Fall is for gourds! While we do live in a day and age where you can get squash all year round, it is a fall harvest and I very much enjoy the seasonal harvest. And it truly isn't the changing of the season without something cinnamon-spiced. I ended up making squash lentils with roasted butternut squash and squash seeds with a blend of cinnamon, cayenne, ginger, mustard, and habaneros. But it was a bit of a process to come up with this delectable concoction.
I started out kind of craving stuffing. Which is bizarre for me because I don't usually eat stuffing during the holidays. I don't tend to eat meat, so anything stuffed inside of a dead turkey doesn't quite sound appetizing!
It also tends to come out of a box, which, while convenient sometimes, doesn't really count as cooking!
And it has far too much bread! Not that I dislike bread, but I do tend to dislike soggy bread... and croutons. I'm not entirely sure whether stuffing bread is supposed to be hard or soft? But drying out bread until it's hard and then soaking and rebaking it? I just do not understand the appeal!
Nevertheless, I am craving stuffing.
Maybe it's the unseasonably nice weather that we've been having that's making me hope for any hint of fall and the upcoming holiday season? Whatever the reason, I want stuffing! That doesn't come out of a box or basted in meat juice or consist entirely of leftover bread.
My first thought was lentils. A lot of vegan stuffings are made out out lentils and some varieties tend to hold their shape well when cooked. My next thought was maybe apples? To get some of that sweetness in. But they don't tend to keep their shape well when cooked and I think that then we're right back into soggy bread territory. So, I decided to roast some squash and add a habanero just for kicks!
In the end, I'm incredibly happy with the result! This sweet and savory dish has all of the taste of fall, without all of the pitfalls! With both roasted squash and roasted squash seeds, it has a nice crunch and is absolutely the perfect start to the holiday season.
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Variations of Squash Lentils
Squash has been one of my staple foods this season. As the summer turns into fall and squash is in season, I'm putting it in everything from lentils to rice and
Add a touch of fall to your menu with this recipe. I modeled this recipe off of the vague idea that I wanted to make some kind of vegan stuffing and ended up with a delicious combination of lentils, roasted butternut squash, shallots, habaneros, cumin, nutmeg, ginger, and mustard seed. It's great for both the holidays and any occasion during squash season.
I used Roasted Garlic in this recipe. You can easily substitute 2 cloves of unroasted garlic. Otherwise, this recipe simply calls for garlic and oil, a garlic roaster or aluminum foil, and takes about an hour.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cut butternut squash in half and peel the skin. I use a potato peeler, but you can easily use a paring knife or your usual peeling technique.You will only need half a squash for this recipe. You can go ahead and roast all of it if you like, but make sure to halve it before adding to the lentils!If you're only using half of the squash, it doesn't matter whether you cut it lengthwise or widthwise. You will need the seeds, though, so make sure to use the bottom half with the seeds! After cutting and peeling, you will need to cut in half again to get at the seeds.
Using a spoon, scoop out the innards to remove all of the seeds and stringy pieces. Reserve the seeds.The "guts" are still edible, but can be texturally unpleasant. I will usually keep them to puree into soup or pet food. However, most people will discard them! Just make sure not to toss any seeds! You will still need those.
Once you've cut, peeled, and removed the innards from the squash, cut into 1/2 inch cubes.I usually do this by cutting 1/2 inch strips into the squash and then cutting each of those into squares. However you achieve 1/2 inch cubes, though, is just fine!
Place the squash cubes evenly across a baking sheet and gently coat with an even amount of olive oil, salt, pepper, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, ginger, and mustard powder. Make sure to turn the squash cubes in order to coat all sides.I don't necessarily measure when I do this. I more just shake out of the container until each spice is evenly dispersed. If I had to guess, I'd say that I use about 1/4 teaspoon of each. You're not basting here, you're just adding a subtle flavor to the squash! Just make sure that you don't overdo it in one area. My ginger has been clumping slightly and came out a little quickly. If you're concerned about this, you can always measure out 1/4 teaspoon of each spice, mix in a small bowl, and then dust on top.
Roast squash at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Make sure to stir or flip the squash cubes halfway through to get an even cook on all sides.
Roast Squash Seeds
While the squash is cooking, separate the squash seeds from the innards.This can be kind of tedious, but stick with it. Although the innards are edible, they aren't quite as appetizing as the seeds! This is also why you don't need to wash or dry the seeds, though. Some people insist on doing this and it's entirely unnecessary.
Add seeds to a bowl and sprinkle with olive oil, salt, and pepper.You want just enough oil to coat them, but not drown them. You're roasting, not deep frying here!
Spread across a baking sheet so that the seeds aren't touching too much.I will pat my fingers across the seeds to rapidly separate them. It's almost like trying to flatten the pile. The seeds will just slide away from one another. It's alright if they're touching, just not on top of one another.
With the oven still at 400 degrees, roast the seeds for 6-8 minutes, or until just golden brown.Be careful not to overcook! There's about a 30 second difference between perfect and burned. It's better to slightly undercook because they will continue to roast a little while cooling.
Remove from the oven and immediately the seeds or remove from the baking sheet entirely to let cool.
Cook Lentils
Mince the shallots and habanero.
Add all of the ingredients into a rice cooker (lentils, shallots, habaneros, cumin, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and water).
Press the cook button on the rice cooker. While lentils aren't rice, it does cook the same and oftentimes better than rice in a rice cooker. It typically takes 30-45 minutes.Alternatively you can simmer on the stove. Add all of the ingredients to a pot, bring uncovered to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, and cook for about 15 minutes, or until tender. Stir occasionally and test often. Turn off heat, add lid, and let sit another 5-10 minutes.
When the lentils is fully cooked, fluff with a wooden spoon and serve. Do not use a fork or other metal utensil. It will scratch off the nonstick surface on the rice cooker. This will leach teflon into your food and cause future dishes to stick to the bottom!
Add squash and seeds to the lentils and stir to combine.
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
In the photos, you may notice that I'm using cast iron to roast my squash and seeds. This isn't necessary. Any baking sheets will do just fine! I just predominantly cook with cast iron, so they're making an unnecessary cameo here.
Any firm lentil, or even other grain or legume, like quinoa or rice, would substitute in this recipe without changing the ratio.
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