Rania's Thanksgiving Recipes: Apple Salad & Butternut Squash Bisque

Thanksgiving is only a couple of weeks away, if you can believe it. With that in mind, Rania Harris stopped by PTL to show off some delicious recipes!

Butternut Squash Bisque

Bisque:

• 1 large onion – chopped
• 2 carrots - sliced thin
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• ¾ teaspoon mace
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon white pepper
• 3# butternut squash - peeled, seeded and cut into 1# pieces
• 2 sweet potatoes (about 1 1/4#) peeled and cut into 1# pieces
• 6 cups homemade chicken stock

Toasted Walnut Butter:

• 6 tablespoons walnuts
• 4 teaspoons walnut oil
• Large pinch of sugar
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Bisque:

In a large pot cook the onions and carrots in the butter over medium heat until the onion is softened. Add the mace, ginger, white pepper, squash and the sweet potatoes, and 4 cups of the broth, and simmer the mixture, covered, for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are very soft. In a blender, puree the soup in batches, transferring it as it is pureed to a pot. Stir in the remaining 2 cups of broth. Season the bisque with salt and white pepper to taste.

Toasted Walnut Butter:

In a small bowl, toss together the walnuts, walnut oil, sugar and salt and pepper to taste, and spread out on a baking sheet.

Toast until golden, 5-7 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool and chop finely. In a small bowl, using a fork, mash together the walnuts and butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon out the butter onto a piece of plastic wrap and, using the plastic wrap, shape into a log about 1 inch in diameter. Wrap and refrigerate until serving.

To serve:

Cut the walnut butter into equal slices and float a slice in each bowl. Garnish with parsley leaves and serve hot.

Makes 12 cups - serves: 8 - 12

Honeycrisp Apple Salad with Candied Walnuts and Cider Vinaigrette

• 2 heads frisee, chopped into bite-size pieces
• 4 cups arugula
• 1 cup candied walnuts
• 2 large Honeycrisp apples, sliced into thin matchsticks
• Spiced Cider Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Directions:

In a large bowl, add the frisee, arugula, walnuts and about half of the matchstick-sliced apples, and drizzle lightly with some of the Spiced Cider Vinaigrette.

Next, add equal portions of the salad to bowls or plates, and then top each salad with equal portions of the remaining matchstick-sliced apples and another generous drizzle of the vinaigrette.

Serve as is, or garnish with a few additional candied walnuts.

Spiced Cider Vinaigrette:

• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2-1/2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons walnuts, lightly chopped (you can use candied or plain)
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon plus a pinch salt
• Pinch cumin
• Pinch curry powder
• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons canola oil

Directions:

Add all ingredients through the curry powder into the bowl of a food processor, and process until everything is well combined and smooth; with the processor running, slowly drizzle in the oil and continue to process until the vinaigrette is well emulsified and blended.

(This makes about 1 cup, so you may have additional dressing left over which you can store in the fridge.)

Serves: 4