Vegan Optional

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.

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?

Thank you all SO much for participating in my giveaway. I had so much fun reading your responses, I’ve decided to do one monthly until we come out of this whole mess.

Onto more comfort food… I started to write “Eggplant Parm,” in the Title Line, but then I realized, I don’t really put parmesan in this dish. This isn’t even really a recipe, it’s more of a technique I use with eggplant – or most anything that is traditionally breaded and fried. Eggplant is a lot like tofu or kale – it’s all about how you prepare it.

I used to rarely make eggplant because it is time consuming and I didn’t like to use so much oil. I’d end up using like a cup of oil, and that can feel heavy in your stomach. But my mom gave me this oil spray bottle a while back, and it cuts down on the oil significantly.

Before you start this recipe:

• You could certainly use cheese in this recipe, but I think it’s still tasty without. Mozzarella, parmesan, and provolone would certainly go well with it, but one time I put sharp cheddar in it (because that’s what I had), and it was still good!
• I like to have 3 sheet pans lined up to make an assembly line. The first will have your eggs and milk, the second breadcrumbs and flour, the third will have a piece of parchment paper that you’ll place the dredged eggplant on. You can use two shallow bowls for the first two steps, but the sheet pan method works best for me.
• I put my breadcrumbs in the food processor for a minute or two – the smaller breadcrumbs attach to the eggplant better this way.
• If your breadcrumbs are not pre-seasoned, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of your favorite Italian seasonings (oregano, red pepper flakes, basil, garlic).
• You could make this ahead of time and do the last step before serving. I would recommend pulling the dish out of the refrigerator an hour before baking.

Eggplant Casserole
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 small-medium eggplants
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk (I used oat milk)
1 cup breadcrumbs (I used gf)
1/4 cup all purpose flour (I used gf)
About 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
2 cups marinara sauce, more if desired
Cheese if desired

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°
2. Slice the eggplant very thinly – no larger than a quarter of an inch. I like to use a mandolin to get it consistently thin.
3. Set up your dredging station. Crack your eggs in the first sheet pan and mix with the milk using a fork. In the second combine your flour and breadcrumbs. Place several slices of eggplant in the eggs and milk and mix them around. Take each slice out and place it in the breadcrumb mixture, making sure that the top and bottom of the slices are well coated. Place each eggplant slice on the third baking sheet in a single layer. Spray the tops and bottoms of the dredged eggplant with the oil mister (if you don’t have one, a pastry brush will work just fine).
4. Bake the eggplant for 10 minutes, turn each slice over and bake for another 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. All of your eggplant may not fit on the baking sheet, you may need to do two rounds of baking.
5. Using an 8×8 casserole dish, coat the base of the dish with sauce, put a layer of cooked eggplant on the sauce, then a layer of cheese, if you’re using it. Repeat these steps until you’re out of eggplant. I usually have 3-4 layers.
6. Bake for about 15-20 minutes – You’re just making sure that the center is hot enough for your liking.

Question:
For some reason this recipe reminds me of my aunt’s chicken cutlets. I used to house about 3 when she’d make them for a ski weekend. What recipes do you make that bring back comforting memories?