BUCKWHEAT-STUFFED ACORN SQUASH

SERVES 4 PORTIONS

FOR THE SQUASH

2 small acorn squash, halved, seeds scooped

Cooking oil spray

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

FOR THE FILLING

1 cup (235 ml) vegetable broth

1/2 cup (70 g) diced sweet onion

1/2 cup (85 g) buckwheat groats

1 cup (100 g) thinly sliced Brussels sprouts

1/2 cup (35 g) chopped radicchio

1/4 cup (25 g) dried cranberries

1 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced

1/8 tsp. black pepper

1/4 cup (16 g) roasted pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)

FOR THE DRESSING

1/3 cup (85 g) tahini

1/4 cup (60 ml) water

1 tbsp. (15 ml) orange juice

1 tbsp. (15 ml) maple syrup

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. salt, or to taste

NUTRITIONAL VALUES

Calories: 316kcal
Fat: 13g (2.1g S.Fat)
Carbs: 46.1g
Protein: 9.9g
Sugar: 5.4g
Sodium: 538mg

METHOD

TO MAKE THE SQUASH
Preheat the oven to 400oF (200oC, or gas mark 6), and fill a large baking dish with a thin layer of water. Place the squash halves cut-side up in the dish and poke a few holes in each with a fork. Coat them lightly with cooking spray, then season with salt and pepper. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.

TO MAKE THE FILLING
While the squash bakes, bring the vegetable broth and onions to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the onions are nearly translucent. To the pan, add the buckwheat groats. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and leave to simmer for 10 minutes.

When the groats are tender, fold in the Brussels sprouts, radicchio, cranberries, rosemary, and black pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, or until the radicchio shrinks in size. Turn off the heat and cover the mixture to keep it warm.

TO MAKE THE DRESSING
In a small mixing bowl, combine the tahini, water, orange juice, maple syrup, garlic powder, and salt. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking.

TO ASSEMBLE
After the squash halves have been baked, stuff each one with some of the buckwheat mixture, then drizzle with the tahini sauce and sprinkle with pepitas. Serve immediately.

SQUASH SOUP WITH CARAMELIZED GINGER

SERVES 2 LARGE OR 4 SMALL PORTIONS

2 potatoes

1 onion

1 garlic clove

1 1/4 inch (3 cm) piece of fresh ginger

1 small Hokkaido squash, about 1 lb. 2 oz. (500 g) in total

oil, for frying

2 1/2 cups (600 ml) hot vegetable stock

1/2 cup (100 ml) coconut milk

1/2 tsp. sea salt

pinch of freshly ground black pepper

pinch of freshly ground nutmeg pinch of ground cinnamon

1/4 cup (40 g) brown sugar

2 tsp. vegan sour cream

3 tbsp. roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves

NUTRITIONAL VALUES

Calories: 305kcal
Fat: 18.7g (8.6g S.Fat)
Carbs: 34.1g
Protein: 3.6g
Sugar: 13.4g
Sodium: 256mg

METHOD

Peel and coarsely chop the potatoes, onion, garlic, and about one-third of the ginger. Remove the soft centre and seeds from the squash and cut it in half. Chop the squash coarsely, including the skin. In a pan, heat the oil and sauté all the chopped ingredients over medium heat. Pour in the stock and cook for about 10 minutes, or until everything is soft.

Using a handheld blender, purée the vegetable chunks in the soup. Stir in the coconut milk, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cinnamon and continue to cook for 5–10 minutes on low heat.

Meanwhile, melt the sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat without stirring. Peel the remaining ginger, cut it into julienne strips, and caramelise them in the sugar. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Allow the soup to cool before chilling. Separately package the soup, ginger strips, sour cream, and parsley. To serve, briefly warm the soup, stir in a spoonful of sour cream, and top with parsley and ginger strips.

ACORN SQUASH CHIPS

SERVES 4 PORTIONS

12 oz. (350 g) acorn squash

1 tbsp. (15 ml) sunflower oil

1 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground mustard seed

1/4 tsp. white pepper

NUTRITIONAL VALUES

Calories: 67kcal
Fat: 3.7g (0.4g S.Fat)
Carbs: 9.2g
Protein: 0.8g
Sugar: 0g
Sodium: 293mg

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 300oF (150oC, or gas mark 2), and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Scoop out the seeds from your acorn squash by cutting it in half lengthwise. You can either throw away the seeds or save them to roast later. Place your squash in a large mixing bowl and slice it into 1/8-inch (3 mm) thick half- moons.

Drizzle oil over the squash and season with thyme, salt, mustard seed, and white pepper. Toss the squash gently until it is evenly coated, then spread it out in a single layer on the parchment paper. Bake for 20 minutes, then carefully flip each slice over and bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and season the chips with salt. You can serve the chips immediately or allow them to cool on a rack for 20 to 30 minutes before storing them in a jar or bag with a moisture-absorbing packet.

RECIPE NOTES

You can use the same amount of other squash, such as butternut, kabocha, or delicata, in this recipe. The baking time will vary depending on whether the squash slices are small or large.