Caramelized Acorn Squash

Tired of the same-old, same-old side dishes? My family definitely gets in a rut with roasted broccoli, brussel sprouts and boring carrots. Here are two new options to add to your repertoire to get you out of your regular routine.

Caramelized Acorn Squash

Ingredients

1 acorn squash
olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Cut acorn squash in half with a sharp knife. Line a small sheet pan with aluminum foil. Drizzle both halves of the squash with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place cut side down. Roast for 35 minutes. Cool completely.

For this weeknight side dish, I roasted off the squash on Sunday for a Wednesday night meal.

Remove from fridge, cut into wedges, peel off skin, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Meanwhile preheat a non-stick skillet and 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat. Sear one side of the squash for 4-6 minutes until caramelized. Searing just the one side will heat the squash through, but not turn it to mush. Serve hot or at room temperature.

For a dinner party, try adding a tahini sauce and lemon or lime supremes. Tahini sauce idea: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roasted-Squash-with-Lemon-Tahini-Sauce-51134000

Flash-Seared Okra

Ingredients

1/2 pound fresh okra
canola oil
salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat a skillet (not non-stick) to medium high heat. Meanwhile slice the okra lengthwise. Add 1-2 tablespoons of canola oil to the pan. Heat for 30 second. Add the okra to the hot pan. Quickly searing the okra will reduce the slime-factor notoriously associated with okra.

See a previous post on my experience with okra sauce during my time in the Peace Corps in Niger.

Keep the okra moving while you flash-sear it. It will be cooked through, but still crisp-tender in 5-7 minutes. Add salt and pepper until seasoned to your liking and serve hot.

Caramelized Acorn Squash

So both of these side dish options are super easy right? I bet you haven't had okra with dinner this week. Why not give it a try and see what your family thinks? It's good to get out of your comfort zone... and your dinner side dish rut!