Thanksgiving Bowl

The holidays were so last week. I know. But there remains the fact that I had to use up the other half of a butternut squash from a few days ago, and some could-not-resist-buying cranberries that were on the quick-sale rack (they’re seasonal, people!). Naturally, Thanksgiving flavors sprang to mind.

Preheat the oven to 425, and drizzle all with evoo:
1/2 butternut squash, diced
A stalk of celery & an onion, diced
1/2 a big can of chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and dried
A few handfuls of fresh cranberries

Sprinkle the cranberries with brown sugar.

Sprinkle on and mix into the veggies: S&P, garlic powder, and a generous amount of Bell's seasoning.

Pop in the oven for about 30 minutes.



I kept everything separate on the pan, so my cranberry- & chickpea-phobic husband could just have the squash. But if you don’t have any haters in your family, feel free to toss them together.

Note to self: Don’t turn away from the counter while you’re in the throes of harried cooking (I was making that broccoli cheez soup at the same time), because your 8-yr-old may sneak away with your camera to capture the moment on her friend’s DS game.



Brains. So not vegan. My apologies.

I was originally going for a roasted butternut/chickpea soup, with maybe a cranberry chutney of sorts on top, but after roasting everything and tasting all the components in their toasty crispy flavorful perfectness, I couldn’t bring myself to whir them up in a broth.



So, I slow-cooked some brown rice and just spooned everything over it. Nothing says “it’s OK that my nose hairs would freeze instantly if I stepped outside today” better than a hot, sweet and savory meal in a bowl, inside.



Mmm. I’m thankful.