Curry roasted kabocha wedges

At long last, it's winter squash season again.  There are so many fantastic varieties out there that I could write exclusively about them all season without posting a single thing about autumn's other treasures, but that would get a little boring--for you, anyway. (I fairly well live on winter squash from approximately September until March.)  If you're lost on where to start with squash, this guide has a lot of good information on different types. But even if you're a seasoned squash eater, there's always something new to try.

One of my favorite types of winter squash is the kabocha, also referred to as the Japanese pumpkin. It's dark green with lighter streaks, and has a velvety texture and luscious sweetness when roasted. Roasted wedges will a little coconut oil and curry powder make for a fantastic--and budget-friendly!--winter side dish you can serve with both hearty vegetarian and meat-based mains.

Curry-roasted kabocha wedges


1 kabocha squash
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp fine sea salt

2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted

Preheat oven to 375 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

Using a sharp knife, half the squash by cutting longitudinally (from top to bottom). Scoop out the seeds, reserving them for roasting. Cut the squash into 2 inch-wide wedges; arrange on the parchment paper-lined baking sheets so that they're not touching. Sprinkle the curry powder and salt evenly over the wedges; then drizzle the squash with the coconut oil. Roast for about 45 minutes, until the squash is very tender and caramelized around the edges.

Serves 6.

Budget-friendly tip: Almond flour is almond flour is almond flour

It's no secret by this point that I love baking with almond flour. There are mixed feelings about baking in different circles within the paleo-/ancestral-diet community, but I really don't see a problem with it so long as I'm not doing it every day and I use healthy ingredients. (So there.) Most of the flour used is either coconut or almond; both have their benefits. I prefer almond flour for most occasions, but muffin for muffin it tends to be more expensive. (You use so little coconut flour in recipes that a bag of it lasts forever.)

When I first came across almond flour in baking it was via Elana's Pantry. She advocates using blanched almond flour from either JK Gourmet or Honeyville. While I don't argue that it's generally nicer to use those brands of almond flour, it is pretty expensive. If you use her recipes--which I do all the time--you deal with her specifications. And when she says other brands won't work, she's right. But it's not because they really won't work--it's that the way those brands of blanched almond flour measure out by volume there's no way you'll get the correct amount of flour from one cup of  Bob's Red Mill almond meal. Enter baking by weight (again). Baking by weight ensures correct measurement. 1/4 cup Honeyville almond flour is about 1 ounce (28 grams); 1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill almond meal is almost definitely not 28 grams. If you spoon the flour into the cups, you'll get a very different result than if you scoop it out of the bag. Bake by weight and you can use whatever flour you want.

So which flour to use? I don't generally use Bob's Red Mill almond meal, because it's not ground as fine as the JK Gourmet and Honeyville flours--and it costs more per pound. I spend about $6/lb for Honeyville and $8/lb for JK Gourmet when I get them, but BRM costs me $10-$11 at the grocery store. Yikes.  But my dear readers, there are two solutions to this problem: You can make your own almond flour with leftover pulp from a batch of almond milk, dehydrated in the oven and then ground to a fine powder, or you can buy almond meal at Trader Joe's for less than $4 a pound. Yep. That's less than a pound of whole almonds. It's not blanched, but if you're on a budget and still want to bake grain free, TJ's is your friend.   If the color of your baked goods absolutely has to be creamy white, buy Honeyville in bulk. But if you're not making a vanilla cake or something else that requires a pale color, just get the cheap stuff already.  But recognize, if you do, that you can no longer afford to bake by volume. It just won't work consistently. (Trust me, I've made that mistake.)

Coconut flour tortillas

I had meant to post about sweet potatoes this week, but it'll have to wait until next. Don't get me wrong, we've eaten a lot of sweet potatoes since I last posted. But I recently picked up a copy of Julie and Charles Mayfield's Paleo Comfort Foods in order to get out of my cooking rut, and had to write about the coconut flour tortillas. Or at least post a picture or two.

These aren't quite what grain tortillas would be, but they're close enough to hold messy taco fillings and not fall apart. I think they'd also be good as a substitution for crêpes if filled with fresh berries and some coconut whip or cashew crème.

I plan on posting a review at some point after I get the other two reviews done that are on my plate right now. (I am long overdue in writing about Bryanna Clark Grogan's and Robin Robertson's new books.) Later this month, with any luck.

Giveaway winner!

Before I disappear until next Friday, when I'll be posting all about the sweet potatoes that have invaded our home, here's the winner of the RiceSelect goodies:

Rachel B, please email me at cardamomandcastiron {at} gmail {dot} com with your mailing address!  Congratulations. :)

Back to being creative with those delicious orange tubers...