Grocery-store bins and farmers markets are brimming with winter squash. It’s hard not to notice these versatile vegetables.
They’re dressed in an array of oranges and reds, light and dark greens, even pale cream speckled with green.
They have smooth, rough or warty skins and odd names such as kabocha and calabaza. Some, including turban and acorn, are named for their shapes. The long, yellow strands of spaghetti squash, appropriately enough, make a great stand-in for pasta. Bell-shaped butternut, hailed for its brilliant orange flesh, is one of the best-loved.
Quinoa Salad With Squash
From Inn Season Cafe, Royal Oak, Mich. Serves 6. Note: The recipe makes 1 cup of vinaigrette. You will have some left over. (Nutritional analysis based on using 1/2 cup vinaigrette.)
Ingredients
SALAD
4 cups cooked quinoa
2 cups cubed winter squash, such as butternut
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground or rubbed sage
Pinch of salt
1 cup toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 cup chopped red onion
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped parsley
LIME VINAIGRETTE
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, peeled, mashed
Salt and pepper to taste
Mixed greens for serving
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cook quinoa according to package directions.
Toss squash with olive oil, cumin, chili powder, sage and pinch of salt. Roast in oven until tender, about 15 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and toast the pumpkin seeds until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Remove from oven.
In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, pumpkin seeds, red onion, carrot, celery and parsley with the squash.
In a small bowl, whisk together all the vinaigrette ingredients. Add desired amount of the vinaigrette (or serve it on the side), salt and pepper to taste.
Serve on a bed of greens.
Per serving: 391 calories (47 percent from fat), 21 grams fat (3 grams sat. fat), 45 grams carbohydrates, 9 grams protein, 113 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol, 6 grams fiber
Autumn Golden Vegetable Lasagna
Adapted from Every Day With Rachael Ray magazine, October 2011 issue. Tested by Susan M. Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen. Look for egg roll wrappers in the produce section of grocery stores. Serves 6.
Ingredients
LASAGNA
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups favorite winter squash, peeled and cubed
1 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can (15 ounces) pure pumpkin puree
1 egg
10 egg roll wrappers (5-inch square)
1 3/4 cups shredded aged Gouda cheese (about 8 ounces)
8 large basil leaves
CREAMY WHITE SAUCE
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups 2 percent milk, warmed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
For lasagna: In a large nonstick skillet, melt butter. Add the squash and 1 cup water and simmer over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the water is evaporated and the squash is golden and tender, about 13 to 15 minutes; set aside.
Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.
Meanwhile, lightly grease an 8-inch-square glass baking dish and spread 1/2 cup white sauce (instructions below) in the bottom. In a bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree and egg.
Cut half of the egg roll wrappers into 3 strips each. Fill a large bowl with hot tap water (as you work with the wrappers, dip them in the water to rinse off the starch). Use 1 whole wrapper and 3 strips to cover the white sauce in the bottom of the dish in a single layer (there will be overlap). Spread a generous 1/2 cup of pumpkin mixture on top and sprinkle with 1/3 cup cheese. Repeat this layer.
Then, add another layer of egg roll wrappers. Spread with 1 cup white sauce, then top with the squash, basil and 1/3 cup cheese. Add another layer of egg roll wrappers, the remaining pumpkin mixture and 1/3 cup cheese. Top with the remaining egg roll wrappers, then spread with the remaining white sauce.
Cover the dish snugly with foil and bake on a baking sheet in the upper third of the oven for 30 minutes. Uncover the dish, sprinkle the remaining 3/4 cup cheese on top and bake until golden and bubbling, about 10 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before cutting.
For the creamy white sauce: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in warm milk, then bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and stir in parmesan and salt and pepper.
Per serving: 446 calories (44 percent from fat), 22 grams fat (14 grams sat. fat), 42 grams carbohydrates, 21 grams protein, 755 mg sodium, 120 mg cholesterol, 3 grams fiber
Maple Squash Muffins
From chef Thomas Lasher of Inn Season Cafe, Royal Oak, Mich. Cook’s note: To toast the pecans, spread them on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until pecans are fragrant. Watch carefully because they burn easily. Makes: 24 large muffins.
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups buttercup, kabocha or Hubbard squash puree
2 cups maple syrup
1 cup safflower oil
1 cup plain soy yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups toasted, chopped pecans
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil muffin cups.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves. In a separate bowl, combine the squash puree, maple syrup, oil, yogurt, vanilla and cider vinegar. Stir the wet ingredients into the flour mixture until just combined; do not overmix. Fold in pecans.
Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of muffins comes out clean. Remove from oven. Cool a few minutes in the pan and then invert muffins onto a cooling rack.
Per serving: 290 calories (45 percent from fat), 15 grams fat (1 gram sat. fat), 38 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams protein, 257 mg sodium, 1 mg cholesterol, 2 grams fiber
Squash basics
Choosing: Look for squash that is firm and heavy. Avoid any with decay or soft spots.
Preparing • First, slice off the top or bottom so you have a flat surface to rest it on before peeling. Peel with a paring knife or vegetable peeler.
• With a large squash such as Hubbard, insert a knife, and use a meat cleaver or rubber mallet to pound the knife into the squash. (If you do an Internet search, you will see people throwing them on concrete to split them open.)
• Smaller varieties such as acorn, delicata and carnival can be pierced several times all over and then microwaved a few minutes to soften the skin. That makes it easier to cut through.
Storing, baking, roasting • Most squash will last for weeks stored in a cool, dark place. To bake, cut in half or into pieces and remove the seeds. Place cut side up on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil, melted butter or margarine and, if you like, a sprinkling of brown sugar. Bake at 350 degrees until tender, about 45 minutes. To roast, cut squash in half lengthwise. Rub with a little olive oil, and place the cut side down on a sided baking sheet. Roast at 400 degrees until tender, about 45 minutes.
• Once cooked, keep it just a few days in the refrigerator. You also can freeze cooked squash. Place cooked cubes or puree in sealable freezer bags or containers and freeze up to one year.
