Caramelized Onion Squash Galette

Butternut squash, perfectly complemented with sweetly savory caramelized onions and made even more awesome with a trio of cheeses.

Parmesan Roasted Acorn Squash

Acorn squash, covered with garlicky Parmesan cheese and roasted to perfection.

Spice Roasted Butternut Squash

You can't go wrong with this simple and flavorful roasted spiced butternut squash - brown sugar, pepper, and garlic make for one sweetly spicy delight.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Spinach Gnocchi

A yummy combination of sweet potato gnocchi, roasted butternut squash, and spinach topped with some crispy bacon.

Thai-Style Tofu Squash Stew

A creamy, Thai-style winter squash stew with tofu, coconut, and just a bit of spice.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Medjool Dates

Roasted butternut squash, mashed with caramelized onions, with some chopped Medjool dates mixed in.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Pizza

When I first saw this recipe, I wasn't sure if it would work. Butternut squash as a pizza topping? But then, it also had caramelized onions, something that can add a layer of delicious to just about anything. It also calls for roasted butternut squash, and roasting makes just about anything more flavorful and delicious. Turns out, I'm definitely glad I decided to give this recipe a try - the resulting pizza turned out delectably. The sweetly savory caramelized onions perfectly complemented the sweet roasted butternut squash for a combination that I just can't quite describe. The rosemary also added another dimension of flavor, and while optional, is something I'd certainly recommend adding a little bit of on top of the cheese so it can get nice and crispy and flavorful. For this pizza, I also opted to use a tomato paste pizza sauce, but I think next time, I would simply let the caramelized onions serve as the pizza sauce. I think just using the caramelized onions instead of pizza sauce would really allow the flavor those onions that you spent so long caramelizing to really shine through. When I brought this pizza to work for lunch, however, I was informed that I can't call it a pizza since it has butternut squash on it. But the person couldn't tell me what something with a pizza crust and topped with roasted butternut squash and caramelized onions would be called, so until I'm informed of what this dish should properly be called, I'm going with pizza. And thus, I present Roasted Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Pizza!

What do you think this should be called?

Roasted Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Pizza

by CJ Huang

Combining roasted butternut squash and caramelized onions for an unconventional, but sweetly savory and delicious pizza.

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
			1/2	butternut squash, cubed
			1	onion, sliced
			2 cloves	garlic, minced
			1 branch	rosemary
				pizza crust	I used a garlic herb pizza crust.
				cheese	I used mozzarella, cheddar, and pepper jack.
				tomato paste	optional
				salt
				pepper
				oil

Methods:

1. Toss butternut squash with salt, pepper, and oil.
2. Roast the squash until tender.
3. Caramelize onions, adding garlic towards the end.
4. Spread tomato paste (optional), and then caramelized onions over the pizza crust, followed by butternut squash and cheese.
5. Sprinkle rosemary over cheese.
6. Bake until cheese melted and rosemary crispy.

Butternut Squash Bisque

I had a butternut squash that needed to be used, and James requested a butternut squash bisque, so I thought I'd give that a try, although I think he was thinking about bisque (some words bleeped out), originality, and a butternut squash being around. I usually don't like to make soups that require using a blender, but this one was definitely worth it! Even though this soup is not a traditional bisque (it contains no crusteaceans), it is very thick and creamy. As for why the heavy cream is optional, it's simply that I forgot to add it. Nevertheless, I still got a very tasty and creamy soup, but adding it would make the soup more rich and creamy. Some things that took a bit longer were partially caramelizing the onions and roasting the butternut squash. However, your effort will be rewarded. Partially caramelizing the onions helped bring out their flavor and added a savory sweetness to the soup. Roasting the butternut squash also brought out more of the butternut squash flavor and intensified it.

Butternut Squash Bisque

by CJ Huang

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
		1 tablespoon		butter
			1-2	onions, diced
			3	carrots, diced
			1	butternut squash, cubed
		2 cups		stock or water
		1/2 teaspoon		nutmeg, ground
		1/2 cup		heavy cream	optional

Methods:

1. Melt the butter and add onions, cooking until somewhat caramelized.
2. Add stock and remaining materials except heavy cream.
3. Bring to a boil, and then simmer until all vegetables are tender.
4. Puree the soup until smooth, and then, if you're using the heavy cream, stir it in.

Pasta Primavera

Even though spring is still a bit away, I thought I could bring some of those flavors to the table with this pasta primavera. Pasta primavera can contain almost any kind of vegetable, but I chose squash, bell peppers, tomatoes, and onions. The classic primavera sauce is based on a sofritto of garlic and olive oil, but some also use a heavier cream or alfredo sauce. However, I opted for a lighter version that is still full of flavor. It's a tasty blend of vegetables and pasta, tossed together to create a colorful entreé. I also added some sausage to the sauce, but the focus remains on the vegetables. Although traditionally, this dish can be served cold as an appetizer, I chose to serve it hot as an entreé. I didn't take a picture since I forgot, but I got the picture from a different source, so it's not exactly what mine looked like.

What are some ways you like to take yourself to a different time/place with your food?

Pasta Primavera

by CJ Huang

Just toss some vegetables and pasta together for this tasty pasta primavera.

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
			1	squash, sliced
			1	bell pepper, sliced
			2	onions, diced
		2 teaspoons		oregano
		1/2 teaspoon		ground black pepper
		1 pint		grape tomatoes, halved	any other tomatoes could easily be substituted
		1/2 teaspoon		basil
		2 cloves		garlic, minced
		1/2 tablespoon		oil
		1/2 teaspoon		pasta

Methods:

1. Cook pasta following package instructions.
2. Heat oil and add onions, cooking until translucent.
3. Add oregano, pepper, basil, garlic, and mix well with onions. Add squash, bell pepper, tomatoes, stirring occasionally until cooked.

Maple Acorn Squash

I had half an acorn squash left over from making apple chutney acorn squash, and I thought maple syrup would go well with it. The idea came from combining the apple chutney acorn squash and maple salmon. Since I had never made acorn squash before making apple chutney acorn squash, I think I somewhat expected something more like butternut squash, just more round. Once I opened up the squash, I was surprised at how stringy it was inside. Did I get a weird one or is that how they normally are? Either way, maple acorn squash is easy to make, and it only uses two ingredients!

What's your favorite winter squash?

Maple Acorn Squash

by CJ Huang

A super easy way to prepare acorn squash using only 2 ingredients! Goes well with maple salmon.

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
			1	acorn squash, halved and cleaned
				maple syrup

Methods:

1. Put maple syrup in each acorn squash half.
2. Cut or use a fork to poke/cut some slits into the flesh (not through the skin).
3. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at about 375F until mostly cooked, approximately 45 minutes.
4. Remove foil and continue to bake until completely cooked.

Apple Chutney Acorn Squash

After making the apple chutney, I was wondering if I could use it as part of another dish as well. I had an acorn squash, and thought that sweet, tangy, spicy flavor of the apple chutney would go well with acorn squash. After giving it a try, I would definitely recommend it! Making an apple chutney stuffed acorn squash would be another similar option.

How do you like to eat your acorn squash?

Apple Chutney Acorn Squash

by CJ Huang

Sweetly spicy apple chutney filled acorn squash.

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
			1	acorn squash, halved and cleaned
				apple chutney

Methods:

1. Fill acorn squash with apple chutney.
2. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 375F until mostly cooked.
3. Remove foil and finish cooking acorn squash.

Baked Acorn Squash Seeds

I was making some other dishes with acorn squash, and as I was scooping out the seeds, I wondered if they could be baked like pumpkin seeds. I figured since I was going to be baking anyway, it would be worth a shot to see how they turned out. Although they have a bit of a different flavor from pumpkin seeds, but they have the same kind of feel. It's a good way to use a part that usually gets thrown away. Smochi and Ralph also loved these seeds.

What kinds of seeds do you like to eat?

Baked Acorn Squash Seeds

by CJ Huang

Baked Acorn Squash Seeds - a variation on the usual baked pumpkin seeds.

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
				acorn squash seeds, washed
				seasonings	optional

Methods:

1. Place seeds in a thin layer (preferably a monolayer).
2. Bake at 350F until roasted.