Courge acorn rôtie au miel, cumin et coriandre, – Sauce au kefir et tahini

 

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.