Moroccan Spiced Butternut Squash Food

VEGETARIAN CHILI WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND MOROCCAN SPICES

Steps:

• In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the onions, chili powder, paprika, cumin and cinnamon, and cook until tender, stirring often and lowering the heat as necessary to keep the spices from burning, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. (Be careful not to let the garlic burn.)
• Add the squash, chickpeas, broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar and 2 teaspoons salt, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the cauliflower into bite-size florets, trimming and discarding any long stems.
• Add the cauliflower to the pot and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the chili is thick and the vegetables are very tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Season to taste with salt, and serve hot, with yogurt and scallions, if desired.

MOROCCAN SPICED PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to fan 180C/ conventional 200C/gas 6. Dry fry the seeds briefly in a small pan over a medium heat until toasty - don't let them burn. Grind coarsely using a pestle and mortar (or a bowl and the end of a rolling pin), then mix in the paprika, cinnamon, 1⁄2 tsp salt and 4 tbsp oil. Tip the squash into a roasting tin, pour over the spiced oil and toss. Roast for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp of oil in a frying pan, add the shallots and cook, stirring, until they start to brown. Stir in the ginger and 100g/4oz each almonds and pistachios.When brown, toss in the cranberries, 2 tbsp honey, and the spinach so it wilts. Take off the heat and stir into the squash, when it comes out of the oven. Set aside.
• In a food processor, whizz the chickpeas with the garlic, cumin, remaining oil, lemon juice, 2 tbsp water and salt and pepper to make houmous. Stir in the coriander.
• Melt the butter in a small pan. Put a loose-bottomed 28cm quiche tin on a baking sheet and brush with some butter. Keeping the filo covered with a damp cloth so it doesn't dry out, lay one sheet over half of the tin so that it hangs over the edge by about 10cm. Lay another sheet on the other side, so it overlaps the first in the centre and hangs over the opposite edge. Brush with butter. Lay two more filo sheets in the opposite direction in the same way and brush with more butter.
• Build up two more layers in this way, so you use a total of eight sheets of filo. Pile half the squash mixture in the centre of the pastry. Spread over the houmous and then the rest of the squash mixture.One at a time, bring the edge of each filo sheet up to the centre to cover the filling, creating voluptuous folds as you go. Brush carefully with more butter. (If making a day ahead, cover now with cling film and chill. To reheat, remove the pie from the fridge, heat the oven, then bake for 35-40 minutes.)
• Bake for 30-35 minutes, until crisp and golden. Just before the pie is ready, reheat any remaining butter in the pan, tip in the rest of the nuts and fry until golden. Spoon in the 4 remaining tbsps of honey and, when it melts, take off the heat and pour over the pie. Serve with Harissa yogurt sauce (mix the yogurt and milk together to make a thin sauce, stir in the herbs and season. Swirl in harissa to taste) and lemon wedges.

MOROCCAN SPICE ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Whisk together all spices in a small bowl.
• Place the squash on the baking sheet and drizzle with the oil (3 tablespoons) and add the spice mixture. Toss together until evenly coated.
• Spread squash out evenly on the baking sheet, making sure the pieces don't touch as much as possible (otherwise they will steam, and won't roast evenly nor brown on the sides)
• Roast for 20-30 minutes, or until browned, tossing once halfway through.

MOROCCAN-SPICED BUTTERNUT SQUASH BISQUE

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large soup pot (or Dutch oven) over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and salt; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened, 10 minutes.
• Add ginger, garlic, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, and cayenne; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add squash and broth to pot; increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, uncovered, until squash is extremely soft, 30-35 minutes.
• Puree soup in pot using an immersion blender (or puree in batches in a regular blender); stir in orange juice and garnish with chives.
• Serving size: 1 cup

SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH MOROCCAN SPICES

Steps:

• Pierce squash (about an inch deep) all over with a small sharp knife to prevent bursting. Cook in an 800-watt microwave oven on high power (100 percent) for 6 to 7 minutes. Turn squash over and microwave until squash feels slightly soft when pressed, 8 to 10 minutes more. Cool squash for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a small heavy saucepan over moderately high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until golden, about 1 minute. Stir in spices and salt and remove from heat.
• Carefully halve squash lengthwise (it will give off steam) and remove and discard seeds. Working over a bowl, scrape squash flesh with a fork, loosening and separating strands as you remove it from skin. Toss with spiced butter and cilantro.

MOROCCAN-STYLE STUFFED ACORN SQUASH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Arrange squash halves cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes, or until tender. Dissolve the sugar in the melted butter. Brush squash with the butter mixture, and keep squash warm while preparing the stuffing.
• Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, celery, and carrots, and cook 5 minutes. Mix in the garbanzo beans and raisins. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper, and continue to cook and stir until vegetables are tender.
• Pour the chicken broth into the skillet, and mix in the couscous. Cover skillet, and turn off heat. Allow couscous to absorb liquid for 5 minutes. Stuff squash halves with the skillet mixture to serve.

MOROCCAN SPICED SQUASH AND CARROT SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375° F.
• Cut squash in half from top to bottom and place it, cut side down, on a lightly oiled baking sheet.
• Bake until squash can be easily skewered, 50 to 60 minutes.
• With a spoon, remove seeds and discard.
• Scrape the pulp from the skin.
• Reserve the pulp and discard the skin.
• Warm the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat.
• Add the onions and cook until soft, 7 minutes.
• Add the paprika, cumin, turmeric, and coriander and continue to cook, stirring for 2 minutes.
• Add the squash, carrots, sugar, chicken stock, water, ½ teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered until carrots are soft, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Cool for 15 minutes.
• Puree the soup in a blender in several batches for 3 minutes each batch until the soup is very smooth.
• Strain soup through a fine strainer back into pot and gently reheat.
• If the soup is too thick, add additional water.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Place the yogurt in a small bowl.
• Season with salt and pepper and stir well.
• To serve, heat the soup.
• Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with cilantro and a drizzle of yogurt.

MOROCCAN-SPICED ROASTED VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat 375°. Mix shallots with 1 tablespoon oil and roast in a shallow baking pan in lower third of oven 25 minutes.
• Mix together squash, bell peppers, sweet potatoes, salt, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Add roasted shallots and divide between 2 large shallow baking pans.
• Dot vegetables in each pan with half of butter and roast in upper and lower thirds of oven, stirring occasionally and switching position of pans halfway through roasting, until vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes total.

MORROCAN-SPICED ROASTED VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Toss shallots with 1 tablespoon oil and roast in a shallow baking pan in lower third of oven 25 minutes. Toss together squash, bell peppers, sweet potatoes, salt, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Add roasted shallots and divide between 2 large shallow (1-inch-deep) baking pans. Dot vegetables in each pan with half of butter and roast in upper and lower thirds of oven, stirring occasionally and switching position of pans halfway through roasting, until vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes total.