Sauteed Shrimp with Butternut Squash and Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I got a great cookbook from one of my favorite people a few years ago, and at first many of the recipes appeared to be way beyond my culinary abilities. It wasn't until I realized that just because there are more steps, and it's a bit more complicated, it doesn't mean you can't make something successfully. Sometimes you just have to save recipes like these for the weekends, to allow plenty of time for tinkering (and for mistakes).*

Sautéed Shrimp with Butternut Puree

Ingredients

Puree

1/2 a small butternut squash

1 1/2 T butter

1/4 c chopped onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 tsp peeled fresh ginger

1/3 c broth or water

1/3 c heavy cream

Salt and pepper

Shrimp

3 T extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp sambal oelek chili paste

1 lb tail on shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 T butter

Salt

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.

2. Scoop out the seeds of the squash, place 1/2 T butter in the cavity, flip over, and roast on a rimmed baking sheet until the skin browns and the squash softens, about 45 minutes (I did this the day before and kept the cooked squash in the fridge).

3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together all shrimp ingredients except the butter and salt. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour and up to overnight (I let it marinate for an hour and it was yummy).

3. Melt the remaining 1 T butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and ginger.

4. Once the onion is translucent, scoop out the squash flesh and add it to the pan.

5. Add the broth and cream, then simmer over low heat until the cream takes on a nutty smell and the mixture thickens, about 25 minutes.

6. Use an immersion blender or transfer everything to a blender and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

7. Pull the shrimp from the fridge. Melt 2 T butter in a large saute pan over medium heat.

8. Season the shrimp with a bit of salt and saute until pink but slightly translucent in the middle, about 1 minute per side.

9. Serve the shrimp over a heaping spoonful of puree.

*This recipe also calls for a cider gastrique, which requires slowly simmering sugar and cider vinegar until it thickens. I failed miserably and my gastrique turned into tooth-crushing candy/caramel. It turned out just fine without it :)

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Preheat the oven to 400F. Cut the Brussels sprouts into halves or quarters depending on the size, making sure to cut off the tough end. In a mixing bowl, toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a dash of balsamic vinegar. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for about 25 minutes, tossing halfway through.