Butternut Squash

How fitting that my 100th post is on Butternut Squash. Before last year, I had never even tried Butternut squash, but it has quickly become one of my favorite things every... My parents and my second parents (Richie's folks) BOTH planted me some in their gardens. I haven't gotten a lot out of them yet--I think they are hoarding it because they, too, know how wonderful the stuff is.

If you haven't tried Butternut Squash, you should. My personal favorite is:

• Garlicky Butternut Squash
• Farro and Butternut Squash
• Curried Butternut Squash Soup
  

But, here are some others I found recently that are definitely worth a try... if you have any suggestions on which one of these I should try... let me know :-) Thanks Martha Stewart for shedding some light on this veggie... now I'll have to try these and shed some "lite" on them!

• Curried Butternut Squash (looks a little different than the current recipe I use)
• Spicy Squash Pasta
• Quinoa Pie with Butternut Squash (this combines two of my favorite things, it can't be bad!)
• Twice Baked Butternut Squash
  
• Macaroni and Cheese with Butternut Squash (I may not make this one right now, but it looks good)
• Pepper Steak with Mushrooms and Squash
• Roasted Fall Vegetable and Ricotta Pizza (This sounds great, but I'm trying to restrict my breads right now... someone try it though and tell me how it is so I can live vicariously through you!)

So, which one should I try? Will you try any of these?

Baked Butternut Squash with Barley and Sage *Untested*

Saw this on the WW boards... I'm told it originally came from Tcsmommy, but I got it from Simplycomical... it sounds good, and I think I'll try it soon. I LOVE Butternut Squash... seriously... LOVE IT!

The notes on this recipe from the poster were : This is true comfort food. Not only does it warm the kitchen, but it warms the stomach as well. Barley is a high-protein whole grain and the squash is loaded with fiber. Enjoy it guilt-free!


Baked Butternut Squash with Barley and Sage

1 large rib Celery, diced
1 med Yellow Onion, diced
2 t olive oil
3-4 cups raw Butternut Squash, peeled and diced into 3/4-inch cubes (about 1 small or the top of 1 medium)
1 cup barley (not quick-cooking)
3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 T minced fresh Sage (or 1 t dried)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375°. Heat saute pan, then add oil, celery and onion. Saute for about 10 minutes, or until golden and tender. Put squash cubes, barley and vegetables into a 3-quart baking dish and stir to combine. Season with salt, pepper and sage. Pour stock over all, then cover with foil (or a lid if you have one). Bake for 1 hour, stirring once or twice. Serves many.

Butternut Squash Recipes *Untested*

I love butternut squash as I am sure you all have figured out... And I love to try new recipes, so I might try these soon (or they'll have to wait till next year when there's more around for cheap).

I got these from Easystreetster on WW board...


BUTTERNUT SQUASH PUFF
3 c. cooked, mashed butternut squash
1/4 c. non-fat evaporated milk
*2 tbsp. flour* (indulgence)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. sugar subsitute
1 tbsp. grated orange rind
1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind
2 tbsp.canola oil
2 eggs, beaten
Combine all ingredients and turn into a 1 quart sprayed casserole. Place in a 9 inch square pan of hot water. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes or until firm in the center. Serve with turkey or pork.


Butternut Squash Couscous
By: VeggieHippie on WW boards serves 4-6
1 lb butternut squash, diced
10-15 white pearl onions, halved
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup water
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup whole wheat couscous
3 sprigs thyme sea salt

Toss squash and onions in 1 Tbsp olive oil. Roast in oven at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes or until squash is tender.
While squash is roasting, heat water and 1 tsp olive oil until boiling. Add couscous and remove from heat. Stir to make sure all the grains are coated, then cover and let stand 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Combine squash and onions with couscous in a bowl. Add the leaves from thyme sprigs, plus a large pinch of salt, and mix to incorporate. Add a splash of olive oil if the mixture is too dry. Keeps well all week.


Polenta with Butternut Squash
3 pounds butternut squash, halved lengthwise, seeded (or any yellow squash)
6 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
3 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
2 3/4 cups canned broth
1 3/4 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (reduce if broth is salted)
1 1/2 cups polenta
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
3/4 cup freshly grated ff Parmesan cheese (about 2 1/4 ounces)

Preheat oven to 375F.

Arrange squash, cut side up, in large roasting pan. Place garlic
cloves in squash cavities. Drizzle oil over. Sprinkle with dried
sage, salt and pepper.

Cover with foil and bake until squash is tender, about 1 hour 35
minutes.

Cool slightly. Peel squash and garlic. Transfer to processor and
puree.

Combine broth, 1 3/4 cups water and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in heavy
large saucepan. Bring to boil. Gradually whisk in polenta.

Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until mixture is very thick and
creamy, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Stir in fresh sage and
3 cups squash puree (reserve any remaining puree for another use).
Cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in cheese.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Farro and Butternut Squash

I found this recipe on 101cookbooks.com a few weeks ago and decided I wanted to make it. I like to try new things, and well, I love Butternut Squash so I thought this would be a good one. For those of you who don't know(which I didn't)... Farro is a grain that is supposedly very good for you. It's somewhere in between barley and brown rice. I found it to be very tasty.

I think this recipe would be very versatile and think I'll use it as a base for new recipes in the future. The author mentioned it would be good with barley or brown rice if you can't find farro and I would definitely agree.

Farro and Butternut Squash
2 cups farro, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons fine-grain sea salt
5 cups water (or stock)
3 cups butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 large red onion cut into 1/8ths
2 cloves garlic minced/crushed (the recipe didn't call for this, but I felt it was needed)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced (I used 1 tsp dry)
3 tablespoons olive oil (I used 1 1/2)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 cup walnuts, deeply toasted (I used 1/2 cup)
3 tablespoons toasted walnut oil (or more olive oil) (I used 1 1/2 Tbl olive oil and pressed a few of the walnuts through a garlic press to release their oil)
1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled (I left this out because I didn't exercise today... I can see where it would be really good and will use it as a treat on exercise days)

Preheat oven to 375.

Combine the farro, salt, and water in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the farro is tender, 45 minutes to an hour, or about half the time if you are using semi-pearled farro. Taste often as it is cooking, you want it to be toothsome and retain structure. Remove from heat, drain any excess water, and set aside.

While the farro is cooking toss the squash, onion, and thyme with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a couple big pinches of salt on a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange in a single layer and place in the oven for about 20 minutes. Toss the squash and onions every 5-7 minutes to get browning on multiple sides. Remove from the oven, let cool a bit, and mince just 1/2 of the red onions(I didn't do this).

In a large bowl gently toss the everything (except the goat cheese) with the toasted walnut oil (or olive oil). Taste and add a bit of salt if necessary. Serve family-style in a simple bowl or on a platter garnished with the goat cheese.

Serves 6 - 8 as a side, less as a main.

Roasted Butternut Squash Lasagna *Untested*

This sounds like it could be a great addition to my BNS (Butternut Squash) collection.

Roasted Butternut Squash, Rosemary, and Garlic Lasagna (Courtesy of SpayPet on the WW boards)

8-10 servings
Ingredients
8 1/4 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 3 pounds)
Cooking spray
4 cups fat-free canned milk, divided
2 tablespoons dried rosemary
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon minced garlic (actually we used one small head)
1 (8-ounce) package whole wheat lasagna noodles
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated soy parmesan, divided
4 oz shredded soy mozzarella
Preparation
Preheat oven to 450°.
Slice squash in half put face down on a baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 45 minutes until squash is tender. Set aside.
Lower oven temperature to 350°.
Combine 3 1/2 cups milk and rosemary in a 1-quart glass measuring cup, and microwave at high 5 minutes or until mixture begins to boil. Let stand 10 minutes. Strain milk through a fine sieve into a bowl; discard rosemary.
Sautee garlic in cooking spray.
Lightly spoon all-purpose flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and remaining 1/2 cup milk, stirring flour mixture with a whisk until well blended to form a slurry.
Combine milk mixture, garlic, flour and squash. Microwave 2 minutes and mix thoroughly.
Spread about 1 1/2 cups squash mixture into the bottom of an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 noodles over squash mixture; top with 2 cups squash mixture and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Repeat layers once with 3 noodles, 2 cups of squash, and 1/4 cup of cheese. Top with 3 noodles. Sprinkle remaining parmesan and mozzarella.
Cover with foil coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until golden. Let stand 10 minutes.

*Untested* Southeast Asian Squash Curry

Haven't made this yet, but it sounds yummy... and we all know how much I like--ok LOVE--Butternut Squash

Southeast Asian Squash Curry

Adapted from Gourmet - given to me by a friend

SERVES 4
ACTIVE TIME:20 MIN START TO FINISH:35 MIN

1 TBSP plus 2 tsp Canola oil, divided
1 1/2 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 tsp cumin seeds
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
14-oz can unsweetened coconut milk* (do not stir), divided [try subbing 14 oz of fat free evaporated milk + 1/4 tsp of coconut extract and see how that works]
1 1/2 to 2 TBSP Thai Kitchen red curry paste
1/3 cup water
1 (2- to 3-inch) cinnamon stick
3 whole cloves (recommend using a spice ball)
5 oz baby spinach (5 cups packed)
1 TBSP Asian fish sauce, or to taste
1/4 cup salted roasted cashews*, chopped
Garnish: lime wedges

Heat 1 TBSP oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Sauté squash with cumin and 1/4 tsp salt until beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Add remaining 2 tsp oil to skillet and cook onion over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup evaporated milk+coconut extract from top of can and cook, stirring, until fat starts to separate and look glossy, about 2 minutes. Add curry paste and cook, stirring, 2 minutes.
Add squash, water, cinnamon, cloves, and remaining evaporated fat-free milk+coconut extract and simmer, covered, until squash is tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in spinach and cook, covered, until just wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in fish sauce. Sprinkle with cashews.

Garlicky Butternut Squash

So, now you know that I like winter squash because they are cheap and good for you... well, here is a new way that I tried today to make it. I think that it turned out really well!!!

Garlicy Baked Butternut Squash Servings: 6
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1-2 tablespoons olive oil (use less for less calories
2 garlic cloves, minced - use a garlic press!
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (*) you can sub fat free parm--if you can find it or veggie shreds

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, combine the parsley, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Add 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. Sprinkle parm on top with about 20-25 minutes remaining.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

I love fall because it's cool enough to start eating soups again... soups have been a staple of my diet. This one is one that I have almost every day... so yummy! Sometimes I use less curry and add poultry seasoning and ground nutmeg instead...

Curried Butternut Squash Soup (Adapted from Ellie Krieger - Food Network)
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (2 1/2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth (*I prefer chicken broth)
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons curry powder (as stated above, I often use 1TBL as well as a little poultry seasoning and grated nutmeg.)
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more, to taste
2 tablespoons honey (*)
4 teaspoons plain low-fat yogurt, for garnish

Heat oil over medium heat in a 6-quart stockpot. Add onions and garlic and saute until soft but not brown, about 6 to 7 minutes. Add the butternut squash, broth, curry powder and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until squash is tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat stir in honey and puree with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender until smooth. Season with salt, to taste.
Ladle into serving bowls and add a dollop of yogurt.