Sometimes I think I have planned ahead, but really haven’t.  Or maybe I have planned it all out in my head, but forgot to tell my body to actually follow through. Whatever. . .

I meet with a group of Los Angeles based food bloggers, and naturally we all bring a fabulous dish to share.  This is where that pesky planning thing comes in, because I knew about the meeting well ahead, thought of a few different dishes I wanted to make, and then didn’t go grocery shopping.  See what I mean about the body not following through?  I needed to find something to cook, and fast!

This is why I love to make simple foods that are packed with flavor.  I took 4 ingredients and made a dish worthy of sharing with foodies.  Nothing complicated, but a good mix of tastes and textures. I had a kabocha squash, butter, pine nuts in the freezer and pomegranate molasses. And that’s all I needed.

Kabocha squash is a winter squash, and is also known as Japanese pumpkin.  The skin is dark green, while the flesh is bright orange.  The texture of the squash when cooked is reminiscent of a chestnut. It has become one of my favorite winter squashes.

Pomegranate molasses is a Middle Eastern staple, that has made its way onto the American palate.  It’s sweet-tart flavor is the perfect balance to the sweetness of the squash.

I know I usually post step by step photos of the food I cook, but all you get with this post is a picture of the finished dish taken with my iPhone at the food blogger meeting.  Yes, I am indeed a slacker. . .

Roasted Kabocha Squash with Pine Nuts and Pomegranate Molasses

There are no exact measurements for this recipe – just sprinkle, drizzle and taste!

1 medium kabocha squash

melted butter

toasted pine nuts

pomegranate molasses (available in specialty stores)

Heat your oven to 400 degrees F.

With a sharp knife, carefully cut your squash in half lengthwise, and remove the seeds. Cut the squash in half again crosswise, then into small wedges. (the skin of the kabocha is edible and thin, so you do not need to peel it)

Place the wedges onto a large baking sheet. Drizzle the pieces with melted butter and season with sea salt if desired.  Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the squash is tender.

Place the squash onto a serving platter, then sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts.  Drizzle a bit of pomegranate molasses onto each piece, approximately a teaspoon or so.

This is a great side dish, and can be made even more festive with the addition of pomegranate seeds sprinkled on top along with the pine nuts.