Sunday, February 13, 2011

squash 'n beans

I was looking for something a little sweet, a lot hearty, a means to eat up some yummy winter squash and kale and use up some of the beans I've got on the shelf.

I looked though one of my favorite recipe websites for some inspiration and found this use of beans and kale. I really liked the idea of pan frying the beans, especially with sea salt and nutmeg! But I wanted more.

I had a couple of apples in the fruit bowl and a big winter squash beside it, so I chopped up both apples and about 1/2 of the squash and roasted them with some butter and salt (375 oven temp for about 40 minutes or until soft).
I actually tossed the kale into the oven with the fruit roast to cook it instead of pan frying it with the beans, but I think that either way will work.
If you oven-cook it, add it in at the end (at about minute 35, otherwise the kale will over roast and get super crispy and brownish).


I can't say I really followed a recipe on this one (more like bastardized a couple of 'em) but I will attempt to get this into recipe format for anyone wanting to replicate without 'winging it'.



for the roasted stuffs:

2 med apples
1 small butternut squash (or 1/2 of a big one!)
3-4 pads of butter
1/4 tsp. seal salt
1/2 bunch of kale, washed, chopped

preheat oven to 375
chop up apples and squash, place in deep glass roasting dish
* I like to leave squash skin on, but not everyone does, so whatever feels right is right
evenly distribute butter pads
sprinkle salt over everything
roast for 20 min.
take out pan, mix everything up (the butter has melted and needs to work through some things)
back into oven for about 15 min.
take it out again and mix in the chopped kale
back in for 5 (or until squash is soft)

meanwhile for the beans:

about 1 cu. dried whit beans -soak'em, cook'em- (not sure about canned equiv., 1 14oz.?)
* you can also use chickpeas for this, I think they would work well
2 Tbl. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

in skillet, heat olive oil and garlic
add beans
sprinkle on salt and nutmeg
fry until golden

Once it's all ready, introduce the beans to the roasted mix of goodness, scoop it all into a bowl (or three is serving others) and enjoy!

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