Tag Archives for recipes

Recipe: butternut squash and couscous

I love fall produce. We picked up some squash when we were at Apple Hill a few weeks ago and I just now got around to using it. I love cooking with squash and root vegetables, because they are so colorful and turn into such different types of foods once cooked. I also like experimenting with different spices. It makes me feel like an alchemist. :)

Butternut squash is by far my favorite of the squashes because it tastes a lot like sweet potatoes and is packed full of nutrients. It can be sweetened up for a more dessert-like dish, and it pairs well with savory flavors. Tonight I cooked it with couscous and beans, and it was a simple and filling dish with a touch of exotic. Here’s how to make it:

Ingredients:

    • Butternut squash
    • Couscous
    • Broth (I used chicken but vegetable is fine)
    • Olive oil or butter
    • Cumin
    • Sea salt
    • Pepper
    • Beans (optional. I also might add chicken or ground beef next time I make this)

Steps:

  • Peel and cut the squash into 1 inch cubes.

  • Melt butter in a large fry pan (or heat oil if you are using olive oil). Add butternut squash, and sprinkle with cumin, sea salt and pepper. Cover the pan and let the squash cook for around 20 minutes until the outsides are brown and the squash is soft.

  • While the squash is cooking, bring a 1/2 cup of broth and 1 1/4 cup of water to a boil in a small sauce pan. Once the liquid is boiling, put in two cups of couscous and turn the heat to low. Cover couscous and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Couscous will be done when the liquid has been soaked up and the couscous can be fluffed with a fork.

  • Heat up beans in a sauce pan or in a microwave. Once beans are heated, put into a large bowl, and add the couscous and squash. Mix it all together.

Bon appétit!

Book Review | A Feast of Ice & Fire

I was so excited when one of my favorite blogs, Inn at the Crossroads, announced that they were releasing a cookbook called A Feast of Ice & Fire: The Official Companion Cookbook for the Song of Ice and Fire book series, by George R. R. Martin (on which the popular HBO show Game of Thrones is based). It just so happened that their book was released right in time for Epic Fantasy Weekend 2012, so today during our Game of Thrones season 2 marathon, I tried out a few of the recipes. What better way to review a cookbook than by making its recipes, right?

In short: I can’t speak highly enough about this book. I’m not much of a chef–I generally stick to simple dishes with veggies and a bit of meat, and I rarely follow recipes. I’m also a terrible baker. But this book inspires me to research the food I enjoy, to think of it in the context of my favorite stories, and to get a bit creative with it on a regular basis. I sat down and read the book in its entirety over the weekend–it’s more than just a cookbook, it’s a book about history and literature. Well-written, funny, and sincere, this book is a great guide to Medieval cooking, and adapting it for the modern era. Plus, it’s beautifully designed, with great photographs.

While looking for recipes to make, I wanted something I could make with ingredients I already had around the house so I didn’t have to go shopping. This means that I had to adapt a few things here and there, but for the most part, I stayed true to the foods. I also made only Medieval recipes, not the modern ones (although I plan to try some of those soon too).

The menu:

  • Honey biscuits
  • Iced Milk with Honey
  • Onions in Gravy

Also on menu but not with recipes from the book:

  • Hashbrowns
  • Beef breakfast steaks
  • Hard-boiled eggs

Honey biscuits

I like these because they required no eggs or any baking–just mix it all together and fry it on a pan.

You’ll need:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tspn salt
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • Cold water
  • Olive oil or unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 tbsp ground cinnamon

I used wheat flour instead of bleached, and also opted for powdered cinnamon instead of ground, but I think ground would have been better.

I’m not much of a fan of wheat flour, but I rarely bake, so I keep it around the house just in case I need something for gravy or sauce. As a result, the biscuits were a bit on the blander side, but I think the original recipe would have been much better. Overall though, I enjoyed these as a simple and not overly sweet treat, and I’d like to make them again but add new ingredients like fruit or other spices.

Iced Milk with Honey

You’ll need:

  • Ice
  • Milk of your choosing (the recipe recommends whole or part-skim, but I used almond)
  • Honey
  • Cinnamon
Similar to the other recipe, mix the ingredients together, I started with the milk, and added honey, and then ice, with cinnamon on top. The recipe recommends chilling it for an hour.

I thought this would pair well with the biscuits, and it did. I used original almond milk and powered cinnamon, and this drink kind of reminds me of chai, one of my favorite drinks ever. I found it refreshing and the honey paired well with the biscuits.

You’ll notice how the honey sunk to the bottom, and I did not chill the drink enough so it separated quickly. My boyfriend recommended blending it, too, for a fun twist.

We were still hungry after our snack, so I decided to just make breakfast. Based on the ingredients I had at home, I had a go at the onions in gravy, which is in “The North” part of the book. I always identified with Winterfell and the Night’s Watch, and the food of the North matches my taste more than any other region. To make this into a proper breakfast, I also cooked some potatoes, steak and hard-boiled eggs. I’m calling this the “Woman of the Wall Breakfast,” since I would totally join the Night’s Watch.

This recipe was delicious. I love onions, and I love gravy, and I thought it made for a hearty breakfast food. The onions remain crunchy but the flavor is highlighted by the presence of apple cider and butter. Beef broth was the only thing I didn’t have, so I used a bit of salt water to compromise. Beef broth would help make this a great side dish for cold nights, but even in the summer, it was very good.

Even though these are some of the more simpler recipes in the book, cooking them while watching the show made me feel a part of the world in a completely new way. This cookbook is a must for any fantasy lover, even if you’re not familiar with A Song of Ice and Fire. In the meantime, also check out the website and browse the many other wonderful recipes. And let them know what you think!