Recipes

Winter Squash Bars

Moist and not too sweet, these dessert or snack bars freeze well.

2 cups winter squash or pumpkin, cooked and pureed
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup oil
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Beat together in a mixing bowl, the winter squash puree, sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla and salt. Mix in remaining ingredients. Pour into lightly greased 11 x 17-inch jelly roll pan. Bake in preheated 350 degree F. oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

Makes 24 bars.

From “Simply in Season,” Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert, 2005.

Liberian Pumpkin

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 to 3 cups pumpkin, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
hot chili peppers, chopped or hot pepper sauce, to taste
1 cup chicken, beef or vegetable broth
1 cup browned sausage
salt and pepper to taste

In large saucepan, sauté pumpkin, onions and chili pepper (or hot chili sauce) until onion is translucent. Cover and cook until pumpkin is just fork tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth and cook for 10 more minutes. Add browned sausage and cook uncovered until liquid is absorbed. Serve with rice or noodles.

Serves 4.

From “Simply in Season,” Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert, 2005.

Beef with Acorn Squash & Potatoes

2 pounds lean beef, such as round, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 acorn squash peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 large potatoes, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 large onion quartered, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 package dry mushroom gravy mix
1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 large bay leaves
salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in crock pot. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours.

Serves 6.

From fooddownunder.com.

Chilled Gingered Beet Soup with Mushrooms

2 1/2 pounds beets, well-scrubbed and trimmed
2 quarts vegetable stock
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 to 4 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
Juice of 1 lemon
3 to 4 tablespoons finely slivered fresh ginger
8 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 vegetable bouillon cube, optional

Boil the beets in the stock in a large stockpot until tender, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove beets with slotted spoon, cool slightly under running water and slip off the skins. Add remaining ingredients to the beet water. Slice beets into thin slivers or matchsticks and return to the soup. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and chill at least 3 hours before serving.

Serves 6.

From “The Vegetarian Times Complete Cookbook,” 2005.

Easy Bok Choy & Black Bean Salad

Mix together:
2 cans drained black beans
4 diced celery stalks
2 bunches of chopped green onions
2 small chopped heads of baby bok choy (or equivalent)

Dress with a mixture of:
3 to 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 to 3 tablespoons whole-seed mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Serves 4.

From fooddownunder.com.

Curried Potatoes with Eggplant (Aloo Baigan Sabji)

1 1/2-inch piece of fresh gingerroot
2 green chilies, minced
1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
4 tablespoon ghee
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1/2 tablespoon whole cumin seeds
1/8 teaspoon asafetida
6 medium potatoes, boiled and cubed
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon coriander
1 small eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Combine ginger, green chilies and coconut in blender with 1/3 cup of water until smooth. Add garam masala and pulse for a few seconds. Set aside. Heat ghee. When hot, add mustard and cumin seeds and fry for a few seconds.

Stir in the asafetida and almost immediately put in the potatoes. Stir fry for 5 minutes, then pour in the mixture from the blender. Add the turmeric, coriander, eggplant, salt and half of the fresh cilantro. Mix very gently so as not to break the vegetables.

Reduce heat and cook very gently until the liquid has evaporated. Mix in lemon juice and remaining cilantro.

Serves 5.

From fooddownunder.com.

Winter Squash & Oats

Just can’t get your kids to eat winter squash? Try this great idea from CSA member Valerie Peterson:

“..last week we got a spaghetti squash and 3 long delicata squashes. What I do with the sweet-[flavored] squash is seed them (and of course bake the seeds...great snack!), bake them, scoop out the flesh and put it in a blender. I add a can of crushed pineapple in its own juice, a can of coconut milk and [then] puree [the mixture].

Then, in a big pot (for the quantity of last week that I mentioned), I put
1 1/3 cups rolled oats and 1 1/3 cups oat bran...any combo should work.

What you are looking for is about 2 cups pureed liquid/squash mixture to 2/3 cups...of oats/oat bran. I usually double it and it lasts this family of four about 5 days.

Add raisins and chopped walnuts if desired. Add blender [mixture] to oats/oat bran and just let [it] sit overnight…[and] boom...great breakfast that also tastes great cold! [It’s] a cholesterol free and low fat breakfast dish. It makes a thick oatmeal [to which] we usually add vanilla soymilk, to thin it a bit, [but] my husband prefers it not thinned.”

Thanks Valerie!

From the "Kids' Corner" - Cheesy Kohlrabi

Thanks to Benedictine University Dietetic Intern Colleen Mooney for sharing this recipe. Colleen says: “[This is] a fun gooey side dish kids are sure to love!”

4 medium kohlrabi, peeled, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons butter
1/8 cup all-purpose flour
5 to 6 ounces chicken broth
1/8 cup shredded American cheese
Dash of ground allspice or to taste
1 teaspoon chopped parsley (optional)

In a 2 quart saucepan over medium heat, in 1-inch of boiling water, heat kohlrabi and salt to boiling. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Drain. Meanwhile, in a saucepan over low heat, melt butter and stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add chicken broth and cook, stirring constantly until mixture is thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in cheese until melted and smooth. Add kohlrabi and cook until heated through. Sprinkle mixture with allspice, then garnish with the chopped parsley.

Adapted from recipezaar.com.