Squash Series, pt 1…..Butternut Squash

Fall is upon us and that means there is an abundance of squash at the markets.  There are so many different things you can do with squash and all the different varieties, you are sure to never bored.  To celebrate the season of wonderful gourds, I am going to do a short “squash series” where I will feature recipes containing all different kinds of squash.

First up is butternut squash!  This delicious squash also has many health benefits.  Just 1 cup contains 1/3 of your daily amount of vitamin C and 5 B vitamins.  It is also high in fiber and loaded with antioxidants.  It is very easy to prepare as you can simply slice it in half, bake it in the oven and enjoy.  It has a sweet, nutty flavor similar to that of a pumpkin which is great for using in both sweet and savory dishes.

To prepare the squash, I like to peel it and cut it into cubes.  That way I can have it on hand ready to use when I want it.  To show the versatility of this squash, I cut it in half and used one half for a sweet recipe and one half for a savory recipe.  Here’s what I came up with…

Butternut Squash Cranberry Cookies

1/3 c. sunflower seeds
1/3 c. almonds
1 1/2 c. brown rice flour
2/3 c. organic cane sugar
1/2 c. oats
1/3 c. dried cranberries
Pumpkin pie spice
1/3 c. nondairy milk (I used rice milk)
2 flax eggs (2 tbsp flax + 6 tbsp water)
2/3 c. coconut oil
1/2 butternut squash
1 tsp vanilla extract

1.  Peel and cut butternut squash into cubes. Toss with pumpkin pie spice and bake at 375 for 20 min or until soft
2.  Put sunflower seeds and almonds into a food processor, pulse until ground and then dump into a large mixing bowl
3.  Add the rest of the dry ingredients
4.  Make the flax eggs by mixing together the ground flax and water, let stand for a few minutes and then add to the dry ingredients; the consistency of the flax eggs should be similar to that of an egg yolk
5.  Add the rest of the we ingredients and mix well
6.  Take the butternut squash out of the oven and place in the food processor. Pulse until you reach your desired consistency, you may also add a bit of rice milk here to make the mixture more creamy
7.  Add the squash to the rest of the ingredients and mix well
8.  Form dough into balls, flatten and place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 20 min

*  These cookies are great to take to any holiday party you have coming up!

 

Butternut Squash with Black Beans and Spinach

1/4 c. onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1/2 can black beans
2 c. baby spinach
sea salt
cumin
chili powder

1.  Peel and cube the squash, toss with cumin and sea salt and bake at 400 for 20 min
2.  While the squash is cooking, heat some coconut oil in a pan and sautee the garlic and onion on med heat for a few minutes
3.  Add in the black beans and stir well. Just leave on long enough to warm the black beans
4.  Take the squash out of the oven, put in a bowl and add the black bean mixture
5.  Add in the spinach and season with a bit more cumin, chili powder and sea salt; toss together until the spinach starts to wilt
6.  Serve warm or at room temperature

*  This dish tastes great with some spice added to it, just add some crushed red pepper flakes at the end

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