Monday, September 15, 2008

Roasted Butternut Squash with Corn

i blogged a little while ago about a Nando's side dish that I wanted to recreate-- a tasty butternut squash dish. since then i've tried to make it twice, each a little different. it's not exactly the same, but quite good! i use nando's sauces to spice up and add a bit more flavor, but you can also leave them out or sub a few other ingredients (or your own favorite hot sauce). i've added some suggestions for subs in the end. the recipe is quite simple to make and can be a main or side dish.



Roasted Butternut Squash with Corn

1 2 lb. butternut squash, peeled
1 large red onion, chopped (about 1.5 cups)
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic peri-peri sauce
1 tsp wild-herb peri-peri sauce
1 Tbsp sea salt
1.5 cups frozen corn (roasted if you like) or 1 cup fresh
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/4 cup organic dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped organic cilantro

-preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
-chop the butternut into pieces (about 4" x 3" pieces- the smaller they are the faster they will cook) and place inside down on a baking tray. you can lightly toss the pieces in olive oil or coconut oil and a bit of salt before baking if you choose.
-bake the squash until soft (mine took approx. 15 minutes, but check after 10).
-meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a pot and sautee the onion.
-add the corn, hot sauces, salt, and cayenne to the onions and stir for a minute or so. if using fresh corn let it cook for a bit.
-add the cranberries and stir until the corn is heated through.
-chop the squash into cubes and add to the onion mixture. continue to stir the mixture for a few minutes for the flavors to blend. i like there to still be some cubes left, but also a mashed consistency--the more you mix it the more mashed it will become. remove from heat
-add chopped cilantro to taste.

**notes:
- in the picture below, i made this dish with organic bison sausage chopped up and cooked with the onions. you can also add some grilled chicken if you would like more protein in the dish.
-if you don't have the nando's sauces, you can either leave them out, add your own smoky hot sauce, or probably a mixture of vinegar, herbs, garlic, lemon, agave, and some heat
-i've made this with sweet potato as well and added a dash of cinnamon in for some more added flavor

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25 comments:

  1. did i tell you i LOOOOOVE nandos? and i LOOOOOOVE you?

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  2. What is all this peri-peri business? Is it a sauce?

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  3. amy-ditto on both :)

    elizabeth- peri-peri is a type of pepper that i believe, is only grown in south africa. it has a unique flavor that is fantastic-- nando's and a few other companies sell peri-peri sauces in various temperatures and flavors. they're great for marinades or just to add a little extra flavor/heat to dishes. when you come to d.c. to visit i'll take you to nando's :)

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  4. ooo--this looks wonderful --will try it for sure--and so is your blog! (i'm wheat free too!)
    am so glad it's pumpkin season! last night we roasted a delicata squash, drizzled it with honey and sprinkled some fresh mint in the end and mmmmm...so good!

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  5. thanks for stopping by bonbon, your squash sounds fantastic! keeping it simple sometimes really just brings out the flavors... i'll have to try yours too :)

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  6. Your blog is really lovely, Noosh! The pictures are gorgeous. I marked two recipes to try, the pie and the bread. Thanks for the links!

    Love, Wardeh
    at GNOWFGLINS™

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  7. thank you so much for your kind words Wardeh! hope you come back to visit and let me know how the recipes turn out :)

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  8. ooooooooooo your food looks so scrumptious nooshin!!! can you please come cook for me?? pretty please?

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  9. thanks for the recipe -- been googling all over for this! in the end I typed in all the ingredients I could remember and ended up on your blog. Keep up the good work!

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  10. glad you found it kash! i love this dish!

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  11. Hi! Just stopping by because I found this in a google search. I was planning on making this side dish for Thanksgiving dinner since I have a Nando's addiction that I must share with the world. Thank you for figuring out the recipe! Can't wait to try it.

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  12. I just finished making this for dinner, but I only had raw corn on the cob, so I cooked it with the butternut squash. I also had no dried cranberries, and used rasins instead. It came out delicious! Thanks for the great recipe!

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  13. Thank you so much for sharing this! Just got back to Connecticut after spending two days in DC and both days I ate at Nando's. Just couldn't eat anything else. Delicious food, good service, affordable... All around a great experience!

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  14. Oh my goodness I just had this twice when I was in D.C. and am so glad you recreated it. Thank you. Can't wait to try the recipe.

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  15. My 1st experience with Nando's was in South Africa, when I found out a place opened up in Ashburn, I was so EXCITED!!! I try to ONLY go once every other week. lol But that Butternut Squash is to die for!!! Thanks for the recipe, I will try it and put it on my Thanksgiving Dinner list for sure!

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  16. thanks for this....right on time. I'm picking up the sauces today. :)

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  17. 3 Researches SHOW How Coconut Oil Kills Belly Fat.

    The meaning of this is that you literally get rid of fat by consuming Coconut Fats (in addition to coconut milk, coconut cream and coconut oil).

    These 3 studies from big medical journals are sure to turn the conventional nutrition world around!

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  18. It’s funny cause I think people believe that just cause we’re food bloggers means that we have all of the time in the world to cook dinner. I find myself scrambling every single night! These recipes are awesome and will be a total life-saver! Techlazy.com Crazyask.com Howmate.com

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  19. I make something very similar and freeze it. The trick is to reheat it in the oven and not the microwave (which makes it weird and soggy).UpdateLand

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  20. This is an excellent list! I will be making a lot of these 🙂 I’ve done some already! Homemade always tastes better.
    Joseph Donahue

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  21. I'm excited to try new recipes in my slow cooker this Fall. I love how the sweet potatoes collapse a bit into the stew in this recipe. I'm bookmarking.
    Joseph Donahue

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  22. Just tried this and it came out beautifully. I never loved spaghetti squash until finding this recipe…I’m now hooked and will be adding this into my meal plan a lot more. Thank you so much!
    Kelly Hubbard

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  23. I just made this recipe almost to a T. I added scorpion pepper sauce to the spicy miso paste for some serious heat. It’s fabulous! The notes for the recipe are right on the money! The egg was perfect (I’ve never made a soft boiled egg but I love them so much)! I also used dried mushrooms and low sodium veggie stock. I live in Japan and this was better than any I’ve had here. I’m hooked.
    Holly Hooper

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  24. I make something very similar and freeze it. The trick is to reheat it in the oven and not the microwave (which makes it weird and soggy).
    Jayme Silvestri

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  25. These turned out absolutely stunning! I love them and I'll bet these were completely delicious.
    Paul Brown

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