We Love Cooking! [Search results for squash] 

GOOD MORNING! Well this was dinner last night mainly because I decided that if i didn't use the squash in the fridge it was going to end up in the bin! I love love love roast veggies, when there done properly that is, I mean when there's a little crispy chewy and caramel like on the outside and soft and mushy on the inside, now that's perfection. I have just moved into a new apartment which means a new oven, which means getting used to regulating the heat! I'm used to gas hob and oven so moving to electric isn't exactly great news as it seems much harder to regulate the temperature. But I'm getting there!

Also I just want to apologise if you've seen the gaudy yellow plates repetitively in photo's and have had just about enough of them but there all I have at the moment what with the moving and all! Were going to Sweden in a few weeks time so I intend to stock up with a few Ikea essentials.

This dish came together as a result of wanting to make a meal out of the squash rather than presenting it as the weird vegetable on the side of some other complicated dish. Squash is a strong meaty vegetable and should be treated as such.

Spicy Sticky Roast Squash Salad

(serves 2)

1. 1 Large Squash
2. 1 Red Onion
3. 1 Red Pepper
4. 1 Large Carrot
5. 8 cloves of garlic
6. 2 tablespoons of Honey
7. 1 teaspoon of chili powder
8. A good splash of olive oil

This is an extremely easy dish and comes out looking like your a pro! So first of all prepare all your veg. I've read about different ways of cooking squash mainly with the skin on but being a glutton for punishment I like to peel them, so there's no work involved during the eating process. Once you have peeled your squash, cut it into halves and scoop out the seeds, then cut into chunky slices. Prepare the rest of the veg cutting into chunks. Leave the garlic cloves as they are, this will result in a rich yet mellow flavour a lot more palatable than in it's raw form.

Place all the veg into a large roasting tin and toss in some olive oil, next drizzle the honey over the mix, and finally sprinkle the chili powder.

Roast in a preheated oven at about 150 degrees Celsius for approx 30 minutes or until brown. YUM!

Squash! A bit more exotic to some compared to a regular onion or potato however just as tasty if not more! Squash come from the same family as pumpkin, melon and cucumber and were traditionally buried with dead native Americans for a bit of grub on their final journey. However dead Indians aside Squash full of nutrients which benefit the body and is in season from now until the end of winter. HERE IT COMES THE REASON'S TO EAT SQUASH!

1. It has Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Omega 3 fatty acids, and potassium to name but a few of the many nutrients the mighty squash contains!
2. It is full of beta carotene which has an anti inflammatory effect and is said to reduce the severity of Asthma and osteoporosis.
3. If you are a smoker, eating vitamin A rich foods can vastly reduce the deficiency in the vitamin caused by smoking.

I'm sure there are Italians out there who may crucify me over this recipe, but this is the way I like to do it. So apologies in advance to those who may find it slightly sacrilegious to heat the tomatoes. The girlfriend also pointed out that this was not the way she wanted it, to which I informed her that it was the last time she was getting breakfast made for her on a Sunday. The thing about a breakfast like this is, it's the type of food that can be eaten all day really, so to serve it as a late morning breakfast, feels just right. Plus with fresh ingredients, it really gives you a zingy start to the day!

Breakfast Bruschetta

1. A good glug of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
   
2. Punnet of Cherry Tomato's
   
3. 1 Clove of Garlic
4. Handful of fresh Basil
   
5. Some nice hearty Italian bread (Ciabatta)

Enjoy!

Soups are one of the healthiest and versatile meals you can produce, not only that, they can be frozen and reheated for a quick and simple lunch! There are so many soups that I love, that this post could be extremely long, but as I said already making soup is so versatile and once you have the basic recipe you can adapt it however you wish.

Quick Basic Soup Recipe

1. 4 tsp Vegetable Bouillon powder (I use this but stock cubes can be used or you can make your own)
2. 1 and half litre of boiling water
3. 2 cloves of garlic
4. 1 Large onion
5. A good pinch of salt and pepper

STEP 1-> Boil the water in a kettle, pour into a jug, add the bouillon powder and mix. In a large pot fry the onion and garlic in some oil till they soften and brown.

STEP 2-> This where you can experiment, add the rest of your ingredients, I'll include some suggestions at the end of this post, and mix with the onion and garlic mix. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and allow to soften for about a minute.

STEP 3-> Then add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer for approx 20 mins.

STEP 4-> If you have a good quality stick blender you can stick it straight into the hot mixture and whizz away! At this point I normally add different spices and herbs to my taste so I encourage you to experiment! Serve immediately or leave to cool and refrigerate or freeze!

Add the following ingredients at Step 2 for different soup types:

Leeks and Brocolli (frozen or fresh).

2 large tins of tomatoes.

1 Large squash, coriander and cumin.

6 Large carrots and 1 tablespoon of chopped ginger.

1 pound of peas (frozen or fresh) and a good handful of mint. (Thanks to michael for the reminder he is having it for lunch today!)

I'm sure everyone has a favourite soup so feel free to make suggestions!