Kitchenbelle

This may sound odd, however, I am going to say it anyway.  There are certain foods that when I look at them my first thought is, “There really is a god.”  Now, I wouldn’t exactly categorize myself as super religious, however, when I see little pieces of nature that strike me so intricate I can’t help but be taken back.  Blackberries are one of those foods.  Each little perfectly plump drupelet can’t be a fluke.  And delicata squash is another.  Each one is like a little work of art.  It looks like someone took a paintbrush and daintily and deliberately stroked each one to perfection.  They are just so darn pretty!

This recipe is so bright with the colors of nature and rich in vitamins and nutrients you will feel good eating it.  It would nicely accompany most any protein I can think of (I served ours with stuffed pork).  Enjoy!

Delicata Squash Stuffed with Kale and White Beans:

• 2 delicata squashes
• a few glugs of olive oil
• 1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves of fresh garlic, minced
• 1 large bunch of fresh kale, washed, dried and roughly chopped
• 1-2 cans of white beans (cannellini or navy beans will both work well)
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Use a large knife to carefully cut each squash in half. Scoop out seeds and discard.  (Or toast them for munching!)  Place squash halves cut side up in a  9×13 glass baking dish.  Carefully add water to the baking dish so that it reaches about a quarter of the way up the side of the squash.  Cover the dish tightly with foil. (You are creating an environment to steam the squash.)  Place the dish in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until the inside of the squash is tender and can be easily scraped with a fork.

Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a large-medium pan.  Add the finely chopped onion and cook until very tender.  I think it is important not to rush the onion.  The longer and slower they cook, the sweeter they will be.  Once they are soft and you are happy with their fragrance add the garlic (be careful not to burn it) and cook until tender.  Then add your kale.  Cover the pan and let the kale steam for about 10 minutes, but keep your eye on it.  Uncover occasionally to stir.  Once kale has wilted, add the white beans, salt and pepper.  Stir and warm until the entire mixture is heated through. 

Remove squash from the oven and place each one on your serving dish.  Use a fork to gently scrape the squash from the sides of the skin.  Fill each squash with kale filling and serve.

A Kitchenbelle Original inspired by Eggs on Sunday.

Filed under: beans, cannellini beans, Fall, kale, Side, squash, VEGETARIAN | 3 Comments »