Stuffed Delicata Squash, Paleo / Vegetarian Style

I’d say this half is two servings, very filling with all the included potato.

What’s good about delicata squash:

The skin is edible.   

It is easy to prepare and there is very little waste.  

You can go with just about anything (that’s also edible) to stuff it with.  

No, you don’t even need to stuff these for them to be wonderful all on their ownsome.  

Slice open, remove seeds and stringy stuff. I used a serving spoon to scrape them all out.

It may be less hardy for storage than the squashes with hard inedible skins/shells, but it’s still my hands-down favorite squash.  (However, I have been able to store some for 3 months.)  Tasty, easy to work with, little waste!  I’ll admit that summer squashes aren’t my favorite, not so tasty but — they’ll do, until autumn starts ringing the doorbell…

Shred up the cabbage and…

 

In this case, I chose to look around the kitchen and pantry, to decide what was here and available to stuff this lovely squash with.  YMMV.  It is wonderful to adapt!

… chop into smaller bits.

A little Thai pepper provides a little punch (remove the seeds unless you want that big punch!)

As per usual, I like to make extra stuffing than the cavity to be stuffed will need.  Gives me options, and in this case licking the spoon was a treat.

Ready for that oven! Overstuffed and lovely!

Prep Time: 25 min (most can be done while the potatoes simmer) 
Cook Time: 25 min (potatoes) + 45 min (roasting)
Rest Time: 5 minutes if that. 
Serves:  4
Leftovers: Yes, store in fridge and nuke to re-heat.  You could re-heat in oven as well.
Cuisine:  Personal invention.

• 1 delicata squash (about  14 ounces / 400 grams) , sliced in half longitudinally).  De-seed.  (Save the seeds… see at end of the recipe.)
• 2-3 Yukon gold potatoes (about 14 ounces / 400 grams).  Peeling is optional, but remove any bad spots or buds.  I prefer to keep skin on my Yukons.  If you use Russets, I’d remove the papery skin.  Yes, use whatever potato you like or have.  Just love proselytizing my taste & texture fave Yukons whenever I can!!   Sweet potatoes are also an option.
• 2 tablespoons butter (or ghee, or olive oil).
• 4 ounces / 115 grams green or Savoy cabbage, shredded, then chopped.  
• 1 Persimmon  (or, pear), diced.  Yes, there will be a different flavor profile, but one will be more likely to find pears than persimmons.  Either will be good.
• 4 ounces / 115 grams onion, diced.
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced.  
• Optional Thai pepper, de-seeded and chopped.
• Heaping 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme.
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ancho pepper
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.  

Preheat oven to 350 F/180 C.

Simmer or steam the potato(es), while prepping up the rest of the mise en place.  About 25 minutes.  This will go faster if you quarter your potatoes.

Slice the delicata squash in half, longitudinally.  Remove seeds and connective threads, reserve for other ideas (which I will post about down the road).

Roast the garlic in the oven at 425 F for 20 minutes OR simply dice it and add it to the skillet with the onion at the END of the onion sautéing time.  Don’t forget to reduce the cook temp of the oven to 350 when this is done, if you choose to roast the garlic.

Sauté in a small skillet the onion until it becomes translucent, or if you have time, until it browns.  (Add in the garlic about a minute or so before the onion is done to your liking.)  Swish this around occasionally while the onion is cooking, but you can focus on the rest of the prep.

Remove potatoes from simmering pot, and mash, combining in the butter/ghee/olive oil of your choice.  You can mash to utter smoothness, or leave some textural lumps.

Mix everything together in a suitable container (well, not the squash).

Taste, and when satisfied, stuff the delicata halves to overflowing.  Any extras are good for snacking.

Bake in your oven for 35-40 minutes, until the squash shell is soft and yielding when pierced with a fork.

With potato, cabbage, onion, persimmon, ancho chili, thyme, ONE Thai pepper.

 

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This recipe is enjoying the weekend down in Connecticut (simply because I brought some leftovers of it to re-heat) while I work on nuking my old home.  Not quite a party, but necessary…

At any rate, it’s also being shared with:

Fiesta Friday, with this week’s co-hosts  Judi @ cookingwithauntjuju.com and Alex @ Turks Who Eat; and with What’s for Supper – Sunday Link Up, and, with Blurred Living Link Up, and last, but not least, Full Plate Thursday!  

 

 

 

 

 

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