I think one of the most delicious ways to serve acorn squash is with mostarda and taleggio cheese. (I did this before to top a pizza I made) I got the idea when I read about mostarda from www.LaCucinaItaliana.com when I was trying to learn about taleggio pairings. In www.LaCucinaItaliana.com they said Italians most often pair taleggio cheese with mostarda. Incase you didn’t know…… mostarda is a spicy and sweet, mustardy North Italian Condiment. It is usually but NOT ALWAYS made with candied fruit and mustard syrup……BUT…..one of the 6 varieties of mostarda is made with squash. So what I did here might be considered a deconstructed squash mostarda because I made mustard syrup and squash.

ANYWAYS….This squash taste really great with this mostarda syrup and taleggio cheese. Serving size is difficult to judge because all acorn squash are different in size. Usually a person eats about half an acorn squash so I figure 4 servings because I am using two smaller-medium sized acorn squash.

Ingredients for around 4 servings.

2 acorn squash – washed

2 medium red onions sliced extra thin

non stick spray

sea salt – to taste

ground black pepper – to taste

2 Tablespoons olive oil – (That is a guesstimate. I didn’t measure I lightly sprayed the tops of the squash and onions with it)

1 cup sugar

1 large juicy lemon – the fresh juice and all the zest

2 Tablespoons mustard powder

1 Tablespoon dijon – or to taste….. Every mustard is different

2 Tablespoons old style whole grain mustard – or to taste…every mustard is different

1 small Calabrian chili – crumbled

8 oz taleggio cheese – (or maybe a bit more if you like lots of cheese) cut in slices (thin side..)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F

The squash go in to get softened so you can cut them. They go in on sheet pans for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes take the squash out and let them cool. While they are cooling make the mostarda.

In a small mixing bowl combine the sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, dry mustard, mustards, Calabrian chili.

When the squash are cool enough for you to handle slice them up in rings around 1- 1+1/2 inch thick and scrap out membranes and seeds. You might end up cutting off a little end so the squash can lay flat.

Spray the sheet pans with non stick spray. Arrange the acorn squash rings. Stuff them with the sliced onions. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Pour the mostarda over the stuffed, seasoned squash slices. (keep in mind that the sauce will caramelize and what you spill on the pan will burn)

Place in oven around 30 minutes or until slightly browned and fork tender.

Dress what you are serving now with sliced cheese and this goes back in the oven for around 9 minutes.

Second time I served without the squash skin and added toasted nuts and it was extra delicious this way.

It’s really easy and comes out FORKING DELICIOUS!

ENJOY!

This recipe is a variation of another recipe that I did from chef Pollyanna Coupland. Her recipe was called Roast CauliflowerRecipe with Smoked Cheese Sauce. She had this brilliant way of seasoning the cauliflower with lemon, oil, little dijon, and a little thyme. This goes magically well with the smoked cheese sauce and some sort of pickled vegetable.

This time I didn’t have leeks so I thought my pickled onions would work here. I also make my own cheese sauces because I put a lot of cheese in them and my sauces never break or taste floury. My trick is to always make cheese sauces with corn starch. My other trick is to add as little fat as reasonably possible because I want most of the fat in my sauce to come from cheese. I also use fat free milk. This recipe can take two days to prepare because I like to make anything pickled at least one day before. Serving size is difficult to judge because I don’t know if you want a small side order or a large serving. I’m going to guesstimate this up to 6 servings.

Ingredients for around 6 servings

1 red onion – sliced thin (preferably on a mandolin)

1 cup white vinegar

1 Tablespoon kosher salt

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds

2 sprigs thyme

1 cauliflower – break down into florets

1 1/2 lbs carrots – you can cut them however you like it really doesn’t matter but the cook time will differ.

4 pinches of dried thyme

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 large juicy lemon – you need the juice and zest

4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

sea salt to taste

ground black pepper to taste

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil – About the amount of oil I sprayed on the nuts

1/4 cup pepitas

1/4 cup sliced almonds

2 cups fat free milk

2 Tablespoons sweet butter

1/4 cup corn starch

9 oz mature cheddar cheese – shredded

4 1/2 oz munster cheese – shredded

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

hot sauce to taste – (I used Frank’s Red Hot Sauce didn’t measure but it might have been 2 Tablespoons)

liquid smoke to taste – (didn’t use much somewhere between 1/4 teaspoon – 1/2 a teaspoon so do a 1/4 first and then decide if you need more)

1/4 cup chives or scallions – chopped for finishing

Directions

Make the pickled onions. Bring to boil the vinegar, salt, bay leaf, peppercorns, mustard seeds, and thyme sprigs. Reduce to simmer for ten minutes. Take off heat. Pour the hot liquid over the red onions. Leave out till it is room temperature and then refrigerate.

Preheat you oven to 375 F degrees.

In a large mixing bowl combine the dried thyme, dijon mustard, lemon juice and lemon zest, and oil and mix well. Reserve around 1/2 the liquid. Mix the carrots in around 1/2 of the liquid and place them on a sheet tray. Cover the tray of carrots and put them on the lower rack. Now mix the cauliflower florets in the same large bowl adding the reserved liquid. Mix them around and place them in a single layer on a sheet tray (do not cover this one) . Timing will differ mostly due to cut on vegetable. Uncover the carrots at 30 minutes if you want to brown them a little. Leave the carrots in the oven till they are cooked all the way threw by testing with a fork. My cauliflower took 35 minutes. My carrots took a little longer. I lightly salted mine with my home made smoked pecan sea salt and a little fresh ground black pepper.

When your carrots come out you can toast the nuts. Put the almonds and pepitas on a sheet tray and spray them with oil. I put mine on the lower rack and mine took around ten minutes to get a nice light brown color.

Make the cheese sauce. Put a pot on medium high heat and melt the butter. Mix together with a whisk the milk, and corn starch. Add that to the butter. Cook until thickened and make sure that this bubbles so you know that it is cooked. Mix in the dijon, nutmeg, white pepper, smoked paprika and turn down the heat to medium low. Stir in the cheese. Keep stirring so the sauce stays smooth. Add hot sauce and liquid smoke to taste.

Arrange and serve.

Cauliflower, carrots, go on the plate. Top with cheese sauce, pickled onions, toasted nuts and some chives or scallions.

Enjoy!!!!

A Special THANKS to chef Pollyanna Copeland for her Amazing recipe so I could do what I got here!

Ground Turkey was on sale at Fry’s so between that, this spiffy bottle of Moroccan Cured Olives (I found at Walmart Grocery) and other things I had around the kitchen I came up with Moroccan Style Meatballs today! They are easy to make but I made them with a lot of ingredients that you might not have like bulgar. For me this made 10 smaller servings or 45 smaller meatballs. I’ll say 8 servings because most people do want bigger portions than me. The harissa recipe may be or may not be enough sauce for all your meatballs and you might want to make extra. Usually you don’t need to use much because that sauce is so flavorful.

Ingredients for around 8 servings.

2 large red peppers – broiled till black on all sides or blackened on a grill, stem, skin & seeds removed – chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves – ground to paste

1-3 hot red peppers -chopped – to taste (I used two Fresnos that are hotter than red jalapeños)

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 small-medium lemon or 1/2 a large – just the fresh squeezed juice

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon sea salt (I used homemade smoked sea salt)

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper

1 lb ground turkey (I used 85% lean)

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 red bell pepper – remove core, stem, and seeds – fine chop

1 small red onion – remove skin and fine chop

1 inch grated ginger

4 garlic cloves – ground to paste

1 jalapeño – remove stem and core – fine chop

15 Moroccan cured olives (I found them at Walmart Grocery) remove pits and fine chop

1/2 cup bulgur

1 cup water

1 Tablespoon lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 Tablespoon vegetable soup base (this is instead of salt and is healthier with less sodium and also give more flavor…I used Better Than Bouillon Brand)

1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped – (leaves and fine stems) + plus a little extra for finishing

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

2 eggs – lightly beaten

1/2 cup whole wheat panko

non-stick spray

Directions

Make the Harissa Vinaigrette. Blend together the first 12 ingredients. (bell peppers, cumin, caraway, oil, garlic, hot pepper(s), tomato paste, lemon juice, vinegar, sea salt, black pepper, and Aleppo pepper). Taste and adjust if necessary.

You need to cook the bulgur. You can microwave the bulgur with the water in a microwavable container. In my microwave it takes 9 minutes. Or you can do it on the stove top if you prefer.

Put a large fry pan on medium high heat and add the oil. When hot add the bell peppers, onions, jalapeño, hot red pepper, ginger, garlic, and tomato paste. Stir it around a bit. Cook til the onions look transparent and the peppers are soft and then take off heat.

When your bulgur and the vegetables that you just cooked cool down to room temperature you can continue with the rest.

Set oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a couple sheet trays with non stick spray.

In a large mixing bowl combine the bulgur, vegetables that you have just cooked (bell peppers, jalapeño, onions, hot red pepper, ginger, garlic, tomato paste) also add the remaining ingredients – ground turkey, olives, lemon zest, turmeric, cumin, soup base, 1/2 cup cilantro, eggs, and panko. Mix well and let this sit around ten minutes.

Before you make the meatballs it always is a good idea to do one tester ball because there are a lot of vegetables here that might differ in size and your batch of meatballs might come out more moist or more dry than mine and you might need to adjust slightly. (more moist add a few tablespoons panko…too dry add a tablespoon or two water or stock.

When you’er ready use a small scooper and space out your meatballs a little so they can get heated up all around each ball. If you used a small scooper they will take 15-20 minutes in the oven. If your scooper was bigger than mine they will take slightly longer.

Serve the Moroccan Style Meatballs with the Harissa vinaigrette. Top with a little fresh cilantro. You might want to add some high quality feta cheese. Couscous, freekah, bulgur, rice, lentils, or chickpeas would go well with this dish.

Enjoy!