November is a time for squash dishes. The chill weather calls for hearty yet healthy dinners. Nothing beats a warming pumpkin soup or a stuffed acorn squash. Best of all squash is an ingredient to use. Even novie chefs can create tasty dishes with it.
Even though Halloween is over you can still make tasty pumpkin dishes. The Piedmontese create a tasty pumpkin soup that rich with flavor. Can you use your Halloween pumpkin?Yes! Make sure the inside is scooped out (you can toast and salt the seeds in the oven) and that the pumpkin is roughly chopped.If you prefer canned then it's a must that you use canned pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. The last already has sugar and spices in it. It needs to be just pure pumpkin. it starts with caramelizing a chopped onion (this will give the soup a lot of flavor) in a mix of olive oil and plant butter - or real butter. It's then adding the pumpkin and about a cup of broth. Add salt and pepper. As it's cooking slowly stir in any kind of milk (unsweetened almond works well) and then simmer for twenty minutes to half an hour. You can still in cooked rice later and serve with a splash of milk for more creaminess. Roasted pumpkin is another tasty way to enjoy it. It's just cubing a sugar pumpkin , one of the smaller ones and then first microwaving it. This softens the flesh and makes it easier to cut apart. Slice into half moons and then cubed.Toss them first in olive oil and then a mix of garlic powder and salt and pepper. Roast about thirty minutes in a 450 degree oven. This is the perfect side for chicken or turkey.
Acorn squash is another great fall vegetable. it's a great side easily microwaved and served with scoops of butter. It;s excellent stuffed and you can have fun with the stuffings. Try a turkey one mixed with ground turkey, baby bella mushrooms and diced apples. Season with fresh rosemary and garlic powder along with salt and pepper. A vegetarian version would be quinoa cooked with mushrooms,sage and a pinch of cinnamon. Stuffed acorn squash is usually roasted for half an hour in a 425 degree Farenheit oven. This is the perfect hearty dish served with a salad and crusty warm bread. Butternut squash is also another fall favorite. It can be the main or a side dish to any autumn Sunday dinner. Roasted butternut squash is usually cubed and then tossed in olive oil before roasting. You could add a variety of different spices but these can mask the earth sweet flavor. Just season with freshly ground pepper and season salt before roasting in a 400 degree Farenheit oven for about twenty-five to thirty five minutes. Keep in mind that any kind of squash makes for a good ravioli stuffing. The sauce can be a simple cream one or a butter and sage mix.
Squash is a delicious main dish or side to be served during these nippy days. It can be a side or a main dish. Try any of the varieties for good fall eating.
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