjoy the food this weekend, we hope you’ll enjoy these yummy fall recipes!
Spinach Salad w/ Butternut Squash & Candied Pumpkin Seeds
Use spinach that has been thoroughly cleaned and washed. Toss with Bacon Basalmic Viniagrette and place in bowl. Top with warm butternut squash and sprinkle with candied pumpkin seeds.
Bacon Balsamic Vinaigrette
½ pound bacon finely chopped
2 tbs dijon mustard
2 tbs honey
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
Cook bacon until crispy, then leaving the fat in the pan*, deglaze the pan with the vinegar, dijon mustard and honey. Empty pan into blender and puree until mixture is smooth and has begun to cool down. Gradually add oil while blending. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
*Fat can be removed and substituted with additional olive oil during blending.
Roasted Butternut Squash
1 large butternut squash, peeled and diced in ½ inch squares
4 tbs butter
2 tbs brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Heat the butter, sugar and cinnamon in a saucepan until melted. Add squash and toss until coated. Remove squash and spread onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until fork tender.
Candied Pumpkin Seeds
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
Put all ingredients into a saucepan, bring to boil, then reduce to medium heat. Simmer until large bubbles appear, then start stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon. Continue stirring until sugar crystallizes and sticks to pumpkin seeds. Pour out pumpkins seeds onto a cookie tray lined with parchment and allow to cool completely. After cooling, store in airtight container.
Grilled Brussel Sprouts w/ Bacon
1 pound whole, fresh brussel sprouts
¼ pound bacon
2 tbs brown sugar
salt & pepper to taste
Blanch the brussel sprouts in a pot of boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Remove from boiling water and shock in a bath of ice water. Grill whole brussel sprouts until a little char appears on outside, approx. 1-2 minutes. Quarter brussel sprouts.
Chop bacon, then saute in pan until crispy. Leaving fat in pan*, add brussel sprouts and saute until brussel sprouts get to a light brown color. Sprinkle brown sugar across top of pan, then add ½ cup of water to pan. Boil off water until brown sugar glazes the brussel sprouts. Serve immediately.
*Fat can be removed and canola oil added prior to adding brussel sprouts.
Pecometh's Third Annual Auction Dinner is Sunday, October 5, 2014
Topics: How To