Tag: squash

Delicata Squash Stuffing with Celery and Apples

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This stuffing recipe was a hit in our house this Thanksgiving and is sure to make an appearance on the holiday table again this year and for years to come. I hope you are having a lovely holiday weekend. Our home has been filled with friends and family- a welcome reminder of the bounty we are surrounded by. I am so grateful for Jubilee Farm and the amazing produce that graces our table every week. It’s truly an honor to write recipes that feature their harvests. The holidays are officially upon us. Feast and enjoy!

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Delicata Squash Stuffing with Celery and Apples

1 delicata squash, washed, seeded, and cut into large dice
1/2 pound crimini mushrooms, sliced or quartered
1 large apple, cored and cut into large dice
2 shallots, sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups celery, large dice
1 medium onion, large dice
Half loaf of sourdough cut into cubes (day old is great for this)
1 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
Leaves from 1 branch rosemary, stripped and chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme (1 teaspoon dried)
1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped (1 teaspoon dried)
1/4 cup chopped parsley

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Combine squash, mushrooms, apples, and shallots in a large mixing bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil and salt. Roast until squash is easily pierced with a fork, about 20-30 minutes. When finished cooking, remove veggies and turn oven down to 350°.
2. In a large Dutch oven, heat oil then sauté onions and celery over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add bread and continue cooking, stirring often for another 5-8 minutes.
3. Add roasted vegetables, stock, and herbs to the pot. Stir mixture over medium heat until the bread has absorbed most of the stock.
4. Transfer to oven with lid and bake 20 minutes, remove lid and cook for another 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish or place it right on the table!

Butternut Squash Bread with Candied Ginger

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It’s hard to believe the holiday season is already upon us! This week’s recipes are ones that I hope can help you take time to pause and reflect on the simple things- a candlelit dinner with those you love or a quiet breakfast with a warm cuppa. This squash bread is moist and well-spiced. The flavor of the butternut itself is quite mild but lends an earthy backbone to this bake. I’ll be making it the day of Thanksgiving so we have a treat for the next morning.

Butternut Squash Bread with Candied Ginger

1 cup cooked and mashed butternut squash (I simply roasted mine and scooped it out of the skin- the rest went into this soup)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup non-gmo canola oil
1/4 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons candied ginger cut into small bits

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients: sugar, brown sugar, flour, baking soda, spices, and ginger. Whisk to mix well.
3. In a large bowl, combine wet ingredients: squash, eggs, oil, water. Whisk to mix well.
4. Fold the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients until well incorporated. Pour into a loaf pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
5. Allow the loaf to cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pan.

Green Tomato Curry with Kuri Squash

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Now that fall is in full swing, I’m craving warming spices that nourish me down to my roots. Curries always fit this bill and are a wonderful, healthy weeknight meal. The green tomatoes add a lovely zing to this dish and complement the sweet squash and peppers. If you already have curry powder in your pantry, feel free to use it. Otherwise, I’ve included a recipe for Garam masala below. Keep in mind, curry powders lose their potency over time. They are at their best within a month from grinding them. So, if you’re using an old tin of curry powder from the back of the cupboard, you may find you need to double the amount in this recipe to get the flavors to come through. Green tomatoes offer their own unique flavor and are full of tons of nutrients! Green tomatoes are an excellent source of vitamins C, B-complex, A, and K. Eat up!
Green Tomato Curry with Kuri Squash

2 T butter
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T Garam masala spice (recipe below)
1/2 t turmeric
3 cups green tomatoes, chopped
1 small Kuri squash, seeded, peeled, and cut into cubes
1 can coconut milk
2 cups sweet peppers, chopped
Salt to taste
1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
Yogurt to serve
Basmati rice to serve

1. In a large pot, melt butter and sauté onion over medium heat until translucent. Add garlic, spices, and tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes begin to break down, about five minutes.

2. Add coconut milk and squash to the pot. Bring to a very low simmer- barely bubbling. If the sauce is too thick, thin with 1/4 cup of water or stock. Cook for twenty minutes then add the sweet peppers. Cook until the Kuri squash is easily pierced with a fork- about 5-10 more minutes. Add salt to taste.

3. Serve curry over rice with fresh cilantro and a dollop of yogurt. This recipe serves 4.

Garam Masala Spice

1 tablespoon cardamom seeds
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon coriander
1/4 of a nutmeg

Toast all spices in a skillet over medium heat until fragrant. Remove, allow to cool, then process in a spice grinder until a fine powder has been achieved. This recipe makes about 3 tablespoons.

Spaghetti Squash with Moroccan Tomato Sauce

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Spaghetti squash

I know, I know, I know. Another squash recipe?! ‘Tis the season! Maybe I’ll have to rename the blog “Squashyard Kitchen.” Doesn’t quite have the same ring to it. 😉 This simple recipe is a play on one of the most common preparations of spaghetti squash. Any vegetable that masquerades as pasta is fine by me. Spaghetti squash is particularly great because its light flavor allows it to easily absorb any sauce you choose to top it with. This is an easy peasy weeknight meal that requires very little hands on time. It’s also very versatile. Moroccan food is full of exotic spices that add wonderful warmth to a simple tomato sauce. To keep things bright, I made my tomato sauce with cilantro, but if you’re one of those folks that thinks cilantro tastes like soap (another genetic predisposition I’m afraid), please feel free to substitute parsley, basil, or even mint! I also topped mine with some crumbled goat cheese, though feta would be great too. Finally, if you’d like to add some protein, whip up a batch of meatballs to serve with the dish or simply add some canned chickpeas to your tomato sauce after you’ve blended it.

Ingredients:
1 Spaghetti squash
1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp thyme
1 pinch chili flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch cilantro
Goat cheese for garnish

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 400*. While it’s heating, use a sharp knife to cut off the stem end of the squash. Next cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Lightly brush the inside of the squash with olive oil and sprinkle it with salt. Place face down on a baking sheet and place in the oven. It will bake for 30-45 minutes, until easily punctured with a fork.
2. While the squash it cooking, heat your olive oil in a saucepot and add your shallot, garlic, and spices. Heat them over medium heat until the shallot begins to turn translucent.
3. Add the canned tomatoes (including the liquid) and bring the sauce to a low simmer. Allow to cook for about 15 minutes.
4. When the sauce appears to have thickened a bit, go ahead and blend it using an immersion blender or in small batches in a regular blender. Remove it from the heat and stir in a small handful of cilantro leaves. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper as you see fit.
5. When the squash is cooked through, carefully use a fork and grate it along the inside of the squash. The “noodles” will easily separate.
6. Dish the squash into bowls and top with tomato sauce, some goat cheese, and fresh cilantro. Enjoy!

Tackling Butternut Squash

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Butternut SquashLet’s talk about tackling the big, scary butternut. Every time I used to see a recipe that called for cubes of butternut squash, I would cringe and move on. The thought of figuring out how to slice that beast was completely overwhelming. Luckily, I’ve since learned there’s a simple technique to cutting up butternut squash. The most important tools for this are a peeler and a sharp knife. I cannot emphasize enough how much safer a sharp knife is than a dull one. Please, do yourself a favor and have your main kitchen knives sharpened a couple times a year! There are some great local businesses in the Seattle area that do a great job!

Trim butternutBack to that pesky squash. First, you should trim off the stem and flower ends of the squash.

imageNow that your peeler has a surface to grip, go ahead and peel the whole squash. After the squash is peeled, you’re ready to start cutting.

separating butternutThe first cut will be to separate the neck from the body. When doing this, remember to let the knife do the work for you. Don’t apply all the pressure straight down, try to let your knife slide through the squash.

butternut roundsOnce the neck is separated, go ahead and cut it into rounds the proper width of what your recipe calls for.

cubed butternutYou can then easily cut the rounds into cubes.

renove seedsFor the body, cut it in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds – saving the seeds to roast, of course.

half moonsNext, cut the body into half moons the same width as the rounds from the neck. You can then cut these into smaller pieces to match the cubes from the neck.

finished butternutVoila! You’ve conquered the great and terrible butternut! A final note: butternut squash has a tendency to release a sticky, slimy film when peeled and cut. This is a natural reaction that is caused by the squash trying to repair itself as it would when still on the vine. To avoid having this film stick to your hands (it will wear off eventually), wear gloves or try to hold the squash with an old kitchen towel. If you do use a towel, please be extra careful to keep track of where your fingers and knife are – we don’t want any accidents!

Now enjoy your new found freedom! Go cook up some butternut squash!