Butternut Squash And Spinach Pie Food

BUTTERNUT SQUASH-SPINACH TART

Steps:

• Make the crust: Combine the olive oil and water in a measuring cup. Pulse the flour and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor. With the machine running, add the olive oil mixture and pulse until the dough clumps together, adding up to 1 more tablespoon water if needed. Turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap; press into a disk and wrap. Let sit at room temperature while you make the filling.
• Make the filling: Wrap the squash in a kitchen towel and wring out as much liquid as possible; transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with the spinach and add to the squash; stir to break up any clumps. Add the ricotta, fontina, parmesan, half-and-half, scallions, parsley, 2 eggs, the nutmeg, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper; mix until combined.
• Position a rack in the bottom of the oven; preheat to 375 degrees F. Brush a quarter sheet pan or 9-by-13-inch straight-sided baking pan with olive oil. Cut off one-quarter of the dough; set aside. Roll out the remaining dough into an 11-by-15-inch rectangle on a floured surface. Trim the edges with a fluted cutter or a knife and ease into the pan. Spread the filling over the dough.
• Roll out the reserved dough into a 6-by-12-inch rectangle on a floured surface. Cut lengthwise into 10 strips with the fluted cutter; arrange in a lattice pattern over the filling, trimming as needed. Fold in the overhanging edges. Beat the remaining egg with a pinch of salt and brush on the crust. Bake until the crust is golden and the filling is set, about 50 minutes. Let cool on a rack 30 minutes before cutting.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND SPINACH PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Butter a 13x9 baking dish and set aside.
• Heat olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat.
• Add onions and butternut squash.
• Season with salt and pepper and add thyme.
• Lower heat to medium-low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until squash is tender.
• Remove lid and discard thyme sprigs.
• Add garlic.
• Stir in spinach and continue to cook for 3 minutes.
• In the meantime combine beaten eggs, nutmeg and feta cheese in a mixing bowl.
• Remove squash mixture from heat and taste for salt and pepper; adjust accordingly and let stand 5 minutes.
• Stir in egg mixture; set aside.
• Unfold phyllo sheets.
• Place a phyllo sheet in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
• Brush with melted butter.
• Top with nine more sheets, brushing each sheet with melted butter before adding the next.
• As you work, keep the unused stack of phyllo sheets covered so they don't dry up.
• Spread squash and spinach mixture over phyllo in dish.
• Top with remaining 10 phyllo sheets, brushing each sheet with melted butter, including the top sheet.
• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until top is browned and flaky.
• Let stand 10 minutes.
• Cut and serve.

CREAMY BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND SPINACH GRATIN

Steps:

• If using fresh spinach, bring 1 inch water to a boil in a 6- to 8-quart pot over high heat. Add spinach, a few handfuls at a time, and cook, turning with tongs, until wilted, about 3 to 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water. You may skip this step if you like, I don't think it's really necessary.
• Thoroughly squeeze cooked fresh or thawed frozen spinach in small handfuls to remove excess moisture(try to get it absolutely dry), then coarsely chop and transfer to a bowl.
• Melt 3 tablespoons butter in an 8-inch heavy skillet over medium low heat, then cook onion and garlic, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes(you can cook it till caramalized if you like). Add onion mixture to spinach along with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cream and stir to combine.
• Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 400°F Butter a 3-quart shallow baking dish (13 by 9 inches; not glass-I think you could use glass, just be careful when broiling-that's the reason it's not recommended).
• Cut squash to separate bulb section from solid neck section, then cut pieces lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices with slicer or food processor. To make the squash easier to cut, microwave for 3-5 minutes.
• Layer squash and spinach mixture in baking dish, using about one fifth of squash and one fourth of spinach for each layer, beginning and ending with squash. Sprinkle each layer of squash evenly with cheeses and dot with remaining 2 tablespoons butter, then cover directly with a sheet of parchment or wax paper(or use glass lid). Bake until squash is tender and filling is bubbling, 35 to 45 minutes. If you like, you can use individual baking dishes, just note shorter cooking time. I haven't tried baking it individually so cook times are estimated.
• Remove paper and bake gratin until browned in spots, 10 to 15 minutes, or broil 3 inches from heat, 2 to 3 minutes. Enjoy!
• Note:.
• If making individual gratins, bake 20-30 minutes.
• Also, for a shortcut, use 3 packages of creamed spinach(cooked) and skip the cream.
• Some reviewers added a little jalapeno(or chipotle peppers and sliced almonds on top.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH PIE

Steps:

• Pierce the squash with a knife in several places, and place in a baking dish in a 350 degree oven.
• Bake until the squash is tender and easily pierced with a knife (about 1 hour) ALLOW TO COOL COMPLETELY.
• Cut the squash in half, and remove the seeds.
• Scoop out about 2 cups of the pulp and place in your blender or food processor.
• Add all remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
• Pour into prepared pie crust.
• Bake 45-50 minutes or until the center is nearly set, and the pie is starting to slightly pull away from the edges of the pan.
• Cool on a wire rack.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Remove the filo from the freezer and thaw at room temperature 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, trim off both ends of the squash. Cut it in half crosswise where the neck joins the rounded body. Working with the neck end, peel off the tough skin with a vegetable peeler (or stand it on end and cut off the skin with a large knife). Cut into 3-inch chunks. Cut the rounded end in half and scoop out and discard the seeds with a spoon. Peel with a vegetable peeler or a knife and cut into 3-inch chunks.
• Put the squash chunks, onions, and red pepper halves on a baking sheet so that the vegetables are as much in a single layer as possible. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 3 tablespoons oil. Toss to coat the vegetables with the oil. Roast 30 minutes, turning the vegetables once with a spatula. Remove the pepper halves and turn everything again. Roast 10 more minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned. Dump the squash into a large bowl. Quarter the onion slices and cut the pepper into 1-inch cubes; dump them both into the bowl. Sprinkle the vegetables with the ginger, cumin, cinnamon, cilantro, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the pepper. Add the raisins and toss gently; set aside.
• Turn the oven temperature down to 375°F. Put the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven, shaking the pan twice for even cooking, until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and chop; dump them into the bowl with the vegetables and stir gently.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil with the garlic in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes to flavor the oil. Add about one-third of the spinach and cook, turning it in the oil with tongs, until wilted, about 1 minute. Add more spinach and cook, turning as before, and then add the remaining spinach. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until all the spinach is wilted, 2 to 3 minutes total.
• To assemble the pie, have ready a 9x13-inch baking dish and a pastry brush. Pour 1/3 cup olive oil into a small bowl. Set that on a work area with the filo and the vegetables. Open the package of thawed filo and unroll the pastry sheets so that they lie flat. Brush the baking dish with olive oil. Arrange the dish so that one long side faces you. Starting at the left edge of the dish, lay one sheet of filo in the dish crosswise so that it covers about half of the bottom, and half of the sheet hangs over the side facing you. Brush the part that covers the bottom with olive oil. Now lay a second sheet along the right-hand side of the dish, overlapping the first sheet in the middle of the dish and overhanging the side facing you. Brush with olive oil. Repeat with 2 more sheets but this time arrange them in the dish so that they overhang the other long side of the dish (at the top). Continue in the same way until you've used 14 sheets of filo. (As you're working, you'll come across some sheets of pastry that stick together and rip. Discard them if you need to-you have more sheets than you need.)
• Line the bottom of the dish with about half of the spinach, using your hands to open up the leaves and spread them out. Spoon the squash mixture on top and gently flatten with the spoon. Cover with the rest of the spinach. Working with the side of the dish facing you, fold one of the filo sheets over the filling and brush with oil. Fold the sheet next to it over and brush with oil. Do the same for 2 sheets on the opposing side of the dish. Continue in this way until all of the filo is folded over the filling. Then cover with 2 more sheets of filo, brushing each with more oil. (You may run out of oil. That's fine, just pour more into the dish.)
• Put the baking dish in the oven and bake until the pastry is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving, or let cool to room temperature. Cut pie into squares and serve.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND FETA PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400F (200C), with rack positioned in the middle.
• Place the squash and unpeeled garlic in a bowl, drizzle over 2 tablespoons olive oil, and mix well.
• Transfer the squash and garlic to a baking tray lined with baking paper, and place in the oven.
• Bake for 20 minutes, or until squash is just tender and starting to brown.
• Place the squash in a large bowl, leave to cool, and reserve the garlic to one side.
• While the squash is roasting, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, add the onions and cook stirring occasionally for 10 minutes.
• Add the vinegar and sugar and continue to cook for a further 10 minutes, or until the onion caramelizes.
• Remove from heat, add onions to the squash in the bowl, and allow to cool thoroughly.
• Squeeze out the flesh from the reserved garlic, and add to the squash with the feta cheese and the herb of your choice.
• Mix the squash, onion and feta mixture together gently, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Place the pastry circle on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
• Pile the filling on top of the pastry, leaving a 2 1/2 inch (6cm) border.
• Fold the pastry edge up (overlapping as necessary) to partially cover the filling.
• Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until pastry is crisp and golden.
• Cover the vegetables loosely with foil if they look to be over-browning.