Observer Online | Cookbook: Winter Squash: Rich in Flavor and Nutrients

Posted Oct. 12, 2007

Winter Squash: Rich in Flavor and Nutrients

It's the season for vibrant colors and unusual names-acorn, butternut, buttercup, Hubbard, turban, spaghetti and even pumpkin—in weird shapes and sizes. They are nice for a front door arrangement in a basket and table arrangements, but it is difficult to believe that people actually eat them.

Winter squash seems to be a love/hate vegetable. Either you love squash recipes or you think they only make nice table decorations. From a health perspective, there are many nutritional reasons to select squash as a vegetable. Winter squash are rich in flavor, high in nutrients, have a long storage capability, are versatile ingredients and come in a wide variety. Baked they have about 130 calories and are very rich in vitamin A and potassium, and they are a fairly good source of niacin, iron and protein.

Winter squash are usually planted in early to mid-August, and some varieties are planted in late July. They grow well in drought conditions and Virginia soil, and sustained many early American colonists, particularly in the east and southeast. Even with this year's drought, supplies of winter squash are plentiful at local farmer's markets, even if they are smaller than normal due to the lack of rainfall.

Winter squash can be used in breads, stews, soups, cookies, muffins, puddings and even side dishes. After baking a spaghetti squash, the inner strands of spaghetti squash can be pulled apart to resemble spaghetti, and are delicious sprinkled with fresh Parmesan cheese or tossed with butter and herbs or spaghetti sauce. For some varieties of winter squash that have a low water content, add butter and a little brown sugar to the fresh puree and serve as a delicious side dish to ham, turkey, pork or meatloaf.

Cooked and pureed, winter squash stores well in the freezer for year-round use. Pumpkin and winter squash recipes can be used interchangeably in nearly all recipes.

In selecting a winter squash, look for ones that are heavy for their size with no soft or discolored spots. Slight variations in skin color are not important. Stored in a cool dry place, winter squash can be kept for many months after harvest. For gardeners that are bothered with vine borers, the butternut squash is very popular, as it has a solid stem that is unaffected by these awful pests.

Another popular use of acorn and butternut squash is to stuff and bake it. Several of our favorite stuffings are below. So the next time the interesting shapes and sizes of squash catch your eye, buy one, take it home and try it.

Glazed Winter Squash

1 large acorn or butternut squash, or any variety with orange flesh

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup butter or margarine

2 tsp. grated lemon rind

1/8 tsp. salt

Cut fresh squash into 3/4-inch slices. Remove and discard skin, seeds and membrane. Arrange long slices in a single layer in a baking dish sprayed with Pam. Pour orange juice over squash. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Combine brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, lemon rind, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes or until mixture is slightly thickened. Pour sugar mixture over squash slices. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes until squash is tender, basting occasionally with pan juices. Serve hot with juices poured over each serving.

Stuffed Cranberry and Orange Acorn Squash

2 acorn squash

1/4 tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter

3 Tbsp. dark brown sugar

3 Tbsp. good quality orange marmalade

3/4 cup fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped

Cut squash in half lengthwise, remove and discard seeds and membranes. Sprinkle cup sides of squash with salt. Place squash, cut side down, in a buttered shallow baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar, stirring often until it dissolves. Add marmalade and cranberries, stirring well. Remove from heat. Turn baked squash over and fill cavities with cranberry mixture. Bake stuffed squash at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until squash is tender.

Syuan's Curried Winter Squash Soup

1 1/2 lbs. winter squash, any variety

1 qt. good quality chicken broth

4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 medium white onion, finely chopped

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 tsp. grated fresh ginger

1 to 1 1/2 tsp. curry powder, to taste

1/2 tsp. turmeric

1/2 to 1 tsp. hot pepper flakes, to taste

3 Tbsp. lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Paprika

Peel and cube the squash. Boil the squash in the chicken broth for about 30 minutes, or until the squash is soft. Set aside to cool. Sauté the garlic and onion in olive oil until the onions are limp. Stir in ginger, curry powder, turmeric and hot pepper flakes into the onions. Cook for a few more minutes, stirring into the onion. Set aside. Remove the squash from the chicken broth liquid, but reserve the liquid. Puree the squash with lemon juice and 1/2 cup of the chicken broth in a blender. Slowly add the rest of the chicken broth. Add the onion mixture in the blender. Blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste, even more hot pepper flakes. Serve with a dash of paprika as a garnish, and keep refrigerated in a sealed container. This soup is better the second day. Serve with hot bread and a side salad. This soup freezes well.

Sweet Cranberry Squash Bake

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup oatmeal

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/3 cup margarine

24 oz. cooked winter squash, acorn or butternut, cubed

2 cups whole cranberries

1 1/2 cups mini-marshmallows

Mix flour, brown sugar, oatmeal and cinnamon, and set aside. Cut in margarine, and mix with fingers until topping is crumbly. Toss the cranberries and the drained squash together, and add one cup of the crumb mixture. Spray a 1 1/2-quart casserole lightly with an oil coating, and place the squash and cranberry mixture in the pan. Press down gently to flatten on top. Top with remaining crumbs, and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, until bubbly on the sides and lightly brown on top. Top with marshmallows, and broil a few minutes until the marshmallows are lightly brown on top. Serve warm.

Apple and Butternut Squash Soup

2 medium leeks

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup chopped celery

3 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted

1 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped

2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped

1 small turnip, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup chopped carrot

4 cups canned chicken broth

1/4 plus 2 Tbsp. butter or margarine

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup fresh apple cider

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. dried whole rosemary, crushed

1/4 tsp. dried whole sage, crushed

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

1/2 cup whipping cream

Croutons for top

Remove root, outer leaves and tops from leeks, leaving 2 inches of dark green leaves. Wash leeks and chop. Sauté leeks, onion, and celery in 3 Tbsp. butter in a large Dutch oven until vegetables are tender. Add squash, apple, turnip, carrot, and chicken broth, stirring to combine. Bring mixture to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove 1 cup liquid from vegetable mixture and set liquid aside.

Melt 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook over medium heat 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Gradually add 1 cup reserved liquid, stirring constantly with a wire whisk until mixture is thickened and smooth. Add flour mixture to soup, stirring well. Add apple cider, salt, nutmeg, rosemary, sage, and pepper and stir well. Simmer soup, uncovered for about 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Add shredded cheese and whipping cream, stirring until cheese melts. Ladle soup into individual serving bowls. Garnish with croutons, and serve with a lettuce salad and fresh French bread.

Spiced Acorn Squash

1 medium or large acorn squash

1/4 tsp. each: cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ground cumin, black pepper

2 tsp. butter

2 tsp. honey, or real maple syrup

2 tsp. bourbon (optional)

Salt to taste

Wash and slice off the top half of the acorn squash. Hollow out the center by removing the seeds and fibers. Trim slivers off the bottom of the squash to make it stand upright. Mix the spices together. Fill the hollow with the spices, butter, honey or syrup, and optional bourbon. Replace the top for cooking. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until the insides of the squash become very soft. Turn the oven off and let the squash cool down to a serving temperature, and this also allows the flavors to blend. Cut into quarters for serving. Use this as a side dish to ham, turkey or roasted chicken, or it is sufficient for a vegetarian meal.

Acorn Squash Soufflé

2 small acorn squash (about 3/4 lb. each)

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 egg, separated

1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. brown sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Dash of ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp. salt

Cut squash in half crosswise, remove and discard seeds and membranes. Place squash, cut side down, in a shallow baking dish. Pour boiling water over it to a depth of 1/2 inch around in dish. Bake, uncovered, or 30 minutes at 400 degrees. Turn squash cut side up. Place 1 Tbsp. butter in each squash cavity. Bake an additional 30 minutes or until squash is tender. Remove squash from baking dish; drain and reserve melted butter. Let squash cool, as it will be too hot to handle at first. After it cools, remove the pulp, leaving a 1/4-inch-thick shell.

With a knife blade in a food processor, add reserved melted butter, squash pulp, egg yolk, brown sugar, salt, ground cinnamon, pepper and nutmeg. Process until smooth, put in a medium bowl and set aside.

Beat egg white (at room temperature) in a small bowl until stiff and foamy, add 1/8 teaspoon salt, continue to beat until stiff but not dry. Gently fold beaten egg white into squash mixture. Spoon squash mixture into shells, place shells on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until puffed up and golden brown.