On the Light Side -- Marathon Day 1

What’s cooking? Butternut Squash with Spicy Yogurt and Cilantro Sauce

It’s that time of year again, when cooks everywhere in the U.S. wrestle with old foods versus new foods, remembering which dishes were disasters and which are only sort of okay but you serve it anyhow because Aunt Minnie loves it, and thinking what they can do to bring a little life into the old menu. My friend Joy told me about the first Thanksgiving she and her hubby shared with their blended family of 7 adult children (including one spouse). Joy asked everyone to bring a dish they loved from life-long Thanksgiving celebrations, and the one spouse said, “Do I have to? I didn’t like most of them and am happy to try a whole new experience.”

If you feel that way, or maybe just wish for a new idea, the Kitchen Goddess has been doing the research for you. She has combed her voluminous sources and found a salad, a root vegetable dish, a butternut squash recipe, and a whole new way to serve potatoes – and all with you, dear readers, in mind. We’ll do this like vitamins – one a day – unless I get a burst of energy and pile two on one day, but if I tried posting them all at once,... let’s just say it wouldn’t be pretty.

I did come up with a new modus operandi, however. In the spirit of a marathon – which is what I’ve historically called this period – I made all my decisions early, then shopped for everything at once; and Monday, spent the entire day in Kitchen Goddess mode, cooking, taking notes, and photographing the resulting splendor. Sixty-two photos in all, in case you’re wondering – though many of the same dish at a slightly different angle or with a change of scene. The Kitchen Goddess focus was intense, and, in a show of great wisdom and insight into his wife’s personality, her hubby found a way to stay out of the house for most of the day.

Toward the end, looking around at the various finished dishes, I realized how many days it would take the two of us to eat what I had cooked, and how unprepared I was to store it all. So I called several friends and invited them to drop by with plastic containers to take away parts of whatever they thought looked good. One couple – at my invitation – actually brought grilled chicken and joined us in an impromptu pre-Thanksgiving dinner. What a day! I went to bed a good two hours early.

* * *

So here we are with the first dish, which probably looks complicated, but is not. In fact, none of this year’s dishes are complicated in the way that the KG often adores. Also, they all have elements that can be done ahead of time, and none are ridiculously butter- and cream-filled – hence the “light side” of the title. (There’s butter in one, but really, remember it’s Thanksgiving.)

I had a number of clues that this recipe would be a winner. First, the original author is the famous  Israeli-English chef, restaurant owner, and food writer, Yotam Ottenghi. Second, it was picked up by the Food52 website among their Genius Recipes, which they call “foolproof” –  passed down from cookbook authors, chefs, and bloggers who “rethink cooking tropes, solve problems, get us talking, and make cooking more fun.” And finally, in my research, I ran across it on the Williams-Sonoma website. What better evidence could you want?

What really made this easy is that – for the first time ever – I didn’t have to peel the squash. It worked so well that I am now done with that in my life. I also loved the combination of crispy skin with soft squash, the bit of heat paired with the cool yogurt, and the perky cilantro sauce. It’s a real treat for the senses. And you don’t have to serve it hot – it’s great at room temp.

Please note that I’ve included a postscript of what you can do ahead and substitutions you can make.

Yotam Ottolenghi’s Squash With Chile Yogurt and Cilantro Sauce

Adapted from Kristen Miglore at Food52

Serves 8.

Ingredients
For the squash – 
1 large (3-pound) butternut squash
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons olive oil

For the cilantro sauce –
1 small bunch (50 grams, or 1.75 ounces) cilantro, leaves and stems, plus extra leaves for garnish
1 small clove garlic, crushed
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the yogurt sauce –
1 cup (200 grams or 7 ounces) Greek yogurt (full-fat, low-fat, or no-fat)
1½  teaspoons Sriracha or other savory chile sauce (I used Momofuku Ssäm sauce)
Water as desired

Garnish: 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds (shelled), toasted

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425º.

Rinse the squash skin well and trim off the ends. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and discard the seeds. Cut the squash into half-moons about ¾-inch wide, then cut the larger half-moons into wedges about 3 inches long, leaving the skin on.

In a large mixing bowl, toss the squash pieces with the cinnamon, the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the salt, and 5-6 grinds of pepper. Mix well to coat the squash evenly with the oil and spices. Place the pieces on an uncoated sheet pan, skin side down whenever possible, to promote a tasty crispness. Roast 35-40 minutes, until the squash is soft and the edges darken. (Like people, some pieces will refuse to follow orders and will fall over. That’s okay.) Remove the squash from the oven and set aside to cool.

For the cilantro sauce, combine the herbs with the garlic and oil in the bowl of a food processor and pulse – periodically scraping down the sides – until the mixture forms a smooth paste. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

For the yogurt sauce, stir in the chile sauce to combine well.[Kitchen Goddess note: Some yogurts are thicker than others. You may want to add water a tablespoon at a time to adjust the thickness of the sauce to your liking. I added 2 tablespoons, to get it thin enough to spoon loosely over the squash.]

Roast the pumpkin/sunflower seeds on a baking sheet in a 350º oven for 6-8 minutes, or in a skillet for 5-6 minutes on medium-high (stirring often – it’s easy to burn them this way).

Presentation
When you are ready to serve, scatter the squash pieces on a platter and spoon dollops of the yogurt sauce on top. Drizzle the cilantro sauce on top as well. (Williams-Sonoma suggested that you swirl together the yogurt sauce and the cilantro paste, but the Kitchen Goddess likes the look of the separate colors.) Scatter the pumpkin seeds on top, add a few extra cilantro leaves for accent, and serve.


Kitchen Goddess P.S. – 
What you can do ahead:
1. Cook the squash. Bring it to room temperature before adding the toppings.
2. Stir together the yogurt and chile sauce.
3. Make the cilantro sauce.
4. Toast the sunflower/pumpkin seeds.

Possible substitutions (not tried by the Kitchen Goddess):
■ Acorn squash for the butternut
■ Other herbs (mint or parsley or tarragon, or a mix) instead of cilantro
■ Light sour cream instead of yogurt

And We’re Off to the Races!!!!...

What’s cooking? Butternut Squash with Royal Trumpet Mushrooms and Holiday Hummus

I don’t know how this happened, but someone has posted a list of tasks for me to accomplish.  As if I didn’t have enough to do, now I also have to...

1. Make a chart.
2. Clear out the fridge.
3. Dry-brine the turkey.
4. Set the table.
5. Get some candles.
6. Get my mise en place.
7. Gather my timers and Post-It Notes.
8. Figure out ways my guests can help.
9. Butter the turkey.
10. Buy a box of zip-lock bags.

Just a little joke, folks. I hope yesterday’s list was helpful. Today’s post will be mercifully shorter, mostly because the Kitchen Goddess is reaching that state of mind that causes her prince to hide out in his office.

How lucky we are that we can take the time to focus on a giant meal for friends and family? Back in 2005, when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and much of the Gulf Coast, my little church in Summit, NJ, was connecting with a church in a Louisiana neighborhood whose congregation had been hit hard. We held a dinner to benefit that church, and I volunteered to set the tables. For centerpieces, I decided to focus on what would be lost if you lost everything. I started with a table to show canned and boxed foods, but as I gathered some for the display, I realized what a small part of “everything” that is. So on another table, I piled sheets and towels; another got books and CDs of music. On another, I made a display of family photos. One table even had piles of toilet paper, toothbrushes, and packages of soap. It’s amazing when you think about it that such insignificant items can mean so much when they’re lost.

According to a TED talk I heard recently, by Brother David Steindl-Rast, a monk and interfaith scholar, it’s not happiness that makes us grateful – instead, gratefulness actually makes us happy. So the key to happiness is grateful living. Which is why, every year, as I get into the postings around Thanksgiving, I’m reminded of how grateful I am that you are reading this blog. It’s a small thing, but meaningful to me.

Ok, enough of philosophizing and back to cooking.

I know most of you are well into the preparations for Thanksgiving. So today’s dishes will not likely end up on your table. But that doesn’t stop them from being good ideas for another day. Because you know what will happen after Thanksgiving? We’ll all have another meal to cook!

And now I feel much better because Food & Wine Magazine just sent me an e-newsletter with “28 Next-Level Thanksgiving Vegetable Side Dishes.” Today! Well, well, look who else is running behind.

The first of today’s dishes was a real surprise to me, mostly because I couldn’t find either of the main ingredients and had to punt. The original recipe called for kabocha squash with black trumpet mushrooms. And as hard as I looked,... no kabocha today. At least, I looked sort of hard... for a good 5-10 minutes, until I spotted my old fave, butternut squash, already cut in nice, neat cubes. I decided to call a squash a squash, so into the cart it went.

I made more of an effort for the black trumpet mushrooms, because they sounded so cool, and you know what a soft spot the Kitchen Goddess has for strange, cool foods. The produce guy at Whole Foods told me they’d have some Sunday night after they unpacked their latest shipment. But when I returned around 9pm, what they had was black truffles – for a mere $90 per ounce! Not at all what I wanted. They had Royal Trumpet mushrooms (a.k.a. King Oyster mushrooms) instead, and those looked sufficiently cool that I bought some.

The dish is exquisite. Beautiful for starters. Earthy and slightly sweet from the butternut squash, a light nutty flavor from the mushrooms, and a noticeable tang from the Madeira. Woof. So this punt was a field goal. My prince and I will not wait for Thanksgiving to polish it off.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Royal Trumpet Mushrooms and Madeira

Adapted from a recipe by Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby in their book, Vedge (Workman Publishing) 


Serves 6.

Ingredients

To trim the mushrooms, just remove the fibrous base.

2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut in ¾-inch dice (about 4 cups)
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
½ pound Royal Trumpet mushrooms, wiped clean, trimmed and sliced ⅛-inch thick
½ cup chopped shallots (2 medium-sized)
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 large cloves)
½ cup Madeira
½ cup chicken stock (or vegetable stock)

Here's how they look sliced.

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400º.

Toss the squash in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons of the oil, and half the salt and pepper. Line a large baking pan with baker’s parchment and spread the squash out on it in a single layer. Roast 25 minutes, or until fork-tender.

While the squash is roasting, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large sauté pan at high heat, until the oil shimmers. Add all at once the mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and remaining half of the salt and pepper. Stir together well, then cook 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, while the mushrooms brown.

Once the mushrooms are reasonably brown, pour in the Madeira and use a spoon to deglaze the pan. Continue cooking for 2-3 minutes, to reduce the Madeira by half.

Kitchen Goddess note: Deglazing is a cooking technique – typically using wine or vinegar or stock – for removing and dissolving browned food residue from a pan. The residue acts to flavor sauces, soups, and gravies. My teacher at the Culinary Institute told the class that not making use of the “fond” (the name for that residue) would land you in culinary hell.

Add the stock and the rosemary, stirring another 1-2 minutes, until the liquid becomes syrupy.

Transfer the squash to a serving dish, and spoon the mushroom mixture on top. Serve immediately.

* * *

My Louisiana grandmother loved to say, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.” She was a stubborn woman. This next dish reminds me of that phrase, as it represents a way to get your friends and family to eat beets. My hubby, who holds strong feelings against beets, admitted that this hummus is “not bad,” which is as high a praise as a beet dish is likely to get from him. “In the end,” he continued, “it’s still beets.”

I love beets, but I was disappointed in my first run at this dish. It had a nice texture but was a bit bland. So I checked my Flavor Bible for possible adjustments, and found that balsamic vinegar is a recommended pairing with beets. I had a bottle of White Lemon Balsamic Vinegar in my pantry, and after adding only 2 tablespoons to the mix, it seemed like the angels sang. A good sign. Now I give it to you. And I’ve changed the name, to make it easier for you to fool your guests.

Holiday Hummus (Roasted Beet Hummus with White Lemon Balsamic)

Adapted from Basilflower.org

Ingredients
2 medium beets
1 19-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
Juice and zest of 1 large lemon
2 tablespoons tahini*
2 tablespoons white lemon balsamic vinegar (or plain white balsamic vinegar)
1½ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Garnish: toasted black and white sesame seeds, roasted and salted sunflower seeds

Kitchen Goddess note on tahini: Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds, and a feature of many Middle Eastern dishes. You can only buy a giant economy size container of the stuff, but that’s okay, because it lasts forever. Mine had actually separated – the oil from the solids – but as I had little recourse at that time of night, I threw the whole mess into my Vita-Mix and blended the hell out of it. That worked perfectly, so I scooped what I wasn’t using for the hummus back into its container and sent it back into the fridge for my next use some six months from now. Must try to make hummus more often.

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400º.

Without washing or peeling the beets, roast them in a covered oven-proof container for 45-60 minutes, or until they are tender enough to be easily pierced with a knife. Remove them from the oven and let them cool.

When the beets are cool, rub the peel off and cut the flesh into large chunks. Add the beets to the bowl of a food processor.

Add the rinsed and drained chickpeas, as well as the garlic, to the food processor, and pulse until the texture is not quite smooth.

Add the lemon juice/zest, the tahini, the balsamic, and the salt/pepper, and process continuously until the mixture is smooth. While the processor is running, slowly drizzle in 3 tablespoons of the oil and continue to process until the mixture is very smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Serve the hummus with toasted black and white sesame seeds and a sprinkling of sunflower seeds. Drizzle on the final tablespoon of olive oil.

And my wishes for a happy and grateful thanksgiving to you and yours.

The No-Cost Gift

What’s cooking? Curried Squash &  Red Lentil Soup with Parsley Oil

In this Age of Acrimony, the Kitchen Goddess has been thinking that maybe we just need to start small, rebuilding trust and good will on a truly local level. So here are a handful of suggestions – admittedly, not all of which are no-cost, but we have to start somewhere...

The truly no-cost gift

1. Shake someone’s hand, and while you do, look them in the eyes and tell them how glad you are to see them or how much you appreciate what they do or who they are in your life. If hand-shaking seems inappropriate, try putting your hand on his/her arm or shoulder. Scientific research now correlates physical touch with a broad assortment of benefits, including decreased violence, increased trust, greater well-being in terms of reduced cardiovascular stress and increased production of white blood cells, and increased cooperation.

2. Hold the door open for someone. Expressing kindness to others, even strangers, makes you feel better about yourself.

3. Take a moment to tell a sales clerk “Thank you.” It’s a pretty brutal time of year for those people – they have to find the energy after work to do their own shopping. So say something nice to them. Especially grocery store clerks – you have no idea how many of them get little acknowledgment of their work or their presence in your life.

The low-cost gift

1. Drop a $5 bill in a Salvation Army bucket, and thank the man/woman in the Santa suit for helping out.

2. Pay it forward. Cover the cost of the car behind you in line at your favorite drive-through. At one fast-food restaurant in Canada, the spirit was so infectious, it caught on for more than 200 cars in a row.

OK, maybe this one might cost more than a little

If you keep your eyes open, you’ll find opportunities everywhere. In my grocery store the other day, the elderly man in front of me was having a hard time making his credit card work. “Let’s use this one,” I said, as I swiped my card through the machine. When he realized I was offering to pay for his groceries, he was so overwhelmed, I thought he was going to hug me. The clerk and I just grinned at each other. Made my day, I can tell you.

And in the spirit of feeling warm and fuzzy, here’s the Kitchen Goddess’s gift to you. It takes about an hour and 15 minutes in total (even with the chopping!), as long as you can find pre-cut butternut squash – if not, add another 20 minutes. It’s gluten-free and lactose-free, and it tastes like a quiet evening in front of a crackling fire.

Kitchen Goddess notes: (1) Ginger is one of those herbs or spices that pack a tremendous punch in raw form – so much more than the powdered stuff. It may be the most important ingredient in this soup, so make an effort to pick up a nice big piece of ginger root at the grocery store for this recipe. Freeze what you don’t use – peeled or unpeeled – there’s always a knob of ginger in the KG’s freezer, and it’s almost easier to grate in the frozen state. To remove the skin – even when frozen – use a veggie peeler or scrape the edge of a spoon against the ginger. Grate it on a rasp.

(2) The Omani lime I mention is a great flavor-enhancer for soups and stews, especially ones like this with a Middle Eastern flavor. Small limes boiled briefly in salt brine, they are then dried in the sun for several weeks, until they start to resemble..., well, something that’s been boiled in salt brine and dried in the sun for weeks. Dimpled, musty smelling, and almost black on the inside. Sort of like some of the lemons and limes in the bottom of my fridge’s fruit drawer. Only these are rock hard and have an amazing citrus flavor. An article in The NY Times described them as “one of those power ingredients that can transform a whole range of dishes with virtually no effort on your part.” The KG gets hers from – where else? – amazon.com. A 4-ounce bag will run you about $8.

(3) The parsley oil (or cilantro oil) isn’t a must but it adds another level of flavor to this dish. I know, it sounds very frou-frou, but it’s really easy to make and will last quite a while in your fridge. If you make it with parsley, use only leaves (the stems are bitter); with cilantro, you can use leaves and stems.

Curried Squash and Red Lentil Soup

Adapted from a recipe by Ruth Cousineau in Gourmet magazine, February 2009

Serves 4-6 (main course)

Ingredients

For the soup:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1½ pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice

1 large onion, diced (about 1¼ cups)

2-3 medium carrots, diced (¾ cup)

2 celery ribs plus leaves, diced (¾ cup)

3 large garlic cloves, minced

2½  tablespoons grated ginger

2 tablespoons mild (sweet) curry powder

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper (can substitute ¼ teaspoon chili flakes or a dash of cayenne)

1 cup red lentils, picked over and rinsed

2 quarts water

6 teaspoons Knorr powdered Chicken Bouillon (or 3 large bouillon cubes)

1 dried Omani lime (optional – see Note above)

1-1½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice

For cilantro/parsley oil:

½ cup chopped cilantro (or parsley)

½ cup vegetable oil or grapeseed oil

½ teaspoon salt

Accompaniment: cooked basmati rice (optional)

Directions

In a large heavy pot over medium heat, melt the butter with the oil until the foam subsides. Add the squash, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, ginger, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 20 minutes.

Add the curry powder, cumin, and Aleppo pepper (or chili flakes) and cook, stirring constantly, for another 2 minutes.

Stir in the water, then add the lentils, the Knorr powder, and the dried lime (if you have any). Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, covered, until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes.

While the soup is cooking, make the cilantro/parsley oil: purée the herb of your choice in a blender with the oil and the salt.

Take the soup off the heat and stir in the lemon juice plus ½ teaspoon salt. Discard the dried lime. If you like a creamier look, purée a cup or two of the soup in a blender, and add that back to the pot. Season to taste with additional salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle about a teaspoon of the herb oil on each serving of soup.

The original recipe called for serving the soup over Basmati rice, but the Kitchen Goddess prefers it straight, and only adds rice when there’s not enough soup for a meal.

Happy holidays to you all, and may the spirit of giving embrace you and guide you throughout the year.

On Your Marks...

What’s cooking? Curried Butternut Squash Soup

I’ve been running this form of marathon for four years now, and for the first couple of years these Thanksgiving posts started on the Monday of Thanksgiving week. Because that’s when the Kitchen Goddess starts to get serious about what’s going on the table come Thursday. That’s just how she operates.

Then a couple of years ago, a good friend mentioned – in the nicest tones possible – that he and many of his friends had actually decided on most of the menu well before those last four days, and would it not be possible to get my brilliant ideas a bit earlier?

Well, you have to walk before you can run... At least that’s how I explain that even though I swore last year to start earlier – and in fact did start on the Saturday before Turkey Day – it’s still not as early in the game as I always wish. But we are making progress.

I don’t have a particular theme in mind this year, though if pressed, you might say that it’s about raising the level of interest in veggies any way you can. So this week, I’ll be suggesting radical changes in the appearance or texture of your veggies, and even disguising them as appetizers or salads.

In the days of yore, when the Kitchen Goddess had her annual New Jersey soup party, one of the soups offered was always a purée, and this butternut squash soup – exotically flavored with mild curry, and sweetened up with apples – was invariably a favorite among the guests. Reasonably low fat, elegantly textured, it’ll slip down their throats before they know it’s a vegetable. For appetizer portions, I serve it with a squiggle of light sour cream or yogurt; with more substantial portions, I add grated Granny Smith apple. Beautiful and yummy! Let us give thanks.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Adapted from Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins in The Silver Palate Cookbook (1982).

Serves 6 as an entrée, 10-12 as a first course, 20-25 as an appetizer

Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

This year, I bought Opal Gold with my Granny Smith.

2 cups finely chopped onion (2 medium-large onions – use your food processor)
5 teaspoons mild (sweet) curry powder
3 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into ½ -¾-inch dice (or, if you are as lucky as I am, and can find it already peeled and diced at your grocery store, use 2 ¾ pounds of the ready-cut)
2 apples (8-9 ounces each – find the most flavorful that you like), peeled, cored, and cut into ½ -¾-inch dice
3 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 cup apple juice or apple cider
1½ teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper (or black pepper if you don’t have white)
Garnishes:
light sour cream or plain yogurt
grated Granny Smith apple (unpeeled)

Directions
In a large soup pot over medium-low heat, melt the butter and add the onion and the curry powder. Cook the onion, covered but stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes. Adjust the heat to avoid browning the onions.

Add the squash, apples, and stock, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat so that the soup merely simmers. Cook, partly covered, for 25-30 minutes, until the squash and apple are very tender.

Ready to be puréed.

Strain the solids from the soup and purée them in a blender or food processor until very smooth – 1-2 minutes. Add them back to the pot along with the broth, and stir in the apple juice. Add salt and pepper and adjust the seasoning to taste. Bring the soup back to a simmer and serve immediately.

Garnish with grated Granny Smith apple and light sour cream or plain yogurt.

So-Easy Sides for a Thanksgiving Marathon: Day 2 What’s cooking? Roasted Butternut Squash with Fried Apples and Spiced Pecans

We’re on a roll, people. Thanksgiving arrives in less than a week, no matter how hard you might wish it would wait just a few more days. And everyone’s got a few houseguests, so there are sheets to change, towels to wash, menus to plan. If only you didn’t love them so much...

Amid the flurry of shopping and cleaning and cooking, it’s really easy to forget about things like... the table setting. THE TABLE SETTING???!! OMG, I HAVE TO SET THE TABLE...

So I want you all to calm down. The Kitchen Goddess has your back. And while I won’t be coming over to your house to help, I do have links here to a couple of my favorite posts, with heartfelt recommendations about candles and napkins and table decor. Nothing brilliant, mind you, but some ideas, and God knows, we could all use someone else’s thoughts these days.

On the subject of table setting, I’m one of those people who think that – surely – something in the yard will work. Something free. And you’d be surprised at how a little of that cheap but sparkly leaf-shaped confetti from places like Party City will dress up the table and add a little fun. Take a look here: Table Settings & Napkin Folding

The second thing many people forget about are the candles. I’m a little over-zealous on this topic, but with good reasons:

1. Everyone looks better with a little candlelight.

2. Candlelight is prettier and more flattering than electric light.

3. Candles are a symbol of hospitality and hope, and we could all use a little hope.

Here’s a link to my full post on candles – with pointers on use and storage – which I hope will inspire you: Candles

* * *

And now on to the food. Yesterday, I wrote about cauliflower, a white vegetable. Today, we’re moving on to orange, and my favorite orange veggie, butternut squash.

The easy way

Last year, the Kitchen Goddess discovered – belatedly – that her grocery store stocks pre-cut butternut squash. I say belatedly because it was after chopping it herself. And while I don’t go for pre-cut stuff like celery and onions, I will make an exception for butternut squash, if only because it turns my hands orange. Now, whether or not you buy yours whole and chop it yourself or luck into the pre-cut stuff at your grocery store, butternut squash is a magnificent food.

The hard way -- but not that bad.

First off, it’s a great source of fiber and vitamins (A, C, and E) and minerals (manganese, magnesium, potassium). Roasted, puréed, or mashed, its sweet, nutty taste becomes even richer with cooking, and it pairs well with any number of spices and fruits. Like apples. Fried apples. Can’t you just taste the combo?

Today’s recipe is from Food & Wine magazine, whose writers assure you the whole thing can be done in an hour. But I’m pretty sure they’re assuming either that you bought the squash already diced or that you forgot to start the timer until after the squash was cut. Whatever. It’s well worth the little bit of trouble to cut it up yourself if you can’t buy it cut. Beyond that part, the dish can easily be completed in an hour. Once you have the squash in the oven, there’s plenty of time to peel, dice, and cook the apples.

And now, a confession. The Kitchen Goddess got hold of this recipe and thought how nice it would be with some sugared/spiced pecan bits as a garnish. And the rather large inventory of nuts in her fridge turned the thought into a mandate. So you don’t have to add them, but they do contribute texture and flavor. And while the KG made her own (see recipe below), you could easily grab some at your market or a fancy food shop.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Fried Apples and Spiced Pecans

Adapted from Robert Stehling in Food & Wine magazine, November 2002.

Serves 6-8.

Ingredients
2 pounds of butternut squash, peeled and cut into ¾-inch dice (If you buy it whole, get an extra few ounces to allow for the loss of skin and seeds.)
7 tablespoons unsalted butter
1½ tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1¼ pounds Granny Smith apples (about 2 large), peeled, seeded, and cut into ¾-inch dice
1½ tablespoons brown sugar (light or dark)
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Optional garnish: sugared/spiced pecans, chopped (recipe follows)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425º.

Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter. In a large bowl, toss the diced squash with the butter and the chopped dill. Spread the squash in a large, rimmed baking pan and season lightly with salt and pepper.

Roast the squash 30 minutes, stirring once midway through the roasting time. It should be very tender and starting to brown.

While the squash is roasting, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter on high in a large skillet (preferably non-stick). Add the diced apples in a single layer and cook on a high setting, without disturbing them, for 2-2½ minutes, then turn them over as best you can and continue to cook them, undisturbed, another 2-2½ minutes.

In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle it over the apples. Stir the apples another 2 minutes on medium-high heat, until lightly caramelized.

When the squash has finished roasting, toss it in a large bowl with the fried apples and serve warm or at room temperature. Garnish with chopped sugared/spiced pecans.

Sugared/Spiced Pecans

Adapted from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything (2008).

Ingredients
Neutral oil for greasing the pan
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 pound pecan halves
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground clove
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground fennel or fennel pollen
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper)
1 teaspoon salt

Directions
Pre-heat the oven to 450º. Liberally grease a large, rimmed baking sheet with a neutral oil (peanut or grapeseed or canola).

In a deep skillet over high heat, stir together the water and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Bring the syrup to a boil and add the nuts and the spices. Stir well to combine.

Reduce the heat to medium and cook the nuts, stirring frequently, for 15-20 minutes, or until most of the water has evaporated and the syrup is very thick.

Turn the heat to its lowest setting (to keep the syrup from solidifying while you remove the nuts) and use a slotted spoon to transfer the nuts from the skillet and onto the oiled baking sheet. Let the excess syrup drip off the nuts while you’re still holding them over the skillet.

Roast the nuts in the oven for 10 minutes, turning them once or twice with a spatula. Let the nuts cool before handling. (You may have to use a spatula to scrape them off the baking sheet.) Store in an airtight container for a week or two.

Sides that Sparkle: Day 2 in a Marathon of Side Dishes What’s cooking? Spiced Butternut Squash with Pecans and Cranberries

Butternut squash is one of those veggies I discovered late in life. Some 20 years ago, I was combing my cookbooks for a soup to make, and in the first Silver Palate Cookbook – for years my go-to source for almost any entertaining – I spotted the recipe for Curried Butternut Squash Soup. The curry, the apples, the butternut flavor so close to sweet potatoes and yet so far in caloric content (half the calories!).

But that’s a recipe for another day. Today, the Kitchen Goddess has found an even easier way to serve butternut squash, with a mildly exotic flavoring featuring a spice mix from Ethiopia. Earthy and warm and colorful, and while you may not have the exact seasoning – it wasn’t in the KG’s cabinet, either – she has concocted a reasonable substitute that worked very well.






One reason butternut squash seemed like a good candidate was that my grocery store had it already peeled and diced (!). Normally, I wouldn’t mind doing the peeling and cutting myself – the Kitchen Goddess is always skeptical of the freshness of such offerings – but it was moving off the shelves so well that freshness didn’t seem to be a problem. And normally, I don’t have four days of veggie dishes to concoct in addition to what I’m cooking for Thanksgiving, so I appreciated the shortcut.

I use a melon baller to scoop out the seeds.

So even if your grocer isn’t as accommodating as mine, don’t let that talk you out of a great dish. I’ll admit that peeling butternut squash is a workout. But well worth the trouble. Just be sure to remove enough to get past the green veins just under the skin.

Another nice thing about this dish is that it works well at room temperature. So you can make it and just let it sit out while the rest of the dinner is under way. Or you can make it the day before and reheat it in the microwave. If you do that, save the dressing in a jar and pour it on when you’re ready to serve.

Spiced Butternut Squash with Pecans and Cranberries

Adapted from Chef Marcus Samuelsson in Food & Wine, November 2014

Serves 6.

2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into ¾-inch dice
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1½ teaspoons berbere (see Kitchen Goddess note)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup pecan halves
½ teaspoon dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
¼ cup fresh orange juice
¼ cup dried cranberries, chopped

Kitchen Goddess note: I would guess that not many of you will find berbere in your spice drawer. The KG made her own. Mix the following together well, and save what’s left for another day:
1½ teaspoons cayenne pepper (or 1 tablespoon Aleppo pepper)
2½ teaspoons sweet paprika
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon sweet curry powder
⅛ teaspoon grated nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
1/16 teaspoon ground cloves

Preheat oven to 450º.

Lightly grease a large, rimmed baking sheet or line it with baker’s parchment. In a large mixing bowl, toss the squash with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and 1 teaspoon of the berbere spice mix. Spread the squash onto the baking sheet, and season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

Roast the squash 30 minutes, until tender and beginning to crisp.

While the squash is roasting, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the pecan halves and cook, stirring, for 5-6 minutes, or until the nuts become fragrant. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and the remaining ½ teaspoon of the spice mix. Once the pecans become fragrant, toss them in a bowl with the sugar/spice.

In another small bowl or jar, combine the orange zest and juice, and slowly whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season to taste with kosher salt (I added about ¼ teaspoon) and several fresh grinds of black pepper.

Transfer the squash to a serving dish and scatter the pecans and cranberries over the top. Drizzle the dressing over the dish and serve warm or at room temperature.

Look for another new side dish in tomorrow's continuation of the marathon...

I, Too, Have a Dream, But It’s About Risotto What’s cooking? Butternut Squash Risotto

My dreams aren’t nearly as lofty as Martin Luther King’s, whose birthday we’ll celebrate next week. But I did have a delightful dream last night, in which I made butternut squash risotto and some really delicious looking pastries filled with homemade ricotta and topped with sesame seeds. Now, I have no idea how I’d go about making the pastries, but I’ve made that risotto more than once, and I can testify that it is truly dream worthy. And with winter settling in around the country, risotto has all the attributes of a great comfort food: soft, warm, filling, and with a great balance of sweet and savory flavors.

I’d never really heard of butternut squash until I moved to the Northeast. So I don’t know if it’s just newly arrived in the South, or if it’s another of those foods that we’ve “discovered” in recent decades. And by “newly arrived,” I don’t mean 21st century – more like the last half of the 20th. On the other hand, I don’t remember my mother cooking any squash but zucchini or yellow squash; maybe it didn’t appeal to her so she never cooked it. Was it standard fare for your family when you were a child? The first time I recall seeing it in a recipe was as the basis of Curried Butternut Squash Soup – a dynamite concoction from the first Silver Palate Cookbook. I thought it sounded terribly exotic, and made it a frequent star of my annual Soup Party in New Jersey.

As a veggie, butternut squash is like a sort of prickly friend who doesn’t go out of her way to be sociable, but once you get to know her you realize how wonderful she is. It’s a workout to peel one – the skin is thick and tough, and you’ll need a sharp knife and a bit of heft even to cut one in half. I recently stumbled across a one-pound container of already peeled butternut squash at my grocery store – diced to just the right size, no less – and felt like shouting “Glory, hallelujah!” right there in the produce aisle.

Even if your grocer isn’t as accommodating as mine, this is a veggie you should warm to.

1. It’s long on nutrition, full of vitamins A and C and all the key antioxidants. Along with other winter squashes, it also carries anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and insulin-regulating properties. The low-fat, high-fiber flesh is heart-healthy, delivers significant potassium for bone health, and lots of B6 to bolster your nervous and immune systems.

2. It’s simple to cook. Once you peel off that tough outer skin, cut it into chunks or – for a slightly prettier effect – ¾-inch dice. Be sure to remove not only the yellow skin but the whitish layer beneath it and the green veins – in other words, get all the way down to that bright orange meat. Then toss it with a bit of olive oil, sprinkle it with salt, and roast it for 30-35 minutes at 400º. Voilá! It’s ready to eat.

3. It’s flexible. Once it’s cooked, an amazing number of possibilities open up. Fold it into pasta or couscous or wild rice, mix it with hearty greens like collards, or combine it into a bright fall medley with roasted apples and roasted onions. Purée it with butter and nutmeg and serve it like mashed potatoes, or stir the purée into soft, smooth polenta. Or don’t roast it and make soup.

Or follow my dream and make risotto. I like sautéing the onion in a bit of bacon fat along with the butter, and I save the cooked bacon to garnish the dish; but you can skip the bacon for a vegetarian version, and it will still be wonderful. I also like this particular version because it’s flavored with dry sherry, which adds a slightly nutty note. Pour some into the risotto, and while you’re at it, pour a glass for yourself. Mangia!

Butternut Squash Risotto

Serves 4 as a main course, 6 as a side dish.

1 small butternut squash (1½-2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into ¾-inch dice (about 4 cups)
1½ tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
4 cups good quality chicken stock
4 slices bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)
1 clove garlic (raw or roasted: if raw, finely chopped; if roasted, mashed to a paste)
1 cup Arborio rice
½ cup dry sherry or Amontillado
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
salt/pepper to taste

Heat the oven to 400º. Toss the diced squash with the olive oil and kosher salt, spread it in a single layer on a baking pan, and roast 30-35 minutes, until the squash is tender.

While the squash is cooking, pour the stock into a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring it to a bare simmer, and keep it that way.

In a large saucepan, cook the bacon pieces over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels and pour out all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat. Add the butter and reduce the temperature to medium-low. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.

Raise the heat to medium and add the Arborio rice. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute, then add the sherry and stir until fully absorbed by the rice.

Pour in ½ cup of the simmering chicken broth and stir until it is almost completely absorbed by the rice. Continue adding the hot broth to the rice, ½ cup at a time, and stirring until the rice absorbs the additional broth. The risotto is done when the rice is tender and creamy but still slightly al dente.

Stir in the butternut squash and the chives until well combined. If you are serving the dish on a buffet, you may want to save ¼ cup of the squash to sprinkle on top.  Season to taste with salt and pepper, and garnish with the reserved bacon.