The Star of the Show: VELVETY ROASTED GARLIC & BUTTERNUT SQUASH • 1 medium butternut squash (about 675 grams), peeled • 3 garlic cloves, skin on • 3 thyme sprigs, leaves removed • 1 tablespoon + 3 tablespoons sunflower oil, divided • 1 cup cooked chickpeas • juice of 1 lemon • ¼ cup tahini • sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste Instructions: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment and set aside. Scoop the seeds out of the butternut squash and dice into 1-inch pieces. Transfer the diced squash, garlic cloves, and thyme leaves to the baking sheet. Drizzle the squash mixture with 1 tablespoon of the sunflower oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Slide the baking sheet into the oven and roast until squash is tender, about 35-40 minutes. Allow squash and garlic to cool slightly.
chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, salt and pepper. Run the food processor on high until you have a totally smooth and rich paste/dip. You may have to stop the motor and scrape the sides down a couple times. Adjust the dip for seasoning. Scrape the dip into a bowl and garnish with a drizzle of good olive oil, and the reserved roasted squash. What can you do with this tasty stuff?? Serve on warm crostini with goat cheese and balsamic drizzle (in chunks or as a puree), puree into a creamy soup and garnish with pepitas, fill pasta (shells, manicotti, ravioli, etc) with the puree and serve with sage leaves, sliced and sauteed in butter (add sliced apple chicken sausage if you’d like a meat to go with). Or try mixing it with Risotto and dried cranberries, topped with a dollop of goat cheese! Play with it- it’s very versatile!
Set up your food processor on the counter. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the skins into the food processor, discarding the skins afterward. Transfer the roasted butternut squash to the food processor, along with the remaining 3 tablespoons of sunflower oil,
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