With the tempatures outside dropping, this festive soup & chicken dish may just hit the spot & turn a few heads along the way.

 Roasted Butternut Squash Soup * Goat Cheese-Cranberry Dumplings

 Bacon Wrapped Chicken with Tomato Jam

Spinach Gala Apple Salad

 3 Tbl Olive Oil

1 Ea Butternut Squash

1 Tbl Butter

2 Tea Cinnamon

1 Tbl Brown Sugar

½ Tea Ground Ginger

1 Tea Lemon Pepper

½ Tea Allspice
2 small onions, sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 Ea Small Diced Carrot

1 Ea Small Dice Celery Rib
3 cups Chicken Stock
2 cups apple cider or juice
Kosher salt

Cracked White Pepper

2 Cups Heavy Cream

Wash and cut squash in ½, remove seeds. Season with small butter, salt, pepper, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, lemon pepper, allspice & roast in pre-heated 325 degree oven until tender and skin can be peeled off with ease. This may take 30-45 minutes

Once cool enough to handle, peel & rough chop.

Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat.

Add the onion, carrots and garlic and cook, stirring, until soft, about 4 minutes.

Add the squash, Stock, and cider and season with salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, until the squash is tender, about 30 minutes.

Using a blender, puree the soup until smooth, stir in heavy cream & adjust seasoning.

Soup can be make 2 days on advance & reheated. 

Goat Cheese-Cranberry Dumplings

4 oz Goat Cheese

1 Pkg Won Ton Skins or Egg Roll Wrappers

2 Tbl. Chifonade Basil

1 oz Chopped Reconstituted Dried Cranberries

1 oz Panko Bread Crumbs

Pastry Brush

Water for Pastry Brush

 In bowl combine cheese, basil, cranberries, bread crumbs, salt & pepper.  Lay won ton skins out on clean work surface.

Place small amount of filling in center of won.

Brush edges on won ton with water &

 Fold over corners & press to seal.

Fold corners over again, to resemble a look of a won -ton

Freeze dumplings until ready to serve.

 Once frozen- you can deep fry in small amount of oil at 350 degrees or poach your dumpling in slightly salted boiling water until soft. 2-3 Minutes.

 Ladel soup into pre-heated soup cups or soup plates

Place dumplings on top of hot soup, garnish with toasted squash seeds, and little minced chives

Applewood Bacon Wrapped Chicken * Tomato Jam

Warm Spinach Salad

4- 5-6 oz Chicken Breast- No Skin

Cracked Black Pepper

Salt

2 Tbl. Chopped Parsley

2 Tea. Chopped Rosemary

4 Strips Bacon

2 Ea. Oven Roasted Red Pepper, divided into 4 even pieces

Preheat oven to 325 degrease

Trim chicken breast of any excess fat, season with salt pepper, parsley & rosemary.

Place 2 breast together with roasted red pepper in between. Wrap bacon around chicken breast; overlap the bacon when going around chicken.

Heat sauté pan, when pan starts to smoke place bacon wrapped chicken in hot pan, once bacon has a light brown color, flip & sear other side. And place in 325 degree oven

Place in oven & cook for about 20- 30 minutes, or until juices run clear. (Meat probe reads 160 degrease)

Tossed Spoon Spinach with Frisse & Gala Apples

Winter Cider Dressing

4 oz    Spinach- Washed & Dried

1 oz    Frisse Lettuce- Washed & Dried

1 Ea    Slice Gala Apple- ½ Moon

½ Cup Toasted Walnuts

Cider Dressing

2 Cup apple cider – Reduced to 4 oz
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil
½ tablespoon minced shallots
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cracked black pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together the apple cider, vinegar, shallots and mustard. Slowly drizzle in the oil, whisking constantly until it emulsifies.  Add the, salt, and pepper, and adjust the seasoning, to taste.  Reserve dressing until ready to toss greens.

                             Tomato Red Pepper- Jam

 12 oz               Can Dice Tomatoes- Drained & Save Juice

1 Ea.                Medium Dice Red Pepper

2 Table.          Olive Oil

¼ of a Medium Spanish Onion- Small Dice

1 Table.        Peeled * minced chopped Ginger Root

1 Tbl.         Chopped Garlic

2 Table.       Sugar

2 Tbl.         Balsamic Vinegar

2 Tbl.       Rough Chopped Cilantro

 In medium size pre-heated pan, add olive oil

Add ginger & garlic and sweat for 1-2 minutes

Add onions & continue to cook till soft

Add tomatoes- red peppers & stir to mix well

Cook over medium heat until most of juices have evaporated

Add, reserved tomato juice, vinegar, sugar and cook to incorporate.

Reduce until jam has taken on a marmalade / jelly look to it.

Adjust seasoning and stir in cilantro….Set aside

Jam can be made 2 or 3 days in advance, and brought to room temperature before service

 Time to Assemble

 Toss salad in dressing & arrange on plate

Slice bacon wrapped chicken & fan chicken over greens

Place 3 small spoons of tomato pepper jam on plate.

Sprinkle with chopped parsley

Have a safe holiday.

 Enjoy!!!!

 Chris P. Olson

Executive Chef, Indian Wells Golf Resort