Squash and Ricotta Toasts

• 1 butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into 1/2-inch pieces  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil  
• kosher salt and black pepper  
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar  
• 1 tablespoon honey  
• 4 slices country bread, toasted  
• 1/2 cup ricotta 

Heat oven to 450° F. Toss the squash, oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper on a rimmed baking sheet and roast, tossing once until tender, 16 to 18 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the vinegar and honey in a small pot over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until syrupy, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool.

Top the bread with the ricotta and roasted squash, dividing evenly. Drizzle with the syrup.

Serves 4.

VERDICT: This seemed like something I should like, but it was a little odd and I didn't look forward to leftovers.  Probably operator error, but toss anyway.

Squash Lasagne

• olive oil
• 1 large butternut squash (3 lbs)
• 1 level tsp. ground coriander
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 fresh red chile
• 2 T. balsamic vinegar
• 2 14oz cans plum tomatoes
• 7 oz baby spinach
• 2 oz Pamesan cheese
• 8 oz dried whole-wheat lasagne sheets
• 14 oz reduced-fat cottage cheese
• 6 T. 2% milk
• 1 T. raw sunflower seeds
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and rub two large roasting pans with a little oil. Halve and seed the squash, leaving the skin on, then slice into 1/2 inch half-moon shapes.  Lay in a single layer across the pans.  Sprinkle over the ground coriander and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, then roast for 50 minutes, or until soft and lightly golden.

Meanwhile, peel the garlic, seed the chile, then finely slice both and place in a large pan on med-high heat with 1 T. oil.  Cook for 3 minutes, or until lightly golden, then add the balsamic and canned tomatoes, breaking them up as you go, and 1 can's worth of water.  Simmer on medium heat for 15-20 minutes, or until slightly thickened, then season to perfection.

To layer up, spread a third of the tomato sauce across the base of a 10x12 -inch baking dish.  Cover with a layer of raw spinach leaves, a layer of roasted squash, a fine grating of Parmesan, and a layer of lasagne sheets.  Repeat the layers twice more, finishing with the lasagne sheets. Loosen the cottage cheese with the milk, mashing the curds a little, then lightly season and spoon over the top. Finely grate over the remaining Parmesan and scatter over the sunflower seeds. Rub the rosemary sprig with oil, then strip the leaves over the top.  Bake at the bottom of the overn for 45 minutes, or until golden and bubbling, then serve.

Serves 6; 438 calories.

VERDICT:  I had some problems with execution.  The top layer seemed like it needed more liquid than the cottage cheese provided--it got tough and crunchy.  On the whole, though, it was good, and fairly easy as far as lasagna goes.  Roasting the butternut squash with the skin on was a revelation--so much easier than peeling.  Keep, with construction modifications. (From Jamie Oliver's Everyday Super Food.)

Apple-Butternut Squash Soup

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 4 red or golden apples, peeled, cored, and chopped, plus 1 apple, finely diced and tossed in lemon juice, for garnish (optional)
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 1/2 cups water, plus more if needed
• 1 jalapeno chile, thinly sliced, for garnish (optional)
• Sour cream, for garnish (optional) 

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften, about 4 minutes. Add squash, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes.

 

 

Add apples, salt, cumin, coriander, ginger, cayenne, black pepper, stock, and the water (just enough to cover). Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until vegetables are very soft, about 30 minutes.

 

Puree in batches in a food processor or blender until smooth, and return to saucepan. Heat over low, thinning with more water if necessary. To serve, ladle into shallow bowls; garnish with diced apples, jalapeno slices, and sour cream if desired.

 

Serves 6.

VERDICT:  I made this to use up the last of the butternut squash from the farmer's market, as well as some apples and froze it before we left for Ireland.  It reheated well and tasted good--spicier than I'd anticipated.  I skipped the suggested garnishes, but swirled in some yogurt and sprinkled on some pepitas.  Keep--a good pantry soup. 

Granola Dust

• 10 cups rolled oats
• 8 oz unsalted mixed nuts
• 3 1/2 oz mixed seeds, such as chia, poppy, sunflower, sesame, flaxseed, pumpkin
• 8 oz unsweetened mixed dried fruit, such as blueberries, cranberries, sour cherries, mango, apricots, sultanas, figs
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground coffee
• Zest of 1 orange

Preheat the oven to 350.

 

Place the oats, nuts, and seeds in your largest roasing pan.  Toss together and roast for about 15 minutes, stirring once.  Take the tray out of the oven and add the dried fruit, cocoa powder, ground coffee and the orange zest.

Blitz the mixture in batches in a food processor until finely ground.  Keep in an airtight container.

 

To serve:

1/2 c. dust with milk or yogurt and fresh fruit

Porridge--1/2 c. dust w/3/4 c. milk, top with fresh fruit

Smoothie--1/2 c. dust, 3/4 c. milk, ripe banana, handful frozen raspberries

Pancakes--2 T. dust, 1 heaping T. self-rising flour, 1 mashed banana, 1 egg

Hot drink--1/4 c. dust, 3/4 c. milk

Serves 32.

VERDICT:  I didn't care so much for this cold, but I have been enjoying it as porridge, heated for about a minute in the microwave, with chopped apples.  Easy and flexible.  Keep.  (From Jamie Oliver's Everyday Super Food.)

 

Butternut Squash and Barley Risotto

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 cup pearl barley
• 1 butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (2 ounces), plus more, shaved, for serving

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the wine and cook until syrupy, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the broth and barley and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until almost tender, 24 to 26 minutes. Add the squash and cook, stirring occasionally, until the barley and squash are tender, 25 to 35 minutes more (adding more liquid if the risotto becomes too thick before the barley and squash are tender). Stir in the Parmesan.

Serve topped with additional shaved Parmesan.

Serves 4.

VERDICT:  This could not be easier and is really good--savory and creamy.  Keep!

Rye Soda Bread

• 50 g wholemeal flour, plus extra for dusting
• 100 g rye flour
• 50 g oats
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 large free-range egg
• 1 x 300 ml tub buttermilk or natural yogurt

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Place both flours, the oats, bicarbonate of soda and 1 level teaspoon of sea salt in a large bowl and mix together

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg and buttermilk/yogurt together, then use a fork to stir the egg mixture into the flour. Once it starts to come together, use your lightly floured clean hands to pat and bring the dough together.

Shape the dough into a round ball and place on a lightly floured baking tray, dusting the top lightly with flour too.

Use your hands to flatten the dough into a disc, roughly 3cm deep. Score a cross or star into the top with a knife, about 1/2cm deep, then bake in the centre of the oven for 40-45 minutes, or until a firm crust has formed and it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Transfer to a wire cooling rack, and serve slightly warm.

VERDICT: I had the idea that we would use this to make sandwiches.  That will not be happening--even after baking, the loaf remains about an inch and a half high.  It is, however, a really nice, chewy, snack bread--best, as advertised, served warm.  I'm not sure I really need a snack bread in my life, but it is super easy, and I generally have all the ingredients on hand.  Keep.  From Jamie Oliver's Everyday Super-Food.

Radish and Pecan Grain Salad

• 2 cups mixed grains (like farro, freekeh, wheat berries, wild rice, and quinoa, pearl barley, or any combination of the above)
• 1 cup baby arugula leaves
• 1 cup parsley leaves, minced
• 1/2 cup tarragon leaves, minced
• 1/2 cup mint leaves, cut in a chiffonade
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1/4 cup walnut oil
• 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
• 1 cup lime, watermelon, or French breakfast radishes, cut into thin slices, preferably using a mandoline
• 1/4 cup shallot, minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the grains and cook until just tender, about 25 minutes. (With grains like wild rice and wheat berries, add them to the pot first and cook 10 minutes before adding remaining grains).

Drain the grains into a colander, then set aside until warm to the touch.

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss well. Season with salt to taste.

Serves: 6-8 as a side dish.

VERDICT:  I made this because we got some watermelon radishes at the farmers market (fall farmers market--so fun!).  It did not have mint, because the plant I thought was rogue mint in the garden was actually a weed.  I also forgot to put the arugula in.  Still, not bad!  I really liked the flexibility of the grains--I used up a little smidgen of wheatberries, some wild rice, and some freekeh.  Keep.