Burgers with Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onions

This week's building block recipe is caramelized onions. The batch makes enough for two meals, this one and the pork tenderloin with caramelized onions. If you're like me, you just can't get enough of the onion's gooey sweetness. This burger was moist and full of flavor. I combined nitrate-free Italian sausage with grass-fed ground beef, mixed in a few ingredients I had on hand, and added just a bit of spice. It was a great balance to the sweetness of the butternut squash and caramelized onions. If you are making this when you don't have caramelized onions on hand and have no time to make them, just substitute grilled onions--any type will work, but Vidalia is probably the best substitute. I also made the butternut squash in advance--you can make it a couple days ahead and just warm it up before serving. Enjoy any leftover butternut squash mixed in with your eggs at breakfast or top with cinnamon and eat it with a spoon for a snack. This is a hearty burger with all of the meat and veggies in the main course. I just added a few raw carrots on the side. Enjoy!

Serves 6.

Ingredients
Burger
1 lb nitrate-free, bulk Italian sausage
1 lb grass-fed ground beef
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped red pepper
1 tsp (2 cloves) minced garlic
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 egg
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
Toppings and Garnish
1 small to medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch chunks
1 Tbsp coconut oil (or olive oil)
1/2 - 1 cup caramelized onions
large lettuce leaves

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Melt coconut oil in a large, rimmed baking dish. Add butternut squash and toss gently to coat.
3. Bake for 20 minutes or until soft.
4. Process in a food processor until pureed.
   NOTE: This can all be done in advance. Try to get it done the night before or morning of the meal to simplify your life.
5. While squash is cooking, preheat grill to medium high. Mix sausage and ground beef in a large bowl until they are well combined.
6. Add garlic, onion, red pepper, egg, and red pepper flakes. Stir with a spoon or use your hands to thoroughly combine. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Divide mixture into 6 patties. Drizzle each side with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. 
8. Grill burgers to your desired degree of doneness, about 5 minutes on each side.
9. To serve, divide lettuce leaves evenly among plates. Top with a burger. Spoon pureed squash on top and then add caramelized onions.

Steak with Tomato-Basil Spaghetti Squash

It's steak night and I thought I'd make some spaghetti squash to serve on the side. I didn't want to use a heavy sauce, so I combined fresh basil, tomatoes, and garlic to make a light, summery dish. The fresh, uncured garlic from my CSA has a strong flavor so I only used a little. If you are using dried, you may want to up the quantity. I also used a really big squash so we had leftovers for breakfast. Enjoy!

Serves 3.

Ingredients

1 large spaghetti squash

1 c grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup basil, cut in thin ribbons or "chiffonade"

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 ribeye steaks, or your favorite cut

3 Tbsp good quality balsamic vinegar, divided

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

1. Season steaks with salt and pepper. Combine olive oil and 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar in a glass baking dish. Place steaks in dish and turn to coat both sides with marinade. Let sit at room temperature while you prepare the squash. If you make it earlier in the day, refrigerate and then remove 30-60 minutes before grilling.
2. Preheat grill to medium high.
3. Pierce the squash several times with a fork or sharp knife, being sure to pierce all the way through to the middle.
4. Microwave whole squash at 70 percent power for 15 minutes. Check to see if skin is softened, then continue to microwave in 5 minute increments until skin is very soft and pliable.
   NOTE: Be sure NOT to cook on full power AND that you pierce the squash all the way through, otherwise, you may end up with a squash explosion in your microwave. I've heard rumors...
5. Remove squash from microwave and let it rest for 5-10 minutes to let it finish steaming. 
6. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out and discard the seeds. Scrape squash "noodles" from skin and into a bowl. Reserve half for another use.
7. While squash cooks, prepare other ingredients and combine them in a medium bowl. Add cooked noodles to bowl and toss gently to combine.
8. Grill steaks to desired degree of doneness, about 5 minutes on each side. Serve steaks with spaghetti squash.

Balsamic-Roasted Butternut Squash

I had three butternut squash in the pantry and we're having steak for dinner. Just had to figure out a side dish...the answer was pretty clear. This recipe is a great way to keep the oven off and still have a delicious roasted side dish. You simply peel and slice the squash then marinade for an hour before grilling. The balsamic vinegar gives it a nice sweet crust. Use a vegetable peeler to make easy work of peeling the squash. If you have any leftovers, chop them up and mix them with eggs for breakfast. Yum!

Adapted from theclothesmakethegirl.

Ingredients
1 butternut squash
2 Tbsp exta virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dried thyme
3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Peel squash and remove seeds. Cut in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Place squash in a container such as a glass baking dish or lidded storage container.
2. Mix oil, vinegar, thyme, and garlic in a small bowl. Pour the marinade over the squash and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.
3. Preheat grill to medium high. Using tongs, place squash segments on the grill grate, reserving marinade in the container. Grill for about 7-9 minutes per side or until squash is tender with charred edges and grill markings.
4. Remove from grill and place back in dish with reserved marinade. Gently toss and let squash rest for 5 minutes before serving.