winter squash
Red Lentil and Swiss Chard Soup
The lentil is a humble but mighty ingredient. It is a superior form of protein, and contains significant amount of fiber and iron. It is also good source of folate, an important nutrient for women of child-bearing age. But, what is the best part? It cooks in a short time, relative to dried legumes. That makes it a better option for a weeknight meal.
This soup, for instance, comes together in about 40 minutes. Of course, this soup reheats very well.
It contains red lentils, which cook faster than the green or brown type, Swiss chard, acorn squash, carrots, and onion and garlic.
Greens note – I used Swiss chard for this soup, but I have used other greens in the past – kale, beet greens, spinach, etc.
Instead of the acorn squash, you can use butternut squash, pumpkin, calabaza squash, sweet potatoes or yams, or any winter squash that cooks in 30 minutes when cubed.
1-2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 cup carrots, sliced into medallions
2 cups Swiss chard, chopped
2 cups red lentils, rinsed well
2 cups acorn squash, peeled and cubed
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon madras curry powder
2 teaspoons turmeric
8-9 cups vegetable or chicken stock
salt to taste
Lemon wedges (optional)
Heat oil over medium-high heat in a heavy bottomed pot. Add onions and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes. Add spices, ½ teaspoon salt, carrots, chard, and acorn squash. Saute for 2-3 minutes more. Add lentils, and give it a couple of turns in the hot oil with the veggies.
Add stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about half an hour till lentils and vegetables are done. Before you turn off the heat, taste it to adjust for salt, and seasoning.
Optional – serve with lemon wedges so that each person can squeeze some lemon into their bowls.
Black Beans with Potatoes
This is a simple side dish that I like to serve with stews, roasts, tray bakes, or grilled meats. Recently, I made it with the previously posted Chicken Fricassee.
If I have a winter squash like butternut, calabaza, or acorn, I like to use that instead of the potatoes. Over rice, this is perfectly hearty enough as a vegetarian meal.
Black Beans with Potatoes
1 can black beans, preferably drained and rinsed
1 medium potato, cut into cubes
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon curry
1 bay leaf or 2 sage leaves
Heat oil in small pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic. Saute 3-4 minutes until onions are translucent, then add spices and bay leaf. Saute a 1-2 minutes more until fragrant. Add potatoes and a cup of water. Allow to come to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cover, letting cook for 10 minutes. Add beans, and if drained, add a cup of water or stock. Bring back to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cook 10-15 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are cooked.
This was added to #recipeoftheweek collection. I found some yummy recipes to try there, too!
Butternut Squash Dip – with garlic and yogurt
While hummus is probably the most recognized Mediterranean dip, there are countless items in the mezzeh spread that are meant to be scooped or sopped up with pita or flatbread.
This is one of those dips. It can be made with pumpkin or any other winter squash, and the method is the same no matter which type you choose. You want a basic proportion of 1 cup cooked, mashed squash to 3/4 cup yogurt. You can adjust yogurt according to how tangy you like it. Of course, you can also increase or decrease the garlic as well. The dip tastes better if you salt the squash during cooking, rather than at the end.
Butternut Squash Dip – with garlic and yogurt
1/2 butternut squash, peeled, and boiled until soft
1 cup yogurt (preferably Greek)
2 cloves garlic, mashed into a paste
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
salt
After squash has finished cooking, place in a bowl and mash with fork. Add yogurt, garlic, and salt to taste, and stir to incorporate completely.
Drizzle with olive oil.
Entered in this week’s #recipeoftheweek, a weekly round up of lovely recipes
Savory Baked Winter Squash
I went to a local farm and garden center this past weekend. We got a haul of buttercup squash, acorn squash, and a cute little thing that my son asked me to get ….a Pokemon squash.
Of course he would be interested in a squash with the same name as a cartoon character. Hey, whatever makes kids choose and eat healthy food is fine with me 🙂
It was the first time I’d ever tried this type of squash, so I googled “Pokemon Squash”, and got results similar to the following picture…..
So I did what any member of the social network age would do….I posted a picture of the squash on my Facebook wall and my friend identified it as a Carnival or Sweet Dumpling squash. I found a recipe that looks really good at at Angie’s Recipes
and a similar one at So Hungry I Could Blog
I modified it slightly to suit my family’s taste. My kids love anything with Italian seasoning on it, so that is what I used instead of the rosemary. Also, I read in the description that it was a sweet squash, so I didn’t bother with the sugar. Plus, since it was the first time I was using this particular squash, I wanted to taste the flavor before experimenting with adding other, strong, flavors, so I omitted the garlic. After tasting it as I made it, I can see where the garlic would add something good so I might try it that way next time.
For the record, my son – and his baby sister – loved it. So did my husband. In fact, I forgot to snap a pic until my husband was about to take the last piece. I told him to wait a second, and I snapped the following pic quickly.
Savory Baked Winter Squash
1 Pokemon/Carnival/Sweet Dumpling Squash
4 strips turkey bacon,chopped
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Italian Seasoning
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
400 Degrees
Cut Squash into halves. Scoop out seeds and squash guts, then cut each half into 2-3 wedges. Place cut side up on baking sheet. Sprinkle salt and pepper and bake for 15 minutes.
Put bacon, olive oil, and seasoning, in a bowl. Stir a few times, then spoon mixture into the squash. Bake 30 minutes more.
