Roasted Butternut Squash with Marcona's

I love when I get a recipe sent to me with just the ingredients that I have on hand. This recipe came yesterday just in time to use a squash I had sitting on the counter with marcona's that I picked up earlier in the day.




Roasted butternut squash with Marcona's

1 medium butternut squash (about 3 pounds)--halved lengthwise, seeds removed and discarded
2 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
3 tablespoons heavy cream, warmed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons marcona almonds, coarsely chopped
Flaky sea salt

Preheat the oven to 350°. Using a large knife halve the squash lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and reserve for another use.

Into the cavity add a piece of cinnamon and clove. On a parchment lined baking sheet, bake in oven about 45 minutes to an hour, until tender. 





Let cool slightly and scoop into processor. Add the butter, and brown sugar and warm cream. Blend until smooth and season with salt and pepper.






To serve, top with the chopped nuts, a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of the flaky salt.

Butternut Squash with Herbed Breadcrumbs

I was looking for something to do with all the butternut squash I seem to be collecting. This looked like a great choice and it was. I made a few changes, but the basics are the same.

• Butternut Squash with Herbed Breadcrumbs
• 1 Tsp butter
• 2 Tsp olive oil
• 4 cups thinly sliced onions (about 1 pound)
• 2 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 3/4 cup stock or water

• 2 cups panko or other breadcrumbs
• 2 cups  grated cheese, I used a mix of cheddar gruyere and Parmigiana 
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Preheat oven to 375. In an oven proof pan, melt butter and oil. Add onions and sauté once medium about 5 minutes until soft. 


        


After peeling the squash, slice into thin slices.  


    
  


Add the squash to the pan and cook another 5 minutes. 


    


Add the sugar, salt, pepper and thyme and cook another few minutes until the squash begins to brown.




     


Add the stock or water and cover with foil and place in oven. Cook for about 40 minutes.




     

While squash is cooking, mix the topping in a small bowl.


     
    
Top the squash with the bread crumb mixture. At this point it will still be somewhat wet.


              




Raise temperature to 425 and cook another 20 to 30 minutes until the top is lightly browned and the liquid as evaporated. 




  

Roasted squash with chickpea salad

I have been looking to branch out from my typical roasted squash recipes. I thought this nice version with a warm salad would do the trick...I was also looking to clean out the refrigerator.

Roast Squash with Warm Chickpea Salad

1/2 an acorn squash per person

1/2 onion diced

1 - 2 celery stalks diced

1 - 2 cloves garlic minced

about 2 cups chickpeas

one small bunch arugula

za'atar

salt and pepper to taste

Balsamic vinegar

Extra Virgin olive oil

Half the squash and remove the seeds. Drizzle with oil and vinegar, and season with salt and pepper and za'atar. Roast in 400 deg oven for about 40 minutes until soft.

While the squash is roasting, in a medium pan, warm oil and add the onions, celery and garlic. Cook for a few minutes to warm through. Then add the chickpeas and season with salt and pepper and za'atar. Cook for a few more minutes until warm but not mushy.

In a small bowl, toss the arugula with a drizzle of oil and vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.

To serve, top the squash half with a large scoop of the salad and top with the greens.

Squash and Goat Cheese Mac and Cheese

I have truly learned to love the Mac and Cheese, though it rarely is made with macaroni in our house.

Its a great, fairly quick recipe that I know I will always have everything on hand. The other great thing is all the other stuff you can toss in. I made this with left over roasted squash, caramelized onion and goat cheese.

The sauce was extra creamy and the kids loved it.

Squash Mac and Cheese

1 Tbs butter

1 Tbs flour

1 1/4 cup milk

about a cup cooked squash

3 - 4 oz goat cheese

some caramelized onion (maybe about half an onion)

1/2 lb cooked pasta of your choice

salt and pepper

Begin by making roux with the flour and butter. Heat over medium flame until it begins to bind and form a paste.

Add the milk and continue to cook, while stirring, until it thickens.Remove from heat and add the squash, onions and cheese.

Add the pasta a stir to coat. Then place in a baking dish and cook in 400 Deg oven about 10 minutes until warmed through.

You can add bread crumbs to the top or extra cheese.

Pestoed Squash and Pizza Sandwich

We have ended up with a lot of squash lately and I was looking for something new to do with it. I came across this recipe with pumpkins seeds and thought that pesto would be a great addition. Instead of the pumpkin seeds, I made a simple arugula version.

Roasted Squash with Arugula Pesto
one winter squash, skinned and diced
salt and pepper
garlic powder
Italian Seasoning
oil

2 - 3 garlic cloves to taste
one large bunch arugula, washed
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
salt and pepper
Parmiginio-Reggiano

Toss the squash with the salt and pepper, Italian seasoning and garlic powder and oil. Bake on a lined cookie sheet in 400 deg oven about 40 minutes, turning after about 20 minutes, until cooked and starting to crisp.



Meanwhile prepare the pesto. Place the garlic and a pinch of salt in a food processor, blend until the garlic is chopped



Roughly chop the arugula and add to the garlic. Blend until smooth, scraping the sides as needed.



Add in enough oil to make a smooth paste (pesto means paste), season with salt and pepper and add the Parm. Mix one last time to combine.



Once the squash is finished cooking, place in a small bowl and toss with a spoon or two of the pesto. I served it on top of arugula, dressed with a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic, and seasoned with salt and pepper. Top the dish with more cheese and a drizzle of Balsamic Glaze.



Along with the squash salad, I made pizza sandwiches. I had seen this in Martha Stewart and thought it would be another fun adaptation of the calzone. Essentially, its a calzone where you do not seal the rim. This creates a nice sandwich appearance. I had some left over pizza dough, and with the addition of some broccoli made a great dinner.

Prepare the filling as you normally would for a calzone, laying them on only half the rolled out dough. Here I made one with fresh garlic, broccoli (I thinly sliced so that it would no get to bulky), mozzarella, and a sprinkle of pizza seasoning.



Fold over the top, leaving a small gap. (Next time I would have the ingredients poke out a little more for a better appearance.) You can brush the top with a little oil, as well.



Bake in 500 deg oven about 15 minutes.

Roasted Squash

One of my favorite winter vegetables is squash. There are so many varieties, each with a slightly different flavor and texture. With their natural sweetness they are also a kid favorite. Roasting is an easy way to prepare almost any squash, here are two other easy preparations.

Roasted Squash with Arugula

1 medium kabocha or other squash

2 cups arugula

EVOO

salt and pepper

Balsamic

Parm

Wash the squash and cut in half. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon (these can be reserved and toasted as a crunchy topping).

Cut the squash into thin strips and place on a baking tray lined with a silpat mat or parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 45 minutes, turning once, until golden brown and soft.

Place the arugula in a bowl and drizzle with EVOO and season with salt and pepper.

Place a few slices of the squash on the plate, drizzle with balsamic and top with the greens. Drizzle a touch more vinegar and top with shredded cheese.