Roasted Squash Slices

The sun is shining! It is spring-like out there, and I could just walk about forever in this weather.

My lunch with a special mayo bowl inside!

This is a simple way to make butternut squash - no need to peel it because it softens in the cooking and is just fine to eat. It tastes best warm out of the oven, but I brought some in my lunch with some leftover chicken, bacon, and homemade mayo, and it was still good cold. The chicken was leftover from the one I cooked Sunday, and I am telling you - it stayed so moist and tender and delicious! I really am a fan of these Hilltop Pastures Chickens, they are noticeably much better than the Kadejan ones.

Lately I feel confused about all of the terms and identifiers of pasture raised animals. In an effort to really eat only grass-fed and pastured, minimally grain fed animals, I just can't make sense of it all. Kadejan chickens at the co-op are much cheaper than Callister Farms or Hilltop Pastures. I assume that there is more grass eating and more greenery eating/less grains in the latter two due to the difference in taste and moisture, and also the higher price, but again, I don't know!

Last weekend, after a tip from my paleo-eating friend, I learned that you can get half pigs from Pastures a Plenty at the Seward for just over $3 a pound. Woah! Total deal (if you are a member and use your 10% discount). When I compare to Hilltop Pastures, which comes out to about $6 a pound, I assume that the pigs are fed differently. Both are pastured, both appear to eat some grains, neither get antibiotics...they are different kinds of pigs, and Hilltop is smaller and says their pigs are known as a forager of pasture, but I just don't know. $3 a pound is a very good deal, and I like the Pastures a Plenty bacon. I need a round table of all these growers to compare and contrast.

Anyway! All that meandering to get us back to the Roasted Squash. This is so easy - I was low on veggies for lunch today, so stuck these in the oven this morning while I ate breakfast. Super easy.

Roasted Butternut Squash
Butternut squash, cut in half, seeded and sliced in 3/4" thick slices (thinner if you are in a hurry)
Fresh or dried herbs (I had some fresh thyme, marjoram and rosemary - but anything is good)
Fat of choice (I used bacon grease because it was in the pan, but olive oil also works)
Salt

Preheat oven to 350. Toss squash slices with oil/fat (either in a bowl, or in the pan/s you will use). Lay squash in a single layer, sprinkle with herbs and salt. bake for 30-45 minutes depending on thickness of squash slices. Serve!

*For a nice breakfast treat, use the full round slice from the top half of the squash and have it with sausage for breakfast. It looks pretty all stacked up under the egg.

Butternut Squash Khoresh

Khoresh # 2! This is another recipe from A Taste of Persia. I used venison in this one too, and it tasted great. This recipe is a little on the sweet side - something I am less used to in meat dishes, and it is also a bit more broth-y than other stews. The broth was delicious though.

I am posting the original recipe below, however I changed the recipe some: I used way less prunes (maybe 5 of them) and 1/2 c. of apple cider in place of sugar; I used 2 c. chicken broth in lieu of water; and I added an extra 1/2 lb of meat. I found it plenty sweet and will maybe forgo the apple cider all together next time. The prunes break down, and I found that even the handful of them (chopped up) gave a really nice hint of dried plum flavor without the extra fructose. 

Butternut Squash Khoresh
5 T ghee, butter or coconut oil
2 small onions peeled and thinly sliced
1 lb. skinless boneless chicken or meat (lamb, venison, beef) cut into thin strips
1 t salt
1/2 t freshly ground pepper
1 t cinnamon
1 1/2 c pitted prunes
2 lbs butternut squash
4 T sugar
1/4 c fresh lime juice
1/4 t saffron threads dissolved in 1 T hot water (opt)

1. In a medium pot, heat 3 T butter/ghee over medium heat. Add the onions and fry for 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the meat and stir-fry 15 minutes longer, stirring occasionally until browned. Add salt, cinnamon, prunes, pepper, and 2 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, peel the squash and cut into 2-inch cubes. In a large skillet, heat 2 T butter/ghee over medium heat. Add the squash and stir-fry for 10 minutes, until all sides are golden brown.
3. Add sugar, lime juice, saffron water, and butternut squash cubes to the meat. Cover and simmer for 40 minutes over low heat.
4. Taste the khoresh and adjust the seasoning for salt and lime juice. Serve!

Thanksgiving Day Turkey and Veggies

I made my very first turkey!  It was definitely a proud moment when I pulled that beautiful golden brown turkey out of the oven.  I asked around to get advice from others about how to make the best turkey.  Many people mentioned a roasting bag.  Normally I would be against using a plastic bag in cooking; I'm frankly worried about ingesting toxins from the plastic.  But, people told me it was the best turkey they ever made when they used the roasting bag, so I figured I would give it a try.  It was brilliant.  I put herbs and garlic inside the turkey and covered it with coconut oil (might use butter next time), then put it in the bag inside a roasting pan and away it went.  The end result was beautiful, flavorful and perfectly done.  I even have lots of wonderful leftovers, and extra pan drippings, to heat up all week.

I also made a few sides to go with my turkey.  I am doing a pretty strict version of paleo, so I couldn't get very fancy with anything.  I did do an extra twist on butternut squash that I found on theclothesmakethegirl.com.  Instead of just roasting the squash I also pureed it in the food processor with coconut oil, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and one egg.  Then, I put it into a casserole dish and baked it at 350 for 30 minutes.  I think I was suppose to have the oven hotter than that, but it turned out really well.  The recipe called for pecans, which I would've loved to have added, but I can't eat nuts.  I highly recommend adding them if you make this version.  It was very good, but the pecans would really add a lot to the dish.  The butternut squash was so sweet, rich and creamy.  I really felt like I was having a dessert instead of a vegetable. Yum!

My other veggie was carrots.  I got the most beautiful and delicious carrots at the Midtown Winter Farmer's Market a couple weekends ago.  They are literally the best carrots I have ever had.  I pretty much couldn't screw up cooking them.  I decided to do them two ways.  I roasted some of the carrots with a little coconut oil, salt, and pepper in the oven for an hour.  I selected the most delicate of the carrots to cook on the stovetop in a little water and butter.  The recipe calls for honey, which of course I can't have, but these carrots were so sweet and tender, the honey would've been too much sweetness I think.  They were spectacular.  What a way to celebrate the harvest.

I was so proud of my turkey and all of the food I was able to make today.  It was a small gathering, just me and my parents, but we had a nice time sharing a meal and spending time together.

I have loved exploring different foods and recipes this fall.  Thank you Megan for inviting me to this blog and for sharing all of your food adventures.  You continue to inspire me.  Everything you post I want to try.  Pressing apple cider sounds pretty exciting.  I've got that on my list for next fall.

Happy Thanksgiving!

butternut and spinach risotto

risotto is my go-to dish for fall--when i'm having friends over and know i can finish the bottle of wine i have to open to make it. the recipe is adapted from a cookbook composed entirely of risotto recipes--which i love. i decided to do butternut and spinach cause that's what came in the CSA box this week. next time, i'll steam the squash for a few minutes ahead of time. i had to keep cooking it longer than i should have because the squash was underdone at first, making the rice a little mushier than i would have liked. but tasty, nonetheless.

heat 4 c veg broth on low

saute, in a hunk of butter and some olive oil:
onion finely diced
garlic finely diced-about 2 cloves or so

add 1 1/2 c arborio rice and saute for a couple of minutes. add 1/2 c white wine and stir till liquid cooks off. add a ladle of broth and 2 c squash cut into small cubes. continue to add broth a ladle at a time, letting the liquid cook off before adding more. continuous stirring is also required.

add a few cups of torn spinach when you have about a ladle of broth left. keep stirring, add the last of the broth.

add 1 or so cups of parmesan, salt and pepper to taste and let it rest a couple minutes before serving. serve with more parmesan.