October 26, 2020

Kabocha Salad

Posted by HI Cookery under 10 October | Tags: , , , , , |
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Kabocha Salad

October 26: National Pumpkin Day

Our local library’s culinary club once had a potluck theme about pumpkins. Members brought in a variety of sweet and savory dishes—pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin soup, pumpkin hummus….. But Islander’s friend, Yukiko H., brought in something slightly different than the usual pumpkin recipes. Her contribution was a salad/side dish made out of Japanese pumpkin, a squash called kabocha. It was kind of sweet and savory at the same time and it was Islander’s favorite of all the other potluck pumpkin dishes. Thankfully, Yukiko shared her recipe with us and we are happy to feature her kabocha salad recipe on our blog for National Pumpkin Day.

Recipe

(From Yukiko H.)

Ingredients

  • Small kabocha squash, cooked until tender
  • ¼ cup onion
  • 1 ½ tablespoon of white vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon of sugar
  • ½ teaspoon of salt
  • black pepper to taste
  • 1-2 slices of bacon
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil

Directions

Cut the kabocha squash into wedges or large chunks. Scoop out the seeds. Peel off the skin. Cook by baking (first toss in a little cooking oil, spread on a baking sheet and heat in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 30-40 minutes) OR boiling (simmer in a pot of boiling water for 20-30 minutes until soft, then drain). Place in a bowl and mash a little bit, leaving some chunky pieces.

In a large bowl, grate the onion and sprinkle a little salt to get rid of its sharpness. Add vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper in the same bowl and mix them well.

Chop the bacon roughly. Fry the bacon pieces in the canola oil until they become crispy. Put them in the bowl, including the grease, in the onion mixture. Toss in the kabocha pieces. Dish out and serve warm.

Notes

  • Arigato (thank you) for sharing your recipe for our blog, Yukiko!
  • Don’t forget to check out all of our other pumpkin recipes under the Theme Menus tab.
 

February 4, 2013

Butternut Squash Soup

Posted by HI Cookery under 02 February | Tags: , , , , , |
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Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut Squash Soup

February 4: National Homemade Soup Day

At one of Highlander’s work conference dinners, we met a fellow foodie, Sol S., who aspires to write a comfort food cookbook. He wants to feature recipes that are homemade, healthy and hearty. He shared with us his butternut squash soup recipe to try out in our own kitchen. It was delicious and simply satisfying! Butternut squash soup is comfort food for cold weather and is also appropriate for National Homemade Soup Day.

Recipe

(From Sol S.)

Ingredients

  • 1 medium butternut squash (we used 2 12-ounce bags of squash already cut and cubed)
  • 1 sweet onion, quartered
  • 3 cloves garlic with skins on
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 ½ cups chicken stock
  • 1 cup sweet corn

Directions

Peel the butternut squash, cut the ends off, remove the seeds and dice into 1-inch cubes. Peel and quarter the onion, removing the ends. In a large bowl, mix the squash, onions and garlic with the olive oil, salt and pepper until well coated. Place on a foil-lined baking pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes (after 30 minutes, stir to roast evenly). Remove from the oven and discard the garlic skins.

Butternut Squash Soup

In a large pot, place the roasted vegetables (squash, onions and garlic) and cover with the chicken stock. Simmer for 20 minutes. Let cool. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. In a blender, puree in batches. Put the pureed vegetables back in the pot and simmer with the sweet corn until heated through. Serve immediately in soup bowls.

Butternut Squash Soup

Notes

  • Sol S. garnishes his butternut squash soup with cooked shrimp or crabmeat or shredded chicken.  The sweet corn adds texture to this recipe. Good luck to him as he authors his project!
  • Search our blog for other soup recipes.
 

September 7, 2011

Candied Acorn Squash

Posted by HI Cookery under 09 September | Tags: , , , |
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Candied Acorn Squash

Candied Acorn Squash 

September 7: National Acorn Squash Day

In our first fall season as newlyweds, Highlander “harvested” an acorn squash from its bin at the grocery store. He wanted to prepare the pumpkin-like produce and introduce it to his finicky wife for dinner. But she was skeptical about the squash since she had never tried it before. So he bribed his bride by baking it with a buttery brown sugar glaze. Knowing that Islander has a sweet tooth, Highlander figured that she would like it if it tasted like candy—and he was correct! Now, 15+ fall seasons later, we still cook candied acorn squash as a side dish for dinner. As autumn arrives, add this recipe to your repertoire and remember to serve it on National Acorn Squash Day.

Recipe

(Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book)

Ingredients

  • 1 acorn squash
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon butter
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar

Directions

Wash the squash and dry the surface. Carefully cut it in half. Scoop out the seeds and fiber in the middle of the squash. Pierce the surface several times with the tines of a fork.

Candied Acorn Squash

On a lightly greased baking pan lined with foil, place the squash halves cut side down. Bake in a preheated oven at 425 degrees F for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, turn them around and season with salt and pepper. Return to the oven and bake for another 20 minutes or until soft and cooked through. Remove from the oven and add butter and brown sugar before serving. The butter and brown sugar will caramelize in the hollow of the acorn squash for a candied flavor.

Candied Acorn Squash