Part of what has kept my food costs down during this project has been my ability to use ingredients that I already have on hand. The other part has been not letting anything go to waste.
Last week, when I made the shrimp and chickpea dish, I saved my shrimp shells and froze them. I already had celery and onion on hand, so all I needed were leeks (which I got for this recipe) and I could make fish stock.
Since I also bought a four pound butternut squash, and only used a pound of it for the risotto, I had plenty of that left, as well. I’ve found the squash to be incredibly economical. For less than I would spend on meat, I’ve gotten six servings with enough to make at least two more. For those who are on a budget, I strongly recommend that you look into incorporating more of this into your diet. It’s also packed with vitamins A and C, so there’s even more incentive.
To me, this dish was very similar in taste to the butternut squash galette that I make and I think that it’s just as versatile, too. If you cut the puff pastry into smaller squares, you could serve these as an appetizer. As an entrée, I would pair these with a fall or winter-inspired salad. I prepared half of this recipe and it produced six triangles, so about 3 servings. The recipe below is the version that I made.
Butternut Squash Turnovers (adapted from Jeremy Sommer’s recipe on Food & Wine Magazine’s website)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 leeks, white and pale green parts only, cut into 1-inch dice
1/4 lb shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp thyme leaves, no stems
1 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed if frozen
3 oz fresh goat cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
Directions
Preheat oven to 375. In a large sauté pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil on medium. Add the leeks and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
Add mushrooms and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and transfer to a medium-sized bowl.
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, toss squash with 1 tbsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Spread the squash on the baking sheet into an even layer and bake for 25 minutes, rotating squash halfway, or until tender and starting to brown.
Remove from oven and add to mushroom and leek mixture. Toss gently.
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a 12 x 16 inch rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick.
Cut the pastry into 4-inch squares (you should be able to get 6). Spoon 2 tbsp of squash mixture into each square. Top with crumbled goat cheese.
Lightly brush the edges of the pastry with the egg. Fold the squares over to form a triangle.
Arrange the turnovers on the prepared baking sheet about 1/2 inch apart. Brush the tops with the remaining egg.
Bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Grand Total: $14.39
