Squash and Chickpea Mash
1 medium kabocha or acorn squash , quartered and deseeded
salt and pepper, to taste
2-3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup fresh parsley and/or basil
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
lemon juice, to taste
olive oil, if needed
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Sprinkle squash with salt and pepper, and roast the squash in an uncovered baking dish oven for 1 hour. Test the squash with a skewer or a fork to test doneness.
2. Place the garlic and herbs in a food processor and pulse until they are finely chopped. Add the chickpeas and process again. Add lemon juice and season to taste. The chickpea mixture should be a little dry looking; it's not hummus. If you want it to be a little less crumbly, add some olive oil.
3. When the squash is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool slightly. Using a spoon, (a grapefruit spoon if you have one) scrape the flesh from the skin and set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl, mash the squash and the chickpeas together. Do this by hand to get the right consistency.
I love this mixture, especially with lots of lemon juice. I serve it with raw celery, but it is also great as a spread for a pita sandwich, or just plain!
SO HOW'D IT GO?
After making the mash, I decided that it had a good consistency for latke like patties. This was a great use for the mash and now I have delicious squash and chickpea patties for burgers (for lunch/dinner) or a fried egg (for breakfast). It also goes really well with fresh spinach, oninons, and goat's cheese.
This was awesome! ;)b Thanks for the great idea for the acorn squash I've had sitting around my kitchen.
My additions included lots of extra lemon and garlic for fun, cilantro and spinach as my greens, red pepper flakes and a dash of cumin to go with the salt and pepper. I served it with a side of seasoned rice. So good...everyone asked for seconds! This recipe made quite a lot, so I plan on enjoying the leftovers as a dip with some celery sticks and rice crackers. :)
Love It!!! ;)b Having a lazy Sat. with my friend and daughter...decided to carve pumpkins. Had so much fun roasting the pumpkins seeds. We wanted to cook more...found this recipe. We added cilantro for our fresh herb. Worked well. Will make it again.
This stuff is deeelish. A little cumin powder doesn't hurt a bit. :D I have a new name for it: Monster Mash! It is monstrous good!