Reject the sweet and kick up the heat
WINTER SQUASH
THE FIRST TIME I tasted a winter squash, naturally it was butternut.
I was at a restaurant, and the menu item that intimidated me least was a ravioli filled with butternut squash and goat cheese. Not yet an adventurous eater, I had never tasted either. The kind server explained that butternut squash tastes like sweet potatoes and goat cheese is like fancier cream cheese. As I recall, the sauce was primarily melted butter. There were also likely fried sage leaves on the scene. This was the ’90s. I declared these ravioli the best thing I’d ever eaten.
So, you can imagine how excited I was a while later, when a friend and professional chef offered to make us squash and goat cheese ravioli for dinner one crisp autumn night. Things were going great: the filling had a rich, savoury, balanced quality.
Unfortunately, it all went very wrong when he drizzled the sauce, a maple “gastrique,” all over the just-boiled ravioli. I tasted one and thought: ruined.
It should be against the law to combine already-plenty-sweet winter squash with apples, maple syrup, brown sugar, figs, honey or raisins.
Thai restaurants lit the way for me. A chili-kicked, herbaceous, coconut-rich bath complements tender winter squash, making the vegetable robust and meaty.
After the one-dimensional butternut squash soups I made by following typical recipes, I started marrying cold-weather squash with bold and spicy ingredients to offset their mellow sweetness and bring out their savoury side.
Turkey and Butternut Squash Chili Makes 6 servings (6 3/4 cups)
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1⁄4 cup raw cashews
1 chipotle chili in adobo, plus 1 tablespoon of the sauce
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 pound ground turkey
2 cups diced butternut squash (about 10 ounces, from a 1 1⁄2-pound squash)
2 medium onions, cut into small dice (2 cups)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1⁄4 tsp ground cinnamon 1⁄2 tsp kosher salt
One 15-ounce can pinto beans, preferably no-salt-added, drained and rinsed
One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, with their juices
1⁄4 cup cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
Lime wedges, for serving
Combine the broth, cashews, chipotle and its adobo sauce and the chili powder in a blender; purée until smooth.
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; once the oil shimmers, add the ground turkey and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring to break up any large clumps. The meat should be cooked through, with no trace of pink.
Reduce the heat to medium; add the squash, onions, garlic, cumin, cocoa powder, cinnamon and salt. Cook for about five minutes, until the onions have softened.
Add the cashew purée, pinto beans and the diced tomatoes and their juices, stirring to incorporate. Increase the heat to high just long enough to bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium or medium-low — just enough to maintain steady bubbles at the edges. Partially cover and cook for 35 minutes, until the squash is quite tender. Uncover and stir in cilantro.
Serve hot, with more cilantro and the lime wedges.
Per serving: 290 calories; 12 grams fat; 2 g saturated fat; 50 milligrams cholesterol; 450 mg sodium; 26 g carbohydrates; 7 g fibre; 6 g sugar; 21 g protein.
Kabocha Squash and Peanut Stew
Kabocha squash is especially velvety and flavourful, but you can substitute the more common butternut or even sweet potatoes here. Cut the peanut butter by up to half for a leaner dish.
Makes 6 to 8 servings (about 7 cups)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, chopped (1 1⁄2 to 2 cups)
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and cut into small dice (1 cup)
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and cut into small dice (1 cup)
1 tbsp tomato paste
One 2-inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 tsp ground coriander
1⁄2 tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
2 cups (10 ounces) peeled, cubed kabocha squash (from one 14- to 16-ounce 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 cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped, plus more for serving 2 jalapenos (seeded or not), ground to a paste with the flat of a knife or mortar and pestle, for serving
1⁄4 cup roasted salted peanuts, chopped, for serving
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, stir in the onion and bell peppers; cook for five to eight minutes, until they have softened.
Add the tomato paste, ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander and salt; cook for about one minute, until the tomato paste darkens slightly and the spices become fragrant. Add the squash and stir to coat.
Pour in the broth and crushed tomatoes; increase the heat to high. Once the mixture begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium or medium-low (enough heat to maintain steady bubbles at the edges); cook, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, until the squash is so tender it breaks apart easily.
Thin the peanut butter by combining it with a ladleful of the stew in a medium bowl, stirring until smooth and pourable. Scrape the peanut butter mixture into the pot, and stir to combine. Add the cilantro leaves. Use a potato masher to break up the squash (right in the pot), leaving some pieces intact for a chunky texture.
Serve with ground jalapeño paste, topped with the chopped peanuts and more cilantro leaves.
Based on 8 servings (using chicken broth): 170 calories; 10 grams fat; 2 g saturated fat; 280 mg sodium; 17 g carbohydrates; 4 g fibre; 8 g sugar; 7 g protein.
Delicata Squash Nachos
There are many ways to switch this up to suit your taste: lose the cashew sauce and simply top with pepper jack cheese at the end and run under the broiler. Fresh chorizo, browned on the stove while the squash roasts, is another good topper.
These are best the day they’re made, but make acceptable next-day leftovers.
Makes 4 servings For the sauce
2 tablespoons canola oil
1⁄2 medium onion, thinly sliced
1⁄2 medium red bell pepper, seeded and cut into small dice (1⁄2 cup)
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 cup whole unsalted cashews
3⁄4 cup water
1⁄2 cup nutritional yeast
4 pickled jalapeño slices and 2 tbsp of their liquid, plus more slices for garnish
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1⁄4 tsp onion powder
1⁄2 tsp kosher salt
Hot sauce (optional)
For the nachos
2 delicata squash (about 10 ounces each) (trimmed), halved, seeds removed, and cut into 1⁄2-inch thick slices
2 tbsp canola oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
One 15-ounce can black beans, preferably no-salt-added, rinsed and drained
1⁄2 medium onion, cut into small dice (1⁄2 cup)
1⁄2 medium red bell pepper, seeded and cut into small dice (1⁄2 cup)
1 tsp ground cumin
1⁄4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
2 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced
2 tbsp roasted pumpkin seeds
For the sauce: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion, red pepper and garlic; cook for eight to 10 minutes, stirring a few times, until softened. Scrape the mixture into a blender; add the cashews, water, nutritional yeast, pickled jalapenos and their liquid, apple cider vinegar, sweet paprika, onion powder and salt. Purée until smooth. Taste the sauce, adding hot sauce if desired. The yield is about 2 cups.
For the nachos: Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Toss the squash with 1 tablespoon of the oil, then season lightly with salt and pepper. Arrange on the baking sheet (in serving groups of four or five slices is helpful), and roast (middle rack) for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, toss together the black beans, onion, red bell pepper and cumin with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a mixing bowl. Scatter this mixture over the squash after it has roasted, then return it to oven and roast for an additional 10 minutes, at which point the squash should be tender.
Use a large spatula to portion the nachos onto serving plates, then drizzle with nacho sauce. Top with cilantro, scallions and roasted pumpkin seeds. Serve right away.
Based on using half the sauce: 430 calories; 21 grams fat; 3 g saturated fat; 290 mg sodium; 47 g carbohydrates; 14 g fibre; 6 g sugar; 17 g protein.
A chili-kicked, herbaceous, coconut-rich bath complements tender winter squash making the vegetable robust and meaty.