Butternut Squash Quesadilla with Avocado Cream

I am a die hard fan of Cactus Restaurant's butternut squash enchilada.  Its so rich and creamy and very filling.  Plus, it has some goat cheese mixed in which is a bonus!  I stumbled across a quesadilla recipe last week and it looked delicious, fairly basic and a close resemblance to Cactus' specialty enchilada.

I made some tweaks to the recipe to make it my own, and am proud to say I now have an easy homemade version of one of my favorite enchiladas... in quesadilla form!

Cube about two cups of butternut squash and toss with a couple tablespoons of olive oil, two teaspoons ground cumin and a dash of salt and pepper.  Roast in the oven at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.  As a real time saver, buy a package of frozen butternut squash. Whole Foods sells frozen, cubed butternut squash and the package contains 2 cups! Perfect!  And this is usually less expensive than buying a whole squash that you then have to peel, seed and cube.

While the squash is roasting, combine one small container of plain nonfat Greek yogurt with a mashed avocado and juice from one lime (a couple tablespoons worth).  Mix well and set aside.  

*I used one 6oz container of nonfat, plain Greek yogurt and this made plenty of sauce.

When the squash is ready, heat a pan on the stove to medium.  Add a dash of olive oil to the pan and let warm up.  Take three large tortillas and cover each with about 1/3 cup goat cheese. 

One at a time, place the tortilla in the pan to warm and brown.  On one half of the tortilla, sprinkle with 1/4-1/3 cup of drained and rinsed black beans, a handful of baby spinach, and one third of the squash.  Fold over tortilla and let heat up and brown.  Flip to brown both sides evenly.

Remove from pan and cut in to wedges.  Serve with a dollop of avocado sauce and a sprinkling of chopped cilantro (cilantro is optional).  Enjoy!  And don't be fooled by what seem like a small portion, these are pretty filling and rich. Serve alongside some Mexican rice and slices of watermelon for a more filling and refreshing meal.

Jodi's Butternut Squash Quesadilla with Avocado Cream

3 large tortillas

2 c. cubed butternut squash (can use frozen, cubed squash)

1 c. goat cheese (I buy ours from Costco... two huge logs of it. Heaven...)

1 can black beans, rinsed/drained

3 handfuls of baby spinach

1 avocado

1 6-8oz container of plain nonfat Greek yogurt

1 lime, juiced

2 tsp ground cumin

olive oil

salt and pepper

cilantro, optional

Seared Sea Scallops with Butternut Squash Puree

I saw this recipe weeks ago and my mouth started to water.  Seared sea scallops over one of my favorite foods?  Yum.  Ironically, I had almost the same dish at the chic Chez Shea in Seattle a few weeks back.  But, now I had a recipe to try in my own kitchen.  It did not disappoint, and both Tony and my mom couldn't stop raving about it either.  I can't wait to make this again!

The scallops searing in a very hot pan.  Don't over cook these puppies; about 90 seconds a side.  They're too expensive and too tasty to ruin with a fear of undercooked seafood.  I do recommend you buy sashimi grade scallops, which are more expensive, but also more tasty.

Here the sage butter is browning with the shallot, sage and lemon juice.

The finished product.  A bed of creamy squash topped with hot, seared scallops draped in warm sage butter.  Every bite was unbelievable.  I served with a side of roasted asparagus and fresh baked bread.

Seared Scallops with Butternut Squash and Sage Butter, courtesy of America's Test Kitchen

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut in to 1" chunks

1 Tbsp half and half

4 Tbsp unsalted butter

Salt & pepper

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (I didn't use)

1 1/2 lbs large sea scallops

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 shallot, minced

2 tsp minced fresh sage and 8 whole sage leaves

1 Tbsp lemon juice

Cube squash and toss with a bit of olive oil.  Place on a cookie sheet and roast until tender.  Transfer to a food processor.  Add half and half, 1 Tbsp butter, 1/2 tsp salt, cayenne and puree until smooth.  Set aside and keep warm.

Pat scallops dry and season with salt and pepper.  Heat 1 Tbsp oil in large nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add scallops and cook, without moving them, until well browned - only 90-120 seconds.  Flip scallops and cook until sides are firm and centers opaque, about 30-90 seconds.  Move scallops to a plate and loosely tent with foil. 

Heat remaining butter over medium heat and stir constantly until butter has nutty aroma, about 1 minute. Add shallot, minced sage, and sage leaves and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir in lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. 

Dollop a serving of squash on each plate and then top with scallops.  Pour the sage butter over scallops and serve immediately.

Pasta with Squash and Pancetta

Need a super tasty and fairy easy dinner?  Try this pasta recipe!  I am such a huge fan of squash and anything from the bacon family.  This will easily serve two adults and two kids, with side salads, bread, and fruit.

1 package cut up butternut squash from Trader Joe's, cut each cube in half (or whole squash cut in small cubes)

6 strips of pancetta or proscuitto (or even bacon!)

10 oz fusilli pasta

2 garlic cloves, chopped fine

1/2 c. whole milk or heavy cream

1/4 c. grated parmesan, plus more for serving

Coarse salt and ground pepper

Cook pasta and drain, but reserve about 1 cup of pasta water.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium heat.  Add pancetta (or bacon...) and cook until lightly browned and semi-crisp, 3-5min.  Transfer to plate lined with paper towel and leave fat in skillet.


Add squash and garlic to fat in skillet over medium heat and season with some salt and pepper.  Cover skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until squash begins to soften, 5 to 7 minutes. Uncover skillet, and continue to cook until squash is tender, 2 to 3 minutes more.

 

Add milk (or cream) and cooked pasta to skillet.  Mix well and cook until the sauce begins to thicken.

Remove skillet from heat and mix in cheese. Add enough reserved pasta water to create a sauce that coats pasta. Mix in the pancetta and after placing on individual plates sprinkle with a bit more cheese.