Roasted Squash and Macaroni Casserole

Every summer our family is lucky enough to benefit from my in-laws' plentiful garden. Almost every visit from them in the late summer weeks includes handfuls of fresh produce like garlic, onions and tomatoes! But what we all look forward to the most is their late Fall offerings of Hubbard Squash! If you haven't tried this type of squash you're missing out! It's so smooth and creamy and you'd swear it's drenched in butter...but it's not!

Anyway, I wanted to do something different with them this year, rather than eating them mashed or in a soup like we usually do. I found this recipe on one of my favorite Iphone apps - the Whole Foods Recipe app (you can access this service online as well here). You tell them what you have on hand and they find a recipe for you! This one looked so good I had to try it...and it was such a hit that I've made it several times since.

The recipe calls for butternut squash, but I used my Hubbard. I just roasted the whole thing and scooped out the cooked squash as needed. You could also used can pumpkin here too (be careful not to pick up the pie filling). I also added a bit of frozen chopped kale for some extra nutrition...I imagine any greens would work, or even chopped broccoli or peas.

The final product is creamy and filling, and the walnuts add a really wonderful delicate crunch. This recipe is the perfect comfort food and a fantastic substitute for traditional mac and cheese. It would be welcomed at any potluck and therefore great for the holiday season as well!

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 pounds or 3.5-4 cups mashed)
1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk (light or regular)
3/4 tsp salt
Black pepper to taste
1/2 tsp dried sage
3/4 pound dried elbow macaroni, Penne or other small pasta (454g box minus about a handful)
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1-2 handfuls frozen chopped kale (or other greens) (optional)
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

Method
To roast the squash, preheat oven to 400°F. Roast diced squash for 25-40 minutes until fork tender. If you're roasting a whole squash cut in half you'll have to roast it for at least an hour...timing depends on how large and thick your squash is. Once cooked, mash roasted squash, leaving some chunks.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a 9x13-inch casserole dish; set aside.

Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add roasted squash, coconut milk, salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in sage and kale and simmer 5 minute more. (This part can be made ahead, up to 1 day in advance.)

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook until tender but still firm, about 8 minutes. Rinse in cold water, drain well and transfer to a large bowl. Transfer squash mixture to bowl with macaroni. Add walnuts, salt and pepper and toss to combine. Transfer to prepared dish and top with bread crumbs. Bake until just golden brown and hot throughout, about 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

This recipe is from Whole Foods Recipe index at http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes

Spiced Squash and Toasted Almond Quinoa

Having been on maternity leave for the last 13 months, I'll admit that I've watched my fair share of daytime television. But for all you haters out there, I'd like to point out that you can learn some really interesting and valuable things on some of these shows! For example, did you know that Anderson Cooper rarely eats anything other than boiled hotdogs? Or that you can incorporate your leftover Halloween pumpkins into your at-home workouts? Ok, so not everything is ground breaking! But it passes the time and if you're lucky you come away with a piece of information that is actually useful in everyday life. This recipe is a great example of that!

Aida Mollenkamp is a Food Network chef that was featured on daytime's Access Hollywood Live about a year ago. She prepared this recipe and it looked so good that I immediately looked it up online so I could make it that night! It was fantastic! I did make a couple minor adjustments in the preparation as well as by adding black beans...making it a nice hearty complete meal.

If you've never heard or tried quinoa in your kitchen, I highly recommend it! it's as simple as cooking rice and is truly a super food! It has a nice fluffy texture with a slightly nutty flavour. It comes in red or tan...I used the red quinoa in the picture but the color doesn't make any difference in the taste. Quinoa is high in protein, fiber, magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus, making it especially valuable for persons suffering from migraine headaches, diabetes and cardiovascular problems (source).

Spiced Squash and Toasted Almond Quinoa

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups small-diced butternut squash
2 teaspoons ground cumin, coriander, and paprika
1.5 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons salt, plus additional for seasoning
3 cups vegetable broth or water
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon packed lemon zest
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 thinly sliced medium scallions
1/2 cup slivered almonds

Directions
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Spread diced squash on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil and cook for approximately 30 minutes (flipping once) or until fork tender but not too mushy.

Meanwhile, rinse quinoa and drain. Heat a medium pot over medium heat, add quinoa, and stir frequently until moisture evaporates and it makes a popping noise, 5-10 minutes. Add broth and 2 tsp of the salt, stir briefly and return to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until quinoa absorbs liquid and grains are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Stir in roasted squash, black beans, lemon juice, zest, and scallions and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat on low-medium heat until heated through. Sprinkle almonds over the top and serve.

Enjoy!

You can find this recipe on Aida Mollenkamp's blog Pairs Well with Food.