Tagged: squash

Holiday Recipes / Photo Gallery / Recipes

Roasted Butternut and Acorn Squash

Roasted Acorn SquashRoasted Acorn squash is easy to prepare. Simply wash the squash and slice it into one inch slices. Remove the seeds with a spoon. Place on a cooky sheet coated with a little cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt a little paprika for color and a little olive oil. Bake at 400 degrees F. for about 20-30 minutes.

Roasted butternut squash

Butternut squash is perfect for roasting. If you like sweet potatoes you’ll love this squash. It’s sweet and velvety.  Simply wash and dry the squash. Slice in half and remove the seeds with a spoon. Place on a foil lined cooky sheet. Sprinkle with a little olive oil and salt. Bake at 400 degrees F for about 20-30 minutes. Serve as is or scoop out and place in a serving bowl.

 

Appetizers / Photo Gallery / Recipes

Roasted Butternut Squash Spinach Apple Salad with Pecans and Maple Vinaigrette

I made my usual fall harvest trip in October to buy my 50 pound bag of potatoes. While there I picked up a bag of fresh spinach, fresh picked apples and squash which gave me the inspiration to make this fresh Butternut Squash Spinach and Apple Salad.

I made a light vinaigrette with maple syrup which gave the salad a tangy sweet maple flavor to compliment the squash and tone down the bitterness of the spinach. I can guarantee you that if you’re not a fan of spinach you’ll enjoy this salad.

Ingredients:

4 cups fresh spinach

1/2 small roasted butternut squash (recipe below)

1 large apple (chopped into small pieces)

Chopped pecans

Dressing:

Maple Syrup Vinaigrette

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons of maple syrup or more if you want more maple flavor

pinch of salt

1/4 teaspoon of mustard

Instructions for squash:

Peel and cut the squash into 1 inch pieces and sprinkle with salt, a little olive oil and paprika. Cook in a small cookie sheet that has been coated with cooking spray for about 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees F., or until it is tender. Shake pan once in a while.

Instructions for salad:

Mix all the dressing ingredients into a small jar with a lid and shake vigorously. Set aside until you arrange the salad as follows;

Layer the spinach in the serving bowl. Arrange the pieces of squash and apples on top. Add the dressing and top with pecans.

 

 

Photo Gallery / Recipes / soup / Soups

Pasta Fagioli with Squash Soup | Sopa de Feijão e Abóbora

Nothing says fall like hearty soups made with a thick rich broth made with fall harvest vegetables. I used 3 different kinds of squash from my garden, but you can use whatever you prefer. My husband loves Pasta Fagioli soup, but I added extra flavor and richness with the squash. The soup is even better the next day so don’t be afraid to make this big pot of soup! The next day, just pick some crusty Portuguese bread or make your own Pao Milho – Corn Bread to go along with the soup and dinner is done! P.S. My husband loved it and so will your family! Enjoy the fall harvest!

Look at the beautiful fall colors in these squash

Ingredients:

Note: You may use the following squash or substitute with your favorite.

1 cup Butternut squash (peeled and chopped into 2 chunks)

1 cup Acorn squash (peeled and chopped into 2 chunks)

1 cup Delicata squash (peeled and chopped into 2 chunks)

1 32 oz can of small white cannelloni beans

8 oz (1/2 package) of elbow pasta

1 small onion (finely chopped)

1 stalk of celery (finely chopped)

3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)

3 carrots (cut into 1/4 inch slices)

1 small ripe tomato (seeded and chopped into small pieces)

5 cups or more  of water (depending on how thick you want the broth)

3 cups of chicken or vegetable broth

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon salt

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh parsley (finely chopped)

1 tablespoon fresh basil (finely chopped)

1 teaspoon piri piri or hot sauce

1 tablespoon shredded Parmesan or pecorino cheese

 Olive oil for garnish

Preparation:

Place the onion, garlic, celery and olive oil in a large soup pan or dutch oven. Cook for a few minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the squash and tomato, salt and pepper and saute for about 5 minutes.  Add the water and broth and let come to a boil. Cover the soup and let cook for about 10 minutes until the squash is tender. Remove from heat and puree vegetable with an immersion blender to your desired consistency. Return to stove and let come to boil. Add the pasta, beans and the carrots and let cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes until the pasta is almost fully cooked. Add the parsley, and basil, stir and taste. Add the piri piri sauce if desired and more salt and pepper if needed. Remove from heat until ready to serve. The soup will thicken the longer it sits. Add a drizzle of olive oil and a the shredded cheese into each bowl if desired when serving.

 

Holiday Recipes / Photo Gallery / Side Dish

Butternut Squash and Carrot Puree

 

Butternut Squash and Carrot Puree

My family has a tradition of visiting local farms in New England during harvest season where we buy our locally grown apples to make fresh apple pies, and to buy our winter vegetables and potatoes.

Butternut Squash Puree is one of the side dishes that I always have on my Thanksgiving table but I also make this recipe all winter long since my family loves it.

Some people bake the squash in the oven with brown sugar or maple syrup, but I’m not of fan of the sweet taste, so I came up with my recipe.

Did you know that you can store potatoes and butternut squash to last through the winter?

Just place them into a brown paper bag or cardboard box and store in a cool basement, or in your garage. (Be sure the temp doesn’t reach freezing.)

I also make Butternut Squash and Spinach Soup which is healthy and full of nutrients all year long.

Here’s some great information about butternut squash below. Enjoy!

Low in calories: One cup of raw butternut squash only has 63 calories.
Dietary Fiber: There are 3 gr. of dietary fiber in every serving.
Vitamin A: One serving has 298 %of your daily recommended value.
Vitamin C: One cup serving has 50 % of your daily recommended value.
Omega-3 fatty acids: Fights high cholesterol and high blood pressure
Minerals: One serving has 14 % of your daily recommended value of manganese, 12 % of magnesium and 14 % of potassium

Butternut Squash Puree

2 cups chopped Butternut Squash

2 cups chopped carrots

1/2 small onion chopped

1 small scallion

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp butter or margarine

1/4 cup of milk

2 cups of water

 

 

Instructions:

Place all ingredients except the butter and milk into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook on medium for about 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are fully cooked.

Remove the scallion and most of the water left in the pan leaving only about 1/4 cup. Add the butter and milk to the pan and puree the vegetables with a hand blender until very smooth and silky.

Taste and add more salt to your taste if needed. Keep in pan on low heat until ready to serve with your dinner or let it cool and store in the refrigerator.

The puree will last for 3 days or freeze in individual ice cube trays or containers.

* Note, this puree is great to serve your baby but leave out the onion and salt!

Butternut squash image credit:  http://www.slashfood.com/2008/02/17/how-to-peel-a-butternut-squash-without-also-peeling-your-fingers/