Roasted Squash With Crushed Pistachios Food

ROASTED SQUASH WITH CHERRIES AND PISTACHIOS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, the vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Set aside.
• Place the squash wedges on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the rosemary and garlic. Cover the tray tightly with a sheet of foil. Bake until the tip of a knife goes into the squash easily, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Drizzle three-quarters of the vinaigrette over the squash and allow it to cool and absorb the dressing for about 10 minutes.
• Add the arugula, pistachios and cherries to the remaining vinaigrette. Toss gently to coat. Place the marinated squash wedges on a platter and top with the dressed greens. Sprinkle with the gorgonzola and serve.

QUINOA WITH ROASTED SQUASH AND PISTACHIOS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Toss the squash on the baking sheet with the thyme, 3 tablespoons of the oil, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper until the squash is well coated. Roast until very tender, about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through the cooking time.
• Meanwhile, put the pistachios on a small baking sheet and toast until fragrant, about 5 minutes; set aside to cool.
• Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan and stir in the quinoa. Simmer, uncovered, until the quinoa is tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the quinoa and transfer to a medium bowl. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, the toasted pistachios, roasted squash and vinegar, toss well and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper. Sprinkle with thyme leaves. Serve warm or at room temperature.

TURKISH BUTTERNUT SQUASH (KABAK TATLISI)

Steps:

• Peel and cut butternut squash into 1-inch-thick rounds or the size of a hockey puck.
• Mix together in a bowl the sugar, cinnamon, black pepper, lemon zest and salt. Mix with the butternut squash. Cover with plastic wrap placed in the refrigerator overnight.
• Preheat the oven at 350 degrees F.
• Take the plastic wrap off the squash and cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven, flip the butternut squash, place the foil back on and cook for another 45 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let sit on the counter in its juices to get to room temperature. Once at room temperature, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 2 hours.
• Whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form and add half of the tahini to the whipped cream. Reserve the other 2 tablespoons tahini to drizzle on top for garnish. Put the cooked butternut squash on a large platter and ladle over some of the cooking juices. Top with a few large dollops of whipped cream and garnish with drizzled tahini and the crushed pistachio nuts.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND RED ONIONS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 475 degrees. Lightly coat two large baking sheets with olive oil.
• Peel onions, leaving root ends intact. Cut each onion in half from stem to root. Cut each half into 4 wedges, leaving the root intact so that each wedge holds together. Spread on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil.
• Put the squash in a large mixing bowl. Add 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and about 1/4 teaspoon pepper; toss to coat. Spread on a baking sheet, peel side down (if intact).
• Place both pans in oven and roast for 30 to 40 minutes, until the vegetables have taken on some color and are cooked through. Keep an eye on the onions, as they may cook faster than the squash and need to be removed earlier.
• If using nuts, pour 1 tablespoon oil into a small frying pan and place over medium-low heat. Add nuts and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, until the nuts are golden brown and smell toasty. Immediately remove from the heat and dump onto a cutting board to stop the cooking. If using pistachios, chop coarsely when cool enough to handle.
• To make tahini sauce, place tahini in a bowl. Add lemon juice, 1/4 cup water, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Whisk until sauce is the consistency of honey, adding more water or a tablespoon of olive oil if necessary.
• When the vegetables are cooked, set aside until ready to serve. (The vegetables should be served the same day they are made. They can be served at warm room temperature, or reheated just before serving.)
• To serve, combine vegetables on a large serving platter. If using tahini sauce, drizzle on top. Sprinkle herbs and, if using, nuts on top and serve.