Roasted Honeynut Squash Stuffed with a Kasha & Vegetable Pilaf
Super Sweet Honeynut Squash is special and in season! It’s small size boasts a sweet and nutty flavor with a hint of caramel. Easily roasted and stuffed with a Kasha (Buckwheat) Pilaf with plenty of Roasted Peppers, Red Onions, Herbs and Creamy Goat Cheese.
The most delicious Fall main course or side dish!
Buckwheat is Gluten Free! Get to know this grain packed with nutrition. If cooks very quickly and a pleasant change from quinoa and rice.
What is the difference between whole Buckwheat Groats and Kasha?
Kasha is simply buckwheat that has been toasted.
Kasha Varnishkes is a well known Jewish side dish with the addition of bowtie noodles and slow-cooked onions… delish!
Buckwheat is not related to wheat in any way, but is actually a seeds of a plant.
The seeds are rich in protein and fiber, as well as a variety of antioxidants and other nutrients.
The recipe can also be made Vegan – use your favorite vegan cheese, or simply omit the cheese altogether. I do love the creaminess the goat cheese lends – the perfect texture with the light kasha kernels.
What is Honeynut Squash?
Honeynuts are about 6″ tall, and look almost exactly like a butternut squash but shrunken.
A similar shape to it’s cousin, the butternut squash – averages about half the size and is significantly sweeter.
Nutritionally – it has two to three times more beta-carotene than butternut squash.
(We need vitamin A for good vision and eye health and for a strong immune system.)
Harvested from late September through early October. They store well for about a month in a cool, dry place.
Chef Dan Barber influenced a professor and vegetable breeder from Cornell University to give a try to make butternut squash taste better. These little guys were bred for flavor, and not yield. They have been around since 2015 – I have noticed them to me more prevalent at farmers’ markets… thats a good thing!
The skin is thin and edible!
Enjoy this colorful, nutritious and yummy recipe!
Happy Fall to All,
Karen
*Joe Alvarez, owner of High Ridge Hydroponics in Norwalk, CT has created awesome hydroponic growing systems using high-density, vertical farming methods. His pea shoots are delicious.
Roasted Honeynut Squash Stuffed with a Kasha & Vegetable Pilaf
Ingredients
Roasting Honeynut Squash:
- 2 Honeynut Squash 6" length, average size
- 1 teaspoon neutral oil expeller pressed
- 2 pinches salt & pepper
Kasha Pilaf:
- 3/4 cup buckwheat I use organic
- 3/4 pounds mini colorful peppers stemmed, seeded 1/2" lengths
- 2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil divided
- 3/4 cup red onion peeled 1/3" dice
- 2 teaspoons fresh garlic peeled, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves coarse chop
- 1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves coarse chop
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth I use better than bouillon vegetable base, organic
Add-Ins:
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley coarsely chopped
- 2 ounces goat cheese large chunks
Instructions
Roast the Honeynut Squash:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut squash in half lenghwise, scoop out the seeds. Brush all over with oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Place them cut side down on a baking pan to fit.Cook squash until softened for about 20 minutes (this wiil depend on their size.)
Toast Buckwheat, Roast Peppers
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Toast the buckwheat; spread on a rimmed cookie sheet and shake so they are in a single layer. Toast for 8 minutes until they are a touch golden and have a nutty aroma. At this time - roast the peppers too on a separate pan. Place the peppers on the pan, rub in one teaspoon of evoo, season with a pinch of salt & pepper. Cook for 15 minutes until softened and golden around the edges.
Make the Kasha Pilaf:
- Add 1 teaspoon evoo to a 10" skillet. Raise heat to medium, add the red onion and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary, oregano, sea salt and pepper. Give a big stir and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the toasted buckwheat and the vegetable broth, give a big stir. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cover. Cook for 10 minutes, until the broth is absorbed; fluff with a fork.
- Add the roasted peppers to the kasha pilaf with the chopped parsley, stir in.
- Remove some flesh from the squash with a large spoon to make room for the stuffing. Keep a 1/2 inch border intact. Chop the cooked squash into 1/2 Inch pieces and fold into the kasha pilaf.
- Preheat oven to 375. Fill the Honeynut Squash with the Kasha Pilaf, rounding the tops. (You will have lots of extra pilaf for another night.)Dot the 4 stuffed squashes with the goat cheese and bake for 10 minutes until melted and warmed through.Enjoy!
Notes
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