Winter Salad with Roast Squash

This salad is a perfect accompaniment to roast pork tenderloin or ham. It offers layers of flavor from the sweetness of honey roasted squash, the tart taste of  pomegranate seeds and balsamic vinegar and the saltiness of pepitas and Parmesan cheese.

Ingredients

1 small acorn squash, about 1 pound
1 small butternut squash
2 teaspoons honey
5 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper
1 cup Brussels sprouts
1/4 cup pepitas
4 - 6 cups fresh spinach
2 Tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
Shaved Parmesan cheese or garnish

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Slice acorn squash into rounds about 1-inch thick. Cut each round in half. Remove seeds.
Peel butternut squash and cut into 1-inch chunks, removing seeds. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the prepared squash on top, spreading out in a single layer. Drizzle honey and 2 Tablespoons olive oil over the squash. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 20-25 minutes or under soft. Remove from oven and allow to sit on baking sheet to cool slightly.

Remove the ends of the Brussels sprouts and half or quarter, depending on size. Place on small baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and roast until tender with crispy outer leaves, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to sit on baking sheet to cool slightly.

Spread pepitas on baking sheet.  Sprinkle with salt and allow to toast slightly in the oven until they are a light brown, about 5 minutes.

In small bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar and 2 Tablespoons olive oil. Place the spinach in large bowl and toss with the balsamic-olive oil mixture.

To assemble salad, place dressed spinach on large platter. Arrange roasted squash and Brussels sprouts on top. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and pepitas. Garnish with shaved or grated Parmesan.

Butternut Hummus

Looking for the perfect fall appetizer? This is it! It is hummus enhanced with the sweetness of roasted butternut squash and coconut milk. Yum! Serve this with pita chips for perfect autumn flavors.

Ingredients

1 small butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
8 ounces drained canned garbanzo beans
1/3 cup tahini
1/2 cup coconut milk
Juice of one lemon
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Spread the butternut squash pieces evenly on the parchment paper. Drizzle with 2 Tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until soft and golden.
Allow to cool slightly.
Combine roast butternut squash with remaining ingredients in a blender. Season with salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Add additional coconut milk if you prefer a creamier texture.

Roasted Harvest Vegetables

Roasting vegetables gives them a sweeter flavor. This is a wonderful combination of seasonal root vegetables that taste great when roasted.

Ingredients

4 carrots (about 3/4 pound) peeled, halved length-wise and cross-wise
2 sweet potatoes (about 1 pound) peeled and cut into 3 x 1/2 inch wedges
1 butternut squash (about 2 pounds) peeled, seeded, and cut into 3 x 1/2 inch wedges
8 garlic cloves in the shell.
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Divide carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut squash and garlic between two rimmed baking sheets. Toss each batch with 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Roast until the vegetables are tender and starting to brown, about 25-30 minutes. Rotate baking sheets from top to bottom rack in oven half way through cooking.Peel garlic and return to vegetables.
Serve.

Butternut Squash Soup

This soup says fall!

Ingredients

4 slices bacon
2 pounds (about 2) butternut squash
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large onions, chopped
2 small carrots, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
2 small celery stalks, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 3/4 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Cook bacon in large heavy pot, stirring until crisp and brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon to a paper towel to drain. When cool, crumble and set aside. Pour off and discard bacon fat from pan. Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds. Cut in half again and peel outside layer. Cut the squash into 1 inch cubes. Melt butter in pot. Add onions, celery, carrots, garlic and salt. Cook, stirring,until onions are softened, about 10 minutes. Add the squash and broth and bring to simmer.
Partially cover and simmer until the squash are very tender, about 15 minutes. Add coconut milk and curry powder. Stir thoroughly. Puree the soup until it is smooth with an immersion blender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and top with crumbled bacon.

Butternut Squash with Apples

This is a great side dish to accompany your Thanksgiving turkey.

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter
1 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup dried or fresh cranberries (optional)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F.

Put squash in ungreased 7x11-inch baking dish. Place apples on top.

Mix flour, salt, brown sugar and nutmeg. Sprinkle on top.

Dot with butter.

Bake 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until butternut squash is tender.

Butternut Squash and Kale Lasagna

October 28, 2014

When our garden produced an overabundance of kale and the season began to change to fall, I began craving fall flavors. Butternut squash is one of those fall flavors I just have to have.  This recipe came from the Dash insert to The Denver Post.

Ingredients

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
4 cups milk (whole milk will make a richer tasting lasagna, but also more calories)
1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped (6 packed cups)
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt
Pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 1/2 cup grated pecorino (get the good stuff - it makes a big difference)
8 ounce lasagna noodles (NOT the no-boil type)
1 lb butternut squash, peeled and sliced thin ( I use a mandolin to get very thin even slices)

Instructions

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring occasionally for about 1 minute. Pour in milk, whisking, and bring to a simmer. Whisk until slightly thickened. Stir in kale, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes, until kale is wilted. Add nutmeg and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Combine cheeses in bowl.

Spray inside of slow cooker with cooking spray. Arrange 1/3 of uncooked lasagna cooked on bottom of slow cooker, breaking to fit if needed. Top with 1/3 of kale mixture; 1/3 cheese; 1/2 of butternut squash. Repeat layers;  repeat again with lasagna, kale mixture and ending with cheese.

Cover and cook on low for about 3 hours, until squash is tender and lasagna is starting to brown around edges. Turn slow cooker off and allow to stand for 15 minute before serving.

Serves: 8