TWICE-BAKED BUTTERNUT SQUASH!
I have to be honest, this is not my photograph. I COULD have taken it, I'm CAPABLE of taking it; with the right lighting, camera, and garnish, (what is that, baby arugula?), this gem could be sportin' my photo credit, but I stole it, (thank you, Martha Stewart). My pictures of this recipe...well, they turned out like this:
Pretty lame, huh?
Not my proudest photographic achievement, but no matter, it was DELISH! Just to prove something to my alma mater, School of Visual Arts, here is my turkey from Thanksgiving. I BBQ'd this beast and it was quite nice. Okay, they're not exactly Henri Cartier-Bresson photographs, but they're better than the ones of my squash!
And here's my first carving endeavor:
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| A good day for me and my guests, not so good for Mr. Turkey |
But I digress...Twice-Baked Butternut Squash: Easy to make, sweet, rich flavor, filling, and ooooooh so satisfying.
I started with 2 butternut squash, which ends up filling 2 halves, but the recipe calls for 6 squash, so I'll include that recipe and you can cut it down if need be like I did.
Ingredients:
6 butternut squash
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (more to taste)
About 12 turns of your pepper mill, 1/2 teaspoon, (more to taste)
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sour cream
2 teaspoons paprika
6 fresh chives, chopped into small pieces
3 tablespoons of fresh breadcrumbs, lightly toasted
Directions for the first step:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees with the rack in the center.
Halve the squash lengthwise and remove seeds.
Sprinkle halves with salt and pepper.
Fill roasting pan with 1/4 inch water. Place squash in pan. Cover with aluminum foil, and bake until squash is tender when pierced with a fork. 35 to 45 minutes. Don't overcook, or the shells will fall apart when you try to stuff 'em.
Remove from oven, transfer squash to a cool surface, and let cool enough to handle.
Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees.
Second step:
Scoop out baked flesh with a spoon from each half into a large bowl, leaving a 1/4-inch border around to keep their shape.
To the bowl, add sour cream, paprika, chives, salt and pepper.
Mix with a handheld electric mixer or potato masher until smooth and well combined.
Season with salt and pepper.
Fill 6 squash halves (discard remaining 6 empty halves).
Sprinkle tops with toasted breadcrumbs.
Bake until golden brown and warmed throughout, 20 to 30 minutes.
The boy liked it a little bit,
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| New haircut, Moe-like bangs, no? |
and my neighbor liked it a whole lot. My hubby doesn't care much for butternut squash, so my vegetarian neighbor WINS!
Enjoy your winter vegetables, friends, 'tis the season. Speaking of which, happy holidays to one and all, spread peace and love, that would be cool.
