Autumn Squash Four Ways: Roasted, Stuffed, Croquettes, & Pizza

Roasted Acorn Squash (Vegan)

Cook time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• 1 large or 2 small acorn squash
• 1/3 cup of grated Nateure's Food Co vegan parmesan or feta cheese
• 3 tbsp mix of fresh or dried herbs such as oregano, thyme, and rosemary
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder or 1 tsp of fresh minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp of sea salt
• Pinch of ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
2. Cut your squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Cut each half into half-circle slices, about half an inch thick.
3. Don't waste those seeds! Toss them in some olive oil, garlic, and salt, and roast them in the oven until golden for a yummy crunchy snack.
4. In a mixing bowl, combine the vegan parmesan or feta, herbs, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Toss until well combined.
5. Spread squash onto your baking sheet, and using your hands, press the cheese mixture onto one side of each squash. Flip and repeat on the other side. Save a bit of the mixture to sprinkle on top after cooking.
6. Bake for about 25 minutes, watching for the pieces to be crispy, slightly browned, and tender with a fork.
7. Garnish with remaining cheese mixture if desired.

Chickpea Curry Stuffed Spaghetti Squash (Vegan)

Serves 4

Cook time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 1 spaghetti squash. Sliced in half, seeds removed
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp + 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp curry powder (you can skip this and use a herb medley instead if you don't like spice)
• 1 tsp garam masala (again, you can skip the spice if you'd like)
• 2 red chillies, finely chopped (optional)
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 5 cups kale, de-stemmed and chopped
• 2 cups chickpeas
• 1 cup cilantro (skip if you've got the soap gene and swap for a different herb)
• 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 cup vegan parmesan
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375F and place squash halves face up on a lined baking tray.
2. Drizzle with 2 tsp olive oil, salt, and pepper and work into the squashes.
3. Turn squash face down and bake for about 50 minutes until the inside is soft.
4. Let cool, then scrape with a fork to create strands.
5. In a large pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and sautee mustard seeds until they start to crackle. Add garlic and onion and cook until golden.
6. Stir in curry powder (or other herbs), masala, and chillies. Then add tomato puree and kale, stirring to combine. Let cook for about 3 minutes until kale is wilted.
7. Add chickpeas and 1/2 tsp of salt and cook for a few more minutes.
8. Stuff the squash with your chickpea mixture and top with parmesan, cilantro, and drizzle the juice of half a lemon on top. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Pizza (GF/Vegan)

Cook time: 1 hr

Ingredients

Sauce

• 3 cups butternut squash, cubed
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 pinch of sea salt and black pepper
• 1 tbsp of maple syrup

Pizza

• 1 1/2 cups of broccolini or broccoli, chopped
• 1/2 cup red onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup chickpeas, rinsed and dried
• A pinch of sea salt & pepper
• 1 tsp of dried oregano
• Gluten-free pizza dough or crust -  a great recipe here!
• 1 cup butternut squash sauce
• 1/2 cup  Nateure's Food Co vegan parmesan

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F and position rack in the middle of your oven.
2. On a line baking sheet, add cubed butternut squash and garlic cloves and drizzle with half of the olive oil. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and toss to combine.
3. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until squash is tender.
4. Add squash and garlic to a blender or food processor with the rest of the olive oil and maple syrup. Puree until smooth, adding more olive oil if too thick. It should be nice and spreadable.
5. Heat a large pan over medium heat. When hot, add 1 tsp of oil, broccoli, onion, chickpeas, salt and pepper, and oregano. Saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly. Set aside from the heat.
6. Turn oven up to 425F.
7. Roll out pizza dough into an even circle and move to parchment-lined baking sheet / pizza pan.
8. Top with about a cup of the squash sauce, veggies, and chickpeas. Sprinkle some more oregano and vegan parmesan on top.
9. Transfer pizza to the oven and bake for 13-18 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
10. Slice and serve with additional parmesan. Enjoy!

Baked Kabocha Croquettes (GF)

Servings: 12 croquettes

Cook time: 30 mins

Kabocha is an underrated member of the squash family. Kabocha is a Japanese winter squash with a sweet and nutty flavour. Kabocha croquettes or Korokke are a Japanese twist on French croquettes.

Ingredients

• 1lb of kabocha squash (1 small or half a large)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 an onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 cup whole wheat or gluten-free flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup panko or gluten free bread crumbs

Directions

1. Cut squash, de-seed, and place in the pot. Steam squash using a large post and steamer basket / metal strainer until squash is very soft, about 15 minutes.
2. Additional ways to steam without a steamer basket
3. While squash is steaming, saute the onions in 1 tsp of olive oil for about 5 minutes or until soft.
4. Once squash is steamed, place in a large bowl and mash well. Stir in the onion, salt and pepper, and nutmeg. Let cool until able to touch, and form into balls / ovals - about 12 depending on the size you'd like. They should be about a half-inch thick.
5. Whisk eggs in a small bowl. Add your flour to a separate bowl, and bread crumbs to another separate bowl. This will be your breading station! Dip the balls one-by-one into the flour, then eggs, followed by the bread crumbs.
6. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large pan and fry the croquettes for about 3 minutes, adding any additional oil as needed.
7. Preheat oven to 450F. Place croquettes on a line baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes until nice and crispy. If not getting crispy, put your oven on broil for the last couple minutes - just be sure to watch closely so that they don't burn.
8. Enjoy!

As always, all ingredients are available at Jo Anne's Place. View our store hours here.

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