Are you cooking with butternut squash? Check out this video that will show you how to prepare your squash and read on for 3 ways to use it in your cooking!
During the winter our selection of local veggies is a bit smaller than during the hotter weather. However just because it’s not the harvest season doesn’t mean we need to look elsewhere for our produce! Veggies are abundant in Canada, even during the winter. All you need to do is familiarize yourself with cooking with them. Squash are some of my favourite winter veggies and there are so many ways to use them. Here are three recipes for using butternut squash.
1. Soup
One of my favourite ways to cook my butternut squash is to turn it into a creamy comforting soup. Once you’ve diced up your butternut squash into cubes all you need to do is blend it with your broth, onions or leeks, some seasoning (my favourites are curi and tumeric or even dried thyme and a pinch of cayenne) and letting it simmer over low heat.
Try this easy one for carrot and squash ginger soup.
2. In the oven, as your side dish
Roasted butternut squash is a unique way to replace the rice or potatoes in your meal. All you need to do is dice up the squash into cubes, toss with oil, salt, pepper, and your favourite spices (for example: garlic powder, cinnamon, nutmeg or thyme). Spread out the cubes on a baking sheet and roast them in the oven for 30 minutes at 375F.
Cubes of roasted butternut squash are great in a salad, like in this butternut squash and pancetta salad.
This salad with roasted squash and pear is also delicious, give it a try !
You could also replace your noodles with butternut squash, like in this lasagna that has four servings of veggies per portion!
3. Purée
You don’t have to peel or dice up your butternut squash to puree it. All you need to do is slice it down the middle, remove the seeds and roast it face down. Leave it in the oven for about 30 minutes at 375F or until the flesh is tender. Scrape the flesh from the skin with a spoon.
You can use butternut squash puree in lots of recipes. You can add it to your mashed potatoes to colour your meal a beautiful orange and to add vitamin A. You can also use it as a partial replacement to oil or butter in a traditional recipe, to reduce the overall fat content. Try that for your cookies, cakes or crepes, it’s delicious and nutritious!
I hope you’re feeling ready to cook with butternut squash and include it in your weekly menu!
Written by Marie-Ève Caplette, Registered Dietitian and Half Your Plate Campus ambassador
