Roasted Acorn Squash

There is a chill in the night air here in Northern Colorado. The days are cool enough to walk at noon without feeling too overheated. I have spotted a few leaves here and there changing color. The moon at night and the clouds at twilight are gorgeous.  Fall is meandering in and it is so welcome. The end of summer fun is bittersweet but I do so love fall!

Tonight we had a few lovely friends over and when I brought out the food someone said, “Ah, the first fall dinner of the season.”  I think that is because I roasted some acorn squash. Acorn squash is an easy to make and delicious to eat side dish that just announces fall. I also held on to a bit of summer as I grilled balsamic glazed chicken in the backyard.

Acorn squash is a winter squash, which means it is havested mature with a outer hard rind. It keeps for a long time in a cool place. It is nutritious, with high levels of vitamin A,C, potassium, fiber and other good things. Research indicates that winter squash have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, as well as insulin-regulating properties.

So just in case you have not tried simple roasted acorn squash, I will share the technique with you so you can announce fall in your neck of the woods.

Sweet Roasted Acorn Squash

I usually plan for ¼ to a ½ squash per person. If you have several side dishes and large acorn squash, ¼ is sufficient. If you can find small ones, the presentation is prettier if each person gets a half. If possible, find organic, locally grown squash.

This time I had very large squash and plenty of food so it was a ¼ per person.

Wash the squash and place on a cutting board. With a large, sharp knife, carefully cut it in half, through the stem end. If you are serving it in quarters, cut each half in half again.

 Clean out the seeds and membranes with a spoon.

I like to line my large rectangular baking pan with foil. Place the cut squash, skin side down, on the pan.

Melt a good amount of butter. About 2 TBSPN per squash, but more is fine J

 In a small bowl, mix a half cup or more of brown sugar with about 2- 3 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice and 1 tsp. ground ginger. These amounts are just general guidelines. I actually never measure any of this so just go with what feels right.

Pour melted butter over the sliced squash. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mix. If you would like, you can sprinkle more sugar over the squash or drizzle with maple syrup.

Cover loosely with foil and bake at 375 for about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another  15-20 minutes until browned and bubbly but not dried out. During this time I like to baste the slices with the butter/sugar goodness from the center of each slice. If they look dry or not spiced enough, add more of whatever you need as soon as you uncover it.

To serve, plate and drizzle any sauce that spilt out over the squash.

To liven up this simple recipe, Add some chopped pecans or walnuts, a couple handfuls of date bits and/or raisins along with the sugar and spice at the beginning.

Okay, that is it for today’s recipe. Sneak peek at tomorrows— tonight I also served a mac and cheese with a surprise ingredient that is a more healthful and lower calorie version than my typical mac and cheese.

Okay in closing I'd like to share  a couple pictures of yesterday’s gorgeous fall sunset.

Is Fall beginning to be felt where you live?What are your favorite things to cook in Fall?

Here are a couple pics of our dinner guests.

Isn't he adorable!

Eggplant Parmigiano

I love eggplant. It was a vegetable I was thoroughly unacquainted with as a child. I remember the first time I had eggplant Parmesan in a restaurant and I was surprised by how much I liked it.  However, the first time I made it at home I was less than pleased with all the frying and cheese that went into it. I now make Eggplant Parmigiano a bit lighter by doing away with frying and using less cheese. It is healthier this way, but guess what? I think it tastes so much better!!

Let me discuss a few key components to this recipe. One is Panko bread crumbs. I began using these in Japanese cooking, as they are Japanese bread crumbs. In the old days, I had to buy them at Asian specialty stores. Now there are several brands in every market around here. I love the crunchy whole wheat ones but the delicate original style is wonderful too! This recipe relies on the texture of panko baked on the eggplant slices to give it a crispy crunch. If you can get Panko, do so.

Second, while this recipe's main player is eggplant, its secondary focus is the parmesan cheese.  So please, if you can, get some real parmgiano-reggiano. I am going to quote my own blog on this one: “Parmigiano-reggiano is the best, official parmesan cheese from Italy. You could substitute other parmesan cheeses in these recipes but if you have the option, get parmigiano-reggiano! It is crazy good cheese in my opinion. Flavorful, complex, nutty, salty and tangy with a wonderful texture. Pick up a little square of it. This is real parmesan cheese as it was created to be, not some waxy, flavorless wanna-be.”

I read about adding ricotta cheese on the Cooking Light web-site. Their recipe was similar to mine. One big difference was they added ricotta. I add about half of what they did but I like the creaminess it adds.

Okay, I know this recipe has been around a while and people may not get too excited about it. But if you are breading your eggplant in plain breadcrumbs and frying it, I think this is a nice update on an old favorite. Plus, everyone should have this one in their repertoire for a great make ahead meal. You can prep this early in the day to bake later and left overs perhaps even better the second day!

Please, let me know what you think! I really do love it when you all comment!

Eggplant Parmigiano

2 small eggplants (or 1 large) - about 1 3/4  lbs.

1 egg, beaten (may need 2)

1/3 cup buttermilk OR 2 TBSP water or milk

3 cups panko bread crumbs, regular or whole wheat

1/3 cup fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

2 tsp. blend of Italian Herbs such as oregano, thyme, marjoram, basil…

1 tsp. garlic powder

½ -1 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper

Oil, I use both canola and olive

1/3 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped

1 clove garlic, pressed

8 oz. part skim ricotta cheese, optional

2 TBSP Parmigiano-Reggian0

¼ cup shredded low fat mozzarella

1 egg, beaten, optional

3 ½ -4 cups of your favorite Marinara or other tomato pasta sauce, Store-bought is fine but a home-made roasted tomato sauce brings this to new heights of goodness!

1/2 cup shredded low fat mozzarella

2 TBSP Parmigiano-Reggiano

First prep eggplant. I like to use two smaller ones for the size of the slices but one big one is fine. You will need enough for two layers of eggplant. Wash, cut off leaves and mostly peel. You could leave peel if you prefer. (BTW I don’t do the salting, pressing thing anymore to the eggplant. They seem less bitter than they used to be. )

With a nice sharp knife, slice eggplant a ¼ inch thick.

Beat 1 egg in a shallow bowl. If you have buttermilk, add a 1/3 cup. If you don’t use a couple TBSP water or milk. You may run low so have an extra egg handy.  

In another bowl mix Panko breadcrumbs, Parmigiano-Reggiano and next 4 seasonings. Panko is Japanese bread crumbs and is extra crunchy and light. Don’t substitute regular bread crumbs alone. If you can’t find panko, crush some croutons or use ½ cracker crumbs ½ bread crumbs although neither of these will be as good as panko. Ask your market to carry them if they don’t cause they are that g0od!

The other main ingredient is the Parmigiano-Reggiano. While you can substitute a good quality Parmesan cheese here, it will be inferior in taste and texture. Parmigiano-Reggiano is worth it! You can use less cheese to achieve the same tangy, salty, rich flavor. But it does cost a bit more so remember that you can use other Parmesan.

Heat oil in a large shallow pan. Dip in egg bowl and then place in panko. Pile panko on top and press. Shake off excess and place on a cookie sheet (lined with foil, if desired) that has been sprayed or brushed with olive oil. Place in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or until browned a bit and crispy.

Whilst these are browning, mix together the ricotta and fresh parsley and basil and 1 beaten egg, garlic, 2 TBSP Parmigiano-Reggian0 ¼ cup shredded low fat mozzarella. While this does add a layer of creamy, tasty goodness, you can skip this entire step if you want, especially if you need to reduce the dairy. I would use the fresh herbs if you have them, though and just sprinkle on top when you pull it out of the oven. However, even these may be omitted.

In a large rectangular baking dish, pour enough tomato sauce to cover bottom of pan. Make a layer of eggplant slices. Dot with ricotta cheese mix.  Next comes the sauce, jarred store bought pasta sauce is fine for this, although homemade roasted tomato sauce would be wonderful J Sauce should be on the thin side so if it is thick, add a bit of water. Drizzle a bit of sauce and add another layer of eggplant. Pour the rest of the sauce over it and cover with foil. Bake in 375 oven for 25 minutes until hot. Top with the rest of the mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano and return to oven, uncovered for 5-10 minutes till cheese is melted and beginning to brown. Let it sit about 5 minutes before serving.

I love serving this with a sautéed chard and onions or a green salad and perhaps a bed of pasta with some of the same sauce mixed in.

Enjoy!