HoneyNut Squash Naan Flatbread Pizza with Avocado, Shallots, Apples and Feta

It was waaaaay past lunchtime and I was hungry, but pretty much all my food adventures begin that way. "Necessity is the mother of invention", or something like that. Let me tell you how my process works.

Me: "I'm soooo hungry!"

Me to Me: "So make yourself something to eat..."

Me: "Wow. You're brilliant."

Me to Me: "Well, one of us has to be."

Me: "Ok what am I eating, Einstein?"

Me to Me: "Check the fridge. Check the pantry. I know about as much as you do."

Me: "This is getting tedious..." (checks fridge, checks pantry, checks dining room table, checks kitchen table)

Me to Me: "I ain't getting any younger, but I am getting crankier. Feed us. NOW."

Me: "OOOH! I just roasted a honeynut squash this morning! It's delicious!! Let's eat that."

Me to Me: "That might work...what else?"

Me: "Uhmmmm... There's naan on the table..."

Me to Me: "So get creative! What can you do with squash and naan?"

Me: "Tacos???"

Me to Me: (scowling) "YOU'RE a Taco. Come on now, don't be daft."

Me: (Preheats oven to 450) "Pizza! I'm gonna top the naan with squash and stuff!"

Me to Me: "It's the 'And stuff' part that has me most concerned. What will be 'And stuff'???"

Me: "Let's see...feta! I've got feta. And fresh sage. The squash-sage-feta combo is still going strong on Insta."

Me to Me: "But of course. Instagram. How silly of me. What else?"

Me: "Aaaand... Onions? No, never mind. Shallots. That's better. I have to use them up before they start to rot."

Me to Me: "Fine. Shallots. Anything else?"

Me: "Er, maybe some avocado. I've got those too."

Me to Me: "You always 'got those too'. You're obsessed with them. You put them on everything!"

Me: "I do not!"

Me to Me: "Do too!"

Me: "Do not!"

My Six Year Old: "Mommy, who are you talking to???"

Me: "Uhhh...No one!"

Me to Me: "You're making a scene. Now make your pizza and stop being ridiculous."

Me: "You started it..." (Starts cutting naan into quarters)

Me to Me: "Why on Earth are you doing that?? You're making life more difficult than it needs to be! Leave them whole and then spread on the squash. You'll cut them later!"

Me: (stares down at naan wedges sheepishly) "Too late!" (Begins spreading on squash)

Me to Me: "What's next? You haven't really thought this through, have you?"

Me: "You are such a drama queen. It's just food. Assemble and done. And I do have a plan, I'm just not telling you."

Me to Me: "Well, that's mature."

Me: "For your information, I'm sprinkling on the feta next."

Me to Me: "Now we're getting somewhere. And then what?"

Me: "Probably the avocado..."

Me to Me: "Get on with it, then. I'm starving."

Me: (sprinkles on feta, starts slicing the avocado into long slices, arranges slices decoratively on the naan)

Me to Me: "What. Are. You. Doing???? Stop getting all fancy with your flatbread and just drop pieces on and get this thing in our stomach. Now."

Me: "It has to look right. I'm taking a picture. You know..."

Me to Me: (hangs head) "I know, I know. For Insta..."

Me: (leaves kitchen, heads to dining room)

Me to Me: "Where are you disappearing to at a time like this?"

Me: "Stop having conniptions. I'm just cutting some sage. I did mention sage leaves, remember?"

Me to Me: "Well just get on with it. You could've used ground sage, you know. There's a whole pouch in the spice drawer..."

Me: "And miss an opportunity for fresh leaves??? I think not."

Me to Me: (scowling continues)

Me: (Arranges leaves on each piece of naan) "Okay. Now I'm ready to put it in the oven, I think."

Me to Me: "Hallelujah!"

Me: (sticks naan in oven) "I give it ten minutes."

Me to Me: "Yay!"

Me: "And then I have to put on the rest of the stuff."

Me to Me: (scowling commences)

At this point I go downstairs for something. I forget what, but it's then when I notice a huge bag of apples from the farm.

Me: "Those are going on the pizza!"

Me to Me: (Sighs) "Of course they are..."

Me: (returning upstairs) "Shoot! I have to cook the shallots!"

Me to Me: (too hungry to comment)

Me: (slices shallots, heats olive oil, fries shallots, sets them aside to cool) "See? No big deal."

Me to Me: "Fine."

Me: (returning to oven after 10 minutes) "Awesome! It's done! Smells awesome!"

Me to Me: "Get the rest of the stuff on so we can eat!"

Me: (Slicing apples) "Okay we'll throw these on, and some dried rosemary. And the shallots.And some more feta. (Spies cranberry sauce on the kitchen table) And tiny bits of cranberry sauce!"

Me to Me: "Finish already!!"

Me: (adds the rest of the stuff, admires creation)

Me to Me: "AWesome! Looks fab! Now we eat."

Me: "NOW we take pictures. THEN we eat."

Me to Me: "Woman you have lost your MIND! It's 3:45 and we are STARVING!! EAT!"

Me: "NO!" (Grabs camera, spends 15 minutes taking pictures)

Six year old: "Mommy, you do a lot of cooking. And taking pictures."

Me to Me: "That's a clever girl you've got there. Maybe it's time to put down the camera?"

Me: "Oh, fine..."(Puts camera away, sits down, grabs a piece and finally eats).

Me to Me: "GIRRRLLLL... That was so worth the wait."

Me: "Never doubt me again." (Opens instagram)

Me to Me: (between mouthfuls) "Never. Never ever. Promise."

Me: (Scrolling through pictures) "Next time we'll throw on some pomegranate seeds. They're so pretty in food."

Me to Me: "Maybe stop while you're ahead."

And that's pretty much how a recipe of mine is born. Okay, I did embellish a little (okay, maybe a lot. But be honest. This way is much more fun to read, right?) but ultimately, I go through a similar process whenever I'm in the mood for something to eat and haven't really thought it through yet. It's always a fun challenge to try to come up with new and creative ways to use the foodstuffs already in my house. They don't call me the "Leftover Queen" for nothing. Okay, they don't call me the "Leftover Queen" but they really should.

I know how much you want the recipe so I'll stop rambling now and let you have it.

Why can't ALL food be this tasty AND attractive AND easy to make? WHY???

**Just a friendly warning, though- Honeynut squash is deliriously good. So good I just went at it with a spoon. It's so sweet, it needs no added sweetener! If you're lucky enough to find one now, it'd taste amazing as the star of a pie!

Recipe:

Honey Nut Squash Naan Flatbread with Avocado, Apples and Feta

4 Naan

1 Honey Nut squash

1-2 Avocados, thinly sliced

1 large apple, thinly sliced

2 lag Shallots, thinly sliced lengthwise

2 tbsp Feta cheese

Handful fresh Sage leaves

2 tsps dried Rosemary

Fresh whole cranberry sauce or craisins (optional)

Pomegranate seeds (optional)

Instructions:

1. Roast squash. Preheat oven to 350. Slice in half and brush all over with olive oil. Bake in oven for 45 mins. Remove and allow to cool. Then, peel, scoop out seeds and discard and mash very well. Set aside.

2. Place a heavy bottom skillet over medium heat and add a couple tbsps of olive oil. When hot, add the shallots. Cook, while stirring occasionally until very soft, about 10 mins. Set aside.

3. Preheat oven to 450. Spread a couple of tbsps of squash onto each naan. Arrange a few slices of avocado on top. Sprinkle on some feta cheese, the sage leaves and the rosemary. Season with finely ground sea salt and freshly ground black pepper if desired, to taste.

4. Bake on bottom rack for 10 mins, or until bottoms are just crispy.Remove from oven and top with apple slices, some more feta, pomegranate and a few tiny dollops of cranberry if desired.

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