Yam, Butternut Squash and pomegranates

While you are reading this post I will be on the plane traveling to Paris. I scheduled a few posts to be published while I am away from my kitchen and computer, en route to our destination in Paris. See? I appreciate your visit to the blog and do not want you coming here to an old post. I will post from Paris as soon as possible, sharing our adventures, culinary and otherwise through these pages. Can’t wait to tell you about everything.

My standard sweet potato and butternut squash dish is actually roasting the two vegetables together with a little bit of olive oil and a sprinkling of honey or brown sugar but today I kind of stewed them in a little vegetable stock and Moroccan sweet spices. This is definitely a fall dish, good to make when winter squashes are available and when you want something warm and satisfying to serve your family and enjoy yourself. It cooks rather quickly, surprising but true. In fact I find that the squash cooks faster than the sweet potatoes so I add it a little after the potatoes started cooking or it may turn into mush.

This dish is very versatile and in season is a regular feature in my kitchen. It shows up as a side veggie dish and even on its own as lunch or dinner. I often roast the vegetables but this time cooked them in a Le Creuset  enamelled cast iron French Oven pot (wouldn’t be without one) and sprinkled with pomegranates and pumpkin seeds to serve. Sometimes a few fresh greens go on top, or ribboned radicchio is gently added. notice that I don’t add oil or sauté an onion for this dish. I don’t feel it needs it but if you want you can sauté a chopped onion in a little olive oil before adding the liquids and vegetables.

For clarification, when I say yams I refer to the orange coloured sweet potatoes.

Here is how to make it:

---

 

Ingredients:

---

1 cup vegetable stock

1/2 teaspoon  turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cinnamon stick

2 yams, peeled and cut in 1 inch chunks

1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut in 1 inch chunks

A 1/2 teaspoon salt or more.

1 cup dates, chopped

1 pomegranate, seeds removed (here is how)

1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

a drizzle of honey

---

 

Directions:

---

Bring the stock to a boil in a 2 -3 quart pot.

Add spices and let boil gently for 5 minutes.

Add the sweet potatoes cubes and cook until beginning to soften.

Add the squash cubes and stir gently.

Cook until both vegetables are cooked through but not mushy. The squash cooks faster, that is why I add it a little after the potatoes. Watch the vegetables as they cook and insert a knife into them to test and see if they are done.

Towards the end of the cooking you can add the chopped dates to just soften them a little.

When ready, remove and let cool.

To serve spoon onto a plate, sprinkle with pomegranates seeds, chopped parsley and toasted pumpkin seeds.

Drizzle with a little honey.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

---

 

 

 

---

---