Rotisserie Chicken and Acorn Squash with Apples

This is our first night back from a great visit to Malibu and Santa Barbara, CA.  The fresh fruit and vegetables are to die for.  I had a glass of water at a restaurant with a cucumber in it.  It was so good.  I asked if they pre-prepared the water with cucumbers and they said no.  I doubt that our dead cucumbers would flavor water here.  At Emilio’s, I had gnocchi dish with fava beans.   I have not had a fava bean since leaving CA years ago.  I cannot understand why they are not everywhere.

Tonight I made rotisserie chicken and an acorn squash dish from Penzeys.  I make the stuffing up each time I make it.  

Rotisserie Chicken

Ingredients:

Tarragon

Garlic

Lemons

Rosemary

Salt and pepper

Directions:

1.       Wash and dry the chicken.  Salt and pepper the cavity.  I then stuff it with herbs, lemon and garlic.  I used orange EVOO on the outside of the chicken and salt and peppered it. 

2.       Truss and skewer the chicken on the turnspit and hold in place with the prongs.  Jim set the  fire on high and we roasted a 4# chicken for 1 ½ hours. 

It was moist and very flavorful.    

I thought this squash dish would be better than it was.  My really good squash dish recipe is in a box somewhere. This serves 4.  The great thing is it is easy to divide in half.   

Acorn Squash with Apples

Ingredients:

2 small acorn squash

½ C melted butter, divided

¼ C dark brown sugar

2 C peeled and chopped apples

1-2 t minced orange peel

¼ C raisins

1/8 t ground nutmeg

¼ t cinnamon.

Directions:

1.       Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Cut each squash in half and remove seeds.  Place the halves in a baking dish sprayed with Pam, cut side down and bake for 40 minutes. 

2.       Combine half the melted butter in a dish with the brown sugar and mix well. 

3.       In a separate bowl, combine the remaining melted butter, chopped apples, orange peel, raisins, nutmeg and cinnamon.  Stir to blend.

4.       Remove squash from the oven and turn the halves so the cut side is up. 

5.       Prick the surface of the squash with a fork and then brush the cut surface with the butter/brown sugar mixture, pouring any extra into the halves. 

6.       Fill each half with the apple mixture.

7.       Place the filled squash halves in the oven and bake an additional 30minutes. 

The apples and raisins seemed to overwhelm the squash flavor.  Jim served a Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve merlot, Sonoma County, 2008.  It was great with the meal. 

We are getting close to Halloween.   I know that 2 young children live across the street.  We bought candy and I will be very dis appointed if we do not get trick or treaters.