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Posts Tagged ‘squash’

Buttercup Apple Cake with Maple Walnut Icing

Made this cake for my birthday yesterday. It’s made from roasted and pureed buttercup squash and shredded apples. The crumb is moist, full of spice and topped with toasted walnuts and maple syrup icing. After a very full and extended weekend spent with friends and family, it was a real treat.

I feel so truly thankful for everything in my life right now, there’s not much more I feel I could ask for. But I think this next year may top it, we’ll see.

Buttercup Apple Cake with Maple Walnut Icing / serves 10-12
I used buttercup squash, but I think any pumpkin or squash puree will work.

2 1/2 cups light spelt flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
3/4 cup muscovado or brown sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature
1/2 cup milk (almond, cow, etc.)
1 1/2 cups buttercup squash puree *see how to prepare below
1 1/2 cups shredded apple, about 1 large apple (I used Gala)

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger and set aside.

In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the coconut oil and sugar together until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Scrape down the bowl if needed.

In a small bowl combine the squash puree with the milk.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the egg mixture in three additions, alternating between the dry mixture and two additions of the squash mixture, scraping down the sides as needed. Fold in the shredded apple.

Spread the batter into the pan. The batter will be thick, so smooth the top and give a few taps on the counter to remove any air bubbles.

Bake for about 45-55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 15 minutes in pan on wire rack before removing from Bundt pan and letting cool completely before glazing.

maple walnut glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/3 cup toasted walnuts or pecans

Place the powdered sugar in a small bowl. Add the maple syrup 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring well after each addition. If mixture is too stiff or dry keep adding the maple syrup 1 tablespoon at a time until it reaches your desired consistency. Pour about 1/2 the glaze over the cake, top with toasted walnuts, they drizzle on the rest.

* To make your own buttercup squash puree, preheat oven to 375F. Cut squash in half, scrape out the seeds and lay flesh side down on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a fork easily pierces through. Time will vary depending on size of squash. Let cool until you can comfortably hold it and scoop the flesh out. Run in a food processor until really smooth. Store tightly covered in the fridge for several days or place in the freezer to use later.

Desserts + Sweets, Fall, Vegetables

Roasted Acorn Squash & Black Bean Tandoori Enchiladas

This weekend was ordinary and I say that with an excited smile in my voice, because running a graphic design and handmade business with your husband is not exactly high up on the ordinary list. Between packing up your car so full with product you can’t see out the back window, then driving hundreds of miles for craft shows several times a year; to meeting with clients on skype to discuss color and font choices for their logo, I never thought this would be a way of life for me. Don’t get me wrong, I love it. I just mean, I don’t really think many in my generation grew up saying they wanted to be a business owner or freelancer and blogger wasn’t even a term thought of yet.

We were in LA on a very hot July weekend this year and during one of the shows (maybe I was wary from the heat) I had this moment in my mind that drifted to looking at the two of us sitting there from another prospective. I turned to Scott and said “We live such a weird life. It’s kinda like we’re modern day gypsies that have iphone’s, mac computers, and tweet. I wonder what everyone here thinks when they see this (amazing) group of people all spread out selling their products?” It’s not that I really care what other’s think, but I think there are a few who don’t realize this is how we make a living, it’s not just a hobby for us. And it’s really true, we’ve made friends with artists from OR, to CA, to TX and NY doing the same thing. We all travel to these shows and each time we get the same questions, “You actually made this?” Our response, “Yes, we did.” Some people really get it and it’s such an amazing experience to see somthing you’ve made go from your hands into another’s. And then there’s those that don’t. We take it with a grain of salt.

We’re trying to get into the habit of no work on the weekends, unless we have major deadlines. So, when I woke up on Saturday, to the sound of rain on the roof, I took it in. The house was cold and made me linger under the covers just a little longer. We haven’t needed to turn on our heat yet, we’re trying to see if we can make it to November and I keep counting the days off in my head. Luckily, the temperature hasn’t dropped down below 60 degrees, but still, I’m dressed in layers and keep my hands wrapped around endless mugs of tea.

We spent the day doing odd chores around the house. I pulled up the last of the tomato plants and admired the progress of the brussels sprouts. I made applesauce from a large box my mom dropped off for us the week before. Scott discovered a new treasure buried in our yard. It was an old Ford model T wheel with wooden spokes. I think we may give it to my dad. Sunday, Scott left around 6am to go fly fishing with a friend. I was out of bed not to long after and enjoyed the morning and afternoon reading, sewing, making enchiladas, and filling the silence with a little of this, this, and this.

A couple weeks ago I made Sarah’s (from My New Roots) Tandoori Cauliflower. It was a pretty fantastic way to serve cauliflower and it left me with a little jar of the tandoori spice mix leftover. Considering I really like my winter squash cooked with lots of spice, rather then the sweet side, I thought it’d make a good fit. Keeping with the warm comfort food theme, I decided to roast some acorn squash, mix it with black beans and the tandoori, wrap it all up in corn tortillas, smother it with fresh tomato (last ones from the garden) enchilada sauce, and top it all off with cheese. It was the perfect ordinary weekend if you ask me.

Roasted Acorn Squash & Black Bean Tandoori Enchiladas / serves 6
I think any Winter squash would work great in the recipe, besides spaghetti squash. And to make this quicker feel free to use your favorite enchilada sauce from a can, I just couldn’t bare to let my last tomatoes go to waste.

1 acorn squash, sliced in half, seeds removed then sliced into 6 wedges
olive oil for brushing
2 cups (or one 14oz. can drained) black beans
2 heaping teaspoons Sarah’s Tandoori spice mix
1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese, divided (more or less depending on preference)
about 2 cups enchilada sauce (recipe below) or from your favorite enchilada sauce
10-12 5-inch corn tortillas
cilantro, for garnish (optional)
avocado, for garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Place the squash on a baking sheet and brush generously with olive oil. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. Turn the oven down to 350F.

While the squash is roasting I like to lightly char my tortillas by heating a cast iron pan over high heat and letting them get all toasty and browned/gently blackened on each side. This is totally optional, but an easy step if you want to add some visual appeal and a little smoky flavor.

Cool the squash enough to handle, then either peel the skin and chop into pieces or scoop it out and combine with the black beans, tandoori, and 3/4 cup of the cheese. Fill the bottom of a baking dish with enough enchilada sauce to coat the bottom. Grab a tortilla and fill it with about 1/3 cup of the black bean mixture, carefully roll in the sides and lay it seem side down in the sauce. Repeat until you’ve used up all the filling. Top with the rest of the enchilada sauce and cheese and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until cheese has melted and the filling is warmed through. Cool slightly and serve with cilantro and avocado.

fresh tomato enchilada sauce
2 1/2 pounds tomatoes
olive oil
1 small onion, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon chile powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

Roast the tomatoes at 425F for about 20-25 minutes or until the skins begin to split open.

Meanwhile, heat a sauce pot over medium heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom, then stir in the onion and garlic. Cook until the onion softens and starts to turn golden. Stir in the chile powder and cumin and cook another minute.

Toss in the roasted tomatoes and gently smash with the back of a wooden spoon. Using an immersion blender, puree the mixture until smooth. Stir in salt to taste. Gently simmer uncovered for another 10 minutes. Use immediately or let cool and store covered in the fridge for several days.

Fall, Gluten-Free, Proteins, Vegetables, Winter

Sunbutter Noodles with Fresh Veggies

It was time to thin out the garden. If you follow me on facebook maybe you’ve seen a little glimpse into our backyard garden. It is so crazy how in mid May everything was still a bare patch of dirt. Now it’s overflowing and I’m placed with the hard task of thinning out the carrots and greens to let the others grow larger. I’m also slowly learning that I have more I want to plant, but I’m running out of space to put it until other things have run their course. It is no easy task for me to rip out the small, fragile plants I grew from seed, but I know I’ll get something better if I do.

This task reminds me to think of the whole picture. When creating, I can become so worked up in the end or final product, that I forget or begrudge all the small steps I have to take to get there. Good things take time and they sometimes take sacrifice.

So inspiration for this sunbutter noodle bowl; I credit the carrots… and the squash that is teetering on taking over very soon. I’m slowing that process by eating them young and stealing a few blossoms here and there.

On a side note, we’re packing our bags and leaving the keys for a friend to watch the house and garden, while Scott and I head south later this week for a work/vacation trip to California. We’ll be at the Renegade shows in San Francisco and LA and camping and visiting family in between. I am really excited for this trip. I love the OR and CA coast and it’s going to feel good to take a little road trip. I plan to eat crazy fresh food, stopping at the many road-side places that always seem to be in abundance in CA and hope to take lots of pictures of our adventure. If you happen to live in those cities, please come stop by and say hello during the show. I’d really like it and I’ll try not to be too shy : )

I also have a post lined up for next week and it’s a special one. Nicole, over at The Giving Table has created an event to raise awareness for Slave Free Tomatoes. On July 24th she’s inviting food bloggers to donate a post to raise awareness about injustices in U.S tomato fields and ask the CEO’s of major supermarket chains to endorse the Fair Food Program, ensuring the tomatoes you buy are slave free. For all the details please visit her site.

Sunbutter Noodles with Fresh Veggies / serves 4

I made my own sunbutter. It’s totally easy and I give instructions below. If you only want to make the sunbutter, I suggest adding a pinch of salt and a nob of honey to sweeten it up, delicious. I think leaving the sunbutter sauce on the thick side would make a great dip for fresh veggies too. Also, I use rice noodles here, but I think soba or possibly even spaghetti noodles would work as well.

1 cup sunflower seeds, toasted (plus more for garnish) or 1/2 cup pre-made sunbutter
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons tamari
1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon raw honey
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes (depending on how spicy you like)
1/4-1/2 cup water
4-6 oz. rice noodles
1/4 lb. snow peas, washed, strings removed, sliced on the diagonal
1 bunch carrots, julienned
1-2 summer squash, julienned
4-5 squash blossoms, optional
1/2 cup packed cilantro, roughly chopped
green onion, roughly chopped

If making your own sunbutter, place the sunflower seeds into a food processor and blend until they become creamy and smooth, it’s going to take about 8-10 minutes total. After about 5 minutes, scrape down the sides, and continue blending. Once a creamy consistency, add the vinegar, tamari, ginger, honey, oil, ref chile flakes, and 1/4 cup water. Puree until smooth. If using pre-made sunbutter, place everything in at once. If you want the sauce to be thinner add more water.

Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Stir in about 3/4 of the sauce mixture and the cilantro. Add more sauce or water to get the the consistency you desire.

If you want a pretty serving (as in the first photo) plate the noodles and surround it with the fresh veggies. Otherwise, stir in all the vegetables and top with the green onion and extra sunflower seeds just before serving. Season with salt to taste and serve at room temperature or chilled.

Gluten-Free, Spring, Summer, Vegan, Vegetables

Chipotle Delicata Squash Soup

I thought I’d sneak in one more Fallish type soup before winter officially settles in and heartier stews and chiles start taking their place. Rich, creamy squash soups kind of waver on that line of hearty and filling like a stew though anyways, so I’ll probably still be making this one through winter until we run out of squash. Or get tried of it, which ever comes first.

I really love winter squash combined with chiles and all things spicy. I typically go for that flavor combination over squash that’s been sweetened with brown sugar and cinnamon, it’s just too sweet for me. I had my mind set on using chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, a favorite of mine for when I want to add a distinct smoky flavor to things with a spicy kick to it too. It worked out perfectly, and the best part is how simple the recipe is and how few ingredients are needed. I love when that happens.

Chipotle Delicata Squash Soup / serves 4-6

The soup is super creamy with just enough spice to it, where you know it’s there, but your mouth isn’t overwhelmed with heat. It’s so rich and velvety and feels like there’s cream in it, but that’s the beauty of pureed squash. I used delicata squash here, but I’m sure most winter squash would work too, try butternut or kabocha. You should be able to find chipotle chiles in adobo sauce in any ethnic aisle of your grocery store. They come in a can and since there are always way more in there than I ever use in one recipe, I end up freezing the rest to use later. I also just found out you can keep them stored, tightly covered, in the fridge for about 3 months too.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 3/4 – 2 pounds delicata squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed into 1/2-inch pieces
5 cups vegetable broth
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Once hot add the oil and onion. Cook stirring frequently until the onion starts turning golden and caramelizing. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer.

Add the squash and vegetable broth and bring everything to a gentle boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until the squash has softened. Stir in the chipotle chile, cumin, and salt. Cook for another 5 minutes.

If you have an immersion blender use it to puree the soup until completely smooth. Otherwise, use a blender and puree the soup in batches. Hot soup will explode out of a blender if filled too high, trust me. Taste and season with salt if needed. Serve hot with a handful of roasted squash seeds and a dollop of Greek yogurt or cashew cream if you’re vegan.

Store any leftover soup tightly covered in the fridge for a couple days and re-warm before eating.

Soups + Stews, Vegan, Vegetables

Meatless Monday with Martha Stewart: Roasted Delicata Squash & Garlicky Kale with Parsley-Sage Dressing

This roasted delicata squash over garlicky kale with parsley-sage dressing is perfect if you’re looking for any last minutes Thanksgiving vegetarian recipe ideas. I’ve been eating versions of this all month; it’s so delicious! You can get the recipe here and enjoy your holiday! I’d love to know what you all are making too, anything special or different this year?

Salads, Sides, Vegan, Vegetables

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