Butternut Squash, Blue Potato, and Gruyere Gratin

I hope you all had a merry Christmas! No holiday is complete without a menu of delicious food and hopefully your menu included a cheesy delight like this one. Truth be told, I served pretty traditional individual scalloped potato stacks alongside ham, individual delicata squash sformatos, roasted carrots and parsnips, and crescent rolls, but I wouldn't have balked at this substitution in the slightest. The flavorful blue potatoes and butternut squash form an alternating earthy and sweet structure within which nutty cheese and vibrant herbs mingle. While I enjoy it primarily for its flavor, it's a healthier substitute for some of the fattier and starchier side dishes, and gluten-free for any guests with that dietary restrictions (vegans and lactose-intolerant people will have to look elsewhere). When trying to be a locavore in northern climates, it can take some effort to keep things interesting, but this recipe definitely did my winter CSA veggies justice.

Butternut Squash, Blue Potato, and Gruyere Gratin
adapted from the New York Times
serves 6 to 8 as a side, 3 to 4 as a main

1 large garlic clove, cut in half
1 pound blue potatoes, scrubbed, peeled if desired and sliced about 1/4 inch thick
1 pound butternut squash, peeled and sliced about 1/4 inch thick
1/2 teaspoon herbes de Provence
3/4 cup, shredded Gruyère cheese (3 ounces)
Salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper
2-1/2 cups low-fat milk

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Rub the inside of a 2-quart gratin dish or baking dish with the cut side of the garlic, and lightly oil with olive oil or butter. Slice any garlic that remains and toss with the potatoes, squash, thyme, rosemary, half the cheese and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Arrange in an even layer in the gratin dish.

2. Pour the milk over the potatoes and squash, and press the vegetables down into the milk. Place in the oven, and bake one hour. Every 20 minutes, remove the gratin dish and press the potatoes and squash down into the liquid with the back of a large spoon. After one hour, sprinkle on the remaining cheese and bake for another 30 minutes, until the top is golden and the sides crusty. Remove from the oven, and allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Serve hot or warm.

Baked Banana Bread Oatmeal

I've been baking my steel-cut oats for years. Baking steel-cut oats takes a few hours of moderately attended time on the stove to 30 minutes of hands-off time in the oven, but I'd never thought much about applying the same approach to old-fashioned oats. After all, they cook fairly quickly on the stove top, even faster in the microwave, and can even be soaked for overnight oats instead. But with a little extra time for a leisurely breakfast on the 4th of July, the idea crept back into my mind, and since it was a holiday, I decided to make them extra luxurious.

Coconut oil has made the rounds as the latest super health food, but I eat it because it is delicious. I've always loved coconut-flavored foods and I'm happy it has gone from culinary villain to nutritional superstar (like another favorite, eggs) so I can eat it without guilt. And the glorious tablespoon in this recipe is really what takes it from good to exceptional. Banana, walnuts, and cinnamon call up all the familiar favorite flavors of banana bread, but coconut oil makes it as delicious as a piece slathered in butter. I like the complex sweetness of maple syrup here, but just as you may choose the lower calorie option of milk or banana, you may want to reduce or eliminate the amount of sweetener. (Like I said, this was a holiday breakfast for me.)

The recipe here is for an individual serving, but this is a great opportunity to scale up for a crowd of people or many breakfasts for one. With all the ingredients at the ready, it's easy to make several servings with individualized additions at once, which can either be baked in individual ramekins or a jumbo-sized muffin pan.

Baked Banana Bread Oatmeal
serves 1
adapted from Chocolate-Covered Katie

1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
Pinch of kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste
2 tablespoons chopped toasted walnuts or pecans
2 tablespoon mashed banana
3 tablespoons milk of choice
1 tablespoon coconut oil, coconut butter, or melted butter (you can substitute extra milk or banana, but it will be much less rich)
1 tablespoon maple syrup, honey, or brown sugar, or to taste

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a small baking pan, loaf pan, or 1-cup ramekin with cooking spray.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together oats, salt, cinnamon, nuts, and brown sugar (if using). In a separate bowl, mix together banana, milk, coconut oil, and maple syrup/honey (if using). Add wet ingredients to try and mix to thoroughly combine.

3. Pour mixture into baking dish and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until firm. (Cooking time will vary based on the baking dish and whether or not you used oil). Raise the heat to broil and continue cooking for 3 to 5 more minutes or until the top has a nice crust. Turn oatmeal out onto a separate dish, if desired, and serve promptly.