2 Presentations of One Dish

This was a tasty dinner that Aurora and I had last week: butternut squash with chorizo and apples.  It was one of those throw-it-together dinners that worked so well I should’ve been taking notes as I went along except that would have distracted me from my cooking. Maybe I should get a mini recorder and keep a verbal reckoning of what I do, but that’s just me thinking with my fingers.

I started out with a tube of chorizo sausage and some butternut squash and a cast iron pan heating slowly over a low flame.  I diced the squash as the pan heated up.

Once that was done, I browned the sausage in a cast iron pan, breaking it up as it cooked with a wooden spoon.  Because the squash didn’t need my complete and total attention, I used the scraps of it that remained to get some rice started cooking: 2 cups of rice with 4 cups of water and some salt into a pan, bring the water to a boil.
When the sausage had just about fully cooked, I added in my diced squash with a sprinkle of ginger and some cinnamon.  I stirred it all together with the squash and then set about dicing my onion.  When I had the onion cut, I tossed it in the pan and stirred it around with everything else.  The rice water’s boiling so I turn the heat down and put a lid on it.  Bag says 20 minutes but I always set my clock for less time—it’s better to turn the heat off before the rice absorbs all the moisture and let it coast to the end—it’s an easy way to avoid the rice crust at the bottom of the pan.
I ran down to the basement to poke around my apples.  It’s been cool enough down there that they’re all keeping pretty well, so I just grabbed a couple at random without noting what they were.  If you’ve got a cellar where you can keep them, though, I encourage you to buy a supply from an orchard close to you in late October/ early November and house them into the cooler winter months so you have some of fall’s flavor to coax you through the winter months.  I decided not to peel the apples; they wouldn’t be cooking long.  I cut and cored them and added them into the cast iron.

The rice timer goes off, so I crack the lid and check the consistency—close enough to let it coast; I put the lid back on as soon as possible.  I stir the squashage applion mixture with teh wooden spoon–the apples seem cooked but not yet mushy, so I serve it.

Aurora decides to try her own presentation.

Both plates are attractive and we had a fun meal.

2 Responses to “2 Presentations of One Dish”

  1. Jon Says:

    I’m obviously not a chef as my question will prove…

    The butternut squash is raw when added to the pan correct? Also having never eaten butternut squash before how is it diced? Am I correct in assuming you cut in in half and then cut it out of the skin to dice it? (Kind of like how you would cut watermelon) Sorry for the dumb questions but I am trying out new things and this recipe looks awesome.

  2. Jon Says:

    ignore my other comment. I figured it out and this dish was awesome.

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