Category Archives: Dinner

Squish Squash: Butternut Squash Sauce

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Butternut squash is a fall staple, but when I got one in the farm share a few weeks ago, I decided to try something new. I found a recipe on the Weight Watchers website for Cheese Ravioli with Butternut Squash Sauce so I decided to give it a try. Everyone has heard of butternut squash ravioli, but I’ve never thought to use it as the sauce itself.

This recipe called out to me because I had some egg roll wrappers in the fridge and the recipe used them as the pasta in the dish.

At the end of the night I came to the following conclusions:

  1. Ravioli made from egg roll wrappers– a little bland and boring
  2. Butternut squash sauce– delicious and really different!
  3. In the future use the sauce with fresh ravioli (maybe my basil ravioli) or frozen tortellini.
So tonight, not really in the mood to cook a full meal, I decided to put the butternut squash sauce on frozen tortellini… it was much more delicious. The sauce held up remarkably well and is delicious enough to warrant a post here.
What you need for the sauce is:
  • 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed (I ended up with about 1 1/4 lb of squash in the sauce)

  • 3 cups reduced sodium chicken broth (I prefer reduced sodium because you can’t really taste the difference)
  • olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp sage
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 c part skim ricotta cheese
  • Parmesan cheese 
Making the sauce itself is pretty easy. In a high sided skillet saute garlic and onion in the olive oil. Once the onions have gotten a little caramelized, add the squash, broth, thyme, sage, black and cayenne pepper, and nutmeg.
Bring the mixture up to a boil and cook about 15 minutes until the squash has gotten tender. Turn off the heat. Using an immersion blender puree the mixture to desired consistency and stir in ricotta cheese. If you don’t have an immersion blender… well, you should definite buy one. This is the one I have and it’s awesome because it’s super versatile for making sauces and I love the little mini chopper attachment. But I digress… if you don’t have an immersion blender you could also use a food processor or a regular blender.
And that is pretty much it. It makes a lot of sauce but it keeps really well and is delicious. I highly recommend it with a ravioli or tortellini that you like (simple cheese filling is probably best since the sauce has a nice complex flavor). As for the Parmesan cheese,  just sprinkle it on top of whatever final dish you prepare.

Middle Eastern Feast(ern) part 3: Lamb Meatballs

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Meatballs are one of my favorite dishes.They feel so homey and comforting. You can eat them during any season, and they are super versatile. I have been trying to perfect my meatball recipe for a very long time now and I’m happy to say that as of a few months ago I accomplished that goal! Not only is the seasoning just right, but it tastes equally delicious with any type of meat. Well actually, I’ve only tasted it with lamb and ground beef, but I’m sure its just as delicious with turkey.

The first secret is the seasoning.

Now, I’m not really a measuring person, I just shake each spice into the mixing bowl containing 1 lb ground meat (I used lamb today) so that you get a thin coating on the top. If I had to guess, I’d say it’s about 1tsp of each spice above (Garlic salt, cumin, chili powder, brown mustard seed, and paprika). Now if you don’t have brown mustard seed, you can use some ground mustard or some regular mustard (which is what I used before I got ground mustard seed).

Next, I add 1 small (or 1/2 large) finely diced onion along with my next batch of secret ingredients:

Yep, that’s right. 2 TBSP Greek Yogurt and 1/2 cup Panko Breadcrumbs to be exact. The Greek yogurt serves 2 purposes: 1. It acts instead of eggs as a binder and 2. it keeps the meatballs extra moist. Panko breadcrumbs are great because they add a much better and lighter texture than normal italian seasoned breadcrumbs. Once the onion, meat, seasonings, yogurt, and breadcrumbs are in the bowl mix gently until combined. You don’t want to over-mix meatballs otherwise they get really dense. Form into small balls of equal size and place in oven-safe baking dish. I usually get about 20 small meatballs out of 1 lb of meat.

Bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Enjoy while hot.

And there you have it. My recipe for perfect meatballs. If you’re cooking for a larger crowd and want to cut down on the fat content, I suggest using 1lb of ground lamb and 1 lb of lean ground turkey. The fat from the lamb will help keep everything moist and delicious while the turkey lets you make twice as much food without all the extra calories.