Roasted Butternut Squash

Until the other day I had never cooked with butternut squash. I've seen recipes for all types of things to do with it, but I went off the reservation and created my own! This recipe is really simple and it turned out really good...

1 Butternut Squash
2 Tbsp Oil
3 Tbsp Butter
2 tsp cinnamon
.25 tsp nutmeg
.25 tsp cayenne pepper
.25 Cup brown sugar

The amount of the spices and sugar you use will really depend on the size of the squash you have, and how sweet or spicy you want it. Start by breaking down the squash - cut off about an inch from the top and the bottom of the squash. Cut the squash in half long ways, and using a spoon scoop out the membrane and seeds. Use a peeler to remove the rind from the outside of the squash. Cut the squash into consistent sized pieces - make them about an inch by inch or so. If you cut them too small they will turn to mush when they roast in the oven. Place cubed squash in a baking dish. Drizzle with oil, the brown sugar, and all the spices - mix well so that everyone get's happy. Dot the top with butter then bake in a 375 degree oven for 40-45 minutes.

Happy Cooking & Eating!

~Nikko

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On This Day...

It's National Indian Pudding Day here in the US. I have to admit I've never had Indian Pudding before but I believe I'm going to try out this recipe tonight...

1 quart milk
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup cornmeal
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1-1/2 teaspoons ginger
1 tsp salt
1 cup molasses

Bring milk and butter to a boil. Add cornmeal and stir constantly until smooth, well blended, and slightly thickened. Remove from stove, add eggs, sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and molasses. Mix well together and put into a baking dish about 2" deep. Cover with wax paper. Bake approximately one hour at 400°F in a pan of water or until wax paper can be lifted without pudding sticking to it. Serve hot with vanilla ice cream on top. Cooking time: 45 minutes.

On this day...

Well foodie fans it's National Vanilla Cupcake Day... I'm not a big baker - I've never made a cupcake even with a mix. I did however make myself into a cupcake for a joke once...




Happy Cooking & Eating!

~Nikko

The Greek Appetizer Plate...

This can be a nice appetizer plate, a party plate, or I like to call it lunch (breakfast, or dinner) sometimes... All this but the Penzeys' Greek spice can be found at your local Mediterranean store. In Jacksonville we have a place called Hala that has everything, and I'm sure your city probably has someplace you can find it all. I get my hummus at Costco. The brand Costco has is really dang good and is about the same cost as if I made it myself... On the Feta - I love a good Greek feta but the French and the Danish make good varieties too - I've yet to find one made in the US that was worth it - but in a pinch...

Kalamata Olives
Ajavar (a roasted red pepper mixture)
Hummus
Feta
Baked Pita Strips

The trick here is just to make everything look pretty. The hardest thing you have to do is to cut the pita into strips, butter it, sprinkle it with a bit of Penzeys Greek Seasoning and bake it at 400 for a few minutes until it gets crisp.

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko