Squash help?
Phrick
Posts: 2,765 Member
I have pretty much zero experience with squash as a veggie; my mom served spaghetti squash I think once when I was growing up an never any other squash, ever. I've tried it occasionally as an adult (like when I made it for baby food - steamed w/ no seasonings at all, blech) - I have absolutely no clue how to prepare it so it tastes good, or if it's even worth trying! Anyone have suggestions as to what kind of squash is best to start with, or if spaghetti squash *really* makes a decent spaghetti, or best ways to prepare a squash, etc? It's not a matter of "why eat it if you don't like it," it's a matter of " I don't even know if I like it or not but I'd like to expand my horizons past broccoli! I just don't know where to start!"
I should add that my husband and kids are super picky and will turn their noses up even if I enforce a one-bite rule (well, for the kids), so a recipe that will save well in the fridge would be great since one squash will probably make more than I can eat by myself in one go.
I should add that my husband and kids are super picky and will turn their noses up even if I enforce a one-bite rule (well, for the kids), so a recipe that will save well in the fridge would be great since one squash will probably make more than I can eat by myself in one go.
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I do think spaghetti squash is a good pasta alternative, but if picky eaters are expecting pasta, they might not agree, so you might want to find a way to make it sound more of a dish on its own rather than a "healthy substitute". Kind of like how tofu can be really tasty but if you try to tell me it's steak because you put A-1 on it I'm going to flip a table.
Anyway, with any squash I like to cut it in half and bake for 30 minutes to an hour at 350 degrees, then I usually store it in the fridge until I'm ready for it. Here are a few examples of delicious squash use:
Acorn squash:
Before baking, scoop out the seeds and put a pat of butter and a spoonful of brown sugar in the hole where the seeds were. It caramelizes nicely and kids love it.
Mash it up with any ingredients you'd use to make mashed potatoes (sour cream, butter, parsley, salt) and serve as a side.
Mash is up, add salt (and whatever seasonings you want) and use it in place of where a bread might go, like under a burger patty or an egg (or both).
Smoked gouda goes really well with squash and you don't need to add a lot to impart the flavor.
Butternut Squash:
Amazing butternut squash soup - sauttee 2 leeks along with 2 stalks of celery until tender.
Add 2 cups of chicken broth and one entire pre-cooked butternut squash (after you've let it cool and peeled the skin off, of course). Bring to a brief boil, then turn it down and let it simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking up the squash with a wooden spoon. Let the mixture cool a bit, then puree in a blender until smooth. Put it back in the pot and add about two more cups of broth (just enough to get the consitency you want) and salt to taste. This soup is ridiculously delicious and very low in calories, as long as you don't go overboard with the butter during the sautee phase - I use 1-2 Tbsp, just enough to keep the bottom of the pot from burning.
Spaghetti squash:
Anything you'd do with pasta but call it something else. I like to mix it with marinara and cottage cheese. Throw some sausage on there and shredded cheese, toss it in the oven and call it a casserole.
Fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, cherry tomatoes and olives are another good combo.
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Thank you so much @HappyCampr1 and @Whiskeytub. I know this is "prime time" for squash so I intend to try something this week. Still not cool enough for soup here in So. California, but I will buy an acorn squash this week try it - the smoked gouda idea sounds so good!0
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I had butternut squash the other night that was delicious. Cubed it really small, about 1/2 inch. Tossed with a couple table spoons of melted coconut oil a bit of brown sugar ( you can also use pure maple syrup), a teaspoon or so of cinnamon, and just a teeny bit of cayenne pepper. Roasted it at 425 for about 20 minutes ( longer if you do larger cubes). Even my husband liked it and he is pretty much anti veggie0
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I really like acorn squash. I cut it in halves or quarters, rub some olive oil on each piece, and bake it in the oven until tender. It can be made sweet (cranberry sauce topping) or savory (cumin, salt, pepper).0
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I'm assuming you mean winter squash, as summer squash is of course the easiest.
For winter squash, delicata has my vote for the easiest. Just cut it in half lengthway, scoop out the seeds, and roast for about half an hour. Spray the inside with a little olive oil or add a bit of butter if you want, plus salt/pepper as desired. Once it's finished roasting, you can just eat it, peel and all.
My other easy squash (and probably my personal favorite) is acorn, which is covered above. I usually make it with just a touch of butter, it takes longer to roast than the delicata, and you scoop it out of the shell to eat--or leave it in and add some meat and veggies as filling and then eat them all together.
Butternut is a little sweeter than either of these, and I particularly like it made into a soup, although I also eat it just roasted quite often.0 -
weightliftingdiva wrote: »I really like acorn squash. I cut it in halves or quarters, rub some olive oil on each piece, and bake it in the oven until tender. It can be made sweet (cranberry sauce topping) or savory (cumin, salt, pepper).
I agree. Bake at 350F until the top browns...delish.
You can add brown sugar and butter if you want.0 -
weightliftingdiva wrote: »I really like acorn squash. I cut it in halves or quarters, rub some olive oil on each piece, and bake it in the oven until tender. It can be made sweet (cranberry sauce topping) or savory (cumin, salt, pepper).
I agree. Bake at 350F until the top browns...delish.
You can add brown sugar and butter if you want.
Yes to both!0 -
Squash Casserole!!
Dice up Summer squash and cook it down (do not add water -- squash has enough water on it's own and you'll end up with a runny mess if you try to boil it) with about half an onion. Boil a chicken breast and shred it. Fix up a serving of Stove Top Stuffing. Add cream of chicken soup, a little bit of sour cream, shredded chicken, and squash together with the stuffing. Put in a glass pan and bake for 30-40 minutes on 350. It's amazing.0 -
Here's my latest squash experiment (I've tried to Americanise it where I can):
Tagine of Butternut Squash, Shallots, Sultanas and Almonds (serves 4)
3 tbsp olive oil
12 shallots (peeled but left whole)
8 garlic cloves (lightly crushed)
120g sultanas
120g flaked or blanched almonds
1-2 tsp harissa paste depending on strength/taste (which is chillies, salt, garlic, ground coriander (cilantro?), ground cumin and olive oil - I just buy the paste!)
2 tsp honey
1 medium butternut squash (halved lengthways, peeled and sliced)
sea salt and ground pepper to taste
small bunch of fresh coriander (cilantro) (chopped)
lemon wedges (to serve)
1) Heat the oil in a tagine (on a heat diffuser) or in a frying pan
2) Sauté the shallots and garlic until they begin to colour
3) Add the sultanas and almonds and then stir in the harissa and honey
4) Add the squash and stir until it is coated in the spicy oil
5) If it's not already in one, put the mixture in a tagine or casserole dish, with 100ml of water
6) Cover and cook at about 180C (350F) for 20-25 minutes or until the squash has softened
7) Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle the coriander leaves over the top.
8) Serve with wedges of lemon.
I had it with Sultana couscous (serves 4) 300g couscous with 1 tbsp olive oil, 30g sultanas and 30g capers stirred in (can also add flaked almonds)
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I love all squashes!
1. Acorn squash, you can slice it like an onion, cut out the seeds, dust with all seasoning and a little cinnamon sugar mixture and grill it! YUM, sweet and sour. Or cut in half, clean out the seeds and cook cut side down in microwave for approx. 10-12 min then flip over add a pad of butter and some brown sugar throw in the oven for approx. 5 min.
2. Butternut squash. Very hard to cut! But worth the effort. Cut in half, clean out seeds, cut into fry shapes, spritz with olive oil and all seasoning and bake on 400 for 30min. Squash fries! YUMMY
Of course all the ones mentioned above sound delicious too!0 -
I don't like spaghetti squash as a spaghetti substitute, but I really enjoy it tossed with olive oil, parmesan, and sauce as a side dish.
Of the other squashes, butternut is the easiest to work with, in my opinion - it's simple to peel with a potato peeler, and relatively easy to cube. I attempted to cube acorn squash this week and it was really annoying
Those are best cut in half and roasted that way, I think. Delicata is very easy too since you can eat the peel, but they are not quite as ubiquitous as acorn and butternut.
Here are a couple squash recipes I've made and really enjoyed -
Butternut Squash Risotto with Frizzled Sage and Brown Butter (note that this freezes well): http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/09/pressure-cooker-butternut-squash-risotto-sage-brown-butter-quick-easy-recipe.html (this is a pressure cooker recipe; if you don't have one, you can do it on the stovetop but it will require more broth and a lot more stirring - but it's so good, seriously)
Creamy Butternut Bacon and Leek Pappardelle
http://www.howsweeteats.com/2014/10/creamy-butternut-bacon-and-leek-pappardelle/
Stuffed Acorn Squash - I've made numerous variations of this using all kinds of protein (or none), quinoa or rice, different assorted veggies. My favorite uses a pork or pork sausage, carrots, celery, wild rice, and dried cranberries. This is a great recipe that lets you use what you have/prefer:
http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-stuffed-roasted-squash-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-101662
This quinoa with butternut squash and cranberries was a great side dish; it also froze well for me:
http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2010/01/red-quinoa-with-butternet-squash.html
Another very easy option is to cube butternut squash, then toss with olive oil, maple syrup, and salt and roast. My 4yo goes nuts for this. I do it similar to this recipe, but I haven't added cayenne:
http://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/2013/10/maple-cinnamon-roasted-butternut-squash/
This is on the hopper for next week at my house; I think it looks amazing:
http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/roasted-butternut-squash-with-spicy-onions
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My personal favorite (because I'm an onion head) involves this (pretty much works for butternut or acorn, not really spaghetti squash):
Halve and seed squash
Brush or spray with olive oil
Roast at 425-450 until fork pierces easily
Scoop out
Fry with a little more olive oil and caramelized onions
Maybe hit it with some cayenne, salt and pepper
Booya0 -
Welcome to the internet! You've got all kinds of resources at your disposal like a search engine that will allow you to search for recipes. You know the foods you DO like.. Find recipes that sound good to you that also incorporate some kind of squash in them so that you can ease it into your diet. You can always wait to be a bit more adventurous with it later!0
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I've made spaghetti squash that is great. Here are two recipes I made up.
Spaghetti Squash Au Gratin
Cut the squash in half. Scoop out the seeds. Take about a tablespoon of olive oil and rub both halves with it. Season it with salt, pepper, and whatever else kind of seasoning you like. place them halves down on a baking sheet. Cook for about 20 to 30 minutes until soft. Scoop out the cooked squash. Put that in a bowl. Add 3/4 cup of 2% sharp cheese and 1/4 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese. Add 1/2 low fat or fat free sour cream. Put in a greased baking dish. Garnish with some more cheese. Bake for about 10-15 minutes. Instead of eating Mac and Cheese and foods like this, I eat this for half the calories. I think it is about 130 calories. Put it in the recipe builder, so it is exactly what you added.
Spaghetti Squash and Meat Sauce Casserole
Cut the squash in half. Scoop out the seeds. Take about a tablespoon of olive oil and rub both halves with it. Season it with salt, pepper, and whatever else kind of seasoning you like. place them halves down on a baking sheet. Cook for about 20 to 30 minutes until soft.
In a pan, brown ground beef or turkey with onions, garlic, and mushrooms. Season to taste. Add a jar of marinara or spaghetti sauce. (I use mushroom spaghetti sauce). Simmer until sauce has permeated the meat. Add cooked spaghetti squash. Continue to simmer until the squash is well saturated. Add 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and 1/4 low fat mozzarella cheese. Mix well in the pan. Pour into a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Top with Cheese. Bake until bubbly. This really tastes like an Italian dish. It doesn't taste like pasta, but it is really good.0 -
Delicata squash is milder and not as sweet most other winter squash and is a bit smaller so if you are the only one eating it you are not stuck with it for weeks. Slicing and roasting with a little salt is my favorite preparation and the skin is so thin you can eat it too.0
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I looooove butternut squash! I do soup with it - fry onion and garlic, add the squash cubed, potato and spices and boil until soft then blend. Otherwise, I love it roasted and mixed into things. When I roast it, I cube it and mix it in a bowl with smoked paprika and olive oil then cook for 20-25 mins at 200°C. Yesterday I made a curry and mixed it in. I've also made a delicious Mac n cheese with mashed roasted squash. Yummy!0
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If you can find them, delicata squash are even better than acorn or butternut...a sweet, delicate flavor, and the skin is very thin so there's no need to peel it. Just slice it in thin slices and bake until soft. Very good on a spinach salad with goat cheese and bacon!0
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So snagging that squash tagine recipe!
Most of the time, I just cut winter squash in half and bake/roast them until they're meltingly soft--if you like sweet potatoes, you'll probably like butternut squash cooked this way--but this year I plan to expand my horizons.
BTW, I've decided I like spaghetti squash, even if it's presented like pasta, if I remember it's not pasta and so what I'm eating is a different dish that shares some ingredients with a favorite pasta.0 -
All squash is good to me, but right now, we are loving butternut squash baked in the oven at 425 with a little olive oil, s&p, and smoked or sweet paprika. Very tasty and pretty! Summer squash I like also baked, but with olive oil, s&p, whatever herbs we have handy, and a bit of grated Parmesan or feta or goat cheese.
All of the suggestions here sound wonderful!0 -
dukesangel wrote: »weightliftingdiva wrote: »I really like acorn squash. I cut it in halves or quarters, rub some olive oil on each piece, and bake it in the oven until tender. It can be made sweet (cranberry sauce topping) or savory (cumin, salt, pepper).
I agree. Bake at 350F until the top browns...delish.
You can add brown sugar and butter if you want.
Yes to both!
Had this on Sunday. Normally I love acorn squash, but this one was pretty bland.
OP - don't let one experience stop you from trying squash again (and again). Sometimes you run into one that's not very good (ripe maybe?).0 -
I had butternut squash the other night that was delicious. Cubed it really small, about 1/2 inch. Tossed with a couple table spoons of melted coconut oil a bit of brown sugar ( you can also use pure maple syrup), a teaspoon or so of cinnamon, and just a teeny bit of cayenne pepper. Roasted it at 425 for about 20 minutes ( longer if you do larger cubes). Even my husband liked it and he is pretty much anti veggie
Do this with curry seasoning as well - use coconut oil, but instead of sugar etc use curry powder (or garam masala or whatever combo you like). I'm in SoCal too so no soup (although they say we might get 'winter' ie under 85 degrees this weekend), but usually I make a curry butternut squash soup and it's my fave and I have some in the freezer right now
Here's a sample recipe of the above, there are a few out there: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roasted-Butternut-Squash-with-Curry-and-Coriander-10728
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Trader Joe's has beautiful delicata squash right now, so I've been making tons of roasted delicata squash and putting it on salads. I'm a super lazy cook, so I love this variety because the skin is edible and you don't have to peel it! I just trim the ends, cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, cut into bite-sized chunks and roast with some salt, pepper and olive oil (and sometimes some pumpkin pie spice) for about 30 minutes. It tastes butternut-like but is WAY less hassle.0
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Delicata has become my favorite just because of the skin. I think it tastes a little less sweet and dense than butternut...perfect flavor for mixing with goat cheese and bacon. Also, it's the perfect size...enough for one large meal. Even smallish butternuts tend to have leftovers.0
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I had butternut squash the other night that was delicious. Cubed it really small, about 1/2 inch. Tossed with a couple table spoons of melted coconut oil a bit of brown sugar ( you can also use pure maple syrup), a teaspoon or so of cinnamon, and just a teeny bit of cayenne pepper. Roasted it at 425 for about 20 minutes ( longer if you do larger cubes). Even my husband liked it and he is pretty much anti veggie
Do this with curry seasoning as well - use coconut oil, but instead of sugar etc use curry powder (or garam masala or whatever combo you like). I'm in SoCal too so no soup (although they say we might get 'winter' ie under 85 degrees this weekend), but usually I make a curry butternut squash soup and it's my fave and I have some in the freezer right now
Here's a sample recipe of the above, there are a few out there: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roasted-Butternut-Squash-with-Curry-and-Coriander-10728
Oh, curry would be yummy!
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