And how do you prepare it? I am not a squash fan (resentment since childhood) but, I want to be a fan. I am trying Butternut Squash tonight that the neighbor brought over. I will give it a whirl. Was curious to know what everyone's favorite is and how do you make it?
I take summer squashes (zucchini, rond de nice), slice in half, scoop out and chop the insides, combine the chopped innards with tomato, a little whole wheat couscous, fresh basil, salt, and pepper - stuff back in and top each half with a little part skim mozzarella. Bake and...mmm. I also put zucchini in just about everything - stewed in chili and soup, roasted and tossed into pasta, etc.
With winter squashes, you can't beat roasting. Hungry Girl has a recipe for butternut squash fries that I LOVE. I also love cooking cubes of squash with a sauteed onion, some spices (curry, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, pepper), and a bit of broth - simmer until tender, then puree. SO GOOD for fall. I do this with roasted pumpkin flesh, too. Or sometimes I'll roast cubes of butternut squash with cumin, lime, chili powder, and salt - roast until they start to get golden.
My favorite squashes are the less dense winter squashes like acorn and any of the yellow striped squashes like delicata, sweet dumpling, carnival..
Cut in half, scooped of seeds and cooked upside down in a half inch of water.
Or cut in half, scooped of seeds and roasted with a little bit of flavorful fat in the scooped out hollow (a small bit of butter or diced bacon and sometimes a very light sprinkle of brown sugar).
I'm not a big fan of sweetening sweet vegetables, but the very light sprinkling of brown sugar carmelizes the surface of the roasted squash. With the saltiness of the bacon or butter, it's just wonderful, the added calories are worth the added flavor (as long as you use a light touch and don't drown it in butter or brown sugar).
A trick I learned with the harder winter squashes is to just toss the whole baby into the microwave for a few minutes. Let it rest a good while - say 20 minutes- so the heat distributes. Then you can more easily cut it in half and scoop out seeds. After that you can peel if needed and cube if your recipe calls for it, or just nuke or roast the halves or quarters to be used in soups, stews, etc. At the half cooked stage you can freeze the extra since many are too much for a single dish. My hands down fave is kabocha- more dry and dense than some but I LOVE the flavor.
I love all squash, but I think my top fave has to be delicata squash.
Roasted in the oven with brussels sprouts, onion, pecans and dried cranberries, and drizzled with a little olive oil and garlic, it's food fit for a queen.
If I want cubed butternut squash, I peel the outside really well with a vegetable peeler. "Really well" as in probably twice over to be sure I got all the hard shell. Then it slices in half easily. Scoop out the seeds and continue chopping in cubes. I think this is very easy to do.
Height: 5 ft 8.5" athlete who can give a punch & certainly take one too! :)
Hands down baked buttercup squash, when done I just add some peanut butter on top, so it melts & it is a warm, ooey, gooey, heavenly BLISS! A meal in itself with the protein of the peanut butter!
forget chopping. i roast the whole thing. you can also buy winter squash in the frozen veggies section, in a bowl. just heat it up. stir it well. great for babies and kids too.
I love butternut squash, I made risotto with one last night and it was about the most delicious thing I've ever eaten. I cut the neck off, peeled and cubed it and the bottom half I cut in half, scooped out the seeds and roasted in the skin. I tossed it all with olive oil and salt and pepper. When the risotto was almost finished I mashed up some of the squash from the bottom half and added the cubed pieces. It was extremely filling, and about 7 Weight Watcher points for a heaping cup.
Tommy, I'll try your microwave tip. It beats using the chainsaw to cut it in half!
I don't know kabocha but will find it. I also want to try spaghetti squash. Wow, there are a lot of mouth-watering ideas here. Peanut butter? Sounds SO good!
Butternut is one of my favorite squashes and I love it roasted! Most people sweeten their winter squash (usually with brown sugar, cinnamon and things like that) but I really don't like that, only savory recipes for me! This is one of my favorites, the sweetness of the squash pairs really well with the garlic:
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced/crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
3 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Mix olive oil with other seasonings and then pour over cubed squash and toss to coat.Transfer to an ungreased shallow 2-qt. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees F for 50-55 minutes or until squash is tender.
The parmesan cheese is a nice flavor addition but sometimes if I'm really watching my calories I just cut it out of the recipe.
ETA: this makes a lot! It's definitely a "family" recipe so if you're just cooking for you and 1 or 2 other people cut it down some...
What is your favorite squash?
