Butternut Squash & Parmesan Orzo Bake

Anyone feel like they need a little Vitamin A in their lives?
1 C. cubed squash contains 457% of your daily value.
Not sure what you do with the other 357%...

Why is it that if you call a dish a casserole, it makes people shy away from it? You can call it a "bake" or a "cassoulet" or a "gratin" and everyone wants a bite. But casserole? Casserole brings to mind canned green beans covered in cream of mushroom soup and topped with French's fried onions which, being my least favorite dish from childhood Thanksgivings, makes me shudder. And then tuna noodle casserole anyone?  Blech. 

Casserole seems to evoke feelings of food thrown together quickly and dispassionately. Maybe it's because we feel like a casserole reminds us of a time when cooking or being in the kitchen wasn't a personal choice; it was a gender role (too deep?).

In our minds, casseroles are akin to Jello molds. They're outdated and we've moved on. Seriously, when was the last time you saw a Jello mold? (It's your lucky day, because I've found a free BRAIN shaped Jello mold HERE. Did I mention it was free? And makes BRAIN SHAPED JELLO!? Add a little vodka and imagine the party possibilities..). Casseroles are like french onion dip or deviled eggs. We've evolved (it's the opposite of eat or be eaten!) and cooking has become a hobby for those who choose it, rather than a chore.

Maybe this is why we are afraid of the word casserole. Or maybe we just have all had one too many green bean casserole (I'm probably projecting with that thought). But either way, I'll call this dish a bake. And you'll want to eat it. Deviled eggs on the other hand, dress that up any way you like, I still won't touch it (mayo, ew!).

Speaking of food evolution, if you're really interested in foods we have all left behind over the years (and I mean really left behind, not just renamed) this website is particularly interesting. The timeline begins pre-17,000 BC and just keeps going, listing when many foods we know and still enjoy were created (or discovered). I can't, of course, attest to it's accuracy, (how do they know this stuff!?) but it's certainly interesting! The casserole was invented in 1708!

Soundtrack: I would say I don't know whether to love this or hate it, but I definitely love it. Listen and you'll know exactly what I mean by that. Mishka Presents Das Racist - Shut Up, Dude Mixtape by dasracist

Butternut Squash & Parmesan Orzo Bake
Serves 3-4


1 medium sized butternut squash, peeled and cubed
6-10 garlic cloves, whole
2 tbsp honey
1 c orzo
EVOO
1 med red onion, chopped
6 oz baby spinach
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
10 sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1/2 c grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Salt & pepper


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


Toss squash and garlic cloves with honey and season with salt & pepper. Spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet, with the garlic interspersed throughout the pieces of squash. Bake for 20-25 minutes until squash begin to soften.


Meanwhile, cook orzo according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.


When squash is finished, stir around on baking sheet to evenly distribute flavor. Remove the 3 largest cloves of garlic from the pan and chop. Remove and discard the remaining garlic (or save for another use!). Set the baking sheet and squash aside.


In a medium saute pan, heat a drizzle of EVOO over medium heat. Add chopped garlic and onion. Saute until onion begins to soften, about 2-3 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar and stir. Add spinach in handfuls and continue cooking until spinach is cooked down, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.


In a large bowl, combine orzo, squash, sauteed spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes and 1/3 c of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Transfer to greased casserole dish and top with remaining cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes (oven still at 350).


Serve!

One thing that I love about BNut squash, is that it loves you back!

Oooh, HONEY!

Yea, looks good.

I don't like to abreve these as SDT's. Reminds me of something else...

Fetta-zuc-chini Alfredo with Chicken and Kalamatas

Fetta-zuc-chini? I made it up! I'm afraid to google it though, in case that proves otherwise. God, I hope it's not copyrighted. It's my word. Thanks. Zucchini takes on a whole new role (a window into editing, originally typed roll) in this dish, as a mock pasta! I've been thinking about trying this for months (after my favorite Top Chef did the same). My first failed attempt became this dish (not enough zucchini) and I gotta say, try #2 was pretty impressive! 

Fetta-zuch-ini! Can I say it enough?

I've been feeling pretty stressed at work lately, so this week I've been trying to focus on the little things in life that make me smile. If it's cool with you, I'd like to share my list. And maybe it will bring a smile to your face as well! And then I promise we will get back to food. (But some of these things are food, so it's totally relevant.)


Little things that happened this week that make me happy:

• Fetta-zuc-chini!
• Dresses with pockets
• Chocolate chips that are stuck together butt to butt (the flat side is the butt, in case that's not obvious to you)
• This little bun and the person it always reminds me of
• Iced coffee, in a cup with a straw
• Free Kindle books (reading The Secret Garden right now; A Tale of Two Cities which I've been trying to reread for years is next!)
• Olive bars
• Watching little kids do weird things and then picturing them as adults doing the same things and thinking about how weird that would be
• The mini garden gnomes I stuck in some of the pots on my rooftop "garden"
• The actual flowers in the aforementioned garden
• Wedge heels, because they are possible for me to walk in
• Clean bedrooms
• Lime green grocery totes
• Opening a new eyeliner
• This little boy (I love when his face gets itchy)
• And then, when all else fails, beer!

So, now that we are all good and happy, let's talk healthy Alfredo. I didn't use butter or heavy cream, so I'm not sure you can really call the sauce an "Alfredo." I used a technique similar to what I use to make macaroni and cheese, and whisked flour and milk into a little chicken stock, allowed it to thicken, and then stirred in the cheese. The sauce comes out thick enough to rival a classic Alfredo. This time around I cooked the zucchini IN the sauce, next time I won't do that. By cooking the vegetable in the sauce I added a lot of water and thinned it out. So I will instruct you to do it that way and that is why. Do as I say, not as I do! Also, I will add olives to anything. You can leave them out and it won't take anything away from the dish. But let's get started! You seem hungry.


Soundtrack: American Babies


Fetta-zuc-hinni Alfredo with Chicken and Kalamatas
Total Time: 30 minutes Serves: 2 (or double for 4!)


2 chicken breasts, cleaned and cut into slightly-larger-than-bite-sized pieces (scientific, I know)
3 medium zucchini
1/2 c. chicken stock, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. 2% milk

1/2 c. grated (freshly if possible!) Parmesan cheese (or similar), plus more to sprinkle
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
about 10 kalamata olives, halved
cooking spray
salt and pepper


Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Spray saute pan with a layer of cooking spray and add chicken. Cook through, until no pink remains.


Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, heat 1/4 c. of chicken stock over medium heat. Add zucchini, lightly season with salt and pepper and cook just until it begins to soften, tossing often with tongs. This will take about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.


Once chicken is finished, move to a bowl and cover. In the same saute pan, heat the remaining 1/4 c. of chicken stock and add garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the milk and flour, making sure to eliminate any lumps. Add milk to chicken stock and stir until combined. Bring mixture to a boil, using a rubber spatula to scrap the bottom to avoid burning. Once the mixture reaches a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and simmer until thickened. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and red pepper flakes. Add cheese and stir until incorporated. Remove from heat.


Using tongs, move zucchini to the saute pan, making sure to leave behind any liquid in the frying pan. Add chicken and olives and toss. Serve!

Little pieces of chicken.. creative caption huh?

Technique demo - cutting the zucchini into ribbons. Or pasta!

Must be hot in there!

Sauce ingredients... man I suck at this part tonight.

Look at you, all healthy and stuff...