Yeah, I grew a few too many butternut squash this year….but what a lovely vegetable to work with, so many options from sweet to savory.
PASTA SAUCE, QUICHE, CAKE, LASAGNA, VEGAN BIRYANI….all so delicious!!
–can be made vegan
split and roast a good size squash…
simmer ONIONS & GARLIC in 1/4 cup OLIVE OIL & 2tbs BUTTER
when golden, add add 1cup QUINOA simmer for 5 minutes
add ROASTED SQUASH, 1 cup of WATER & VEG BROTH CUBE
add a little ALMOND MEAL, 1/2 cup PARMESAN CHEESE, FRESH BASIL, CURRANTS, a dash of NUTMEG SALT & PEPPER and ORANGE JUICE &/OR CREAM till smooth top with GOAT CHEESE OR MOZZARELLA CHEESE
BUTTERNUT SQUASH QUICHE–makes TWO deep dish pie shells
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–this quiche has the same taste sensation as the lasagna further below, with lots of extra protein…
2c roasted butternut squash, then cut up small
2c chopped greens (spinach, chard, beet greens)
4 2inch sprigs of sage–finely minced
1/2 cup caramelized (fried crispy-brown edges) onions-thin sliced, fried in butter 2tbsp
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 cup of milk
1/2c flour
1/2 cup Parmesan
fresh mozzarella (the soft ball/log kind–sliced into thin rounds)
8 eggs
salt & pepper
ready made deep dish pie shells
blend all ingredients (except fresh mozarella) in big bowl, divide between two pie shells, top with mozzarella rounds, salt & pepper the top
cook for 45min at 350 or so…check for center firmness.
ORANGE POPPYSEED & BUTTERNUT CAKE
–this cake was so yummy, fruity, nutty & moist that it got snapped up, it didn’t even have icing!
Here is a picture of the apx. size squash to use–cube, steam & mash 3 cups of raw-diced squash
DRY bowl:
2c whole wheat flour
1/2c oats/flax
1c +2-3tbsp brown sugar
2tsp cinnamon
1tsp nutmeg
1c combination of: almond slivers/hazel nuts/chia seeds/pumpkin seeds
3+tbsp poppyseeds
1/2 cup minimal process cranberries
rind of 2 large navel oranges done on cheese grater for long strips
2tsp baking soda
WET bowl:
4 large eggs
2tbs vanilla
1c grapeseed oil
3c raw-cubed butternut squash, steamed & mashed
juice & chopped pulp from 2 large navel oranges (pith excluded–as in photo)
blend without over-mixing and bake for 45-50 minutes at 350degrees in a greased rectangle cake pan…or until firm in center and stick comes out clean.
Great alone, as a breakfast cake with coffee or tea…or iced with orange-cream cheese icing
–this is a little sweet, and made with delicious bechamel sauce…so different from your regular lasagna! (don’t be dismayed with the amount of milk in the bechamel, it needs to be runny for the no-cook LASAGNA NOODLES–be sure you have enough, about 2+1/2 boxes)
toss cubed a large BUTTERNUT SQUASH in OLIVE OIL and S&P, roast till tender (about 35 min) I used the one right at the top of this post for this recipe…the 2-3 cup mashed squash is measured after its cooked…
Blend 1/3C ALMOND MEAL with
1/4C FLOUR, add
1/4C BROWN SUGAR, add
4X 2inch sprigs of finely minced FRESH SAGE, add
2-3C of already mashed ROASTED SQUASH, add
2 EGGS, S&P & good dash of NUTMEG
taste & adjust seasoning
Make Bechamel:
In heavy saucepan melt ½ c BUTTER, ¼ cup FLOUR, stir then add, 3.5 cups MILK; bring to a boil and reduce, scoop a little sauce out into another container and add 1C of loosely packed chopped FRESH BASIL, Blend with immersion blender and pour back into Bechamel pot, season with S&P and a dash of NUTMEG
steam a 4C+ of chopped MIXED GREENS (spinach, chard, beetgreens) lightly S&P
begin by ladeling in 1C of bechamel into greased (9.5 x 13.5 inch) glass rectangle pan
add pasta, top with squash, add light sprinkle of MOZZARELLA
add pasta, top with 1/2 remaining bechamel, add greens
add pasta, top with squash, add light sprinkle of mozarella
add Pasta, top with bechamel, and PARMESAN & mozarella
BAKE LIGHTLY COVERED WITH FOIL (OR as I do, another inverted glass rectangle pan) for 45 minutes–if cheese is not browned, give 5 minutes uncovered.
–a really easy and very delicious one-dish vegan dinner that always meets with dead silence, followed by quiet murmurs as its devoured…it can be made with a variety of vegetables (brocolli, cauliflower, carrots, peas, green-beans, chickpeas, mushrooms…you name it!) but this time I kept it simple, by using just butternut squash, and it was delish!
Start by making a batch of rice or quinoa, while that’s cooking…
in large frying pan, simmer:
half cup or more of diced ONIONS and 1-3 cups small-cubed BUTTERNUT SQUASH (or other veggies), and a little minced GINGER in a quite a few tablespoons of COCONUT OIL (& some butter if you desire)
When squash and onions are cooked-tender add half box (or more) of SOLID COCONUT CREAM, and CURRY SPICES (either 2tbsps or more of jar curry paste, typical curry powder, or ideally, a select Indian brand spice mix–my favorite is SHAN BIRYANI MASALA–as seen in the photograph, its mild-spicy and super tasty, but usually these box spice mixes are very spicy–so start slow)
also add: CASHEWS, SLIVERED ALMONDS, SHREDDED COCONUT, DRIED CRANBERRIES,RAISINS &/or CHOPPED APRICOTS and 1-2c PREVIOUSLY COOKED RICE OR QUINOA, you may even add small-diced FRESH APPLE…mix until rice/quinoa is heated and coated with flavor, adjust seasoning with SALT & PEPPER, add more curry spice if needed, and possibly more coconut oil if it appears too dry for your liking–mix well…when adjusted, fold in 1-2 SMALL-CHOPPED BANANAS & CHOPPED CILANTRO (this is what gives it a remarkably exotic taste) TAA DAA…all done!!! just writing this up makes me want to go make it again right now…
**NOTE: if you choose to make this with a variety of veg, you must fry them in order of tenderness/cook-time, ie: start with onions and lets say, carrots, cauliflower or mushrooms, after a bit of time add brocolli, peppers, peas, greenbeans…that way everything is cooked to the same tenderness and not over cooked, btw, you don’t need these veggies to be totally soft–always add the banana and cilantro at the end–they do not need any cooking time…
becoming Lotutopia 