Pomegranate Glazed Acorn Squash Food

ROASTED ACORN SQUASH WITH POMEGRANATE GLAZE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a small saucepan, combine the juice, sugar, allspice, peppercorns, bay leaf, and cinnamon. Simmer until reduced to a syrup. Drain through a fine sieve into a small bowl, and discard spices.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Butter parchment. Lay the squash rings on top of parchment; brush tops with melted butter, and season with salt.
• Roast the squash until tender when pierced with a paring knife and undersides are well browned, about 30 minutes. Turn squash over, and brush tops with pomegranate glaze. Continue cooking 5 minutes more. Remove from oven; brush squash again with glaze. Transfer to a serving platter; serve immediately, garnished with pomegranate seeds.

GRILLED MAPLE-GLAZED ACORN SQUASH

Steps:

• Preheat a grill for cooking over medium heat. Lightly oil the grill grates.
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan and turn off the heat. Remove 1/4 cup of the melted butter and reserve. Whisk the maple syrup, cider vinegar, dry mustard, crushed red pepper, 3/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper into the saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 4 minutes to reduce slightly. Remove the glaze from the heat and let cool. Set aside 1/3 cup of the glaze for drizzling at the end.
• Carefully halve the squashes from the stem to the bottom. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon and discard. Place the squash halves flat-side down and slice crosswise into 1/2-inch scalloped half-moons. Place the slices in a very large bowl.
• Mix together the chili powder, coriander, cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the squash slices. Drizzle the reserved 1/4 cup of melted butter over the squash. Toss with your hands to make sure the slices are evenly coated.
• Place the squash slices on the grill and cover. Cook until dark grill marks appear, about 10 minutes. Flip the squash slices; cover and cook until the squash is just tender enough to be pierced easily with a paring knife, 7 to 8 minutes more.
• Brush the squash slices with the glaze and flip. Cook 1 minute, brush with glaze, flip and cook on the other side for another minute. Remove from the grill and arrange on a large platter. Drizzle with the reserved glaze. Sprinkle with the pepitas. Serve warm or at room temperature.

POMEGRANATE GLAZED PORK

Steps:

• Remove the pork roast from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the rack on the lower middle section of the oven.
• Place the carrot halves on the bottom of a small roasting pan and set aside.
• Trim off any thick areas of fat from the roast. Make shallow slits about 1 inch apart in a crosshatch on the meat of the roast. Mix together the cinnamon, cloves and 1 tablespoon salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture evenly over the roast and rub to coat. Place the roast on the carrots and add 1/2 cup water to the pan. Roast for 1 hour, adding another 1/2 cup water if the pan gets dry.
• Meanwhile, combine the pomegranate juice and thyme in a small saucepan. Place over medium heat and reduce by half, about 15 minutes. Stir in the maple syrup and mustard and continue to reduce until slightly thickened, another 3 to 4 minutes. Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remove and discard the thyme.
• Baste the meat with the pomegranate mixture and roast until the internal temperature reaches 120 degrees F, another 30 minutes. Remove the roast from the oven and turn the oven up to 450 degrees F.
• Baste the roast again with the pomegranate mixture. Return the roast to the hot oven for an additional 20 minutes, basting with the pomegranate sauce every 5 to 10 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 135 degrees F and the roast is evenly glazed. Remove the roast to a platter to rest for 10 minutes. Add any juices from the pan to the sauce and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir to combine. Slice the roast and serve with the sauce on the side.

ROASTED ACORN SQUASH WITH POMEGRANATE AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper.
• Wash the two whole squash under running water and pat dry. Cut the squash in half by inserting the tip of a chef's knife in the center of the squash where the stem connects. Push the tip in until it has cut all the way through the skin and flesh, then press down firmly on the handle, bringing the heel of the blade all the way to the cutting board. Turn the squash 180 degrees and repeat on the other side, splitting the squash. Scrape out the seeds with a spoon.
• Slice the squash into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Heat a 14-inch cast-iron pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Once heated, add the squash in an even layer. Season with salt and pepper and sear on the first side until lightly golden brown, about 3 minutes, in batches if needed. Place the seared squash on the prepared sheet tray, seared-side down, and season the top side with salt and pepper. Scatter the thyme sprigs over the squash and put into the oven. Roast until the edges are brown and the squash is tender in the middle, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Transfer the squash to a large bowl, season with more salt, pepper and cumin to taste. Drizzle with the warmed syrup and toss to combine. Pour onto a platter and sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds and goat cheese.

BALSAMIC ACORN SQUASH

Steps:

• Halve, seed and thinly slice 1 large acorn squash; toss with 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and a few grinds of pepper. Divide between 2 baking sheets and roast at 425 degrees F until browned and tender, about 20 minutes. Drizzle with aged balsamic vinegar and top with chopped toasted almonds and grated ricotta salata.

ACORN SQUASH WITH POMEGRANATE GLAZE

Steps:

• Place a baking sheet on the middle oven rack and preheat to 475 degrees F. Toss the squash in a large bowl with the melted butter and season with salt and pepper. Spread out on the hot baking sheet and roast until tender and browned, about 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the pomegranate juice, maple syrup, vinegar, chile powder, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until reduced to about 1/3 cup, 15 to 20 minutes. Discard the garlic.
• Arrange the squash on a platter. Drizzle with the pomegranate glaze and top with the parsley.

ACORN SQUASH TEMPURA

Steps:

• Make the sauce: Stir together 1 cup warm water, the soy sauce, mirin, dashi powder and superfine sugar. Set aside until ready to serve.
• Make the tempura: In a bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, 1 teaspoon salt and the seltzer to make a loose batter, adding up to 1/2 cup more flour as needed.
• Fill a pot with 3 inches vegetable oil; bring to 350˚ F over medium heat. Working in batches, dip the squash wedges into the batter, allow the excess to drip off, then deep-fry until golden and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain, then serve with the dipping sauce.

HERB-ROASTED ACORN SQUASH WITH QUESO FRESCO AND POMEGRANATE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drizzle with olive oil.
• In a medium bowl, combine the garlic, olive oil, chipotle powder, sage, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add the squash slices to the bowl and toss until evenly coated with the spices and herbs.
• Place the squash on the prepared baking sheet and roast until a fork goes through smoothly, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and serve warm, topped with the queso fresco and pomegranate seeds. Sprinkle with some fine sea salt and garnish with cilantro leaves.

ROASTED ACORN SQUASH WITH POMEGRANATE GLAZE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450°F. In a small saucepan, combine the juice, sugar, allspice, peppercorns, bay leaf, and cinnamon. Simmer until reduced to a syrup. Drain through a fine sieve into a small bowl, and discard the spices.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Butter the parchment. Lay the squash rings on top of the parchment; brush the tops with melted butter, and season with salt.
• Roast the squash until tender when pierced with a paring knife and the undersides are well browned, about 30 minutes. Turn the squash over, and brush the tops with pomegranate glaze. Continue cooking 5 minutes more. Remove from the oven; brush the squash again with glaze. Transfer to a serving platter; serve immediately, garnished with pomegranate seeds.