Butternut Squash Timbales with Apple Sauce

Total time: 50 minutes
  Apples and butternut squash make this a very autumnal dish.  If you have sage in your garden, use them to make the design, if not just leave off. 

 Ingredients:

• 1 cup butternut squash 
• pinch of nutmeg, salt
• 2 tbs Greek yogurt or crème fraiche
• 1 egg
• 6 small sage leaves
• Caramelized Shallots:
• 2 medium shallots
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp water
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp Balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp sage leaves
• 1/4 tsp rosemary
• Apple Sauce:
•  1 medium apple, Golden Delicious, Pink Lady, or other cooking apple
• 3 tbs water
• 1 tbs brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp rosemary
• 1/4 tsp sage

 Instructions:

• Squash:
• Peel butternut squash using potato/vegetable peeler.  Cut it in half the long way (blossom to stem) and remove seeds. 
• Cut cubes, 1/4" (.5cm), until you get one cup. 
• Wrap the remainder in film and refrigerate. 
• Put cubed squash into a steamer basket over boiling water and steam for 10 - 12 minutes, or until tender. 
• Remove and put into a bowl.  Add the pinches of salt and nutmeg. 
• Mash the squash with a fork and mix well. 
• Put the egg in a medium bowl and whisk lightly. 
• Add yogurt and whisk well. 
• Add the squash and stir well to combine.
• Caramelized Shallots:
• Heat 2 tsp olive oil in nonstick skillet over medium heat and add shallots. 
• Sauté 10 minutes, until starting to brown. 
• Add water (it helps speed things up and prevent burning) and stir well and let continue to cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned. 
• Add brown sugar, vinegar, herbs, and cook, stirring for 2 more minutes.
• Apple Sauce:
• Peel apple and chop finely. 
• Put apple in a small saucepan with 1 tbs water.  Heat over medium-low until apple is soft, about 15 minutes. 
• Add sugar, herbs and heat through. 
• Ramekins:
• Butter 2 ramekins and line with buttered parchment or waxed paper (see techniques). 
• Make 2 more circles and butter one side for the top. 
• To Assemble: 
• Put 3 sage leaves upside down in each ramekin. 
• Top with the caramelized shallots, evenly divided. 
• Spoon the squash on top, dividing evenly. 
• Put the paper circle, buttered side down, loosely on top. 
• Put ramekins into a  baking pan (I use a bread pan) with deep sides.  Pour hot water into the pan coming half way up the sides of the ramekins. 
• Bake in 400F (200C) oven for 30 minutes, until set - top will be firm. 
• To Serve:
• Remove from oven and carefully remove ramekins from hot water.  Remove paper.  Run a knife around edges of timbales and invert onto small plates.  Remove paper carefully.  You should have a lovely top of 3 sage leaves nestled into the shallots. 
• Spoon Apple Sauce on the side and serve.