Making the Winter Squash
For this recipe, delicata squash (which is the variety pictured above) is an excellent choice, sweeter and more flavorful than the acorn squash often plentiful in the grocery store.
Read below to discover a neat trick for quickly cooking hard winter squashes
Microwaving Squash Does that sound crazy? I sure thought so, but one morning I was making my usual greens and egg scramble and realized I had no starch because I had forgotten to roast a squash the day before. Could the microwave possibly do a decent job? Indeed, it did a great job!
While I didn’t get the nice browning that comes with roasting, microwaving in a covered dish retains a vegetable’s flavor admirably. This discovery brings us face to face with the conundrum raised in last month’s article on whether to use microwaves.
As mentioned there, I’m not opposed to microwaving, but I try to minimize its use, particularly for times when I’m in a bind and might be tempted to short my healthy eating goals. And on that morning, when I needed a quick starch, the microwave kept me on track.
But as also mentioned in my previous article, I totally respect those who prefer to avoid the microwave. Just be sure to plan ahead a little better than I did!
More detailed microwave instructions are included in the recipe PDF, but the big thing to note is that the squash is cooked in a covered glass dish without any oil or water.
Roasting the Squash Generally, winter squashes are roasted, a treatment I really like because of the flavorful browning that comes with roasting. Roasting is really quite easy: Simply halve the squash, scoop out the seeds, rub with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then roast cut side up in the oven at 400 (F). Cook anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes (or more) depending on the type and size of squash.Test with a fork to make sure it’s tender all the way through.
Making the Raisin Pecan Sauce
Try this simple sauce for a nice touch of holiday sweetness. The raisins provide plenty of sweetness without any added sugar. Just be sure to reconstitute them as directed in the recipe.
Here is a quick overview:
- Step 1 Reconstitute Raisins in a small bowl of hot water at least 5 minutes.
- Step 2 Saute Onion in butter over medium low heat in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan.
- Step 3 Stir In cinnamon, ginger, allspice, salt and pepper, a little vinegar and pecans, along with raisins and their soaking water.
- Step 4 Thicken with cornstarch and serve in squash cavities.
