So I have had this butternut squash sitting around in the kitchen for about a month now, and this recipe I had found for about two months. I figured it was about time I actually tried out this recipe. Unfortunately, I don’t know where the recipe came from. Often times I put the website link with the recipe, but for some reason this time I didn’t. All I know is that it was adapted from Gourmet magazine. Who knows what the original recipe is then since they adapted it, and now I’ve adapted it. But because I cannot include the link, I will share what the author did and put my adaptations along with it. I hope it will not be too confusing, but this way in case you would like to try out what they did you will have that ability. So, here we go!
Israeli Couscous with Butternut Squash and Preserved Lemons
- 1 1/2 lb. of butternut squash, peeled and seeded
- 3 tbl. olive oil
- 1 large onion, peeled and minced
- 1 3/4 cup of Israeli couscous—I used 1 c. of brown rice instead
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 1 preserved lemon—I did not include this
- 1/2 c. of golden raisins
- 1/4 cup of dried cherries or cranberries—I chose the cherries
- 1/4 tsp. of ground cinnamon
- 1 c. of chopped flat-leaf parsley—I used 1 tsp. of parsley flakes
- 2/3 c. of pine nuts, toasted—I did not include these
First off, I know this sounds like a large variety of flavors. My mom, who is certainly a more experienced cook than I am, was even skeptical when she first looked over the recipe. However, with the changes I made, the recipe came out very well and my mom and dad loved it.
Now I figure that I will go ahead and explain my changes. I’ve never done this before, but then again I’ve never shared a recipe this way before.
For the Israeli couscous, what my family has in the house right now is a very tiny, tiny type of couscous. It’s alright, but we weren’t really in the mood for couscous that night and so we agreed on rice instead. After having it that way, I would actually stick with rice from now on just because I felt like the rice was better suited with the dish. Couscous I fear would have made it mealy, or at least the kind that we have.
As for the preserved lemon, for one thing I didn’t have a preserved lemon. Haha. Secondly, I didn’t make any substitutions for the preserved lemon because I’ve never really been a big fan of lemon. So I just decided to leave it out.
For the cherries, this was actually included in the recipe so I didn’t really adapt it. I just chose my preference. I’ve never had dried cherries before, and they are actually really good and go very well with this dish!
For the parsley, I didn’t have any fresh parsley so I substituted dried instead. I would’ve gone with 1 tbl. since they used 1 c. of fresh, but when I scooped it out I felt it would be too powerful with everything else so I went with 1 tsp. instead.
As for the pine nuts…well, I completely forgot them. Whoops!
Now, what needs to be tackled first is the butternut squash. I have seen some grocery stores sell containers of already peeled, seeded, and chopped butternut squash. If you decided to pick this up, then the majority of the work is already done for you! If not, then this is how you go about taking on a butternut squash.
What you need is a good knife and a rubber hammer. What you do is place the knife horizontally on the top of the butternut squash, and gently tap the top of the knife with the rubber hammer. It’ll take a few hits, but the knife will begin to sink into the squash. After that, I alternate sides so that way the knife goes down evenly. Do this to cut the butternut squash clean through. If there are any difficulties, you can carefully take out the knife, lay the squash on its side, and cut the rest of the squash without the hammer. The inital cut makes it easier to cut the remaining part of the squash.
Once you have cut the squash in half, you will need to take out the seeds and such. I just take a grapefruit spoon, and it is relatively easy to scoop it out. Only one half of the squash is needed for this recipe, so go ahead and wrap the other half in saran wrap and place it in the refrigerator. The other half will last for a couple more days as long as it has its outer rind. With the half you will use, you want to remove the rind. Simply take a vegetable peeler, and peel away. Its a little tricky since it is tough, and so I start from the edges and migrate inwards. Once you’ve finished peeling, you’ve pretty much done the majority of the work for the dish!
Before I continue, I would also like to add that I used a rice cooker to heat my rice. This took an hour, unlike the couscous later in this recipe which the author said would take 10 minutes. If you are using a rice cooker, go ahead and start the rice first since the remaining part of the recipe takes around 15-20 minutes. Be sure to include the cinnamon stick with the rice, which by the way smells absolutely delicious when cooking.
Now for the rest of the steps:
- Preheat the oven to 475 F
- Cut the butternut squash into 1/4 inch cubes, and toss them with 1 tbl. of olive oil and a bit of salt in a large baking dish or pan.
- Cook in the oven until the squash is tender, about 12-15 minutes.
Quick sidenote: When I cooked them, I found that the squash cubes got a little burnt on the side they were touching the pan. At first I was a little concerned about this, but it wound up being okay. When I combined the squash with the rest of the ingredients, it provided the squash with a bit of support so it didn’t break down and become mush. So don’t worry if it happens to you as well.
- While the squash is cooking, heat the remaining 2 tbl. of olive oil in a skillet and cook the onions over medium-high heat with a bit of salt until translucent.
- When the squash and onion are finished, combine into a large bowl. At this time, I included the dried parsley to set with the onion and squash.
Another sidenote: In the lower picture I have the squash and onion combined in the skillet. The reason for this is because I actually had to keep them warm because I used a rice cooker. I did not realize at the time it would take longer. Whoops!
If you have followed my changes, then skip these next two steps. If not, continue to follow the recipe.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the Israeli couscous with the cinnamon stick until tender, about 10 minutes.
- While the couscous cooks, cut the preserved lemons in quarters and scoop out the insides, which you should reserve. Dice the lemon into 1/4 inch cubes, add them to the squash, then press the reserved flesh through a strainger to extract the liquid, and add the liquid to the squash.
For both recipes, complete these last two steps:
- Drain, but do not rinse either the couscous or rice. Discard the cinnamon stick.
- Add the couscous/rice to the bowl of squash and onion, then add in the raisins, cherries (or cranberries), ground cinnamon, parsley (if not included earlier), and toasted pine nuts (if included).
And here is the result! I’ve never had a dish quite like it before, and it was definitely delicious. I will certainly make this one again. I hope you all enjoy it too!
It has been interesting having food as my subjects for photography. I do get some breaks here and there, like New York City, but primarily it has been food. It does have its pluses, since I can easily manipulate the food, and can take my time practicing with focusing and exposure. I do think I have gotten a bit better, but I do continue to have trouble with lighting and getting the right color balances. Even when I edit them I still don’t think I can get them correctly. It is nice though when some really do work out. And even thought I love baking and cooking, and sharing my recipes with others, I feel like maybe someday I will want to photograph something other than food. Just maybe.
