Mellow acorn squash roasted with onions and blended with sage and cream to become a rich, velvety soup. Thick and satisfying with a touch of cayenne.
Author: Pragmatic Cooking
My Favorite Holiday Eggnog
I look forward to eggnog season every year; it’s one of my favorite holiday treats. I enjoy the store-bought stuff, but it’s not terribly high-quality, and the natural varieties have yet to impress me. I finally honed in on the right ratios and created this recipe: A smooth, pale yellow nog, flecked with just the right amount of nutmeg and perfumed with vanilla.
Green Quinoa With Feta
This quinoa bowl with pesto and green vegetables is wholesome and flavorful alone or topped with a poached or boiled egg. Asparagus and avocado are some of my favorite veggies to use, but you can choose from the list of ingredients based on what you’ve got.
Olive Oil & Brown Sugar Granola
Most of the time, one of my major goals when making granola is to get some nice chunky clusters going on. This granola transcends that concern entirely. It has more a muesli look; chock full of nuts and seeds with a nice crunch to it, and the way the brown sugar dissolves into milk makes one want to savor every bowl.
Pumpkin Hazelnut Babka
Soft, cinnamon-scented bread with a ribbon of moist, lightly sweet pumpkin filling running through it. Add some hazelnut fragments and white chocolate and you’ve got fall baking heaven. Pumpkin hazelnut babka is the perfect treat to enjoy alongside a cup of tea.
Red Lentil Fritters
These red lentil fritters have been a favorite dinner in my household this year. All the goodness of lentils combined with crispy fried onion reminiscent of bhajis. Liberally apply a lemon-yogurt sauce and you’ve got a phenomenal meal or a hearty snack.
Parmesan-Herb Delicata Rings
I was only recently introduced to delicata squash, but now I am an ardent fan. These delicata rings are one of my favorite things to do with it so far. The distinctive flavor of rosemary partners nicely with Parmesan cheese and the mellow sweetness of the delicata. As the squash softens in the oven the breading becomes enticingly crispy. Et viola! A tasty finger-food perfect for dipping in the accompanying yogurt sauce. Makes a great side with burgers too.
Pumpkin Puree
Many recipes, especially for baked goods, call for pumpkin puree. In the US, you can buy canned 100% pumpkin puree in nearly any grocery store, and I often use that in my cooking. Sometimes though, I like to make my own, and it’s pretty simple to do with the help of a food processor or blender.
Garlic-Herb Pumpkin Seeds
Toasted pumpkin seeds are a tasty and healthy snack. Great to mix things up and satisfy that need for savory crunching. Not only that, but putting the seeds to use when cooking with squash reduces food waste!
Lemon Square Granola
Taking its flavor inspiration from the classic dessert, this recipe incorporates fresh lemon zest, coconut and buttery pistachios into a chunky, bright granola that, despite its namesake, isn’t overly sweet. It makes for a particularly gorgeous breakfast with fresh blueberries and yogurt.