This is a great way to serve butternut squash as these small, baked cakes deliver a lot of flavor and fiber, too!

Greetings from a very hot California. We have been reaching about 90 degrees for the past 3 days and we are definitely ready for some cooling off. My gardening is on hold because it’s no fun to plant anything when it’s so hot (although my hubby braved the heat and did a lot of digging and soil turning last Saturday). For the first time I have planted several herbs in pots that I conveniently placed by my kitchen door. Usually, I plant everything directly into the soil, so I don’t have to worry about remembering to water daily. Last year, due to severe drought, we had mandatory watering limits set by the city. We got a lot of rain this winter and spring so now everyone is hoping for less restrictions. If not, I will at least have fresh herbs!

And here is what still needs to be planted:

I came up with today’s recipe because I love vegetables and anything that comes in small bites. While on Pinterest I saw several recipes for sweet potato fritters. But since I only had a butternut squash at home I decided to use it instead. To make it more interesting, I also added grated apple, corn and jalapeno pepper. As for as the spices I decided to make the cakes an Indian affair and added curry powder and mint as the fresh herb. Raisins are part of many Indian dishes, and I picked golden raisins.

You can totally customize these cakes. Play with different herbs and spices, like cilantro and cumin, basil, dill, and/or oregano.

I love these cakes! So flavorful and healthy. Serve them with a dollop of mint-flavored yogurt and generous size of green salad.

A food processor comes in very handy here. You can have the squash and apple pieces shredded in about 2 minutes! So, start by peeling the squash. You need a small butternut squash, or half of a bigger one, for total of 2.5-3 cups of shredded squash. Discard the seeds and cut the squash into chunks that will fit into the food processor. Use the shredding disc, not the slicing side or chopping blade. Shred all the pieces and add them to a large mixing bowl.

Peel and core the apple and shred all the pieces as well. Transfer to a bowl.

Place the raisins into a small bowl and cover them with warm water to plump them up. Chop jalapeno pepper (discard seeds if too spicy), fresh mint and shallot. Transfer them into the mixing bowl and add drained raisins as well as corn. Stir well.

Next add 1 teaspoon of mild curry powder, salt and pepper. Pour in melted coconut oil and stir well again. To thicken the juices up, add cornstarch and mix well.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease up the muffin pan. Fill up each muffin cup about 3/4 high with the vegetable mixture. Bake about 30 minutes at 375 °F, then raise the temperature to 425 °F and bake 10-15 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

Enjoy these cakes with mint-infused yogurt and a big serving of green salad. I like a simple salad made with arugula, tomato and avocado drizzled with a lemon vinaigrette (lemon juice, olive oil, touch of garlic and honey, salt, pepper).

Makes: 12        Prep time: 20 min     Ready in: 1hr 15min

Ingredients:

• 1 small butternut squash, peeled, grated (about 2.5-3 cups)
• 1 apple, peeled and grated
• 1/2 cup corn
• 1/3 cup golden raisins, soaked in warm water, drained
• 1 small shallot, finely diced
• 1/4 cup fresh herbs like mint, parsley, dill, basil, cilantro, chopped
• 1 red jalapeno pepper, seeds discarded, finely diced
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon salt
• pepper

Serve with 1 cup of plain yogurt mixed with fresh herb of your choice and pinch of salt.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Spray the muffin pan with cooking spray.
2. Peel the butternut squash, discard seeds and grate the pieces using a food processor. Peel and core the apple, then grate as well. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
3. Add corn ( if using frozen, thaw it in warm water and drain well), raisins, diced shallot, mint and chopped jalapeno pepper. Mix well.
4. Add curry powder, salt, pepper, coconut oil and cornstarch. Stir well.
5. Fill the prepared muffin pan 3/4 up with the mixture.
6. Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes, then turn the heat up to 425°F and bake 10-15 minutes or until golden brown on top.
7. Serve with a dollop of herbed yogurt.

Enjoy!