Thursday, November 8, 2012

Stuffed Delicata Squash


My love affair with winter squash continues.  This recipe is crazy healthy but it tastes delicious!  Although I suppose the healthy factor depends heavily on the amount of cheese added…  I love this recipe because it reminds me a bit of a dish I used to love, cassoulet.  It is warm and filling, and has some of the same flavors.  The treat in this dish is the sweetness of the squash.

Delicata Squash are easier to find in an average supermarket than they used to be.  They vary in size but are typically smaller than acorn squash.  They are oblong and pale yellow with dark green stripes.  I used one larger squash (about 10” long) for this recipe and it made a good entrée for two people.  That amount would also make a nice hearty side dish for four people.  If using smaller squash, get a couple of them because there will be plenty of stuffing.

If you can’t find Delicata Squash, you could use a roasted acorn squash.  Alternatively, you could cube some sweet potatoes and roast them for the base of the dish.  Enjoy!
(Sorry I have no pictures, especially as this is such a vibrant and lovely dish.)

Ingredients:
1 large Delicata Squash
¼ cup Pine Nuts (or handy nut of your choice)
1 bunch Kale, destemmed and chopped into medium-large pieces
3 cloves Garlic (more or less) minced
10 oz. White Beans, cooked
1 Tbl. Finely minced Sage leaves (about 10) OR ½ Tbl. Ground Sage
Salt
¼ cup Parmesan Cheese
4 Tbl. Bread Crumbs (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350˚  Cut squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds.  Brush with a little olive oil and stick in the oven to roast.  I can’t tell you how long, because it depends on the squash.  Maybe a half hour or so. 
Then…

Toast your pine (or other) nuts.  Easiest way is to dump them in a dry pan and turn on the heat.  Shake them around in the pan until they get a little color on them and start to smell warm and nutty.  Take them out of the hot pan immediately and set aside for later.

Now, take your pan and put a little olive oil in it.  Maybe 1 Tbl?  I never measure.  That sounds like a lot.  Hmm… just swirl some around in the pan.  Not too much, we’re not frying here, just a little sauté.  So, warm oil.  Add your chopped up Kale.  It will cook down pretty quick.  Cook the Kale, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic.  (I just thought… you could add some red pepper flakes here if you wanted to kick it up a little.)  Stir that around. 

Add the White Beans
Add the Sage.
Add a crazy amount of salt.  More than you think.  Twice as much.  Trust me.  The beans need it.
Stir it up and cook for another minute or so.
Add your Pine Nuts and turn off the heat and stir to mix through.

Take your squash out of the oven and spoon all the Kale-Bean filling inside the squash cavities. 
Top with Parmesan Cheese (mixed with Bread Crumbs if you wanted.)
Stick it back in the oven just to melt the cheese.
Eat and enjoy.

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