North Croatian Butternut Squash Stew Buce Cuspajz Recipes

NORTH CROATIAN CUCUMBER STEW ("CUSPAJZ OD KRASTAVACA")

Steps:

• Peel the cucumbers and cut them as for salad. Salt it and put aside for 10 minutes.
• Melt lard and add finely minced garlic and flour and sauté it until flour become brownish. Add paprika and stir well. Add cold water and make creamy liquid.
• Squeeze cucumbers with hand to extract bitter liquid and add cucumbers into the pot. Add vinegar, salt and pepper and cover with water.
• Cook not more than 30 minutes. Before serving add sour cream and stir.

NORTH CROATIAN BUTTERNUT SQUASH STEW (BUCE CUSPAJZ)

Steps:

• Cut butternut squash into stripes like thick spaghetti (we buy it usually already cut on the market).
• Salt it and add vinegar and leave it stay for 60 minutes. It must start to leave juices.
• Melt lard and add finely minced onion. Sauté onions until translucent, add flour, stir it until brownish; add cold water and make creamy liquid.
• Add red paprika and some more water.
• Squeeze squash with hands to remove water from it and than add into a pot. Stir it and add some fresh water to cover it.
• Cook gently (it can easily burn) until butternut squash is soft. Before serving add minced dill and sour cream. Serve with pork schnitzels and potato.

SOUTH AMERICAN BUTTERNUT SQUASH STEW

Steps:

• Peel squash using a potato peeler.
• Cut squash in half; remove seeds and reserve to roast.
• Dice squash flesh into 1-inch pieces; set aside.
• Heat 1/4 cup oil in large pot over medium heat.
• Add sausage; cook breaking up chunks with a wooden spoon, until sausage is brown on allsides, about 10 minutes.
• Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.
• Stir in squash, tomatoes, broth, jalapeo, oregano, and smoked paprika.
• Partially cover pot; reduce heat to medium low.
• Cook stew, stirring occasionally, until squash is almost tender, about 20 minutes.
• Add beans and corn.
• Partially cover pot, cook 10 minutes longer.
• Stir in cilantro.
• Season stew with salt & pepper. (Serve hot sauce on the side).
• TO ROAST SQUASH SEEDS:.
• Preheat oven to 350ºF.
• Line a baking sheer with parchment paper.
• Rinse reserved seeds to remove any fibrous strands.
• Dry seeds with paper towels.
• Toss seeds with1 T extra-virgin olive oil; season with salt and pepper.
• Roast seeds on prepared baking sheet for 15 minutes.
• GARNISH:.
• Crumbled feta cheese or Cotija cheese.
• Roasted squash seeds.

SPICED BUTTERNUT SQUASH STEW

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, heat oil and add onion. Saute onion until soft and caramel colored. Add garlic, tomatoes, cinnamon, allspice, and crushed red pepper until tomatoes break down. Add butternut squash, garbanzos, broth, and raisins. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 25 minutes, or until the squash is tender. Add spinach, lime juice and season to taste.
• Serving suggestions: top with sliced almonds, or serve on top of whole wheat couscous or basmati rice.

CROATIAN SPINACH STEW ( SPINAT CUSPAJZ")

Steps:

• Clean the spinach leaves and put them in boiling water for 5 minutes.
• Drain the leaves and using large knife (or multi-practic machine): cut them to mash.
• Take a pot, melt butter, add flour and garlic, and add cold water to make a kind of "sauce veloutè".
• Add mashed spinach pour milk (or cream) season with salt and pepper.
• Nutmeg is optional.
• Cook for 10 minutes.

CROATIAN KALE (SAVOY CABBAGE) STEW (KELJ CUSPAJZ)

Steps:

• Wash the savoy cabbage and cut it in 1 inch pieces.
• Preheat the water and when it boils put the savoy cabbage in it and leave it boil for one minute.
• During this operation prepare this: put lard in a pot, heat it and add finely sliced garlic and bacon (pancetta), brown flour in lard (but not too brown).
• Add ground paprika and just few drops of cold water to make "zafrig" (a kind of "sauce veloutè").
• Take out savoy cabbage with hollow spoon, add sliced potato in small cubes and water you have cooked kale in it.
• Season with salt and pepper and cook until potato is soft (10-20 minutes).
• Serve as a side dish to steaks, sausages, dried smoked ham etc.

NORTH CROATIAN KOHLRABI STEW (KOLORABA CUSPAJZ)

Steps:

• Peel kohlrabi like you peel apples. Remove leaves (don't throw away baby leaves, you can slice them and put into stew later) and cut kohlrabi like you cut potato for French fry potato, but just little bit thicker.
• Melt lard (or butter) in a pot, add flour and sauté it 1 minute. Add water and make creamy liquid. Add sliced kohlrabi and add water to cover the vegetable. Add salt and pepper and baby leaves if you want.
• Cook about 30 minutes or until kohlrabi softens.
• At the end add sour cream, stir well and serve.