Acorn Squash Ricotta Tostada

Do you guys have imaginary restaurants? I have elaborate plans for mine. To make it as impractically expansive as possible, it would be open from breakfast to bar time and serve all the delicious vegetarian Americana. Basically, it's the Handlebar, except, you know, imaginary, which sadly the Handlebar is also nearing for me, so far from Chicago as I am, so deep into nostalgiatown as I am.

And this. This is definitely going on the imaginary menu. I love acorn squash so much. And with Mexican flavors even more.

Today is my birthday. It feels good to tell you that. And now I will use your sympathies to go on this nostalgic tangent. The first time I ate acorn squash, as a child, was horrifying. I could not believe what it was doing to me. Trying to kill me with its disgusting tastes as I choked it down with water.

There's really no lesson there, except, we all grow older, yes, we age. And thankfully I aged into loving squash because: THIS. Did I tell you how awesome it was?

1 small acorn squash
olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon (or to taste) red pepper flakes
salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
corn tortillas
guacamole (oh look, here I am talking about the Handlebar again)
arugula

Cut off the stem end and bottom tip of the squash. With a vegetable peeler and patience, peel it. Cut it in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Clean and discard the pulp, and reserve the seeds.

Chop the squash into about 1/2 inch cubes. Do your best. Exactness not required.

In a large saute pan, heat a tablespoon or so of the olive oil over medium-low. Add the garlic and onion, along with the cumin, coriander, and red pepper flakes (not the chili powder). Stir a little. Cook this until the onions begin to soften, then add the squash. Sprinkle with a little salt. Cook it like that, mostly leaving it alone, but tossing it occasionally, until the squash is soft to a knife-poke. Maybe 20-30 minutes?

Meanwhile, in a smaller pan, heat another tablespoon or so of the olive oil over medium-low. Add the chili powder to this, then the reserved squash seeds. Toast these up for about 10 or 15 minutes, until they puff up and begin to pop. Season to taste with salt. Eat some of them while the squash continues cooking.

Now, fry up a corn tortilla, flipping it once with tongs., until crisp. Drain on a paper bag. Fry up another. You probably have enough squash to make about 6 tostadas. Keep going, or save some for later.

Spread a layer of ricotta on your tostada. Spoon some squash on top. Spoon some guacamole on top of that. Add some arugula. Maybe some hot sauce. And some of those seeds, if you haven't eaten them all already.