Lincoln and I have been married for six years, yet I can still make his day....
Well, that way too, but I'm talking about cooking. For sex, go find another blog.
My point is, in the kitchen as in the bedroom, the same set of related marital problems can crop up, namely, Where Is The Mystery?
When Lincoln looks up from dinner and says, "That was great! What's in it?" I always feel like saying what my mother, Isabelle, used to say to me when I was a kid (or maybe it was the last time I had dinner at my parents' house), "Poison!" But, knowing that's the kind of remark that lands you in marital counseling, I hold my tongue. Yet, there's always a tinge of defensiveness as I answer, "Well, obviously, squash and...turmeric...well, it's really all in the spices and I won't bore you." "No, really," he says, "I want to know." "Chickpeas and leftover rice..." When he crows, "Leftover rice! The rice we had last night! You're brilliant!" I really, really want to thump him on the head when I should want to kiss him. It's because the mystery is gone.
True, appreciative husbands are hard to come by. But so is mystery. Everything these days is transparent, open source...including this blog (and that other one you're reading). So, as long as there is no more mystery, here's the recipe for Acorn Squash With Chickpea Stuffing:
A Note: For those of you who think it's too hard to make squash, this recipe will prove that you are just being wimps. I, too, was a wimp, until a recipe for Butternut Squash Risotto in Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine set me straight. I have to give credit where it's due, even if it's to the Martha-media-juggernaut. Squash is healthy and you should eat it regularly.
2 acorn squashes, cut in half
1 Tablespoon shallot, chopped
1 Teaspoon olive oil
1 can of chickpeas, drained
1 1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. red chili powder
1/2 cup of chicken broth
1/4 cup of white wine
1 cup cooked rice
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Scoop the seeds out of the squash halves. Place squash on a foil-lined baking sheet. Brush cut sides with olive oil and sprinkle a pinch of turmeric. Bake until soft, about 45 minutes. While the squash is baking, heat a pan, add olive oil and sautee shallots until soft, about a minute. Add chickpeas and coat with spices. Add chicken broth and white wine. Simmer chickpeas until soft and stir in the cooked rice. When the squash is done, fill the indents with the chickpea mixture. If the indents in the squash are not deep enough, scoop out some squash, add the chickpea mix and put the extra squash on top. Serve as an entree or side, but do it with an air of mystery.
3 comments:
A little mystery is exciting. Have you thought of using something as simple as a fleur de sel as a last-minute garnish to fool the snooping husband? Fleur de sel has such a lovely flavor (depending on the type - it can be a little minerally or a little sweet - in the few kinds I've experimented with) that you can give him the basic ingredients, but keep this trick to yourself? You can just say "salt" when only you know that it's really fleur de sel. It's something you need to put on just before serving (and just a pinch will do). Putting it on during cooking eliminates the special flavor. Consider it the "flower" of your secret. (this of course assumes he is not salt-intolerant)
It's good to hear you've lost your fear of winter squash. That tough outer shell has stymied lesser cooks. I've really fallen in love with squash in the past few years and this soup is a staple in my house. I make it at least monthly because it makes a lot, is packed with lots of nutrients and is pretty lo-cal. You can substitute vegetable stock for the vegetarian in your life. I've found butternut works the best in here. Acorn just doesn't have the right taste.
You can use a vegetable peeler on butternut squash. It helps if you have two things - a sturdy vegetable peeler and a butternut squash that is fairly uniform (i.e. less pronounced bulb at end). It does take a little practice, but the trick is peel down the length of the squash (holding the peeler AWAY from you) and to have a firm grip, but use a light touch, much like peeling a cucumber. Otherwise you end up with chunks.
However, if you're not ready to do so, cut your squash in 1/2 lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and bake in an oven proof baking dish for with a 1/4 inch of water in it - 400F - for about a half hour. That will make the skin easier to peel off, but leave the squash still firm. I'm writing this recipe from memory (slacking off a few mins at work!) so I'll see if anything needs to be updated.
A loaf of crusty bread makes this a meal!
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium butternut squash (about 2 lbs)
1 large peeled carrot, cut into chunks (alternatively, peel, core, chop 1 large apple)
1 medium potato, cut into chunks
1 onion sliced
2 cloves crushed garlic
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup dry sherry
1 bay leaf
1 stick cinnamon
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp nutmeg
salt/pepper to taste
optional
dollop of yogurt/sour cream
handful of chopped pecans
With vegetable peeler, peel the skin off, u. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Cut in 1" chunks. Set aside. Heat canola oil in heavy stock pot under medium heat. Add garlic, cooking until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add onion, stir occasionally until onion breaks down slightly, about 5 mins. Add carrot and potato, stir until oil coats all vegetables. Turn down heat, let carrot and potato cook until softened, about 10 mins (you can add a tablespoon of water to avoid the vegetables from scorching). Add 1/2 cup of sherry, stir until sherry is nearly evaporated. Add squash, chicken stock, bay leaf, cinnamon stock and thyme. Turn up heat - bring to a soft boil. Turn down heat and let simmer 45 minutes. (If you have pre-cooked some of the squash you can cut cooking time to about 30 minutes). Remove bay leaf and cinnamon stick.
Blend using stick/immersion blender while hot or let cool and blend in batches in stand-up blender. Stir in nutmeg. Add salt/pepper to taste. When pouring in bowls, add optional dollop of dairy or a few chopped pecans to top.
Serves six and keeps for three days in fridge.
I love the idea of tricking Lincoln with ingredients. But...he reads the blog so I'll have to get really creative. Thanks for the comment and the squash soup recipe. I will try it as soon as I dispatch the pumpkin sitting on my counter into a pie.
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