Stuffed Whole Butternut Squash

i love stuffing vegetables. for some reason i wondered if i could stuff a buternut squash and decided to go for the challenge.

the result? it worked. just a little tricky.

here's what i did-  i scrubbed the squash well and baked it in the oven until half cooked, then cut off the top and scooped out the seeds with a long spoon. stuffed it and baked it until done.

the result? i loved it- the flavors were great and the butternut flavor got inside the whole thing.

you can use your favorite stuffing or use my black eye pea one below-this one is vegetarian. i have another one HERE too that has meat or you can always add meat to this one if you want it, but i don't think it's necessary.

Stuffed Whole Butternut Squash

1 large butternut squash, baked whole
1 C Dried Black Eye Peas (soaked and cooked) or 1.5 Cups cooked
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
7 mini peppers (about 1 cup chopped)
2 TBSP coconut oil
1 cup organic carrots, chopped
1.5 tsp rosemary
1 tsp sage
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 cup broth
1/3 C dried cherries
1/3 C slivered almonds


Bake your butternut squash at 400 degrees F until it is halfway cooked (approximately 30 minutes, depending on the size). Here's the tricky part- you're going to want 2 halves to stuff, but each half will need a slice to put on top after you stuff it. So- Remove from oven and cut off the neck leaving part of the neck closest to the bottom on to save as a top for the lower part. Carefully cut off a slice from the bottom half and save it. Scoop out the seeds. With the top half: cut off a slice from the top and save, then scoop out the middle using a strong spoon.
 
Saute your onion and garlic in oil until soft. Add in carrots, peppers, dried cherries, and your spices and cook a few more minutes. Add in broth and black eye peas and simmer a few minutes. Turn off and stir in your slivered almonds. If the stuffing appears too dry, add in some more broth.

Stuff the stuffing into your squash, and replace the top and secure with toothpicks. If you have leftover stuffing, stuff whatever other veggies or fruit you have laying around. Bake in 350 degree oven for approximately 45 minutes or until squash is tender.

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Butternut Lasagna - Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free

we recently went to a party where butternut squash lasagna was being served... i of course couldn't eat any, but my husband raved about it and i was intrigued.  i have always been a lover of all things with pasta, lasagna being one of my favorites.  i looked up a few recipes online but they all use tofu so that was a big no-no.

so for my recipe i made two layers- a butternut layer and a "creamy" layer: a bechamel-type filling.  it was a really rich lasagna, and quite frankly, you can't eat huge amounts of it because it's so rich, but tasty nonetheless ;)

one thing to note about the butternut layer- it's definitely going to taste different depending on the ripeness of your squash.  mine was a little old and not as soft as one in its peak.  canned butternut will also work (i like trader joe's), but it will be a little runnier than if you use fresh.

for my noodles i used tinkyada brand brown rice lasagna.  definitely watch your cooking time, and it should be al dente because it will cook in the oven more.  i overcooked mine this time and it stuck together and ripped apart a lot.  it works best if you cook it right before you're about to start layering, rinse with cool water and go. 

Butternut Squash Lasagna


Butternut filling

6 cups cubed butternut squash roasted in the oven with a dash of olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp ground sage
1 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbsp (or more if too thick) almond milk
3 Tbsp olive oil


Roast your butternut in the oven at about 400 degrees until soft- mine took about 20 minutes.  Once it is done, add all of the butternut filling ingredients into your food processor and blend until smooth and creamy (but not too watery). If you need more almond milk or olive oil, add it.  Remove from the food processor and set aside while you make your creamy filling.



Bechamel (creamy) filling

1 cup pine nuts soaked for a few hours
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup almond milk
1/2 cup sweet rice flour
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano


Drain your pine nuts and add them to your (clean) food processor along with the nutritional yeast and lemon juice.  Blend until smooth(ish).


In a small pot on the stove, heat your olive oil over medium-low heat and slowly add the sweet rice flour mixing it with the oil but not allowing it to burn. Stir for a few seconds and then add the milk slowly, stirring continuously (a wire whisk works well here).  Add the rest of the seasoning and cook for a minute or so to get rid of the floury taste.  Add the flour mix to the pine nut mixture in the food processor a little at a time, mixing in between additions.  once it is well blended, taste the seasoning- does it need more of anything? Also, is it too thick? If so, add more milk or olive oil.



Assembly:

I started with a light layer of the bechamel, followed by a noodle layer, butternut layer topped with bechamel, noodle, and then butternut topped with bechamel.  i sprinkled some more dried basil and oregano on top as well.

Bake in the oven at 350F until bubbly - i cooked mine for about 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

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Roasted Butternut Squash with Corn

i blogged a little while ago about a Nando's side dish that I wanted to recreate-- a tasty butternut squash dish. since then i've tried to make it twice, each a little different. it's not exactly the same, but quite good! i use nando's sauces to spice up and add a bit more flavor, but you can also leave them out or sub a few other ingredients (or your own favorite hot sauce). i've added some suggestions for subs in the end. the recipe is quite simple to make and can be a main or side dish.



Roasted Butternut Squash with Corn

1 2 lb. butternut squash, peeled
1 large red onion, chopped (about 1.5 cups)
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic peri-peri sauce
1 tsp wild-herb peri-peri sauce
1 Tbsp sea salt
1.5 cups frozen corn (roasted if you like) or 1 cup fresh
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/4 cup organic dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped organic cilantro

-preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
-chop the butternut into pieces (about 4" x 3" pieces- the smaller they are the faster they will cook) and place inside down on a baking tray. you can lightly toss the pieces in olive oil or coconut oil and a bit of salt before baking if you choose.
-bake the squash until soft (mine took approx. 15 minutes, but check after 10).
-meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a pot and sautee the onion.
-add the corn, hot sauces, salt, and cayenne to the onions and stir for a minute or so. if using fresh corn let it cook for a bit.
-add the cranberries and stir until the corn is heated through.
-chop the squash into cubes and add to the onion mixture. continue to stir the mixture for a few minutes for the flavors to blend. i like there to still be some cubes left, but also a mashed consistency--the more you mix it the more mashed it will become. remove from heat
-add chopped cilantro to taste.

**notes:
- in the picture below, i made this dish with organic bison sausage chopped up and cooked with the onions. you can also add some grilled chicken if you would like more protein in the dish.
-if you don't have the nando's sauces, you can either leave them out, add your own smoky hot sauce, or probably a mixture of vinegar, herbs, garlic, lemon, agave, and some heat
-i've made this with sweet potato as well and added a dash of cinnamon in for some more added flavor

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