With Miso Glazed Butternut Squash Sandwich & Roasted Garlic Spread
La Habana Ooh Na Na!
A Bit of History:
Habanero peppers take their name from Havana (La Habana), Cuba. According to many sources, the spicy peppers exited the Port of Havana on trading vessels. While, habaneros do not play an important role in Cuban cuisine, they do hail from South America and feature in my latest recipe for Blueberry Habanero Pepper Preserves!
In 1912, pharmacist Wilbur Scoville introduced a scale to measure levels of spiciness of peppers in the genus capsicum. Originally known as the Organoleptic Test, subjects tasted diluted pepper extracts until they could no longer perceive any levels of heat. While, not nearly as spicy as the Carolina Reaper (1.5-10 million SFU), habanero peppers rank fairly high on the Scoville scale for spiciness at 150,000 to 570,000 SHU (Scoville Heat Units). In comparison, jalapeno peppers score much lower at 2,500 to 8,000 SHU.
About the Recipe: Blueberry Habanero Pepper Preserves
Coercing my family to drive to various farms for u-pick produce has become a family, summertime tradition. Fortunately, farms abound near us for blueberry, strawberry, blackberry, and tomato picking. However, we always pick way more fruit than we can consume before it spoils. Therefore, I continuously experiment with different flavor combinations for jams and preserves. My latest venture combines sweet, juicy blueberries with spicy habanero peppers. This pairing complements waffles, pancakes, and makes a wonderful sandwich spread. Even better, these easy preserves can be made quickly and with frozen blueberries if you can’t find fresh ones!
Miso Glazed Butternut Squash Sandwich & Roasted Garlic Spread
My favorite summer lunch and oftentimes dinner typically features an easy sandwich. I especially love it when I avoid turning on the oven and utilize my air fryer instead. For this knockout sandwich, simply slice a small butternut squash in round circles. Drizzle with miso paste and liquid smoke and toss them in the air fryer or oven. Finish the sandwich with Blueberry Habanero Pepper Preserves, Roasted Garlic Cashew Spread or your favorite garlic hummus, and your preferred sandwich toppings. I love adding pickled red onions, arugula, and crisp radish slices.
Blueberry Habanero Pepper Preserves with Miso Glazed Butternut Squash Sandwich
Ingredients
Blueberry Habanero Pepper Preserves
- 9 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
- 3-4 habanero peppers minced
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 cup honey (or substitute vegan sweetener of choice)
Miso Glazed Butternut Squash Sandwich (4 servings)
- 1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into eight (1/4 inch thick) circles
- 4 tsp liquid smoke
- 4 tsp red miso paste
- 1 tbsp water
- olive oil spray
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 whole wheat burger buns or pita pockets
Roasted Garlic Cashew Spread (optional or sub with your favorite garlic hummus)
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 6 cloves roasted garlic
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 lemon juiced
- salt to taste
Sandwich Toppings (optional)
- 2 cups arugula
- 1/2 cup pickled red onions
Instructions
Blueberry Habanero Preserves
- Combine blueberries, honey, lemon juice, and 3 minced habanero peppers in a large pot. Bring to a low simmer for about 30-35 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Taste and adjust honey/sweetener and spice level, adding more peppers if needed. Allow to cool. Store in the refrigerator. Makes approximately 5-6 cups.
Miso Glazed Butternut Squash Sandwich
- Peel and trim the ends from the butternut squash. Cut bottom half of the squash into eight 1/4 inch-thick circles. Save any leftover, raw squash for another use.
- Using a knife tip, poke a few holes into each squash circle. Place circles in a large shallow container.
- Whisk together miso, liquid smoke, and water and pour over squash circles. Allow to marinate for 10-20 minutes.
- Air fry squash circles for 15-20 minutes per side until or roast in oven at 400 degrees for approximately 40-45 minutes (flip circles over after 20 minutes).
Roasted Garlic Cashew Spread
- Remove the ends from the garlic cloves. Roast in air fryer for 10 minutes until softened or in oven at 400 degrees for 20-minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove skins from garlic.
- Place roasted garlic and remaining ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Serving
- Slather each bun or pita pocket with roasted garlic cashew spread or garlic hummus of choice. Add 1-2 roasted butternut squash circles and top with blueberry habanero preserves. Add fresh arugula and pickled red onions for a knockout sandwich!
Looking for some other great fruit jams and preserve recipes? Try these Ultratruffle favorites:
Persimmons, Concord Grape, & Orange Zest