We're celebrating Canadian Thanksgiving this coming Sunday. I love this holiday more and more each year, and I'm so grateful that most of our family is in close enough proximity to spend the day with us. This year, upon the suggestion of a friend, we're having a pumpkin carving contest and I thought it would be great fun for the kids to also do a little bobbing-for-apples and doughnut-on-a-string eating.
The festivities are being held at our home this year and I've been experimenting with ideas and recipes for what to serve. I like to keep things fairly traditional, but also want to put my own spin on some of the dishes. I made the above squash yesterday and while incredibly yummy (really good actually) I'm not certain it'll make the cut for dinner on Sunday. There are just so many things I want to serve, and sadly it can't be everything I try. But if this doesn't grace our table this weekend, that's okay, for I'm sure we'll eat it often throughout the Fall months.
This recipe is most appealing to me, for not just it's great taste, but also it's simple preparation.It doesn't require a lot of time or work and your kiddies can get involved quite easily. Let them scrape out the membranes of the squash and you'll see some real excitement. My boys enjoy any kind of job that involves a mess, and this will be no exception.
Once the squash has been cleaned out, all you need to do it drizzle it with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, another kid-friendly job. Place the inside down on a greased baking sheet and roast. When tender to the touch, or piercing of a fork, remove from the oven and allow to cool. Combine with the remaining ingredients and you'll have a puree so yummy every family member will be able to enjoy this, even the young toothless ones.
Whether this dish will be served on Sunday still remains to be seen. I don't think anyone will mind either way though, as we're going to have a yummy feast regardless of what we serve. Being together makes the day more delicious that any food we serve, and if anyone is hungry, or not completely satisfied with the meal, we'll have lots of apples and doughnuts lying around to fill them up.
Maple Curry Squash, my recipe
1 large butternut squash, halved and cleaned
1 tbsp olive oil
pinch of salt and pepper
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
~ Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Slice the squash in half, lengthwise, and scrape out the membranes. Drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper and place skin side up on a greased baking sheet.
~ Roast for approx. 45 minutes or until the squash is fork tender.
~ Combine the butter, maple syrup and curry powder in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until the butter has melted. Stir the ingredients well and set aside, removing from the heat.
~ Remove the squash from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. Turn the squash over and remove the insides from the skin. Place in a large mixing bowl and pour the butter mixture over top. Using an immersion blender, puree the mixture and place in a medium sized serving bowl.
~ Serve hot and enjoy!
I can't wait to try this with the butternut squash coming in this week's CSA box! Thanks for sharing! And Happy Canadian Thanksgiving! (My friend celebrates it with her husband's family and says they have to have french fries and gravy... is this a traditional thing or just something their family made up?)
Posted by: kerry | October 06, 2009 at 01:20 PM
Posted by: Jan Scott | October 06, 2009 at 01:47 PM
That sounds fantastic... I mean maple and curry... delicious! So glad I found this one!
Posted by: Dandy | October 06, 2009 at 04:08 PM
Hmmm...just a quickie question for thoes of us in the dark...why does Canada celebrate Thanksgiving? I know it's holiday that originated in North America, but I didn't know it was that north. :-) Of course, I could look it up on Wikipedia, but why not hear it from a Canadian!? :-)
Posted by: Mary L. | October 08, 2009 at 12:14 PM
That sounds more like it to me! ;)
Posted by: Kerry | October 09, 2009 at 03:39 PM