Mashed Butternut Squash

I realize the title of this recipe may not sound all that appealing, but I promise it tastes delicious! I made this as a side dish at our Christmas dinner, and it was a bit hit with everyone. But it's not just for a holiday meal, you can easily make this recipe any night of the week. I perused the internet to find a squash dish to make, and came across this one. With a few small tweaks, it worked perfectly for us!

The finished product. Yum!

Sautéed apples and onions. Not so photogenic, but smells amazing!

Mashed Butternut Squash (serves 8-10, approx 1 hour to make)
Ingredients:
- 4lbs of Butternut Squash (this is about 2 medium-sized squash)
- 2T Unsalted Butter
- 2 Apples, cored and diced
- 1 Yellow Onion, diced
- Salt
- 1 Clove of Garlic, minced
- 1/2t Cinnamon
- 1/2t Coriander
- 1/2t Cumin
- 1/8t Cayenne Pepper

Directions:
- Set the oven temperature to 375.
- Rinse and dry the outside of the squash, then cut in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds. Line a baking sheet in tin foil, and place the squash cut side down. Bake under the squash is tender, keeping in mind that the neck will take longer than the bulb. It should take 35-45 minutes, depending on the size.
- Meanwhile, in a large pot over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the apples and onions with a dash of salt. Cover, and cook until onions are soft, about 5 minutes.
- Remove the cover and continue to sauté until the onions turn golden brown, about 10 minutes longer. Add the garlic and spices and stir to combine. When fragrant, about 30 seconds, remove from heat and set aside.
- When squash is done, scrape it out of the skin and add it to the pot. Use a large spoon or potato masher to mix and mash it all up.
- Serve and enjoy!

What's your favorite way to enjoy squash? Tell us in the comments!

Pumpkin Puree to Pumpkin Pie

Here in the United States, National Pumpkin Pie day is observed on December 25th. In honor of that holiday (even though it's still a month away) and to perfect my recipe, I decided to make a pumpkin pie from the real thing. That's right, no cans here! I used a "sugar pie pumpkin" and pureed it myself. One of these days I'll make my own pie crust too, and then it will really be a made-from-scratch pie.

So, if you're still looking for something to bring to a Thanksgiving feast, here's your recipe!

Pumpkin Pie, right out of the oven!

Recipe: Pumpkin Puree to Pumpkin Pie

Sugar Pie Pumpkin, before baking

Directions for Pumpkin Puree:
(This can be done a day or two ahead, to save time.)

- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Rinse and dry the pumpkin, then cut in half.
- Remove the seeds (save them for roasting), and place the pumpkins cut side down on a baking pan lined with foil. The foil just makes clean up easier, it's not required.

Sugar Pie Pumpkin, cut in half and cooked til soft.

- Bake the pumpkin for about 40 minutes, depending on size. It is done when it is soft to the touch. I'd recommend touching it with a fork or cooking utensil, not your finger, as it will be HOT!
- When pumpkin is done, remove it from the oven and let it cool until you can hold it comfortably. (This took me about 30 minutes.)
- Scrape the inside of the pumpkin into a blender, and puree til smooth. My Vita-Mix worked great here!
- Put the puree into a strainer lined with cheesecloth or a coffee filter, and let drain for about an hour. You can squeeze the water out to speed up this process a little. Otherwise, your puree will remain very liquidy, resulting in a mushy pie.

Straining the puree in a cheesecloth.

Pumpkin Pie:
Ingredients;
- One Sugar Pie Pumpkin (yes, that is what they're really called), or 2C canned pumpkin puree
- Pie Crust
- 1C Heavy Cream
- 1/2C Brown Sugar, packed
- 1/3C White Sugar
- 1/2t Salt
- 2 Whole Eggs, plus 1 Yolk
- 2t Cinnamon
- 1t Ground Ginger
- 1/4t Ground Cloves
- 1/4t Ground Nutmeg
- 1/4t Ground Cardamom
- 1/2t Lemon Zest

Directions:

(Total time is 3-4 hours. Prep, cook time 65 min, cooling for 2 hours.)
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
- In a large bowl, mix the sugars, salt and spices. Add in the lemon zest.
- In a small bowl, beat together the eggs. Pour eggs into large bowl with sugars.
- Add the pumpkin puree and combine.
- Add the cream and mix until everything is well combined.
- Pour mixture into pie shell, and bake at 425 for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, drop oven temperature to 350 and continue baking 40-50 minutes longer.
- Pie is done when a toothpick (or thin knife) comes out clean in the middle.
- Cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- Slice, and serve with a dollop of whipped (organic) cream on top!

Pumpkin Pie, before going in the oven.

Pumpkin Pie, after baking. Smells delicious!

Yum!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! What are you grateful for this year?