I made roasted corn pudding in acorn squash!

Yo everyone on the blog!



I made this a while back, but didn't post it. It happens. But this recipe was really good and pretty easy. The hardest part is probably cutting the squash. I actually did not use acorn squash but "carnival squash" - it is the kind that looks like acorn squash in shape, but instead of being dark green, it has multicolored flecks on the outside. I think they are pretty comparable.

This is the recipe that I used. I basically followed it exactly!

Here is the recipe with some of my notes:

Roasted Corn Pudding in Acorn Squash Recipe
Taken from The Vegetarian Compass written by Karen Hubert Allison (via 101 Cookbooks):

(This recipe is for 1 squash, so just increase accordingly if you want to make more.)

1 small (2 lb.) acorn squash, cut in half lengthwise and seeded (or carnival squash)
1 tablespoon clarified butter or olive oil
1 cup milk
1 egg plus 2 egg whites
1/2 cup fresh corn kernels (or more if you like)
1/4 teaspoon anise seed, chopped (I omitted - don't like anise. I used some cayenne instead.)
1/2 cup chopped scallions
a tiny pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/3 cup grated white cheddar cheese

(You may end up with extra filling that doesn't fit in the squash. If so, you can put it in some buttered muffin tins or ramekins and bake it along with the squash - I did! It was good.)

Preheat the oven to 375F degrees with a rack in the middle.

Rub the orange flesh of the squash with the butter/oil. Place cut side up on a baking sheet. You will want it to sit flat (and not tip), if you are having trouble just level out the bottom using a knife. If the squash is tilting on the pan, the filling will run out - bad news. Cover the squash with foil and bake for 40 minutes or until the squash starts to get tender.

In a bowl combine the milk, eggs, corn, anise seed, half of the scallions, nutmeg, and salt. Fill each of the squash bowls 3/4 full (see head notes about using leftovers). Carefully transfer the squash back to the oven without spilling (tricky!).



Continue baking uncovered for another 30 - 50 minutes, or until the squash is fully cooked through, and the pudding has set. The amount of time it takes can vary wildly depending on the squash and oven. At the last minute sprinkle with cheese and finish with a flash under the broiler to brown the cheese. (I didn't use the broiler for this part, just used the regular oven.) Keep and eye on things, you can go from melted cheese to burnt and inedible in a flash. Serve hot sprinkled with the remaining scallions.

Serves 4 - 6.

I made harira, the traditional soup of Morocco

One of my favorite Middle Eastern restaurants, Bedouin Tent in Beorum Hill, serves this kind of soup--a hearty, tomato based soup with lentils and chickpeas and a complex, savory but cinnamon-y flavor. As the weather's gotten colder, I've been in the mood to make soups and thought this was a good one to start the season.

I did some research and looked at a bunch of recipes on the web. I learned that in Morocco, this soup is eaten for Iftar, the nightly traditional meal that breaks the fast during Ramadan. It's thickened with tadouira--a mixture of tomato paste, flour and cilantro. There are many variations--some include chicken, some lamb. The kind I'd had at Bedouin Tent was veggie, so I knew they had to be out there. Finally I found a few versions which were mainly lentils, chickpeas, tomatoes, spices and vermicelli. And who doesn't like some noodles in their soup? I settled on this recipe and followed it pretty exactly.

I am being completely honest with you all here: THIS WAS THE BEST SOUP EVER. Seriously guys. You will want to eat this soup ALL THE TIME. It's hearty and filling and noodle-y and tomato-y and lemony and cinnamon/spicy. One bite and you will be like, "Fall and winter: BRING IT ON."

Harira Soup
Serves 8

Ingredients

Harira

• 1/2 cup green lentils
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped (2 cups)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 15-oz. can chopped tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup vermicelli
• Lemon wedges, for garnish

Tadouira

• 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 Tbs. lemon juice
• 1 Tbs. tomato paste

Directions

1. To make Harira: Cook lentils in pot of boiling salted water 2 minutes. Drain. (I did this but still don't understand why it was necesssary.)
   
2. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion, parsley, cilantro, ginger, and cinnamon; sauté 5 minutes, or until onion is soft. Stir in tomatoes, and sauté 5 minutes more.
3. Stir in broth, chickpeas, lentils, reserved tomato liquid, and 3 cups water. Season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 45 minutes, or until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally.
4. To make Tadouira: Whisk flour with 1 cup water in bowl. Whisk in cilantro, lemon juice, and tomato paste. Stir Tadouira and vermicelli into Harira, and cook 3 minutes, or until noodles are soft. Serve with lemon wedges.