Butternut squash Conundrum

[Swedish leo]

Hi

I have a butternut squash that I am not sure on how to turn it into a delicious dinner. and Lunch box

Any ideas ? I am not used to this vegetable but I am gonna try anyway.

What kind of seasoning should I go with ?

It is supposed to be the main ingredients of the dinner. not a side dish.

Should I do a soup ? or roast it in the oven ? But what do I do with it after roasting ?

I need help and suggestions.

I am very grateful for any hint and tips on how to cook this mysterious veggie.

Annika

[Hulamoon]

Re: Butternut squash Conundrum

Here's a couple of ideas

chili

http://www.littlebroken.com/2015/10/19/lentil-and-butternut-squash-chili/

stuffed squash

http://ourlifetastesgood.blogspot.com/2015/11/stuffed-butternut-squash-recipe.html

[MayinJerset]

Re: Butternut squash Conundrum

Love butternut squash as it has a sweeter taste than other squash. It does make a great soup using carrots, an apple or two, onions and chicken or veggie broth which all get pureed into a thick soup. The hard part is peeling the butternut squash, some gals have baked it first. Can't seem to pull up any recipes but I'm sure someone will come along with one.

It also is a great side dish. I cut the butternut squash in half, clean out the seeds and bake until tender and eat it without any seasoning. Of course some butter and a sprinkle of brown sugar couldn't hurt.

[Iris Girl]

Re: Butternut squash Conundrum

Like May I cut them in half scoop out the seeds , sprinkle with salt and pepper, put a gob of butter in and roast them til tender. YUMMM!

[Hulamoon]

Re: Butternut squash Conundrum

This lasagna looks yummy!

http://www.coffeeandcrayons.net/blog/2015/10/14/h8n34yifrhkiuwkl83pr4ghpic0qi0

I might try it with sweet potatoes.

[Swedish leo]

Re: Butternut squash Conundrum

Thank you all for your input.

I decided to divide and conquer.

I cut the BN squash in half. One half I will roast in the oven for later use for a soup.

The other half I am gonna try this recipe:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCjExoxz8oU

It sounded yummy and not to complicated.

I will let you know how it turned out.

Here is a link to the written recipes with measurements

http://www.laurainthekitchen.com/recipes/butternut-squash-gratin/

I do not have poultry seasoning so I used a mix that is called frensh herbs.
It contains rosemary and time and marjam and I think it will work out good.

And Since my eldest daughter is vegan I replaced all the dairy with vegan alternatives.

and for the topping I mixed bread with oil and parsley and lemon zest.

Fingers crossed that this will turn out good!

[jjkaiser]

Re: Butternut squash Conundrum

I have an AWESOME recipe for you! It is butternut squash with Italian sausage and onions. Basically you take one small squash (you will need 2 cups, a little more or less is okay though).
1. Peel squash (uncooked)
2. Cut in half the long way. Remove seeds and pulp. Grate the squash. Set aside.
3. Cut 1# os sweet Italian sausage into bite size pieces and cook in frying pan.
4. Chop 1 med onion and add to sausage when it is almost cooked through.
5. Stir the grated squash into the sausage-onion mix. Continue cooking until squash is done, about 20 mins. Stirring occasionally. Season with 1 tsp of rosemary or 1 tsp oregano or dried Italian seasoning. Turn off heat. Cover. Set aside.
6. Original recipe calls for serving this over polenta, my dh likes it like this.

One time I couldn't find polenta in the store so I bought a box of farro in the rice aisle. It was great!! More flavorful than brown rice. Looks like wild rice but has a nutty not strong flavor. All together it takes about an hour or hour fifteen minutes to make this. Try it, its essy to make and is so good. Orig recipe was from the NY Times.

[Swedish leo]

Re: Butternut squash Conundrum

I have an AWESOME recipe for you! It is butternut squash with Italian sausage and onions. Basically you take one small squash (you will need 2 cups, a little more or less is okay though).
1. Peel squash (uncooked)
2. Cut in half the long way. Remove seeds and pulp. Grate the squash. Set aside.
3. Cut 1# os sweet Italian sausage into bite size pieces and cook in frying pan.
4. Chop 1 med onion and add to sausage when it is almost cooked through.
5. Stir the grated squash into the sausage-onion mix. Continue cooking until squash is done, about 20 mins. Stirring occasionally. Season with 1 tsp of rosemary or 1 tsp oregano or dried Italian seasoning. Turn off heat. Cover. Set aside.
6. Original recipe calls for serving this over polenta, my dh likes it like this.

One time I couldn't find polenta in the store so I bought a box of farro in the rice aisle. It was great!! More flavorful than brown rice. Looks like wild rice but has a nutty not strong flavor. All together it takes about an hour or hour fifteen minutes to make this. Try it, its essy to make and is so good. Orig recipe was from the NY Times.

Thank you! I will save this to my recipe bank for later use.

[Swedish leo]

Re: Butternut squash Conundrum

It turned out very good. But the lemon zest in the topping , I think was a mistake even if my girl liked that.

Now i have the other half roasting in the oven. Just some salt and a nub of butter.
I will use the pure for a vegetable soup .

Thank you again for all your tips and advice!

Annika

[KarenC]

Re: Butternut squash Conundrum

I know this soup recipe is with sweet potato, but I think it would be good with butternut squash also. It is delicious! I am not a big soup person, but I make this several times a year and freeze it in smaller containers. My blender gets used a lot when I decide to make big batches. Hope someone else can enjoy.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/sweet-potato-and-andouille-soup-recipe.html

[Midge]

Re: Butternut squash Conundrum

I have several butternut squash recipes I use frequently as a (mostly) vegetarian with a vegetarian son. They have passed the test of time.

This is vaguely moroccan and very tasty. I always use the chickpeas, but lentils are a good substitute if you are out of chickpeas, or just to augment it a bit.

Butternut squash salad with chickpeas

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 1/2" cubes, or about 2 1/2 pounds of pre-peeled and cubed squash
1 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or about 1 1/2 cups cooked (can substitute or add some lentils)
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon allspice (can omit or substitute a sprinkle of sweet paprika as a garnish)
1/4 of a medium red onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt to taste
1/4 C chopped parsley or cilantro

Tahini dressing
1/4 C. well stirred tahini
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/4 C fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil, or more to taste
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons water to thin, or plain yoghurt and water

Method:
Toss the squash pieces in bowl with the olive oil, allspice, garlic and some generous pinches of salt. Bake on a baking sheet at 425 deg F. until soft, about 20 - 25 minutes. Cool, but this salad should be served with the squash warm to taste best.

Make the tahini dressing. Whisk the tahini, minced garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and salt. Thin with the water as needed, or add some yoghurt. Add more olive oil to taste. The dressing should have a predominant nutty taste from the tahini.

Assemble the cooked squash, red onion, chickpeas and parsley in a salad bowl and toss with some of the dressing. The dressing can also be served on the side.

This keeps well in the refrigerator overnight for lunches the next day. I serve the dressing on the side so I can microwave the salad ingredients before putting on the dressing the second day.

Another easy way I like to roast butternut squash is to cube it and toss with about 3 tablespoons of olive oil, about 1-2 of good balsamic vinegar and 1 teaspoon of finely chopped fresh or frozen rosemary. If you don't have fresh, use slightly less dried rosemary. Sprinkle with kosher salt and and roast at 425 deg F for about 20-25 minutes. Yummy.

[QuiltingLindy]

Re: Butternut squash Conundrum

Thank you all for your input.

I decided to divide and conquer.

I cut the BN squash in half. One half I will roast in the oven for later use for a soup.

The other half I am gonna try this recipe:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCjExoxz8oU

It sounded yummy and not to complicated.

I will let you know how it turned out.

Here is a link to the written recipes with measurements

http://www.laurainthekitchen.com/recipes/butternut-squash-gratin/

I do not have poultry seasoning so I used a mix that is called frensh herbs.
It contains rosemary and time and marjam and I think it will work out good.

And Since my eldest daughter is vegan I replaced all the dairy with vegan alternatives.

and for the topping I mixed bread with oil and parsley and lemon zest.

Fingers crossed that this will turn out good!

Keep moving Forward~~~ :-)

[K. McEuen]

Re: Butternut squash Conundrum

I made a butternut squash soup a few years ago that had coconut milk in it. It was really good. I know I found the recipe online somewhere

[Kat Smith]

Re: Butternut squash Conundrum

We had butternut squash soup at my Daughter's wedding that had a lot of cinnamon in it and I thought it was great, then I made this recipe and it is a family favorite!!!!

Butternut Squash Soup with a Kick
Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons butter
1 onion, diced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
1 (2 pound( butternut squash- peeled, seeded, and cubed
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon white sugar
salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup sour cream

Directions:
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, ginger and jalapeno pepper; cook and stir until onion has softened and turned translucent, about 7 min. Add the butternut squash and the chicken broth, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the squash is tender, about 30 minutes.

Stir in the evaporated milk, coconut milk, sugar, salt and pepper. Cook and stir 5 min. more. Use a blender, food processor, or a stick blender to puree the soup. Ladle it to bowls and garnish with sour cream.

Hope you enjoy it!
Kathy