Recipe: Delicata squash rounds with baked eggs

I eat a lot of delicata squash in the fall and winter months. I usually prepare a sheet pan or two at a time, changing up the spices that I marinate and roast them in because I’m hip like that. Instead of slicing the squash in half length-wise and preparing half-moons, I opted to preserve the full ring shape and bake an egg inside of it. It’s a solid dish for any meal of the day.

Recipe: Delicata squash rounds with baked eggs

Gluten-free • celiac-friendly!

Ingredients:

• 2 delicata squash (roughly about a 1.5 pounds), skins/exterior washed and dried (You can eat the skins of delicata, so washing and drying the squash is an important step.)

• 2 Tablespoons of avocado oil, coconut oil, or higher-heat friendly oil of your choice

• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/2 teaspoons of cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon coriander

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

• Eggs - however many you plan to bake, or poach, in the rounds.

  • Note: The size of the eggs doesn’t matter, but the size of the egg and the thickness of the delicata slices will determine if the egg whites overflow out of the delicata rounds. For this recipe, I used large eggs, so you can see the egg whites spilled out slightly. Still delicious!

Instructions:

Preparing & roasting the squash:

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line one or two baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.

2. Trim ends of the delicata squash. Slice in half horizontally, then scoop out the inside of the squash halves. After scooping, slice these squash halves into 1/3 to 1/2-inch thick rings using a sharp knife. Ensure they are all the same size so that they roast evenly.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk the oil, spices of your choice*, and salt. (*Use the spices that I listed in the ingredients list or choose whichever spices you most enjoy for roasted root vegetables.)

4. Add your squash rounds to the bowl, and toss or stir until all sides of the squash are well-coated in the oil-spice mixture.

5. Place the squash rings in a single layer on the lined baking sheets, and place them in the oven. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the rings are golden brown.

6. At this point, you have two options:

   • Option 1: Finish cooking the squash: Turn the tray 180 degrees and then bake for another 10-15 minutes or until squash rounds are browned to your liking on both sides. Once done, remove from the oven and enjoy warm, or for a later use.

   • Option 2: Bake eggs into as many of the squash rounds as you want. Remove the tray of delicata rounds from the oven and carefully crack eggs into as many rounds as you’d like. (If you feel more comfortable cracking the eggs first into a small bowl or ramekin and then pouring them into the squash rounds, please do!) You’ll likely have more delicata slices than eggs here; no need to remove the eggless delicata rounds from the tray while waiting for those with eggs in them to set. The remaining squash will continue roasting. Bake your squash and eggs until the whites are cooked, around 8 to 10 minutes.

7. Enjoy! Top with fresh herbs, hot sauce, or condiments of your choice, or eat as-is.

Variations/Notes:

• *If you previously prepared your squash, take a squash round or two and reheat it in a frying pan over medium heat with a fat of your choice (butter, olive oil, etc.) Crack an egg or eggs into the rounds. Cover with a lid, allowing the squash to reheat and the eggs to poach or steam until the eggs white is cooked and the yoke is to your desired doneness.

Recipe: Pumpkin Muffins with Chocolate Chips and Pumpkin Seeds

Canned pumpkin and squash are amazing, versatile, inexpensive, and nutritious ingredients to have on hand and to use year-round. While I’m a proponent of eating and cooking with the seasons, pantry staples have a purpose and should be relied on to nourish yourself. So, basically, you can make this recipe whenever you want - there’s are no rules :)

Recipe: Pumpkin Muffins with Chocolate Chips and Pumpkin Seeds

Gluten free • celiac-friendly!

Adapted from King Arthur Baking’s Thanksgiving Muffins

Yields: 11-12 standard-sized muffins

Ingredients:

Note: For baking, I prefer to weigh my ingredients. I’ve been happier with the results, and I’ve found that I’m wash fewer dishes in the process. I’ve only made and tested this recipe based on weight, not volume. But, I’ve provided volume measures as an estimation. This recipe is forgiving.

• 227g (1 cup) pumpkin or winter squash purée

• 2 large eggs

• 106g (1/2 cup, packed) light brown sugar or dark brown sugar

• 35g (3 Tablespoons) avocado oil

• 21g (1 Tablespoon) molasses

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/2 teaspoons Apple Pie Spice or Pumpkin Pie Spice blend; or 1/4 teaspoon cloves + 1/4 teaspoon ginger + 1 teaspoon cinnamon. (I also added some freshly ground nutmeg)

• 113g (1/2 cup) soymilk, unsweetened (You could use any other dairy or non-dairy milk of choice)

• 80g (1/2 cup) dark or bittersweet chocolate chips

• 60g (1/2 cup) raw pumpkin or pepita seeds

• 175g (1 + 1/2 cup) 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill one-to-one mix for this recipe; I have not tested others)

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions:

1. Line a standard-size muffin tin with baking paper or cups. Set aside.

2. In a medium or large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and baking soda together. Stir in the chocolate chips and pumpkin seeds.*

3. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, oil, molasses, salt, spices, and milk. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.

4. Add all of the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and mix until all ingredients are well combined.

5. Cover the mixture and set it aside to rest/rise slightly, and preheat your oven to 400°F.

6. Once your oven has reached temperature, begin scooping the batter into the prepared pan: Approximately a 1/4-cupful, or a heaped muffin scoop works well here.

7. Bake the muffins for 20 to 21 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the middle of a center muffin comes out clean.

8. Remove the muffins from the oven, and tilt them in their individual wells to cool. This prevents their bottoms from steaming and becoming tough. When cool to the touch, transfer to a cooling rack.

Note(s):

• I found that by tossing the chocolate chips and seeds in this intial flour mixture, it allows for even distribution of these ingredients in the muffin and prevents them from falling to the bottom when baking.

Energy Bites: A mindful, budget-conscious and crunchy as hell snack

I enjoy cooking and good food, especially when it’s based off of one recipe with many, many variations. Sunday’s are my meal prep days, and these delish, budget-conscious energy bites are in heavy rotation.

My friend Kaitlin Clark, a certified nutrition and wellness consultant and the brains behind Integrative Healing Arts, first made these snacks for me in 2010, and I've made versions of them ever since. The brilliance of these snacks are that they are (1) no bake! (2) suited to whatever ingredients you have on hand and (3) adjusted or modified to your tastes.

Energy Bite add-ins: bee pollen, unsweetened coconut flakes, hemp hearts, chia seeds, walnuts

The basic components:

• protein (in the form of nut or seed butters [tahini, almond, sunflower, etc.], ground or chopped nuts or seeds, and/or a scoop or two of your favorite [no to low sugar] protein powder)

• something sweet (local honey or maple syrup)

• add-ins (like cocoa/cacao, chia seeds, hemp hearts, a pinch of ground flax seeds, green powders/herbs, bee pollen, shredded coconut, mini-chocolate chips, dried or blended fruit like raisins, cranberries, dates or figs, etc.)

They are delicious, no-bake, customizable, and totally worth it.

Have some time today to plan for the week ahead and start eating more mindfully? Check out the two recipes from Kaitlin - the expert - to get started, and check out my preferred combination below. (**Disclaimer: While you should experiment with ingredients in these recipes, please consult with a professional if you have never used certain powders or dried herbs to avoid any complications with medications or triggers to known allergies.**)

Recipe 2: Energy Bites (courtesy of Kaitlin Clark of Integrative Healing Arts)

Ingredients:

• 2-3 parts (1/2-2/3 c.) ground pumpkin and/or sunflower seeds

• 1 part (1/2 c.) ginseng root powder

• 1 part (1/3-1/2 c.) part gingko or gotu kola

• 1/2 part (1/8 c.) spirulina, greens powder or chlorella

• 1 cup nut/seed butter (tahini, almond, sunflower, etc.)

• 1/2 cup local honey (more or less for taste)

• Add ons: 1/2 cup crushed almonds, mini vegan chocolate chips, raising, goji berries, etc.

Recipe 1: Brain Bites (courtesy of Kaitlin Clark of Integrative Healing Arts)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup nut/seed butter (tahini, almond, sunflower, etc.)

• 1 part (1/2 cup) ginkgo leaf (powder)

• 1/2 cup local honey (more or less for taste)

• 1 part (1/2 cup) ginseng root powder

• 1 part (1/2 cup) Brahmi Powder

• vegan chocolate chips (mini!)

• unsweetened cocoa powder, cacao, or cocoa nibs

• Add ons: finely chopped walnuts, almonds, shredded coconuts, raisins, hemp seeds, etc.

Instructions/Assembly:

1. In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix the seed/nut butters with honey/maple syrup.

2. Blend in powdered herbs, chips, add-ons (Pro-tip: Finely chop by using a coffee grinder or small food processor)

3. Roll into tablespoon-size balls. (Pro-tip: I use a small ice cream scooper - even less work!)

4. In a shallow bowl or plate, roll into coconut shreds, hemp seeds, etc.

5. Place on plate or lined-cookie sheet and place in the freezer.

6. Once frozen, you can wrap them up in a bag, plate or container of your choice.

Recipe/Variation 3: Al's Combo

This is my preferred combination of ingredients for energy bites, following Kaitlin's proportions and instructions from above. My go-to combo: almond butter, local honey/local maple syrup, unsweetened vegan protein powder, cocoa/cacoa powder, unsweetened shredded coconut flakes, ground walnuts, chia seeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin/sunflower seeds.

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Comfort food: Romanesco Rice

This summer, one of the dishes that I made countless times for the volunteer groups was cauliflower rice...and, people liked it! I certainly didn't invent the recipe (as The Kitchn recipe proves), but I was first introduced to this sneaky trick by a farming friend who was on the Paleo diet and broccoli and cauliflower happened to be in season and in abundance. The gist of the recipe: you can use cauliflower as a substitute for rice, couscous or any other starchy grain with the help of a trusty food processor or blender. Brilliant, right?

My local grocery store randomly had a sale on romanesco - a beautiful type of broccoli (see cover photo), identical in taste to cauliflower and most other things in the brassica family. So, it was Romanesco Rice time. The recipe below is adapted from many other wise people before me, but this is what I do and it's a good primer. It's great for a quick meal, especially when topped with a poached or fried egg (my fave), crispy tempeh or any other protein of your choice:

Romanesco Rice 

Ingredients

• 1 small head of romanesco, chopped into large cubes
• 2 carrots, chopped into large cubes
• 1 large onion, red or white, chopped into quarters
• 1 large clove of garlic, chopped in half
• 6 small mushrooms of your choice (baby bella, button, shittake, etc.)
• 2 tablespoon of coconut oil, or fat of your choice
• 1 pinch of salt
• 2 pinches of black pepper
• 1 tiny pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1-2 tsp of toasted sesame oil (optional and depending on your taste)

Pulse Romanesco and other vegetables until you see a fine, grainy texture like this. 

1. In a food processor, pulse onions and garlic until fine but not a paste. 
2. In a cast iron skillet, heat coconut oil over medium heat and add the onions and garlic.
3. Return to food processor and pulse romanesco, carrots and mushrooms until the size of rice or a fine grain. Depending on the size of your food processor, you may want to do this in batches.
4. Transfer the pulsed vegetables into the pan with the onions, add salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender.
5. Season to taste: add more salt, pepper, or I added a dash of toasted sesame oil. This is a very strong flavor, so only use a little.

There you have it: Romanesco Rice. Yum! Try with other brassicas and mix and match other vegetables and seasonings that you included in the dish. Now, go eat some vegetables.

Cabin Fever Cooking: Spinach Dal with Coconut Milk

Surprise. It's snowing again. (A.Gross, February 2014)

How are we all doing? Everyone ok? It's yet another snow day here in Connecticut, and it looks something like this:

To distract you from the blustery weather, I thought that I'd share a recipe. I love Indian food, and I'm often reminded how easy it is to make at home. Last night, I made spinach dal, based on this recipe from The Splendid Table. As with most recipes, I didn't read this one all the way through and I noticed that it was better for slow cookers. Well, I skipped that step. I just simmered it on the stove, and it turned out just fine. Most Indian dishes are well suited for root and winter vegetables. I had carrots, garlic, and spinach from the farm and tapped into my frozen peppers that I put up from HBF this summer.  With a few spices, brown lentils, and a can of coconut milk, this makes an excellent week-day meal...or an excuse to cook during a snowy day with the impending doom of a power outage. 

Spiced Dal with Coconut Milk (adapted from The Splendid Table - an excellent resource and food podcast!)

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbl coconut oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped/diced
• 1 cup frozen red peppers, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• veggie stock or water
• 1 cup dried lentils (I used brown, but you can use yellow or red)
• 4 cups water
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• 2 tsp tumeric
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon (**If you have curry powder on hand instead of these individual dried spices, you can use it instead. I'd use like 2 Tbl of curry powder.**)
• 1 Tbl fresh ginger, grated 
• 1 can coconut milk (I used light)
• 2 heaping handfuls of spinach, chopped finely or in a food processor

Instructions:

Dal: A good place for spinach. (A.Gross, February 2014)

1. In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat and saute the onion and carrots for 10 minutes, until the onion has browned. Add frozen chopped peppers and 1/2 -1 cup of water or veggie stock to the pan, simmer, cover and cook until the carrots are tender, about 5-8 more minutes.
2. In a separate pot, bring four cups of water to a boil. Add the lentils, bring to a boil and return to a simmer and cover. Cook for 20 minutes, until lentils are tender. Drain or reserve in liquid off the heat until ready to transfer to the coconut mixture.
3. Add spices, ginger and garlic to the saute pan. Add more water or stock to prevent the mixture from sticking and continue cooking on low heat for 1-2 minutes.
4. Stir in cooked lentils, spinach and coconut milk. Cook on low heat for 20-25 minutes, uncovered, so some of the coconut milk has cooked down and the dish is heated through.
5. Serve in a bowl as is or over brown rice, millet or quinoa. 

Variations/Notes:

• I turned this into soup for lunch today. Simply reheat in a soup pot, add warm water or veggie stock. Remove from heat, and use an immersion or stick blender or, carefully, transfer the warm liquid into a stand blender. Add more liquid until you reach a desired consistency for soup - it depends on your preference. I topped my soup with a little goat cheese, but a dollop of yogurt would be excellent, too. 
• I didn't use a picture of the soup in this post. It tastes amazing, but a picture doesn't capture its deliciousness. Sadly, it resembles the color of baby poop, which is not quite appetizing on a food blog. Just trust me on the taste!