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My husband and I have been watching a lot of movies lately – many more than usual for us.
He’s a member of the Screen Actors’ Guild. And it’s the time of year when studios mail movies that are up for the SAG awards to members for consideration in voting.
A lot of movies that we just haven’t seen or that haven’t made it to our small town are now available via download or sent to our mailbox.
With only a vague awareness of what the films are about, we sit down in the evenings to watch them. I enjoy watching movies like this, without preconceived ideas of how the plot will unfold or even what the basic storyline is going to be.
However, there are some things that would have been good to know beforehand – for example, how difficult it is to eat dinner while trying to keep up with what’s happening in a silent movie. It’s much trickier than you’d imagine.
(Finish your dinner and then watch The Artist. Thus far, it would be my pick for best picture.)
With a couple of the films – Beginners and The Descendants – I had imagined they were going to err on the side of light hearted, quirky comedy, when in fact, both of them were dealing with death, loss, intimacy, and the way we continue to renegotiate our closest relationships.
They were both well done, but more Kleenex was involved than I’d anticipated.
After the last tear fest, I turned to my husband with a stuffy nose and red eyes and said, “We have to start looking at these plot synopses more carefully.”
If only movies came with warning labels in addition to ones for violence, nudity, and adult language. They could be things like, “Prepare for catharsis.” Or “Get ready to clear your sinuses.” Or “It’s going to get ugly. You may just want to watch this one alone.”
The best movies have a combination of both ends of emotion – sweet and bitter, pain and joy.
In a way, it’s like the best meals. It’s all about balance.
Which brings me to my recipe for Smoky Black Bean and Delicata Squash Tacos. There’s no reason why sweet potatoes should get all of the love when it comes to orange vegetables in tacos.
The chipotle chili pepper and smoked paprika in the beans pair up beautifully with the natural sweetness of delicata squash. While they’re both lovely on their own, when they come together they inform the other’s best attributes.
Top them with guacamole, salsa, jalapeños, and kale for colorful and mouthwatering tacos.
(If your heart doesn’t beat for kale, consider shredded purple cabbage or romaine lettuce instead.)
If you’re unfamiliar with delicata squash, you’re in for a treat. It’s an easygoing squash that doesn’t have to be peeled and isn’t too difficult to chop in half to seed.
It roasts in 20 minutes. One squash is usually just the right size for a family of two.
Smoky Black Bean & Delicata Squash Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 small delicata squash ends removed, deseeded, and cut into medium-sized chunks
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil + extra for light drizzling
- ½ medium red onion diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 ½ cups black beans 1 15 oz can drained and rinsed
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon chipotle chili pepper
- ¼ teaspoon coriander
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt to taste
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 4 tortillas hard or soft, warmed
- 1 leaf curly kale rib removed, chopped small and massaged
- Cilantro chopped (garnish)
- Guacamole, salsa, hot sauce, and/or sliced jalapenos Optional toppings
Instructions
- Heat oven to 420 degrees. Put seeded and chopped delicata squash on parchment sheet covered baking sheet and top with a light drizzling of extra virgin olive oil. Toss to cover evenly and spread the pieces across the sheet. Roast for 20 minutes, stopping once to toss for even roasting.
- While the squash is roasting, heat a skillet on a medium heat. Add a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil to skillet.
- Set aside 2 Tbsp of raw red onion to use as a taco topping. Sauté the remaining red onion and garlic a few minutes, until fragrant and translucent.
- Add black beans, lemon juice, cumin, chipotle chili pepper, coriander, paprika, smoked paprika and salt to pan. Combine and add water to deglaze pan (if necessary).
- Remove from heat and add black bean mixture and roasted delicata squash to warmed corn shells or tortillas. Top with raw kale, cilantro, salsa, hot sauce, and/or sliced jalapenos.
Nutrition
Audrey says
January 15, 2012 at 11:54 amI’ve never had delicata squash. It looks delicious!
I really want to see *The Artist*. I’ve heard it’s very good and I am a big fan of old black and white movies so it’s right up my alley. 🙂
cadryskitchen says
January 16, 2012 at 9:50 amIf you’re a fan of old black and white movies, I’m sure you’ll really appreciate The Artist. It was nice to see filmmakers doing something unique and different and telling a story that I haven’t heard before. The transition from silent films to talkies isn’t something we think about much nowadays, but it’s interesting to look at the implications. Best of all, it’s wonderful to see a story unfold largely without dialogue. I’ll be interested to hear what you think of the film if you’re able to see it!
Rose says
January 15, 2012 at 7:20 pmI always cry during films…even happy ones! But, I agree with your insightful definition of what makes for the best movies.
Let’s get on the tacos. So gorgeous! Delicata is one of my top two squash favorites; it is so sweet and tender. Pairing it with smoky black beans in a taco sounds perfect!
cadryskitchen says
January 16, 2012 at 9:52 amThat’s sweet that you cry even during happy movies! You must have a very open heart. 🙂
Isn’t delicata great? I have a hard time buying any other squash because delicata is so delicious and so easy! What’s your other favorite squash?
Cara says
January 16, 2012 at 8:27 amMy best friend is SAG and was just talking about how she watched The Descendants and The Artist on Friday 🙂 What a co-wink-a-dink. I saw The Descendants in the theater and cried like a baby. Man, I am a sucker for a good movie (and a good cry). I have a feeling that if we watched a sad movie together, we would use up a box of Kleenex 🙂
cadryskitchen says
January 16, 2012 at 10:01 amMovies showing up at the door and in the in-box are a fun perk, especially in a town with a more limited selection of movies than Los Angeles.
The Descendants really blindsided me, because I was expecting something offbeat like Rushmore, Royal Tenenbaums, Sideways, or 500 Days of Summer. While there were humorous components to The Descendants, it was overall a pretty heavy movie. (SPOILER) At the end when George Clooney is finally saying goodbye to his wife, I had tears rolling down my face.
I think it’s great that you embrace a good movie and a good cry! It reminds me of movie nights in high school with films like Beaches, Steel Magnolias, and Dead Poet Society. I’ll bring the Kleenex and you can bring the snacks! 🙂
Cara says
January 17, 2012 at 8:27 amOh lordie, you just named off the Trinity of sad movies, didn’t you? I’m already crying, yelling out “Shelby!!” in my best southern accent (which is not good at all)
cadryskitchen says
January 17, 2012 at 8:36 amI hope none of your neighbors are named Shelby. Otherwise, they’re going to be so confused. “Is that Paula Deen calling for me?”
Delightful Discoveries. says
January 16, 2012 at 9:32 pmLately, I’ve had an obsession with black beans. These look really good, you should check out a few of my black bean recipes on my blog! Let’s see, I’ve got a black bean soup..and awesome black bean veggie burgers!
Bobbie {thevegancrew} says
January 18, 2012 at 8:00 pmI’ve been wanting to try delicata squash ever since I heard you rave about it a while back. This might be the recipe I try it out on! The tacos look so fresh.
What a fun experience with the movies, even the sad ones! It sounds like we need to add a few new ones to our queue…
cadryskitchen says
January 19, 2012 at 4:53 pmI think this would be your perfect introduction to delicata squash. I was really happy with how the tacos turned out.
I’m not a huge movie person, but I’ve enjoyed having the chance to watch lots of good movies from the comfort of home. Usually when the Oscars come around, I’ve only seen a tiny handful of the movies that are up for awards. This year I’ll have a better idea of the playing field.
veganlinda says
January 18, 2012 at 9:18 pmPerfect timing, I have a delicata squash I need to use.
cadryskitchen says
January 19, 2012 at 4:51 pmExcellent! I think you’ll really like it!
cadryskitchen says
January 29, 2012 at 1:42 pmThanks a lot! Absolutely, go ahead!
Beans, Figs and Katz says
January 29, 2012 at 2:13 pmmerci!