Squash Braised In Cider Recipes

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND APPLE CIDER SOUP

Steps:

• Heat butter in a large pot over medium heat; cook and stir onion in the melted butter until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add butternut squash, potatoes, apple, carrot, and celery to onion; pour in chicken broth and enough apple cider to cover vegetables. Bring mixture to a boil and cover pot. Reduce heat and simmer, adding more apple cider as needed, until vegetables are tender, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Blend vegetable mixture with an immersion blender until smooth; stir in cream, cinnamon, and cloves. Simmer until heated through, 5 to 10 minutes. Spoon soup into serving bowls; top each with about 1 tablespoon sour cream and a pinch of nutmeg.

WINTER SQUASH BRAISED IN CIDER

Steps:

• Peel squash, halve lengthwise, and remove seeds with spoon. If using delicata, slice into half-moons 1/2-inch thick; if using butternut, dice into 1/2-inch chunks.
• Melt butter in a 12-inch skillet over low heat until foamy. Add rosemary, and cook over medium heat to flavor butter, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes. Add squash, cider, and 1 teaspoon salt. If squash is not covered by cider, add water to cover.
• Bring to a simmer, and cook until squash is tender, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove squash to a plate. Cook cider mixture until it has reduced to a glaze, stirring frequently, 5 to 10 minutes. Add squash back to skillet. Cook until just warmed through. Sprinkle with vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to warm serving bowl, and serve immediately.

CIDER-ROASTED SQUASH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°. Place the squash and onion in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Combine cider, oil, brown sugar, salt, pepper and nutmeg; pour over squash mixture. , Cover and bake 35 minutes or until tender, stirring every 10 minutes.

DELICATA SQUASH WITH ROSEMARY, SAGE, AND CIDER GLAZE

Steps:

• 1. Squash. If using delicata squash, peel it with a vegetable peeler, cut it lengthwise in half, and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Cut each piece lengthwise in half again, then crosswise into 1/2-inch -thick slices. Other types of squash should be peeled with a chef's knife, seeded, cut into 1-inch wedges, then sliced 1/2-inch thick.
• 2. Herb Butter. Melt the butter in a large (12-inch) skillet over low heat. Add the sage and rosemary and cook, stirring, until the butter just begins to turn golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Do not brown the herbs. Cooking the herbs in butter mellows their flavor and improves their texture.
• 3. Cooking the squash. Add the squash to the skillet, then the apple cider, water, vinegar, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat at an even boil until the cider has boiled down to a glaze and the squash is tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Taste and season with pepper, and additional salt if needed.

BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Steps:

• Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove to a plate.
• Add the squash and onion to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned in spots, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until softened, about 30 seconds. Add the turmeric, cinnamon stick and raisins and stir to coat the vegetables.
• Add the lemon zest and chicken broth to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Return the chicken to the skillet and reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer; cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Transfer the chicken to plates. Stir the lemon juice into the broth and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the broth and vegetables over the chicken and top with cilantro.