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Squash are fabulous. They are earthy and delicious on their own,
but when cooked using the Simple! Sensible! Sensational!® precepts,
they reach new dimensions. Furthermore, they are affordable (as
I write this, winter squash are 39 cents/lb at my local market),
easy to store (put in a cool closet, on a counter, or use as a centerpiece
until you are ready to cook them, up to a month or so), easy to
use (just read the recipes below, but you MUST have a strong, sharp
knife) and nutritious (soluble and insoluble fiber; beta-carotene
and other antioxidant carotenoids; loads of potassium; iron; calcium;
vitamin A; vitamin C; vitamin B complex) and convenient (once cooked,
the flesh can be used in the many applications described below,
or refrigerated up to a week, or frozen for … well, don’t
tell anyone, but I’ve frozen squash for a year). They’re
also a beautiful, colorful addition to any plate! (As an aside,
you can substitute sweet potatoes for the squash in most of these
applications, though they don’t make very good boats. They
do make wonderful sauces and side dishes and soups, or just bake
them like regular potatoes, and serve with butter, a little salt,
and maybe some balsamico. Check October’s Simple! Sensible!
Sensational! recipes for roasting details and other applications:
http://www.god-dess.com/services_recipesOctober03.html
).
EASY ROASTED WINTER SQUASH
There are two main ways to roast winter squash: halved or cubed
(some people roast/bake them whole, but I don’t see the need).
I grew up with the first technique, which we called “Baked
Squash Boats,” where my mother would take acorn squash that
we had raised in our garden, cut them in half longitudinally, scoop
out the seeds (reserve for toasting, if you wish, as they have omega-3
oil), put them on a baking sheet and fill them with butter and brown
sugar, with a touch of salt and pepper. That is the first recipe
I present here, with some of my own tweaking. Alternatively, winter
squash can be peeled, cubed and treated just like any other roasted
vegetable. Use either method that you like, because squash are packed
with nutrients (and flavor!).
BAKED SQUASH BOATS
If serving these squash as a side dish, I like to calculate ½
squash per person, but as long as you are making a couple, why not
make a big batch and freeze the cooked squash for another application?
Additionally, other winter squash (including pumpkins) respond well
to this technique.
1 small to medium acorn squash, up to about 2 lbs, halved from stem
end to tip, seeds removed from center cavity (butternut, hubbard
or other fleshy winter squash may be substituted, but they tend
to be larger, so increase the other ingredients proportionate).
- 2 T butter or oil
- 2 T citrus juice (about 1 lime or lemon,
or ½ orange) or vinegar
- 1 T citrus zest (from 1 lime or lemon, or
½ orange) (optional if using vinegar)
- up to 2 t salt
- 1 t sugar (white or brown; use 2 t if using
honey or molasses or maple syrup)
- 1 t sage, ground or crumbled (optional)
- 10 to 20 grinds of pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place cleaned squash cut-side up on a
baking sheet. On each half, spread 1 T of the butter/oil, 1 T of the
citrus juice or vinegar, allowing the extra to pool in the central
cavity. Sprinkle the flesh of each half evenly with half of the zest
(if using), up to 1 t salt, 5 to 10 grinds of pepper, ½ t sage
(if using) and ½ t sugar (if using honey or molasses or syrup,
just drizzle over the flesh and allow any extra to pool in the central
cavity). Bake for about 1 hour, using a spoon to baste the flesh with
the cavity juices every 15 minutes; to test for done-ness, insert
a fork into the flesh in several sites; if the fork enters easily,
the squash is done (but do not pierce the exterior skin, or you’ll
lose some of those terrific juices!). Serve immediately as a side
dish (serves two) or as a first course, or scoop out flesh for an
“easier to eat” side dish (the flesh may be fibrous, so
you may want to chop the scooped out flesh across the grain).
Applications:
Stuffed Squash Boats: After baking
the squash as described above for about 30 minutes, you may remove
the pan/baking sheet from the oven and stuff each half with about
½ c of your favorite stuffing. Some of my preferences are just
a mixture of chopped dried fruits (craisins [dried cranberry], raisins,
prunes, or anything else), maybe some fresh fruits (like cranberries,
apples or pears), and some chopped nuts (toasted pecans, cashews and/or
walnuts are fabulous). Or, add ½ c of sautéed greens
(beets, collards, mustard, etc.) for some fabulous sensory sensations.
Cooked seafood and sourdough bread cubes make a great stuffing, as
well. After filling the cavity with the stuffing of choice, return
to the oven for another 30 minutes, until the squash is tender throughout,
and the stuffing is browned on top. Serve immediately.
Baked Squash Sauce: Substitute 1.5
to 2 c of cooked squash flesh for the pumpkin in Multipurpose Savory
Pumpkin Sauce (see below); proceed with the applications for that
recipe.
With Pan-Seared Meat, Fish or Poultry:
The beautiful flesh of squash serves as an exceptional backdrop for
slices of pan-seared or roasted meat, fish or poultry. Prepare the
meat, fish or poultry, and then place atop the scooped out flesh of
roasted squash that has been placed on a plate. Slices of duck breast,
or pan-roasted fish, or even pork chops or pork roast would be excellent
(so is lobster, if you are really feeling flush).
Roasted Squash Risotto: If you know
how to make risotto, add 1 c of roasted squash per cup of rice immediately
after the first broth has been added (use any kind of broth; I particularly
enjoy duck stock for this risotto, but lamb and chicken and vegetable
stocks are also great). Cook as you would any risotto (hint: at the
end, add up to 2 T of your favorite vinegar or citrus juice), and
serve as is, or as a bed for any of the Pan-Seared Meats, Fish or
Poultry mentioned above. I will offer a simple risotto recipe in the
coming months for those who have yet to conquer this delight.
ROASTED WINTER SQUASH CUBES
Almost any winter squash (including pumpkins), can be used to make
roasted winter squash cubes, except acorn. It isn’t that acorn
squash flesh doesn’t taste delicious prepared this way. The
problem is peeling those ridges. I don’t know about you, but
with so many squash choices, I don’t feel any need to spend
my time wrestling with those ridges when I can make wonderful baked
boats out of acorns and cubes out of these other winter squashes.
- 1 small winter squash of choice (hubbard, butternut, pumpkin), about
4-6 cups when cubed in ½ to 3/4” cubes (about 2 lbs).
- ¼ c olive oil or melted butter
- up to 1 T salt
- up to 20 grinds pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large
bowl. Toss or stir to coat vegetables with oil and seasonings. Transfer
vegetables to a large cooking sheet so that they form a single layer.
Cook in center of oven for 45 minutes, stirring and turning every
15 to 20 minutes (NOTE: if substituting sweet potatoes for the squash,
you may need less than 45 minutes, as the sweet potato cubes caramelize
very quickly).
Versions: Prior to roasting, add
any or all of the following to the vegetables.
- Add 1 t to 1 T of chopped dried whole herbs
(sage is especially good)
- Add peeled and quartered onions to the vegetable
mixture (leave the root end intact, trimming only the loose end
pieces, so that the quarters remain intact … for a while,
anyway!).
- Add loose cloves of garlic to the mixture
(still in the skin)
- Add 1 to 2 T of lemon juice (half or whole
lemon), red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar.
- Add 1 t sugar (white or brown) or 2 t honey, molasses or maple
syrup
Applications:
Roasted Winter Squash Cubes as a side dish:
Unlike with the boats, you won’t be forced to provide each diner
with a pre-set amount; each individual can spoon as much of the Roasted
Squash Cubes onto his/her plate as desired, and then eat them easily
with a fork, alongside your meat, fish, or vegetable dish of choice
(squash and pork are classic, as are almost every form of poultry
and squash; with vegetables, I like to pair squash with greens sautéed
in olive oil and garlic for both color and flavor contrasts.
Smoky Roasted Winter Squash Cubes: Preheat
oven to 400 degrees. Meanwhile, in a large pan/skillet (large enough
to accommodate all of the squash eventually), fry ¼ lb of bacon
(3-4 slices) crispy; remove from the skillet and reserve. Reserve
all of the fat from pan/skillet, returning ¼ c of the rendered
fat to the pan (freeze the rest for another use after it cools). Add
all of the remaining ingredients as for Roasted Winter Squash Cubes
to the pan/skillet, toss to coat, then transfer to a baking sheet
so that they can lie flat. Roast for about 45 minutes. Remove from
oven and serve immediately with the reserved bacon crumbled on top.
Roasted Winter Squash Risotto: see
the details for this risotto above as an application of Roasted Squash
Boats. MULTIPURPOSE SAVORY PUMPKIN
SAUCE
Everyone knows the deliciousness of pumpkin pie. However, this healthy
sauce allows you to apply the nutritional benefits to every course
of your meals. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. The recipe calls for
canned pumpkin, but you can adapt about 1.5 to 2 cups of roasted
pumpkin or winter squash or even sweet potato to any of these applications.
- 1 can pumpkin puree (about 1.5 c) or 1.5 to 2 c of roasted squash
from either of the above recipes
- 4 T butter (1/2 stick or ¼ c)
- 1 c onion, finely diced (about 2 small onions or 1 medium onion;
4-6 oz)
- 1 T sage, dried and crumbled or ¼ c fresh chopped cilantro
(optional; these two herbs go well with pumpkin, but I would not
be too experimental here)
- ¼ c balsamic vinegar, or your favorite whiskey or bourbon
(if using cilantro as the herb, ¼ c of lime juice makes
a nice substitution for the vinegar)
- ½ t to 1 t salt
- 20 grinds of black pepper
- 1 T roasted garlic (or 1 T finely minced fresh garlic)(optional)
- ½ c roasted red bell pepper (about 1 large pepper), finely
diced (1/4” dice)(optional); the red pepper offers a sweet
and earthy component which can also be achieved by adding comparable
amounts of finely diced fresh fruit or rehydrated dried fruit
(reserve the soaking liquid if using for an application that requires
“loosening,” such as the pasta sauce or the soup)
- ¼ to ½ c toasted nuts (optional; you can use pecans,
walnuts, hulled sunflower seeds, cashews, or pepitas [pumpkin seeds,
hulled]; the quantity of nuts is a personal choice, from none to
lots!)
Melt the butter in a medium hot skillet. Add the onions, salt and
pepper and cook until the onions start to caramelize. Add the sage
or cilantro and cook for one more minute; if using fresh garlic,
add it at this time. Add the roasted garlic (if using) and mash
into the onions with a spoon or fork. Add the pumpkin puree, balsamic
vinegar and roasted red bell pepper, stirring to completely blend
ingredients. Cook until hot, about 5 minutes. This is now the turning
point to determine what to do with this sauce:
Sauce for Pasta/Rice/Potatoes: this sauce will serve four
as a main course, with each individual receive one quarter of the
sauce and one-quarter pound of pasta cooked in boiling, salted water,
or one cup cooked rice, or one cup boiled or steamed potatoes (preferably
with skins on). The sauce will need to be loosed with up to 1 c
of the salted pasta cooking water, taken toward the end of the pasta
cooking period. Drain the pasta, toss into the sauce, and stir to
coat; top with the toasted nuts if using. Cheese is not needed for
this recipe.
Soup: Add 1.5 c milk or cream to
the base; continue stirring to incorporate, until heated through,
about 10 minutes over low-medium heat. When done, ladle into bowls
and sprinkle each with 1 T pepitas or other toasted nuts. The southwestern
influence of this soup can be enhanced by adding 1 t dried cinnamon
when the garlic is added. Alternatively, a southeast Asian version
can be created by using coconut milk (1.5 c, or 1 can), using the
cilantro instead of the sage, using lime juice instead of balsamic
vinegar, and using peanuts instead of some other nuts; other optional
additions to this version are 1 T minced fresh ginger or 1 t dried
ginger (all added when the garlic is added). An Indian version can
include the coconut milk, cilantro, ginger, cinnamon, and even some
other seasonings like 1 t cumin. (NOTE: while the soup will be creamy
if using canned pumpkin puree, it will be somewhat chunky if you
use home-roasted squash, pumpkin or even sweet potatoes, and I think
that’s fine. I don’t see the need to dirty additional
dishes or utensils to make a smooth soup).
Bruschetta topping: no loosening is need for this application.
Toast baguette or similar bread slices in a toaster oven, on a grill,
under a broiler, or in a dry skillet; top with the warm mixture
and serve immediately, topped with a sprinkle of toasted nuts if
desired.
Quiche filling: no loosening is
needed other than what is described here. Allow the pumpkin mixture
to cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, mix ½ c milk with
3-4 eggs. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. When mixture has cooled
sufficiently, stir in the nuts if using, then stir in the milk and
egg mixture. This mixture is enough to fill a 9” pie crust,
and this combination is particularly good with the wild rice crust
I make (you may have a little extra filling; see Pumpkin custard
below). To fill the crust, first cover the bottom of the crust with
¼ c grated cheese (something mild like Monterey Jack, or
salty like parmesan, pecorino, anejo or cotija, or crumbly like
queso fresco or feta); pour in the mixture; top with another ¼
c cheese. Bake 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature as
a first course, or as a lunch dish accompanied by a nice simple
salad.
Savory Custard: this preparation
is identical as for the quiche filling, except for the receptacle.
After preparing the mixture, set it aside. Oil a single large baking
dish (about 9” square) or six individual 3” ramekins.
Add the pumpkin mixture to the oiled dish(es), place in a flat pan
large enough to hold all of them, pour water into the pan holding
the dish(es) to a height of ½” (you’ve just created
a bain marie, or water bath), and bake for about 30 minutes. Serve
warm to hot as a side dish or as a first course.
Sweet Custard: Following the preparation
for Savory Custard, but add and incorporate ¼ c to ½
c granulated or brown sugar to the pumpkin mixture before filling
the baking dish or ramekins. Serve this for breakfast or dessert.
I have served these recipes to a wide variety of different people,
with unequivocal pleasure resulting (even if some had a wee bit
of trepidation in the beginning). I urge you to add the beauty of
squash, with all of their health benefits, to your routine and repertoire.
PLEASE. Don’t be intimidated by their external toughness;
they’re real softies inside (like some people I know). Happy
Cooking (and don’t be afraid to contact me for help …
I’m a real softie inside, as well)!
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