Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells with Sage Browned Butter

My sister in law was recently diagnosed with several food allergies. This has caused a challenge to her in that it is difficult finding food she can eat and recipes that she is able to cook. Many recipes she has to change and make adjustments. So when she finds a good recipe, it is a celebration! This was one she made recently and shared with me, because she knew I would like it too. She was right! This recipe is easy and so delicious. 

I brought left overs to work and my friend, Josh finished it for lunch, raving about it- especially the brown butter sage sauce. 

Ingredients

Roasting the squash

Mixing up the ricotta stuffing for the shells

The roasted squash after mashing

The ricotta butternut squash stuffing ready to go!

Ready for the oven

All done!

Browning the butter

Adding in the sage leaves

Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells with Sage Browned Butter

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 ounce package of jumbo pasta shells (I filled 25 shells)
2 cups of part-skim ricotta cheese
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/2 cup packed fresh spinach (chop after measuring)
1 large egg
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
10 fresh sage leaves

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Peel the butternut squash and chop the flesh into cubes (dispose of the seeds). Toss the cubed squash with the olive oil and roast in the oven for 20 mins, or until the squash is fork tender.

2. Put the squash in a bowl and mash with a fork (or place in immersion blender and blend) until smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature. Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.

3. Cook the jumbo pasta shells in boiling water until al dente and drain.

4. In a bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, garlic, spinach, egg, S+P and fresh lemon zest. Stir well. Then add the squash, folding in so it is evenly spread. Stuff the shells with this mixture and place them in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Bake the shells until they are hot all the way through, about 20 minutes.

5. While the shells are baking, prepare the sauce by melting the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat until the butter is golden-brown, about 10 minutes. (Be careful, its easy to burn the butter). Add the sage leaves and cook until they are slightly crisp. Remove the pan from the heat and squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon.

6. Drizzle the sauce over the cooked shells adding 1-2 sage leaves on top. Enjoy!

Adapted from: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Farrotto with Acorn Squash and Red Russian Kale

Will surprised me with Sean Brock's new cook book, Heritage. We were looking through it and this recipe caught my eye. We even discussed where we could get Red Russian Kale from. Low and behold, the following week our CSA, Rosebank farms, had Red Russian Kale and acorn squash coming our way- talk about meant to be!

This recipe is like a risotto but with farro instead of rice (hence the name). It is creamy and delicious. It is the perfect fall "side item". You could even eat it as a main if you would like.

Sean is very specific about using the specified ingredients that he recommends. I wish I did, but I did not have the time to make the vegetable stock from scratch. I used Trader Joe's low sodium veggie stock which gave my farrotto more of an orange color.

Secondly, the farro he calls for is Anson Mills' Farro Verde. I called Anson Mills and long story short, they will not have any until March. Therefore, I bought farro from Whole Foods. The Farro Verde adds a smokey flavor that regular farro is without, but for now Whole foods farro will have to do!

I am not quite sure what this would have tasted like with the farro verde and the homemade vegetable broth but it was delicious and is something I will make again in the future!

The acorn squash are beautiful, aren't they?

Two different ways to separate the stems and ribs from the kale

The kale all prepped and ready to go in the dish

Warming the vegetable stock- Trader Joes' vegetable stock is orange in color, which gave my finished product an orange tint (unlike Sean's)

Roasted acorn squash

Pureed squash

Toasting the farro

Sautéing onions and garlic

Added the vino!

The onions, garlic and farro prior to adding the vegetable stock

Slowly adding vegetable stock bit by bit as it is absorbed by the farro

Kale, pureed squash and then butter added in

Don't forget the cheese!

finito!

Farrotto with Acorn Squash and Red Russian Kale

Ingredients

2 small acorn squash
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 cup + 2 quarts of vegetable stock
1 bunch of Red Russian kale (~ 3 lbs)
1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil
1 1/2 cups Anson Mills Farro Verde (not available right now, so I bought Farro from Whole Foods)
1 white onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, sliced paper thin
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese


Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the squash in half. Remove and discard the seeds, and rinse the squash under cold water. Place the squash cut side up on a baking sheet. Divide 2 tablespoons of butter between the halves and sprinkle with the salt and white pepper. Roast the squash for about 35 minutes or until fork-tender.

2. While the squash is roasting, prepare the kale. Remove the stems and ribs from the leaves. Make stacks of the leaves. Roll them into cylinders and cut them into thin ribbons. Wash the kale in cold water to remove dirt/sand. Drain and dry with paper towels.

3. When the squash is done, remove it from the oven. Pour the juices from the melted butter into a container. Set aside and let the squash cool enough to handle.

4. Warm the vegetable stock in a pot over medium-high. Once warm, remove 1 cup.

5. Peel the squash. Place the pulp in a blender and add the 1 cup of stock + butter from the cavities of the roasted squash. Blend on high to a very smooth puree, about 3 minutes. Set aside.

6. Turn the stock to low heat. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

7. Heat the canola oil in a medium ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is heated, add the farro and stir to coat with the oil. Place the skillet in the oven and toast the farro for 8 minutes (being sure to stir after 4 minutes). Transfer the farro to a bowl and set aside. Wipe the skillet clean.

8. Put the empty skillet on medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add 2 tablespoons of the butter and reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and cook until translucent (about 4 minutes). Add the garlic and cook until soft (about 2 minutes). Add the wine, increase the heat to high and cook until the wine is almost evaporated (about 2-3 minutes).

9. Add the toasted farro to the pan and stir to coat. Add 1/2 cup of the warm stock, reduce the heat to medium and stir until the liquid is almost absorbed. Continue cooking, adding 1/2 cup of warm stock at a time. Be sure to continually stir to prevent scorching. Don't add the stock too quickly. Be sure to add the next batch right as prior pour is almost completely absorbed. The farro grains will expand throughout the process. This process will take about one hour. The farro will look creamy like risotto.

9. Remove the farro from the heat, add the squash puree and kale. Stir until the kale is wilted. Put the skillet back on medium heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and cheese. Stir and serve!

Enjoy!

I served this with my Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic (also on the blog)

Heirloom Pumpkin Pie

 My Grandmother, Domenica Battaglia, is an excellent cook. I try and cook with her often while she is in town visiting. Last year, through our CSA, I received an heirloom pumpkin and saw it as a great opportunity to spend time with her, learn from her, and cook my first homemade pumpkin pie. 

It turned out delicious! I just received another heirloom pumpkin today at the CSA pick up and I cannot wait to make this again!

As you can see (top right), Loosey thought it smelled delicious!!

The process from start to finish

The raw heirloom pumpkin. I didn't weigh it but it was big and heavy!

             The baking pumpkin, softening in the oven

Scraping the cooked pulp out, being careful to leave the seeds behind

Ready to be baked!

Heirloom Pumpkin Pie

This recipe makes 2 pies

Ingredients

1 heirloom pumpkin
1 1/3 cup of cream or half & half
12 tablespoons honey
4 beaten eggs
6 tablespoons flour
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

2 9-inch pie crusts (You can make your own pie crust if you would like- I decided to save time and use store bought)

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place the pumpkin in the oven for 2-3 hours until it is tender.  The length of time will heavily depend on the size of your pumpkin- just keep a close eye on the pumpkin after the 90 minute mark if your pumpkin is smaller.

2. Once the pumpkin is tender, scrape out the pulp and put it in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. This should yield about 1 1/2 - 2 quarts of of pulp. Divide into 2 equal parts.

3. Mix 2/3 cup of cream, 6 Tbsp of honey, 2 beaten eggs, 3 Tbsp of flour, and 2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice in with 1 serving of the pumpkin puree. Pour into the 9 inch pie crust. Repeat for the second pie.

4. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about an hour. Check with toothpick and cook until the toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy and of course, serve a' la mode!




Thank you to CSA member, Sally Reynolds for sharing the delicious recipe!

Roasted Butternut Squash

Butternut squash is a fall favorite! I had not cooked it prior to receiving it in our CSA basket a couple of years ago. I have tried it several different ways, but I will share with you my favorite so far. To boot, this recipe is super, super easy to make. I like to serve it as a side to a meat (usually chicken or pork). This recipe has a hint of sweetness so its balanced nicely by another vegetable or salad. I hope you enjoy it!

It would make a perfect side to compliment your turkey on Thanksgiving!

Not many ingredients are required

Peeled and chopped squash with the butter and brown sugar mixture

Ready to be roasted

Delicious!

Roasted Butternut 

Squash

Ingredients

1 medium butternut squash (2-3 pounds)
3-4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/8 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

2. Peel the squash and cut in half lengthwise. Remove and discard the seeds. Cut the squash into 1 - 1 1/2 " cubes and place them in a bowl.

3. Mix together the melted butter and brown sugar. Pour over the cubed squash. Add the salt and pepper and toss the squash to coat.

4. Spread out the squash in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 45 - 55 minutes until the squash is tender and the glaze begins to caramelize. Be sure to turn/stir the squash while its roasting to be sure it browns evenly.

5. Once roasted, taste a piece, and add more S + P as needed. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Roasted Root Vegetable Salad

Summer and fall, fall and summer- VEGETABLES. I love them. I don't know what it is, but I crave vegetables during summer and fall. Our CSA has lended nicely to this craving with fresh, local vegetables that inspire. The fall vegetables, namely the root vegetables are so earthy, colorful and full of deep, rich flavor. My most favorite are beets. I've only boiled them in the past, which is so easy and delicious. 

I found this recipe in a magazine and it was perfect timing, as we received beets, turnips and sweet potatoes (turnips not pictured- I remembered them after I peeled all the veges- eek!) in our weekly CSA with Rosebank Farms. Roasting the vegetables brings out the sweetness in them. This salad is so full of flavor- I'm kinda hooked!

                            Fresh, raw vegetables

Peeled beets- save the greens- you can cook them too!

Peeled sweet potatoes, carrots and parsnips

Shallots

Roasted root vegetables
-carrots
-parsnips
-turnips
-sweet potatoes
-beets

Ingredients for the salad dressing, which is just as addicting

Ingredients:

2 medium beets

1 bag of fresh carrots

1-2 bags of parsnips

2 medium turnips

2 medium sweet potatoes

4 medium shallots

Chopped pecans

8 cups of romaine lettuce

Salad dressing:

6 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoon snipped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon honey

1-2 cloves of garlic

salt + pepper

Directions:

1. Wash and peel all vegetables

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the beets into 1-inch pieces. Place in a 2-quart baking dish. Toss with olive oil and S+P to taste. Cover the dish with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes

3. Meanwhile, cut the carrots, turnips, sweet potatoes and parsnips into 1-inch pieces. Place in a 15 x 10x 1-inch baking pan. Add the chopped shallots. Toss with olive oil and S+P.

4. Remove foil from the dish with the beets, stir the beets. Increased oven temperature to 425 degrees. Return the beets to the oven and place the pan with the other vegetables alongside the beets. Toast veges in both pans uncovered for 30-40 minutes (until tender).

5. Meanwhile, for the dressing. Combine the ingredients (olive oil, white wine vinegar, thyme, dijon mustard, honey, garlic and S+P). Blend with the emulsion hand blender. Place in the refrigerator. 

6. To serve, in a large bowl toss the romaine with the dressing. Top with the warmed vegetables, sprinkle the pecans over top and serve immediately.

Serves about 10 (I had to make more dressing later in the week)

ENJOY!

The finished product with the salad dressing!
























Will and I ate this all week long. He grilled some pork and he ate it on the side or on top of the salad (just for extra protein). The pork complimented the salad well if you're looking to add more protein. I usually feel the need to eat something hot for dinner, but this salad satisfied. It really is a hearty salad. Root vegetables are filling and somewhat starchy, so they fulfill the craving for pastas and breads while providing tons of nutrition! I hope you enjoy this salad as much as I do!

Recipe adapted from:
Better Homes and Gardens