Squash is an easy, healthy and delicious side dish to make. There are several types of squash and many ways to cook them. I have recently cooked both Butternut and Spaghetti squash.
Butternut variation #1: Woody cut in half lengthwise, I de-seeded, peeled and cubed, then placed on a cookie sheet I covered with foil and sprayed with Pam. Then I baked at 400' until tender and a little browned.
Butternut variation #2: Again, cut in half lengthwise and de-seeded. This time I placed the halves in a 9x13in baking pan, added a 1/2inch of water and baked at 400' for approximately 40 minutes. After 25 minutes I checked it every 5 minutes using a fork to test the tenderness. After it cooled for just a minute, I scooped out the flesh using a large spoon. It made quite a bit more than just this bowl, but you can see the texture here.
Spaghetti variation #1: I remember my Mom making spaghetti squash when I was younger and I loved the taste and texture of it. I thought it was so interesting how squash could be so similar to spaghetti! For this, Woody cut in half lengthwise, we de-seeded again and once more, placed the halves in a baking dish with water. I found out later than I should have placed the cut sides down, but I think it turned out well like this anyway! I baked at 450' for about 45 minutes. Instead of using a spoon to scoop out the flesh, I used a fork to scrape it out as spaghetti squash is stringy.
Both types of squash are delicious and while all three methods may take a little bit of time, they are very easy to do, as well! Woody and I are celebrating Thanksgiving with April and S and one of the dishes we are going to contribute to the meal is Butternut variation #2.
A few notes about squash: while common thought may be that squash is a vegetable, it is actually, scientifically speaking, a fruit. This is because it has seeds and grows on a vine! Culinarily speaking however, it is a vegetable. Both Butternut and Spaghetti are naturally fat free and low in calories and sodium. They are both good sources of Vitamin B6 and C as well as potassium. Butternut is also good for Vitamin A and E, calcium and folate while spaghetti squash is great for fiber and iron.
Last night I stopped by Jack Rabbit Sports to pick up our race numbers for Thursday. Instead of the usual race shirt, they gave us arm warmers! There were only three sizes though, and they ran small so Woody's are quite tight, but they're still pretty cool and a nice change from a t-shirt! So far I'm liking this race!
What is your favorite type of squash?
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today's workout -
4mile run
stretching
