Spiced Winter Squash Puree With Roasted Garlic Recipes

BUTTERNUT SQUASH PUREE

Steps:

• Halve the squash lengthwise and remove the seeds and strings. Rub the insides with 2 tablespoons softened butter; season with salt and pepper. Place on a roasting pan, skin side down. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until fork tender. Remove the squash from the oven, scoop out the flesh and place in a food processor. Add the orange zest, honey and remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Puree until smooth. Add a pinch of salt and cinnamon. Pulse a few times to incorporate.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH PUREE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place squash on a baking sheet, flesh-side up.
• Roast in the preheated oven until tender and slightly brown, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool until easily handled.
• Scoop flesh into a food processor; pulse until smooth. Add chicken stock, 1/4 cup at a time, while continuing to pulse, until smooth. Season puree with salt and pepper.

SPICY ROASTED SQUASH SOUP WITH PUMPKIN SEED PESTO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Make toasts:
• Trim and discard crusts from bread. Spread 1 side of each slice evenly with butter and season with salt and pepper. Halve slices diagonally to form triangles and arrange, buttered sides up, on a baking sheet. Toast bread, turning once, in middle of oven until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer toasts to a rack to cool.
• Make soup:
• Put squash, cut sides down, in 2 greased shallow baking pans and roast in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of pans halfway through roasting, until very tender, about 1 1/4 hours. Cool and scoop out flesh.
• Purée squash in batches in a blender with jalapeño, cumin, and broth until very smooth (add additional water as needed to facilitate puréeing).Transfer to a 6- to 8-quart heavy pot and stir in 5 cups water. Simmer, stirring, 10 minutes, then stir in lemon juice, enough water to thin to desired consistency, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve soup in bowls topped with slices of toast spread with pesto.

TUNISIAN WINTER SQUASH PUREE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Cover a baking sheet with foil and brush lightly with olive oil. Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds and stringy membranes, brush the cut sides with olive oil and lay cut side down on the foil-covered baking sheet. Bake 40 minutes, or until soft enough to pierce easily with a knife. Remove from the heat and allow to cool, then peel and mash with a fork, or puree in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the lemon or lime juice and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.
• In a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic to a paste with the salt, and stir into the puree, along with the spices. Taste and adjust salt. Mound on a platter or in a wide bowl. Run a fork down the sides. Mix together the remaining lemon juice and olive oil and drizzle over the puree. Decorate with olives and serve with small lettuce leaves for scooping, and warm flat bread.

WINTER SQUASH PUREE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. cut squash in half, scoop out seeds, brush cut surfaces with oil and set them face down on a baking sheet. Bake until very tender, about 30 to 45 minutes, depending on how large the squash is.
• While this is baking, bring the milk, cinnamon stick, cloves and garlic to a simmer. Remove from heat and let the milk infuse while squash is baking.
• When squash is done, remove it from oven and scoop out the cooked flesh which you should transfer to a food processor or blender. Strain the infused milk to remove the spices and garlic and blend infused milk with the squash to make a puree. Beat in butter if you wish and season to taste with salt and pepper. You can make this in advance and reheat in a double boiler.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

Steps:

• For the soup:
• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until hot. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and cinnamon stick and saute until soft but not brown, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add the chicken stock and the coriander, if using, and bring to a boil. Simmer for several minutes. Stir in the squash until smooth, then simmer gently to let the flavors meld, about 10 minutes. Discard the cinnamon stick.
• Puree the soup in a blender until smooth. (The soup can be made ahead to this point, cooled, covered, and refrigerated for several days or frozen for about 1 month. It will thicken as it cools and may need thinning with stock or water when reheating.)
• Return the soup to the pan and reheat gently. Add the half-and-half, if using. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Keep warm until service.
• To serve:
• Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Garnish evenly, with the cheese and pumpkin seeds, if desired.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Peel the squash with a vegetable peeler. Halve lengthwise, discard the seeds, then cut into 1-inch dice. Place in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper.
• Heat the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter ceases to foam and has turned a light brown, pull the pan off the heat and immediately add the sage, sugar, vinegar (stand back so as not to get splattered), molasses and toasted spice rub. Mix well and let simmer over medium-low heat for 1 to 2 minutes to meld the flavors.
• Pour the vinegar mixture over the squash and toss well, then transfer to a heavy rimmed baking sheet or baking dish large enough to hold the squash in a single layer. Place in the oven and roast, tossing at least once, until very tender and caramelized, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Set aside until cool enough to handle but still warm, so the liquids are runny.
• Working in batches, if necessary, transfer the warm squash and all the cooking liquids to a food processor and process until smooth. Use immediately, refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.
• Serving suggestions: Serve the puree on its own as a side dish for roast chicken, turkey, or pork; stir into polenta just before the end of cooking; use as a stuffing for ravioli; make into a soup; or use to flavor pastina. Or omit the sage, season with ground cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg to taste, and use as a substitute for canned pumpkin in your favorite pumpkin pie recipe.
• Toast the fennel seeds, coriander seeds, and peppercorns in a small, heavy pan over medium heat. When the fennel turns light brown, work quickly. Turn on the exhaust fan, add the red pepper flakes, and toss, toss, toss, always under the fan. Immediately turn the spice mixture out onto a plate to cool.
• Put mixture into a blender with the chili powder, salt, and cinnamon and blend until the spices are evenly ground. If you have a small spice mill or a coffee grinder dedicated to grinding spices, grind only the fennel, coriander, pepper, and chili flakes. Pour into a bowl and toss with the remaining ingredients. Keep the spice mix in a glass jar in a cool, dry place, or freeze.

SPICED WINTER SQUASH PUREE WITH ROASTED GARLIC

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350'. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Brush lightly with olive oil and place cut-side-down on a heavy baking sheet. Sprinkle two tablespoons of water onto the pan. Pull the loose papery skin off the garlic, keeping the head intact, and wrap it in a sheet of foil. Place the baking sheet and the foil packet in the oven and bake 40 to 50 minutes, until the squash is puree tender and the garlic gives when the package is pressed. Set aside until cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes. With a spoon, scoop the flesh out of the squash into the bowl of a food processor. Separate the garlic cloves and squeeze the soft pulp into the work bowl. Process the mixture to a fine puree, then add the butter or cream and salt to taste. Make the Tunisian Spice Mix, if desired. Combine the spices in a small bowl. Add half the spice mix to the puree, then taste, adding more spice if desired and fresh lemon juice to lift the flavors. Adjust the seasoning.

SPICY WINTER SQUASH SOUP

Steps:

• Trim edges of squash, cut into four pieces, remove seeds.
• Steam 12-15 minutes until soft.
• Scrape the squash from the skin into a blender, add ginger and 2 1/2 cups milk; purée.
• Sauté onion, celery and garlic in 3 teaspoons olive oil until onions are soft.
• Reduce heat to low, stir in Cajun spice mix. Stir for 30 seconds, add squash purée and remaining milk.
• Bring to a boil, simmer for 15 minutes.
• Add corn and green beans and continue to simmer.
• Stir in basil.
• Season with salt to taste.