Bulgur & Tempeh Stuffed Acorn Squash

Among the squashes, the sweet and meaty winter squashes are my favorite. Not all winter squashes are alike, so, my preference is further refined by the varieties that I've had so far that have the texture and flavor that I consider 'meaty' and mildly sweet.

I am not a fan of spaghetti squash or other similar squashes with a pronounced stringy texture when baked/cooked. I like the chunky meaty texture of Butternut, Blue Hubbard, Sweet Meat, Kabocha, Red Kuri, Delicata, and Danish/Acorn.

Millet & Lentils Stuffed Golden Danish Squash is a favorite. But this time, I went with a mixture of bulgur and tempeh for the stuffing. To quick cook bulgur, I pour some boiled water over it and soak it while getting the veggies ready. To add a kick to it, I sprinkle some Tabasco™ sauce on the squash before stuffing and baking.

Ingredients
One medium acorn/Danish squash

½ cup crumbled tempeh
¼ cup bulgur

veggies:
½ cup chopped onions, tomatoes, chilies, garlic
¼ cup cooked corn
¼ cup cooked black beans
¼ cup diced red and green bell peppers

flavoring herbs:
fresh (or dried) oregano, basil, fennel leaves to taste

2 Tbsp olive oil for sauteing

topping: Feta and Parmesan as needed

flavoring spices:
½ tsp cumin powder
½ tsp coriander powder
¼ tsp cayenne pepper powder
¼ tsp black pepper powder

Tabasco™ Sauce (optional)

Preparation

• Prep: Soak the bulgur in boiling hot water; pre-heat the oven to 400°F; Cut the squash in half, scoop out the pulp and seeds, and make a wide well for the stuffing; spritz some water and rub some salt on the inside of the squash halves and microwave for about 6 minutes on high power till par-cooked
• Stuffing: Sauté the onions, tomatoes, chilies, and garlic in some oil, with a pinch of salt; add the rest of the veggies, soaked bulgur, and tempeh once onions turn translucent, stir in the flavoring spices, cover and allow to cook till flavors meld
• Baking: Sprinkle some Tabasco sauce on the par-cooked squash halves, then fill them with the stuffing and bake in 400°F oven for about 30-45 minutes till squash is roasted to a fine golden brown, and the skin is lightly crispy
• Garnish: Top with feta and Parmesan, some spring onions, cilantro if available
• Serve warm with extra feta and Tabasco sauce on the side

Pan-roasted Radish and Brussels Sprouts

I

A big bunch of rainbow radish hop-skip-and-jumped into my shopping basket at the farmers market.

Rather than adding it raw to salads or cooking Indian-style Dal or Sambar, I went with a searing and pan-roasting them with Brussels sprouts.  Flavoring with Balsamic vinegar, mirin, and Braggs Liquid Aminos, and sautéing the radish greens along with the radishes and Brussels sprouts, seemed to make the dish all the more appealing.

Brussles Sprouts by themselves are relished in many ways at home, a few of which are shared in the Brussels Sprouts Fete post about four years ago. And, am sure this combo of radishes and Brussles sprouts can be cooked in any of those delicious methods.

With some Tabbouleh and pan-roasted sweet potato medallions, the roasted radish and Brussels sprouts rounded out a simple but filling weeknight meal.

The sweet potato medallions were roasted on a cast iron skillet with a touch of brown sugar for caramelization. 

Tabbouleh, a quick and simple salad,  tastes even better the next day. Just some chopped celery, carrots, purple cabbage, sweet onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, feta, walnuts, apples, cranberries, parsley tossed with softened bulgur. Of course, bulgur is high in carbs, complex carbs - but also high in fiber and low in fat, plus has a nice amount of protein. Being a low GI food, I like that it is easy to make and is good all round.

The dressing is just lime/lemon juice and olive oil, some salt to taste, plus a splash of orange zest for this tabbouleh.

I had a small lump of Jalapeño goat cheese and served small discs of it as garnish to add a bite to the roasted radish and Brussels sprouts.

Hawaiian Chicken Breast with Bulgur Salad

'Hawaiian' marinade is just in spirit as pineapples and hot sauce and soy sauce inspire the island flavors for me.

The bulgur salad is mild with Mediterranean flavors and it complements the sweet-and-spicy chicken breast well.

Ingredients
For the Hawaiian marinade:
4 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
¼ cup pineapple juice
2 Tbsp Sambal Oelek or Sriracha™ hot sauce or Bull Snort™ Texas Tail Torcher sauce
2 Tbsp Agave nectar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp crushed garlic
1 Tbsp grated ginger
1 Tbsp canola oil

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

For the bulgur salad:
½ cup bulgur
1 cup water (salted if preferred)
1 cup chopped bell peppers - red, yellow, orange
1 medium summer squash diced,
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 Tbsp capers
2 Tbsp sun-dried tomatoes
6 Kalamata olives, chopped
Feta, crumbled, as much preferred
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp Italian seasoning (optional)

10 mint leaves for garnish, cut into ribbons
Sliced almonds, dried pineapples, dates, prunes for garnish

Preparation

1. Marinate: Reserve some marinade for basting while cooking; combine the marinade ingredients and marinate the chicken breasts for at least an hour, or overnight in the fridge until ready to cook (avoid acidic juice if marinating overnight)
2. For the Bulgur Salad: 
• Bring the water to a boil in a sauce pan, add the bulgur, turn off heat, cover and let it sit for 20-25 minutes; drain if needed and fluff with fork; allow to cool to room temperature
• Sauté the onions and squash in some olive oil, with a pinch of salt; allow to cool to room temperature
• Combine the bell peppers and the rest of the ingredients for the salad, along with the sauteed onions and squash, with the cooked bulgur; garnish with feta and mint leaves
3. Cook the chicken: Heat oil in a pan; drain and discard the marinade and cook chicken breasts till done - depends on the thickness/size of the breasts; baste part way through to keep it moist and flavorful
4. Garnish with almonds, chopped dried fruits, and mint leaves and serve at room temperature

Adzuki Beans, Asparagus, and Bulgur Salad

High in iron, protein, soluble fiber, and folate, and low in fat, Adzuki beans is believed to benefit reproductive and kidney function, by speeding up removal of waste from the body and promoting regularity.

Ever since I "discovered" it in the local Asian market and read up on its health benefits, I have been incorporating it more in my cooking over the last year or so. I can't quite tell the difference between the basic Atzuki beans and the Hokkaido variety yet unless I read the label, but, considering that about half a cup per week is all that is prescribed for getting its benefits, it seems hard not to take advantage of its nutritional value.

There are many ways to present these beans, just like any other beans: As bean burgers, as bean soup, in salads and stews, in tacos, in rice, even as plain Adzuki bean soup. Or, just toss a handful into whatever meal I have planned for the night...

Since fusion cuisine is my personal slant, this Adzuki Beans, Asparagus, and Bulgur Salad, has a MediterrAsian feel with Bulgur from the Mediterranean and Adzuki beans and the dressing from Asian cuisine. Roasted asparagus is optional. I had some leftover from previous meal so it was nice to use it up. Serve at room temperature (or slightly chill, if preferred).

Leftover dressing can be saved for up to a week in a cool dark place and used for other salads and sauces, or even as a home-made spring roll dip.

Maybe one of these days I will get around to listing the frequently used spices and condiments in my cupboard, by cuisine. Just like I restock organic ketchup and stone ground mustard, I restock kecap manis and sambal oelek... and since basically "anything goes" in my kitchen, I seem to use them all up at almost the same rate.


Ingredients
2 cups loosely packed fresh baby spinach leaves
1 cup cooked Adzuki beans
1 lb of fresh asparagus, cut, and roasted
1½ cup cooked medium-ground bulgur
¼ cup chopped dry apricots
¼ cup coarsely broken toasted walnuts
spring onions and cilantro, chopped

Dressing/marinade:
¼ cup light soy sauce
2 Tbsp seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp kecap manis
1 Tbsp sambal oelek
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Preparation

1. Combine the dressing ingredients, stir well, adjust to taste, keep handy
2. Toss together bulgur and adzuki beans; add the dressing a little at a time to desired sogginess and set aside for 20-30 minutes to overnight (in fridge)
3. When ready to serve, place a bed of spinach leaves, pile the salad, top with apricots and walnuts, and garnish with spring onions and cilantro