This recipe is long overdue, I started it a while ago before my trip, and I decided to finish it while in France.

Vegan cuisine is starting to be popular here too, at least a lot of Vegan cooking books are seen on the shelves of bookstores. This is somehow a good news in a country which has a long history of being a big meat eater. Charcuterie (cold cuts) has been part of the country’s culture for a long time probably since the founding of the country by the Gaulois. I noticed that France is starting to have the same problem as the US as far as eating habits are concerned and overweight people. I guess it’s a sign of times.

France is a country that is reluctant to changes, and that is reflected in all aspect of its economy, lifestyle, demographic, etc… and it seems like slowly things are changing here too. Good or bad? Time will tell.

Well that may be a winter squash but I felt like eating some, and as long as it’s organic, I am fine with it. Squash is a very versatile vegetable, you can cook it in so many different ways. It needs to be well cooked but not overcooked or it tends to be mushy and lose its shape. It is definitely a whole meal in itself, and quite filling. You can use any other kind of squash, just don’t overcook it. I Usually I eat this as a meal with sometimes a salad on the side.

The roasted seeds gave this dish a Middle Eastern flair to it, and delicious flavor to the somehow flavorless squash. Try it, it’s simply delicious.

Ingredients for 2-3

• 1 acorn squash, seeds removed and sliced
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tbs pomegranate molasses
• 1 tbs honey
• 1/4 tsp crushed chili pepper
• salt and pepper

For the kefir/tahini sauce

• 1 cup kefir
• 2 tbs tahini
• 1 garlic clove crushed
• 1 tsp lemon
• 1 tbs chives, chopped
• salt

Preparation

For the squash

Cut squash on half and remove seeds. Slice lengthwise.

Roast cumin seeds, mustard seeds and coriander seeds in a pan until fragrant. Crush them in a mortar. In a small container, mix roasted seeds, olive oil, pomegranate molasses, honey, chili peppers, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Pour the mixture on squash slices, and mix well to coat squash.

Preheat oven at 380F. In a roasting pan, spread squash slices evenly and and roast in oven until squash is tender but not mushy. Turn slices after 10 minutes.

For the sauce

Mix all ingredients together.

Serve squash hot, pour sauce on top, sprinkle with chives and serve the remaining sauce on the side.

For those like me these days who want more quinoa, here is a nice little recipe. I love to cook grains like a risotto by liquid absorption, this way, the grain gets infused with the flavor of the broth and becomes a little creamier. Quinoa can be prepared and cooked like rice. Here is a proof. It has been cooked like a risotto in a broth infused with saffron.

I guess I entered one of those phases where for a few weeks, I will just use one ingredient and research more recipes using it. Right now, quinoa makes me feel good after I eat it, I feel light and happy, so two good reasons to keep eating it. You can use other vegetables as well and replace squash with asparagus and peas, mushrooms, etc…just think about it as you would for a risotto.

Ingredients for 2-3

•  200 g quinoa
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 shallot, finely sliced
• broth
• 1 dose saffron
• 2 cups butternut squash cut in one inch pieces
• 1 scallion, chopped
• 4 tbs parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
• salt and pepper

Preparation

Place squash in a tray, sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Place in the oven under the broiler until all sides are golden brown and tender in the middle (do not overcook, the squash will be mushy) about 20 min.

In a bowl, infuse saffron with broth for about 10 minutes. In a pan, soften shallots with olive oil, then add quinoa. Add broth gradually like you would for a risotto, until quinoa is cooked (adjust with salt and pepper if necessary). Add parmesan, then add squash. Add scallions at the end and mix well.

After a trip to Samiramis this weekend, one of my favorite Middle Eastern stores in the city, and after going through all the aisles, and through every product on the shelves (I have to refrain myself or I will buy all the store), I found this amazing wheat: Freekeh. What is freekeh? Well, it’s a green wheat, basically it’s young wheat that has been harvested at a green (not mature) stage. It’s then roasted and smoked, so you can definitely taste a subtle smokey taste. You can still see the greenish color of the grain when uncooked. The greatness of freekeh doesn’t only come from its delicious flavor but also from its nutritious value. Low glycemic index, high in fiber and anti oxidant, vitamins and minerals.

You can prepare it like you would prepare rice or any other grain. Of course, you can use other vegetables, but I though the sweetness of the squash would go perfectly well with the nutty flavor of freekeh. What really added a great flavor to it, was the lemon oil and parmesan, so don’t forget those two or you’ll lose some of the highlights of this recipe. Sometimes, I would say that the final drops of olive oil in a finished dish and parmesan would be optional, but not in this one, it really adds a beautiful touch to the finished dish.

I need to insist on using the best quality of the lemon oil, you need top olive oil with infused meyer lemons. These oils tends to be expensive but a lower quality would not work here. It’s easy to make this dish vegan, just don’t add parmesan et voilà le tour est joué!

Ingredients for 2

• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 3.5 oz (or 100 g) freekeh
• 1/4 tsp four spices
• vegetable stock
• 1 tbs parsley, chopped
• 1 butternut squash, cut in 1 inch cubes
• shaved parmesan

Preparation

Soak freekeh in cold water for about 5 minutes. Heat olive oil in a pot, sweat onions until soft. Add four spices and stir well, then add freekeh, peas, salt and pepper and cover with broth. Cook at medium heat with lid for about 20 minutes. In the meantime, pre-heat oven at 400F. Toss squash with a little olive oil and vinegar, salt and pepper and bake in the oven until tender but not mushy (about 15 minutes).

When squash is cooked and freekeh tender, mix both ingredients well. Serve hot in individual plates with shaved parmesan and drizzle with lemon oil and fresh black pepper.

]]> http://citronetvanille.com/blog/2012/08/baby-wheat-freekeh-pilaf-with-roasted-squash-peas-and-lemon-oil/feed/ 0 http://citronetvanille.com/blog/2009/11/no-i-did-not-miss-you-roasted-chicken-thighs-with-lemon-herbs-olives-and-sunburst-squash/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=no-i-did-not-miss-you-roasted-chicken-thighs-with-lemon-herbs-olives-and-sunburst-squash http://citronetvanille.com/blog/2009/11/no-i-did-not-miss-you-roasted-chicken-thighs-with-lemon-herbs-olives-and-sunburst-squash/#comments Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:59:58 +0000 silvia http://www.citronetvanille.com/blog/?p=5075 Non, tu ne m’as pas manqué -  Cuisses de poulet rôties aux herbes, citron et olives à la courge

Since I don’t really eat meat, I know my blog lacks meat recipes, I figured that when I cook for some non-vegetarian people who do eat meat, I take the opportunity for putting up the recipe on the blog. I look at those chicken thighs and it reminds me of my cute and sweet parakeet and I really have to think about something else or I won’t be able to cook them. Sometimes, I have to detach myself from things that bother me, or I won’t be able to do anything.

I love fresh herbs, all of them! When I first moved to California, I was amazed to see tons of houses with bushes of rosemary as a decoration plant. I thought that was funny, I was wondering if people used it for cooking or if it was just as a decoration…and still I have no answer to that. I used to live on a street where almost all houses had huge rosemary plants bordering them and coming all the way on the sidewalk. Sometimes, when I was out of rosemary, I would help myself. I know it’s not very appropriate but at the time, I thought it was not a big deal especially considering the size of the rosemary spreading in a public zone.

This chicken is very flavorful and mainly due to the tons of herbs I use in it. Sometimes I marinate it overnight so it gets infused with herbs and you get a wonderful roasted chicken. You can also use pearl onions instead of yellow onions.

Squash being in season, I figured I would use it, but some other vegetables like potatoes, carrots, turnips, etc…would work as well. If you have guests over, and want to spend time with them rather in your kitchen, roasted chicken is the key, you just need to baste it once in a while and that’s it. It’s like the kid that doesn’t need any attention, you just give him a toy and he keeps himself busy.

You might need to cover the dish with some aluminum foil for about 20-30 minutes, depending on how your oven cooks, then removing the foil to let the chicken brown. I am still trying to figure out how my oven works with the circular heat.

Ingredients for 4 people

• 4 chicken legs
• 1 whole butternut squash, cut in large pieces
• 2 tbs green olives
• 1 tbs strong Dijon mustard
• 3 rosemary sprigs and chopped
• 3 thyme, sprigs and chopped
• 3 tarragon sprigs and chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 yellow onion, sliced
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 5 lemon slices
• 4 tbs chicken broth
• chili flakes
• salt and pepper

Preparation

You can marinated the chicken overnight with herbs, garlic, mustard and onion, but it’s optional. You can get a fragrant chicken even if you don’t marinate it.

Keep some herb sprigs, chop some of it. Mix all ingredients together in a mixing container except chicken broth and mustard. Place chicken in a oven tray, add herb mixture on top of chicken and coat chicken with it. Spread mustard on both sides of legs.

Cook in a pre-heated oven at 370F for about 30 min, then add broth and regularly baste chicken with it.

Add squash, salt and pepper, and cook until chicken is well roasted and squash tender.

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