Found Food: Spiced Kuri Squash and Chicken Stew

When one impulse buys a 4-pound Kuri squash, it then behooves one to find a recipe that uses it.  This is the recipe that I found--and since I have a habit of finding food before I find the recipe, I'm creating a new tag.  

The amazing Red Kuri Squash

All of the vegetables and the chicken are local; the broth, while not homemade, has made use of leftover broth from my roomie's fabulous pilaf that she made me two nights ago.  I placed the onion, garlic, and ginger ends and peels in my freezer bag o' stock scraps. 

ETA: This recipe was originally posted in September 2010; it's now 2 October 2011, and I made this again deboning 2 lbs of leg quarters--NOT for the timid but an excellent way to get bones for the freezer hoard for future broth--to get 1.25 lbs of meat.  I also took photos!  Next time I make this, I may use coconut milk in place of the broth, since I bet that's worth the calories.

Found Food: Roasted Squash Seeds

While I am perfectly happy to compost my food scraps and reuse them that way, the best foods are those that have further edible iterations.  The kuri squash that I used to make the Spiced Kuri Squash and Chicken Stew yielded some plump, beautiful seeds that begged to be roasted.  Since these will be higher calorie and a huge temptation, I'm taking them to a neighbor's tonight along with a bottle of Portguese wine.

Roasted Squash Seeds
Makes 2 cups

Seeds from a winter squash such as Kuri
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1)  Take seeds scooped from squash and rinse in colander to get rid of as much squash fiber and meat as possible.  Spread on baking tray and dry out.

2)  Preheat oven to 375 F.

3)  Place seeds in a mixing bowl.  Add oil and stir.  Add spices (improvising as necessary or desired) and stir.  Spread seeds evenly on baking sheet.

4) Place baking sheet full of seeds in oven and bake 20-30 minutes or until seeds begin to brown.  Adjust salt as desired.