mmmm… roasted squash

needed a quickie dish to complement, or at least sit near without compromising, my melange of leftovers. we had an acorn squash that needed eatin’, and as i wasn’t sure if it was still good, so i chose an easy recipe in case i needed to abort.

turns out acorn squash is DELICIOUS without much preparation. here’s the recipe i made, without the addition of cilantro, substituting sriracha sauce for chilies, and without much concern for measuring

on the squash topic…

mom shared this:

“sarah, this is from the greens cookbook and it is special!  love you, mom”

 

Squash Stew with Chilies, Spices, and Ground Nuts – Jini

 

1/2 t. cumin seeds                                2 t. dried oregano

3 T. whole almonds                              3 to 4 T. New Mexican chili powder

2 T. corn oil or olive oil                         2 yellow onions, cut into 3/4 in. chunks

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped             3 C. winter squash, cut into 3/4 in. chunks

6 to 8 oz. mushrooms, wiped clean and halved or quartered

Salt                                                          3 – 4 C. water, juice from tomatoes, or vegetable stock, heated

1/2 cauliflower, broken into florets      1 sm. can hominy, drained

2 # tomatoes, fresh or canned, peeled, seeded and pureed

1 C. peas, fresh or frozen                        2 T. chopped cilantro leaves

Sour cream or creme fraiche                 Sprigs of cilantro, for garnish

 

Toast the cumin seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for several minutes until they begin to brown and the aroma is strong.  Shake the pan back and forth frequently so they won’t burn.  Add the oregano, toast for 5 seconds more, and remove to a bowl.  Using the same pan, toast the sesame seeds until they are lightly browned and fragrant.  Set them aside; then toast the almonds.  When they are lightly browned, remove the almonds to a cutting board and roughly chop them.  Grind the cumin and oregano to a powder in a spice mill; then grind the almonds and the sesame seeds to a fine meal.

 

Heat the oil in a casserole, add the onions, and sauté over a medium-high heat until they have begun to soften; then add the garlic, cumin, oregano, and 2 T of the chili powder, and cook another minute. 

 

Next add the squash, mushrooms, a sprinkling of salt and 3 C. water, tomato juice, or stock.  Bring to a boil; then lower the heat, cover, and cook slowly until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes.  Check to see if the mixture dries out while cooling, and add more liquid if necessary.

 

Add the ground almonds and sesame seed, cauliflower, hominy, and pureed tomato.  Check for salt, and season with additional ground chili, to taste.  Continue cooking until the cauliflower is nearly tender; add the peas and chopped cilantro, and let stew a few more minutes.  Serve with the sour cream or creme fraiche and a garnish of cilantro sprigs.  These spicy, peppery squash stews are good with a California vin gris or dry sauvignon blanc, or a light to medium zinfandel.

 

* note:  I use ground cumin, and I chop the almonds and don’t grind the sesame seeds because I like that texture.  I don’t use salt, but use thyme instead. 

winter is just about here, which means…

squash.

winter squash.

b u t t e r n u t squash.

i searched my recipe books, and wasn’t able to find a recipe comprised of food in my larder–most squash recipes had cream or some such ingredient i don’t keep on hand. i finally found one on epicurious with cannelloni beans (had some soaking in the fridge for the past few days), rosemary (chopped a bunch from sandy’s bush to root for our garden), and tomatoes (had some from last week’s pizza sauce), and some of the finest bacon ever from the santa cruz farmer’s market.

the result?healthy delicious! nothing bad, harmful, or unhealthy in that soup, and the modicum of bacon just served to spruce it up a bit.

Butternut Squash and Canneloni Soup with Bacon