Squash and Peanut Stew For A Chilly Night

I don't know about you, but I love to find new recipes that I can almost taste just reading them. That happened when I saw this one for a lovely began stew that's based on winter squash, onions, bell peppers, tomatoes and peanut butter. Although I'm not a big fan of cumin (so I used far less than the recipe calls for) I knew that it was a necessary component of the big flavors that this dish brings to the bowl.

This Washington Post recipe by food writer Joy Manning as given to us by Washington Post writer G Daniela Galarza is a tribute to President Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who was our President when times were a bit simpler. Daniela calls it "a squash and peanut stew: packed with vegetables, seasoned with warm spices and easy to adapt." I know the adapt part is correct because I swapped out the kabocha squash for butternut squash and I changed the spices a bit, too.  I love the ginger especially...it adds a lot of oomph. Sweetie loved this (which is huge for a guy who wants meat in every meal) and said it was surprisingly filling...and to keep the recipe on rotation!

Kabocha Squash and Peanut Stew

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat gently over low heat and do not let the stew come to a boil, as it may separate.

Servings: 6 to 8
Total time: 50 mins

Ingredients

·        1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed

·        1 large yellow onion (12 ounces), chopped

·        1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into small dice (1 cup)

·        1 medium green bell pepper (I used orange bell pepper), cored, seeded and cut into small dice (1 cup)

·        1 tablespoon tomato paste

·        One (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

·        3 garlic cloves, minced or finely grated

·        1 teaspoon cumin seeds

·        1 teaspoon ground coriander

·        1/4 teaspoon fine salt, plus more as needed

·        2 cups (10 ounces) peeled, cubed kabocha squash (from one 14- to 16-ounce squash)(I used butternut squash)

·        4 cups chicken or vegetable broth, preferably no-salt-added

·        One (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, with their juices

·        1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

·        1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped, plus more for serving

·        2 jalapeños (seeded or not), ground to a paste with the flat side of a knife or mortar and pestle, for serving

·        1/4 cup roasted salted peanuts, chopped, for serving

Steps

1. In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and bell peppers, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 8 minutes.

2. Add the tomato paste, ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander and salt, and cook until the mixture is aromatic and the tomato paste darkens slightly, about 1 minute. Add the squash and stir to coat.

3. Add the broth and crushed tomatoes, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low — enough heat to maintain a simmer — and cook, uncovered, until the squash is so tender it breaks apart easily, about 20 minutes,

4. In a medium bowl, thin the peanut butter with a ladleful of the stew, stirring until smooth and pourable. Scrape the peanut butter mixture into the pot, and stir to combine. Add the cilantro leaves.

5. Use a potato masher to break up the squash, leaving some pieces intact for a chunky texture.

6. Serve with the jalapeño paste, chopped peanuts and more cilantro leaves.

Aloooo Bread Baking Babes

One of the blessing of being part of a bread baking group is that different members bring assorted interests to the table. This month as be gather around the table of our Kitchen of the Month Babe Baking Soda of Bake My Day blog, I have been introduced to a bread I never knew existed. It's called Aloo Parantha and it's an Indian unleavened flat filled bread that is baked on a griddle or hot frying pan. It is most often eaten in the northeastern part of India, usually with a savory filling of potatoes and herbs, although vegetables are sometimes used, for instance cauliflower and spinach.

These packets of non-yeasted dough are filled, rolled out carefully so the filling stays inside, and then cooked on a hot griddle or, in my case, a hot cast iron skillet. They are surprisingly filling and quite delicious.

After reading various recipes online, I changed the filling from regular potato to a mixture of roasted sweet potato and roasted winter squash. I seasoned the filling with sage, cayenne, salt & pepper and lemon juice, plus minced cilantro. It's a very enjoyable variation. The winter squash was a gift from a neighbor and I don't really know the variety.  First I cut it in half and removed the seeds and stringy parts. Then I roasted it in a hot oven, then peeled it and cut it into chunks. It is a brilliant orange-gold and very tasty.

One of the things I discovered while making these is that the dough springs back a little as you roll it out, so be patient...you WILL get larger, thinner circles of dough if you persevere.

I also found out that after you pull the extra dough atop the filling and twist it a little, it helps to dip the twist top and then the bottom of the packet in flour, turn it with the twist side down, then push down on the center with your fingers to begin the flattening process. With the first one I started rolling vigorously with the rolling pin and filling immediately squirted out a couple of places...not what I had in mind. Even when I had flattened it a bit with my fingers I used the rolling pin gently and straight down to flatten it more, then moved the rolling pin off the packet and to a different angle, then pressed straight down again, so I never actually rolled the pin over the packet.

While cooking these, I brushed them with butter every time I turned them over and I turned them over at least 6 times while cooking. You could use oil instead of butter if your are doing a vegetarian or vegan version. The key thing is to get both sides crisp and browned. You may have to use a spatula to gently flatten them as they cook, too. It is worth the effort since they are warm and savory, crisp on the outside and soft on the inside and overall very delicious. Thanks Baking Soda! Great choice.

Be sure to see the versions that the other Babes post:
THE BREAD BAKING BABES!
Bake My Day - Karen
Blog from OUR Kitchen - Elizabeth
Girlichef - Heather
Life's a Feast - Jaime
Living in the Kitchen with Puppies - Natashya 
Lucullian Delights - Ilva 
My Kitchen in Half Cups - Tanna
Notitie van Lien - Lien

Thyme for Cooking - Katie - our Round-up Babe       

If you would like to be a Bread Baking Buddy, bake the bread and post about it, with a photo or two, then send the link in an e-mail to Baking Soda of Bake My Day  bakemyday AT gmail DOT com with Aloo Paratha in the subject line before 29th November . I wonder what filling you'll come up with?

Aloo Paratha
("how to cook everything by Mark Bittman")

1.1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1.1/2 cups all purpose flour plus more for rolling out the dough
salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn, plus more for brushing the breads
1/2 medium sweet potato (I used a garnet yam), cooked, cooled, peeled, and cut in half (use 4 oz of it)
8 oz. winter squash, roasted, peeled, and deseeded
1/4 teaspoon rubbed or ground dried sage
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
freshly ground pepper
juice of 1/2 small lemon
melted butter or neutral oil

Directions

Combine the flours with 1 teaspoon salt and the thyme in a food processor. Turn the machine on and add the oil and 3/4 cup water through the feed tube. Process for about 30 seconds, until the mixture forms a ball and is slightly sticky to the touch. If it is dry, add another tablespoon or two of water and process for another 10 seconds. In the unlikely event that the mixture is too sticky, add flour a tablespoon at a time. Remove the dough and, using flour as necessary, shape into a ball; wrap in plastic and let rest while you make the potato mixture. (At this point, you may wrap the dough tightly in plastic and refrigerate for up to a day or freeze for up to a week; bring back to room temperature before proceeding.)

Mash the sweet potato and winter squash, along with the sage, cayenne, and cilantro a large pinch of salt, some pepper, and the lemon juice; taste and adjust the seasoning (you may prefer more cayenne; sometimes aloo paratha are quite hot).

When the dough has rested, set out a bowl of all-purpose flour and a small bowl of oil, with a spoon or brush, on your work surface. Lightly flour your work surface and your rolling pin. Break off a piece of dough about the size of a golf ball. Toss it in the bowl of flour and then roll it in your hands to make a ball. Flatten it into a 2-inch disk, then use a floured rolling pin to roll it into a thin round, about 5 inches in diameter, dusting with flour as necessary.

Mound about 1 tablespoon of the filling into the center of one of the rounds of dough. Bring the edges of the round up over the top of the filling and press them together to make a pouch. Press down on the “neck” of the pouch with the palm of one hand to make a slightly rounded disk. Turn the disk in the bowl of flour, place 'neck' side down, and roll it out again into a round 6 to 7 inches in diameter. Pat it between your hands to brush off the excess flour. Put the paratha on a plate and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap. Continue to roll all of the remaining dough into parathas and stack them on the plate with a sheet of plastic wrap between them. You can keep the paratha stacked like this for an hour or two in the refrigerator before cooking them if necessary.

Heat a griddle or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for a minute or two, then put on a paratha (or two, if they’ll fit) and cook until it darkens slightly, usually less than a minute. Flip the paratha with a spatula and cook for another 30 seconds on the second side. Use the back of a spoon or a brush to coat the top of the paratha with oil. Flip and coat the other side with oil. Continue cooking the paratha until the bottom of the bread has browned, flip, and repeat. Do this a few times until both sides of the paratha are golden brown and very crisp, 2 to 3 minutes total for each paratha. As the paratha finish, remove them from the pan and brush with melted butter (or oil for vegan) if you’re going to serve hot; otherwise wait until you’ve reheated them.

I served mine right away with some plain yogurt and they were excellent.

Savory Rice Pie

Growing up I remember that my Mom often referred to herself as frugal...and sometime as a frugal French housewife (although she is pure Irish as far as I know) probably because she rarely let anything go to waste. Dry bread ends were cut into cubes and frozen, to be resurrected later as part of stuffing or bread pudding. The drippings of bacon grease in the pan after the bacon was cooked were saved and used later to flavor steamed green beans or grits. Similar economies were practiced daily. It's a fine quality to have as long as it doesn't go too far. Fortunately she never made head cheese.

For Thanksgiving I purchase an assortment of small, colorful squash and sugar pumpkins for decorations. Once fall turned into the Christmas season I decided to emulate my Mom and use the squash for eating now that it had done its thing as decor. This actually happened over a week ago...but it has been busy people!

The squash were each cut in half, seeds and goop scooped out, laid cut side down on an oiled piece of foil which was placed in a large baking sheet. The lot were roasted in a 425 degree F oven until tender. Once cool, I peeled the skin off each and then cut the squash meat into a small dice.

Great...very thrifty...but now what? Well, the prepared squash sat in the fridge a few days waiting for me to be inspired. Fortunately inspiration came before the squash got tired of waiting.

Rice pie...similar to Easter time savory rice pie eaten in Italy...or at least that was the inspiration.

So this totally yummy way to make good use of cooked winter squash combines rice, meatballs, milk and eggs, cheese, onions, garlic and a pie shell...and the squash. It is hearty, savory, and delicious. I served it with steamed spinach and a bowl of seasonal fruit the first time, then with a large green salad the second time...both worked really well.

You can actually make this with winter squash that you have just purchased, too. It might even be better...but not as frugal. *grin*

Savory Rice Pie with Winter Squash

½ onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive or grapeseed oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
3 eggs
1 cup cooked rice (I cooked mine in chicken broth, but plain is fine)
1 cup evaporated milk, undiluted
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups roasted squash, seeds and skin removed, diced
8 oz. meatballs – I used chicken pesto meatballs, but any kind
of prepared meatballs…or your own…are fine. They do not need to
be cooked meatballs…they cook in the pie
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 unbaked pie shell

Heat oil in a skillet and cook onions over medium-high heat, stirring often, until translucent, about 5 minutes. About one minute before the onions are done, add the garlic and stir to combine with the onions. After onions are translucent, remove from heat and cool. Once mixture is just warm, spread it in the bottom of the unbaked pie shell. Set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs. Add the rice, milk, salt, basil, pepper, nutmeg and Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine. Gently stir in the squash until just combined. Set aside.

Place the meatballs on top of the onion mixture in the bottom of the pie shell, distributing evenly. Cover with the rice mixture. Use a spatula to even out the mixture. Sprinkle liberally with the cheese.

Bake in preheated 425 degree oven for 10 minutes, then reduce heat and bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes, or until set. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then serve.

Makes 6-8 servings.

For a vegetarian version, cook the rice in water and omit the meatballs. Add a ½ lb chopped mushrooms and another ½ tablespoon oil to the onions after the onions have cooked 2 minutes and stir well. Continue to cook the onion mixture as described. Otherwise continue to cook the recipe as written.

The Cozy Cat and Harvest Dinner

Our cat Merlin always finds the most comfortable places to be. On cold rainy days he secures the comfy cozy chair right by the fire, or snuggles into the pillow on the computer chair which is protected from drafts on all sides by the l-shaped desk.

When it is sunny but cool he can be found in the sunspace, usually upstairs on a fuzzy comforter, soaking up the sun. If the day is warm he find not only the shady spot but the one with any breeze that can be found. It's tough wearing an elegant gray fur coat when the weather is warm.

On Friday I was folding wash and saw him outside on the back porch in an unusual place. Before the storm earlier in the week I had moved a couple of decorative lanterns from the shelf on the potting bench to the bench top so they wouldn't be toppled by the wind. Now that the shelf was completely empty, Merlin decided that it made the perfect place to nap since it was in the shade and caught the afternoon breeze. I slipped around the side of the house with my camera at the ready, crept up the deck steps and surprised him. He woke up immediately, but I got some cute photos.


While Merlin snoozed, I took advantage of the soaking rain from earlier in the week. It really loosened up the soil and made cleaning up the garden much easier.

Out went the spent zucchini plants, the old, dried up bachelor button plants and daises. I pulled up the plants that had done so surprisingly well in that plastic sack of potting soil and found the gopher run underneath and the place where the gopher had gotten tired of chewing on an old, hard shelled piece of zucchini and left it in the run. The gopher had also chewed a nice sized hole in the bottom of the sack. Thank heavens that I had plenty of plants to go around this year...some for me, some for the gophers.

As I went through cleaning up and weeding, I harvested some of the late season veggies. There were tomatoes, tiny zucchini - both yellow and green - and a decent sized light green one. There were pale purple eggplant shaped like eggs and dark purple skinned ones, like dark teardrops, plus one white one that was sort of round and squat.

Later in the afternoon I decided to make a harvest dinner using those smaller veggies, plus a squash that I had purchased at the local farm stand. I thawed some boneless, skinless chicken thighs out and found a container of small onions, already peeled and ready to cook with.

The first veggies to go under the knife were the eggplant varieties. The dark ones were peeled and the rest lost the top and stem and then were sliced and cut in half. Since they were all pretty small that was all that was needed. I roasted them with garlic, fresh oregano, dried rosemary and fresh basil and Sweetie took a taste and said that they were good. Since I'm not fond of eggplant I took his word for it.

Next I peeled the hard squash and removed the seeds and membranes from each half.

The slices looked like half moons and when cooked they were velvety in texture and quite delicious. The zucchini were treated differently depending on size. The light green on was cut into chunks, the medium yellow one was cut into rounds and the two tiny ones were just cut in half lengthwise.

These were roasted after being flavored with thyme, pepper and fresh marjoram.

The chicken pieces were browned in vegetable oil, then I added four cloves of minced garlic and cooked that gently for a few minutes until very lightly browned. Chicken stock, thyme, the baby onions, cardamom and chopped apricots, plus salt and pepper made for a savory sauce and succulent chicken.

The last part of the dinner was steamed rice which captured the pan sauce and helped tie the various flavors together. On the plate the mellow green and golden colors reminded me of the grape vines we had seen in the morning after walking the dog. Fall is here and the harvest is winding down.

I feel fortunate to have had so many wonderful garden veggies this spring and summer and I'll surely miss them as we head into winter, but it was good to tidy up the garden a bit, too. There are still plenty of green tomatoes and a couple of zucchini plants still producing squash. The Swiss chard are colorful and happy with the cooler weather and now I can appreciate the shapes and colors of the planting more with fewer plants taking up space. Time to start planning what seeds I want for next year.

Harvest Dinner

Amounts are approximate because the veggies went straight from the garden to the railing to the kitchen and never were weighed.

Eggplant:

About a pound of eggplants
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1-2 teaspoon(s) fresh oregano or marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
salt to taste
about 2 tablespoons olive oil

Wash the eggplant and peel any dark skinned ones. Remove the stem end and any soft spots. Cut in half and slice in 1/2 inch thick slices. Place eggplant slices, garlic slices, basil, oregano, rosemary, pepper and salt and olive oil in a large plastic bag. Close bag and shake to combine all the ingredients.

Line a baking pan (I used an 8-inch square baking pan like you use for brownies) with heavy foil and place the eggplant mixture in it. Roast in a preheated 425 degree F oven for 20 -25 minutes or until browned on the edges, but not burnt. Keep warm or reheat right before serving.

Squash:

About 3/4 pound mixed squash. I used a squash that had green and gold stripes and it was similar to a pumpkin. You could use acorn, hubbard, butternut or similar hard shelled squash for about half the squash and zucchini, pattypan, or similar summer squash for the rest.

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon fresh marjoram
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper or to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil

Peel the hard shelled squash, remove all seeds and membranes, then cut in thin slices or chunks
Remove the ends of the summer squash and slice or cut in chunks.

Place the squash pieces, thyme, marjoram, pepper and the olive oil in a large plastic bag. Close the bag and shake to completely combine the ingredients (you can re-use the bag you used for the eggplant if you like).

Line a baking pan with heavy duty foil, place the squash mixture in it and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 20 - 25 minutes or until the hard shelled squash is tender when pierced with a sharp knife. Keep warm or reheat at serving time.

Chicken with Onions, Garlic and Apricots

5-6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 1/4 cup chicken broth
1 cup small onions, peeled and par-boiled if fresh (I used thawed frozen ones which are ready to use)
1/4 cup dried apricots, cut in small dice
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

salt and pepper to taste

Rinse the chicken under cold water and pat dry with towel. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a heavy bottomed skillet. Brown the chicken on all sides, then remove and keep warm. Add the garlic and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until very lightly browned. Do not burn or cook to dark brown. If necessary, you can add a little more oil for cooking the garlic.

Add the chicken broth and use a non-stick or wooden spoon to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pan, add the onions and apricots and stir to combine the mixture. Sprinkle the thyme and cardamom over the chicken pieces. Add salt and pepper to taste. Check the stock. It should come about half way up the chicken pieces. If it is lower add some water or more stock. Cover and simmer for 40 minutes, until chicken is very tender.

While chicken is cooking, steam a cup of raw rice in your favorite manner. I used up the rest of the chicken broth from the can as part of the rice cooking liquid, but the sauce is so flavorful, just water is fine for cooking the rice.

To serve, place some of the rice on the plate. Add one or two pieces of the chicken. Spoon the onions and some sauce over the chicken and the rice. Spoon on generous servings of the eggplant and squash mixtures. Serve while still nice and hot. Serves 3-4.