Sage Chicken & Roasted Root Vegetables with Honey Mustard Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 tsp sea salt

• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

• 3 cloves garlic, minced plus 3 whole cloves, divided

• 1/3 cup fresh sage leaves, minced

• 1/3 cup minced shallots

• 1 tsp safflower oil

• 1 5-lb whole chicken, giblets removed

• 1 lemon, halved

ROASTED VEGETABLES:

• 1 lb turnips, peeled, trimmed and chopped in 3/4-inch pieces

• 4 carrots, peeled and chopped

• 1 1/2 tbsp garlic powder

• 1 tbsp safflower oil

• 3/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

• 1/4 tsp sea salt

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard

• 2 tsp raw honey

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. In a small bowl combine 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, minced garlic, sage, shallots and 1 tsp oil. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Using a sharp knife, gently loosen chicken skin. Use your fingers to spread seasoning mixture under skin. Stuff whole garlic cloves and lemon halves inside chicken cavity. Tie ends of legs together with twine. Place chicken, breast side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast, uncovered, until temperature reaches 165°F when tested with a food thermometer in thickest part, about 1 1/2 hours.

2. Meanwhile, place turnips and carrots in a large resealable plastic bag; add garlic powder, 1 tbsp oil, 3/4 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp salt and lemon juice. Seal bag and shake until vegetables are coated.

3. On a foil-lined baking pan, spread vegetables in an even layer. During last 20 minutes of chicken roasting time, place pan with vegetables in oven. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine mustard and honey.

4. Remove chicken from oven and cover with foil; set aside for 15 minutes. Continue roasting vegetables for a total of 35 minutes. In last 5 minutes of roasting, sprinkle chives over vegetables.

5. Transfer chicken to a cutting board to carve. Transfer vegetables to a bowl; drizzle in mustard mixture and toss.

Butternut Squash & Barley Risotto with Crispy Sage

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided

• 1 cup hulled whole-grain barley, rinsed

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 cup dry white wine

• 3 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth

• 1 bay leaf

• 4 cups peeled, seeded and diced butternut squash

• 1/2 cup fresh sage

• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

• 3/8 tsp (1/4 + 1/8 tsp) sea salt

• 1/4 cup raw unsalted pine nuts

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. In a large saucepan on medium, heat 1 tbsp oil. Add onion and sauté, stirring frequently, until tender, about 4 minutes. Add barley and garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add wine and cook, stirring constantly, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute.

2. Add broth, bay leaf and 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until barley is tender yet still slightly chewy in center, about 50 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, toss together squash, sage, remaining 1 tbsp oil, pepper and salt. Arrange in a single layer on prepared sheet. Bake, without turning, until squash is tender, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with pine nuts. Bake until pine nuts are golden, about 4 minutes more. Transfer sage to a plate; set aside.

4. In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add three-quarters of the squash mixture to the barley. Once cooked, remove from heat and break up squash completely with the back of a wooden spoon. Add cheese, stirring to combine. To serve, top with remaining squash mixture and sage.

Sage Corn Muffins

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (or 3/4 cup oat flour)

• 1 cup cornmeal

• 2 tsp baking soda

• 1/4 tsp sea salt

• 2 eggs

• 3/4 cup buttermilk

• 1/4 cup raw honey

• 2 1/2 tbsp safflower oil

• 3 oz baby spinach, finely chopped

• 2 1/2 tbsp sage leaves, minced

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. In a blender, blend oats to the consistency of flour. In a large bowl, combine oat flour, cornmeal, baking soda and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, buttermilk, honey and oil. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients, and stir. Stir in spinach and sage.

2. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Fill three-quarters full with batter. Bake muffins for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in center. Let muffins cool in pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Garlic Scape Risotto

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1/2 cup garlic scapes (cut into 1/4 inch rounds)

• 1 cup Arborio rice

• 1/2 cup white wine

• 4 cups chicken broth or stock

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh sage

• 1/2 cup freshly grated Romano cheese

PREPARATION:

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic scapes and cook, stirring occasionally, for five minutes. Stir in the rice and let toast for one minute. Pour in the wine and stir. Allow the wine to fully absorb into the rice.

2. Meanwhile, heat the chicken broth in a pan to warm over low heat. Once the wine is absorbed into the rice, begin adding it to the rice mixture one ladle at a time. Allow the broth to be fully absorbed into the rice after each edition (you'll hear a sizzle when its all absorbed). Be patient. Part of making risotto is waiting for it … and it’s totally worth the wait. All in all, this will take about 25 minutes.

3. Once all of the broth has been added and absorbed, stir in salt and pepper, the sage and the cheese. Cover and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Fig, Apple & Sage Stuffing

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 24-oz loaf whole-wheat bread (680 g), trimmed of crust and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 2 to 3 carrots, peeled and finely chopped (about 1 cup)

• 3 to 4 celery ribs, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

• 1 large white onion, finely chopped

• 1 tsp dried thyme (or fresh)

• 1 tsp dried rosemary (or fresh)

• 1 tsp chile powder

• 1/2 tsp sea salt

• Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

• 10 to 12 unsweetened dried figs, chopped (about 1 cup)

• 2 apples (such as McIntosh, Cortland, Gala or Golden Delicious), cored and chopped

• 1 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, plus additional 1/2 cup as needed

• 1 1/2 tbsp chopped fresh sage

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Divide bread among 2 rimmed baking sheets and arrange in a single layer; transfer to oven and bake for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring once, until lightly toasted.

2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat oil on medium-high. Add carrots, celery and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in thyme, rosemary, chile powder, salt and pepper. Add figs and apples and stir well to combine. Remove from heat, add bread and stir to combine. Stir in broth. Stuffing should be uniformly moist but not wet; if needed, add additional 1/2 cup broth. Stir in sage. Stuff turkey and cook according to recipe.