feta cheese.
Black Bean Chili in Roasted Acorn Squash
Makes 6 servings
There’s nothing like spicy chili to warm you from the inside out. But even when the weather calls for hearty fare, I sometimes prefer something a little lighter than the typical meaty bowl of red. When that happens, I turn to this vegetarian stew. Serving the chili in roasted squash halves looks dramatic, and the sweet squash is a nice accent for the zesty chili.
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A CORN S QUASH
Olive oil for the roasting pan and squash
3 acorn squash, about 18 ounces each
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
B LACK B EAN C HILI
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
½ green bell pepper, seeded and ribbed, diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Two 15-to 19-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
One 15½-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
½ to 1 canned chipotle chile in adobo, finely chopped, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
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1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Lightly oil a roasting pan.
2. To prepare the squash, cut each squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Brush the cut surfaces with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place, cut sides down, in the roasting pan. Add ½ cup water and cover with aluminum foil. Bake until tender, about 45 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, make the chili. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and green pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cumin and oregano. Stir in the beans and the tomatoes with their juice and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the tomato juices thicken, about 20 minutes. Stir in the chipotle, being judicious, and the cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Place an acorn half, cut side up, in each of 6 bowls. Fill with the chili and serve hot.
Winter Squash Waffles with Maple-Apple Compote
Makes about six 8-inch square waffles
Winter mornings mean digging into a warm breakfast while still in a flannel robe and slippers. I like to serve these waffles as a special treat on Christmas or New Year’s Day, when a big breakfast will hold us over until our late-afternoon holiday supper. They are really great with fresh squash, but if you don’t have any handy, use canned pumpkin or puree thawed frozen butternut squash in a food processor or blender. Note that waffle irons vary greatly in size, so your yield will vary. My waffle iron makes 8-inch square waffles that are divided into quadrants.
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M APLE -A PPLE C OMPOTE
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for serving
2 Golden Delicious or Fuji apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch dice
1 cup pure maple syrup
W AFFLES
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups winter squash puree (see Note)
2 cups whole milk
4 large eggs, separated
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Cooking oil spray for the waffle iron
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1. To make the compote, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the syrup and remove from the heat.
2. To make the waffles, preheat a waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 200°F. Line a baking sheet with two clean, fragrance-free kitchen towels (meaning ones that have not been washed with softeners or the like).
3. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Make a well in the center. Whisk the squash puree, milk, egg yolks, and melted butter together in another bowl. Pour into the well and stir just until combined—the mixture will look a little lumpy.
4. Whip
Black Bean Chili in Roasted Acorn Squash
Makes 6 servings
There’s nothing like spicy chili to warm you from the inside out. But even when the weather calls for hearty fare, I sometimes prefer something a little lighter than the typical meaty bowl of red. When that happens, I turn to this vegetarian stew. Serving the chili in roasted squash halves looks dramatic, and the sweet squash is a nice accent for the zesty chili.
----
A CORN S QUASH
Olive oil for the roasting pan and squash
3 acorn squash, about 18 ounces each
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
B LACK B EAN C HILI
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
½ green bell pepper, seeded and ribbed, diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Two 15-to 19-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
One 15½-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
½ to 1 canned chipotle chile in adobo, finely chopped, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
----
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Lightly oil a roasting pan.
2. To prepare the squash, cut each squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Brush the cut surfaces with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place, cut sides down, in the roasting pan. Add ½ cup water and cover with aluminum foil. Bake until tender, about 45 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, make the chili. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and green pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cumin and oregano. Stir in the beans and the tomatoes with their juice and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the tomato juices thicken, about 20 minutes. Stir in the chipotle, being judicious, and the cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Place an acorn half, cut side up, in each of 6 bowls. Fill with the chili and serve hot.
Winter Squash Waffles with Maple-Apple Compote
Makes about six 8-inch square waffles
Winter mornings mean digging into a warm breakfast while still in a flannel robe and slippers. I like to serve these waffles as a special treat on Christmas or New Year’s Day, when a big breakfast will hold us over until our late-afternoon holiday supper. They are really great with fresh squash, but if you don’t have any handy, use canned pumpkin or puree thawed frozen butternut squash in a food processor or blender. Note that waffle irons vary greatly in size, so your yield will vary. My waffle iron makes 8-inch square waffles that are divided into quadrants.
----
M APLE -A PPLE C OMPOTE
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for serving
2 Golden Delicious or Fuji apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch dice
1 cup pure maple syrup
W AFFLES
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups winter squash puree (see Note)
2 cups whole milk
4 large eggs, separated
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Cooking oil spray for the waffle iron
----
1. To make the compote, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the syrup and remove from the heat.
2. To make the waffles, preheat a waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 200°F. Line a baking sheet with two clean, fragrance-free kitchen towels (meaning ones that have not been washed with softeners or the like).
3. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Make a well in the center. Whisk the squash puree, milk, egg yolks, and melted butter together in another bowl. Pour into the well and stir just until combined—the mixture will look a little lumpy.
4. Whip
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