Search results for 'butternut squash'

Butternut Squash Gnocchi ~*Recipe ReDux*~

22 Mar

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This month’s theme for The Recipe ReDux is: 7-Ingredient (Or Less) Recipes

It’s Income Tax Season, so our brains could use some easy arithmetic; as in seven-ingredient-or-less recipes. Show us the healthy, no-brainer dish you fix for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

I think I made gnocchi once in a cooking class 7 years ago. This butternut squash gnocchi was my first attempt since, and it turned out pretty darn good for my being so rusty. Using butternut squash instead of the more traditional potato adds a bright color and an extra boost of vitamins and fiber.

The gnocchi are made from just a few ingredients: roasted butternut squash puree mixed with salt, egg and flour. Any sauce goes here but I prefer a simple butter-garlic-herb combination to gently coat the pillowy pasta.  Continue reading →

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Butternut Squash Tahini Spread from Jerusalem: A Cookbook

15 Jan

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On Tuesday I picked up my first ever Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) box of produce from Corbin Hill Farm. Corbin Hill picks the produce based on what is in season, and all of the produce is grown in New York State using sustainable farming methods. There are options to add “extras” to the order, such as dairy, eggs, meat, bread, beans or extra fruit.

In my January box of produce, I received apples, butternut squash, cabbage, beets, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, shallots, sprouts, arugula and an enormous Macomber turnip.

While I like to go to the markets and pick out my own fruits and vegetables, I thought the CSA box would be a nice mini kitchen challenge.

First up: butternut squash. Continue reading →

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Butternut Squash Bake + Kale Chips

11 Feb

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Last night, I had a spontaneous dinner with my new housemate and his girlfriend. We were cooking two separate dinners, and just decided to combine them and dine altogether at our little table.

I contributed this butternut squash bake and some kale chips and nice salami, and they contributed a hearty spinach salad, some cheese and bread, and cheap “wine” from our nearby corner store. They are from France and Switzerland, and had never eaten butternut squash or kale chips before, so it was fun to introduce them to some of my favorite vegetables.

I love that we don’t have wine glasses and that our cutlery and plates don’t all match. I’m all about not matching.

I’ll admit that most nights, I cook dinner and watch a television show while I eat. It was a nice change to sit at a table and schmooze with the people I share an apartment with.

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This is the kind of recipe where all I want to do is pick off the crispy cheesy topping. I was dining with company, though, so I had to restrain myself!

This squash bake was super simple, and you could use any variety of winter squash. The natural sweetness of the butternut squash and onion with a light cheesy mix keeps the dish healthy but still full of decadent flavors. You will need to reserve about an hour of time to complete the recipe, but most of it is hands-off as the squash bakes. I also made this earlier in the day and just reheated it when time came to eat dinner, so it is a good make-ahead.

Serve the squash bake with some sautéed greens or kale chips for a nice color contrast!

Butternut Squash Bake

adapted from Jackie Newgent’s 1,000 Low Calorie Recipes

makes 4-6 servings

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I had a very large squash so I had to use a bigger baking dish)

1 onion, cut in half and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2/3 cup milk (I used 1% lowfat milk, you can also use soy or almond milk)

2 teaspoons cornstarch (or arrowroot)

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

pinch of cayenne or old bay

1/3 cup grated fontina or white cheddar

1/3 cup breadcrumbs (I made my own with some old sourdough; bake in the oven until toasted and blend to fine crumbs)

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese or Asiago

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Combine the cut squash and onion in a baking dish (Newgent recommends a 2-qt dish, but I used a 3-qt pyrex because I ended up with a lot of squash). Drizzle and toss with the olive oil. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, until the squash is tender all the way through.

Meanwhile, whisk together the milk and cornstarch. Whisk in the egg, salt, pepper, and spice. Set aside.

Stir the squash-onion mixture. Sprinkle with the fontina/cheddar cheese and evenly pour in the milk mixture. Sprinkle the top with the breadcrumbs, Parmesan/Asiago cheese, and an extra pinch of cayenne/old bay. Roast until the squash is tender the cheese coating is crisp and golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Let stand for 10 minutes to complete the cooking process, and serve.

Approximate nutrition facts per 1 cup serving: 240 calories, 12g total fat, 4.5g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 65mg cholesterol, 530mg sodium, 27g total carbohydrate, 6g dietary fiber, 8g sugars, 9g protein

Kale Chips

1 bunch of kale, stemmed and torn into pieces (or enough to fit a baking sheet)

1-2 tsp. olive oil

salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Lay the kale on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for about 10-15 minutes, until it is crisped but still greenish. Be careful not to overdo it or you will get burnt pieces.

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Savory Butternut Squash Crumble

23 Nov

“I’m wary of health faddists. When they’re done talking, you can’t eat anything. We need a nutritionist who loves good food.”  -Julia Child

Julia, I completely agree. I believe that a lot of what people produce inside of their heads deters them from tasting new foods. After making this savory squash crumble, a fellow housemate of mine exclaimed, “Wait, there is squash in this? Wow, I don’t even like squash and this is good!”

Lately I have been reading Irena Chalmers’ Food Jobs, a book about the variety of professions available for culinary students, career changers, and FOOD lovers. She is helping me translate my “zest for flavor into a satisfying profession.” Everyday I scour the Internet as well as my library of cookbooks and circle of food-loving friends for new and exciting places to eat, concoctions to create, and finger-licking food finds. Working in the food industry is an ever-changing and on-going process that keeps us all on our toes and constantly having to play and finesse, and finesse, and finesse…

Butternut squash is a beautiful vegetable, with that bright orange color and that bulbous yet elongated shape. Roasted, butternut squash turns soft and caramel-like. Today I took a different approach: I stewed the squash with tomatoes, onions, and spices and then topped it with a crumb topping.

Just a word of advice for all you food photographers out there: I have a slight problem…I tend to make something and either immediately want to eat it or someone else immediately wants to eat it. Understandable. As a result, I present to you some scraps of photos that definitely could have been better—better lighting, better styling, better everything. I’m working on my problem. For now, if you want to see the real deal, check out La Tartine Gourmande’s photos. Yes, she rocks.

Ok, it’s time to get stewing and crumbling!

*NOTE: I made this vegan, but you could add Parmesan cheese and use butter instead of oil in the topping.

**NOTE #2: Feel free to experiment with different herbs (thyme, oregano…), squash varieties (acorn, kabocha…), and cheeses (gruyere, sharp cheddar…).

Savory Butternut Squash Crumble
Recipe adapted from LaTartineGourmande
Serves 6-8

TOPPING

1 cup flour
½ cup walnuts, chopped coarsely
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (I omitted the cheese this time to make it vegan)
Pepper, to taste
6 tablespoons butter, diced and at room temperature (I used oil to make it vegan)
optional: 1-2 tablespoons of brown sugar

1.In a bowl, combine the flour, walnuts, parsley, Parmesan, brown sugar, and a generous sprinkle of pepper.

2. Add the butter (or oil) and work with your fingertips until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Cover and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.

SQUASH

Butter or oil (for the dish)
2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter (or 3 tablespoons oil)
1 red onion, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 bay leaf
½ cup canned tomatoes
1 peeled butternut squash, cut into 1-inch dice
5 fresh sage leaves, chopped
optional: 1-2 tablespoons of brown sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
optional: 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1. Generously butter a 10-inch baking dish.

2. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil and butter (or just oil) and when the butter melts, and the onion, coriander, and bay leaf and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until softened.

3. Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 more minutes. Add the butternut squash, sage, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Turn down the heat. Cover and cook for 30 minutes or until the vegetables soften.

4. Set the oven at 350.

5. Discard the bay leaf from the squash mixture. Sprinkle with parsley and Parmesan; stir gently. Transfer the vegetables to the baking dish. Spoon the crumble mixture on top.

6. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the top is golden (My top did not get super golden due to my using oil instead of butter. Oh well, it was still mighty good!).

4 Ways to Use Winter Squash Puree

4 Dec

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I’ve been roasting Thai Kang Kob squashes, a variety of winter squash, for two weeks straight have been using the puree in anything and everything I can think of, including:

-Winter Squash Cookies (they’re vegan!)

-Pumpkin (aka winter squash) Spice Lattes (actually contains the squash puree!)

-Pumpkin Pie Filling Smoothies (but dietitian approved!)

-Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal (attention meal preppers!)

The recipes all call for a mix of fall spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and allspice. What can I say, I’ve got pumpkin pie spice fever this year. You can substitute store-bought pumpkin pie spice if preferred, or make your own version.

Read on for a how-to on making the squash puree and for all the details on the above recipes. Continue reading →

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