Squash-Rice Casserole

casserole-ck-361523-x

8 cups sliced zucchini (about 2 1/2 pounds)
1 cup chopped onion
garlic minced
1-2 tbsp olve oil
2 cups cooked rice
1 cup  sour cream
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
parsley for color
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Saute first 3 ingredients in olive oil until tender. Combine zucchini mixture, rice, sour cream, cheddar cheese, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and eggs in a bowl; stir gently. Spoon zucchini mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

 

dmv note:  I halved the recipe, used yellow squash and cubed brie it was quite tasty.

 

Balti-Baked Squash with Feta, Tomato & Mint from The Indian Family Kitchen: Classic Dishes for a New Generation

BaltiBakedSquash_INDIANFAMILYKITCHEN

  • 2 butternut squash, cut in half lengthwise and seeds removed
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil or light olive oil
  • 1 cup spinach leaves, roughly chopped
  • 1 3/4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped mint leaves
  • 6 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and roughly chopped
  • grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven 400°F. Lay the squash, cut-side up, on a rimmed baking sheet.

Roughly crush the cumin and coriander seeds, peppercorns and red pepper flakes with a pestle and mortar before mixing in the garam masala and oil. Rub all over the squash, especially on the flesh side, and bake in the oven for 45 minutes, or until you can put a knife through the flesh of the squash easily.

In the meantime, make the filling by mixing together the spinach, feta, garlic, mint, sun-dried tomatoes and lemon juice.

When the squash is soft, take out of the oven and scoop out nearly all the flesh, leaving a 1/2-inch border of flesh around the inside of each squash half. Mix the scooped-out squash with the filling and pop it all back into the grooves you have just carved out. Sprinkle over the lemon zest and roast in the oven for a further 10 minutes. Serve with a delicious crisp salad, such as Green Bean Salad with Mint, Roasted Fennel & Garlic.

 

Winter Squash Agrodolce by Chris Morocco

Winter-squash-agrodolce-940x560

1 2-pound kabocha squash, peeled, seeds removed, cut into 1-inch wedges
2 delicata or dumpling squashes, seeds removed, cut into 1-inch wedges
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
2 Fresno chiles, thinly sliced
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons golden raisins, chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 400°. Place kabocha and delicata squash on separate large rimmed baking sheets. Drizzle with oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing occasionally, until squashes are golden brown and tender, 30–35 minutes for kabocha and 20–25 minutes for delicata.

Meanwhile, bring chiles, vinegar, honey, raisins, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer until syrupy, 8–10 minutes.

Brush half of warm agrodolce over warm squash. Transfer to a platter.

Just before serving, reheat remaining agrodolce, adding a splash of water if needed to loosen. Spoon over squash.
  Servings: 8

Do Ahead: Dish can be made 3 hours ahead. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature.

Alma’s Cooked Water Soup, Lidia

2 pounds Swiss chaalma's_cooked_water_soup_851_frd
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery , trimmed, peeled and cut in chunks
⅓ cup Italian parsley
8 fresh basil leaves
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon peperoncino
1 tablespoon tomato paste
9 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
eggs, (1 for each serving of soup)
day-old country bread, (1/2 a slice)
pecorino, freshly grated

Wash and drain the chard and tear out the long stems from the leafy parts. Stack the leaves and slice crosswise into 1-inch strips. Cut off the tough base of each stem and discard. Chop the trimmed stems into 1/2-inch pieces.

Using a food processor, mince the onion, celery, parsley, and basil into a fine textured paste (pestata). Heat the oil in the saucepan over medium heat, scrape in the pestata and stir it all around the pan as it starts to steam and sizzle. Sprinkle in the peperoncino and cook, stirring, until the pestata has dried and starts to stick, 4 minutes or so. Drop in the tomato paste, and stir to toast it for a minute.

Pour in the water, raise the heat to high, and stir up all the cooked seasonings, while adding 2 teaspoons of salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Bring the water to the boil and dump in all of the cut chard leaves and chopped stems. Return to the boil, cover partially and cook at a steady simmer for about 40 minutes, until the chard is very tender and the broth is quite flavorful. Turn off the heat until you’re ready to serve.

For each portion, ladle about 1 1/3 cups of soup into the skillet. Heat to a simmer; crack and carefully slip into the soup one egg for each serving. Turn the heat down very low, cover the skillet tightly, and poach the eggs for 2 minutes or longer. Put a bread slice or croutons in each warm soup bowl, and when the eggs are done as you like them, lift them out, one at a time, with a slotted spoon or spatula, taking some cooked greens too. Lay the egg and greens on the bread and ladle in hot broth to cover. Sprinkle pecorino over the egg and broth, and serve immediately, passing more cheese at the table.

– See more at: http://www.lidiasitaly.com/recipes/detail/851#sthash.F17C3DBN.dpuf

Roasted Acorn Squash with Wild Rice Stuffing chow.com

Acorn squash is a satisfying side when roasted and topped with a pat of butter and a drizzle of maple syrup, but filled with a hearty stuffing of wild rice, pecans, and cranberries, it’s a meal in itself. Loaded with comforting flavors, this vegetarian dish brings fall home, but it can be made any time of year.

acorn

The wild rice mixture can be made up to 2 days ahead; keep it refrigerated in an airtight container.
You can make the stuffing up to 6 hours ahead; keep it covered in the refrigerator.

 

 

3 medium acorn squash (about 1 1/2 pounds each), halved lengthwise and seeds removed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 medium shallots, finely chopped
4 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
2 cups cooked wild rice mix
2/3 cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries, finely chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed

Heat the oven to 450°F and arrange a rack in the middle.

NOTE:  The squash baking was a bit fiddly.  I will bake it differently next time as in cut side down for 30 min or so, then turn and bake until almost tender, put in stuffing and finish baking.
Place the squash cut-side up on a baking sheet, brush 1 tablespoon of the melted butter over the tops and insides of the squash halves, sprinkle with the brown sugar, and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until just fork tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, place 1 tablespoon of the melted butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. When it foams, add the onion, shallots, and celery, season with salt and pepper, and stir to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in the thyme and cook until just fragrant, about 1 minute.

Remove from the heat and stir in the rice, pecans, cranberries, and measured salt and pepper.

Divide the rice filling among the roasted squash halves (about 1/2 cup for each) and drizzle the remaining tablespoon of butter over top. Continue roasting until the squash is completely fork tender, the edges have started to brown, and the filling is heated through, about 20 to 25 minutes.

acorn squash stuffed with creamed spinach

IMG_2373 Scrub squash, cut in half and remove seeds and goop. Place cut side down on foil, bake at 400 for 45 min. Sautee a few cloves of garlic in olive oil, add washed spinach and cook until wilted. Add salt, pepper and grated nutmeg along with heavy cream. Heat through. Put in squash, cover with some bread crumbs and parm cheese. Put back in oven and bake until cheese is melted. Yum yum

Autumn Arugula Salad with Caramelized Squash, Spiced Pecans and Pomegranate Ginger Vinaigrette

Autumn-Arugula-Salad-with-Caramelized-Squash-Spiced-Pecans-and-Pomegranate-Ginger-Vinaigrette-5

2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 acorn squash, sliced in 1/2-inch thick rounds and seeds removed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepped
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 cup whole pecans, chopped
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
6 cups baby arugula
1 avocado, sliced
1 pomegranate, arils removed
1 seedless cucumber, sliced

pomegranate ginger vinaigrette
1/3 cup pomegranate juice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 garlic clove, freshly grated
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup olive oil

YIELD: SERVES 2 TO 4

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add coconut oil. Cover the squash slices with salt and pepper, then add them to the skillet and cook until golden, about 5 minutes per side. If desired, you can add the brown sugar to help the squash caramelize. Heat a small saucepan over low heat and add the pecans. Toast until they are slightly golden and fragrant, stirring and shaking the pan as they toast, for about 5 minutes. Toss them with the pumpkin pie spice.

Add the arugula to a large bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add in the avocado, pomegranate arils, cucumber, pecans and squash pieces. Cover in the pomegranate dressing.

pomegranate ginger vinaigrette
Combine pome juice, vinegar, ginger, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl and whisk together. Stream in the olive oil while constantly whisking until the dressing comes together. Store in the fridge for up to one week.

http://www.howsweeteats.com/