Pizza Recipes: Summer Squash Pizza Crust

Aug 20, 2007 Like some others said, I let the squash drain a couple hours, then I really squeezed it till dry. To bake it, I put parchment paper on the pan first, then turning it over onto the cookie sheet was a breeze!!!! We covered it with a little ranch dressing, then cooked, chopped chicken, sliced black olives, tomatoes, more ranch, then shredded pizza cheese. Absolutely wonderful--even my kids who hate zucchini loved this one!

—family magic 

View the original article here

Meatless Main Dishes: Squash and Zucchini Casserole

Nov 09, 2007 A few things, this recipe yields far more than 5 servings, as I ended up having to go to a second casserole dish. Also, do not cover it as the juices won't evaporate and therefore it will be really watery when you get ready to serve it. Also, this isn't really ideal for a vegetarian as it is really difficult to call a serving of this a meal, it's more of a side dish. With that being said, it was simple to make, and was tastey. I just needed to bake it again without it being covered so that I could get rid of some juices. It really did taste great. In the future if I make it I'll make it with rice on the bottom.

—HHOAL 

View the original article here

Tip for Sensational Squash

“My secret is a little tarragon on yellow summer squash,” reveals Nellie M. of Elyria, Ohio. “I wouldn’t cook squash without adding a few shakes of it.”

View the original article here

Butternut Squash Butter Lettuce Salad with Spicy Avocado Dressing

Let’s talk about getting skinny. Ugh. The worst. Maybe we shouldn’t.

It’s been a winter of cocooning, hibernating and grazing. What else is one to do when its been one of the coldest and snowiest on record? We need to keep warm, right? we need strength to push the shovel through another 8 inches of snow. And what does that better than a little extra girth easily hidden—and ignored—under long sweaters and puffy coats? Ah, thank the Lord for the style Goddesses. 

Well guess what peeps? The groundhog spoke and the style Goddesses listened and spring is right around the corner. Time to lose the bulk and take a look at those pops of colors and short shorts.

Last week I asked my Facebook peeps what you’d like to see more of on the blog: More ooey gooey or more healthy recipes? Your answer? Pretty much straight down the middle.

Me and My Pink Mixer said: “Healthy please! Trying to lose a few lbs. for an upcoming trip to Florida.”

Maribel said: “As someone who has been working on being healthier since June, I’d like more healthier recipes. I love your recipes, but have not been able to make many as I can’t think of swaps… You know I love your recipes and pictures make me crave these foods.”

Susie said: More on the healthy side with a healthy dose of ooey, gooey:-)

And Sarah and Ginni agreed: “Um both… Need the healthy to cancel out the ooey gooey!” and “50/50 we need balance in our lives!”

So like Frasier talking into his radio show microphone to friends he never sees in person—I’m listening.  *Sidenote. I never thought about the similarity of a radio show host and a blogger, both of whom carry on conversations with faceless people in an alter universe. I’ll save the pondering on that for another day.

Now don’t freak out and think my love of cheese and bacon and goo has gone out the window with the baby and the bathwater. No. That will not happen.

But. It will soon be spring. And we could all use more healthy options. And the funny thing is, if you follow me on Instagram you’ll see that this is pretty much the way my lunch looks most every day. Lettuce topped with stuff. Yum.

This salad all started with the dressing. You know my obsession with avocados is strong here at FoodieCrush and since I put them on most every salad I make I figured a dressing would be a good switch up.

I made a variation of this dressing a few months ago for a kale caesar rendition and it received high marks and even a recipe request from friends I served it to. It’s a bit like a green goddess dressing, but spicier.

Butternut squash is classically fall, but why pigeonhole this sweetened, roasty version when it adds a heartiness to the delicate butter lettuce leaves. Accenting the whole shebang with feta cheese and pumpkin seeds gives a salty bite and a little crunch.

Now what about those strawberries? You’re wondering if I’ve lost it right? Berries and squash? Hear me out. I love salty/savory/sweet combinations. And strawberries were in the fridge. And guess what? They work sweetly.

A few things about the recipe:

1. If you can’t find a nice fresh head of butter lettuce, feel free to use another variety but choose one will hold up under the weight of the lush avocado dressing. I like a red leaf lettuce, spinach or the ultra sturdy kale. Leave the spring mix to a light vinaigrette.

2. Are those strawberries too spring like for you or maybe not yet the sweetest of the season? Give dried cranberries or cherries a try for the taste of complementary sweetness.

3. If you’re in the market for a less spicy, more herbacious dressing, leave the serrano pepper out of the dressing and add 1/2 cup of parsley and 1/4 cup of mint for a super fresh spring style dressing. Or try using a jalapeño for a milder kick.

Butternut Squash Butter Lettuce Salad with Spicy Avocado Dressing

Ingredients

½ serrano pepper, seeded and roughly chopped 1 clove garlic, peeled and roughly chopped 2 green onions, roughly chopped Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add more buttermilk it you like a thinner dressing. Add more kosher salt to taste. 1 head butter lettuce (also known as bibb lettuce) 3 cups butternut squash chopped into ½ inch chunks ¼ cup pepitas or pumpkin seeds cilantro and sliced serrano peppers for garnish kosher salt and freshly ground pepperInstructions

Place butternut squash on a foil lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, toss to coat and season with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Place in a 450 degrees F oven and roast for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool. For individual salad plates, layer a few leaves of butter lettuce with some of the butternut squash, a few strawberry slices, some feta cheese, pepitas and cilantro and sliced serranos if desired. Top with a few tablespoons of the spicy avocado dressing and more salt and pepper if desired. http://www.foodiecrush.com/2013/02/butternut-squash-butter-lettuce-salad-with-spicy-avocado-dressing/

Related Recipes
5 Fresh and Simple Avocado Salads
Caesar Salad with Hash Brown Croutons
Chinese Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing
Chicken Nicoise Pasta Salad

Thanks for reading and please keep in touch. Subscribe to FoodieCrush and follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and check out FoodieCrush magazine.

Pin It Tagged as: avocado, butternut squash, mexican, pumpkin seeds, recipe, salad, spicy

View the original article here

Spaghetti Squash and Chard Sauté

View the original article here

Preparing Squash

Wash squash, then pat dry with paper towels. Use a sharp knife to cut in half and scrape out seeds and fibrous strings. Acorn squash can be cut into decorative rings. Generally winter squash is first cooked, then the flesh is scooped out of the shell. It can be difficult to peel the shell from raw winter squash.

View the original article here

Roasted Butternut Squash, Radicchio, and Onion

Post navigation« Cowboy Cookies | Recipe Home | Raspberry Walnut Tart »

Here’s a wintery, festive side dish for your holiday table—cubes of butternut squash, along with wedges of radicchio and onion, tossed with salt and olive oil, and roasted in a hot oven until caramelized, then tossed again with toasted pine nuts, balsamic vinegar, parsley, and shredded Parmesan cheese. Wow. My tummy does a happy dance just thinking about making and eating this again. Radicchio is naturally a little bitter, but it loves being grilled or roasted, and it has a special affinity for balsamic vinegar and Parmesan cheese (see our grilled radicchio salad recipe). Combine those ingredients with the sweetness and substance of butternut squash and onions, and now your palate is firing on all levels – sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami. Great alongside roast beef or prime rib, or as a vegetarian meal in and of itself.

Butternut squash can be tricky to cut. Check out our How to Peel and Cut a Butternut Squash for a step-by-step how-to.

1 medium butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into chunks1 large onion, peeled and cut into wedges through the root1 head radicchio, cut into wedges through the rootOlive oilSalt and black pepper1/2 cup pine nuts1/4 cup chopped parsleyGrated parmesan or pecorino cheese to taste, about 1/4 cup to 1/3 cupBalsamic vinegar to taste, about a tablespoon

1 Preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss the squash chunks, onion and radicchio wedges in olive oil and salt them well. Arrange in one layer on baking sheets (you may need two) and put in the oven.  Roast the vegetables until their edges are nicely caramelized, turning the radicchio and onion wedges over about halfway through the roasting. The radicchio, onion, and squash will roast at different speeds. So periodically you'll have to remove the finished vegetables and let the others remain in the oven to finish roasting. As a guideline, roast the radicchio for about 25 minutes, turning halfway. Roast the onions about 35 minutes, again, turning halfway. Roast the squash pieces for 45 minutes, but do not turn. In all cases do not remove from the oven until you see browning on the edges.

2 While the vegetables are roasting, toast the pine nuts.  Heat a small pan on medium high heat.  Add the pine nuts in a single layer. Cook until lightly toasted. Remove from heat to a bowl to keep the nuts from burning.

3 Once all the vegetables are cool enough to handle, roughly chop the radicchio and onion into manageable pieces. Place the radicchio, onion, and butternut squash in a large serving bowl. Add the pine nuts and parsley. Add black pepper to taste.  Drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Stir gently to combine, taking care not to squish the soft roasted squash.

To serve, sprinkle with some grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese.

Yield: Serves 6-8 as a side dish.

Indexed: Butternut Squash, Radicchio

View the original article here

Gingered Butternut Squash Soup with Beet Slaw

Friends, this may be the most beautiful soup I’ve ever made. Or photographed. Or eaten. The lovely TK member Julia at The Roasted Root definitely has an eye for color and a wonderful sense for taste. This soup was one of those recipes that grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. 

Luckily, it’s fall. I’d have had a hard time finding a butternut squash in April.

Speaking of butternut squash, if you’ve got one, (carefully) chop it in half. You’ll need a very sharp knife for this. Butternuts don’t give in easily.

Scrape out all of the seeds and slimy stuff.

Drizzle some oil on the insides, and sprinkle it with salt.

Place them face-down in a baking dish and place them in the oven for 40-60 minutes, depending on the size of your squash.

Meanwhile, peel the beets and carrots, cut them into chunks and put them in your food processor.

Buzz them up until the pieces are small and slightly smaller than peas. Transfer to large mixing bowl.

Don’t wash the food processor. (I like how Julia thinks.)

Zest a whole orange.

If you don’t have a Microplane zester, stop what you’re doing and go get one. (Make sure someone is home to watch your roasting squash.) I love mine, and use it all the time!

Add the zest to the beet-carrot mixture.

Cut the apples into large chunks.

Add them to the dirty food processor. (Don’t worry, it’ll all work out in the end.) Also, juice the orange you just zested, right over the apples.

Good grief, I need a manicure. Maybe if I hold out long enough I’ll have pink French tips.

Buzz up the apples an orange juice, and dump it into the bowl with the beets and carrots.

Nope, not time to wash the food processor. Hang tight.

Peel and slice the ginger, and throw the ginger pieces into the food processor with the walnuts.

Process them until you have a chunky, finely chopped mixture.

And … you guessed it. Transfer the mixture into the other bowl, along with some unsweetened coconut.

Over that, add some extra-virgin olive oil, a few pinches of salt, and some toasted sesame seeds.

Mix it all together and you have this incredibly flavorful and vibrant garnish for the soup! I love all of the flavors in this salad.

I think my favorite color is beet, too.

Check on that squash now. You’ll know it’s done when you can easily stick a butter knife into it and the skin starts to turn golden brown.

Scrape out all of that soft, butternutty goodness …

And toss it into your blender. Add some of the chicken stock to help it blend.

Give it a whirl until it’s silky smooth.

Pour it into your favorite soup pot along with a can of coconut milk.

Grate some ginger into the pot. If you still don’t have a Microplane, it’s not too late to get one!

Add the cinnamon and salt. (I think next time I’d halve the cinnamon and double the ginger, but that’s just my taste.)

Add more chicken stock until the soup reaches your desired consistency.

Stir it well and heat it to a low boil.

Ladle this gorgeous soup into some bowls, top with a couple spoonfuls of the salad and a drizzle of coconut milk. (Don’t be like me and photo bomb yourself. Unless you really want to.)

I LOVED this soup. It has such a unique flavor, combined with the salad. Please don’t make this without the salad! I think it really takes the soup to a whole new level. (The recipe for the Beet Slaw can be found in Julia’s site. She credits her friend Jason for finding it on a paleo website.)

Thanks again, Julia (and Jason), for a great cleansing-between-rich-meals recipe for the holidays!

Be sure to check out Julia’s Tasty Kitchen Recipe Box as well as her blog, The Roasted Root, for more tasty, nourishing recipes!

Simple roasted butternut squash soup with coconut milk, chicken stock ginger, and cinnamon. Easy, nutritious and dairy-free!

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and lightly drizzle the flesh with olive oil and salt. Place squash in a casserole dish cut-side down and bake for 50 to 60 minutes until flesh is very soft and juices are seeping out.

Allow squash to cool and once cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh out and place it in a blender (discard the skin). Add the remaining ingredients to the blender and blend until completely smooth.

Pour the soup into a pot and heat to a low boil.

1 whole Butternut Squash, Medium-sizedOlive Oil, To Drizzle On Seeds½ teaspoons Salt, Or To Taste3 teaspoons Fresh Ginger, Grated½ teaspoons Ground Cinnamon2 cups Chicken Or Vegetable Broth1-½ cup Coconut Milk (full-fat Recommended) Or Almond Milk

_______________________________________

Be sure to check out Natalie’s own beautiful food blog, Perrys’ Plate, where you can see her growing collection of lovely recipes. There’s always something new to see there. Go visit now!

View the original article here