Yesterday, despite my advanced years, the intimidating gravity of my demeanor, and my preeminently eminent status among the scholarly scholars of the world, I was scolded like a child. Like a bad child, I tell you! Like an impertinent middle schooler. I was made to iron my shirt, I was forced to roll silverware into linen napkins in the basement! (To be fair this is all part of my job, anyway, but it sounds so much more dramatic like this.) Obviously I only took this job so that I would have sympathy for all the scolded children of the world, so that I would learn the virtues of humbleness, obedience, and biddability, and yesterday my fiendish plan paid off in spades. So this week’s interactive playlist is scolding songs, songs that tell you to be good, get a haircut, fall in line, straighten up and fly right, or generally obey the rules and laws of society.

And this was a nice sweet and tart curry of roasted butternut squash, roasted peppers, black beans coconut milk and lime. Earthy and warm and autumnal. Good with basmati rice. Very very versatile…you could add any kind of greens you have, or tomatoes, you could substitute sweet potatoes for butternut squash.

Here’s a link to the interactive playlist. Add your own songs, or leave a song in the comments and I’ll try to remember to add it.

2 or 3 medium-sized butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut in 1/3 inch dice
olive oil to coat
2 red peppers, roasted, peeled, and chopped
2 T olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, deseeded and minced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 t cumin
1/2 t coriander
1/2 t cardamom
1/2 t ginger
1 T brown sugar
1 cup coconut milk
juice of one lime
salt and plenty of black pepper
large handful fresh basil
small handful fresh cilantro

Preheat the oven to 425. Coat the butternut squash in olive oil and spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 20 or 25 minutes until they’re soft inside and starting to brown outside. Turn off the oven, but leave them to crisp up a little. (Watch that they don’t burn) Roast the peppers on your burner or under a broiler, steam in a bowl with a lid, and then trim and chop them.

Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot, stir and cook for a minute or two, add the garlic and jalapeno, cook for another minute. Add the black beans, stir and cook to coat, and then add the butternut squash, red pepper, spices, and brown sugar. Stir and cook for under a minute (you don’t want the spices to burn) and then add the coconut milk and enough water to make it just as saucy as you like it. Simmer till warm through, for ten minutes or so. Add the lime juice, season, and stir in the cilantro and basil.