Lisa wanted to make dinner tonight, and we had a ton of vegetables to use up from our CSA box, so we came up with these vegetarian enchiladas, filled with summer squash, spinach, and mushrooms, and topped with a green chile enchilada sauce.  Photogenic?  Not so much.  Healthy, full of veggies, and quick?  Absolutely!

Lisa says:

How come all the food I make is ugly?

Chris says:

Hey! All the food you make isn’t ugly; and I think the biggest reason this one isn’t exactly photogenic is because of the blue tortillas.

Lisa says:

Hmm… maybe… I love that enchilada sauce, it’s got a really nice flavor.

Chris says:

I like the creaminess from the creme fraiche.

Lisa says:

The filling is awesome — I don’t miss not having meat in there.

Chris says:

Totally — and I like using up all our CSA veggies from the fridge.

Lisa says:

I can’t wait to have ugly but delicious leftovers tomorrow.

UBD Summer Squash Veggie Enchiladas

1 14-oz can green chile enchilada sauce
1/4 cup minced cilantro
1 tbsp creme fraiche
1 1/2 cups mixed summer squash, cubed
8 oz mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 red salad onions, bulbs and stems thinly sliced OR 1 large red onion, sliced
10 oz spinach
10 corn tortillas
pepper-jack cheese for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the summer squash and mushrooms; cook for a couple of minutes until the mushrooms start to brown.  Add the garlic, about three quarters of the red onion and continue cooking until the onions turn translucent and the squash is crisp-tender.  Add the spinach and red salad onion stems, stirring constantly, until the spinach is wilted.  Season with a teaspoon of salt, and cover to keep warm.
Lay out the tortillas on a baking sheet and spray on both sides with cooking oil, then stack in twos. Bake for 3 minutes or until soft and pliable. Remove and stack in a single pile; cover with a kitchen towel to keep warm.
In a small pot, heat the enchilada sauce to boiling, then lower the heat.  Stir in cilantro and the creme fraiche into the sauce.  Taste and season with salt, if desired.  Hold a tortilla by one edge and dip into the sauce.  Fill the center with 2 heaping tablespoons of the filling, then roll and lay seam side down in a 9×13 baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and remaining red onion, and bake for 5-10 minutes, until cheese is melted. Garnish with additional salad onions.

Makes 10 enchiladas.

Lisa made these muffins adapted from a recipe found in Jamie Oliver’s cookbook, Jamie At Home. She cut the oil way down from the recipe, and nixed the walnuts (Whole Foods apparently didn’t stick them in the bag), but they turned out pretty darn good just the same.

Lisa says:

“With a Frosty Top”? What a random name… why can’t they just be called Butternut Squash Muffins?

Chris says:

‘Cause he’s a Brit… I hear they talk funny. Besides, it’s not like a traditional frosting… it’s a bit… goopier.

Lisa says:

It’s almost as if you should dip each one in the frosting just before you eat it.

Chris says:

Well with all the extra frosting we ended up with, that’s exactly what I’m doing.

Lisa says:

I love that citrus taste! Okay, if these stay in the house any longer they’ll migrate directly from the kitchen into my mouth.

Chris says:

Looks like the folks at work are getting muffins tomorrow!

Butternut Squash Muffins with a Frosty Top
——————————————
14 ounces butternut squash, seeded and roughly chopped
1 & 1/4 cups light brown sugar
4 large organic eggs
pinch of salt
2 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, unsifted
2 heaping tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup applesauce

For the Frosty Topping:
1 orange, zested
1 lemon, zested
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup 2% Greek yogurt
2 heaping tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350F. In a food processor, pulse the butternut squash until finely chopped. Add the sugar and eggs. Add in a pinch of salt, the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, olive oil, and applesauce and mix until well beaten. Scrape the sides if needed, and mix only until everything is well combined.

Fill a regular sized muffin tin lined with paper cups until each cup is just over 3/4 full. Cook 20 - 25 minutes until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Allow muffins to cool on a wire rack.

For the topping: Place the zest and lemon juice in a bowl. Add the yogurt, the sifted powdered sugar and vanilla and mix well. Taste, and adjust the sweet and sour accordingly. Keep in the fridge until ready to top the muffins. Sprinkle the topped muffins with a little more orange zest.

Makes 18-20 muffins

A few nights ago Lisa made one of those perfect-to-use-up-the-CSA-box recipes: this warming soup used just about every vegetable in the kitchen; adding a little pasta and some beans turned it into a great meal.

Chris says:

I love recipes like this that have so many vegetables in them…

Lisa says:

I know! The great thing about this recipe is that you can basically change the veggies based on what you have in the kitchen.

Chris says:

Remember when you used to complain about soups and stews that didn’t have meat in them?

Lisa says:

Only because I didn’t think they’d fill me up!

Chris says:

That’s what the pasta and beans are doing for ya.

Lisa says:

Yep… although it may be time for a meatstravaganza soon.

Chris says:

Huzzah!

“Kitchen Sink” Minestrone
————————-
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup diagonally sliced carrot
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cups diced tomato
2 cups diced peeled butternut squash (about 1 small)
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 zucchini, sliced
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 (16-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups small broccoli florets
2 cups thinly sliced collard greens
1/2 cup uncooked small seashell pasta
2 teaspoons dried sage
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Add onion, carrot, and bell pepper, and sauté 6 minutes or until onion is tender. Add tomato and next 9 ingredients (tomato through garlic), and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in broccoli, greens, and pasta; cover and cook 5 minutes or until pasta is done. Stir in sage and thyme.

6-8 Servings

I’m also submitting this one to Presto Pasta Nights… it’s been a while!

Tonight Lisa made a stew and couscous combo adapted from a recipe found on the Food Network website. Acorn squash, spinach, garbanzo beans, onions, tomatoes, and spices over a bed of couscous.

Chris says:

Apparently we [heart] stews!

Lisa says:

What’s not to [heart]? This one is especially delicious.

Chris says:

…and colorful. Also, I love how the couscous soaks up the sauce.

Lisa says:

It rules, though, you know, I think my dad and brother would hate this dish.

Chris says:

Why?

Lisa says:

They don’t like sweet things in savory dishes.

Chris says:

That’s my favorite part about this one, I’m seeking out those little plump bursts of sweetness! Yum! Thanks Food Network!

Spiced Acorn Squash Stew with Couscous
————————————–
For the stew:
1 1/4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed
6 canned plum tomatoes, crushed
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 acorn squash (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 16 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 cups chicken broth, low-sodium canned
1-inch strip lemon zest
1/2 cup golden raisins
4 cups chopped spinach (about 5 ounces)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds

For the couscous:
1 1/2 cups chicken broth, low-sodium canned
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup couscous

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, tomatoes, and spices and cook until the cinnamon stick unfurls and the tomatoes are cooked down, about 3 minutes. Add the squash, chickpeas, broth, lemon zest, and raisins and bring to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, until the squash is fork tender, about 25 minutes. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the lemon juice and season, to taste.

Meanwhile, make the couscous. Bring the broth to a boil with the salt and pepper in a small saucepan. Stir in the couscous, pull the saucepan off the heat, cover, and set aside until the water has been absorbed and the couscous is plump, about 5 minutes.

Fluff the couscous with a fork and mound it in 4 soup bowls. Spoon some butternut squash stew over each portion, top with almonds, and serve.

4 Servings

Tonight we prepared this delicious, easy to make stew and quinoa dish, adapted from a recipe in Bon Appetit magazine. I’d never actually made quinoa before, and was surprised at its appearance before cooking — it’s a lot smaller than I thought. It plumps up nicely when cooked, and has a unique texture — it’s light and fluffy, but the germ separates from the grain and adds a slight crunch to each bite. Delicious.

Chris says:

This is one of my new favorite vegetarian dinners. I really like the taste of the spices with the squash and carrots.

Abbie says:

Mmmmmm! Yeah, what is that spice?

Lisa says:

There’s a bunch of spices in there, but you’re probably tasting the cayenne…

Abbie says:

Gives it a little kick!

Chris says:

By the way, butternut squash seeds look a lot like pumpkin seeds… I wonder if anyone ever roasts them?

Thad says:

I’m sure you could… mmm, thanks for making us dinner!

Abbie says:

Yeah, really .. recipe please!

Quinoa with Butternut Squash and Carrot Stew
——————————————–
For the stew:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup water
1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1″ cubes
2 cups carrots, peeled and cut into 3/4″ cubes

For the quinoa:
1 cup quinoa
1/2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped peeled carrot
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 cups water

The stew:
Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; sauté until soft, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Mix in the dry spices. Add 1 cup water, the drained tomatoes, and the lemon juice, and bring to boil. Add the squash and carrots. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

The quinoa:
Rinse quinoa and drain. Melt butter with oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and carrot. Cover; cook until vegetables begin to brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, salt, and turmeric; sauté 1 minute. Add quinoa; stir 1 minute. Add 2 cups water and bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; simmer until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes.

4-6 servings