Honey and Cumin Baked Winter Squash with Brown Lentils

Hard at work even as I eat my dinner. Note sticky hand posture. Food is better when you eat with your hands. Suggested musical accompaniment: Nick Caves and the Bad Seeds "Dig Lazarus Dig!"


Caramelized honey, butter, and cumin...do I have to tell you how good that smells? How good it tastes? Smashed into a creamy bite of baked acorn squash? Oh man, if I do, you need to cook this right away and see what you're missing. Growing up, my mom made us acorn squash with brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon I think, and that was also fabulous. There are a million delectable options with a nice, ripe, beautifully colored winter squash of any kind, but acorn is my favorite. They're just right for two people and so easy and versatile that they make an ideal, wholesome weeknight winter meal. A new twist that I got from one of my vegan cookbooks is to stuff them full of flavorful lentils. The salty, garlicky lentils are a delectable match with the sweet and savory squash. I serve it along with a piece of garlic pepper bread, all recipes below.

For bread, set out a half of a stick of butter (for two). Top it with 4-5 cloves minced or smashed garlic, plus one very small or one half a regular red pepper, minced, and some crushed white and/or black pepper. Let that get soft while you do everything else.

Wash one acorn squash and split in half carefully with a very sharp knife. Scrape out seeds and strings. Place a sheet of parchment paper or foil on a cookie sheet with sides or a small baking dish. Oil paper and squash halves and place them on sheet skin side down. In seed cavity, place a thick pat of butter. Drizzle generously with honey (good fresh clover honey if you can get it), Sprinkle generously with cumin, and lightly with salt. Set in 425 degree oven.

Put one cup dried brown lentils plus two and a half cups water, a big pinch salt, and 4-5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Stir and simmer at least twenty minutes or until tender.

Bake the squash until tender...45 minutes or so? I apologize for not timing it, but it depends on what kind of squash you use anyway. It might also be good to baste it a bit half way through cooking. You won't ruin it taking it out of the oven and sticking a fork in it to check doneness. If the fork moves in and out easily, like it would with a cooked potato, then it's done. Squash is pretty easy.

When squash is done, take it out of the oven and plate it, being careful to retain the juices in the squash cavity. Spoon the lentils into each squash cavity, right in the middle of the pool of spicy honey butter so that the butter mixture and the lentil juice spills over the side.

Smash room temperature butter with diced peppers, garlice, and pepper and smear split bread loaves generously with it. Toast under broiler until lightly browned. Serve alongside squash halves and sop up the brown butter juice under the squash with it.

If you are really really hungry, a winter green and herb salad with cool creamy ranch might be good with this, but I'm stuffed without it. Enjoy!

Taco Night, Hot Sauce, and a Drowned Rat

This is truly a catch all blog. The two taco plates are some fajita tortillas grilled in a skillet and topped with aduki beans flavored with garlic and cayennes, white rice flavored with poblanos and cumin, and some white cheese with avocados tossed with salt, pepper, and apple cidar vinegar on the side. Reader poll: which picture is better? The bottles are some hot sauce I made with my many cayennes. I'm a little embarrassed about the dirty stove but what can you do? The cat is my cat Flipper after a bath and it's in here because I think it's funny:) Thanks for reading!

It's Getting More and More Expensive to Live Beyond Our Means

I have a confession. I have been living the life of a well-to-do foodie on a coupon clipper's salary. I want organic vegetables, ethically raised meat, good fair trade organic whole bean coffee, and fancy schmancy cheese. Some of these things are not up for debate, but I have come to the realization lately that if I can't afford the good stuff, then I can't afford that particular stuff. Organic meat, for instance, is really expensive, but do I need it? I can get as-organic-as-it-gets venison for free. It's very healthy, it's "wild caught" (read: shot in the woods), and there are no worries about the animal being mistreated in the processing plant because it's dead when it is processed. Hunters get a bad rap with vegans and vegetarians for obvious reasons, but those of us who want to eat meat but don't want to support the cruelty of factory farming should be singing their praises. Hunters also do a lot for preserving forests and wildlife areas.

As far as organic vegetables, they can be cheap if you buy in season, especially at the farmer's market. Also, organic beans are still pretty affordable, and they're packed with nutrition. You just have to school yourself on how to make a great big variety of bean dishes. There are more than you think--pureed beans of all kinds, not just hummus, make a great snack. There are also pureed bean soups, vegetarian chili made from beans and as spicy as you like (maybe with some venison chunks), cold bean salads with savory vinaigrette's, and on and on. Control the flatulence factor by changing the soaking water twice before you cook them. Grains are inexpensive and incredibly versatile. Julia Child has a wonderful looking recipe for cream soups made with pureed rice. You cook the rice in the soup base until it is very tender, then you have a fat free cream soup base to which you can add any seasonal vegetable or favorite spice.
My point is, you can eat well, really well, without spending a lot of money or even that much time. Just pay attention to the circulars at your local grocer, clip those coupons, buy seasonally, and watch the road-snacking.

Check a Julia Child book out from the local library, or a whole stack of cookbooks--the library is a great source for cookbooks. Julia Child is a great source for fantastic French cooking, and a lot of the recipes use ingredients you probably already have.

Best of luck to all my fellow poverty-stricken foodies. I know you're out there. Eat well, live well, treat yourself to the good coffee, and save your money for good cooking equipment:)

Cream of Mushroom Soup and Julia Child

I am finally availing myself of some classics, and it's wonderful to be learning some new things. I picked up a Julia Child cookbook at the library where I work, and just recently made her cream of mushroom soup--very basic and very good. I added poblanos in with the onions for sauteeing, added the optional sour cream, and then also added cayenne and lots of black pepper to finish. It was and is a bowl of delights, as soup should be. Do yourself a favor and go to your local library to check out "The Way to Cook" or any of her books.

I also think adding dried wild mushrooms would be good for an earthier flavor.