Search results for

butternut

Dinner Gluten Free Optional Recipes Vegan Optional Vegetarian

Roasted Butternut Squash and Kale Pasta

October 22, 2020

One of my favorite memories from when my kid was born was when my aunt came to visit me. I remember her calling me as she landed and I started to cry because the baby’s umbilical cord fell off and I thought I might pass out. There’s a reason I didn’t go into the medical field.

We barely did anything – lots of talking, baby holding, and Mrs. Maisel. And that’s why it was so great – a visit without the pressure of having a “visitor.” One highlight was a dinner she made me – butternut squash ravioli with kale and pine nuts. The pine nuts were a nice touch that I would not have thought to add.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is DSC_0050-min-1024x730.png

Another thing I remember was being so hungry the next morning that I ate it out of the refrigerator. She told me she could warm it up for me, but there was no time, I needed to eat that moment. This recipe was inspired by that dinner – and it’s good both hot and out of the refrigerator. It reminds me of my Cruciferous Pasta because it checks so many boxes – vegetables, carbs, salt, fat, flavor, comfort. It also fits into my new “easy dinner easy clean up” theme. The recipe takes a long time because of the squash roasting, but it’s not complicated and there is not a lot of active cooking.

As the days get shorter, the weather gets a bit chillier, and we all prepare to face a different sort of winter this year, I hope this dish brings you comfort.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Kale Pasta
4 Servings

Ingredients:
4 cups butternut squash, large dice
3 tablespoons, plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, seperated
1/2 teaspoon salt, seperated, plus more for taste
2 cups lacinato kale, destemmed and packed
1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
8 ounces pasta
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup of parmigiano reggiano, shredded (optional)
Salt and pepper for taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place the butternut squash on your prepared baking sheet and toss it in scant 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and black pepper to your liking. Place in the oven for 40 minutes, tossing once halfway through roasting.
3. While the squash is roasting, place the kale and sage in a bowl and massage is with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and a large pinch of salt. When the butternut squash is done roasting, turn off the oven and remove the baking sheet, scatter the kale among the butternut and place in the hot oven for 3 minutes or until it becomes slightly crispy but not browned.
4. Prepare the pasta according to its directions while the squash is cooking. Drain and place in a large bowl, tossing it with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
5. Combine the butternut squash, kale, pine nuts, and parmigiano reggiano and season with salt and pepper to your liking.

Question: How are you preparing yourself for the colder months?

0 Comments
Dinner Gluten Free Recipes Soup Vegan Vegetarian

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

December 5, 2016

  butternut-squash-soup-final Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
(AKA Sunny Day Soup)

Des Moines has been gray. People didn’t tell me about this. I heard about the cold, but I didn’t know about the gray. I’ve lived in Ireland and this gray doesn’t compare. Then again, I was clouded with Guinness and cheese, so who really knows.

butternut-squash-half

When gray days got me down in the past, I used to watch a clip from a popular 80s show where the kids put on a show for their parents’ anniversary, lip syncing Ray Charles’ “Night Time is the Right Time.” If you’re able to figure out the show, you’ll know why I can’t watch it anymore.

butternut-squash-prep

In fairness, New York got pretty gray at times. I learned some ways to help boost my mood. They’re nothing groundbreaking, but they help me and I hope they help you too:

  • Spend time outside every single day – take your sunglasses off and take in the sunshine, even if it’s behind a cloud – absorb that Vitamin D!
  • Get exercise – I make a point to exercise at least 4 days a week. It’s a non-negotiable for me. It’s so much more to me than keeping fit. I am miserable to be around without getting some sort of physical activity.
  • Meet a friend for coffee – It’s hard for me to be blue around my friends, coffee, and croissants.
  • Get a therapy lamp – Okay, I haven’t tried it myself, but some people love it and I’m thinking about getting one.
  • Talk about it – with a friend, partner, sibling, therapist, or parent. It’s not complaining, it’s just asking for a little support.
  • Cook for someone – cooking for people brings me so much joy.

Now I also have this soup to help with the grayness. When I studied at NGI they had a full day of soup making that was life changing. (Yes, I went that far and I’m not taking it back.) It was called “Creamy Soup Practicum,” and we didn’t use a drop of cream. We used several different methods, such as potato, oats, and butter. I thought the butter version was the best, but you really don’t need it. It certainly adds an element of richness, but it’s still delicious without the butter.

Butternut Squash Cooking

 

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
(Method adapted from NGI)
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 small yellow onion, diced
½ of 1 medium butternut squash, large dice (about 4 cups)
1-2 teaspoons of curry powder (I like Frontier)
½ teaspoon of turmeric
¼-½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
4 cups of vegetable stock
2 tablespoons of cold butter (optional)
Salt

Directions:

  1. Heat a medium size pot (4 quarts) on a medium flame. Add olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan, add the onion and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Sauté for about 5 minutes, or until translucent, stirring occasionally so they onions don’t stick or brown.
  2. Add the squash, spices, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Cover the pot with a lid, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until the squash is tender.
  3. Add stock, bring to a boil, and then simmer for 20 minutes.
  4. Scoop the soup into a high-speed blender with a ladle (you may need to do this in 2 parts). Blend on high for at least a minute, adding the optional butter while it’s running.
  5. Garnish with spiced chickpeas.

 

Curry Spiced Chickpeas
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups of cooked chickpeas, dried on a paper towel
1 tablespoon of olive oil
½ teaspoon of salt, separated
1 teaspoon of curry powder
½ teaspoon of turmeric

Directions:

  1. Preheat over to 425° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. On the baking sheet, toss the chickpeas in the olive oil, spices, and ¼ teaspoon of salt.
  3. Bake for 5 minutes, give the pan a shake and bake for another 5 minutes. Add ¼ teaspoon of salt, allow to cool.

butternut-squash-soup

Question: What are some ways you combat winter grayness?

 

2 Comments