Maybe it was when you found yourself agreeing with Ariel’s dad in The Little Mermaid. (“Young lady, you don’t love that boy. You don’t even know him!”) Or perhaps it was when you realized you actually wanted socks for your birthday because that meant you wouldn’t have to spend your own money on them. For me, it was when I first used the thermostat after getting my first real job after college. Before, I was simply wearing a lot of sweaters and ensuring that whatever I made for dinner required turning on the oven so it would also warm the tiny hovel my landlord passed off as an apartment. Suddenly, I was an adult with a heating bill. Still, some of those heat-the-apartment recipes that I cobbled together in my pre-adulting days were nothing less than epic. I still make them today! Take this recipe for roasted winter squash with cilantro chimichurri: super cheap ingredients and crazy easy to make. Yet, the result is always breathtaking. Bright, herbal, acidic, and sweet. It’s the perfect cold weather dish on a budget – that also requires turning on the oven. Even better? When you serve it to your friends, you’ll convince everyone you’re a real adult with excellent taste. Urfa biber is a dark maroon chili flake common in Turkish cuisine. A super adulty spice. The chilies are sun-cured during the day and sweated at night before being ground with a touch of salt. The result is a smoky-salty-sweet-savory chili flake whose complex flavor is reminiscent of chocolate, raisins, and inky red wine. The heat is mild, but builds the more you eat, yet never overwhelms. It’s one of those rare ingredients that really can go on nearly everything. I actually keep it in a small container on the kitchen table for this reason and recommend you do so as well. You can find urfa biber pretty easily online at stores like Spice Jungle or Olive Nation. However, if you don’t have urfa biber chili flakes, then feel free to use regular chili flakes. I have done this plenty of times and the recipe is equally awesome.
3 pounds acorn or delicata squash 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/4 teaspoon salt Ground black pepper
For the cilantro chimichurri:
1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped 1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped 1 tablespoon oregano leaves, finely chopped 1 1/2 teaspoons urfa biber, or regular chili flakes 1/4 teaspoon salt 4 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Toss the squash with a 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon or so of salt, and ground black pepper. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
