Gordon Ramsay’s Roasted Squash Houmous

Recipe from gordonramsay.com

Notes

My experience with making this recipe led me to want to include a couple of notes.

  • The spices will take close to 10 minutes over medium heat before the seeds start popping.
  • Peel the garlic first. I don’t understand why he thinks it’s a better idea to fish the garlic peels out of the molten-hot roasted squash.
  • Roasted butternut squash is very sweet, be prepared to add lots of salt and/or lemon to counterbalance the flavor. I juiced 2 small lemons, and I believe more wouldn’t hurt.

Ingredients

Houmous

  • 1 butternut squash, about 850g, peeled, deseeded and cubed
  • 2 garlic cloves, bashed* (see notes above)
  • 3cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
  • Olive oil
  • 1 tbsp tahini
  • 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • Juice of ½ lemon* (see notes above)
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Warmed or griddled pitta bread or flatbread, to serve

Ras el Hanout Spice Blend

  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 tsp cloves
  • 1 tbsp coriander seeds
  • ½ tbsp fenugreek seeds
  • ½ tbsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tbsp mustard seeds
  • ½ tbsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp paprika

Method

Serves 8-10

  1. First make the spice blend. Break the cinnamon stick into pieces. Place in a dry pan with the cloves and seeds, and toast over a medium heat for about 1 minute until aromatic and the seeds are popping (shake the spices in the pan as you heat them to prevent them from burning).* (see notes above)
  2. Once toasted, remove from the heat, and add the paprika. Place in a spice grinder, blender or mortar and grind until the mixture is a powder – sift it if necessary. This spice blend will keep for up to 3 months if stored in an airtight container.
  3. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4.
  4. Make the houmous. In a large bowl mix the cubed squash, garlic cloves* (see notes above) and ginger with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the spice mix. Season with salt and pepper and scatter in a single layer in a roasting tray. Place in the preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes until tender all the way through.
  5. Once the squash is soft, add the contents of the tray to a blender, discarding the garlic skins. Add the tahini, chickpeas and a squeeze of lemon juice along with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary – you might need some extra lemon juice.
  6. Transfer the houmous to a bowl and sprinkle with a little of the spice mix. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with warmed or griddled pitta bread on the side.

Low Country Boil Kabobs

Low Country Boil Kabobs
Everyday Food via Framed Cooks

½ pound baby potatoes
2 ears of corn, cut into 1 inch sections
½ pound cooked andouille sausage, cut into 1 inch rounds
½ pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning

1. Boil potatoes in salted water for about 12 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool slightly.

2. Thread skewers with potatoes, shrimp, corn and sausage.

3. Combine melted butter and Old Bay and brush onto skewers. Grill on medium high for about 5-8 minutes or until shrimp is cooked and corn is lightly charred. Serve immediately.

Pasta Salad Skewers with Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette

Pasta Salad Skewers with Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette
Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen – Ashley Covelli

1 (20-ounce) package refrigerated tortellini (I used a 3 cheese variety)
Extra virgin olive oil
3 bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces (I used orange, yellow and red)
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes (I used a mix of red and orange)
1 (6-ounce) can small pitted black olives, rinsed and drained
1 bunch fresh basil, leaves picked
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1. Cook the pasta: Fill a large pot with salted water and bring to a boil. Cook tortellini according to package instructions (mine took 7-9 minutes). Drain well, return to the pot (off the heat) and toss with a generous amount of oil. Let the pasta cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally to ensure it doesn’t stick together, while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

2. Make the vinaigrette: In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients except oil. Once combined, slowly drizzle in the oil, whisking as you go, until the dressing emulsifies and comes together. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

3. Make the skewers: Thread each skewer with the tortellini, bell peppers, tomatoes, olives and basil leaves. I like to alternate colors of peppers and tomatoes, to keep each skewer colorful. I used 2 tortellini per skewer, but feel free to use as much or as little of each ingredient as you want.

4. Skewers can be made in advance and stored, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Drizzle dressing over skewers, right before serving. Enjoy!