Squash Cheesecake

(Makes 10-12 servings)

Ingredients

Squash Puree

• 1 pound butternut squash, cut in half and seeded

Crust

• 7 ounces ginger cookies
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake

• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 14 ounces cream cheese
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ⅔ cup buttermilk

Garnish

• 2 tablespoons green pumpkin seeds, toasted

Directions

1. Grease an 8-inch springform pan.
2. Preheat oven to 325°F.
3. Bake squash until soft. Cool, then puree flesh in food processor.
4. Whiz ginger cookies to fine crumbs and add melted butter.
5. Press mixture into base of prepared pan. Cover and chill.
6. Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and cream cheese together in bowl until smooth.
7. Add eggs, vanilla, squash puree, and buttermilk and mix well. Pour filling over crust.
8. Bake 40 to 50 minutes. Cool in oven for 5 minutes with door ajar; cool and chill. Scatter seeds over.

Roasted Pumpkin Salad

Time-saving tip: Purchase peeled, pre-cut squash and pumpkin.

Roasted Pumpkin and Kabocha and Butternut Squash

Ingredients

• 1 kabocha squash
• 1 butternut squash
• 1 sugar pie pumpkin
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice
• ½ cup grape seed oil
• Kosher salt, to taste  

Directions

1. Peel squash and pumpkin. Cut each in quarters and remove seeds by using a spoon.
2. Place prepared pieces in bowl. Coat with oil and season with pumpkin spice and salt.
3. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast in a 350 degree oven until you can easily push a skewer through them. (About 45 minutes to an hour.)

Candied Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 ½ cups water
• Canola oil
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup pumpkin seeds
• Salt, if desired

Directions

1. In small pot, bring water and sugar to a boil.
2. Add pumpkin seeds. Cook seeds until coated with sugar, then strain off excess sugar water.
3. Fill half of large pot with canola oil to 350°F. Make sure there is room in the top so it will not boil over.
4. Fry seeds in small batches until golden brown.
5. Remove from oil and spread seeds over parchment paper.
6. Sprinkle seeds with salt and cayenne pepper.

Nutmeg Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• ¼ cup ginger (peeled, finely diced)
• ¼ cup shallots (peeled, finely diced)
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• ¼ cup cider vinegar
• Nutmeg (fresh, whole, mircoplane), to taste  
• ½ cup grape seed oil

Directions

1. Heat oil in saucepan and sweat ginger and shallots, stir frequently.
2. When ginger and shallots are soft and translucent (but not brown), add vegetable stock. Reduce stock to 1/4 cup.
3. Add vinegar and nutmeg, season with salt and pepper if desired. 

Plating for 4 people

Ingredients

• 2 pears (peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes)
• 1 cup cooked kabocha (cut into 1-inch cubes)
• 1 cup cooked butternut (cut into 1-inch cubes)
• 1 cup sugar pie pumpkin (cut into 1-inch cubes)
• 2 bunches watercress (washed and trimmed)
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin seed oil
• ½ cup nutmeg vinaigrette
• ½ cup candied pumpkin seeds
• Salt and pepper, if desired

Directions

1. Place pear, pumpkin, and squash in bowl. Add 4 tablespoons nutmeg vinaigrette and mix till evenly coated. Place in center of plate.
2. Place watercress in bowl. Season if desired. Add 1 tablespoon of vinaigrette and mix.
3. Place watercress on top of pumpkin and pear, followed by candied pumpkin seeds.
4. Finish dish with drizzle of pumpkin seed oil and nutmeg vinaigrette.

Stuffed Acorn Squash with Barley

Ingredients

• 1 small acorn squash (about 1 1/2 pounds), halved and seeded
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup pearl barley
• 1/2 fennel bulb (about 6 ounces), trimmed of stalks, cored, and chopped fine
• 1 shallot, minced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1 pinch dried thyme
• 1 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 3/4 cup)
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• Balsamic vinegar, for serving

Directions

Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with vegetable oil spray.

Brush cut sides of squash with 1 tablespoon oil, season with salt and pepper, and lay cut-side down on prepared baking sheet. Roast on lower-middle rack until tender (tip of paring knife can be slipped into flesh with no resistance), 45 to 55 minutes. Remove squash from oven and increase oven temperature to 450 degrees.

Meanwhile, bring 2 cups water to boil in small saucepan. Stir in barley and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until barley is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Wipe saucepan dry, add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Stir in fennel and shallot and cook until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, coriander, and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Off heat, stir in cooked barley, 1/2 cup Parmesan, parsley, pine nuts, and butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Flip roasted squash over and scoop out flesh, leaving 1/8-inch thickness of flesh in each shell. Gently fold cooked squash into barley mixture, then mound mixture evenly in squash shells. (Stuffed squash can be covered loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 4 hours. Finish and bake as directed, increasing baking time to 25 to 30 minutes.)

Sprinkle squash with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Bake on upper-middle rack until cheese is melted, 5 to 10 minutes. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar to taste and serve.

Sautéed Pork Cutlets with Mustard-Cider Sauce

Sautéed Pork Cutlets with Mustard-Cider Sauce

Ingredients

• 12 ounces boneless country-style pork ribs, trimmed of excess fat, cut and pounded into cutlets
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup apple cider
• 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh sage, parsley, or thyme
• 2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard

Directions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Pat cutlets dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle sugar evenly over each cutlet. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add 1 piece butter, let melt, and quickly add cutlets. Cook cutlets until browned on both sides, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer cutlets to large plate and keep warm in oven while making sauce.

Add shallot to fat left in skillet and cook over medium heat until softened, about 1 minute. Stir in flour and cook for 30 seconds. Whisk in broth, cider, and sage and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.

Off heat, whisk in mustard, remaining 1 piece butter, and any accumulated juice from pork. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste, spoon over pork, and serve.

Baked Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti Squash

(Makes 2 servings)

• 1 spaghetti squash
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese (or low-fat ricotta cheese)

Preheat oven to 375 F. Slice squash in half, lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and pulp. Drizzle flesh with olive oil. Sprinkle with oregano and garlic. (Note: Use fingertips or back of spoon to rub seasonings into flesh.) Place each half flesh-side down on baking sheet. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until insides are tender. Allow to cool for several minutes. Top each half with 1/2 cup cottage or ricotta cheese. Serve with a side salad or roasted vegetables. (I threw some carrots in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes while the squash was baking.)

Enjoy!

Squash Blossoms

Fried Squash Blossoms

• 12 large squash blossoms, freshly picked (use male flowers with the single tubular stamen)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon red (cayenne) pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Combine batter ingredients. Heat 1/2 to 1 cup oil in a saucepan. Dip squash blossoms in batter until coated and fry in hot oil until golden brown, less than 1 minute. Drain on paper towel and serve warm.