Tuesday, December 8, 2009

spicy roasted butternut squash






GOOD MORNING!!!
This receipt is for Jessy's great friend Sarah!!!
I originally took it out of a great great cook book by Jamie Oliver......called the Naked Chef!
This hardly takes any trouble....can be as cheap as possible....and can be chopped up and used with pasta..or in risotto.....or mashed like mashed potatoes....topped with a bit of Parmesan cheese and cream...yyuuuuummmmm
so here goes...this one is for you Sarah!

SPICY ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH
1 medium butternut squash(about 1 1/2-2 pounds)

(helpfull hint.....the spices i am going to give you below...yes wil give you a wonderful flavorfull veggie.....but don t worry if you dont have them.....salt/pepper///and wellll i do love my chili flakes now.....will do just as well!!! :-) )

2 teaspoon coriander seeds(i use the 1 teaspon powdered)
2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 dried teaspoon dried chili pepper flakes(more or less to your liking!
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
lots of powdered garlic(the receipt calls for fresh minced garlic....but i find it burns!/
1 tablespoon oil oil!...yes that is really all it needs.....so you see it is not only yummy and healthy...it is also quite dietetic !!!

o. k. so lets begin!!!!

wash the squash(it's a funny name... no?)
..especially the skin....since it will become nice and crunchy, and you will
eat it also like you eat potato skins
then
with a large sharp knife cut the squash in half
with a large tablespoon....scoop out the seeds....put aside and save
Now cut the half's into quarters .....and then depending on how thick or thin
you want it ...cut again (the thiner the more spicy, and quicker it will cook!
the larger the slices, the more creamy and purer of a butternut taste you wi
ll get, but it will take longer
i like mine around 1 inch think....they will look like little boats

take out a nice size(preferably shallow) bowl
put all the dry ingredients , including the olive oil, in the bowl
add the squash and with your hands mix it all!
now at first, it will look like not all the pieces are covered, but have patience, eventually ,by rubbing, the dry ingredients on the spots that are naked...all will be covered, AND your hands will have had a nice exfoliation(:-)
place the squash pieces in a line, skin side, down on a shallow baking sheet
making sure you have scraped MOST of the dried herbs,out of the bowl and on top
of the squash
roast in a preheated 400 degree oven until tender inside, and carmelized and crunchy/chewy outside
there all done....now just eat..yummmmmmmmy
helpful hints.......i like to preheat the baking tray by putting it in the oven for a few min BEORE in put the squash on it.....you will know it is right because the squash will sizzle when you place it on the tray!
oh oh oh and the SEEDS
well i have to say for many years i have tryed in vain to make good pumpkin seeds to no avail....but i tried with these seeds and they were DELICIOUS
ssoooooooo here is what you do
separate the goo from the seeds.....come on you whimpy guys you can do it....then place the seeds in the uncleaned bowl that you used for the squash...it will have a lot of flavor still in it......roll around the seeds to use the last of the dried herbs(no oil necessary)....put on clean baking tray...and cook(400 degrees)....and watch
how long....well this is the secret i learned ...the darn things POP!!!.....when i heard a POP!.....i knew they were done!!!! (not very scientific) or should i say gastronomic :-)


SO THERE IT IS...THAT WAS THE EASY PART lets see how the loading of photos goes....:-(









2 comments:

  1. the butternut squash looks mighty small in this photo.....you should use a larger one

    ReplyDelete
  2. oh oh oh ....and it takes me at least on hour to cook this to my liking!!!

    ReplyDelete