Butternut Squash Mashup

I love the flavor of squash and sage. It's just such a classic flavor combination and it really goes well together. I served this side with my Pan Seared Sage Chicken. The smooth creamy texture of butternut squash makes it a great dish to serve in place of mashed potatoes. Lola totally loved it and was even asking for seconds. But then again, she's not a normal 2 year old... haha

Butternut Squash Mashup
Makes: 6 servings

1 large butternut squash
1/2 large yellow onion, diced into 1/2" dice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp rubbed sage
1 tbsp butter or butter substitute
pinch of salt

• Cut the butternut squash in half length-wise. You should be very careful during this step. Butternut squash is a very hard vegetable and you need a very sharp knife to be able to cut it. See my post about Knife Skills if you haven't already.
• Scoop out the seeds with a spoon, making sure that you've removed all of the stringy pulp as well.
• Place the two cut pieces on a baking sheet, cut side down.
• Bake at 400° F for 30 minutes.
• Take out of the oven, flip the pieces over so that they are now cut side up, and bake for another 20 - 30 minutes until the squash is very tender and a fork is easily inserted into the thickest part. The squash will be a nice caramelized dark brown color around the edges.

  

• While the squash is baking in the oven, cook the onions and garlic. Add the olive oil, onions, and garlic to a skillet over medium-medium low heat. Cook until the onions are tender and translucent, about 12 - 15 minutes.
• Remove the onions and garlic from the heat and stir in the rubbed sage. Set aside.
• Once the squash is cooked, remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes until it is easier to handle.
• Scoop out the flesh with a spoon and transfer to a bowl*. The squash will still be a bit hot so it may help to wear an oven mitt to make it easier to scoop out.
• Once all of the flesh has been scooped out and placed into the bowl, add the onion mixture. Then mash with a potato masher.
• Once the squash has been mashed to the desired texture, add the butter and salt and stir until the butter is completely melted.
• Serve as a vegetable side or in place of mashed potatoes.

*Most fruits and vegetables store a lot of nutrients in their skin. By cooking the squash in its skin, it enables us to capture some of those great nutrients. When you're scooping the flesh out of the squash, be sure to really scrape the skin with your spoon to get as close to the skin as you can, extracting as much nutrients as you can.

Pan Seared Sage Chicken

I've been on a big sage kick lately. I have no idea why. I guess it just "feels" right with how cold it's been lately. I made this chicken dish to go along with the Butternut Squash Mashup that I made. One thing that I like to do is keep a common theme in my meal. Since I used sage in the butternut squash, I figured I would add it to the chicken too. It turned out really well. I hope you like it.

Pan Seared Sage Chicken
Makes: 4 servings

Pasta:
1/2 lb penne or other tube pasta
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter or butter substitute
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp rubbed sage

Chicken:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp rubbed sage

Make the pasta:

• Boil the pasta for 11 - 12 minutes until al dente. Make sure to salt the water really well.
• While the pasta is cooking, saute the garlic over medium heat until the garlic becomes fragrant and starts to soften. Remove from the heat.
• Strain the pasta then add to the garlic butter. Add the sage then toss together.

Make the chicken:

  

• While the pasta is cooking, make the chicken.
• Cut each chicken breast in half length-wise so that you have 4 thin pieces of chicken.
• Combine the seasoned salt and sage. Sprinkle the mixture over both sides of each piece of chicken.
• Spray a thin layer of non-stick cooking spray into a skillet. Heat over medium until hot.
• Add the chicken breasts to the skillet and cook for 3 - 4 minutes on each side until fully cooked and no longer pink.
• You can serve the chicken whole or cut into thin strips. Serve over top of pasta.

Apple Sage Pork Chops

Cold weather calls for comfort food. Apple sage pork chops are really great comfort food without being too terribly indulgent. This is also a quick weeknight meal to add to your repertoire, especially if you've been stuck in a rut lately. So, if your family is begging you to make anything but spaghetti, give this one a try!

Apple Sage Pork Chops
5 boneless center cut pork chops
2 tsp rubbed sage
2 apples (I used fuji but you could also use golden delicious, granny smith, or any other good baking apple)
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper (to taste)

• Peel, core, and slice the apples. Toss with 1 tsp of sage.
• Trim any excess fat off the pork chops. Sprinkle the remaining sage, salt, and pepper on both sides of each pork chop. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 425° F.
• Heat an oven proof skillet over medium high heat. Once the pan is extremely hot, add 1 tbsp of olive oil then add the pork chops to the pan. Sear for about 1 - 2 minutes on each side until they are brown. The pork chops will still be raw in the middle.
• Remove the pork chops from the pan and set aside.
• Add the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil to the pan. Add the apples and toss until the apples begin to soften.
• Remove the pan from the heat. Place the pork chops on top of the apples, then place the entire thing in the oven to finish cooking.
• Bake for 10 minutes until the juices are clear and the pork chops are no longer pink in the center.
• Remove the pan from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

You can serve this with roasted potatoes, rice, couscous, quinoa, or even a nice crusty bread.