Summer Thai Green Curry with Tofu

Ingredients:
1 block extra firm tofu + soy sauce and sesame oil to season it
1 onion
1 green bell pepper
1 medium zucchini
1 medium summer squash
3 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 Tbsp thai green curry paste (check ingredients - some are not vegetarian)
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
red pepper flakes, to taste
1 can light coconut milk
juice of 1/2 lime

Directions:

Press the tofu for 30 minutes to 1 hour, then cut into bite-sized chunks (I use a Tofu Xpress to do this).
Add to a frying pan and drizzle some toasted sesame oil and soy sauce over the tofu. Cook over medium-high heat, flipping occasionally, until it is browned on all sides.
While the tofu is cooking, in a separate, deep wok/pan, Add the oil, garlic and onion. Cook for a few minutes, then add the pepper, zucchini and squash. Cook veggies until tender, then add the green curry paste. Cook for a few more minutes, then add the coconut milk, soy sauce, brown sugar, and a few shakes of red pepper flakes if you want some spice. Simmer for 10 minutes, then stir in the tofu and lime juice. Serve with lime slices and jasmine rice.

Butternut Squash and Spinach Stuffed Shells

from http://www.prouditaliancook.com/2009/10/butternut-squash-stuffed-shells-with.html

This recipe has been ALL over pinterest. It looked awesome and I had some squash I needed to use, so I figured I would try it. First, I multiplied the the filling ingredients by about 1.5 (because I had a REALLY big squash, and 2 cups is an awkward amount of ricotta. either you get a small container which isn't enough, or a large container which is too much. Plus, a standard package of jumbo shells will give you far more than you need for the amount of filling in the recipe.). I cooked what I could fit in my 9x13 baking dish, then used the rest of the filling and froze the rest of the uncooked ones. The recipe here has the filling ingredients modified to 1.5 (or more) times the original recipe. Also, I found the lemon to be overpowering. I also cut back on the amount of zest and lemon juice. I would maybe recommend not adding lemon juice to the sauce at all, but that's just personal opinion. However, I wouldn't suggest completely omitting the lemon - I would still add a bit of zest to the filling mixture.


Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash
olive oil
1 package jumbo stuffed shells
3 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves (I used the equivalent amount of jarred minced garlic)
1/2 lemon
1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach
1 egg
salt
pepper
1 stick of butter
10 or more sage leaves

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and cut the butternut squash into cubes. cook until soft but not too mushy (20-30 minutes?). (This step can be done the night before and then refrigerated or frozen if you wish to store it longer. Makes the recipe much easier!)

Cook jumbo shells according to package directions.


In a bowl add ricotta, parmesan cheese, garlic, spinach (squeezed and drained), egg, salt, pepper, your cooled down roasted squash (around 3 cups), and grated lemon peel (from 1/4 to 1/2 of the lemon).

Stuff the shells with the mixture and place in a buttered/greased baking dish.

Make a sage brown butter sauce by melting 1 stick of butter in a saute pan until golden brown and bubbly.

Add at least 10 sage leaves until slightly crisp. Turn off heat and squeeze in fresh lemon juice (use only a SMALL amount and taste it as you add it).

Place your shells in a 400F oven until heated through around 20-25 minutes. When finished spoon your warm sage sauce all over and sprinkle with grated parmesan.

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter Sage Sauce and Candied Walnuts

These take quite some time to make but are so worth it. Have to make at least once every fall!

INGREDIENTS:

RAVIOLI
1 butternut squash
few pinches salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg
1 package wonton wrappers (I used the nasoya ones which can be found in the produce section of the grocery store near the tofu)
splash of almond milk (or any kind of milk)

BUTTER SAUCE
unsalted butter (amount depends on how much ravioli you are serving - ravioli can be frozen, sauce should be made fresh)
few pinches sage
pinch of brown sugar (optional)
pinch of black pepper
pinch of salt (if using unsalted butter - optional)

CANDIED WALNUTS
walnuts
white granulated sugar (use 1 part sugar for 2 parts of walnuts)
parchment paper

DIRECTIONS
STEP 1 - Preparing the squash
Cutting and roasting the squash can be time consuming and I recommend doing this ahead of time (you can do it the night before and store in the fridge, or even freeze). Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. To prepare the squash, cut off the top stem. Slice the squash where the skinny part meets the bulbous part. cut the now cylindrical shaped piece lengthwise. cut the bulbous part in half as well and scoop out all the seeds. You should now have 4 pieces of squash - leave the skin on for now. line a sided pan with foil and coat with olive oil. Place squash in pan, flesh-side down and place pan in the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes then turn squash over so that it is now skin down. Bake for another 20 minutes or so or until the squash is mushy and easily pierced with a fork. Let cool fully. Once cooled, peel skin off of squash using hands and/or a knife. Put squash pieces in a bowl and use a vegetable masher to mash it (alternatively, use a food processor if you want a finer puree). Add small amount of salt, pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix. Add a few splashes of almond milk until desired consistency is reached - the mixture should be thick but smooth.

STEP 2 - Making the candied walnuts
I chose this as step 2 because you can do it ahead of time, while your squash is roasting. Chop walnuts into small pieces and add to a pan. Add sugar. I used a 2 cup bag of walnuts and 1 cup of sugar, but it can be scaled as you wish. Turn heat to medium and stir constantly. The sugar will melt (all on it's own, no water required!). Keep stirring until all sugar is melted and walnuts are coated, being careful not to burn. when done, spread walnuts on a piece of parchment paper to cool. once cool, store in a tupperware container.

STEP 3 - Making the raviolis
Spread a large piece of wax paper on the (clean) counter. put a bowl of water next to it as well as your bowl of squash mixture and package of wontons. wash hands! Take out 9 wonton wrappers at a time and arrange them on the wax paper. place a small amount (about a tsp) in the middle of each wrapper. dip finger in the water and trace around the edge of the wrapper. Fold into a triangle, pressing to seal the sides. Then, using more water, fold in the sides and top. Make sure they are well sealed and that no squash is coming out. Repeat for each and continue until wonton wrappers are gone (mine made just enough to fill them). As you work and finish a batch of 9, place raviolis in the freezer.

STEP 4 - Making the sauce and plating
To make the sauce, melt butter in a saucepan. (for 2 people eating, I used a 1/2 stick butter). Using medium heat, wait for butter to bubble. After a few minutes, add a few pinches of sage. Keep allowing butter to bubble until it turns golden brown, stirring frequently. Be careful not to burn it. In the end, optionally add a pinch of brown sugar and a pinch of salt.
Meanwhile, bring a pot of water with a splash of olive oil to a boil. Add ravioli and boil for a few minutes. (If frozen, boil for a few more). Place on plate, and top with browned butter and a handful of candied walnuts.

Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese

adapted from : http://www.tastebook.com/recipes/826008-Butternut-Squash-Mac-Cheese

INGREDIENTS
1 butternut squash (I bought the already peeled and seeded halves at the store)
1 pound elbow macaroni (I used cavatappi)
5 tablespoons butter ( I uses Earth Balance margarine)
1/2 cup flour
2 cups milk (I used almond milk)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (I used ground nutmeg from a spice jar)
1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 pound shredded sharp cheddar (about 4 cups)
1 3/4 cups vegetable stock
1 cup panko bread crumbs (I used Trader Joe's bread crumbs)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Slice squash in half and discard seeds. Place, cut side down, on a baking sheet and roast for 1 hour until very tender. ( I recommend cutting the squash in smaller pieces so it cooks faster. And coat with olive oil and stir occasionally).

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Salt generously. Boil pasta to al dente - about 6 minutes. Drain pasta and set aside.

When squash has cooled, peel skin off and discard. Puree squash in food processor until it has a smooth consistency. Set aside. (OR instead, see not below).

Melt 4 Tablespoons butter (set aside 1 Tablespoon) and slowly stir in 1/2 c flour to form a paste.

Off heat, slowly whisk in 2 cups of milk. Return to medium low heat until sauce fully blends and thickens.

Add pureed squash to the thickened sauce.

Add mustard, salt, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper. Stir in 3 cups of cheese (set aside 1 cup for the topping) and 1 3/4 cups of stock, alternating cheese and stock by cupfuls. Taste sauce, adjust seasonings if needed.

Combine pasta, squash and cheese sauce in a large bowl, toss to coat evenly. Transfer mixture to an oven-safe dish (LARGE rectangular dish).

Melt the remaining Tablespoon of butter and blend with remaining cup of cheese and the breadcrumbs to form topping. Sprinkle mixture over the macaroni.

Place macaroni under the broiler until topping is nicely browned - about 2-4 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

*NOTE: Instead of using a food processor, proceed with melting butter and adding flour. After adding milk and it thickens, add the squash (cut in somewhat small pieces), vegetable broth, mustard, salt and cayenne. The use a HAND BLENDER to fully blend the mixture. After it is fully blended, stir in the cheese until it melts.

verdict : AWESOME.