Roasted Butternut Squash Puree

This is so good! I couldn't stop "tasting" it to make sure it was seasoned correctly. Yum! Often butternut squash gets a sweet treatment with brown sugar or maple syrup, or the classic pairing with sage and brown butter. This pairing with roasted garlic, thyme, and a hint of spice is just awesome. Roasting everything gives a great, deep flavor. Can't wait to make it again!

Ingredients:

1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1" cubes

2 garlic cloves (skin on)

a few springs of thyme

pinch of smoked paprika

pinch of cayenne pepper

salt and pepper

olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1/4-1/2 cup whole milk, warm

Directions:

Roasted Butternut Squash with Cardamom and Lime

This is another great recipe from Ottolenghi. I love butternut squash, and in this recipe it takes on a really different flavor than the usual roasted squash. 

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

2 limes

1 medium butternut squash (about 2 lb)

2 tbsp cardamom pods

1 tsp ground allspice

1/2 cup greek yogurt

2 1/2 tsp tahini

1 tbsp lime juice

1 green chile, thinly sliced

2/3 cup picked cilantro leaves

Butternut Squash and Lentil Soup

The Indian spices in the soup really make it. I saw the recipe on NYTimes.com and thought it looked great. I tweaked it slightly, but it's a really nice, flavorful soup. Stirring in the buttery toasted mustard and cumin seeds at the end gives it a great bit of textured crunch. Next time, I might add some shallots and another chile, but it's still great as is. Feel free to use chicken broth instead of water if you prefer. 

Serves 4 (probably more)

Chipotle Butternut and Acorn Squash Soup

This is a great, warming soup. The two squashes are sweet and the chipotle is spicy and smoky. (You can also add more or less chipotle depending how spicy you want it - or smoked paprika if you don't want any spice.)

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken stock (I used this)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1 onion, diced

1 celery stick, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp cumin

1 tbsp chipotle powder (or start at 1/2 tbsp and move forward)

1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, and cut into 1" cubes

1 acorn squash, peeled, seeds removed, and cut into 1" cubes

1 yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into 1" cubes

1/2 cup whole milk

1/4 tsp cider vinegar

Rustic Hearty Fall Pasta

Jamie and I had some sausage from Faicco's for breakfast on Sunday which inspired me to make a pasta with sausage. I love using sausage with Swiss Chard or kale, so I decided to make a fall pasta with Swiss Chard, sausage, butternut squash for sweetness, and some white beans (because I had them). It was a good Sunday night dinner and we had plenty leftover. I used orecchiette because Jamie loves little pastas and it goes well with sausage.

Ingredients:
1 hot and 1 sweet sausage link (can use more if you want)
1 shallot, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch Swiss Chard, rinsed and chopped, separated into leaves and stems
1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup chicken broth/stock
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
salt and pepper
orecchiette (or your choice of pasta)

Directions:
Line a baking sheet with foil and preheat the oven to 450. Toss butternut squash with 2 tbsp olive oil, the red peppers flakes, and plenty of salt and pepper and roast until tender (about 30-45 minutes).