CARAMELIZED ONION WINTER SQUASH MASH

Oh, winter squash, how do I love thee?  Let me count the ways…..hubbard squash, delicata squash, butternut squash.   Those are my faves, in that order.  Hubbard is my absolutely #1 for its rich, deep sweetness and smooth texture.  It can be hard to find, and expensive, but it’s worth the search and the price. 
I never tire of experimenting with new flavor ingredients to add to my winter squash.  This recipe was born out of my extreme love of caramelized onions coupled with my extreme love of hubbard squash.  You could say I performed a marriage ceremony here, and I think these two will be together for a long time, because they’re perfectly matched.

Caramelized Onion Winter Squash Mash Rating:  10 out of 10 Click for PRINTABLE PAGE

1 Tbsp. Smart Balance Butter Blend, or butter or oil 1 medium sweet onion, peeled, halved, sliced thin 1/2 – 3/4 tsp.(or to taste) fine sea salt, or kosher salt, divided 2 Tbsp. dry red wine, drinking quality 1 cup cooked winter squash (hubbard preferred) 1/8 tsp. black pepper 1/8 tsp. garam masala or hot madras curry powder 2-3 Tbsp. water or broth, if needed In 10- or 12-inch heavy skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat.  Add the onion slices and sprinkle lightly with about 1/4 tsp. salt.   Cook for about 5 minutes, or till onions begin to turn translucent.   Add wine, stir, cook for another minute or two, then cover and reduce heat to low.  Cook 20-30 minutes, or till onions are reduced and caramelized, stirring if needed to keep from sticking or burning. When onions are nicely caramelized, stir in squash, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/8 tsp. pepper and 1/8 tsp. garam masala.  Increase heat briefly to heat the squash, then cover and reduce heat again to low.  Cook 5-10 minutes, or till squash is heated through and flavors have blended.  Taste to adjust seasonings, adding up to an additional 1/4 tsp. salt, if needed (or more if you are a salt lover).  If mixture is too dry at any point, stir in water or broth.  Yield:  2 servings  (Double ingredients for 4 servings.)

BUTTERNUT SQUASH-SPINACH MASH

My favorite veggie for any time of the year is butternut squash. Combined with spinach, it's not just delicious -- it's also a powerhouse of antioxidants,vitamins and minerals. Butternut squash is fat free and nutrient dense, with Vitamins A, B and C, as well as an assortment of minerals, including potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous and iron. Spinach is no slouch, either. It's considered a negative-calorie food -- can you imagine that? Researchers have identified at least 13 different flavonoid compounds in spinach that function as antioxidants and as anti-cancer agents. Butternut squash and spinach both taste great by themselves, and they also taste great together.

This dish goes together quickly and easily and could almost be served as a meal by itself. It must be all that nutrition making this combination very filling and satisfying.

Butternut Squash-Spinach Mash
Source: Judy's Kitchen
Rating: 8 out of 10
Printable Recipe

INGREDIENTS: 1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small shallot, chopped fine
1 cup cooked butternut squash, roughly mashed
1/8 tsp. sea salt
big pinch black pepper
2 big pinches grated fresh nutmeg
3 fresh sage leaves, chopped
1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup cooked, drained, chopped spinach
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese plus additional cheese for topping

In saute pan or fry pan with high sides, heat the oil over medium-high heat; add the shallot and cook till transparent. Stir in the squash, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and sage till the squash starts to caramelize a bit, about 3 minutes, then stir in the broth and spinach. Allow mixture to bubble then cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes to let flavors develop. Stir in cheese right before serving, and top with additional cheese, if desired. Yield: 2-3 servings

WINTER SQUASHES SAUTEED WITH CRANBERRIES AND TOASTED PECANS

There is nothing more frustrating than trying to cut through a thick-skinned winter squash. I'm sure that fingers have been lost trying to penetrate the hard skin of a Golden Nugget or Buttercup squash. But I love the orange gems so much that I have to persist. And there are so many good recipes for squash, how can I not buy them? I must tell you, though, that I balk when a recipe says to cut the raw veggie into chunks or to peel it. I submit to you that it just can't be done. At least not by me. So I am going to give you an easier way. The way I just made this recipe, not the way it was written. And I still have all my fingers. And, BTW, this is a great recipe for squash. I just love that you can make it so many ways, and each way tastes great! Winter squash is one of my all-time faves. And it doesn't hurt that it's very good for you.

Winter Squashes Sauteed with Cranberries and Toasted Pecans

Source: The Sun Journal Newspaper, New Bern, NC

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup butternut squash (This is thin-skinned and can be peeled.)

1 cup acorn squash (This is thick-skinned and will take your fingers if you're not careful.)

1 cup pumpkin (This is very thick-skinned, so beware!)

1/4 cup pecans

1 Tbsp. dried cranberries

1/2 cup boiling water

1 cup vegetable or chicken broth

2 Tbsp. butter (or Smart Balance)

Juice of one lemon

Salt and Pepper as needed

Preheat oven to 400F. Using a sharp, heavy knife, cut squashes in half and scoop out membrane and seeds. Place squashes, cut side down on a large baking pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Place in oven, covered with tinfoil, and bake 40-45 minutes or till tender when pierced with a fork. Remove and let cool slightly. (Any leftover squash can be used later in the week or frozen. Remember that squash is a great fat substitute in baked goods.)

Lower oven heat to 300F. Place pecans on a shallow baking pan and toast about 10 minutes, or till slightly fragrant. Chop pecans. Set aside.

Combine cranberries with boiling water. Allow them to plump for 10-15 minutes. Drain; chop coarsely; set aside.

Bring broth to a boil over high heat in a skillet. Measure 1 cup pulp from each squash and add to broth. Cook till all liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally, about 3-4 minutes. Add pecans, cranberries, butter, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Continue to cook another 2-3 minutes, stirring gently to distribute all of the ingredients evenly. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings

NOTE: If you want a smaller amount, you have some options: you can make the above recipe and freeze some for later use. Or you can make the adapted version below, that I made. I used Buttercup squash and Golden Nugget, and found that Buttercup has a stronger but pleasing flavor, while Golden Nugget is mild and delicious. The two went well together, but use whatever squashes please you, because they're all great.

SMALL BATCH RECIPE:

1 Buttercup squash

1 Golden Nugget squash

1-1/2 Tbsp. pecans

1 tsp. dried cranberries + 3 Tbsp. boiling water

1/3 cup chicken broth

2 tsp. Smart Balance

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Salt & Pepper to taste

Follow directions above. After using 1/2 cup of each squash, I had 1-1/4 cups roasted squash left over which I promptly froze and will use later. The above makes 2 servings, and is so yummy!

CREAMY DELICATA SQUASH

Wanting to experiment with different winter squashes, I bought one little Delicata squash. I found this recipe somewhere on the internet, and always like to give credit where it's due. But the recipe would not print, and I failed to write the source when I scribbled it, late at night. Though I searched and searched just now, I could not come up with this recipe. So I apologize to the person or group that's responsible for this great recipe for not properly acknowledging you.

I was a bit skeptical of using mint with squash, but decided to follow this recipe exactly. Amazingly, the mint makes the dish.

Here's another tidbit: these small watermelon-shaped squashes don't taste much different from any of the other winter squashes, so feel free to use another winter squash in this recipe. One medium Delicata squash serves two people. So if you want to serve more, multiply this recipe accordingly. Whatever you do, don't leave out the cream. It also imparts something special: a creaminess that, with the mint, really complements the mild flavor of winter squash. Click here for printable recipe

The first thing you must do is to scrub the squash, then cut it in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and membranes with a large spoon. Put it in a pie plate or other baking dish, cut sides up, with a little water and loosely tent some foil over it. Bake it at 400F for about 30 minutes, or till it's very tender.

Remove squash from oven to cool. Saute in a skillet 1 chopped shallot in 1-1/2 tsp. butter. When shallot is transparent, scoop the squash from the shells and add to the pan, stirring well. Add 3 Tbsp. heavy cream; bring to a boil; turn off heat. Add a dash of freshly grated nutmeg, 2 Tbsp. chopped Italian parsley,

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint, and some sea salt and pepper to taste.

You now have a few choices: you can serve it as is or you can puree everything in a blender. Either way, you can then, if you desire, put the not-completely-smooth squash mixture or the pureed squash mixture in a buttered baking dish and top it with buttered crumbs or top it with grated Parmesan cheese and bake till crusty. Very, very good stuff. My rating is 9 out of 10.

HERBED WINTER SQUASH

I never liked squash very much. Every time I tasted it, it was smothered in sugar. Then, one time when I was in St. Lucia, we were invited to someone's home for dinner. (Guy commuted to St. Lucia for 10 years as a subcontractor to Cable & Wireless, so he knew just about everyone who worked on the island for C&W). This person served us herbed winter squash, and it was delicious. I never did ask her for the recipe, I just tried to make it myself when I got home. The photo at the top shows it cooked in the Corningware Grab-it bowl. As you can see, there's not much there -- it's hard to cook for one. Guy is not a vegetable eater. He still thinks corn and french fries count as vegetables. Following is a recipe for 2-4 people, depending on appetites:

Herbed Winter Squash


INGREDIENTS: 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh onion
1 tsp. minced fresh garlic
2 cups roasted butternut squash and/or pumpkin (see my previous post on
roasted pumpkin and butternut squash)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or oregano (or a mixture)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

DIRECTIONS: In 1-1/2 quart saute' pan, over medium-low heat, cook onion until transparent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and continue cooking for another minute or so, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the cooked squash and seasonings and cook till heated through, or transfer to an oven-proof dish and bake at 400 degrees F for about 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for another 5 minutes.

Note: If you do not have any roasted squash in your freezer, then wash and peel a butternut squash and cut it into small cubes. Toss it with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and roast it in the oven at 400 degrees F. for about 20 minutes, or till it is cooked through and begins to brown. (Alternately, you can halve the squash, remove the seeds, and place cut side down on tinfoil, and roast at 400 for about 1 hour or till it tests done when pierced with a fork. Then you can scoop the flesh out or cut it into pieces after removing the skin, as you prefer.) Either method works -- just remember to cut the salt and pepper if you use the first method. Roasting the squash is, in my opinion, better than boiling it, because roasting deepens the flavor. But, in fairness, you can also boil the squash if you prefer.

ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

Since I went to all the trouble to roast the pumpkins and the butternut squashes, I decided I would roast some of the seeds. So I took some of the pumpkin seeds and some of the butternut squash seeds, tossed them with about 2 tsp. olive oil, sea salt and pepper and roasted them in the oven at 400 degrees F. They took about 20 minutes and are a nice crunchy snack. I stored them in a glass jar and put them in the pantry.

TOMATOED SUMMER VEGETABLE MEDLEY

Our weekend began with very dear friends who lived near us in Long Valley, NJ for 20 years. We left first to resettle in New Bern, NC. Six years later, they left Long Valley to resettle in Murrells Inlet (read Myrtle Beach), SC., about 3 - 3-1/4 hours away from us. We see them several times a year, not enough. Poppy and Don arrived Friday afternoon and stayed till Sunday morning. Friday evening's dinner was King Dad Steak, baked potatoes on the grill, Tomatoed Summer Vegetable Medley and Guy's Caesar Salad. In all the excitement, I forgot to take a picture of any of the dishes. Parker's Vegetable Stand provided beautiful summer vegetables for our medley. I didn't have enough fresh tomatoes -- in North Carolina they are scarce if not nonexistent this time of the year. It's still hard for m e to fathom, coming from New Jersey, the Garden State, that they would be out of tomatoes so early. But the pesky insects in the South eat everything up early. We grew our own tomatoes on the patio this year, but the vines died early. We are now planting our second crop to hopefully see us through the winter -- Guy made some plexiglass surrounds for the plants to protect them from the cold weather -- but there are no tomatoes yet. So I combined canned diced tomatoes with the fresh vegetables and herbs for a delicious side dish that we all enjoyed. Here's my recipe:

Tomatoed Summer Vegetable Medley
INGREDIENTS: 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
2 cups diced or chopped fresh or canned tomatoes with juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 cup sliced zucchini
1 cup sliced yellow squash
1 cup sliced baby eggplant or Japanese eggplant
1 cup chopped red or green pepper
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS: Saute onion in oil till transparent. Add garlic and saute for another minute or so. Add tomatoes and herbs. Cook down a little (about 10-15 minutes on low-medium heat). Add vegetables and seasonings and cook for about 15-20 minutes on low-medium heat covered.
Delicious!