Today’s Recipe: Baked Squash

Many people complain to me that they can’t lose weight. I recommend a lower carb diet and squash can be a great way to fill up and get that carb feeling, while adding tons of nutrients and avoiding the concentrated carbs of bread and potatoes. We love using squash instead of rice or noodles under stew or curry. One of the other great things about it is that it is SO EASY. And it keeps well in the fridge for the next day or so.

A bit about squash…Winter squash keeps well and is very economical to purchase. You can grow it easily in the summer and keep it for a long time over the winter. The spaghetti squash is famous because it is all strings and some people like to put spaghetti sauce over it. I think that is a bit silly because it is really good just with butter. It is the large oblong yellow one. The acorn squash is the dark green or orange one with the fluted sides. It is famous because people like grandmothers often bake it cut side up and fill the center with butter and or brown sugar. Yum. I’d leave out the sugar. And the butternut squash is the lightbulb shaped one. It is the one that people sometimes use instead of pumpkin to make a pie. It is just good as it is. Oh, and there is also pumpkin, which can be cooked and eaten like squash. We get extra ones in the fall, peel, cube, and steam it and keep it frozen. I could go on and on. So, for all of you who think you hate squash, try this recipe and see, once again, if you really dislike it as much as you thought. And get ready, this is about the most simple recipe I will ever put here.

Basic Baked Squash

Winter squash: spaghetti, acorn, or butternut, or pumpkin

Cut the stem end off the squash, and then cut it in half the long way, from North to South poles. I use a big chef’s knife. Sometimes you can use a cleaver and a rubber mallet to drive it through. Be careful of cutting yourself. It can take a lot of strength, especially if the squash is older and more dry on the surface.

Scrape out the seeds, using a big spoon. Put them in your compost. Or if you like, you can dry them and make baked seeds. Later.

Using a cookie sheet with a raised edge, also known as a jelly roll pan, you will bake the squash. Place the cookie sheet in the oven and put about 1/4 inch of water in it. Place the halves of the squash, cut side down, on the sheet.

Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes, or until it seems done.

Allow to cool a bit, scrape out the filling, and serve in mounds with butter, REAL BUTTER, and salt and pepper.

More later on this fascinating subject.