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Instructions To Be Squashed

Way out into the countryside…two girls went for a run

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Elly, a 4th year at UVA star runner who just ran a 3:17 marathon (!!), invited me out for a run on Ridge Road, a famous Cville running road that I had yet to explore. Now that fall weather is here, the temps are great for afternoon runs.

6 miles…HURT! The course was pretty hilly (mild for Cville, very hilly for non-mountainous areas) and left me breathing hard. I would have stopped to walk several times if Elly hadn’t been there pushing me on! I swear she was hiding wings on her back ; )

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This evening Matt had plans with his fraternity brother Brian at Beer Run, so I planned a squash fest – complete with pumpkin beer!

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How To Roast Squash

[Just in case you were a little confused how the gourd goes from rock to incredible salad topper!!]

1) Preheat oven to 400*

2) Cut open squash. It will feel like a rock. If you just try pushing your knife through, you might slip and badly cut your finger! I have found this method works very well:

Place knife in vertically…

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And then cut through one side…

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Rotate and repeat on other side…

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Use a grapefruit spoon to scoop out the seedlings

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And then slice (careful with the knife again – keep fingers out!)

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I sliced open a kabocha squash (the bright orange on right), the pretty colored acorn (I think, middle!) and a pumpkin that was a bit too soft to continue to be décor (left). My favorite squash is butternut, with acorn and kabocha close behind.

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Put slices on baking sheet and rub with oil of your choice – I like coconut for no reason other than its flavor.

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This jar was a blog sample sent to me a while ago by Tropical Traditions and I’m chipping away at it. Notice how it’s solid at room temp now that it’s winter.

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Do not let ant crawl into jar while you photograph it!

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So I just blob the solid oil on top – it melts within seconds of entering the oven

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Sprinkle an even coating of kosher salt

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And cinnamon if you like!

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Bake for 26 + 10 minutes (flipping after 26!)

Enjoy pumpkin beer in the meantime!! [Love Weyerbacher Imperial!]

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Dinner for one is served..

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Delish!

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For the other part of dinner, I cooked some chickpeas from scratch today in the crockpot [soak overnight and then 4 hours on high with some salt] and mixed 1 cup of them with tomato paste (1/4 cup), an heirloom tomato (1/2 of one) and some kale (1 cup?)

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This meal was enjoyed with a large serving of GOSSIP GIRL!

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Two things to note:

1) This spider trap packaging has been freaking me out all afternoon. People who buy spider traps are likely terrified of spiders. Why would you put such a graphic image on the front!? I finally tore it open to find REAL photos of spiders inside. Fa-reaky.

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2) I am obsessed with this song.

That is all!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I have a hard time cutting squash. Someone told me once to microwave it for a couple minutes and it will soften enough to make it easy to slice. Works like a charm.

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  2. mmmm I love roasted squash! I usually just use olive oil brushed on top when I roast squash, but coconut oil sounds delicious. I think I’m going to try it out.

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  3. As an avid lover of kabocha (and pretty much all gourd-like foods) I thought I’d give you a little tip about cutting them to hopefully spare your fingers in the future.

    If you pop the pumpkin/squash into the microwave for about 20-40 seconds (depending on the power level) it will soften the skin juuust enough to make cutting it a breeze. Give it a try! It always works like a charm for me 🙂

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      • Nope, no explosions. If you cook it too long it might taste a little strange, but as long as you keep checking on it ever 20-30 seconds it should be fine. Just cook it until the skin feels a bit soft then it should be ready to cut.

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    • Oh I meant to address this!!!

      You can eat the skin. And I DO eat the skin. BUT it does make me incredibly bloated/gassy (TMI!!) if I do so I try to keep it to a minimum and just eat the flesh off of it. Too much indigestible fiber I believe!

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  9. Squash (skins and all) are by far one of my favorite foods! Kabocha is my favorite variety. I make mine the same way (coconut oil too!), but I like to cube mine into squash nuggets.

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  13. Okay, Kath, a “guy” question! I noticed the beautiful knife! The handle looks custom? Or is it a knife available anywhere? Interested to know where you got it!

    Thanks,

    George S.

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  18. I was going to ask the knife question, too. Love Guy, cool knife, and I love squash! Great quick tutorial. The label to the pumpkin ale is cool, too. Think I am going to hit my favorite Tom’s Farm – its a place where they sell all sorts of unique beers. 😉

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  21. You must keep the seeds of squash. We treat them just like pumpkin seeds (clean, wash, dry, roast) and roast them in butter or oil and spices. There is a cinammon comb that we put together that is particularly yummy. They are really incredible. The drier the seed, the more of the butter or oil they will soak up when baking.

    I sometimes put them out for party snacks and will roast several different spice combos for that if I have enough seeds. They are also great on salads and soups, if they don’t get nibbled away first.

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  23. Okay.. since you love squash so much I HAVE to share this recipe with you: http://sproutedkitchen.com/?p=3488 I made this (would’ve been better with coco oil, but i ran out!) and put it in some pasta with some chard.
    I am LOVING fall – if only for all the squashes I will be getting from my CSA. Now that I know what to do with them.. I can’t wait to make soups!
    Also everytime you post about all your different pumpkin beers, I get so jealous. For some reason there are only a few our here in L.A. and I can’t even get your fave (schlafly, right?)..

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    • Wow does that recipe ever look great Stephanie ! I can make it gluten free by using GF bread crumbs ! Now I wanna get in kitchen and start chopping up a squash haha , tomorrow I shall try this thanks 🙂

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  24. ok so ive said this before and i ll say it again, WOW do you eat healthy!! No frozen entrees when youre alone ? Instead you bake squash. Are you kidding me? Tell me please this will change my life and I wont come home and lay on the couch after work, that i ll have energy and feel amazing………

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    • It just takes a little planning.

      Time to put in frozen dinner: 60 seconds
      Time to cut up a squash and roast while you’re doing other things: about 10 minutes
      Time to eat heat up squash that you prepared on Sunday because you knew you were going to be busy: 60 seconds

      🙂

      I just think frozen dinners sound gross. I’d rather eat a salad (5 minutes to prepare) with an egg or beans on top (also super quick) or a sandwich made with fresh food or a boxed soup with added veggies than eat a frozen dinner. I agree there are some out there that are made with real food and are healthy, they just don’t really appeal to me.

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  26. Mmmmm that looks fantastic ! Have u ever tried EPICURE SMOKEY RANCH seasoning on your squash ? I also used on stir frys and kale chips ( your recipe ) it’s amazing – it’s so flavorful u don’t even need salt , not to be a bragasaurus but its finger licking good !!

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  27. YUM! I know Matt was out of the house but I’m wondering – is this the sort of meal he would eat and be satisfied by? I am trying to get my husband to be less meat-dependent, but it’s not an easy task…

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    • jumping in b/c I’ve been here! My husband was a huge meat/potato man & we are finding beans and squash are two “hearty” subs. I made skinnytaste’s spaghetti squash lasagna & he declared himself stuffed after 1 slice (reg. meat lasagna he eats 2). It also helped to note the effect on our grocery bill when I buy meat for 3 – 4 meals/week, not 7! He loves to save the pennies! =)

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  30. Wow Elly is FAST- running with her must have been such a good motivator! love the idea of using coconut oil for roasting squash- never think to use coconut oil in savory cooking!

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  33. that spider trap is so scary!! it’s like how RAID cans have terrible-looking roaches on them. gross!
    i’ve been really getting back into country music lately, and i adore that song. it’s heart wrenching!
    xoxo 😉

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  36. I haven’t read through all of the comments so I’m not sure if someone has already suggested this but we’ve always put osage oranges in our house around this time to keep spiders out. Just beware that if you only put them in your basement, it may force all of the spiders upstairs!

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  37. I love roasting squash and definitely always go with the coconut oil but I also add a touch of chili powder and cinnamon. It’s delicious! Sweet and savory at its best.

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  38. That knife is badass—I need a knife like that in my kitchen pronto!

    Love the step by step instructions, Kath. I’ve only roasted spaghetti squash so far, but I’ve been eying the butternut and acorns at the market!

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  43. I’m on the lazy side, but I also have hand problems and have not bought squash because I would need a chain saw to cut them so – I ask the produce person at the market to cut the squash I buy in half for me. They always do this for me without any problem – very nice of them!

    I want to try this recipe and do the chick peas in the crock pot too. Not a fan of these, but it looks good! Any special way you cook kale? That also is not a favorite of mine, but I need to try making it again! Thanks so much for the creative and yummy blog!

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  44. Oh, I forgot to mention that Guy F. is from my neck of the woods. Not sure where you can get his knife – maybe a kitchen store like Sur La Table (sorry for another post)

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  45. Cutting open the squash is always the worst part! I had a battle against the spaghetti squash I was trying to cut open last night. But then I had the idea of microwaving it for 3 minutes first and that really helped make it easier to cut!

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  47. I recently did not heed the excellent squash cutting advice and have a few bandaids on my fingers to provide it! 🙂 I hear you on the spider trap- YUCK! Gives me the willies.

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  49. Great squash tutorial, Kath! My favorites are also butternut, acorn and kabocha with the latter coming in first at the moment. Spaghetti is fun to eat in concept, but always seems to disappoint in the flavor department – bland it is.

    To add to your suggestions, for those still squeamish re. sawing into squashes, you would be better off choosing moderately sized bulbs, as they are much easier to handle. Also, choose darker colored (relative to the others in their species), heavier squashes (relative to their size) as that signals fresher/less dried out. Another approach to that scary first cut for the larger, irregular shaped bulbs is to first trace around the squash with your knife. The 20 sec. microwaving trick works too.

    Also, if you want crispy chunks of squash, peel the skin off your squash with a curved peeler (OXO makes a fantastic one) and coat with oil, seasonings and/or agave, honey or maple syrup – I use a silicone basting brush for even coating and easy clean-up but you can easily coat in a ziplock or baking dish as well.

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  51. is that a Guy Fieri knife!!!?? I see him using them on TV all the time….looks pretty cool. Good knife?? I have wusthof and they have been pretty good, but always looking for more.

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  54. kath i have a question about coconut oil. my jar says “up to 280 degree Fahrenheit”. but i roast most if my veggies around 425. can i still put the coconut oil on before roasting or do i have to wait till after? or is there another coconut oil i could find for use with higher temps? thanks!

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    • I really don’t know what to say to this. I guess the proper thing to do would be to roast in olive oil and flavor with coconut after, but I just think that’s a bit too much (I wouldn’t roast dry or it will affect the texture by drying it out). I’m just willing to try coconut at 400*. It didn’t seem to have any bad odor or effect, and I don’t eat this for every meal so I’m not too worried about it

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      • I certainly don’t have the last word on this, but those temps refer to use of the oil for deep frying — their smoke points. The oils break down and start to oxidize (burn) above this temp. How this translates to their use during baking is beyond me, but considering that food in the oven does not typically reach the oven temperature, I’m not sure that this is a worry. More research needed.

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        • Good insight! I didn’t think about the food temp vs. oven temp. I agree – i would not try to deep fry with coconut oil (I did kind of do that once and my house was full of the bad kind of smoke!)

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  55. Great post but please don’t mention the W- word. It was 80 yesterday here in Nebraska so my coconut oil is pretty soft. I’m hoping to enjoy some more lovely fall weather before winter hits hard. I have that same pumpkin beer in the fridge, I may just have to roast some squash and have one tonight while my husband is at softball. I seem to have a friendly ant who likes to hang out on my counter, but what bothers me is that if I see one how many am I not seeing!

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  60. I usually roast them in larger pieces, face-down and then slice them into smaller once they are already roasted…less risk of chopping a finger off, I’m notoriously clumsy and cutting uncooked squash is a disaster waiting to happen for me. So if, like me, you’re constantly almost killing yourselves with knives, this is a good method also. 🙂

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  62. Kath – I know this post is about squash (looks delish by the way – I love coconut oil) but I have a quick question regarding your beans…at what point in the cooking process do you salt them? I have heard conflicting advice and just want to get your thoughts. Thank you .

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      • Thank you! Not sure if it is a rule or not, but I have heard to wait to salt until the beans are 75%-80% done so as to avoid toughening up the outer hull. I am usually at work or asleep when I am using the slow cooker, so waiting isn’t really an option and I would rather just salt & season at the onset. So, long story short, glad to know that is what works well for you!

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  63. Ridge Road is in my mom’s hood (she lives on Tilman, off Owensville Rd) – had no idea it was a famous running road! I’ll have to check it out when I’m home next.

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  66. Wow! All of these comments have made me decide to go get a squash on my grocery trip this week. I actually check them all out this past weekend and decided against it, not knowing whether or not I would like it. Sad to say the only squash I’ve had is summer squash. Hopefully since I love that I’ll like the others!

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  68. i loved the squash tutorial in the post 🙂 nice little change-up than the norm. never thought to put cinnamon on it while it’s baking. will definitely have to try that next time i roast squash–thanks for the tip!

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  69. I had three squashes to use and your repice came at the perfect time! Mine are in the oven as we speak so I’ll let you know how they turn out. Thanks!

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  70. 1. Thank you for this how-to! Gourds and their gourdy exteriors have always kept me from buying them. This helps.

    2. Weyerbacher is my *favorite* pumpkin beer. I was just reminding my husband (also a homebrewer!) of that the other day. You know, in case he wants to bring me home a six-pack or something …

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  71. Another way to cook squash is to cut it in half, seed it, and place it flesh side down on a baking sheet. Add 1 cup of water and bake at 425 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork.

    You can also do it the lazy way by cutting and seeding the squash and cooking the whole thing in the microwave for seven minutes or until easily pierced with a fork. I’ve never had an explosion!

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  72. thanks for the tip on microwaving before cutting because it can be very difficult. I’m always afraid the knife is going to slip and cut off a finger. I love mashing up acorn squash with Fage strained greek yogurt and fresh salsa……so yummy

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  73. I just discovered Kabocha squash and love roasting it! However, my stomach gets so bloated after I eat it and I was considering giving it up because of the severe gas/bloat. I am glad to see that I am not the only one and that it is the skin and not the delicious kabocha flesh that makes me look 7 months pregnant.

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  76. Kath I LOVE your salt holder thingie!!! Where did you get it? I love that it has a handle, seriously cutest thing ever.

    And I’m terrified of spiders so thanks for scaring the hell out of me when I scrolled down lol.

    Reply

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