Butternut Squash With Whipped Feta And Zhoug
If there's one Yiddish word you need to learn, it's "fress." It means chowing down without restraint, and it's the mantra of a new cookbook by British food writer Emma Spitzer. Dive into updated versions of beloved Jewish recipes from Poland and Russia and modern classics from around the Middle East and North Africa. This butternut squash with whipped feta is about as good as vegetarian food gets!
Sweet, salty, and spicy all on one plate; this dish is a great hit of powerful flavors that all mesh really well together. Zhoug is a fiery Middle Eastern relish that works as a condiment for all manner of dishes, so store any leftover sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Editor's note: You can make whipped feta at home by mixing feta and milk or cream cheese in a stand mixer (or mashing it by hand) until smooth and seasoning with salt.
- 1 large butternut squash
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon soft dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup unsalted pistachio nuts
- 1/2 cup whipped feta
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley
- 1 green chile
- 1 tablespoon dried red chile flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Place the butternut squash in a bowl and toss with the melted butter, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Spread out the coated squash pieces on a baking pan and roast for 30 minutes, or until cooked through and the sugar is starting to caramelize.
- While the squash is roasting, spread out the pistachios on a separate baking pan and roast for 8 minutes or until they begin to brown and smell nutty. Remove from the oven and let cool, then chop coarsely with a knife.
- For the zhoug, place all the ingredients except the lemon juice in a food processor and pulse until it forms a loose green sauce. Stir in the lemon juice.
- Once cooked, transfer the butternut squash to a serving dish and dot it with tablespoonfuls of the whipped feta before drizzling with the spicy zhoug and scattering with the chopped nuts.