Winter Squash with Cashews

After being out of the office for a week, comes the inevitable return to reality. Being in Seattle (!!) for a conference, attending an all-day retreat then having a three-day weekend, caused this Tuesday hit harder than a Monday typically does. Especially since it's a bright, sunshine-y, cool winters day out and there's nothing more I want to do then spend the day baking, going for a run with my imaginary dog, then laying in the sun with the cats. But reality is less exciting, though I do at least get to look out the window at other people running with their real dogs, enjoying the perfect winter weather. If only life could be as carefree as a run on a cold day! Anywho, enough about daydreaming - how about a new recipe??


Once upon a time, we had a foodbox and got lots and lots of squash, sometimes identified, sometimes not. After many, many recipes involving squash, it becomes difficult to find something new and exciting to try. But alas, Will used his magical powers and discovered this pretty darn good recipe. Being a huge cashew fan, this was right up my alley. It was also super-simple and only took time because it needs to simmer for close to an hour. Otherwise, you'll find that most of the ingredients are probably already hiding in your cupboards/refrigerator and you just need about an hour to let it cook. If you're looking for new squash inspiration, this might just do the trick!

Cooking Notes: Will used an unidentified winter squash that we received as part of our subscription box. There's a chance it was butternut, but we're really not 100% sure what it was. The recipe also called for unsalted veggie stock, but we just used what we had on hand, which was salted, so we omitted the salt that was called for in the recipe.

Winter Squash with Cashews (adapted from The Kitchn; serves 4-6)
1 cup short-grain brown rice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 lb. winter squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2" cubes
2 1/4 cups veggie stock
2/3 cup roasted cashews
S&P

Rinse and drain rice. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, then add the shallot and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until shallot is soft. Add cumin, coriander and rice, then cook, stirring, for another minute. Add squash and veggie stock and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 40-50 minutes or until rice is tender and water has been absorbed. Remove from heat, stir in cashews, season with S&P and enjoy!

Recipe: The Kitchn: Brown Rice with Winter Squash