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Tag: butternut squash

Quinoa with Roasted Butternut Squash & Cranberries

I served this dish with the halibut from last night. It has my favorite snack- roasted butternut squash. I paired it with cranberries and slivered almonds. You can make it a complete meal by adding some shrimp or chicken to it.. or just on its own- it is delicious, healthy and quick to eat!

  • 1 pound butternut squash, cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons dried jalapeno pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the butternut squash on a lined cookie sheet. Add the olive oil, salt, smoked paprika and jalapeno pepper. Mix well and roast in oven for 45 to 55 minutes till soft and golden brown. Take out and keep aside.

  • 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large shallot, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • ½ cup slivered almonds
  • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
  • 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • ½ cup dried cranberries
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped

Heat a saucepan with the olive oil. Add the shallot, garlic, almonds and salt and sauté on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the quinoa and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes or till quinoa is cooked. Stir in the cranberries and roasted butternut squash. Check for seasonings and garnish with cilantro.

 

 

Roasted Butternut Squash with Maple Syrup

Sometimes simple is the way to go- actually that is my way when it comes to entertaining for any event- even when it is a casual dinner party.

When it comes to holiday entertaining I try to make things simple for myself and look for recipes that I can make in advance or at least prep in advance.

For Thanksgiving there is a lot to think about and so I make sure not every dish is complicated and time consuming.

This is one of the side dishes that is delicious yet very simple to make. All I did was to cut up a butternut squash, drizzle it with olive oil and good maple syrup- thats it. 40 minutes in the oven and I had a fabulous side dish. It is delicious with the sweet maple syrup and a bit of savory salt.

You can buy already cut up butternut squash to make things easier for yourself. Prep it in advance- the morning of and even roast it. You can reheat it right before the big feast is served… easy and yummy- that is the way to go.
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Healthy Roasted Butternut Squash

This is my current favorite snack. I buy the already cut up butternut squash or sweet potatoes- I know that is quite lazy but I chose to look at the big picture… it enables me to eat healthy, delicious things. Anyway, I have been roasted a tray full every few days and eat some for either a meal or a snack. I  roast the sweet squash with smoked paprika and dried jalapeño pepper. The spices give the dish a yummy smoky and spicy flavor. I highly recommend this one- low in calories and high in flavor… best of all, it is good for you. Make this part of your healthy eating repertoire…

  • 2 pounds butternut squash, cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons dried jalapeno pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the butternut squash on a lined cookie sheet. Add the olive oil, salt, smoked paprika and jalapeno pepper. Mix well and roast in oven for 45 to 55 minutes till soft and golden brown. Take out and serve.

Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto

Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto

This was delicious risotto, especially since I served it with my world famous braised short ribs! I would recommend this for the holidays. People will be very impressed with this dish. It is quite easy to make, especially since you can make the puree a day ahead.

Butternut Squash Puree

  • 1 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Add the squash to a lined cookie sheet. Add the oil, honey, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Mix well and roast for 30 to 40 minutes or till the squash is tender to the touch. Process till smooth in a processor. Take out and keep aside.

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 large shallots, minced
  • 2 cups Arborio rice
  • ½ cup white wine
  • 1 cup butternut squash puree
  • 4 to 6 cups chicken stock, hot
  • ½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • Salt
  • ½ cup parsley, chopped
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Add the oil and butter into a medium saucepan and sauté the shallots until translucent and soft. Add the rice and stir until the rice is coated with oil and butter and gets translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add white wine and stir over medium heat until all liquid is absorbed. Add the butternut squash puree, stir to combine. Add the chicken stock in ½ cup increments. Allow the stock to absorb while stirring. Repeat this process with each addition of stock. Add enough stock so that the rice is cooked al dente and slightly creamy. Stir in the cheese and salt. Mix well and check for seasonings. Serve with braised short ribs or any other protein.

Roasted and Mashed Butternut Squash and Potatoes with Cheddar Cheese

Roasted and Mashed Butternut squash This is one of the sides I came up for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. I was in Trader Joes, as usual, and came across already peeled and cut up butternut squash. I am quite lazy and usually never pick up a whole one- so when I saw a package of organic cut up squash- I was thrilled.

I usually always make some kind of mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving. There is also some kind of sweet potato or butternut squash dish. I wanted to combine the potato and butternut squash and come up with one dish.

Usually for a mashed dish, potatoes are boiled and then mashed. I decided to roast pieces of butternut squash, potatoes and garlic with some olive oil, salt and pepper instead.

Once the vegetables were soft, I ran them through a food mill and added grated cheese, half and half and fresh sage. I baked the dish once more with some grated cheese on top. It was simply delicious! Roasting the vegetables instead of boiling them gave the dish a more intense flavor. It was creamy and the sharp cheddar cheese and sage made it taste like a fabulous holiday side.

I was thrilled with this concoction- please try it for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

  • 1 pound cut up butternut squash (Trader Joes has it already cut and peeled)
  • 3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut up same size as the squash- about 2 inch pieces
  • 4 garlic cloves, whole with skin
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a lined cookie sheet, add the squash, potatoes and garlic cloves. Drizzle the olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes or till the pieces are tender. Take out and let cool. Run the roasted mixture through a food mill or a potato ricer.
At this point the mixture can be refrigerated up to 2 days.

  • 1 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated and divided
  • ½ cup half and half
  • Salt
  • 2 tablespoons fresh sage

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
4 generous servings. Recipe can be doubles.

In a serving bowl, add the butternut squash and potato mixture. Add ½ cup cheese, half and half, salt and sage. Mix well and check for seasonings. Sprinkle remaining of the half cup cheese on top and bake for 30 minutes.

Roasted Mashed Butternut Squash and Potatoes with Cheddar Cheese

Roasted Butternut Squash and Sausage with Herbed Polenta

Butternut Squash and Sausage with Polenta

I saw this dish on Rachel Ray’s show. I can’t remember exactly what she did but it definitely inspired this recipe. I love buying the already cut up butternut squash from Trader Joes– I can’t help myself- I just pick it up. The problem is, my daughter is not a big fan- she doesn’t care for the texture. I get it- everyone has something they don’t like.. so I don’t push it.

I love the healthy, orange vegetable. I especially like it with sausage. I roasted the squash and an apple chicken sausage I got from Trader Joes as well. In case you didn’t guess, I am at TJs almost everyday.

I made herbed polenta which is the easiest starch to make. Try this dish- very easy to make…

  • 1 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 1 pound cooked chicken sausages (apple and chardonnay), sliced into 1 inch pieces
  • 3 to 4 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon sage, chopped
  • Salt
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Transfer the squash, sausage, garlic, rosemary, sage, salt and olive oil to a lined cookie sheet. Roast till the squash is tender and sausage is warmed through- about 40 minutes, while tossing one time in between. Drizzle the balsamic glaze, mix well. Keep aside.

Herbed Polenta

  • 1 cup fine polenta
  • 1½ cups milk
  • 1½ cups chicken broth
  • 2 teaspoons sage, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons rosemary, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • Salt
  • ½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Add the milk, broth (you may need to adjust quantity according to your polenta package instructions), sage, rosemary, garlic and salt. Bring to a boil and cook according to instructions. Once the polenta is done, add salt and cheese. Serve with the roasted squash and sausage.