Another Holiday Gem

So, I’ve been stalking Yotam Ottolenghi pretty hard since he wound up on my radar about a year ago.  By stalking, I mean reading his weekly recipes in the guardian.  Uhhh, I know what you’re thinking, “Why didn’t you buy his cookbooks?”.  Oh, that’s cause I’m cheap and also pretty much only get my cookbooks as gifts because I look at them for about 10 minutes then try to just figure out how to make everything by looking at the picture.  Okay, I know I’m obnoxious.

For my birthday, this year, my family finally noticed that I was constantly talking about this book and went ahead and made sure I received it, as well as it’s brothers.  

Since it became squash season (maaaaybe a little earlier?) I’ve been making this dish nonstop for two reasons : one - I almost always have the ingredients on hand and two : it’s super simple and makes an awesome second day carbless lunch.  I’m always looking for new ideas for lunch that don’t involve bread or grains, cause, like previously mentioned, I’m obnoxious.  

Roasted Butternut Squash + Red Onion w/Tahini + Za’atar

by Yotam Ottolenghi (mostly)

1 large butternut squash, peeled, cut into large chunks

2 red onions, cut into similar sized wedges

3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

3 1/2 tablespoons tahini paste

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons water

1 clove garlic crushed

3 1/2 tablespoons chopped pistachios (he uses pine nuts, whatever)

1 tbsp za’atar

1 tbsp chopped parsley (i left this out for my lunch dish, add it when you make it fancy)

salt + fresh pepper

1. Preheat oven to 475.

2. In large bowl, mix squash and onion with three tbsp of the oil, a heaping teaspoon of salt and a couple good grinds of pepper.  Spread squash on a baking sheet (hold on to the onions) and roast for about 20 minutes.

3. Remove squash and give it a mix, add in the onion wedges.  Return to oven to roast additional 15-20 minutes until everything is tender and golden.

3. Make tahini sauce by mixing tahini paste, lemon juice, water, garlic and about a 1/4 tsp salt.  Whisk until loose, adding more water if your tahini is thicker.  It should be drizzle-able.

4. Toast nuts in a dry pan for about 5 minutes until fragrant.  Remove from heat.

5. Spread vegetables out on platter and drizzle with tahini sauce, topping with nuts + za’atar.

This preparation is fantastic with cauliflower, carrots, anything bold and hearty when roasted.  I like to jazz up my tahini sauce with dried mint, roasted garlic, and sometimes smoked paprika.  Imagine the possibilities.