Butternut Squash and Bean Tamale Filling

Butternut Squash and Bean Tamale Filling came about after trying out the tamale filling recipes of others, because I wanted to make one of my own. I decided on a vegetarian filling, since the tamale dough itself is so rich in and of itself. The beautiful colors of the beans and squash in this one make it special. It paired well with both the tomatillo salsa and the chile rojo, and it was much easier to prepare than the chile lime chicken and mushroom kale fillings, so that helped on a busy tamale party day. Any leftovers of this Butternut Squash and Bean Tamale Filling are great with poached eggs and tortillas for breakfast. 1 cup shallots (or red onions if you can’t easily find them) 1 jalapeño seeded and diced 2 cloves garlic olive oil 1 can black beans 1 cup pinto beans 2 cups butternut squash; peeled, seeded and diced (the size of a bean) ½ cup cilantro ½ cup queso fresco or other fresh cheese (even feta works in a pinch) 1 teaspoon cumin seeds salt 1 lime zest and juice Chop the shallots or onions medium fine. In a large frying of sauté pan, add the … Continue reading

Cranberry Butternut Squash Bread Pudding

This Cranberry Butternut Squash Bread Pudding is a wonderful make-ahead Winter brunch dish. It’s great sweet or savory and I like it best served as breakfast, not dessert. In fact, this started as a very savory butternut squash bread pudding I made as a side years ago for Thanksgiving. Though it was good, it was too heavy for a Thanksgiving side. There was lots leftover and later that night, I caught my friend Anna digging it out of the fridge for a midnight snack. She had reheated it and was pouring maple syrup on it. We definitely agreed that it was better on its own than as a side. The next morning we centered the whole brunch around our late night discovery. Over time, it’s evolved. This version is a little on the sweet side to counter the very tart cranberries. Whenever you serve it, I know you’ll like it, and it doesn’t hurt that Cranberry Butternut Squash Bread Pudding is really beautiful on the plate. 8 oz cranberries 4 cups squash; peeled and diced 2 cups milk 4 eggs; separated ½ cup granulated sugar ½ cup maple syrup cinnamon nutmeg 1 tablespoon molasses vanilla 1 loaf baguette butter maple syrup … Continue reading