I bought these early season squash a couple of weeks ago at the farmers market thinking they were kabocha. I was reading through my new copy of Smitten with Squash and realized it was red kuri! It cooks up almost exactly the same as kabocha, with sweet, bright orange flesh and an edible rind. After eating zucchini and patty pan for weeks on end, it's a welcome treat to bite into something dense and creamy. It hits the "comfort food" zone more readily than watery Summer veg.  I'm sure this squash would make an awesome custard or pumpkin-pie-like tart. Which I'm going to try just as soon as I can. Probably with tons of cardamom, cuz that's how I do.

So, as many of you know I've been traveling almost non-stop for the past two weeks. But I somehow found time to make this dish in-between flights, train rides, wedding planning, wedding dress research (yeah maybe that first one I found wasn't "the one"), keeping up with my band and friends and work, and figuring out our honeymoon plans. Berbere is one of my favorite spice mixes. It adds tons of flavor to almost anything. I love adding it to lentils (with tons of ghee), to sautéed green beans, and to stews. I have an unending supply of soup and stew recipes so you could say I'm excited for it to get a bit cooler out.

 The maple sriracha tofu is bangin'. It's crisp, salty, spicy, and sweet. The flavor penetrates through the whole of each of the little blocks of tofu as it cooks. It's pretty great on it's own, but I also like to eat it over a big bowl of quinoa or throw it in a wrap with avo, shredded carrots, and red pepper. Note: Use a dense block of tofu that's had most of the water pressed out, like Twin Oaks Tofu. Otherwise, wrap a "firm" block of tofu in paper towels or a very clean kitchen cloth, set it on a cutting board, and set a handful of weights on top. I use books and cutting boards, mostly. Let the water press out for 20 to 30 minutes, drain the water off of the cutting board and out of the paper towels/cloth, and you've got a really firm block of tofu that's perfect for frying! 

Berbere Roasted Kuri Squash & Maple Sriracha Tofu (Gluten Free, Vegan)

Ingredients

Roasted Berbere Kuri Squash

• 2 small red kuri squash, seeds scooped out and diced into 1 inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons berbere seasoning
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt

Maple Sriracha Tofu

• 1 block firm tofu, diced into 1 inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ cup gluten free tamari
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon sriracha (about a 3 second squeeze) + more to taste

Instructions

For the Squash:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. In a large bowl, combine diced kuru squash and olive oil. Toss to coat. Add berbere, and salt. Toss to combine and coat with the spices. Spread the squash out evenly on a large baking sheet. Roast 22 minutes and remove from the oven to cool for 10 minutes. Serve with maple sriracha tofu.

For the Tofu:

1. Heat a well seasoned cast iron pan over medium heat. Once the pan is nice and hot, add cubes of tofu to the pan and dry fry, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and fry another 5 minutes. Add tamari, maple syrup, and sriracha and sautee until all of the liquid has cooked off. Fry another 2-5 minutes, until the tofu begins to get just a bit crisp. Cut off the heat, and serve immediately.