Last week I bought two butternut squash at our local Aldi store. They’ve just been sitting on my kitchen bureau, waiting for me to catch some inspiration. I like to center my meals around some kind of starch–either a whole grain, potato or a starchy veggie like these squashes. And it had been awhile since I’d made any squash. So I began scratching my head and combing the internet, waiting for inspiration to strike.
Squashes made me think of Native Americans, the Iroquois tribe in particular. I remember reading how they grew squash with corn and beans in a tremendous companion planting arrangement called the “Three Sisters.” And that’s when inspiration struck! How about a Three Sisters lunch? In fact, how about some Three Sisters tacos?
I began by peeling a medium size butternut. The skin came off pretty well with the potato peeler. And I was delighted that the squash had a very small cavity, so that meant lots more creamy squash on the inside. I cut the squash into rings, about 3/4 inch wide, then cubed each circle or ring of squash. I ended up with about 6 cups of bright butternut cubes. I put these in a bowl, added 3 cups of vegetable broth and sprinkled a tablespoon of paprika and some salt on top.
After mixing it all together, I spread out the cubes on a parchment lined baking sheet. The squash was now ready for the oven. I chose to bake it in a 425 degree oven til the squash was soft and tender. It took about 35 minutes in my oven, which worked out just right.
While the squash was busy baking, I turned to the 2nd sister in the recipe–Beans. There’s so many I could choose from. Pintos would have been a logical choice. Tacos and pintos just go together, right? But I decided to use my favorite beans from the cupboard–black beans. They are so soft and creamy and packed with so much fiber, I knew this would be perfect for my Three Sisters Tacos.
But first, I chopped up a medium-size onion and green pepper and added these veggies to the skillet. For I wanted savory beans, with plenty of punch and flavor. I sauteed the veggies in about 1/4 cup of vegetable broth til they were just becoming tender. This took only a few minutes. Then in went my beans. I ended up using 2 cans. The final touch was to sprinkle in a teaspoon of cumin and about 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Then I cooked it all up for a few more minutes.
My son came into the kitchen just then, saying, “Mmmm. I’m getting hungry!” So I knew I had just the right amount of savory.
All we needed now were some raw veggies in there. So I chopped up some Roma tomatoes and shredded some Romaine lettuce that I had on hand. Cilantro would have made a nice addition to, but my guys aren’t partial to cilantro, so I stuck with just the lettuce.
For the last step, I heated the tortillas briefly on my non-stick skillet–just about 20 seconds for each one. Then it was time to dig in. I put all the fixings on the table and each of stuffed our tacos with the bean mix, baked squash and the raw veggies. I heard a lot of yumms as we enjoyed the new tacos. So I think this will be a do-it-again at our house. Maybe someday it will find its way onto our Cooking Club buffet.
Here’s the recipe for you to enjoy them at your place. If you try them, please let me know. I’d love to hear from you.
CHEF’S NOTE: 3 tacos = 1 serving.
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: Use corn tortillas for a gluten-free taco. Always loaded with flavor and nutrition!
THREE SISTERS TACOS
Ingredients
- 6 cups butternut squash 1 medium squash, peeled and cubed
- 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 T paprika
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 medium green pepper chopped
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth
- 2 15 ounce cans of black beans
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- Roma tomatoes chopped
- Shredded Romaine lettuce
Instructions
- Peel a medium-size butternut squash. Slice into rings, then cube each ring to make about 6 cups of cut up squash.
- In a bowl, mix the squash with 3 cups vegetable broth and paprika. Mix well. Season with some salt.
- Spread squash mixture on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for about 35 minutes in a 425 degree oven til tender.
- While the squash is baking, chop the onions and green pepper. Saute' in 1/4 cup of vegetable broth until the veggies just start to become tender.
- Add in the beans, cumin and salt. Cook for a few more minutes. Turn off the heat.
- Chop up some tomatoes and shred some lettuce.. Put these in separate bowls for your guests to add to their tacos.
- Heat your whole grain tortillas on a nonstick griddle or pan. 20-30 seconds apiece is all that's needed.
- Put all your taco fixings on the table for each person to make their own--squash, cooked veggies and beans, as well as the raw tomatoes and lettuce. Chopped cilantro is also a nice addition.
- Have a fun fiesta!
