Kale, Butternut Squash, and Cheddar Bread Pudding

I made this recipe the first time for breakfast for my family and it was a huge hit!  I used whole grain bread instead of baguette and it turned out great.   When I had this with Mark I paired it with a steak for dinner, which wasn't such a great pairing.  I feel like this dish is more of a main, and more appropriate for brunch.  Maybe with an arugula salad, and some bacon if you are feeling meaty.  Originally from Epicurious

• 2 pounds peeled seeded butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 6 cups)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt plus additional for sprinkling
• 7 large eggs
• 2 1/4 cups half and half
• 6 tablespoons dry white wine
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 day-old baguette (do not remove crust), torn into 1-inch pieces (about 10 cups)
• 1 cup chopped shallots (about 4 large)
• 2 bunches Tuscan kale (about 1 pound), ribs removed, kale coarsely chopped
• 8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated

preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss squash with 1 tablespoon oil on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse salt; bake until squash is tender, turning with spatula occasionally, 20 to 25 minutes.

Whisk eggs in large bowl. Add half and half, wine, mustard, and 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt; whisk to blend. Add baguette pieces; fold gently into egg mixture. Let soak 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté until soft, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add kale; cover and cook 2 minutes. Uncover and stir until kale is wilted but still bright green, about 5 minutes (kale will be a bit crunchy).

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

Generously butter 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Using slotted spoon, transfer half of bread from egg mixture to prepared baking dish, arranging to cover most of dish. Spoon half of kale over bread. Spoon half of squash over bread and kale; sprinkle with half of cheese. Repeat with remaining bread, kale, squash, and cheese. Pour remaining egg mixture over bread pudding.

Cover bread pudding with foil. Bake 20 minutes. Remove foil; bake uncovered until custard is set and bread feels springy to touch, about 20 minutes longer.

Preheat broiler; broil pudding until cheese browns slightly, about 2 minutes. Cool 5 minutes and serve.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/printerfriendly/Butternut-Squash-and-Cheddar-Bread-Pudding-355792#ixzz2aaKLbTnD

Kobol's Last Gleaming Part 1

Mark here...Laurel and I are settling in with some steak, a pear, arugula and bacon salad, and a butternut squash and kale dish, all courtesy of Laurel.

The episode, "Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part 1" starts off with a whole lot more Baltar than I remember and he's super annoying.  First we see, out of the blue, he and Starbuck are hooking up.  Clearly she's a bit damaged and he's a bit narcissistic in this hook up. She mistakenly calls out "Lee" (Apollo) in the midst of it, pissing off Baltar.

Also in the episode, Galactica discovers planet Kobol, a legendary home of the gods.  The shows history states that humanity left Kobol to found the 13 colonies, including Earth.  So, in theory, Kobol could lead them to Earth.  Roslin's visions, from the drug she is taking to treat her cancer, further this theory.  Of course Adama and her aide Billy find this crazy talk. Roslin however is convinced this will lead them to Earth.  We know from the pilot though that Earth is a myth.  One that the fleet believes, but that Roslin and Adama know to be just that. If Kobol is to lead them to Earth they will need "the Arrow of Apollo"...the god not the character.  Way confusing and not well established yet...essentially this arrow is a sort of compass back on Caprica.  It took some time and I needed to explain to Laurel that it was a physical thing.  In any case, Roslin persuades Starbuck to steal the captured Cylon Raider and jump back to Caprica to get it.  The only way she can persuade Starbuck is by revealing that Adama has lied about knowing where Earth is...so at the end of the episode Starbuck, seemingly testing the raider, jumps away.

The other plot point is that Kobol has a Cylon basestar orbiting around it and Cylons shoot down the Raptor force sent to investigate Kobol.  Baltar is in this crew and aboard the surviving Raptor that crash lands on Kobol.  His acting is so over the top and crazy-eyed its a wonder anyone listens to him!

There's also a bit going on with the 2 Cylon Sharons...Galactica version tries to kill herself and fails...Caprica version is with Helo, who claims he's only staying with her to find a way off Caprica...

Laurel here...thank god Mark was here to explain this one to me because I would have totally lost!!

Just a couple of little details I noticed...One is that in the opening of this episode Adama and Apollo are litlerally having a boxing match with each other (well ok they are sparring partners but still) metaphor much?

Also Apollo figures out that Starbuck and the crazy doctor have hooked up, because the doctor acts like a total freak (of course) when he sees her.  Apollo and Starbuck get into an argument about it - at one point Starbuck loses her shit and punches Apollo in the face, and he responds by punching her, in the face, right back.  Hard.  So awesome!  I love this idea of men and women being on equal footing without anybody being worried about how men are "supposed" to treat women or vice versa.  Listen if a bitch punches you in the face her face is fair game!

Roasted Butternut Squash with Cider Vinagrette

This is a take on a Barefoot Contessa recipe, plus or minus a few ingredients:

• 
  
• 1 (1 1/2-pound) butternut squash, peeled and 3/4-inch) diced
• Good olive oil
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons dried cranberries
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 4 ounces mixed baby greens
• 1/2 cup walnuts halves, toasted
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

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.  Pay particular attention to this, as it can be a pan-ruiner, or at least a real bitch to clean up.  The maple syrup makes the squash taste amazing, but can also burn or blacken the sheet pan, and because it can be sticky I would avoid using aluminum foil or paper on the sheet pan.  I think it probably requires more attention than I gave it with tossing around...

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 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 greens 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.