Roasted Butternut Squash With Tahini Recipes

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH TAHINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 475°F.
• Put squash and onion in a large mixing bowl.
• Add 3 Tbsp of the organic light tasting extra virgin olive oil, 1 sea salt, and a bit of black pepper, to taste. Toss well.
• Spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Roast in oven for 30-35 minutes or until vegetables start to turn color around edges and are cooked through.
• Remove from oven.
• Make tahini sauce: In a small bowl, place tahini, lemon juice, water, garlic, and sea salt to taste. (I use a motor and pestle to grind the garlic to a paste. Whisk until the sauce is the consistency of honey, adding more water if necessary. If you make the sauce while the vegetables are roasting and place it in the fridge until you are ready to serve, it will most likely thicken and require a bit of water to thin.
• Pour remaining 1 1/2 tsp oil into a small skillet or frying pan and place over low heat. Add pine nuts and pinch sea salt and cook for approximately 2 minutes, stirring often as the nuts will turn brown all of a sudden if you look away. Remove from heat when they are a golden color. Transfer to a plate to cool slightly.
• To serve, spread the vegetables on a plate or platter and drizzle the tahini sauce over. Sprinkle with the pine nuts, followed by the homemade za'atar.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND RED ONIONS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 475 degrees. Lightly coat two large baking sheets with olive oil.
• Peel onions, leaving root ends intact. Cut each onion in half from stem to root. Cut each half into 4 wedges, leaving the root intact so that each wedge holds together. Spread on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil.
• Put the squash in a large mixing bowl. Add 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and about 1/4 teaspoon pepper; toss to coat. Spread on a baking sheet, peel side down (if intact).
• Place both pans in oven and roast for 30 to 40 minutes, until the vegetables have taken on some color and are cooked through. Keep an eye on the onions, as they may cook faster than the squash and need to be removed earlier.
• If using nuts, pour 1 tablespoon oil into a small frying pan and place over medium-low heat. Add nuts and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, until the nuts are golden brown and smell toasty. Immediately remove from the heat and dump onto a cutting board to stop the cooking. If using pistachios, chop coarsely when cool enough to handle.
• To make tahini sauce, place tahini in a bowl. Add lemon juice, 1/4 cup water, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Whisk until sauce is the consistency of honey, adding more water or a tablespoon of olive oil if necessary.
• When the vegetables are cooked, set aside until ready to serve. (The vegetables should be served the same day they are made. They can be served at warm room temperature, or reheated just before serving.)
• To serve, combine vegetables on a large serving platter. If using tahini sauce, drizzle on top. Sprinkle herbs and, if using, nuts on top and serve.