Dispatch from the Mess Hall: Roasted Butternut Squash, Apple, and Onion with Lazy Baked Beans

Roasted Butternut Squash, Apple, and Onion

with Lazy Baked Cannellini Beans

Greetings from Dissertation Jail, where I am serving the next several weeks. The upside is that even prisoners have to eat, the downside is that I officially have no time for elaborate meals. So it's looking like I have a lot of soups and casseroles in my future.

I've been eyeing the pretty combination of butternut squash and red apple sitting on my countertop for several days now, so tonight I decided to roast them together with an onion and walnuts.

Since I'm planning on making my favorite roasted vegetable soup tomorrow night, I went ahead and roasted the whole squash (1/2 with the apples and 1/2 with two carrots for the soup). The flavors played nicely together and the end dish was very tasty. When I have more time I'd like to use this recipe as the filling for a galette or tart (adding some cinnamon and nutmeg). That would be awesome.

I wanted more protein than simply walnuts, so I decided to make some baked beans to go with the squash. Not real baked beans, of course, because those call for soaking dried beans overnight and then baking them for 90 minutes and inmates have no such time. I settled for a lazy version using canned beans instead and served everything with a slice of organic wheat bread. It's a vegan meal, which I was in the mood for. Recipes after the jump . . .

Roasted Butternut Squash, Apple, and Onion

small organic butternut squash
tart apple
small organic onion
walnuts
olive oil
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 375F. Prepare squash by slicing lengthwise, scooping out seeds, peeling, and cutting into cubes. Slice apple and onion. Toss everything together with olive oil, salt, and pepper in a roasting pan.

Bake for 45 min to an hour mostly undisturbed (I shake the pan occasionally) until squash is browned and soft. Add a handful of walnuts in the final 5 min. of cooking time.

Lazy Baked Beans

1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 garlic clove, peeled and slightly crushed
1 small bay leaf
vegetable broth
salt & pepper

Add 1/2 desired amount of beans to an oven-safe dish (I used a little less than 1/2 a can, saving the other 1/2 for soup tomorrow). Add garlic clove and small bay leaf.

Add other 1/2 desired amount of beans. Add vegetable broth until beans are covered.

Bake with the other vegetables at 375F during the last 15-20 min. of cooking time. Salt and pepper to taste.

These aren't as creamy as the real thing, of course, but were a bit more exciting than simply heating them on the stovetop.