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...

Kabocha Squash, Zucchini, Eggplant hash

I had just a small bit of Kabocha squash left over after the pan-roasted Kabocha and Orzo in Creamy Kabocha Squash Sauce. And, I had super large zucchini from the farm, plus some eggplant to use up.

The combination of the three seemed to suggest some sort of vegetable pot-pie, ratatouille, vegetable curry or vegetable hash. The latter sounded interesting so I decided to make it for a Sunday morning brunch.

The idea is much like the regular potato hash - simply grate the veggies, par-cook them, then make a mixture with some binding agents so that it can be shaped into patties and pan-fry. Serve warm with Salsa Fresca or Cuban Mojo or Hot Cilantro Mojo. I went with simple salsa fresca.

Ingredients
1 cup grated Kabocha Squash
2 cups grated Zucchini (skin peeled before grating)
1 cup grated Eggplant (skin peeled before grating)
1 medium leek, washed, cleaned of outer leaves and grit, chopped finely
¼ cup canned kidney beans, mashed
½ cup instant mashed potatoes powder (dry potato powder), more or less, as needed
½ cup grated cheddar cheese (optional)
1-2 Tbsp corn starch, more or less
1 tsp nutmeg powder(less, if nutmeg is not a favorite)
1 egg, beaten
salt to taste
4-6 Tbsp oil for browning the hash on the pan

Preparation

1. Squeeze the grated zucchini to remove as much moisture as possible, same with eggplant
2. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan, add the grated veggies, mashed kidney beans, leeks, salt and spices; sauté till veggies are cooked but not mushy and all the water is gone
3. Allow the mixture to cool a bit; mix in the cheddar; then add dry potato powder a little at a time to form a sort of loose dough; add cornstarch and the beaten egg for binding; cover and chill in the fridge for about 30-40 minutes
4. Heat a little oil at a time in the pan, form the dough into patties and pan fry the patties on both sides till desired done-ness
5. Serve warm with Salsa Fresca - tomatoes, bell peppers, jalapeño, onion, cucumber, lime juice, cilantro, salt, a touch of olive oil

Pan-roasted Kabocha Squash

After the cow-train ride, and seeing Lucy llama, Victor goat and Lenny & Squiggy ducks, and climbing the hay pyramid, and checking out the pumpkins, the only thing left to do was get the farm fresh produce and head home.

And we did.

The Kabocha squash we got was a good size, and I couldn't use it all up for the Orzo in Creamy Kabocha Squash Sauce.

This Pan-roasted Kabocha Squash is very simple, really. But, just wanted to record the recipe anyway as it is quite tasty as a snack or appetizer, by itself.

Simply peel and cut into wedges, toss with oil and spices, and pan-roast (in a grill pan if available) over medium high heat till done. I left mine unattended for a bit as the wee one needed some TLC right away and so some of them got a bit more crispy-dark skin (read: charred) than I intended :)

Now, the spices listed here are usually handy in my spice rack, but, feel free to use whatever is handy - flavor is easily adjustable. Even though it seems like a long list of spices, with some of them having a tendency to overpower, the end result was quite interesting for me. (And yes, I didn't plan on adding all the spices, I just added a little of this and a little of that till it felt right).

If preferred, roast in a 400°F oven, in a single layer till desired doneness.

As a short-cut to cooking time, I microwaved the kabocha squash wedges till part-done and then pan-rosted.

Ingredients
20-24 wedges of peeled, cored Kabocha squash (more if preferred)
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 Tbsp smoked paprika powder
½ tsp cinnamon powder
¼ tsp nutmeg powder
1 tsp dry sage
1 tsp dry oregano
1 tsp thyme
1 Tbsp dry basil
1 Tbsp dry marjoram
salt to taste

Preparation

1. Par-cook the kabocha squash wedges in microwave
2. Drain and pat-dry and combine all the rest of the ingredients, toss well, arrange in single layer and roast in a grill pan, or just any pan; flip and roast both sides
3. Alternately, roast in a 400°F oven till fully done
4. Serve warm as a side, or even an appetizer. (I used the leftovers as a side for my favorite pepper rasam and rice meal for lunch the next day)

Orzo in Creamy Kabocha Squash Sauce

The fresh harvest, the nippy weather, the pageantry of trees... it must be Autumn!

This Orzo in Creamy Kabocha Squash Sauce captures the mood of Autumn for me, for Autumn is not Autumn unless I indulge in the gourds and squashes and pumpkins.

Orzo is pasta, shaped like rice, only slightly bigger. Kabocha squash soup is a favorite fall meal at home. I wanted to add some body, pump it up a bit for the kids. This almost feels like pumpkin risotto in texture, very creamy, thick and wholesome.

Cook orzo per package directions. I take the short cut - I usually start it in the rice cooker in the morning, before I leave for work. So, when I get home, I just need to make the sauce and finish the dish.

Now, after a bit of trial and error, I have managed to cook macaroni, rotini, penne even spaghetti in rice cooker, al dente, with proper amount of water. This way, I am not waiting for pasta to get cooked in the tight weeknights when all I have energy for is to throw together something simple yet sumptuous for the kids.

Kabocha, a Japanese winter squash is chockful of nutrients - beta carotene, with iron, vitamin C, potassium - rich in fiber, low in fat... all the good stuff.

Ingredients
3-4 cups of peeled, diced kabocha squash
1 small yellow onion, diced
4-6 garlic cloves, crushed
salt to taste
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
2-3 cups water or vegetable stock
1 cup evaporated milk or half-and-half

Spices for flavoring:
1 Tbsp dry basil
1 Tbsp dry marjoram
1 tsp dry oregano
1 tsp dry sage
1 tsp dry thyme
1 tsp turmeric powder

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a pan, add the onions, garlic, spices and sauté a bit; then add the kabocha squash, water/stock, cover and allow to simmer
2. When squash is cooked through, either mash with potato-masher or purée in a food processor, return to pan, add the cooked orzo and allow to simmer together
3. Stir in the evaporated milk, heavy cream or half-and-half, off heat
4. Garnish with chopped spring onions, fresh basil if handy and Serve warm