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Roasted squash with sesame and ginger
Question: What's the easiest way to get a finicky kid to eat squash?
Answer: Roast a spaghetti squash, tease out the spaghetti strands, and mix them up with spaghetti sauce and some parmesan cheese. The kid won't know the difference.
It worked for me, anyway.
Among the many wonderful things fall brings, squash makes for some heartwarming meals that are quick to make. The simplest way to prepare it is to roast it with a little oil, salt and pepper. This brings out its natural sweetness and nuttiness, and depending on the variety makes it creamy. You can even smash it in the style of mashed potatoes.
In this twist, I add a little garlic, sesame, and ginger for some extra warmth and spice.
1 lb winter squash
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1 clove garlic
1-2 tsp ginger, grated
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Cut the winter squash in half, and remove the seeds.
2. Mix the oils, garlic, and ginger together. Brush the flesh with the mixture.
3. Sprinkle on some salt and pepper.
4. Place the seasoned squash on a pan flesh side down, and roast at 350F for 20-30 minutes depending on thickness. It's done when the flesh is fork tender.
5. Turn the squash flesh side up and sprinkle on the toasted sesame seeds.
Serve by itself or with something else. I usually have it with a salad or fried rice.
Dried fig, olive, and hazelnut tapenade
L'shanah tovah, everyone!
I finally got to hear the shofar at Rosh Hashanah services for the first time this year. Someday I hope to blow one well enough to sound a strong tekiah gadol.Right after Yom Kippur I'll be traveling across eastern and southern Europe for a month. It will be the last time I can take a long, unencumbered vacation for a while. Does this mean there won't be any recipes for a whole month? Of course not! I will still be posting a recipe every Monday, as usual, this time inspired by the places I'm going. This week's recipe is inspired by the fresh apples and honey from last week's Rosh Hashanah dinner at my boyfriend's parents' house. When I first came across it, I didn't think the sweet figs and salty olives would match well, but I was pleasantly surprised. Try it on some challah this weekend. Dried fig tapenade with hazelnuts and olives1/2 cup dried figs, diced1/2 cup sweet marsala wine (or a sweet kosher wine like Manischevitz or Bartenura)
1/2 cup water
1-2 pieces of star anise
1-3 T sugar, to taste
1/4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts (toast first, then chop)
1/4 cup chopped olives (kalamatas work really well)
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
In a saucepot set on low, simmer figs, wine, water, sugar and star anise until figs soften and become quite fragrant and the mixture becomes a little bubbly.
Add remaining ingredients and simmer until heated through. Mixture will be slightly thick.
Serve warm on challah or toast.
Keep the remainder in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week or two.
Easy potato salad
A staple of summer cookouts and tailgate parties, potato salad has as many variations as there are cooks.Some people like theirs sour, adding pickles, onions, and other pungent flavors.I like mine a little creamy and eggy, with bite-sized chunks of potato and a hint of mustard, the way my lola makes it.
In fact, I'm so spoiled by my lola's potato salad that I can't eat the stuff from the grocery store.The below is my attempt to capture the wonder that is my lola's potato salad. She has all her recipes memorized, and like any good cook, fudges the quantities a little bit, so that things don't quite turn out the same way twice, but always turn out delicious. I hope to inherit her recipe file someday.Vegetarian potato salad4 eggs
4 potatoes, peeled if desired
1/2 to 1 cup mayonnaise
1-2 T mustard
Dash of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup vegetarian imitation "bacon" bits (optional)1. Hard-boil the eggs: Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Add a little vinegar and salt (this helps prevent shell breakage). Gently drop in eggs and boil for 12 minutes. Immediately transfer eggs to a bowl of cold water. Let cool.
2. At the same time, cook the potatoes.
If you have a microwave, prick each potato with a fork. Moisten 4 paper towels with water and wrap one around each potato. Microwave on medium-high until easily pierced by a fork, about 10 minutes. Let cool.
Otherwise, boil the potatoes in salted water until easily pierced by a fork, about 20-30 minutes. Let cool.
3. Dice each potato into bite-sized pieces. Place in a medium bowl.
4. Slice eggs in half. Scoop out the yolks into a small bowl. Coarsely dice egg whites and add to potatoes.
5. Add mayonnaise, mustard, cayenne, salt, pepper, and "bacon" bits to yolks. Stir until well incorporated.
6. Add yolk-mayonnaise mixture to potatoes and egg whites. Gently stir until potatoes and eggs are well coated.
7. Sprinkle with a little paprika (or more cayenne if you really like the heat) and serve cold.
In fact, I'm so spoiled by my lola's potato salad that I can't eat the stuff from the grocery store.The below is my attempt to capture the wonder that is my lola's potato salad. She has all her recipes memorized, and like any good cook, fudges the quantities a little bit, so that things don't quite turn out the same way twice, but always turn out delicious. I hope to inherit her recipe file someday.Vegetarian potato salad4 eggs
4 potatoes, peeled if desired
1/2 to 1 cup mayonnaise
1-2 T mustard
Dash of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup vegetarian imitation "bacon" bits (optional)1. Hard-boil the eggs: Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Add a little vinegar and salt (this helps prevent shell breakage). Gently drop in eggs and boil for 12 minutes. Immediately transfer eggs to a bowl of cold water. Let cool.
2. At the same time, cook the potatoes.
If you have a microwave, prick each potato with a fork. Moisten 4 paper towels with water and wrap one around each potato. Microwave on medium-high until easily pierced by a fork, about 10 minutes. Let cool.
Otherwise, boil the potatoes in salted water until easily pierced by a fork, about 20-30 minutes. Let cool.
3. Dice each potato into bite-sized pieces. Place in a medium bowl.
4. Slice eggs in half. Scoop out the yolks into a small bowl. Coarsely dice egg whites and add to potatoes.
5. Add mayonnaise, mustard, cayenne, salt, pepper, and "bacon" bits to yolks. Stir until well incorporated.
6. Add yolk-mayonnaise mixture to potatoes and egg whites. Gently stir until potatoes and eggs are well coated.
7. Sprinkle with a little paprika (or more cayenne if you really like the heat) and serve cold.
"Pescado" al horno
Holidays, growing up, meant that I would get to sink my teeth into the succulent flesh of mahi-mahi, stuffed with chopped onions, garlic, and pimientos, dusted with salt and pepper, and cooked in its own juices with a squeeze of lemon. Pescado al horno, otherwise known as baked fish, was my ideal fish dish from when I was able to walk until I tried sushi. My grandmother makes it two ways.
The first:
Lay a cleaned fish in a slightly greased baking dish. Spread some mayonnaise on top. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover with foil and bake at 375F for 20 minutes or until flesh is just firm. Serve.
The second:
Dice an onion, 3 cloves garlic, and a tomato. Mix together with some salt and pepper. Stuff mixture into a cleaned fish. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover with foil and bake at 375F for 20 minutes or until flesh is just firm. Serve. When I decided to ban meat from my apartment, I started searching for a soy "fish" that could potentially replace my craving for seafood. I haven't found the perfect replacement yet, but the "fish" steaks in the soy meat section of the Asian supermarket work just fine.Vegetarian "pescado" al horno (baked "fish")6 "fish" steaks
Olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large tomato, diced, or 1 jar diced pimientos
juice of 1 lemon, plus zest for garnish
salt and pepper to tastePreheat oven (a toaster oven works well for this) to 375F.
Lightly grease a baking dish with olive oil.
Arrange "fish" steaks evenly in baking dish. If desired, brush with a little more olive oil for a crisp.
Mix onion, garlic, and tomato or pimientos. Season with salt and pepper.
Spread mixture evenly on top of "fish" steaks.
Squeeze lemon juice over each "fish" steak.
Bake at 375F for 10 minutes, until heated through. Garnish with a little lemon zest and serve hot.
The first:
Lay a cleaned fish in a slightly greased baking dish. Spread some mayonnaise on top. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover with foil and bake at 375F for 20 minutes or until flesh is just firm. Serve.
The second:
Dice an onion, 3 cloves garlic, and a tomato. Mix together with some salt and pepper. Stuff mixture into a cleaned fish. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover with foil and bake at 375F for 20 minutes or until flesh is just firm. Serve. When I decided to ban meat from my apartment, I started searching for a soy "fish" that could potentially replace my craving for seafood. I haven't found the perfect replacement yet, but the "fish" steaks in the soy meat section of the Asian supermarket work just fine.Vegetarian "pescado" al horno (baked "fish")6 "fish" steaks
Olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large tomato, diced, or 1 jar diced pimientos
juice of 1 lemon, plus zest for garnish
salt and pepper to tastePreheat oven (a toaster oven works well for this) to 375F.
Lightly grease a baking dish with olive oil.
Arrange "fish" steaks evenly in baking dish. If desired, brush with a little more olive oil for a crisp.
Mix onion, garlic, and tomato or pimientos. Season with salt and pepper.
Spread mixture evenly on top of "fish" steaks.
Squeeze lemon juice over each "fish" steak.
Bake at 375F for 10 minutes, until heated through. Garnish with a little lemon zest and serve hot.
