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

Baked Spaghetti Squash

Not a top favorite among the winter squashes, Spaghetti squash gets its turn in my kitchen a few times during fall/winter months.

Brush with olive oil, sprinkle some salt and pepper, maybe a touch of paprika, and bake in a 375 °F oven for about an hour.

Once baked and ready, however, the strings of spaghetti squash are handy for making other dishes, like this Spaghetti Squash Thai Curry/Soup.

Roasted Amber Cup Squash with Israeli Ptitim

Unlike its giant cousin moghrabiah, which I cook on and off, Ptitim or Israeli Couscous, as it is labeled in the markets here, has become a staple in my kitchen. Especially because of quick cooking time in rice cooker: just 1:1 ptitim:stock, with some olive oil, herbs, and spices in the rice cooker and it is ready to eat.

I was fascinated by the variety of squashes at the farm and picked up quite a few, ambitiously determined to cook them over the autumn weekends before they start decomposing.

A couple of squashes and Cloud 9 eggplant, some kale, tomatoes and peppers from my garden made weekend cooking a lot more fun over late summer and early fall.

Having grown squash in my garden and finding it heartbreaking to see only a handful get pollinated and bear fruit while the other flowers simply ended up boosting my summer salads, I have a weakness for these beauties.

The Buttercup squash from my garden, as well as Sweetmeat squash, barely bore a couple despite me waking up early and meddling with the flowers to try to get them going some days.

Anyway, Amber cup squash has thin-ish edible skin, with a golden orange flesh that is on the sweet side. This time, I partially peeled the skin and cubed them for roasting.

Along with Japanese eggplant, red onions, and green bell peppers, the Amber cup squash was tossed in olive oil and roasted in a 450°F oven for about 20 to 25 minutes.

A splash of lemon juice and olive oil, a dash of salt, and a pinch of pepper tossed with the cooked ptitim, topped with roasted Amber cup squash and onions and eggplant and bell peppers, and maybe some feta, makes a sumptuous Fall dinner.

Kohlrabi Greens with Golden Kuri Coconut Cream Soup

I couldn't resist another giant bunch of Kohlrabi from the farm market for just under two dollars. The Kohlrabi greens along with some Golden Kuri squash from the farm went into a delicious coconut cream and coconut milk based mildly-spiced soup, with fresh lemon grass from my garden.

The variety of Winter squashes available these days is astounding. My favorites tend to be medium-sized thin-skinned with orange flesh and sweet flavor-- not too huge as that will make chopping and cleaning a problem. Not a big fan of spaghetti squash or too-mild acorn squash, I go for meaty Kabocha, Golden/Red Kuri, Butter/Amber cup, Golden Danish, Delicata and such, which can be eaten with the skin on. Who can keep track of these fancy names each variety gets? Butternut squash is an all-time favorite, although I do get some help cutting and peeling it.

This is a simple soup, using thick rich coconut cream and coconut milk and Thai flavors, perfect for Autumn. Served with thin rice noodles, Thai cucumber salad, and deep-fried spring rolls, it is a huge feast for a relaxing weekend.

But, for a weeknight, just the soup would do, in all its hearty glory.

Between the lemon grass in the garden and the citron leaves from the Myanmar store, Mingala International Market, I am addicted to Southeast Asian flavors.

Ingredients
3 cups chopped kohlrabi greens, stem and all
2 cups diced Golden Kuri squash, skin on
1 small Walla Walla sweet onion, diced
water or stock as needed
1 teaspoon coconut oil

For flavoring (pound in mortal+pestle):
some lemongrass leaves/stalk, chopped and ready for pounding
1 or 2 Thai green or red chilies
1 or 2 Kaffir lime leaves or citron leaves
3 cloves of garlic
2 Tablespoon grated ginger

Preparation:

1. Flavoring: Combine the ingredients in a mortal & pestle, and pound till thick paste comes together
2. Heat the coconut oil in a pot, add the onions, flavoring, saute till aromatic
3. Add the kohlrabi greens and kuri squash, stock, season with salt, cover and simmer till veggies are par-cooked 
4. Add the coconut milk and simmer till veggies are done, stir some coconut cream if preferred
5. Garnish with spring onions and cilantro and serve warm

Roasted Kabocha Squash, Chard, Kale, Quinoa Salad

Winter squashes are here. With its relatively thin-ish edible skin and sweet and soft flesh, Kabocha squash is a favorite with me. It cooks up fast - roasted or steamed - and needs very little to enhance or boost its flavor.

Caribbean squash and Kabocha squash were handy, plus the weather dipped to the 70s so that turning on the oven was not as self-destructive as it can be on the 100 degree days.

Slice the Kabocha, toss in some olive oil, sprinkle some salt if preferred and roast  in a 425°F oven for about 12 minutes. (Thicker slices might take a little longer).

Meanwhile, cook the quinoa in stock (or water plus some salt) in a rice cooker. I prefer 1:1 quinoa:stock. When done, stir in some lemon juice and olive oil, if preferred.

A bunch of kale and chard from the home-garden came in handy to boost the salad. Simply saute them with a dash of salt and a splash of lemon juice.

When ready, toss the quinoa and chards+kale together, arrange roasted Kabocha on top and serve warm or at room temperature.

A simple salad for the sweet autumn days...

Caribbean Squash Coconut Cumin Koottu

There are days when I barely make it home from work - not just the traffic, but the killing headache and associated nausea makes it all the more challenging to get home safely. Focused on deep breathing during the commute, all I can think of is getting home, hugging an ice pack and curling up on the sofa...

And on such days, just to make it fun for the kids, they get cereal or waffles or pancake puffs or something topsy-turvy for dinner - something that Papa can easily handle after his longer day at work.

I saw this West Indies/Caribbean Squash at the local market - it didn't have a specific name, so, not sure what it is called... Its taste and flesh reminded me of large sections of Matthanga, which along with Elavan made the delicious Olan, the best version, of course, being my mom's. I've always had a soft spot for Matthanga, it has a delicate sweet flavor, with a pumpkin-like soft texture when cooked.

Anyway, other than the fact that cutting and cleaning the squash is a pain, this is a simple dish that comes together quickly.

Garnish with cilantro and serve warm with naan, paratha or brown basmati rice.

Ingredients
3 cups of diced squash
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
salt to taste
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
cilantro for garnish

for the coconut paste:
¼ cup grated coconut
1 Tablespoon cumin seeds
2 or 3 dry red chilies

Tempering:
½ teaspoon split urad dal
¼teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon coconut oil
6 to 8 curry leaves, if handy

Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a pan, add the turmeric powder and the squash, some salt and water, cover and cook till squash is soft but not mushy, drain any excess water
2. Meanwhile, grind the coconut paste ingredients together
3. Stir in the coconut paste and the brown sugar, adjust salt to taste
4. Tempering: heat the oil, add urad dal, when it turns golden brown add the mustard seeds; when mustard seeds pop, add curry leaves if using, turn off heat and pour over the squash curry