Garam Masala Roasted Acorn Squash recipe from The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook, Photo by Kari of Beautiful Ingredient. #vegan #gluten-free #thanksgiving #holiday #squash #pomegranate #tahini

**A recipe by Amber St. Peter from the The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook, available now:**

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vegan | gluten-free | grain-free | nut-free | easy | veggie-packed | holiday

I am so excited to share a recipe from the new cookbook, The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook: The Must-Have Resource for Plant-based Eaters, authored by food blogger friends Emily von Euw, Kathy Hester, Amber St. Peter, Marie Reginato, Celine Steen, Linda Meyer, and Alex Meyer. The book is loaded with delicious options - in fact, over 600 recipes! These ladies know their food and how to make sure the flavor is front and center.

And this recipe is no exception: Garam Masala Roasted Acorn Squash by Amber St. Peter!

I’ve been plant-based for awhile now, focussing on beautiful veggies to fill out my plate - yet still, there are a few vegetables that I’ve not yet spent much time with in the kitchen. Squash is one of them. The reason stems from my childhood. My young-child experience with squash told me that it was too sweet for something that wasn’t dessert and the texture was, well, unpleasant. I’m not sure what kind of squash I’d tasted back then, I just know I really didn’t like it. Now, as an adult trying to act my age, I want to like squash. Yet that little-kid experience bubbles up and points out that “I don’t like it” and I find myself putting off experimenting with it - even though I’m the mom whose kindergartener would go around quoting me that “tastes change”. I know, right? Go figure. By now, I do at least know that I enjoy it pureed in soups and used sparingly in some dishes. Beyond that? Not tested much, until I saw this recipe. I knew I had to put on my big-girl pants and give this way of eating squash a try - it looked inviting. And really, how brave did I actually need to be? Roasted with delicious spices - I like pretty much anything roasted with delicious spices.

And I really, really like this dish. Is love too strong a word for food? Of course not - I love this dish! And I’m not the only one.

I made this recipe for a pre-Thanksgiving gathering, and it was a huge hit. Everyone actually seemed a little surprised at how much they liked it, since squash dishes don’t come up a lot for them, either. It’s. just. so. good. It’s such an easy winner as an extra veg at the table, with a wonderful starchy texture similar to potato (yes, I have discovered I really love the texture of roasted squash!) and the flavor balance of tahini sauce, pomegranate seeds, parsley, and pepitas. The combination is absolutely wonderful: the squash is cozy and comforting, while the lemony, nutty, creamy tahini sauce plays off the bright sweet-tart pomegranate seeds, which plays off the crunch of the pepitats (pumpkin seeds), and the green bite of the parsley. Yesss!

Also, just look at how beautiful this dish is! It’s so festive for the holidays. It will be on our Thanksgiving table this year, yes, but also it’s likely to be the go-to for other festive occasions throughout the season. I hope you give it a whirl, too.

Thanks for bringing roasted squash into my life, Amber! It’s a new-found love I will be going back to all season.

GARAM MASALA ROASTED ACORN SQUASH RECIPE

vegan | gluten-free | grain-free | nut-free | easy | veggie-packed | holiday

SERVES: 4 | PREP TIME: 30 minutes | COOK TIME: 25 minutes | TOTAL TIME: 45 minutes (with prep/cook overlap)

A note from the author: Thanksgiving is really all about the sides for vegans. I feel like a nut loaf is okay and Tofurkey is fun, but I would be really happy with cranberry sauce, ‘taters, some delicious veggies and a big ol’ slice of pie instead. In an attempt to come up with creative and delicious ways to squeeze more veggies onto the table, we came up with this impressive dish. It packs so much flavor, your friends and fam won’t believe you whipped it up yourself, and it looks so good you might not be able to believe it either! We love squash, but roasting it in garam masala and pairing it with tangy lemon tahini sauce, sweet pomegranate arils, crunchy pepitas and a sprinkle of fresh parsley takes it to a whole new level. Plus, it really couldn’t be easier — and who really wants to spend extra time in the kitchen while everyone’s catching up around the dining room table? —AS

Ingredients

SQUASH

1 medium acorn squash
1 tbsp (14 ml) melted coconut or olive oil
¾ tsp garam masala
Salt and pepper, to taste

TAHINI SAUCE

½ cup (140 g) tahini
2 tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice
¼ tsp salt
¼–½ cup (60–120 ml) water, as needed

SERVING

¼ cup (44 g) pomegranate seeds
2 tbsp (16 g) pepitas
2 tbsp (5 g) finely chopped fresh parsley

PRINT RECIPE

Method

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

FOR THE SQUASH*

Slice both ends off of the squash and scoop out the seed goop. Slice the squash into ½-inch (1.3-cm) slices and lay in a single layer on the lined baking sheet. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the garam masala, salt and pepper. Toss it to coat. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until the squash is fork tender and browned.

*A note from Kari: Squash can be pretty hard, so stabilize that squash and slice very carefully! I usually stick the blade in and rock it until it sinks low enough to be stable, then push it carefully down with both hands.

FOR THE TAHINI SAUCE

While the squash roasts, combine your tahini, lemon juice and salt in a food processor. Add water a little at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Scoop it into a bowl.

FOR SERVING

When the squash is roasted, remove it from the oven and serve warm with the tahini sauce, pomegranate seeds, pepitas and fresh parsley.

Note: Leftovers can be saved in the fridge overnight, but it’s a dish best served warm! Don’t have garam masala?* Try curry! Don’t have acorn squash? Try delicata! This recipe is easily customizable.

*You might find that you have all the ingredients to make your own garam masala.

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