Maple-Glazed Acorn Squash

It’s winter baking time! Tis the season for squash! My favorite combination is acorn squash and maple syrup; the play off one another beautifully. To add texture and take advantage of another in-season produce, I added pomegranate seeds. These little ruby jewels contrast so beautifully with the deep green of the kale, and seem quite seasonally appropriate.

Goat cheese marries beautifully with maple syrup and sweet squash, adding creaminess and tang. The nuts add a final, pleasing crunch. This meal is as pleasing to look at as it is to eat, and it requires very little time investment on the part of the cook. You have about 20 minutes of active work and a meal on your plate in about an hour.

I hope you’ll try this soon!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup maple syrup

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses

salt and pepper, to taste

pinch red pepper flakes

2 acorn squash

2 cups kale, torn into 1 inch pieces

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese

1/4 cup pomegranate seeds

1/4 cup chopped almonds

Method:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Meanwhile, combine the maple syrup, butter, dijon mustard, pomegranate molasses, apple cider vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook while stirring for about three minutes, until thickened slightly.

Cut each squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Slice each half into four wedges. Place in a bowl with the maple syrup mixture and toss to coat.

Arrange the squash on a baking sheet, receiving the excess maple syrup mixture left in the bowl. Bake for 20 minutes. Brush the squash with the remaining maple syrup mixture and bake a further 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, toss the kale in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Lay out in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes.

To serve, transfer the squash and kale to a platter and sprinkle evenly with goat cheese, pomegranate seeds and almonds.

Comments

Samosas with Yogurt Sauce

I love exploring many kinds of cuisine in my kitchen because I can control the spice level, and in the case of this recipe, the use of cilantro. Cilantro lovers out there- sub it info the parsley here. I have the gene that makes cilantro taste like soap, which limits my ability to enjoy some dishes in restaurants, but is easily rectified in my own kitchen. I hope you enjoy! Ingredients: 3 russet potatoes 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped 2 teaspoons curry powder 5 ounces peas Six 8 inch flour tortillas 4 ounces Greek yogurt Oil, salt, pepper, vinegar 4 tablespoons butter Method: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet. Scrub potatoes and cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces. Place in a large saucepan with a generous pinch of salt and enough water to cover by 1 inch. Cover and bring to a boil over high; uncover and cook until tenderDrain potatoes and transfer to a bowl. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in reserved saucepan over medium. Add chopped garlic and al

Raspberry Pomegranate Jam

Tis the season to be making homemade gifts! Pomegranates are in season and their juice is a festive deep ruby red color. I knew I had to make them into a jam to give away. Straight pomegranate flavor is a little tart for me; I added raspberries for the texture of their seeds and their sweetness. This is a very simple recipe to make and will yield 6 to 7 8 ounces jars of jam or 12 to 14 4 ounce jars, if you like to give away sample sizes during the holidays. Enjoy! Ingredients: 3 1/2 cups pomegranate juice 1 cup mashed raspberries 7 cups sugar 1 tablespoon butter 1 1/75 ounce package Sure Jell Method: Sterilize your jars and lids. Set aside. In a heavy bottomed large stock pot, add the pomegranate juice, raspberries and butter. Mix well. Add in the sugar. Bring to a full rolling boil then stir in the Sure Jell. Allow to boil hard for 1 minutes. Remove from the heat and skim off any foam. Ladle into the sterile jars, twist on the lids and pr

Peek-a-boo Squares

My grandma, Mimi, taught me this recipe. I used to make this with her and my mother as a child. It is my very favorite dessert. It is incredibly easy to make, and even easier to eat. My favorite part of making this as a child was dusting every bar generously with snowy white powdered sugar. My favorite version of this dessert uses canned blueberry pie filling; I vastly prefer Libby brand over the store brand. You can make blueberry pie filling from scratch with sugar, cornstarch, bleberries, etc. but using the canned stuff is easy in a pinch and is much for nostalgic for me. Plus, I don’t notice a vast improvement over my homemade blueberry pie filling and the Libby brand; it just takes me longer to put this dessert together. I have been known to whip up a pan of these Friday night and have them disappear by Saturday afternoon. Be warned, these things are addictive! Ingredients: 3 cups of all-purpose flour 2 cups of granulated sugar 4 eggs 2 sticks of

Watership Down Kitchen

Search This Blog