Squash with Chile Yogurt and Cilantro Sauce from "Plenty More"

It's mid-July but it feels like springtime in Chicago so I don't think it is inappropriate to feature a beautiful winter vegetable smack dab in the middle of summer. If I'm wearing a jacket, then butternut squash has a place on my table.

This is perhaps one of the simplest recipes featured in Plenty More (surprise - that book again).

Often paired with rich and comforting spices and flavors, Ottolenghi provides a refreshing take on the butternut squash. He let's the vegetable shine and become vibrant with the addition of fresh herbs and cool yogurt spiked with a touch of heat. By the way, adding sriracha to Greek yogurt is pretty darn fantastic...why didn't I think of that before?

Probably my favorite thing about this recipe is the fact that the butternut squash does not require peeling. I'd like to think I know my way around the kitchen and am relatively comfortable completing a variety of tasks. But peeling a butternut squash? My goodness that is stressful!! It doesn't just peel off with your standard vegetable peeler. And taking a sharp knife to the sides is satisfying only when you are able to scrape off a large strip at one time. But forget about it when you only manage to remove a small chunk at a time. Ah the frustration......

But this recipe had no frustration. None. Just a lovely learning that you can keep the skin on, and consume it, and it's great. Phew!

The only "work" with the butternut squash is cutting it in half! That requires a decent knife and some precision. I love the cleaver for that job. Scoop out the seeds and cut it into wedges and voila! you have prepped the squash.

I mentioned that this is a more "refreshing" and zesty take on butternut squash. Still, it retains some of the basic comforts of the traditional winter-preparation with a sprinkle of cinnamon atop each wedge. I put cinnamon on pretty much everything (within reason) so you will never see me complain about this. The wintry spice actually lends a deeper complexity and warmth to the dish.

This dish is perfect served warm(ish)/room temperature but is also delicious when cold. I think it's just pretty darn good in general. And easy!  Enjoy!

Squash with Chile Yogurt and Cilantro Sauce

p. 181 in Plenty More

serves four

Ingredients:

• 1 large butternut squash (3 lb/1.4 kg)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 6 tbsp/90 ml olive oil
• 1 3/4 oz/50 g cilantro, leaves and stems (about 22 sprigs), plus extra leaves for garnish
• 1 small clove garlic, crushed
• scant 2 1/2 tbsp/20 g pumpkin seeds
• 1 cup/200 g Greek yogurt
• 1 1/2 tsp Sriracha or another savory chile sauce
• salt and black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F/220 C
2. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, remove and discard the seeds, and then cut into wedges 3/4-inch/2-cm wide and about 2 3/4-inches/7-cm long, leaving the skin on. Place in a large bowl with the cinnamon, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and a good grind of pepper. Mix well so that the squash is evenly coated. Place the squash, skin side down, on 2 baking sheets and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until soft and starting to color on top. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
3. To make the herb paste, place the cilantro, garlic, the remaining 4 tablespoons oil, and a generous pinch of salt in the bowl of a small food processor, blitz to form a fine paste, and set aside.
4. Turn down the oven temperature to 350 F/180 C. Lay the pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 6 to 8 minutes. The outer skin will pop open and the seeds will become light and crispy. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
5. When you are ready to serve, swirl together the yogurt and Sriracha sauce. Lay the squash wedges on a platter and drizzle the spicy yogurt sauce and then the herb paste over the top (you can also swirl the yogurt sauce and herb paste together, if you like). Scatter the pumpkin seeds on top, followed by the extra cilantro leaves, and serve.

Spring Salad from "Plenty More"

In my last post, I talked about the importance of eating nourishing and satisfying - particularly when life speeds up its pace on you. If that dish, the Rice Noodles with Green Onions and Edamame was step in the right direction, this dish, is ALL IN.

You can just tell from the abundance of green that it is packed full of amazing nutrients and the beautiful bounty that the warmer weather provides. Technically called a 'Spring' salad (and I did happen to make this before the official kick off to Summer), the recipe highlights vegetables at the peak of their freshness.

• Asparagus: In Season February to June - peak month: April
• Spinach: Available all year round but at its peak in Spring: April-June
• Fava Beans: Late Spring - Summer
• Green Beans: Available year round but peak in May-September

For those of you less familiar with fava beans, they are odd looking and incredibly deceiving in size. They probably think it is funny how many layers they make us humans peel off in order to get to the true "meat" of the bean.

Don't try biting into that large bean - you will forever dislike this beautiful produce.

Even if you try eating the beans shown above, you won't be very happy as you'll quickly find it difficult to swallow the casing that covers the final bean product. It's like a sunflower seed, they are horrible if you try to eat the shell. But the seed naturally slips out from the shell (if you do it right) so you can then enjoy the small but satisfying seed. Same story here with these favas. Trust me, there is true deliciousness if you have the patience to peel the layers.

Blanching the favas aids the separation of the casing from the bean. Here you see the final product, mixed in with some edamame. Looks like the size of the favas were deceiving to me as well as I didn't pick up enough! (Note: edamame was a fabulous addition).

Spring Salad
p. 28 in Plenty More
serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

• 10 asparagus spears (12 oz/350 g - or 1 bunch), trimmed and each spear sliced on a sharp diagonal into 3 or 4 thin pieces
• 7 oz/200 g haricots verts (or green beans), trimmed 
• 2 3/4 cups/300 g shelled fresh or frozen fava beans (note: I used half fava half edamame)
• 1 2/3 cups/50 g baby spinach leaves
• 1 banana shallot, or 2 regular shallots, very thinly sliced (1/2 cup/50 g)
• 1 red chile, finely diced
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp/10 g mixed black and white sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 tsp nigella seeds (I couldn't find those so used cumin seeds)
• salt

Directions:

1. Bring a large pan of water to a boil, add the asparagus, and blanch for 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the asparagus to a bowl of ice-cold water. Add the haricots verts to the boiling water and blanch for 5 minutes. Use the slotted spoon to transfer them to the bowl with the asparagus, drain both, and then set aside to dry. Add the fava bans to the boiling water and blanch for 2 minutes. Drain, refresh under cold water, and then remove and discard the skins by pressing each bean gently between your finger and thumb.
2. Place both beans and the asparagus in a large bowl. Add the spinach, shallot, chile, oils, lemon juice, sesame seeds, nigella seeds, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, stir gently and serve at once.

I love leftovers! Though I have to say, this salad, because it is dressed, is best fresh!

Rice Noodles with Green Onions and Edamame from "Plenty More"

My goodness, how time flies when you are having fun and working long days. That was my June. It was quite possibly, the busiest time of my life. I had a lot of excitement to look forward to - two weddings and a bachelorette/bridal shower weekend (all a flight away). I also had a massive workload that I had to push through at the same time. So it was certainly mentally and physically taxing but I did my best to maintain my sanity by adhering to a healthy(ish) diet and keeping exercise a priority. It's amazing how your mind can be so bogged down and "stressed" but just a short break of physical exertion can bring an incredible level of clarity.

Staying nourished is also key in a time of stress. And by using the term "nourish" I do not mean "full" from a satiation perspective, but rather, "full' of the right nutrients to keep your body running at close to 100% percent.

This recipe, from "Plenty More" fits the bill on providing a fantastic balance of essential nutrients and some level of comfort with the noodle base. It is also naturally gluten free - hurrah.

Think of this as a refreshing pasta dish with a subtle Asian flair. It would be wonderful for a picnic as it is served at room temperature or cold.

Rice noodles provide the base and a good bit of the heft of the dish. Though rice noodles aren't inherently a health food - there are worse ways to do pasta. And with the mix-ins, the rice noodles take on the role of the vessel for serving up the rest of the healthy spring veggies.

I was a bit weary about the quantity of green onions that the recipe called for. I'm used to using them more as a garnish or in lesser quantities for cooking. Here, green onions are one of the stars. And they weren't overpowering. Ottolenghi surprised me again.

The dish has a beautiful mix of summer flavors (cilantro and lime) with the umami factor of Asian cuisine (sesame oil and rice vinegar). The nutrition powerhouse, edamame, also is prominently featured in the well-balanced dish. Did you know that a cup of edamame has at least 6% of all of the daily recommended vitamins except for Vitamin D? It is low in fat and calories and high in protein and nutrients. So if you were feeling a little bit bad about the rice noodles - here's the redeeming ingredient.

I think this is best served as a side dish or topped with a protein (tofu would be delicious). The dish itself may get a bit boring if it was your only dinner dish. Lunch is another story though.

We served this with a beautifully cooked piece of salmon. It was refreshing and satisfying. And leftovers were fabulous as well.

Rice Noodles with Green Onions and Edamame
p. 57 in Plenty More
serves 4