ROASTED AND SPICED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

 This butternut squash is SO GOOD. The blend of spices plus the sweetness of the squash make for an extra delicious dish. Plus, it's simple! Cut, put it all on a baking sheet, bake, DONE.

 

 

So much spicy goodness!

 

Butternut squash is a weekly dish at our table during winter months. The kids don't love it, which is a shame, except that the husband and I get to ALL THE SQUASH. If they'd rather eat carrot sticks instead of this deliciousness, that's on them. I will happily eat it all for them.

 

 

 

Roasted and Spiced Butternut Squash

Ingredients:

1 large butternut squash

2 generous tablespoon olive oil

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp smoked paprika (regular paprika works too!)

1/2 tsp curry powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon mixed dried herbs such as oregano, rosemary, thyme (I use this)

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
With a fork, puncture the butternut squash all over. Place in the microwave for one minute, remove and peel (the microwave method makes this a lot easier. You can also but precut butternut squash, they have it at Costco!). Slice in half and scoop out the seeds. Dice into 1-2 inch chunks.
Place the cut up squash on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and all spices and herbs; toss until well coated. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, until squash is slightly browned. Eat it.

CRANBERRY CAKE

I keep seeing all these cute little strawberry desserts on Pinterest. Strawberry cupcakes! Strawberry Santa hats! Tuxedo strawberries! But strawberries in winter kind of taste like red water. Not good. But I understand the appeal of a red fruit dessert. There's something so inviting about naturally red food, isn't there?

May I introduce to you: the cranberry.

Did you just make a face? I understand. Have you only had cranberries at Thanksgiving, in a jellied, cylinder form? Poor you. Let me introduce you to homemade cranberry sauce made into cake. It is both tart and sweet, with a crunch of pecans and a buttery cakey top. It's seasonal! It's American! Don't you feel all warm and fuzzy and patriotic just thinking about it?

First, we start with a homemade cranberry sauce.

Butter up a pan, pour in that sauce and add some chopped pecans.

Make a batter. Pour it over those red berries.

Bake it up.

Enjoy a slice.

Cranberries. Show this red fruit some love.


Cranberry Cake
adapted from the Pioneer Woman

butter, for greasing
2 cups cranberry sauce (recipe follows)
3/4 cups pecans, chopped
1 cup of flour
1 cup of sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 salt
1 tablespoon sugar for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350.
Grease a 8 inch cake pan with butter. Add cranberry sauce. Sprinkle with chopped pecans.
In a mixing bowl, combined flour, 1 cup of sugar, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and salt. Stir to combine.
Pour batter over the cranberries evenly, spread gently if necessary.
Bake for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar and bake another 5 minutes.
Cut into wedges and serve.

Sauce:
2 cups fresh cranberries (1 bag will do)
3/4 cups water
1 tsp allspice
2 tsp cinnamon
zest of 2 clementine oranges
1 cup of sugar (more if you like it extra sweet, less if you like things tart)

Combine the cranberries, water, spices and zest in a sauce pan and cook over medium heat. Cook until cranberries begin to burst, about 10 minutes.
Add the sugar and reduce heat to low. Cook until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Refrigerate over night.


Enjoy!