Winter squash, it's what I've been cooking.

 Just yesterday I roasted and steamed a very large winter squash we grew in the fall. It was warty and French: Galeux D' Eysines it is called. While each winter squash is slightly different in texture, flavor and character, you can use any of them in the recipes below.

There was so much lovely orange cooked squash I got inspired to make my winter squash spice soup.
I now have a half gallon for lunches, dinner and some to freeze for later.

I also decided to make these lovely winter squash biscuits, Genevieve found this recipe and I love them for a snack, with dinner or even toasted for breakfast. My squash was very moist, so when I added it to the dry ingredients, there was no way I could work it like the recipe calls for.
I made them into what my mother used to call "drop biscuits". She would make these instead of rolling the dough and cutting them out. The advantage is that you don't have to add more flour in order to work the dough, in fact you handle them less which is a plus when it comes to biscuits.

Here they are before they went into the oven. The baking time is the same but so much easier to make.

I saved some of the chunks of squash to heat up as a side dish to make a quick version of my "pumpkin" bouranee. I use the garlic cilantro butter that has now become a staple in my fridge.
I just shave off three or four slivers of the "butter", toss it on the squash before I heat it up. If you want more of the authentic flavor, you could sprinkle on some smoked paprika and a dash of coriander.

Cilantro Garlic Butter

Ingredients

1/2 cup soft butter
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

1) Start by whizzing the peeled garlic cloves in your food processor.
2) Add the fresh chopped cilantro. Whiz that a bit.
3) Add the soft butter and whiz some more until it's fairly smooth. It's doesn't have to be pureed.
4) Scrap into a small bowl and store in the fridge, try not to eat it on EVERYTHING :-)


You know I'll bet that butter would be great on the squash biscuits !! Better go try it right now ;-)

Roasted Winter Squash: or my attempt at pumpkin bouranee.

My dad and I used to go out to lunch at a lovely local restaurant: Laili.
They serve a dish called pumpkin bouranee, chunks of orange winter squash roasted and served with a yogurt sauce. I love this dish and it looks so simple but the recipes I found online seemed a far cry from what I was eating. No recipes, no problem, I will make up my own and I have. It is not an exact replica but I love it anyway.

Laurie's Roasted Winter Squash

4 cups butternut squash, baked and cubed
3 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 tsp.coriander
1 tsp salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 sprigs fresh mint, chopped

1) All the recipes I looked at, had you peel the squash before you cooked it. Do you know how hard and dangerous that is ?? My simple solution is to cut the squash in half and roast it first.
Put foil in your baking pan and over the squash as well. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.  The squash should be done but not over done or too soft since you are going to roast it again. You should do this ahead of time. I like to do it in the morning so it warms up the kitchen.

 2) Now your squash is so much easier to peel !! Cut it into inch size chunks and place into a bowl.
 3) I like to grate my garlic with my micro grater, you can mince it instead if you prefer.

4) In a small bowl mix together the dry spices, salt and garlic.

5) Toss the squash with olive oil, then with the spices to coat.

6) Place on that same foiled baking pan.

7) Cover and bake at 350 F for 30 minutes.

8) Serve with yogurt and mint.

This makes a great side dish and is very good leftover.