Recipe: Roasted Curry Butternut Squash and Chickpeas

I must confess that I was getting tired of summer fare. I don’t really like to turn on the oven if I don’t have to if it’s more than 75 degrees outside, so my summer menus consist of a lot of salads and sandwiches. These kinds of dishes require a fair amount of prep work even if they don’t need any cook time, so I was happy to trade in the prep for the oven this week and turn out with a pretty awesome dinner for the cold, rainy weather we’re having.

The only real prep that you may have to do on this dish is cutting up the butternut squash. I know that many people buy their butternut squash pre-cut because, let’s face it, it’s a pain in the ass to hack through one of those things. I tend to buy mine whole because they are a lot cheaper and you get more than you normally would in a pre-cut package. Other than that, you just toss together the squash, a can of chickpeas, curry powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and olive oil. Roast them all together, serve over quinoa and top with some crumbled goat cheese. This meal is packed with protein and nutrients from the quinoa and chickpeas, making it a really filling vegetarian meal. As a bonus, the play between the slightly spiced roasted squash and the creamy goat cheese is just perfect.

Roasted Curry Butternut Squash and Chickpeas Over Quinoa

Adapted from Food and Wine — Makes about 2 servings

Ingredients

1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 1-inch cubes

1 15-oz can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed

1/2 tbsp curry powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or more, to taste)

salt

olive oil, to coat

1/2 c quinoa

2 oz goat cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Combine squash, chickpeas, curry powder, cayenne pepper, and salt in a roasting pan. Drizzle with about 1/4 c. of olive oil and toss to coat.

3. Roast for 40-45 minutes, flipping mixture around with a spatula half way through.

4. Meanwhile, bring 1 c. of water to boil in a small saucepan on the stove top.

5. Rise quinoa well with water in a sieve. When the water on the stove top is boiling, add quinoa to it.

6. Bring back up to a boil, then cover. Turn down the heat slightly and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes or until there is no longer water in the bottom of the pan. Fluff quinoa with a fork and set aside.

7. Fill a serving bowl with half of the quinoa. Top with a generous amount of the squash and chickpea mixture. Crumble goat cheese over the top of the bowl, and serve.

Off to Never Never Land! {Peter Pan Collars}

As a kid who grew up in the private school system, I heard a lot about peter pan collars when it came time to shop for new uniforms. I spent much of my childhood in a crisp white peter pan collar shirt worn under a stylin’ plaid jumper. I never really knew what “peter pan collar” meant, but it sounded alright to me since I loved the Disney movie Peter Pan. Who knew that years later, the peter pan collar would be back in action in fall collections everywhere! Here are a few of my favorites so far.

1. This blouse from ASOS is just perfect to throw on with a skirt or with trousers for a polished look! I love the detailing around the buttons, and the classic peter pan collar reminds me (in a good way) of the school uniforms I once wore.

2. I really like that the gathered waist on this Anthropologie silk blouse creates a peplum-like shape on the bottom, making it the perfect top to wear with a fitted skirt. Bonus points for the playful penguin print and bright colors that turn the “proper” collar on its head.

3. I’m really restraining myself from snapping up this vintage 1950s collar necklace from Etsy. The shape is so cute, and it would look perfect with a structured black top or a pretty silk dress.

4. A little leopard goes a long way on this Sandro dress! It’s perfect for everyday wear, but the saucy leopard collar elevates this otherwise plain black dress to something a little more special!

5. I love this take on the classic tuxedo shirt by Zara. Nothing looks more crisp and polished than a black and white contrast button down, and the sweet little collar (it’s detachable too!) just solidifies the look.

Les Portes de Paris

It’s been about 5 months since I came back from my trip to France, and I’m definitely experiencing a bit of travel withdrawal at the moment. I don’t know what it is exactly, but sometimes I have those days where the air temperature is just right or the sunlight is hitting the city in such a way that I’m instantly whisked back to a past trip. Subsequently, I become quite “away-sick” for places I’ve been to and loved. Last week, I found myself daydreaming about the streets of Paris and the beautiful and mysterious wooden doors that dot les rues.

These huge wooden doors are pretty common to see as entrances to apartments and businesses, and they usually open up into a courtyard. I remember being really excited on my first trip to Paris as a middle school-er to see doors like this propped open — it was as though I was being given an exclusive peek into the real lives of Parisians. I must confess that ten years later, when my friend and I rented a Paris apartment, I was just as enthused over having our very own wooden apartment doors to come home to at night as I was back then. The apartment certainly wasn’t glamorous, but closing the doors behind us as we stepped into the courtyard, I couldn’t help but feel like I was on the other side of the mystery I’d been so captivated by as a kid!

{Images (top to bottom): 1, 2, 3, 4}