Grilled Squash + Steamed Broccoli Florets

When you have bought a small, stout squash because it sounded like a nutritious idea and it has been lying around in your pantry for sometime because you did not want to deal with all the peeling, you throw it in the BBQ the next time you grill something. The result: a blackened exterior and a mushy interior, good to pack away in the fridge for some more days. Then one morning when you no longer have all the ingredients for your go-to breakfast or when they (the ingredients) are available but it (the dish) is beginning to really get on your guts, you turn to your blackened, mushy resource and amass all of your creative power.

Experiment of the day: 

Objective: To transform your blackened, mushy resource primarily into an edible meal, but very preferably into a gourmet one, with the expenditure of as minimum time and effort as possible.

Tools: A paring knife to scrap off the squash's burnt skin; a tablespoon to remove the squash's innards and to mash up the rest; an old chopping board that can afford to take in all of the black, burnt gooey bits from the squash; a small bowl; a chef's knife to chop up any available allium; a small pot; your softless, worker's hands; your relaxed mind flying high and in all directions with imagination; your softless, worker's hands.

Squash companion: 3 spring onions, liberally chopped; an inch-wide slice of salted butter; a few pinches of sea salt; a few turns of black pepper.

Creative steps: 

• Melt butter in pot and saute spring onions (save the upper green bits) for a few minutes until soft. 
• Add mashed squash and green bits of spring onions; combine well for a couple of minutes. 
• Add sea salt and black pepper; fold in. 
• Serve with slightly steamed broccoli florets seasoned with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, a couple of pinches of sea salt, and a couple of squeezes of lemon juice. 

Optional but highly recommended eating style: 

Spear broccoli florets into the allium'y/smoky/butterly-rich squash goodness. Remember to chew mindfully, swallow mindfully, and ENJOY!

P.S. Dear dedicated readers (and non-dedicated readers alike!), I'm still around, travelling quite a bit, cooking a decent part of my life away, and strategizing on how to bring you "quality" content in a, ahem, sustainable way. And just so you know I have not been slacking all this time, I'm going to post the photos of some of my favourite dishes from the bygone months, two dishes for each, to serve as proof! (Some day, just some day, all of this backdating business will be behind me). And once you all have had enough time to digest all of the pictorials (read: to go goo-goo gaa-gaa over them), then I will be posting the recipes. And because I want to be kind and generous, I have already posted the recipe for one. This one.

P.S.S. Welcome to my voice. And because I care for those people who don't want to be bothered with my voice and want to go straight to the gist or for those who do care about my voice but are simply in a hurry, I have annexed a more direct, thorough and brief version of the recipe right below.

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Serves two 

Ingredients: 

• 1 small-sized acorn squash 
• 3 spring onions; chopped crosswise, upper green parts separated from the rest 
• 1 inch-wide stick of salted butter 
• Sea salt to taste 
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste 

Creative steps: 

• Grill the squash on a BBQ with lid covered for 30 - 40 minutes, or until mushy. Begin checking for readiness in 30 minutes. Remove from BBQ to use right away or pack away in the fridge to use in a couple of days. 
• When ready to use squash, use a small knife to scrap off the burnt skin, get to the core and scoop out the seeds using a spoon, and then mash the flesh of the squash in a bowl. 
• Melt butter in a pot over medium heat and saute the spring onions (without the green parts) for 2 to 4 minutes, or until soft.
• Add the mashed squash and the upper green parts of the spring onions to the pot; combine well for 1 to 2 minutes. 
• Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste, fold in and then remove from heat. 
• Serve with slightly steamed broccoli florets, or other vegetable of your choice, seasoned with a couple of squeezes of lemon juice, a few pinches of sea salt, and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. 

Enjoy! 

Mexican-inspired Part II

When you have had good results from your first Mexican-inspired dish, you tend to make it again and again. And each time with slight variations, it's more fun that way.

In Part II...

Instead of the full-blown guacamole, why not go the speediest (and laziest) route of just avocados? Afterall, guac is really about the avo.

Instead of green or yellow cabbage, why not red cabbage? Afterall, red is more flavourful (and more nutritious?) than the rest.

And then the addition of cilantro takes the dish to a WHOLE OTHER LEVEL and more so to the category of Mexican-inspired.

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Serves four

Ingredients:

For the black bean/red cabbage combo 

1 cup black beans; soaked overnight, or for 8 hours

¼ of a medium-sized red cabbage; very thinly shredded

6 garlic cloves; minced

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste

For the garlic tomato sauce 

10 medium-sized red tomatoes (preferably Roma); diced 

8 garlic cloves; minced 

1 jalapeño pepper; halved, seeds intact 

1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil 

Sea salt to taste 

For serving

1 cup short-grained rice; steamed in 2 cups of water 

2 avocados; seeded and diced; ½ avocado per serving 

1 dollop of sour cream per serving, or to taste

1 lime wedge per serving, or to taste 

Corn tortilla chips (optional) 

Creative Steps: 

Black bean/red cabbage combo
First prepare the black beans. Put them in a large pot, add 3¼ cups of water, throw in the herbs, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook between 30 minutes to an hour and a half (depending on size and age of the beans), or until the beans soften throughout without getting mushy. Begin checking for readiness at 30 minutes. Once cooked, strain and keep aside. (Tip: boil large portions of black beans, adjusting the measurements above proportionally, and store in the fridge for miscellaneous use).

In a pan over medium heat, sauté the garlic in oil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the garlic softens and releases its flavour. Stir in the black beans and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Turn off heat, stir in the cabbage and combine well, and then remove pan from the heat. Add salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste. 

Garlic tomato sauce 

In a pan over medium heat, sauté the garlic in oil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the garlic softens and releases its flavour. Stir in the tomatoes and then bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, use a spatula to push out the juices of the tomatoes (if tomatoes are still chunky), add salt to taste, throw in the jalapeño pepper, and let simmer over minimum heat for 15 to 20 minutes. 

Divide the two dishes between individual plates or bowls and serve with the hot steamed rice, avocados, sour cream, lime wedges, and corn tortillas chips (if using). Enjoy! 

Pho-inspired: Spicy Tofu Beetroot Noodle Soup