SUBMISSION Thread for F&DB Squash Challenge: October 11, 2022

Fried yellow squash over spaghetti squash with a side of parmesan battered zucchini fries

A butternut squash meal, with roasted butternut squash chicken soup, roasted butternut squash with brussels sprout salad and butternut squash rum cake for dessert















Butternut Squash, rum spice cake with cranberries, candied pecans, and cream cheese icing

Cake Ingredients:



2 cups packed brown sugar
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
3 teaspoons vanilla
4 Tablespoons rum
4 eggs
3 1/4 cups flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 cups shredded, butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 cup sweetened dried cranberries,
3/4 cup rum candied pecans (chopped)

Cream Cheese Rum Frosting Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 Tablespoons rum plus 4 teaspoons milk
6 cups powdered sugar

Note: Error – I used baking soda and not baking powder



Rum Candied Pecans Ingredients:



2 cups pecan halves, shelled, cleaned, and chopped.
1 egg white
3 Tablespoons Rum
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
Spray oil (Pam), or butter

Directions:

Candied Rum Pecans:

Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees F. Chop pecans into 1/8 to 1/4 inch pieces

Separate egg yolk from egg white and set the yolk aside (I added it to the cake batter. You will only use the egg white for the candied pecans. Add rum and vanilla to the egg white in a bowl and whip until frothy.



Add pecans to the frothy egg white and stir until the pecan pieces are well coated.



Add the salt and cinnamon to the sugar and mix until uniform.Add the sugar mixture to the wet pecans and mix until all are well coated.





Layer a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray the foil with non-stick oil, or butter and spread the coated pecans in a single layer. Bake on the center rack of the pre-heated oven for an hour, stirring every 15 minutes – until the sugared pecan pieces are dry and slightly browned/cooked. Your oven may take a little less or more time. Do not burn the pecans. They only need to be dry and slightly browned.



Remove from the oven and cool.




Directions:

Butternut Squash Rum Cake

Spray bottom and sides of three 8 1/2 in baking pans with baking spray and coat with flour.



Peel and grate butternut squash. I used a food processor.





In a large mixing bowl, beat brown sugar, oil, vanilla and eggs with mixer on medium until creamy. Add buttermilk and on low speed, beat in flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and clove spices. Continue by adding squash, cranberries and (chopped) rum candied pecans at low speed then mixing to a uniform batter. Portion equally into the 3 prepped cake pans.



Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean

Cool completely before frosting





Trim away the domed surface of cooled layers to help keep the iced cake flat. I ate the trimmings so as not to waste anything. See how tender and moist the vegetable oil and buttermilk make the baked cake.








Cream Cheese Rum Frosting:

In a large bowl, beat butter, rum, milk, and cream cheese on medium speed until creamy. Add powdered sugar and beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy.



Stack layers with icing and sugared pecan pieces between each layer.





Crumb coat cake.



Frost cake and sprinkle with rum candied pecans.







Store covered in refrigerator

Cake photos








(Continued)

Roasted Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Dressing

Ingredients:



2 cups cubed Butternut squash
14-16 fresh Brussels sprouts
4-6 slices bacon
1/2 cup Craisins
1/4 cup roasted/salted sunflower seed
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Peel and cube squash.





Trim and cut b-sprouts into halves



Cook and break bacon into pieces

Lightly coat squash with vegetable oil, salt and black pepper.



Place on roasting sheet in a single layer. Roast at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes, until fork tender.





Place B-sprouts face down into a lightly oiled sauté pan and cook with medium heat and 1 Tablespoon water, with lid, until lightly browned. Place sauté pan into oven and roast at 400 degrees F for 5-10 minutes, until fork tender





Place, roasted sprouts, squash, craisins, and sunflower seed into serving bowel.



Dress with balsamic vinegar and serve.




Creamy Chicken Soup with Roasted Butternut Squash

Ingredients:









Meat from breast, thigh and leg of a roasted chicken
1/4 cup diced celery
1/4 cup diced onion
1 package Lipton onion soup mix
1 can chicken broth
1 can beef broth
1/2 cup roasted butternut squash
salt and black pepper to taste
8 ounce package cream cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Dice celery, onion and cut chicken into suitable sized pieces.





Sauté the celery and onion in soup pot. Add beef and chicken broth, Lipton onion soup mix, and chicken to pot. Cook for 20-30 minutes. Taste for seasoning, add roasted butternut squash.



Add cream cheese and Heavy Cream. Cook at medium/low heat, with cover for 15 minutes, until cream cheese and heavy cream combine to make cream sauce.



Serve.







Thanks for looking at my post

The soup is really good, but don't count out the squash and brussels sprouts dish. It may be better than the soup. With bacon, sprouts, squash, craisins, sunflower seed and balsamic, how could it not taste great?

The cake has a wonderful holiday flavor. The wife (MHNBPF) said it reminded her of a Bûche de Noël, and she is right. Closer to Christmas, I may make it again and see if the cake, when baked really thin, will roll without breaking. If it will, I will make this french cake using my recipe.

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MeridianDog

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Good to see you back!

I won't be participating in this challenge because my wife recently went back to work and my work has been hectic, as well. I'm also doing the carnivore diet, so squash is not on the menu for me.

If someone does a challenge with meat or beer as the primary ingredient, then I'm in. I expect to be off the diet by Christmas, though.

quote:

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crazy how we can learn each others cooking and posting trends

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I recognize people's kitchens

Butternut Squash & SPAM Hash w/Smoked Sausage & Spinach





Roast the butternut squash.



Sauté the Rabideaux’s and the diced lower sodium Spam, followed by the diced onions, etc. Get some crispy bits on the Spam!



Add the roasted butternut squash and a handful of spinach.







I served it in a serving size iron skillet, topped with a fried egg.



I also tossed in some toasted pumpkin seeds after the pic.

C’est Bon!

Humph!

I would have invited you over if I cooked spam!



Looks Tasty!

One entry please. Call it Butternut squash meal, or whatever. I just hated to throw away perfectly good Butternut squash and all three dishes are excellent, even better together.

Do you have any pics with all three dishes in the same pic?

Can you work with this?