Onion squashes are such a treasure.
They are sweet, have a beautiful texture and there is zero need to peel them (a definite bonus seeing as most squashes and pumpkins are a nightmare to peel).
Onion squashes have a really thin skin that when roasted either crisps up or just pleasantly adds to the overall texture.
As the name would suggest, the squash itself displays a similar shape to that of an onion. Here is a pic of a box of them from the last yoga & nutrition retreat:
They are widely available in the UK circa October - November so grab one if you happen to see one. They are tasty, fuss-free to prepare and super nutritious.
The recipe featured here is more of a celebration meal rather than an every day one.
Technically if you didn’t bother with the crispy kale and brown butter then it’d be much more of a simple supper.
Ingredients for feed 2:
For the roasted onion squash
1 small onion squash
Rapeseed oil
Sea salt and black pepper
For the whipped goats cheese
1 pack (125g approximately) of soft goats cheese
Olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
For the crispy kale
A bag of whole leaf kale, approximately 200g
Rapeseed oil
Sea salt and black pepper
For the rye crumb
1/2 loaf of rye bread (check the brand Mestemacher in supermarkets)
Leaves from 2 sprigs of thyme
Leaves from 1 sprig of rosemary, finely chopped
Rapeseed oil
Sea salt and black pepper
For the brown butter
100g of good quality butter
Method:
To make the crispy kale:
Heat the oven to 160 degrees C and grab a couple of large roasting trays.
Strip the kale from the stalk and break it up into 1” pieces.
Wash the kale and dry it well. I would usually use a salad spinner to get the water off the kale.
Pop the kale on the roasting trays, drizzle with oil and mix with your hands to coat the kale evenly.
Roast until crispy, stirring every 10 minutes or so, removing any pieces that have already crisped up. Unless you managed to get them all the same size, some will crips up sooner than others.
Season with sea salt and black pepper and try and resist the temptation to make all of the kale crisps disappear into your mouth. Yes, they are very moreish.
If you want to skip this part, sautéing some kale with garlic is also a good option.
To make the brown butter:
Pop the butter in a small saucepan on a medium heat.
Wait for it to bubble up then whisk gently until you smell “caramel” and the butter has turned a golden brown colour. Remove from the heat and set aside for a few minutes.
You will notice that white/ golden crumb-like textures have dropped to the bottom. Pour the melted butter off the top and discard the crumb bits.
The melted part is your brown butter. Keep this warm (It’ll retain the heat well for around 20 minutes).
To roast the squash:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
Halve the squash and scoop out the seeds.
Cut the squash into thick slices.
Pop the squash slices on a baking tray, drizzle with oil and roast in the oven until they are fully cooked through and the edges take on some colour. Approximately 40 minutes.
Season with sea salt and black pepper.
To make the rye crumb:
You can do this part at the same time as roasting the squash.
Chop the rye bread into small cubes.
Put them on a baking tray, sprinkle over the herbs, drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper.
Roast in the oven for approximately 15 minutes until the edges of the rye bread have crisped up.
To make the whipped goats cheese:
Put the goats' cheese in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season well with sea salt and black pepper.
Mash together with a fork then “whip it” by stirring and mashing until it becomes fluffy.
It should increase in volume somewhat and take on the consistency of greek yoghurt.
To serve, divide the whipped goats’ cheese between two plates.
Pour around 1-2 tablespoons of brown butter on top.
Top with roasted squash slices and the rye crumb.
Finish with the crispy kale (if using).