Chef Rollins' Baby Green Salad

Baby Green Salad With Roasted Butternut Squash, Cranberries, Crumble Goat Cheese and Walnuts in Sherry Vinaigrette

Prep Time: 35 Minutes

Ingredients:

Dressing:

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

Salad:

1 cup crumble goat cheese

1/3 cup dried cranberries

8 cups baby mixed greens

1 1/2 cups of peeled and diced half inch butternut squash

2/3 cup walnuts, toasted

Directions:

Dressing:

1. In a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper to taste

2. Cover tightly and shake vigorously to blend. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

3. Set aside.

Salad:

1. In a small bowl, toss the cranberries with 2 tablespoons of the dressing to soften them.

Set aside for at least 20 minutes or until ready to service the salad.

2.For toasting the walnuts, have your oven set on 325 and toast on a baking sheet for five minutes.

3.To assemble the salad, place baby greens, cranberries, and butternut squash in a large bowl. Give the remaining dressing a last-minute shake and pour over the salad. Toss to coat evenly. Arrange the salad in a large serving bowl or divide it evenly among 8 salad plates. Scatter goat cheese, walnuts, and more cranberries over the top. Serve immediately

Chef's Tips:

The dressing can be made up to 1 day in advance, cover tightly, and refrigerated. Remove from the refrigerator 2 hours before serving. 

The nuts can also be toasted up to 1 day in advance; store at room temperature in an airtight container. 

The butternut squash and cranberries can be prepared up to 4 hours in advance. Set aside at room temperature.

Walnuts can be substituted with pecans or any nut of choice.

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Chef Rollins' Fall Sweet Potato And Black Bean Quesadilla With Bacon Sour Cream

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

For the quesadillas:
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1⁄2 inch thick*
3⁄4 teaspoon salt, divided
1⁄2 teaspoon cumin
1⁄2 teaspoon chili powder
1⁄4 teaspoon oregano
1 to 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
1⁄2 tablespoon olive oil
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 can of 12 to 15 oz black beans, drained and rinsed
6 to 8 large flour tortillas
2 to 2 1⁄2 cups freshly grated cheddar cheese
1⁄2 cup raw diced bacon
3⁄4 cup sour cream

For serving:
Bacon sour cream salsa, optional

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add the sliced potatoes to a large saucepan and add enough water to cover the potatoes. Add 1⁄2 teaspoon of the salt to the pot. With the heat on high, bring the water to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Drain the potatoes and then add to a large bowl. Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes. Add the remaining 1⁄4 teaspoon salt, cumin, chili powder, oregano and chipotle peppers. Mix until well combined.

2. In a medium heated skillet, sautéed diced bacon until crispy, drain off grease.

3. Sautéed black beans and green onions until hot.

4. Place the tortillas on a work surface. Use a spatula to smear about 1⁄3 to 1⁄2 cup of the filling on half of the tortilla. Top with about 1⁄4 cup of the cheese (or to taste). Fold the empty half of the tortilla over the filling to form a semicircle. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

5. In a medium to hot skillet, spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Place an assembled quesadilla in the pan and cook, flipping once halfway through, until both sides are browned and the cheese is melted.

6. Cut into triangles and serve with bacon sour cream or salsa.

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