Roasted Butternut Squash & Red Onion with Tahini Sauce

A little sweet and a little savory at the same time, butternut is easily my favorite winter squash. I love that it can prepared so simply and be so delicious on its own.

This recipe dresses the squash up a bit, and pairs it with a wonderful lemon-tahini sauce, toasted pine nuts, and caramelized red onions. The flavors in this dish compliment each of the others fantastically... not that you'd expect anything different from the incredible chefs behind Ottolenghi. (I've sung my praises of the London-based Ottolenghi in the past, here.) 

This squash is a great main dish for two, or a wonderful side dish for about four. Enjoy it for lunch, dinner, or in between. It is a simple one to prepare and I think you'll love it as much as I do!

Notes: If you don't have butternut squash around, sweet potatoes will substitute well. Also, za'atar is a Middle Eastern spice blend that can be a little hard to come by, so if you can't find it I've included a substitute blend in the recipe below.

Adapted from Jerusalem by Yottam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi also seen here

Roasted Butternut Squash & Red Onion with Tahini Sauce

roasted squash & red onion
1 large butternut squash (about 3 lb.), cut into 3/4 x 2 1/2-inch wedges
2 medium red onions, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt & black pepper

tahini sauce
3 tablespoons tahini
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2-4 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 small garlic clove, crushed

garnish
1/4 cup pine nuts
Sea salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon za'atar (To substitute: 1 teaspoon each of sumac & sesame seeds, 1/2 teaspoon each of thyme, marjoram, & oregano, and a pinch of salt. Whiz in a spice grinder for a few seconds.)
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
A few handfuls of arugula to serve over (optional)

roasted squash & red onion
Preheat oven to 475°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.

Put the squash in a medium bowl, add about 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and some black pepper. Toss well. Spread squash on one of the baking sheets.

In the now-empty bowl, toss the onion with a tablespoon of the oil, a generous pinch of salt, and a little black pepper. Spread the onions on the other baking sheet.

Place both baking sheets in the oven. Roast the onions for about 15-20 minutes, until they are tender and caramelized. Remove onion sheet from the oven and set aside. Allow the squash to continue roasting for an additional 10-15 minutes (for a total time of 25-35 minutes) until the
vegetables have taken on some color and are cooked through. Remove squash sheet from the oven, add the squash to the sheet with the onions, then set it all aside to cool.

tahini sauce
While the vegetables are roasting, place the tahini in a small bowl along with the lemon juice, water, garlic, and salt. Whisk until the sauce is the consistency of honey, adding more water or tahini if necessary. Set aside.

garnish
Toast the pine nuts in a small frying pan over medium-low heat with a drizzle of olive oil and a 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir often, until the nuts are golden brown. Remove from the heat and transfer the nuts to a small bowl to stop cooking.

To serve, spread the vegetables out on a large serving platter over a bed of arugula (if using) and drizzle the tahini sauce over top. Sprinkle the pine nuts on top, followed by the za’atar (or substituted spice blend, if using) and parsley.

Yield: Serves 2 as a main dish, 4 as a side

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Giant Lima Beans with Stewed Tomatoes & Oregano Pesto

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Plump, creamy beans + garlicky tomato sauce + generous sprinkles of tangy feta + crisp bread crumbs + a *very* tasty herbal pesto = Yum. Capital Y.

This dish is a great way to cook up a delicious, protein-packed meal. It also makes for a great side dish. However you choose to enjoy it, just be sure that you don't skimp on the pesto - it really completes the dish.

Notes: I always make my own bread crumbs; fresh is just so much better, in my opinion. Simply tear up a few slices of whole wheat bread, pulse them in the food processor for a few seconds, and voila! Fresh bread crumbs. For this recipe, you'll finish them up by toasting them on the stove and then add a bit of salt and parsley. Also, the original recipe called for only 1/3 the amount of pesto. (!!! Horror, I know.) So the amount below is my tripled version of the original. It's just too good to not triple. I am anxious to make this again... one for the beans, and two, for the pesto because I can imagine it'd be fantastic drizzled on all sorts of things: sandwiches, roasted vegetables, toast with egg, a hearty lentil stew.... Enjoy!

Adapted from Food & Wine

Toasted Barley Salad with Tomato, Zucchini, & Caramelized Corn

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With autumn just around the corner, I've been frantically using up the glorious summer bounty our garden has so graciously shared this season. The kitchen counter is practically overflowing with squash, green beans, tomatoes, corn, zucchini, bell peppers, basil, raspberries, and other such lovelies.

The bounty of summer is hard to under-appreciate. Nothing compares to biting into a freshly picked, deep red, juicy tomato. Really, nothing quite does. Likewise, an ear of grilled corn slathered with butter and sprinkled with a bit of salt epitomizes summer. All of this and the long, lazy summer evenings on the back porch surrounded by great company are the things I will miss most. 

This end-of-summer salad was inspired by that abundant harvest of fresh produce consuming the kitchen counter. It's kind of like summer on a plate - fresh and bright. I hope you'll enjoy it as we begin our farewells to this wonderful, generous season.

Notes: This kind of salad is the perfect dish for a picnic or a long, lazy summer lunch because it gets better as it sits and marinates in the dressing. Serve it with grilled meats or fish as a side dish, or with plenty of lightly cooked vegetables as a vegetarian main course. The salad is also very open to  adaptations based on what the garden is producing. Feel free to even add some toasted nuts for a bit more crunch.

Adapted from here

Gnocchi with Fresh Basil & Italian Parsley

per·fect gnoc·chi (according to Brooke), n.

1. Light, delicate, billowy dumplings. Crisp on the outside. Creamy, buttery, rich on the inside.

2. A little bit of heaven.

All I want to say today is this: If you can make perfect ricotta, you can make perfect gnocchi.

It's just about that simple.

And then all you have to do is throw in a few handfuls of fresh basil and fragrant parsley and you've got yourself a little bit of gnocchi heaven.

Just sayin'.

Notes: This recipe is best when made with fresh ricotta (as we made here), but I don't see why store-bought wouldn't also work in a pinch. Just keep in mind that the cheese from the grocery store is not as moist as homemade, so I'd start with a little less flour so the gnocchi don't end up too dry or tough. Also, you can serve the gnocchi with whatever toppings or sauces you fancy. I love the simplicity of fresh herbs to really showcase the creamy, buttery flavor of the gnocchi while letting the herbs have a bit of a shining role, too. Any kind of pesto would dress the gnocchi up nicely, as well, or perhaps a simple garlic, tomato, and prosciutto sauce. The possibilities are endless, really, so experiment with whatever your heart desires. One final thing: If you would like to freeze the gnocchi for later use, do so just after cutting the dumpling pieces. Arrange the gnocchi in a single layer on a baking pan and place the pan in the freezer. Freeze until solid, about 3 hours. Place the frozen gnocchi in an appropriate container. To cook, boil as directed below, with no need to thaw the dumplings.

Adapted from a recent Instructional Dinner I attended at one of my very favorite restaurants. 

Barley & Millet Risotto

Arborio rice is an Italian short-grain rice that is traditionally used to make risotto. When cooked, the grains become creamy and chewy - perfect for a comforting dish like risotto. Here, instead of using the traditional arborio rice, I used barley, which still creates that creamy, chewy texture, but is a bit more wholesome. The addition of a little millet to this risotto is also nice - for added nutrition, texture, and flavor. This risotto makes for a lovely lunch or a nice side dish for dinner.

Risotto can be adapted a million different ways. The version I have pictured includes some quartered cherry tomatoes, toasted almonds, a bit of fresh oregano, and a drizzle of olive oil. You can use this risotto recipe as a springboard for all kinds of flavor combinations. I have included a few of my own ideas in the recipe below, but definitely experiment. And if you do, let me know what you like!

Notes: If you'd like to make this a full meal that is a little more substantial, you might try some grilled chicken or a fried egg on top. If you are lucky enough to find it, farro is a great and delicious substitution to the barley, but both work equally well.

Adapted from 101 cookbooks


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Hummus

Like most college students, I had several different roommates over the years. All had fun, unique qualities, and we all got along so well. There are many fun memories we created over the years and the one I share today took place during my Freshman year.

It was a Sunday afternoon. We were all in the kitchen looking for a little pick-me-up when Daniella pulled out her blender. She dumped in a can of beans, plopped a few scoops of tan gloopy stuff inside, tossed in some garlic cloves, and sprinkled in a few pinches of green powder. Then she pushed "blend." After a minute or so, she took the lid off the blender and stuck a pita chip right into the light creamy stuff.

My curiosity was peaked. The only ingredient I recognized was garlic. What was that light creamy puree she had made? I asked her just that and Daniella said it was called hummus. She offered me a taste and I immediately had to know more about it. She explained that it was a simple chickpea puree eaten frequently in the Middle East. She told me all about chickpeas, tahini, and her special green spice blend, called Zatar, which came straight from the Middle East. Boy, was that stuff yummy.

Not long after, I started making my own hummus and have been doing so since that first year of college with Daniella. Though I have no Zatar picked up from a recent trip to the Middle East, I still think this hummus is quite delightful.

There are many different versions of hummus: black bean hummus, roasted red pepper hummus, sun-dried tomato hummus, chipotle cilantro hummus, the list goes on. Basically, if you can blend it, you can probably make some kind of hummus with it. This is my favorite classic version: chickpeas, garlic, hummus, tahini, lemon, olive oil, and a few spices. Hummus makes for a great afternoon snack. It's healthy, filling, creamy, and light. I like hummus served with pita chips or homemade crackers. It is also a great spread in sandwiches or a dip for vegetables.

Notes: The only special ingredient you need to make hummus is called tahini. Tahini is sesame paste - simply ground up sesame seeds. Think of peanut butter, but made with sesame seeds. You can usually find tahini by the peanut butter in most grocery stores. Also, I like the fresh taste of home cooked beans, but you can certainly use canned if you prefer, just be sure to drain and rinse the beans.

Adapted from The New Best Recipe

Red Pepper and Broccoli Quinoa

This is one of my go-to favorites for a quick, healthy, and satisfying lunch. It's light and refreshing and the ingredients are usually in the fridge around here, so it's a snap to throw together.

Notes: I cook a big batch of chickpeas every so often and keep them in plastic bags in the freezer. Frozen beans thaw quickly and are great for tossing in recipes like this. As for the roasted red pepper, you have a few options: you can used jarred peppers from the store (great for off-season), you can roast your own in the oven, or (my preferred method) saute a chopped one with a little olive oil until tender.

Adapted from Sprouted Kitchen