Butternut Squash, Pecan and Bacon Bread

I'm sure you've heard of pumpkin bread, but butternut squash bread? That was a new one for me. After making a loaf, it's a shame we've been strangers until now.

The spark for this dish was lit during a recent Washington Post Food section chat, where I asked if there were any particular trends among this year's Thanksgiving recipes. Another chatter piped up that the big trend in recipes this year was butternut squash. I surveyed the dishes I had planned for the month thus far and...there wasn't a butternut in sight! So I wanted to add something, but I wanted it to be different. I've roasted butternut squash and tossed it with grains. I've pureed it into an appetizer crostini topping. I've even turned it into a cocktail (for more ideas, check out this recent 8-2-Eat on butternut squash recipes). I didn't want to repeat any of those things.

Instead, at that Washington Post chatter's suggestion, I made bread. A search online uncovered an AllRecipes.com recipe that was exactly what I was looking for. This recipe enhances the bread with walnuts and raisins. I went a different route: pecans and...bacon. Yes, bacon in bread! Why not? It's in everything else these days. I also cut the recipe in half to have just one loaf; you could certainly double it back if you want to make two. You'll just need two loaf pans.

A word on prepping butternut squash. You can buy butternut squash already peeled, seeded and cut into large chunks at the grocery store. This makes turning it into smaller cubes for roasting quite simple. However, you can also start with a whole squash, which isn't as hard to deal with as you might think if you follow these directions that explain the steps in the picture above. Either way, the end result should be cubes about 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide (the smaller the size, the quicker it will roast).

Since this is a "quick" bread--i.e. one that is leavened with baking powder and baking soda and thus rises while it cooks rather than the longer process of a yeast bread that requires kneading and rising time--it doesn't take very long to make, especially if you've roasted and pureed the butternut squash in advance. If you roast cubes from a whole squash, you'll have plenty leftover that you could freeze and later use for any of the roasted squash recipes I've mentioned here (see related links below too).

Butternut Squash, Pecan and Bacon Bread
Adapted in part from Boltonlane's recipe for Autumn Spiced Butternut Squash Bread on AllRecipes.com

Note: This recipe makes leftover roasted butternut squash, as it seems a waste to roast only enough needed for this recipe. I froze the leftover roasted squash to save for another purpose, like tossing into a grain bowl.

Equipment: 9 X 5 loaf pan, stand or hand mixer, bowls, baking sheet

16-20 oz. peeled and seeded butternut squash, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (to make 1 cup roasted butternut squash puree)
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
4 oz. bacon (to yield about 1/3 cup bacon bits)
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the baking pan
2 large eggs
1/3 cup water
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/3 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 425 F with rack in middle position.

2. Add butternut squash cubes to a large bowl. Drizzle with vegetable oil and toss to coat the squash evenly with oil. Spread squash in an even layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 20-25 until tender. Set aside to cool. Add a heaping cup of the roasted cubes to a food processor and turn it on. Add a little water (start with a tablespoon; you can add a little more if necessary) if the squash is too thick to puree smoothly. The end result should be 1 cup of pureed squash. Add a few more cubes of squash and puree again if you fall a little short of 1 cup.

3. Adjust oven temperature to 350 F.

4. Cook the bacon in a frying pan over medium heat until browned and crisp. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to cool, then transfer to a cutting board and chop into bits.

5. Combine sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer) and blend on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the butternut squash puree, eggs and water and blend into the mixture on low speed.

6. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and cloves. Add to the butter-sugar-squash mixture and blend on low speed until just combined. Stir in the chopped pecans and bacon bits.

7. Grease a 9 X 5 inch loaf pan with butter. Pour the batter into the pan so that it is even distributed in the pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean, about 1 hour. Set pan on a rack to cool for 15 minutes, then carefully remove the loaf from the pan and set the loaf on the rack to cool completely. Slice in 1/2-inch slices to serve.

Related

Wheat Berry Salad with Butternut Squash, Hazelnuts and Sage

Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese Crostini with Crispy Shallots

Cocktail: Hot Butternut Rum

8-2-Eat: Fall into Butternut Squash

Thanksgiving Central

8-2-Eat: Don't Forget Your Thanksgiving Vegetable Sides

8-2-Eat is my food-focused list series. A perfect Friday distraction. It's easy to get focused on turkey, stuffing and desserts when planning a Thanksgiving dinner, but it's just as important to throw in some delicious vegetable sides to balance the other heavier fare.

Sautéed Parsnips with Dates and Spiced Yogurt. Parsnips are an increasingly popular root-vegetable alternative to carrots and potatoes. They add a wonderful dimension to a Thanksgiving dinner.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries and Toasted Pecans. The nutty pecans and sweet dried cranberries in this dish add just the right notes to enhance the roasted Brussels sprouts.

Green Bean Casserole with Bacon and Mushrooms. My attempt to "update" the classic green bean casserole with better, more flavorful ingredients.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Bourbon-Maple Glaze and Smoked Almonds. This Bon Appétit recipe was a big hit when I made it a couple years ago. The bourbon-maple glaze is addictive.

Swiss Chard Gratin. A gratin is a clever way to sneak a vegetable into a Thanksgiving dinner, given that they often involve melted cheese and buttered bread crumbs. Actually, this is possibly a way to sneak another rich dish onto the table as a "vegetable" side, but I'm not going to tell if you won't.

Honey-Ginger Glazed Carrots. One of the great benefits of this delicious dish as a Thanksgiving side is that it's made on the stove, steering clear of the oven that often can get quite crowded on the big day.

Green Beans with Bacon, Blue Cheese, Pecans and Dried Cranberries. Bacon and green beans are a classic pairing, to which the addition of blue cheese, pecans and dried cranberries makes the dish even more special for Thanksgiving.

Apple, Manchego and Pecan Salad. A simple salad to add some fresh leafy greens to the table.

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Thanksgiving Central

Sweet Potatoes with Mole and Queso Fresco

Yes, there are three chiles in this recipe, but they are relatively mild, making this a wonderfully spicy but not hot Mexican-inspired side for Thanksgiving. Yet another example of how sweet potatoes work wonderfully in a savory preparation.

The mole sauce can be made in advance and stored in the fridge, which I would definitely recommend doing if you want to make this for Thanksgiving. Mole has a lot of ingredients, but it's not complicated.

Sweet Potatoes with Mole and Queso Fresco
Mole sauce adapted from multiple recipes, including Braised Chicken with Oaxacan Chocolate Mole Sauce, Food & Wine

2 ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
1 guajillo chile, stems and seeds removed
3 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Salt, to taste
1/4 cup almonds
3 tbsp. golden raisins
1/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup sesame seeds
1 star anise pod
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. coriander seeds
2 cloves
12 black peppercorns
One cinnamon stick
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, smashed
6 oz. can tomato paste
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate
2 cups water
1 cup crumbled queso fresco

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Soak the chiles in hot water for 30 minutes while preparing other ingredients.

3. Combine the cubed sweet potatoes, olive oil and salt in a large bowl and toss to coat. Spread potatoes in an even layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes until the potatoes are soft and very lightly browned.

4. In a 4-quart saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the sesame seeds, star anise, cumin, coriander, cloves, peppercorns and cinnamon stick. Toast, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer mixture to a spice grinder and allow it to cool then grind the seeds and spices to a fine powder.

5. Return the 4-quart saucepan to the stove, add the vegetable oil and increase heat to medium. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the almonds, raisins and pumpkin seeds and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the ground spice mixture, tomato paste and bittersweet chocolate, then add the chiles and water and stir until the ingredients are well combined. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow to cool, then puree the mixture using an immersion blender or transfer to a food processor and puree in batches. Transfer mole sauce to a container and store in the fridge until ready to use (reheat in the microwave as needed). Makes about 3 to 4 cups.

6. In a large bowl combine the roasted sweet potatoes with about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of mole sauce and stir to combine. Top with crumbled queso fresco and serve immediately.

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Thanksgiving Central

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pecans and Honey-Curry Yogurt

I've always liked Indian food, but I made a particular effort to get to know it better this year. In April, I wrote about D.C.'s Indian restaurant scene and, at at that time, although I didn't blog about it, I also experimented with cooking Indian dishes like Chicken Tikka Masala, Palak Paneer and Dal. I was struck by the quantity of spices that went into those dishes--tablespoons of things I've typically measured in portions of teaspoons--but that's what makes Indian food so intense.

Dial back that intensity a bit, but maintaining the flavor profile, and there's no reason Indian flavors can't make themselves at home on the Thanksgiving table. Although a lot of traditional Thanksgiving dishes can be bland, it's also an eclectic spread. And that eclecticism should make recipes flavored with curry, ginger, garlic, garam masala and the like at home with your typical stuffings, turkey and gravy. 

As far as what Indian cooking can be, this dish is very simple, making it an ideal Thanksgiving side. Basically, I took everybody's latest favorite vegetable, the Brussels sprout, and tossed it with yogurt flavored with honey and curry powder. It's simple, delicious and healthy. An easy vegetable side if you're looking to spice things up a bit. If you like this idea, stay tuned for another Indian-themed Thanksgiving dish coming later this month.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pecans and Honey-Curry Yogurt

1 cup pecan halves
1 1/2 lb. Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and large sprouts (those larger than about 3/4-inch) cut in half
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
2 tsp. honey
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spread pecans on a baking sheet in an even layer. Toast for 5-6 minutes until fragrant (be careful not to burn them). Remove from oven and allow to cool. Transfer to a cutting board and coarsely chop. Set aside.

2. Increase oven to 425 F. Combine Brussels sprouts, olive oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl and toss to coat. Spread sprouts in a single layer on a baking sheet, rotating any sprouts so the cut-side is down. Roast until the sprouts have softened and browned around the edges, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.

3. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, honey and curry powder. In a large bowl, combine the toasted pecans, roasted Brussels sprouts and curry-yogurt sauce and stir to coat the sprouts. Serve immediately.

Related

In D.C., Indian Food Crosses Over to the Mainstream

Thanksgiving Central

Marbella-Brined Roast Turkey Breast

Because I write a cooking blog, instead of an entertainment blog, I don't often get to share with you my love of movies--a notable exception being my annual Oscar Cocktails. This recipe was inspired by the movie Scent of a Woman, the 1992 drama starring Al Pacino and Chris O'Donnell about a prep-school student (O'Donnell) hired for the weekend to care for a temperamental blind military veteran (Pacino) during which they end taking a whirlwind tour of New York City in the face of foreboding consequences for both of them.

That movie arrived in my life at a pivotal time. It was a Best Picture Oscar nominee, and that was the first year I really paid attention to the race, as my moviegoing taste was transiting toward more thoughtful and mature fare. I remember seeing the movie in the theater and really enjoying it, especially Al Pacino's performance (he won the Best Actor Oscar) and of course the classic tango scene between Pacino and Gabrielle Anwar.

The connection to this dish is the scene where O'Donnell takes Pacino to visit the latter's family for Thanksgiving dinner. They're having Turkey Marbella, which I can only assume is a turkey version of Chicken Marbella, one of my favorite recipes from Sheila Lukins and Julee Rosso's classic The Silver Palate Cookbook. Incidentally, those early '90s years just after that book came out was when I was also starting to become a more adventurous eater. My mom would make Chicken Marbella sometimes, and despite the inclusion of quite a few things I wouldn't have touched just a few years prior (prunes, olives, capers), I absolutely loved the dish.

A traditional Marbella is a wonderful dish, but there's a key drawback for serving it as a Thanksgiving centerpiece: no browned skin. Because the poultry is marinated and then roasted in its marinade, you gets lots of flavor, but no browning. A few years ago, Cook's Illustrated tried to address this issue by updating the recipe, but I still wanted a more traditional recipe.

My solution was to use the brine as the source of the Marbella flavors, using the same ingredients but in a brine instead of as a marinade. I pulsed the ingredients in a food processor, then mixed them into a 24-hour brine. Of course, this being a brine, there is proportionally more salt, but I maintained the other ingredients in about the amount you would use if making the Chicken Marbella recipe. This worked great. The Marbella flavor was subtle but noticeable, especially on the skin, which was a gorgeous ruddy brown. Plus the drippings made for a wonderful turkey gravy.

As Pacino's Scent of a Woman character would say, "Hooah!"

Marbella-Brined Roast Turkey Breast
Inspired in part by the classic Chicken Marbella recipe from The Silver Palate Cookbook by Sheila Lukins and Julee Rosso

Notes in this recipe:
-The turkey needs to brine overnight, so plan to mix up the brine the day before you want to eat the turkey.
-You'll need a large container for brining, such as a large pot or a sealable plastic bag designed for such purpose.
-You'll need an instant-read thermometer for checking the temperature of the turkey.

Brine:

1/2 cup kosher salt
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups hot water
1 head of garlic, cloves removed and peeled
1/4 cup dried oregano
1 cup pitted prunes
1/2 cup pitted green olives
1/4 cup capers
6 fresh bay leaves
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup dry white wine (I used a sauvignon blanc)
6-8 lb. turkey breast
3 quarts cold water

Other ingredients:

2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Combine salt, brown sugar and hot water in a medium bowl and stir until the salt and brown sugar dissolve (heat in the microwave for a minute if additional heat is needed to dissolve the ingredients--it doesn't need to be boiling hot). Transfer to a large pot or brining bag (I use an extra-large Hefty 2 1/2 gallon zippered bag as my brining container).

2. Combine garlic cloves, oregano, prunes, olives, capers, bay leaves, vinegar and white wine in a food processor. Process until the mixture is a smooth puree. Transfer to the brining container and shake or stir a bit to combine with the salt/sugar solution.

3. Place the turkey (breast down) in the brining container, then fill the container with 3 quarts of cold water (this should be enough to submerge the turkey, add a little more if needed, but not a lot more, as it will dilute the salt solution too much--add additional salt, about 1/2 tbsp, for any additional cups of cold water you add beyond the 3 quarters).

4. If using a brining bag, place in a large pot or bowl (if just using a large pot, cover it), then put the brining container in the refrigerator and brine over night (about 24 hours).

5. Preheat oven to 450 F.

6. Remove turkey from brining container, pat dry with paper towels and place (breast up) on a V-rack set inside a large roasting pan. Brush turkey with melted butter and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 300 F and roast until the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 165 F (measure with an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the turkey breast), a total roasting time of about 2 1/2 to 3 hours depending on the oven and the size of the turkey. Remove turkey from oven and transfer to a cutting board. Allow to rest about 30 minutes before carving.

Related

Chicken Marbella Updated

Simple Turkey Gravy

Thanksgiving Central

Thanksgiving 2015

The countdown to Thanksgiving begins today: 24 days until America's glorious most food-centric holiday. For the avid home cook, Thanksgiving presents unique challenges: more guests, more dishes, unusual combinations, pleasing those who love tradition, enticing those who want something new.

My collection of this year's new Thanksgiving recipes has a little something for everyone. For those that love international flavors, I'll share several Indian-Inspired recipes, such as an Indian-Spiced Nan Bread Stuff and Curry-Yogurt Roasted Brussels Sprouts. For Mexican flavor, there's Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Mole. For those that love tradition, I have a great recipe for Buttery Mashed Potatoes and my long-time favorite Sausage-Corn Bread Stuffing. For those that love traditional flavors with a modern twist, look for a Stuffing-Brined Roast Turkey Breast, Caramel Apple Custard Pie and today's irresistible Deconstructed Sweet Potato Casserole. Lovers of butternut squash and bacon get to enjoy both with Butternut Squash and Bacon Bread. And those wanting a healthier side will enjoy the Green Bean Salad with Almonds and Quinoa.

All of these recipes and more will unfold over the next few weeks. In the meantime, check out my Thanksgiving Central, where you can find all of the recipes from previous years, including favorites like Apple Pie with Vodka Crust, Updated Green Bean Casserole and Rosemary-Onion and Black Pepper Biscuits. This month's new recipes will also be added to the page throughout the month. Enjoy, and please let me know what you're making this year.

Deconstructed Sweet Potato Casserole

"Deconstruction" is a cooking term to describe a dish where ingredients that are normally combined are instead prepared separately, providing a better showcase for their distinctive flavors and textures. I see the term applied to desserts often, but it can done for other dishes too.

For years, I experimented with ways to deconstruct green bean casserole, although I was never satisfied with the results. I find a typical green bean casserole to be rather drab, and I thought that deconstructing the dish could allow its ingredients--fresh green beans, crispy onions, mushrooms--to shine, but I was never satisfied with my attempts. Instead, a couple years ago, I came up with a recipe for Green Bean Casserole with Bacon and Mushrooms that improved, rather than deconstructed, the dish.

So now I'm taking aim at another Thanksgiving casserole that I think could use a lift--the sweet potato casserole--and this time I'm back to deconstruction.

Let's consider the problems with a typical sweet potato casserole: it's too sweet, with a puree of sweet potatoes, which, as their name implies are naturally sweet but have added refined sugar anyway, and topped with a thick layer of broiled marshmallows (which are almost all sugar). Texturally, it's like lazy mashed potatoes, and isn't one starchy puree enough?

My goals for this dish were to 1) give the dish more body and texture, 2) dial back on the sugar and make what sweetness I did add to the dish more interesting, 3) make the potatoes the star attraction. In short, I wanted to make the dish more like the side dish it should be and less like the faux-dessert it often ends up being.

To that end, instead of making a sweet potato puree, I roasted the sweet potatoes, keeping them in lightly browned bite-size chunks. I reduced the amount of sugar and, instead of white sugar, I used a more savory combination of brown sugar and maple syrup, forming a glaze similar to that from the recipe for Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Bourbon-Maple Glaze. I also dialed the marshmallows way back so that they dot the top of the dish rather than form a thick layer concealing the potatoes. Bacon and pecans add further savory and smoky notes to the dish (and the bacon may be omitted to make the dish vegetarian).

Deconstructed Sweet Potato Casserole

4 lb. sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
4 tbsp. olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
8 oz. bacon
½ cup pecans
6 tbsp. maple syrup
½ cup water
¼ cup light brown sugar
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. minced ginger
¼ cup bourbon
1 tbsp. butter
1 cup mini marshmallows

1. Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 425° F.

2. In a large bowl, combine sweet potatoes and  olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Divide the potato mixture between two rimmed baking sheets and roast, turning potatoes often and rotating sheets halfway through, until potatoes are tender and lightly browned around the edges, about 30 to 35 minutes. (Note: the potatoes may be roasted ahead of time and refrigerated; if doing so, rewarm before proceeding.)

3. Cook bacon in a medium frying pan over medium heat until brown and crisp. Set aside on a paper-towel-lined plate to cool, the crumble into large bits.

4. Heat a small frying pan over medium-low heat. Toast the pecans, tossing frequently, until fragrant (shouldn't take more than about 10 minutes). Transfer the nuts to a cutting board, allow to cool slightly, then coarsely chop them.

5. In a medium (2 to 2 1/2 quart) saucepan over medium-high heat, combine maple syrup, water, brown sugar, soy sauce and ginger. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until thickened and reduced by half, 6-7 minutes (watch and stir often to prevent burning). Stir in the bourbon and butter, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce is reduced to 2/3 cup. Set aside.

6. Preheat oven broiler with rack about 4-5 inches from broiler. Combine sweet potatoes with bacon and pecans and transfer to lightly oiled 9 X 13 baking dish. Top the mixture with marshmallows and broil to brown the marshmallows, about 1 minute (watch to prevent burning, more or less time may be needed). Drizzle the casserole with the maple-bourbon sauce.

Related

Thanksgiving Central

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Bourbon-Maple Glaze

Green Bean Casserole with Bacon and Mushrooms

North African Green Bean and Sweet Potato Couscous Salad