Butternut Fries. Yes, I Went There.

Each and every one of the 12 years since we moved here to Austin my husband and I have attempted to grow a garden. We have had some years that lettuce or peppers or tomatoes grew in abundance. We have had others that were epic failures. In fact you could probably say that we have had more losses then wins when it comes to fresh, homegrown produce. One ideal I have held firm to is that I will not let those losses give me an excuse to give up. I am still learning about this Texas soil, the timing of the seasons, and what varieties of plants to grow (and not grow) and I have a dream that our garden will someday be a fairly reliable food source for our daily meals. Until then, I will rejoice quietly when something grows and say a prayer back into the earth when something dies before hopping on over to my local farmer's market for backup.

This summer I attempted to grow butternut squash. I say attempt, as my expectations were not high. However, when I saw the first little flower set and and start to grow into a squash - I'm not going to lie - I was downright giddy inside. But because of my garden karma and squash history, I refused to allow myself to get too excited. Each day I waited for that little butternut to break off, die in the heat or get eaten by outdoor varmints (including my dogs!). But that little squash just kept on holding firm and growing on that vine. Finally, the day came when he was the perfect pale color of ripe. I took pride while gently taking him from his cradled nest of hedging in that bed. So much anticipation over whether I would even have this moment, that I never gave much thought as to how I would prepare it.

Roasted? Mashed? Braised? So many choices! Being that this was my first butternut squash I wanted to celebrate in its glory by making it the star that it was. I decided oven fries would bring out the sweetness and showcase the beauty of its orange flesh. Oven fries? Yes, why not? We seem to take every other root vegetable and starch out there and turn them into fries so why not a squash?

I peeled and julienned 1 butternut squash (they come in all sizes so you can improvise with this recipe.)
I tossed them in a bowl with 1 tsp. of coconut oil.
I laid them in a single layer on a parchment lined cookie sheet and sprinkled them with truffle salt (you could sprinkle with sea salt or really any seasoning of your choice.)
I placed them in a preheated 350º oven for approximately 25 minutes (depending on how many fries you have) until brown and crispy. (You may want to turn pan in oven half way through cooking)
I then proceeded to eat the whole bowl. Yes I went there. With a smile on my face down to the very last fry. I'm jus' sayin'!

Chocolate Caliente

I remember the first time I had Mexican hot chocolate. It was at my dear friend Martha's home when she asked me to stir the pot of chocolate that was on her stove. I took the whisk to the pot of creamy delicious dark elixir and as I stirred, I could smell the cinnamon and chocolate dancing together. After taking a sip of what I'd been stirring, I realized right then that I had been missing out on a truly unique cultural experience. Martha also liked to add coffee to her cocoa to make a delicious Mexican Mocha. Over the years, Martha taught me so much about her heritage and the art of Mexican cuisine and I am forever grateful for the time she spent with me, planting the seeds in me to learn more. Now that sugar is not my first go-to option, I have to change things up a bit - or should I say "spice" things up a bit. It's a challenge at times, but thanks to these memories, I have somewhere to start... I'm jus' sayin'!

Because I am now following a low glycemic lifestyle, I am constantly trying to take my favorite recipes and revamp them to work within my dietary framework. I searched the internet for a recipe for chocolate and came across this delightful recipe from "Chocolate Covered Katie". (If you have never seen her blog, I highly recommend it. She has lots of low-glycemic recipes for some favorite and traditional dishes and treats.) I added some flavors to this one to recreate that Mexican-flavored chocolate and because I can't have Stevia, I opted to use agave instead. It made for a softer, more "ganache" texture. When I made a batch using Stevia, however, it had much more of a crisp snap to it.

Low Glycemic Mexican Haute Chocolate Bars
Adapted from: Three-Ingredient Chocolate Bars: Chocolate Covered Katie

In a bowl combine the following:

• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 4 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil (melted)
• 1/4 cup agave syrup
• 1 pinch of chipotle powder (depending on taste you can add more)
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

Pour into molds. I used a recycled plastic apricot container I got from Costco for the Stevia chocolate. For the agave, I used some vintage tart molds I sprayed with cooking spray. You could use any plastic candy molds.

Chocolate Drops made with Stevia

When I melted it to make my Mexican Haute Chocolate, I used 4 oz of the agave chocolate bar and 6 oz of Coconut Almond Milk. I brought it to a simmer and whisked it vigorously. I then poured them into mugs to serve.