Carrot Salad with Pomegranate ♥ Vegan Recipe

A quick and colorful salad, grated carrot tossed in a light vinaigrette with pomegranate seeds. Low carb. Weight Watchers 1 point. Vegan.

Even without a blanket of snow, beginning somewhere in mid-November or early December, I think we all begin to crave color, perhaps because of the shorter days, the long darkness of winter nights.

And my goodness, does this quick salad ever pack a punch of color!

The recipe comes from a reader, Kathie from Los Angeles, who shares Weight Watchers-friendly recipes with me every so often. Here's how she sold me on the concept for this colorful salad, it took all of ten seconds. "Quick, delicious. I am in love with this concoction."

It goes together quickly and packs a flavor punch and a crunch punch (ha!) too.

RECIPE for CARROT SALAD with POMEGRANATE

Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Time to table: 20 minutes
Serves 4

6 carrots, trimmed
Seeds from half a pomegranate (The Quick & Easy Way to Remove Seeds from a Pomegranate)
Orange segments, optional (Kathie says she rarely adds these)
1/4 cup dried blueberries (I used on-hand and less-expensive dried currants)

DRESSING
2 tablespoons good vinegar, preferably a fruity one
1 teaspoon honey or agave
2 teaspoons olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Grate the carrots on the 'large' holes of a hand grater or (as I have) use a Benriner to cut thin strips.

Whisk the dressing ingredients, toss with the carrots, pomegranate seeds and dried fruit. Serve and savor!

TO MAKE AHEAD
DAY BEFORE Separate the pomegranate seeds, drain and refrigerate.
DAY OF Grate the carrots. If more than about an hour before serving, drop into cold water and refrigerate. Drain well.
JUST BEFORE SERVING Combine the carrots, pomegranate seeds and fruit with the dressing.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
To serve 4, Per Serving: 89 Calories; 2g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 0mg Cholesterol; 64mg Sodium; 17g Carb; 3g Fiber; 12g Sugar; 1g Protein; Weight Watchers 1 point

KITCHEN NOTES
To save a little time, Kathie buys containers of pomegranate seeds at Trader Joe's.
There are seeds inside the juice sacks called arils, these get eaten too!
If you want to make this ahead, prep the components but don't combine until just before serving. Otherwise, the vinegar stains the carrots and they actually get a tiny bit soggy.

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MORE FAVORITE CARROT RECIPES
~ Carrot Coins with Dill ~
~ Carrot & Daikon Refrigerator Pickle ~
~ Carrot & Sesame Salad ~

~ more carrot recipes ~

NEVER MISS A RECIPE! For 'home delivery' of new recipes from A Veggie Venture, sign up here. Once you do, new recipes will be delivered, automatically, straight to your e-mail In Box.

Looking for healthy ways to cook vegetables? A Veggie Venture is home to hundreds of quick, easy and healthful vegetable recipes and the famous Alphabet of Vegetables. Healthy eaters will love the low carb recipes and the Weight Watchers recipes.
© Copyright 2009

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Thanksgiving Vegetable Recipes & Vegetarian Entrées

2010 UPDATE
The latest collections of Thanksgiving vegetable recipes are now available!
This year, I've turned the tables a little, featuring

Favorite Recipes for Thanksgiving's Favorite Vegetables

and

Vegetarian Entrée Recipes for Thanksgiving.

For anyone hunting Thanksgiving vegetable ideas, welcome! These recipes were selected especially for Thanksgiving, so perfect and so delicious, there's real potential to upstage that ol' turkey and his dressing. The 2006 - 2008 collections of Thanksgiving vegetable recipes were hugely popular, especially what became 2006's famous World's Best Green Bean Casserole and 2007's surprise favorite, the low-carb Cauliflower Cream and my personal favorite in 2008, Creamy Brussels Sprouts Gratin.

The 2009 recipes look just as promising, only with a new focus, vegetarian Thanksgiving entrées, whether for vegetarian guests or an entire vegetarian Thanksgiving. Look for new recipes between now and Thanksgiving, recipes:

perfect for special dinners but not over the top
fresh fall vegetables prepped mostly or entirely in advance
easily multiplied for large gatherings and divided for small ones
and a little different around here, no skimping on butter and cream and cheese!

I love every single one of these Thanksgiving vegetable recipes and truly hope they inspire your own Thanksgiving gathering!

In 2009, I'm also featuring six completely different Thanksgiving menus over at Kitchen Parade, my food column. Whether you're planning a traditional Thanksgiving, a casual buffet, an entirely make-ahead Thanksgiving, a vegetarian Thanksgiving, even a lower-calorie Thanksgiving, there's a menu to inspire. I kicked off the series with a great basic recipe for Roast Turkey and then added my grandmother's sausage stuffing recipe and light 'n' fluffy homemade whole wheat rolls. Enjoy!

~ Alanna

Quick link to
Vegetarian Thanksgiving Entrées
About these Thanksgiving recipes
About A Veggie Venture
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free e-mail delivery
How to print recipes
About the Thanksgiving photograph
Updated often before Thanksgiving 2009

Vegetable Inspiration for Thanksgiving Tables

Beans Featured Recipes 2008 Make-Ahead Fresh Green Bean Casserole Green Beans with Browned Butter & Pine Nuts 2007 Slooow Country Green Beans 2006 World's Best Green Bean Casserole more ideas ~ Green Beans with Lemon & Pine Nuts ~ ~ Green Beans with Onion & Almonds ~ ~ Fresh Green Bean Salad with Asian Dressing ~	Beets Featured Recipe 2006 Beet Salad with Lemon & Olives more ideas ~ Those Pink Potatoes ~ ~ Red Onion Beets ~ ~ Harvard Beets ~	Brussels Sprouts Featured Recipes 2008 Creamy Brussels Sprouts Gratin 2007 Brussels Sprouts with Maple & Walnut Vinaigrette 2006 Brussels Sprouts with Apricot Glaze more ideas ~ Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta & Garlic ~ ~ Wine-Glazed Brussels Sprouts ~ ~ Lemony Creamy Brussels Sprouts & Celery ~
Cabbage Featured Recipe 2006 Smothered Cabbage more ideas ~ Alsatian Cabbage ~ ~ Swedish Red Cabbage ~ ~ Holy Slaw! ~	Carrots Featured Recipe 2006 Creamy Carrot Purée more ideas ~ Finnish Carrot Casserole ~ ~ Mashed Potatoes & Carrots ~ ~ Carrots Braised in Marsala ~	Cauliflower Featured Recipes 2008 Cauliflower Mac n Cheese 2007 Cauliflower Cream 2006 Creamy Cauliflower Gratin more ideas ~ Cauliflower Tomato Medley ~ ~ Cauliflower Cheddar Horseradish Gratin ~ ~ Cauliflower with Pancetta, Capers & Parmesan ~
Corn Featured Recipe 2008 Thanksgiving Succotash more ideas ~ Fresh Creamed Corn ~ ~ Marinated Vegetable Salad ~	Greens Featured Recipes 2007 Spinach Casserole 2006 Gratin of Greens more ideas ~ Spinach & Artichoke Gratin ~ ~ Orzo with Spinach ~ ~ Spinach Puffs ~	Potatoes Featured Recipes 2008 Perfect Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes (Party Potatoes) 2007 Twice-Baked Potatoes 2006 Mashed Potatoes with Vegetarian Apple Cider Ginger Sage Gravy more ideas ~ Potato & Poblano Pepper Gratin ~ ~ Fennel Mashed Potatoes ~ ~ Confetti Potato Salad ~
Pumpkin Featured Recipes 2008 Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars Pumpkin Pecan Pie 2007 Honey Pumpkin Pie Thanksgiving Cake more ideas ~ Pumpkin Muffins ~ ~ Pumpkin Bars ~ ~ Pumpkin Truffles ~	Sweet Potatoes Featured Recipes 2008 Sweet Potato & Banana Purée 2007 Fresh Candied Yams Sweet Potato Casserole 2006 Maple Ginger Sweet Potatoes more ideas ~ Sweet Potato Puff ~ ~ Warm Sweet Potato Salad ~	Turnips Featured Recipes 2007 Leek & Root Vegetable Gratin 2006 Turnip Puff more ideas ~ Creamed Turnips ~ ~ Mashed Turnip & Apple ~ ~ Mashed Rutabagas & Apple ~
Winter Squash Featured Recipes 2009 Roasted Butternut Squash & Apple 2008 Mashed Butternut Squash & Sweet Potatoes with Citrus 2007 Butternut Mac 'n' Cheese 2006 Winter Squash Polenta more ideas ~ Squash Puff~ (my family's tradition) Delicata Squash with Hot Pepper Glaze ~ ~ Roasted Butternut Squash with Maple Glaze ~	Vegetarian Entrées Featured Recipes 2009 Savory Bread Pudding with Butternut Squash, Chard & Cheddar Farro Risotto with Butternut Squash & Mushrooms Caramelized Onion Tart	Oddballs Featured Recipes 2007 Boozy Baked Celery 2006 Autumn Sunchoke Salad more ideas ~ Celeriac Rémoulade ~ ~ Spicy Thai Noodle Salad ~ ~ Easy Cheesy Zucchini ~

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About these Thanksgiving recipes
'Featured recipes' are ones published 2006 - 2009 especially for Thanksgiving.
'More ideas' are favorite vegetable recipes that pair well with traditional Thanksgiving foods.
Some recipes have been published in my food column Kitchen Parade, online at KitchenParade.com, where November is also all about Thanksgiving recipes. This year, how about making an American Apple Pie? Readers say that hands, down, the recipe for Flaky Tender Pie Crust makes the best pie crust, ever! Do check out all the tips for How to Make Flaky Tender Pie Crust, many will work with your own favorite recipe, too.

About A Veggie Venture
A Veggie Venture is the home of Veggie Evangelist Alanna Kellogg and is the year-round award-winning source of free vegetable recipes, quick, easy, and yes, delicious. If you're a newcomer and would like to see what it's like around here -- except in November when it's all Thanksgiving vegetables! -- start with your favorite vegetable in the Alphabet of Vegetables or dive into all the Weight Watchers vegetable recipes or all the low carb vegetable recipes.

Never miss a recipe
Sign up for e-mail delivery of new recipes. It's automatic, it's free, it's easy!

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About the Thanksgiving photograph
Many thanks to inspiring photographer Marie Freeman, who photographed the autumn barn scene for this year's Thanksgiving image. Marie publishes at Blue Ridge blog -- if you love Appalachia, love country scenes, love a happy dog, then do check it out!

Here at A Veggie Venture, vegetables are the real stars of the Thanksgiving table. So watch for new Thanksgiving recipes all November long, new additions to my collection of Thanksgiving vegetable recipes. Whether it's 2006's famous World's Best Green Bean Casserole or 2007's favorite Cauliflower Cream or a brand-new recipe which catches your fancy, this year, move vegetables to your center stage.
© Copyright 2009

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Caramelized Onion Tart ♥ Vegetarian Recipe

Today's vegetable recipe: The last new vegetarian entrée idea for Thanksgiving in 2009, a simple but sophisticated tart, rich enough to serve in thin slices as an appetizer or in larger wedges for a main dish.

In some guest room in some home in some city in some country -- is a basket of gold, that is, a basketful of vintage issues of the now-defunct and already much-missed Gourmet magazine. I only wish I could remember whose home! I do remember being unable to sleep on multiple visits, so taken with the classic recipes of another time, madly copying especially enticing ones onto 3x5 cards.

This recipe was called "Swiss Onion Cheese Flan" in the December 1967 issue of Gourmet and no where, no where, is is to be found on the Internet. (I kind of like that, don't you? Vive le paper!)

It's quite lovely, onions cooked to that golden-brown stage where they're silky and caramel-like. The crust too is especially easy, just a fork-stirred dough of cream, milk and flour, rolled in cornmeal for a crisp bite on the outside, almost yeasty inside. Delectable - and a good option for the pastry-impaired.

Happy Thanksgiving, all, see you after the holiday!

RECIPE for CARAMELIZED ONION TART

Hands-on time: 50 minutes
Time to table: 75 minutes
Serves 8 in entrée-size wedges, 16 in slim appetizer servings

CRUST
2 cups flour, fluffed to aerate before measuring or 268 grams
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup cream
1 teaspoon table salt
Fine-grained yellow cornmeal

Toss the flour, milk, cream and salt til soft and light. Form a disk and wrap with plastic, refrigerate for 30 minutes. Sprinkle a clean counter with cornmeal, with your hands, cover the outside of the dough with a light layer of cornmeal. Roll out the crust to be the size of the baking dish plus about an inch. Arrange in the baking dish, then the extra dough hanging over the side to the inside and pinch to form an attractive edge. If the filling is ready, great, otherwise freeze until ready.

FILLING
2 tablespoons butter
3 medium brown-skinned yellow onions (which brown better), chopped

2 eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup cream
4 ounces Parmesan, grated or even just roughly chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, optional

In a large skillet, melt the butter on medium until shimmery. Add the onions and stir to coat with fat. Cook, stirring often, until the onions turn golden and then brown. Let cool.

Preheat oven to 425F.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs, then whisk in the milk, cream, Parmesan and thyme. Turn in the cooled onions. Turn the mixture into the prepared crust. Bake for 15 minutes.

Turn the heat down to 325F, bake for about 25 minutes or until the center is set and crust golden and crusty.

TO PREP AHEAD
DAY BEFORE Make the dough and refrigerate. Cook the onions and refrigerate.
DAY OF Roll out the dough and, if need be, refrigerate. Mix the egg mixture and refrigerate. Just before baking, preheat the oven, combine the onion and egg mixtures and turn into the pie crust. Bake and serve.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Assuming 8 slices, Per Slice: 260 Calories; 19g Tot Fat; 12g Sat Fat; 116mg Cholesterol; 570mg Sodium; 11g Carb; 1g Fiber; 4g Sugar; 10g Protein; Weight Watchers 7 points

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MORE VEGETARIAN ENTRÉE RECIPES
~ Savory Bread Pudding with Butternut Squash, Chard & Cheddar ~
~ Farro Risotto with Butternut Squash & Mushrooms ~
~ 2009 collection of Thanksgiving vegetable recipes ~

NEVER MISS A RECIPE! For 'home delivery' of new recipes from A Veggie Venture, sign up here. Once you do, new recipes will be delivered, automatically, straight to your e-mail In Box.

© Copyright Kitchen Parade 2009

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Farro Risotto with Butternut Squash & Mushrooms ♥ Vegetarian Recipe

Today's vegetarian entrée recipe: Another idea for a vegetarian (and in fact, vegan) main dish for Thanksgiving but will have everyone, I'm willing to bet, coming back for seconds. The recipe blends four fall flavors: nutty Italian farro, butternut squash, mushrooms and sage. Very pretty on a plate.

So this is fun! I'm having a great time testing recipes suitable for vegetarian Thanksgiving entrées for the 2009 collection of Thanksgiving vegetable recipes (FYI, link updated in 2010). With this one, it took great restraint to not gobble (tee hee) it up all by myself.

The recipe starts with an idea borrowed from Cook's Illustrated, using the skins and seeds and all the 'gunk' inside a butternut squash to make a vegetarian broth, so very thrifty! The broth is gently flavored with a lovely orange tinge.

From there, the squash is pan-roasted but you could also roast the squash cubes in the oven if preferred. I also added mushrooms for bulk and texture contrast, perfect. I also added a few currants for texture and color contrast, they were great but I realized later, dried cranberries would have been the right 'seasonal' choice, snips of dried apricot a whimsical one. I chose the lovely nutty farro (what is farro?) as the 'rice' component of the risotto but the traditional choice, of course, would be rice, either arborio or carnaroli.

The recipe looks long but is very straight-forward once you get started.

RECIPE for FARRO RISOTTO with BUTTERNUT SQUASH & MUSHROOMS

Hands-on time: 1 hour
Time to table: 1 hour
Makes 6 cups

DRIED FRUIT
1/4 cup currants (or dried cranberries or snips of dried apricot)
2 tablespoons sherry

BROTH
3 cups water
2 ribs celery, chopped
4 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
Squash 'gunk' - the seeds & stringy gunk from inside the butternut squash, also the skins

SQUASH
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into half-inch cubes (How to Cut, Peel & Cube a Butternut Squash)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

MUSHROOMS
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces brown mushrooms, washed, trimmed & sliced thick

RISOTTO
1 cup semi-pearled farro
Hot broth
Additional salt & pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground sage
Cooked squash
Soaked currants

DRIED FRUIT In a small bowl, soak the dried fruit and sherry.

BROTH Place water, celery, bay leaf and peppercorns in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. As they're prepped, drop the squash skins and inner 'gunk' into the water. Let simmer until ready needed for the risotto. Strain out the ‘gunk'.

TO PREP THE SQUASH Wash the squash well. Trim thin slices off the stem and blossom ends of the squash. Slice off the squash's 'neck'. NECK Stand the neck upright, then slice off the tough exterior peel with a knife and drop into the broth. Turn the neck on its side, cut into rounds about a half inch thick. Stack two or three rounds on the cutting board. Using your fingers to hold the rounds together as you cut, cut first one direction and the other to form half-inch cubes. BULB Cut the bulb in half. Scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff (drop into the broth water). Place the bulb round-side up, cut into strips a half inch wide, then cut the strips into half-inch cubes. Set aside. (For more detail and photo illustrations, see How to Cut, Peel & Cube a Butternut Squash.)

SQUASH Heat the olive oil on MEDIUM in a large deep skillet until shimmery. Add the squash and stir to coat with fat. Let cook, turning occasionally, until the squash is cooked through and the edges beginning to brown. About halfway through, add the salt and pepper. Set aside.

MUSHROOMS In the same skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmery. Add the mushrooms and stir to coat with fat, then the onions and stir to coat. Cook until the mushrooms begin to soften and the onions are just beginning to turn gold.

RISOTTO (Whew! It's finally time to make the risotto!) Add the farro and stir to coat with fat, let cook a minute or two, stirring occasionally. A quarter cup at a time, add the hot broth, letting each addition be fully absorbed before adding another. Continue this practice, a quarter cup at a time, until the farro is fully cooked but still a little nutty and chewy. Stir in the cooked squash and sage, adjust seasonings if needed. Stir in the currants and their liquid, let the liquid cook down a bit and the currants heat through.

TO PREP AHEAD
OPTION 1 Make the broth, cook the squash and cook the mushrooms the day before. Then reheat the broth and cook the risotto just before serving.
OPTION 2 Make the entire dish the day before except the currants. Then reheat the risotto, adding more liquid if needed to get the right consistency (you might want to make more broth, to have enough). Add the currants and serve.

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Cup: 165 Calories; 9g Tot Fat; 1g Sat Fat; 0mg Cholesterol; 201mg Sodium; 20g Carb; 3g Fiber; 8g Sugar; 3g Protein; Weight Watchers 3 points

KITCHEN NOTES
No farro? Substitute barley or wheatberries or a risotto rice such as Arborio or carnaroli.

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MORE BUTTERNUT SQUASH RECIPES for THANKSGIVING
~ Butternut Mac 'n' Cheese ~
~ Winter Squash Polenta ~
~ Mashed Butternut Squash & Sweet Potatoes with Citrus ~
~ more squash recipes ~
from A Veggie Venture

~ Squash Puff ~
my family's tradition
~ more winter squash recipes ~
from Kitchen Parade

NEVER MISS A RECIPE! For 'home delivery' of new recipes from A Veggie Venture, sign up here. Once you do, new recipes will be delivered, automatically, straight to your e-mail In Box.

Looking for healthy ways to cook vegetables? A Veggie Venture is home to hundreds of quick, easy and healthful vegetable recipes and the famous Alphabet of Vegetables. Healthy eaters will love the low carb recipes and the Weight Watchers recipes.
© Copyright 2009

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How to Cut, Peel & Cube a Butternut Squash and Keep All Ten Fingers

How to peel, cut and cube a butternut squash, one of those unwieldy-looking winter squashes. A step-by-step illustrated guide to cutting up a butternut squash, so easy the squash almost cuts itself up. If you want to cut a big squash into pretty cubes, this is how to do it!

Okay, I admit it. There was a time when my eyes glazed over recipes for butternut squash. My Inner Knife Phobia whispered, "How in the world would you cut one of those things without losing a finger? A butternut squash is door-stop dense." It tempted, "Just go buy squash cubes at Trader Joe's. No cutting, no peeling. Who cares if they're all dry and unappetizing?"

You too? Well, you are in luck! This post illustrates, step by step, how to cut up a butternut squash. It's so easy, the squash will practically cut up itself. Just think of all that squash we've been missing ...

WHAT YOU'LL NEED
A cutting board (UPDATE: and if you have one, a silicone mat)
A sharp knife
A grapefruit spoon comes in handy although a fork works fine
That's all!

Well, except, yes, you'll need a butternut squash, that's one of the tan-colored squash seen in the market during the fall and winter. Let's get started.

STUMBLEUPON: For all who use the great discovery tool StumbleUpon, I'd love for this post to be 'stumbled'!

2011 Update: If you're still worried about keeping all those fingers, or have trouble cutting because of arthritis or other mobility issues, it's perfectly easy to cook a whole butternut squash, see How to Roast a Whole Butternut Squash.

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First, wash the squash. Two reasons. If there's something yucky-gucky on the squash's skin, just cutting into it with your knife will transfer the yuck-guck to the part you will eat. And onto the cutting board where you'll be cutting up more stuff. This is called 'cross contamination. Not good! Second, I'm going do my best to talk you into making a lovely orange-colored stock with the skins so while you're at it, get out a saucepan, willya please?

What, you noticed? Yes I switched squash and yes, I admit it, three squash were sacrificed, just so that you could learn how to, well, sacrifice more. It's a worthy cause. (UPDATE! I learned a new trick when making Roasted Butternut Squash & Apple. Before getting all fancy-pants with a knife, cook the squash in the microwave for 3 minutes. It will soften the skin and make all this extra easy-peasy!) If you have a silicone mat, put it on the counter, then put the cutting board on top, it'll slip around less. Now slice off the stem end and the other end, that's what we call the 'blossom' end because it's where the squash plant's flower comes from. Yes, you've wandered into Squash Anatomy 101.

Off with her head! Slice the 'neck' off the squash, that's the longer skinnier part. It's easier to work with the squash in manageable pieces. The best thing about the neck? The flesh is just a tad sweeter, a tinge smoother, than the flesh from the bulb end. Covet it!

Stand the neck on its end, so, flat side down. With a knife, slice off the skin in swaths, starting at the top, slicing down. Try to take off all the skin, leaving as much of the orange flesh as possible. Because you'll ask: I've had no luck with vegetable peelers, even the strong y-shaped peelers, so I always use a knife.

Now isn't this easy? Just slice through the neck to create pretty little rounds of squash. If you want half-inch cubes, you'll want the rounds to be about a half inch thick. If you want one-inch cubes, you'll want the rounds to be ... oh, you know. Or, just stop here. If you cut the rounds quite thin, you can cook them in a skillet or on a griddle. Just rub with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. They're delicious!

Stack two or three rounds on top of each other. No, this isn't dominoes, no knocking the stack over. Cut through the rounds to form lengths.

Okay, if there's a tricky part, it's this. The idea is to use the fingers of your non-knife hand to hold the whole thing together while you cut the other way. It's not hard, just don't -- ouch! -- cut too close. Just look at all those neat 'n' tidy little cubes of squash! Aren't they pretty?

Enough nuzzling with the neck. Onto the bulb. Place it cut-side down and with your knife at an angle, slice off the skin, working top to bottom. Because of the bulb's curve, I usually do the top half first ...

... and then turn it over and repeat the process. Regular slashers, we are.

Cut the bulb in half, cutting through all the seeds and gunk inside.

Grab that grapefruit spoon -- that's the one with the serrated edge and it's ever so useful to have around that I'll just wait a moment while you go buy one, okay? Back so soon? Perfect. Otherwise, just grab a fork. Dig out all that stuff, using the serrated edge of the spoon or the tines of a fork. Remember the saucepan? Drop the gunk, seeds and all, plus the skins into it and cover with water. Add a bay leaf and a few peppercorns and a rib of chopped celery, maybe a carrot or onion. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes, strain and you'll have a lovely broth for soup, stews, sauces. (What, not interested in broth? Maybe Spicy Sweet Pumpkin Seeds?)

Place one bulb flat-side down and then cut it into lengths ...

... and then into cubes.

And now the payoff! Toss the squash cubes with a chopped apple and a chopped onion, toss with olive oil, kosher salt and pepper and roast at 400F for about an hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Delicious!

With Photos

Text Only

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FAVORITE BUTTERNUT SQUASH RECIPES
~ My Favorite Winter Squash Recipes ~
~ Steamed Butternut Squash ~
~ Savory Bread Pudding with Butternut Squash, Chard & Cheddar ~
~ Warm Butternut Squash & Chickpea Salad with Tahini Dressing ~
~ more winter squash recipes ~

NEVER MISS A RECIPE! (OR A HANDY-DANDY CUTTING GUIDE LIKE THIS) For 'home delivery' of new recipes from A Veggie Venture, sign up here. Once you do, new recipes will be delivered, automatically, straight to your e-mail In Box.

© Copyright Kitchen Parade 2009

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Savory Bread Pudding with Butternut Squash, Chard & Cheddar ♥ Vegetarian Recipe

A savory bread pudding, two layers of good whole-grain bread studded cubes of butternut squash and cheddar cheese, with a layer of Swiss chard in between. Can be made ahead, much like a breakfast strata. Perfect for a vegetarian Thanksgiving entrée or a weekend brunch or a holiday buffet supper. It could also stand in as the 'stuffing' at Thanksgiving dinner.

This vegetarian recipe is the first of several in the 2009 collection of Thanksgiving vegetable recipes.

How to strike fear into a cook's heart? "Alanna, I'm bringing so 'n' so to Thanksgiving dinner. He's a vegetarian." Even though I was a vegetarian myself for many years, and often cook simple vegetarian and vegan meals, there's something about meat, well, that's celebratory.

The good news about this dish? It tastes good to everyone, carnivores and vegetarians alike. It feels special. It tastes substantial. And it smells divine while it's baking! One of my book club tasters walked in the door asking, "What smells so good in here?" and another, "You could bottle that aroma ..."

Here's what makes this bread pudding work:

• Proportions - This is an 'unbready' bread pudding, light on bread and heavy on vegetables. I use about a 4:1 vegetable:bread ratio.
• Good Bread - A flavorful, slightly dense whole-grain bread is perfect for bread pudding. It doesn't 'deflate' with the weight of vegetables and custard, it holds its own. And it's not just filler, the bread itself actually tastes good.
• Contrast - The butternut squash and the cheddar are quite creamy. In contrast, the chard is slightly astringent, that's a good thing!

RECIPE for SAVORY BREAD PUDDING with BUTTERNUT SQUASH, CHARD & CHEDDAR

Hands-on time: 50 minutes
Time to table: 2 hours (can be made ahead)
Serves 8 as a main course, 16 as a side dish

CHARD
2 tablespoons butter
2 large onions, chopped
2 large bunches Swiss chard, washed well, stems discarded, leaves chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

CUSTARD
3 eggs, whisked
1-1/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup cream
2 tablespoons good mustard (what is 'good mustard'?)
2 teaspoons ground sage
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
A pinch of cayenne pepper
A generous sprinkle of freshly ground pepper

TO ASSEMBLE
1 butternut squash, washed well, peeled and cut into 1/3-inch cubes (aim for 1-1/2 pound of squash cubes, see how to cut, peel & cube a butternut squash and keep all ten fingers)
1/2 pound whole-grain bread, crusts on, cut into half-inch cubes (see Kitchen Notes)
8 ounces cheddar cheese, cut in 1/3-inch cubes
The set-aside cooked onions

CHARD In a large skillet, melt the butter til shimmery. Add the onions and cook until just soft. Set aside half the onions. Add the chard a big handful at a time and stir to coat with fat. Let it cook a minute or two, then add another handful. When all the chard is added, let cook until soft. Add salt and set aside.

CUSTARD Mix all custard ingredients together.

ASSEMBLE (If baking immediately, preheat oven to 375F.) In a large bowl, combine the squash, bread, cheese and cooked onions. Transfer HALF the mixture to a lightly buttered baking dish about 8x11 or 9x13. Arrange the cooked chard evenly on top, then the remaining squash-bread-cheese mixture. (See Notes, if making ahead, you may choose to stop here.) Gently pour custard mix over top, being careful to wet all the bread pieces, especially.

BAKE Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven. If any pieces of butternut squash are still firm, gently push them into the custard. Cover and bake for another 15 or so minutes. Let rest for about 10 minutes or so before serving. Reheats well.

TO PREP AHEAD This bread pudding can be made ahead in two ways. It can be fully assembled, then baked a few hours later. Or the bread-squash-chard-cheddar mixture and the custard mixtures can be prepped the day before, then combined just before baking. With the first method, the bread pudding is slightly crusty on top, very good. With the second, the bread pudding is more custard-y, also very good. Cook’s choice!

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
(How many calories in bread pudding? How many Weight Watchers points in bread pudding?)
Per Main Dish Serving : 378 Calories; 20g Tot Fat; 12g Sat Fat; 137mg Cholesterol; 863mg Sodium; 34g Carb; 6g Fiber; 7g Sugar; 15 Protein; Weight Watchers 7 points
Per Side Dish Serving : 189 Calories; 10g Tot Fat; 6g Sat Fat; 68mg Cholesterol; 431mg Sodium; 17g Carb; 3g Fiber; 3g Sugar; 8 Protein; Weight Watchers 4 points

RECIPE INSPIRATION
While I fashioned today's bread pudding recipe after my favorite recipe for Asparagus Whole Wheat Bread Pudding, the genesis of the inspiration came from Molly Wizenberg of the food blog Orangette, this time from her recipe published in the November 2009 issue of Bon Appetit. Thank you, Molly!

KITCHEN NOTES
Bakers, consider a batch of homemade bread for this bread pudding. I'm especially fond of this Light 'n' Fluffy Whole-Grain Bread but also this Whole Grain Bread (without the beets).
This is a great base or 'concept' recipe, begging for adaptation. I think cornbread would be a fabulous substitute for whole-grain bread. I wanted to add fennel to the chard and corn to the overall mixture but ran short of room. Sweet potatoes? Of course. Kale or spinach instead of chard? Naturally. For a meat version, I'd add cooked pork sausage, chunks of cooked bacon or cubes of smoked ham.
Note to Vegetarians

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