Chard Rice with Butternut Squash Ribbons and Pine Nuts

Peel the butternut squash, and then, use the peeler to cut out some strips of the butternut squash. Deep fry these strips to make the butternut squash ribbons. Keep handy for garnish.

Start some rice cooking - either the sticky kind of Thai, Jasmine or California short-grain, or my favorite brown basmati or any other long-grain rice.

Toast some pine nuts and keep handy for garnish

Sautée some chopped veggies like onions, mushrooms, and bell peppers in a tablespoon of olive oil, with a pinch of all spice powder, some Szechuan flower peppercorns, salt and turmeric powder (optional). Then, add chopped chard and cook till it wilts. Stir in the cooked rice to make the Chard Rice.

Serve the Chard rice topped with butternut squash ribbons, toasted pine nuts and chopped spring onions.

Collard Greens Wrap with Coconut Butternut Squash filling

Collar Green Sushi Bites as it is famously called at home when filled with rice, these wraps are easy to make and are quite filling, depending on the filling encased.

This time, I went with two types of filling:

1. Coconut butternut squash filling: Dice the butternut squash and cook in enough coconut milk and a pinch of salt, turmeric powder & coriander powder till tender and fragrant; add chopped curry leaves and dry grated unsweetened coconut for extra flavor. I love the South Indian flavors from curry leaves and coriander powder. Off heat mush with a fork to shred it for the filling, not puree.

2.  Spiced shredded chicken filling: I had some leftover Almond-Flax Encrusted Chicken Nuggets. Simply run it in the blender till shredded coarsely but not ground to a pulp. Mix it with Neufchâtel cheese to bind it and make it cohesive.

Preparation:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375°F
2. Blanch the collard greens leaves and pat dry and keep handy
3. Prepare the filling and keep handy
4. Spoon some filling into the leaf, roll into a wrap tightly, place in a greased roasting pan
5. Spoon some marinara sauce or any favorite pasta sauce, or cheese sauce, onto the wraps
6. Bake in 375°F oven for about 10 minutes

Serve warm as an appetizer or side. I like to serve it on a bed of warm cooked quinoa to get that extra texture in every bite as I cut into the wraps and down a forkful.

Slow-cooked Chicken with Turnips

Slow cookers are handy for winter time. It is nice to start a pot of hearty soup or stew, leave it on for as long as the recipe calls for and allow it to fill the house with the aroma. Anything from a pot of chili to one-pot rice dishes to chicken breasts with vegetables come about in slow cooker around this time of the year.

In one slow cooker I dropped in some chicken breasts marinated overnight in a generic rub of spices and herbs. In another, I added a couple of whole turnips (peeled), a whole yellow onion (peeled), a whole potato (peeled), a couple of whole carrots (peeled), a cup of stock, a cup of canned diced tomato, some flavoring spices and herbs.

I started this on a Friday night, and by Saturday night dinner time, the chicken breasts were cooked till tender and falling apart, the veggies were cooked through and flavorful but not mushy.

Scoop up a little of the veggies and chicken and enjoy as-is. Or, serve it with quinoa or brown rice. 

Acorn Squash Thai Soup

Around this time of the year, I love the variety of Winter squashes in the market. Hubbard, Kabocha, Acorn, Butternut, Delicata, Sweet Dumpling... Not too long ago we had a good yield of Hubbard and Butternut squash from our garden. And as long as they were safe in the cold basement, they lasted for over 6 months.

Be it fragrant fried rice or roasted sides or hearty soups, pumpkins and squashes have been featuring prominently in the meals lately.

Acorn Squash Thai Soup is much like a simple Thai soup, except to boost the squash flavor, I roasted some acorn squash and pureed it and stirred it into the simmering soup.

Grind the soup base ingredients together and keep handy.

Soup base:
2 1-inch piece of dry galangal, reconstituted in water -OR- 2 Tbsp grated ginger
1 Tbsp lime peel, coarsely chopped (optional)
1 medium lemongrass stalk, crushed/pounded a bit -OR- 1 tsp lemongrass powder
2 Tbsp sambal oelek, if handy, else chopped Thai bird chilies or serrano or other chilies of your choice
1 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 Tbsp Bragg liquid aminos
1 Tbsp light brown sugar
1 tsp tamarind paste
2 citron leaves, if handy (instead of kaffir lime leaves)
½ tsp turmeric powder (optional)

Roast about a cup of chopped acorn squash in a 400°F oven for about 15 minutes till done; or pan-roast it with some oil in a cast iron skillet till done. Purée and keep handy.

For the soup:
Acorn squash chunks, as much as preferred from one medium acorn squash
1 to 2 cups light coconut milk
other veggies (optional): carrots, onions, snap peas
1 Tbsp peanut oil or sesame oil
1 cup vegetable stock


Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a pan, add the soup base paste and sauté till aromatic, about 5 minutes on medium heat
2. Add the acorn squash and other veggies, stock, a pinch of salt and simmer till vegetable are cooked through but not mushy
3. Stir in the pureed roasted acorn squash and the coconut milk to desired taste and consistency; simmer gently till flavors meld - about 5 minutes
4. Garnish with chopped spring onions and cilantro

Winged Beans and Acorn Squash with Coconut and Curry Leaves

The title says it all. The winged beans craze is still strong at home. Paired with acorn squash it was a welcome warm salad/side on a stormy weekend afternoon.

It is made in typical south Indian style with tempering and curry leaves and grated coconut. Salt, tamarind, and chilli powder for flavoring.

I cooked the acorn squash and winged beans separately in the microwave so they are firm yet fully cooked, not mushy.