Butternut Squash with Walnuts and Vanilla

I love butternut squash but B doesn't really care for it.  Since it makes a ton of food, I had to wait until we had people coming over to try it.  This recipe is so good and perfect for a Fall night!  I will warn you that peeling a butternut squash is a pain in the neck but it's worth it!

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and flesh cut into about 1" pieces
1 heaping cup of walnuts (I used pecans because that's what I had in the cupboard)
2-3 tbsp butter
2 tsp grated ginger (I used a little cinnamon because I didn't have ginger)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Lemon juice (I used about 1/2 of a lemon)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
Salt & Pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Toss squash with a little olive oil, salt & pepper.  Put in a baking dish and roast for about 20-25 minutes, until tender
Heat a large saute pan and toast nuts for a few minutes, stirring frequently so they don't burn
Remove nuts and set aside.  In the same pan, melt butter and add ginger, vanilla, lemon juice & thyme.  Stir to combine.  Add in nuts and stir again.  Remove heat.
Remove squash from oven and place in large serving bowl.  Drizzle butter & nut mixture over the squash and stir.
Serve immediately.  

French Fries

There is nothing special about this recipe but I had to post it to show off 2 of my new favorite kitchen gadgets!  I saw them advertised at Bed, Bath and Beyond and wanted to try them!

The first is a pyramid pan and it makes your potatoes so crispy!!  I tried just sliced potatoes a couple nights ago then french fries last night.  I'm dying to try other things that usually turn out soggy (like homemade chicken tenders or onion rings!).

The second was critical to making the best shaped french fries ever!  It's a french fry cutter.  I will say this is a little tough to push down through potatoes but it's soooo worth it!  The fries were perfect and tasted great!

Roasted Root Vegetables

I was in the cafe at work a few weeks ago and overheard someone asking if a certain ingredient was parsnips.  I was curious what they even were so I google'd recipes with parsnips and found this one.  Intrigued, I had to try it with my dinner that night!  I had some left over brussel sprouts from the night before so I threw them in too!  The side dish is really nice, colorful and tasted great!  This would be a great Fall dish!

Ingredients:
3 medium carrots, peeled, washed and cut into small bite size pieces
2 medium red potatoes, washed and cut into bite size pieces
1/4 lb brussel sprouts, washed & halved
1 medium parsnip, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
1 medium sweet potato, peeled & cut into bite size pieces
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Dried spices - I used Italian Seasoning
Salt & Pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
In a large bowl, toss vegetables with olive oil, seasoning, salt & pepper
Spread vegetables in a 9x13 pyrex baking dish
Roast in oven for about 40 minutes or until the veggies are tender.  Stir them a couple of times while baking.

Cheese Spaetzle

We had our 2nd annual Blocktoberfest a few weeks ago and I wanted to bring something German.  I found this recipe and thought I'd give it a try.  It was super easy and surprisingly good.  I know it's not good for you but at least it tasted good with the other food!  I'm already signing up to bring this one to Blocktoberfest 3!

Ingredients:
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 c plus 1 tablespoon milk
1/4 c small curd cottage cheese
Kosher Salt & Freshly ground pepper
1 c all purpose flour
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 c creme fraiche
1-1/2 tbsp snipped chives

Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the milk, cottage cheese, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Stir in the flour until a smooth, thick, sticky batter forms.
Spoon the batter into a colander with 1/4-inch holes. Set or hold the colander 1 inch above the boiling water and scrape the batter through the holes, using a rubber spatula. Stir the spaetzle once or twice to separate them. As soon as they rise to the surface, use a slotted spoon to transfer the spaetzle to a clean colander and drain well.
Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet. Add the boiled spaetzle and cook them over moderately high heat, stirring and shaking the skillet occasionally, until the spaetzle are browned and crisp in spots, about 5 minutes. Add the creme fraiche and snipped chives, reduce the heat to moderately low and cook, stirring, until the sauce is creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Season the spaetzle with salt and pepper and serve right away.

MAKE AHEAD The boiled cheese spaetzle can be covered in plastic wrap and kept at room temperature for up to 2 hours before sautéing.