Goth Hummus

Let me start by saying, this was initially called Black Tahini Hummus, but once we started in on the goth hummus thing, it stuck. I wanted to post this early enough that you’ll have time to track down the ingredients In case you want to bring it to a Halloween party, which I highly recommend.

The two ingredients that can be a bit tricky to source are black tahini, and black garbanzo beans (or black chickpeas). I’ll post photos of each down below for reference. I made this for the first time last November (well after Halloween), and made a note to self to write up the recipe this year. Really, it’s just good hummus made with black ingredients. And if you have a pantry better than mine right now, yes, absolutely substitute fermented black garlic for standard garlic.

The original shot I posted to Instagram. I added some extra black garbanzos on top (which I forgot this time)….but it adds a nice bit of texture.

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17 Delicata Squash Recipes to Get you Through Winter

You ready? This is the time of year to start rolling out your best delicata squash recipes. If you’re a long-time reader, you know how much I love this scalloped varietal. Partly because it’s delicious, but also because it’s a breeze to prepare. Not only can you eat the flesh, you can also go for the peel, and it’s arguably the best part. You know where it gets golden and deeply toasted at the edges? Yeah, that’s hard to beat. Here are seventeen delicata squash recipes to inspire, and get you through the cold months. Enjoy!

1. Parmesan Crusted Delicata Squash (Skinnytaste) Love this. If you’re looking for an easy way to elevate straight delicata, simply cover with this parmesan mixture and bake.

2. Whole Wheat Pasta with Walnut-Sage Pesto and Roasted Delicata Squash (A Beautiful Plate)  This recipe is a good example of using delicata squash as part of a main, a great weeknight pasta dish.

3. Roasted Delicata Squash with Apples & Sage Recipe (Love and Lemons)  Here’s a classic, beautiful fall main, adding apples, sage and pepitas, with a mustardy vinegar dressing to top it off.

4. Wild Rice and Kale Stuffed Delicata Squash (Delish Knowledge) Most of the recipes in this round-up have the delicata cut into half-moons, but if you are looking for a special occasion presentation, stuffed squash never fails to impress. 

5. Creamy Delicata Squash Pasta With Crispy Sage (the Feed Feed) When it’s the middle of winter, the days are very short and comfort food is in order, this recipe looks perfect.

6. Roasted Delicata Squash Tian (Hungry Hobby)  This recipe brings the visual drama. Get out your sharpest knife, your fav prep soundtrack, and give it a go.

7. Sesame-roasted, Maple Chipotle Delicata Squash (Viktoria’s Table)  Another visual stunner, this is a combination I’ve never tried that gets a lot of credit for originality.

8. Delicata, Pomegranate and Arugula Salad (Cookie and Kate)   This is a beautiful, dreamy combination of zesty arugula, creamy delicata squash and tangy-sweet pomegranate.

8. Delicata Squash Agrodolce Recipe (PureWow / Athena Calderone)   A recipe originally from Athena Calderone’s stunner of a book Cook Beautiful. Delicious and reasonably easy to prepare.

9. Roasted Delicata Squash Salad with Warm Pickled Onion Dressing (Healthy Seasonal Recipes)   A bold flavor combination that I’ve never tried before, this looks like a recipe that could be a make-ahead lunch option.

10. Roasted Delicata Squash with Chilies, Lime & Cilantro (Alexandra Cooks)   This is a fresh mixture of things I love, I can imagine a version that increases the quantity of cilantro to make a full-on salad.

11. Twice Baked Delicata Squash + Crispy Za’atar Roasted Chickpeas  (What’s cooking good looking)  Za’atar, chickpeas and delicata is a wickedly smart combination of elements I love in a recipe.

12. Delicata Squash Tacos with Black Beans (Naturally Ella)   I’m surprised there aren’t more delicata tacos on menus, but this is a great option for lunch or a weeknight meal.

13. Roasted Delicata Squash Salad (101 Cookbooks)  Here’s a classic from the archives, combining a few favorite things, miso and harissa. If you’ve never cooked with delicate, start here.

14. Miso Sesame Winter Squash Recipe (101 Cookbooks)  Miso, tamari and maple syrup create a lovely flavor combination for this delicata dish.

15. Roasted Vegetable Orzo Recipe  (101 Cookbooks)   Here’s a quick dish that would make a great make-ahead lunch.

16. Green Curry Porridge Recipe (101 Cookbooks)   Pan-toasted brown rice, spicy herb-packed green coconut broth, punctuated with delicata and lots of green onions.

History of Delicata Squash

Delicata squash is one of my favorite seasonal vegetables. The name describes it well, the skin is delicate and regardless of being baked, fried or steamed, does not have to be removed to be eaten. Delicata is native to the Americas, but despite that long history, it apparently fell out of favor in the 1930s due to lack of availability due to crop disease. It wasn’t until the early 2000s that a disease-resistant varietal became popular and today it’s again relatively easy to find.

Basic Preparation of Delicata Squash

Besides being delicious, delicata is easy to prepare. Cut lengthwise, use a spoon to scoop out the seeds, slice in 1/4-inch half moons. Toss with some oil and salt and pepper, put on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees until brown. Beyond that most basic method, the following recipes should provide enough inspiration to experiment beyond the basic!

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Toasted Pumpkin Seeds: Three Ways

Toasted pumpkin seeds are the tiny, edible trophies you get for carving pumpkins. Don’t carve a pumpkin (or any winter squash for that matter), without toasting or roasting the seeds. That’s just how it needs to be. The question is, what’s the best technique? There is some debate about the best approach, but I’ve settled on a foolproof method over the years. It’s super easy, and I’m going to share it here. Take note, there are a couple points of departure you’ll see in my technique (compared to most). First! Some people boil the pumpkin seeds prior to toasting. No need. Second, I now season and spice the pumpkin seeds after baking, and I’ll talk more about why.

Different pumpkins, different seeds: Pumpkins aren’t the only winter squash with seeds. And seeds from different squashes have different sizes, shapes and textures. Play around with white “ghost” pumpkins, blue Hokkaido, butternut squash, and all the other beautiful winter squash varietals out there for a range of seeds. Also, if you’re going to roast the squash as well, they’re often much better tasting versus carving pumpkins.

Different sizes of seeds: Smaller seeds roast more quickly, so adjust your baking time (less). Aside from that, treat them the same as you would regular “carving” pumpkin seeds. Pictured below (top to bottom): delicata squash seeds, butternut squash seeds, carving pumpkin seeds

How to Clean & Make Pumpkin Seeds: Place a colander (or strainer) in a bowl filled with water. The seeds float, so this set-up makes separating the seeds from any stubborn pumpkin flesh much easier. Scoop the seeds from your pumpkin and transfer to the colander. Separate the seeds from any pumpkin flesh and pat dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen cloth.

The best technique: Bake the seeds after a good rinse, after drying well, and get as much water off the seeds as possible. I’m convinced the seeds steam less using this method, and crisp more.

When to season? I used to heavily season the pumpkin seeds prior to baking, but I find that if you bake with lots of spice coating the seeds, the spices tend to over bake or even burn. I do much or all of my spice addition post-bake now.

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Simple Weeknight Pasta Sauce Recipes

Simple pasta sauce recipes are weeknight lifesavers. They’re great not only on pasta, but on all sorts of vegetables and grain bowls as well. Often if you’ve got a decent condiment selection on hand, or some fresh herbs, or simply some nuts, you’re on your way to a great sauce. Also, don’t limit yourself to using these as pasta sauces, often they’re just as fantastic over simply roasted, steamed, or sautéed vegetables. Or, as spreads on sandwiches and flatbreads!

1. Five Minute Tomato Sauce – (101 Cookbooks)
I make this more than just about any other sauce in my repertoire. All you need is a handful of ingredients, and one saucepan. No need to simmer for hours, a kiss of lemon zest keeps this tomato sauce fresh and bright and perfect for all sorts of pastas, pizzas, and casseroles. The perfect weeknight tomato sauce. And, actually(!), here’s a post of three ways I work it into lunch as well. Get the recipe here.

2. Brown Butter Balsamic Sauce – (101 Cookbooks)
I love this simple balsamic sauce tossed stuffed winter squash stuffed pastas. Or, sweet potato anything. It’s a sauce that hits squarely on the decadent side of the spectrum, with a generous amount of browned butter as the base, but it is delicious, and really hits the spot now and then. The balsamic cuts the butter with its acidity, and I like to add plenty of something green and slightly bitter to balance everything out beyond that – in this case, arugula. And a bit of lemon zest, which perfumes everything beautifully. Get the recipe here.

3. Hemp Seed Alfredo – (Blissful Basil)
Absolutely love this hemp seed take on alfredo sauce. Pictured here with zucchini noodles. Get the recipe here.

4. Harissa & Olive Oil Sauce – (101 Cookbooks)
If you have some harissa on your condiment shelf, you’re halfway there. Paired with olive oil, the harissa forms the base of a brick red, garlic-charged sauce. Perfect tossed with your favorite pasta, and veggies. Pictured here with whole wheat spaghettini, kale, black olives, and pine nuts. Legit, fantastic weeknight option. Get the recipe here.

5. Tuscan Pumpkin Pasta Sauce – (Real Food Whole Life)
I like the combination of tomato, pumpkin, rosemary, and sage in this creamy sauce. Robyn uses coconut milk here, but you could also use a thick nut milk like cashew or almond. Get the recipe here.

6. Vegan Alfredo Sauce – (The Bojon Gourmet)
I love using homemade cashew milk as a substitute for heavy cream or even coconut milk. It is silky smooth, and full of body, and works as a brilliant vegan alfredo sauce base here. Soak the cashews while you’re out fo the day, and this sauce comes together in no time. Get the recipe here.

7. Red Pesto Sauce – (101 Cookbooks)
Sun-dried tomato fans, this one has your name on it. Pictured here with goat cheese raviolis and served them on a bed of baby spinach. Get the recipe here.

8. Lemon Almond Sauce – (Naturally Ella)
Creamy, dairy-free, and spiked with lemon and black pepper. Get the recipe here.

9. Pounded Walnut Sauce – (101 Cookbooks)
This Mona Talbott recipe is a hearty, pounded walnut pesto of sorts, with marjoram and parsley. And I love it. Particularly as the weather chills, and you’re looking for more substantial fare. It’s nice with a short farro pasta, but really, it’s incredible on just about everything. You could even skip the pasta and just enjoy it with roasted vegetables. Get the recipe here.

10. Creamy Chipotle Sauce – (Dora’s Table)
Six ingredients work themselves into chipotle-based magic. This is good on noodles, but also as a finishing touch on tacos, or as a component in salad dressings (great with structured lettuces). Get the recipe here.

11. A Favorite Pesto Sauce – (101 Cookbooks)
About ten years ago we had a pesto and gnocchi night with my visiting Italian friend Francesca and her mom. They are from Genoa, and her mom makes a beautiful pesto (and perfectly light, potato gnocchi to go along with it). She offered to share her method with us, and we’ve all reaped the benefits ever since. If you love pesto, you really have to try her technique. Get the recipe here.

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