Approximately 450 calories per person – Serves 2
Garnished with deep-fried sage leaves, this is the perfect sweet/savory warm appetizer to precede any main dish. Double the recipe and it’s a stand-alone dinner for two. On a long cold night, it’s almost as good as a soak at Radium Hot Springs.
- Prep time: about 20 to 25 minutes
- Cook time: about 35 to 40 minutes
- Total time: about an hour
Ingredients
- One butternut squash (about 3 pounds (1,400 grams) in original form and 2 pounds 4 ounces (1,000 grams) after prep
- 2 garlic cloves
- 4 fresh sage leaves
- 1 tablespoon (Tbsp) Miso (optional but highly recommended)
- 1 tablespoon (Tbsp) olive oil
- 3 tablespoons (Tbsp) unsalted butter, divided
- 3 tablespoons (Tbsp) water
- Salt & black pepper to taste
- Garnish
- 2 tablespoons (Tbsp) sour cream
- Fried sage leaves, optional (see recipe below)
Steps
- Preparation
- Mince the garlic and place in a small bowl.
- Finely chop the sage leaves and add to the garlic.
- Prep the squash by first cutting off the ends.
- The peel the squash using a carrot peeler.
- Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds.
- Cut the squash into small, approximately 1 inch square pieces (shape is not important) and place in a bowl.
- Cook the Squash
- Heat at mid-high heat (induction 320) 1 tablespoon (Tbsp) olive oil with 1 ½ tablespoons (Tbsp) of butter in a pot large enough to hold the cut-up squash.
- Add the squash and set heat to simmer for 10 minutes or so.
- Stir periodically blend the butter and oil.
- Now add the garlic and sage and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Add 3 tablespoons of water.
- Cover the pan and steam the squash in the water for about 20 minutes.
- Check after 10 minutes to add more water if the contents dry.
- Vitamix blender
- Transfer the squash and liquid into a mixer – we use the Vitamix but any blender will do – and add 1 ½ tablespoons (Tbsp) of butter.
- Add 1 tablespoon (Tbsp) Miso and process until fluffy.
- Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed.
- Serve
- Serve warm/hot
- Optional Garnishes
- A tablespoon of sour cream
- Fried sage leaves (see recipe below).
Fried Sage Leaves
- (optional, but highly recommended)
Ingredients
- 1 bunch fresh sage leaves
- Olive oil
- Flaked salt
Steps
- Pinch off leaves from sage stem
- Heat enough olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat until hot.
- Fry 6–8 sage leaves at a time until crisp, 2–3 seconds. Really just a few seconds.
- Transfer with a fork to paper towels and sprinkle generously with coarse or flaked salt.
Serve in a bowl
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Holiday Feast for Two
All of Living in Beauty Recipes
We are working on a series of recipes that are easy to fix in an RV and are approximately 600 calories per person for two people. Ultimately, they will be compiled into “The Bean Counter Cookbook.”