Talk to me about squash.

amelisha · November 2014

Cookie Pusher said:

kat1114 said:

Cookie Pusher said:

DH doesn't like squash, but he'll eat it if I cut it up and put it into soup. I also have one of those spiral slicers and make "pasta" out of it. I've also used sliced zucchini as the "pasta" in lasagna. Delish.

Mine doesn't either. I made butternut squash "lasagna" (recipe clicky) once, and he loved it.

DH apparently thinks squash is slimy, and he doesn't like slimy foods (asparagus, mushrooms, squash, etc.) But as long as I change the texture of the food with coatings or cooking techniques, he's cool. It's usually easiest to throw stuff in soups and stews for him, but he's now discovered tempura makes everything edible!

We're getting an Actifry for Christmas and I am so excited to see if it will make tempura. Because it not only makes everything edible, it makes it delicious.

lovegood90 · November 2014

Does anyone know what the deal is with spaghetti squash?! Like, is it a good substitute for a pasta dish like I keep hearing?

amelisha · November 2014

lovegood90 said:

Does anyone know what the deal is with spaghetti squash?! Like, is it a good substitute for a pasta dish like I keep hearing?

Yep, after you cook it you can just drag a fork along it and it separates into perfect pasta-like ribbons. Obviously the flavour isn't like pasta but it's very mild and palatable and goes with most sauces. And lower cal than pasta.

KatieinBkln · November 2014

I love ALL the squash. Zucchini, Summer, Pattypan, Acorn, Sweet Lightning, all manner of pumpkin, Butternut.

HOWEVAH. The squash that has captured my lazy heart is Delicata. It tastes as sweet and delicious as butternut, but you can eat the skin. It's thin and pretty, and holy shit does it ever cut down on prep time.

I like to chop it up into bits and coat it in a tablespoon or two of oil and a shitload of herbs (or at the least salt and pepper) then just pop it in a 400-degree oven for about 20 minutes. Oh, you wanted a full meal? Season a couple of pork chops with salt and pepper and some minced rosemary, and pop that shizz on the sheet pan for about 5-6 minutes per side, playa!

Roasted squash is delicious with rice/quinoa/pasta as well.

BUT KATIE, I AM TOO LAZY TO CHOP SHIT INTO PIECES. AIN'T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT! I hear ya. Cut that sucker in half, scoop out the "guts" and then paint a little bit of oil on it, and fill it up with something tasty--ground beef, minced onion (grate it with a cheese grater to save time), spices you like, maybe some tomato; or rice/quinoa (already cooked) and pop the whole thing in the oven at 400 for like 30-40 minutes. VOILA.

My love of delicata squash knows no end. You can also make soup out of it with a little canned stock, spices, and a splash of cream. I like to blend mine to make it all creamy, but you don't even have to.

jdluvr06 · November 2014

I've never met a squash I haven't liked. Dh loves it when we cut up zucchini, butternut squash, and hunks of pumpkin and roast them with some ginger and Rosemary.

daria24 · November 2014

lovegood90 said:

Does anyone know what the deal is with spaghetti squash?! Like, is it a good substitute for a pasta dish like I keep hearing?

It doesn't taste a thing like pasta. It tastes pretty much like yellow/summer squash. But it's guilt-free. You can eat three bowls of it if you want to. It's an easy way to increase the amount of vegetables you eat.

Cookie Pusher · November 2014

In the winter, I make a delicious spiced pumpkin/apple/pork stew that DH goes nuts for.

jdluvr06 · November 2014

Cookie Pusher said:

In the winter, I make a delicious spiced pumpkin/apple/pork stew that DH goes nuts for.

That sounds good. Recipe?

theycallmelinz · November 2014

jdluvr06 said:

Cookie Pusher said:

In the winter, I make a delicious spiced pumpkin/apple/pork stew that DH goes nuts for.

That sounds good. Recipe?

For reals. You can't say something like that and not tell us how you make it!

Cookie Pusher · November 2014

jdluvr06 said:

Cookie Pusher said:

In the winter, I make a delicious spiced pumpkin/apple/pork stew that DH goes nuts for.

That sounds good. Recipe?

I actually kind of wing it, so don't have a cohesive recipe. I'm about to leave work, so I will work on it while I'm stuck in traffic for an hour. If I get the spice combo right, I swear, it is unbelievably amazing. I'm buddies with a guy who went to culinary school and now manages one of my favorite spots in the whole world went crazy for this stuff when I brought it in for him to try. It's also gluten and dairy-free.

wandajune6 · November 2014

I pretty much love any squash.

My favorite is acorn squash baked with a bit of butter and brown sugar. I grew up having it for dessert and still make it as a treat on cold nights.

amelisha · November 2014

I have never had squash or sweet potato with any kind of sweet topping (except for pumpkin pie, which is delicious.) Is that weird?

beethery · November 2014

amelisha said:

I have never had squash or sweet potato with any kind of sweet topping (except for pumpkin pie, which is delicious.) Is that weird?

Yes, remedy this situation immediately!!!

amelisha · November 2014

beethery said:

amelisha said:

I have never had squash or sweet potato with any kind of sweet topping (except for pumpkin pie, which is delicious.) Is that weird?

Yes, remedy this situation immediately!!!

I bought mini sweet potatoes this week and we have an acorn squash, so I know what's happening for dinner tonight.

amelisha · November 2014

beethery said:

amelisha said:

I have never had squash or sweet potato with any kind of sweet topping (except for pumpkin pie, which is delicious.) Is that weird?

Yes, remedy this situation immediately!!!

I bought mini sweet potatoes this week and we have an acorn squash, so I know what's happening for dinner tonight.

relliotts · November 2014

You can also use pumpkin, butternut, or acorn squash in curry instead of potato. I usually buy curry paste and prepare as indicated on the packaging, and add in a cup or so of diced squash. You can use any curry (yellow, red, etc.) but it's particularly good in massaman as it has sweet and cinnamon flavors.

kat1114 · November 2014

relliotts said:

You can also use pumpkin, butternut, or acorn squash in curry instead of potato. I usually buy curry paste and prepare as indicated on the packaging, and add in a cup or so of diced squash. You can use any curry (yellow, red, etc.) but it's particularly good in massaman as it has sweet and cinnamon flavors.

Yes! I love pumpkin curry. If anyone is curious in a recipe, this is my go to: http://paleomg.com/pumpkin-cashew-coconut-curry-coconut-rice/

Cookie Pusher · November 2014

theycallmelinz said:

jdluvr06 said:

Cookie Pusher said:

In the winter, I make a delicious spiced pumpkin/apple/pork stew that DH goes nuts for.

That sounds good. Recipe?

For reals. You can't say something like that and not tell us how you make it!

Sorry it took me so long to get back! Had to bring mom to the ER because she might have broken her leg (she would not let us stay at the hospital with her since there was going to be such a long wait). Anyway, I don't have an exact recipe that I follow, but this is the basic gist of it.

2 to 3 lbs pork, cut in 1" cubes (I use whatever happens to be on sale, sometimes it's a roast, other times it's thick cut chops)

1 Tbs garlic powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp five spice powder

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1 tsp smoked sea salt

3 C vegetable stock

2 apples, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes

2 C pumpkin cut in 1/2" cubes

Water

Powdered mashed potatoes

Brown the pork in a large pot. Add spices and stir to mix. Add stock and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Add water as necessary to keep meat mostly covered with liquid. Add apples and pumpkin. Add more water to just barely cover. Continue to simmer until apples and pumpkin are soft. Raise heat to medium and slowly add powdered mashed potatoes to thicken the liquid to your liking.

The sweetness of the apples and pumpkin balance the saltiness of the pork while the spices warm everything up. It's almost like pumpkin pie with pork and apple pieces in it. You can adjust the spices if you want. You can also thicken the liquid with cornstarch if you prefer, but I like that the powdered mashed potatoes make everything creamier.

lovesclimbing · November 2014

I had spaghetti squash for the first time the other day and I really liked it! My friend made it to use instead of pasta under spaghetti sauce. It was so good and much healthier than pasta. My friend just cut the squash in half and stuck in the oven for about 45 minutes to an hour, if I remember correctly. You could probably google it and figure out how long to do it for.

theartistformerlyknownas · November 2014

Those of you who are intimidated by spaghetti squash and want to try it without the work, Ruby Tuesday has a pretty decent one.

theycallmelinz · November 2014

lolo883 said:

Those of you who are intimidated by spaghetti squash and want to try it without the work, Ruby Tuesday has a pretty decent one.

Good to know! I'll try that. I love me some RT and those awesome croutons.

Talk to me about squash.

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