Fall is here and I'm loving all
things squash. This week I prepped a lovely and light fall meal with two of my
favorite squashes—butternut and acorn. These squashes are the ideal ingredient
for the beginning of fall. Once cooked, their velvety texture and buttery taste
are the culinary equivalent of wearing Ugg boots and a cozy sweater while it
softly rains outside. They just make you feel snug and warm.
For the acorn squash, I sliced it vertically from stem to bottom in halves, and then sliced those again into quarters. I turned the quarters 90 degrees and then sliced those quarters horizontally into small smiling clouds. Because that’s really how you might describe a c-shaped puffy cut of acorn squash, right? Lastly, the clouds were smothered in a sweet and spicy maple glaze just before being grilling. The acorn squash caramelized in just the right way and made the perfect topper for my fall salad.
After cubing the butternut squash, it went straight into a lovely fall soup that gave me leftovers for days. The tart apple and the pungent onion really helped to draw out the flavor in the savory butternut squash and sweet potatoes. And, the soup is an absolute cinch—a chop and dump kind of thing. One cutting board, a knife, and a slow cooker, and the recipe is complete. Now that's my kind of dish, especially when you're getting ready to entertain and you don't want to deal with a dishwasher full of dishes! This low effort, high yield soup will become a staple in our fall meal rotation. And good news… it gets even better after a day of sitting to let the flavors meld together.
I
hope these squash dishes get you in the mood for fall. And, hold onto your slow
cookers and scarves... there are many more squash dishes to come. We are just
getting started this season. Happy fall!
Here are the recipes.
Sweet and Spicy Maple Glazed Grilled Acorn Squash
I grilled these acorn squash slices to keep the dishes to a
minimum, to keep the oven off so the house would stay cool for entertaining,
and because it was a beautiful evening—our grilling days are numbered here in
Seattle. It's about to get really rainy...for 6-7 months. We should enjoy
outdoor cooking while we still can. But, in cooler weather, I think I could
adapt this recipe by following all the steps but baking the slices in a
450-degree oven. The high heat would optimize the caramelization effect that
occurs from the glaze.
Ingredients
3/4 stick of vegan butter
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried ground mustard seed
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 acorn squashes (about 2 pound each)
Method
Melt the butter in a small saucepan and turn off the heat. Whisk in all the other ingredients (except the acorn squash, of course). Return to stove and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes to reduce. Remove the glaze from the stove and let cool.
While the glaze is cooling, carefully halve the squashes from stem to bottom. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon and discard. Then, slice the halves into quarters. Take each quarter and turn 90 degrees. Slice the quarters horizontally into 1/4-1/2 inch scalloped clouds, half-moons, or c-shaped pieces. Place the slices in a large baking dish or bowl.
Turn the grill onto medium high heat. Toss the cooled glaze with the squash and place in a grill basket. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the acorn squash is fork tender. Serve warm or at room temperature.
The acorn squash recipe was adapted from one originally posted to the Food Network.
Maple Vinaigrette
This salad dressing was the perfect complement to the Sweet and Spicy Maple Glazed Acorn Squash. I played on the sweet and spicy flavor notes when pulling together the salad. I used mixed greens, green onion, roasted and salted pepitas, dried cherries, pomegranate seeds, and avocado.
Dressing Ingredients
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Put all ingredients in a salad dressing shaker or lidded ball jar and shake until well incorporated. You could also whisk in a medium sized bowl or blend. This dressing keeps in the fridge for a couple of days if you have leftovers.
Butternut Squash Slow Cooker Soup
This soup is a marriage of fall flavors starting with velvety butternut squash, then crisp green apples and the potato version of candy, sweet potatoes, and finishing with some savory onion and spices. When the soup came together, I thought it needed a creaminess, so I grabbed what I had on hand, sweet almond milk creamer, and swirled it into the finished soup. The sweet richness of the creamer gave the soup a depth of flavor and a luxurious taste that really elevated the dish.
Ingredients
2 medium onions, diced
2 medium-large butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped into 1" cubes
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1" cubes
2 green apples, cored, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
black pepper, to taste
6 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1/4 cup sweet cream almond milk creamer*
Candied pecans, for garnishing
*The sweet cream almond milk creamer was a last minute add. You could use the same amount of full-fat coconut milk, or if another cream subsitute.
Method
Combine all ingredients, except the candied pecans and almond milk creamer, in a large slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours, stirring every so often.
Using an imersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Then, add in the almond milk creamer and a couple turns of freshly ground black pepper from a mill. Ladle into bowls and top with candied pecans.
This recipe was adapted from one found at Kristine's Kitchen. Thanks for the ideas!
I decorated the table with a variety of metallic, white, and ivory tone glassybabies.
