Fruitystuffedbutternutsquash Recipes

Steps:

• Soak the apricots and raisens in the juice overnight. If you forget to do this, no biggie. See below.
• Cut your squash in half, and scoop out the seeds/pulp. Place in a glass pan, cut-side down, and stab each half a few times like you would a potato. Pour on about 1 cm of water, and bake in a 325 F oven about 50 minute (medium squash) or 1 hr and 15 min (large squash- times are approximate guesses). Test with a long knife. You know it's done when it's quite soft all through, but not actually mushy.
• If you didn't soak the fruit, place it with juice in a small pot, bring to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Let sit, covered, while squash bakes.
• 5 minute before the squash is done, transfer the fruit mixture to a food processor or mini-chopper if you have one. Pulse a few times, then add the seeds and blend till they're slightly chopped. It should be like a thick, chunky paste.
• Turn squash halves rightside up, scoop the fruit mix in the hollow part, and cover the pan with foil or a glass lid. Bake 10-15 minutes more.
• To serve, divide squash among plates and give each a share of the fruity stuff. Mash it up together, it's really good that way!

Steps:

• Prepare a grill for indirect heat. If using a charcoal grill, build the hot coals on one side only. If using a gas grill, heat one side only to medium-high heat. Heat about 4 inches of oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over direct heat until it reaches 350 degrees F.
• Combine the ricotta, parsley and lemon zest in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Place a tablespoon of the filling into each zucchini blossom, sealing them by bringing the petals up around the filling and giving them a little twist.
• Season the flour with salt and pepper, then dredge the blossoms first in the flour, then in the eggs and then again in the flour, being sure to shake off any excess flour.
• Working in batches if needed, carefully drop the blossoms into the oil. (Make sure not to overcrowd the pan.) Cook until golden brown and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Remove the blossoms to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and season lightly with sea salt. Serve immediately.
• (Alternatively, you can fry the blossoms over medium-high heat on a stovetop.)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Place squash in a baking dish with one inch of water, and cover with foil.
• Bake squash in the preheated oven for 1 hour, or until flesh is fork-tender. Keep warm.
• In a saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place Brussels sprouts, carrots, and garbanzo beans in a skillet over medium high heat. Stir together soy milk, tamari, turmeric, and garlic, and add to the skillet, tossing to coat. Cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until tender. Add a small amount of water or more soy-tamari mixture, as needed, to prevent drying out. Combine rice with vegetable mixture, and scoop into squash. Serve with additional tamari and season to taste. Enjoy!

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Add the squash, shallot and garlic to a baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss to combine. Sprinkle with the thyme, sage, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper and toss again. Roast until the squash is tender and light golden, about 30 minutes. Let cool.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt. Add the pasta shells and cook until al dente according to the package directions. Drain and let cool.
• Squeeze the roasted garlic into a small food processor or blender, add the squash, shallot and vegetable broth and puree until smooth.
• Mix together the spinach, cream cheese, ricotta, red pepper flakes, 2/3 cup of the Parmesan and 1 tablespoon salt in a large bowl. Stuff about 2 tablespoons of the spinach mixture into each shell; set aside.
• Add the pureed squash mixture, heavy cream and butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Cook, whisking frequently, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the nutmeg, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and the remaining 1 1/3 cups Parmesan.
• Spread the cheese sauce into the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange the stuffed shells in the baking dish seam-side up, shingling them so they all fit (you should have 5 shells along the short side and 6 shells along the long side). Top with the mozzarella. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Top with more Parmesan and sage before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat and place a rack on top.
• Halve the butternut squash lengthwise. Remove the seeds and discard. Using a melon baller, cut a channel into the neck of the squash, leaving a 3/4-inch border of flesh on the sides and bottom. Save the removed squash for another use or discard. Season the flesh with salt and pepper.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a small skillet. Add the celery and onions and cook just until softened, about 3 minutes. Combine the celery and onions, cornbread, rosemary, thyme, sage, cranberries and pecans in a bowl and toss to combine well. Add the vegetable stock and mix just until moistened and combined. Season with salt and pepper.
• Line the bottom of each butternut squash half with a layer of green beans. Top with the cornbread filling. Lay the carrot down the middle of 1 of the squash halves. Spread about 1 teaspoon of the butter over the carrot (enough to generously coat) and dot the cornbread mixture evenly with the remaining butter. Sprinkle the carrot with the brown sugar. Slide the squash pieces next to each other and carefully close the butternut squash and lay on one side. Tie in the middle and at each end with butcher's twine.
• Crumple a piece of aluminum foil into a 24-inch-long "snake". Curl this around and place on the prepared rack. Nestle the squash inside it so the squash sits flat on the rack and doesn't roll.
• Drizzle the whole squash with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast until a knife easily slides through all of the layers, 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let it sit for 10 minutes. Slice crosswise and serve.

Steps:

• Cut the squash in half the long way and remove the seeds/guts. Rub the exposed flesh with a little olive oil. Place on a cookie sheet cut-side-up and bake at 350 until softened, usually between 30 and 60 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
• When the squash is cool enough to handle, there are two ways to go. If you are careful and do not damage the outer skin of the squash halves, you may use a squash half as a serving bowl, which looks pretty nifty. You should be able to use a melon baller to scoop out the cooked squash flesh. If you're not worried about saving the shell, just slice off the skin to get at the flesh. Cut the flesh into bite-sized pieces.
• Cut the apples into bite-sized chunks and combine with the squash pieces. (You need not skin the apples) Add the raisins and craisins. Melt the butter in a separate container and mix the remaining ingredients into the butter. Dump the liquid over the squash/apple mix and stir well to coat.
• Put into a pie pan or small casserole dish (or empty squash shell) and pop back into the oven for 10 or 15 minutes, just long enough to slightly soften the apples and allow the butter to soak through. Serve warm.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place squash halves in a shallow pan and cover with water.
• Roast in the preheated oven until tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool partially, about 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir sausage in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes; do not drain fat. Add onion and garlic to sausage and cook and stir over medium-high heat until onion has softened, about 5 minutes.
• Remove flesh from squash, leaving 1/3-inch flesh in the shell to keep it sturdy. Mix squash flesh, sausage mixture, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, parsley, oregano, and cayenne together in a bowl. Stuff squash shells with mixture.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
• Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds.
• Drizzle halves with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Bake squash for 45-50 minutes until soft enough to scoop, but not completely cooked. Set aside to let cool.
• In pot or sauté pan over medium heat, add one tablespoon olive oil. Then add onion and sauté until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 3 more minutes.
• Add chickpeas, thyme, sage, salt, and pepper. Then sauté until chickpeas are golden and spices are fragrant.
• Add quinoa to pan, stirring constantly, toast quinoa for 2-3 minutes.
• Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Then cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes.
• After 15-20 minutes, uncover and stir in kale. Then cover and let simmer for five more minutes or until kale is wilted.
• Stir in pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries and sauté for 3-5 more minutes. Remove pan from heat and set aside.
• Scoop out insides of squash leaving a 1-inch (2 cm) border around the edge. Then scoop quinoa mixture into squash halves until full.
• Carefully flip one squash half on top of the other.
• Using 5 pieces of cooking twine, carefully tie the two squash halves together into 6 equally spaced sections.
• Return stuffed squash to oven for 5-10 more minutes.
• Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes. To serve, Cut thick slices using twine to hold squash halves together.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place squash onto a baking sheet cut-side down.
• Bake squash in preheated oven until the skin loosens from the flesh, about 40 minutes.
• Heat olive oil in a 5-quart stockpot over medium-high heat. Cook and stir onion and garlic in hot oil until the onion is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add vegetable stock, curry sauce, and apples to the stockpot; bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low.
• Cut squash into 1-inch cubes; add to the stockpot. Bring the mixture again to a simmer, place a cover on the pot, and cook, stirring once every 15 minutes, until the squash is tender and breaks apart easily when stirred, about 2 hours.
• Remove pot from heat and blend soup with an immersion blender until completely pureed. Pour coconut cream into the soup; continue blending until creamy. Top each serving with toasted pine nuts and a couple of leaves of cilantro.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Combine squash, olive oil, brown sugar, sea salt, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl; toss until squash is evenly coated. Spread squash in an even layer onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Roast in the preheated oven, turning midway through, until edges are lightly browned and centers are tender, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with nuts.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400. Peel and trim the squash; separate the necks from the bases. Scoop out the seeds from the bases, and reserve. Roughly dice the necks into pieces no bigger than 1/2 inch.
• Rub the hollowed out bases inside and out with olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stand them up on a rimmed baking sheet, and roast, flipping once, until they are browned all over and you can easily pierce the flesh with the tip of a sharp knife, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, soak the porcinis in 1 cup hot water until soft; remove, and chop them, reserving the liquid. Put 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally until it begins to soften - about 5 minutes. Add the chopped squash and porcinis, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until the squash is nicely browned, 8 to 12 minutes.
• Add the red wine, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom, and let it bubble away until it almost disappears. Add the porcini soaking liquid (leave any sediment behind) and the stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover partly and cook, adding more liquid if the pan gets too dry, until the squash is very tender, 10 to 15 minutes; taste, and adjust seasoning.
• Put 1 tablespoon olive oil in a separate small skillet. When the oil is hot, add the squash seeds and cook, stirring occasionally until golden brown and crisp, 4 to 6 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the chopped sage, lemon zest and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and toss.
• When the squash bases are done, spoon the chopped squash mixture into the cavities (save the leftover stuffing, or serve it on the side). Sprinkle the squash seeds over the top, and serve.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Lightly oil baking dish.
• Half squash lengthwise and remove seeds.
• Arrange squash cut side up on the baking dish.
• Brush lightly with oil and cover with foil.
• Bake until almost tender, 30-40 minutes.
• Keep the oven on.
• Meanwhile, crumble the sausage into a skillet and cook over medium heat until no longer pink.
• Add apple.
• Cook, stirring until crisp-tender.
• Let cool slightly.
• Scoop out the squash, leaving 3/8 inch thick shells.
• Lightly mix the squash pulp into the sausage mixture breaking up squash as little as possible.
• Mix the butter, brown sugar, pecans, sage, salt and pepper.
• Pile the stuffing into the squash halves.
• Dot with bits of butter and brown sugar.
• Bake uncovered until piping hot and brown and crusty on top, 20-25 minutes.
• Let cool for several minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Cook the pearl barley following pack instructions, crumbling the stock cube into the boiling water for extra flavour. Drain and set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts and almonds in a dry pan until nutty brown. Tip into a bowl and set aside. Use the same pan to toast the fennel and coriander seeds for a couple of mins, until aromatic. Grind the spices using a pestle and mortar.
• Cut the squash in half lengthways through the centre. Scoop out and discard the seeds and any fibrous bits. Keep scraping to carve out a channel down the centre of both squash halves for stuffing, you may need to score the flesh with a knife first if your squash is very firm. The squash shell should be about 1.5cm thick all over when you've finished. Roughly chop any squash you remove and set aside. Score the flesh of the 2 squash halves in a criss-cross pattern, trying not to pierce the skin, rub with 1 tbsp oil and season well.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Heat the remaining 2 tbsp oil in a pan and cook the onion, chopped squash and leek for 8-10 mins until soft. Stir in the garlic and cook for another min. Add the pearl barley, nuts, spices, feta, herbs, dried fruit and lemon zest. Season well and cook for a min or 2 more, then pack the filling into the cavities in the 2 squash halves, keep any leftover stuffing. Tie the halves back together with kitchen string, as you would a joint of meat. The squash will shrink a little as it cooks, so make sure you make the knots nice and tight. Rub the outside with a little more oil and season well. Alternatively, wrap well in foil.
• Place in a roasting tin lined with some foil or parchment and cook for 1 hr. Check if the squash is cooked by inserting a knife, it should go in with little resistance and the flesh should feel soft. Scatter any remaining stuffing around the squashetta and return to the oven for another 5 mins to warm through. Mix the tahini, lemon juice, honey and a drizzle of water to make a dressing. Carve the squash into slices and serve drizzled with the tahini sauce and scattered with parsley.

Steps:

• Cut squash in half lengthwise; discard seeds. Place squash, cut side down, in a 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Fill pan with hot water to a depth of 1/2 in. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30 minutes. Combine remaining ingredients. Turn squash cut side up; stuff with ham mixture. Cover unstuffed end of squash with foil to prevent drying. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until squash is tender.

Steps:

• Pre -heat the oven to 190C/Gas 5.
• Halve the butternut squash, remove the seeds and put on a baking tray cut side up.
• Dot the flesh with half the butter, cover loosely with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, fry the onion and bacon in the oil and remaining butter until the onion is soft and the bacon crisp.
• Put in a bowl and stir in the mustard, thyme, walnuts, breadcrumbs and cheese.
• Season and pile onto the squash.
• Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes more, or until squash is completely tender and the cheese has melted.
• Cut in half to give 4 portions, and serve.