It's really easy. Cut it in half and remove the seeds. Put it cut side down in an oven-proof baking dish and add maybe half an inch of water so the exposed inside doesn't dry out from exposure to the hot oven air. I'm not sure of the ideal temp and time, but I use 425 degrees for half an hour to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the squash. Then scoop out the insides and eat it with tomato sauce, like spaghetti. Easy, tasty, wholesome, low-calorie. I like it slightly firm but not hard. Just like spaghetti: al dente, as the Italians say. The tomato sauce idea came because the first kind of squash I learned to like was spaghetti squash. (Which is milder in flavor than other winter squashes.)
That's precisely what my sister served on Friday! Were you both watching the same show on the Food Network? .
I like to cook it cut side UP and filled with butter, hit it with the broiler a bit at the end to brown it. You can open the oven to baste with more butter while it cooks. Healthy, tasty and easy.
My favourite type of squash is butternut. I cook it whole, after poking a few holes in it with a fork, at about 350F. The cooking time depends on the size. When it's done, I cut it open, scoop out the seeds, and blend the squash in a pan with butter and a few freshly-ground spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Yum.
Nope. Don't have a TV here. Butter tastes really good, but it's saturated fat. I don't use any fats when I cook. An 8-ounce bottle of oil lasts me a couple of years, as once in a blue moon I make popcorn in the stir popper rather than the hot air popper. Necessary dietary fats are available in lots of whole foods, such as grains and beans. Sounds interesting. Except for the butter. After it's cooked it's easier to cut, but harder to scoop out the hot seeds. Could you be a bit more specific about the cooking time by either weight or size? I don't claim that my way is the best. Just that it's very easy.
I love squash. I have a butternut and a spaghetti squash sitting on my counter right now! I eat squash "naked"... maybe a sprinkle of "mock salt" which is our new seasoning of choice. DH puts "too much" earth balance spread on his, but it's vegan, and not the sort of fat to actually hurt him (except the calories)... I've always loved deep orange squash (butternut, acorn, hubbard) alongside spaghetti. I do love a light spaghetti like sauce with spaghetti squash, or a drizzle of heavily garlicked extra virgin olive oil, sprinkled with "Parma", a vegan alternative topping. Hmm, I think I just decided on dinner!
And energy not expended is turned into fat. There is NO food that tastes as good as being healthy feels. Fifteen minutes of gastronomic pleasure, vs. the pleasure of feeling healthy 24 hours of every day, being able to take the stairs without getting out of breath, being able to walk up mountain trails to awe-inspiring summits, being able to fit into a Tesla Roadster, etc., etc., etc. Yes, almost anything tastes good with butter and molasses and cinnamon (though I actually like maple syrup more than molasses) but with a little bit of effort to alter your habits, and those same foods taste just as good without the butter and sugar. (Nothing wrong with cinnamon.) My second step-father was very fit and very active. Then he switched to a sedentary job but kept eating as he had been doing. He gained a LOT of weight. At first, he could still carry more, lift more, hike farther than I could, in spite of being grossly obese. For a long time, you'd have thought that all that fat had no effect on him. Than rather suddenly he began to weaken. He was 55 when he died of a heart attack brought on by obesity. He could have continued to live the active, fun, enjoyable lifestyle he loved so much for another 20 or 30 years, if only he'd eaten a few less calories. I love squash. Even without the butter and sugar. Take care of your body and your body will take care of you. Abuse your body, and before you know it, eating is the only pleasurable activity you'll be able to enjoy. I say this to convince myself as much as you. I'm still struggling to lose the last 8 pounds to reach my healthy goal. The closer you get to a healthy weight, the harder it is to keep losing. I went to my summer hiking 15 pounds lighter this year than last year, and it really made a big difference. The guides remarked on his much stronger and faster I was, and the chalet owner even noticed it, based on our radio check-ins. I figure I'll feel and do even better next year with ten pounds less than this year. :cheer2:
Sorry, I don't pay much attention to that - I test for 'doneness' regularly, without following any specific guidelines. I don't use recipes, either. It's more fun to be creative, and (usually) yields better results. Generally, I find that cooking things longer at a lower temperature than is prescribed makes for tastier food. This is particularly true of roasts, not that this advice will be of any use to the non-carnivores in the crowd.
I agree. Cooking 'low & slow' seems to give food better depth of flavor. It also better brings out the natural sweetness of veggies. The squash roasting method Daniel uses is what I use when I make pumpkin pie. Cut a cheese pumpkin in half & roast cut-side down on a parchment covered baking sheet. Scoop out the flesh, purée in a food processor (or blender), then put the purée in a fine mesh strainer (or cheesecloth) and let the excess water drain out. And you've got yourself a nice base for the pie filling.
For squash, I stick a fork in it to see how soft it is. I can always cook it a bit more on the stove when I mix in the butter and spices, so there's a fairly large margin of error. With lower temperatures, there's less risk of burning, and it's difficult to overcook something that's supposed to be soft and mushy anyway. I eat most veggies raw, so 'doneness' isn't really an issue. With soup and stirfrys, the crunchiest things go in first.
I figure either go Sous Vide or do a stir-fry to get the Maillard reaction going. High or low temperature.
Acorn and butternut squash, yum! Two of my favorites, although I have to admit to the use of a small amount of butter.
That seems to me, an unhealthy relationship with food. Food should be a way of getting healthy, not a way of getting unhealthy. Good food is good tasting. I try (and often fail) to just eat good tasty food. ALL the food you eat should taste as good as being healthy feels, as it should be the stuff that gets you there.
