SRC Reveal: Spice Roasted Squash and Beets

It's time for Group B's November 2015 Secret Recipe Club reveal. This month I was assigned to Morsels of Life which is written by CJ.

Her cooking philosophy is pretty simple and straightforward. She reports: "I like using everyday materials and easy to prepare (aka lazy aka efficient) methods. Maybe it’s the engineer in me, but I’m a fan of efficiency." She admits that she doesn't use exact measurements when cooking, but she lists them as a way to get an idea of how much she used.  And this sentiment, I really like - "Generally, if you like something, use more; if you dislike something, use less, substitute something else, or just eliminate it altogether. You’ll probably be fine."

She has some great How-Tos posted on her blog, including how to cut a mango, how to chiffonade, and how to cut a pineapple. I am a sucker for any kind of slaw, so I was tickled to see that CJ has an entire series on cole slaw, including basic cole slaw, Asian cole slaw, shrimp cole slaw, and a Tex-Mex slaw. Given the season - it is pumpkin time! - I thought about making her Pumpkin Bread Pudding or Spiced Pumpkin Bread.

But I decided to go with her Spice Roasted Butternut Squash because I had two on my counter and am always looking for new ways to use them. This was a quick and easy way to prepare the squash and has endless variations, limited only by your imagination or whatever spices you have in your pantry. I added some beets to stretch the ingredients; I wanted leftovers and didn't have any more squash. I also added some cumin, cinnamon, and ginger to go complement a seafood curry I was serving during the same dinner. It was delicious and I am glad to have this preparation in my repertoire. Thanks, CJ.

Spice Roasted Butternut Squash and Beets
slightly adapted from CJ's Spice Roasted Butternut Squash 

    

Ingredients 

• 1 butternut squash (approximately 2 C of peeled, 1/2" dice)
• 2 C diced beets
• 1 t fine sea salt
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 T honey
• 1 t chili pepper flakes
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
• 1 t ground smoked paprika
• 1 t ground pepper
• 1/2 t ground cumin
• 1/2 t ground cinnamon
• 1/2 t ground ginger

Procedure

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss the diced butternut squash with half  the salt and olive oil. Spread it in a single layer on  a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast until tender, approximately for 30 minutes. 

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