Healthy, Tasty, and Easy Butternut Squash

Butternut squash , one of the winter squashes, is delightfully sweet and very simple and versatile to work with. Besides being a popular food at many of our family's traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, it is also full of nutritional value and provides healthy benefits. Additionally, one can create an appetizing side dish or add squash to a main meal anytime to enhance taste and pleasure without fuss or use of many ingredients.

Butternut squash can certainly be a tasty as well as colorful addition to any Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. However, it also provides what is thought of by many as comfort food on cold and dreary fall and winter days and is full of vitamins, including, but not limited to, high amounts of vitamin A and vitamin C. It also contains potassium and other nutrients as well as fiber. Additionally, while it can be very tasty and satisfying, it is neither high in calories nor fat. A one-cup serving of fresh or frozen butternut squash , for example, baked, boiled, or mashed contains under 100 calories and only one gram of fat.

You can slice uncooked butternut squash thinly and add the slices to sandwiches. Methods of preparing this squash include steaming, boiling, and stir-frying. Naturally sweet to begin with, its taste can be further enhanced by adding ingredients or toppings such as butter, sour cream, nuts, cranberries, apple slices and/or raisins, as desired. For those with greater gourmet demands, or those who are watching their waistlines, special seasonings and herbs may increase flavor without piling on more calories,carbohydrates, fats, or other undersired additions. Some seasonings to try that also contribute healthy benefits include allspice, cinnamon, cilantro, garlic, nutmeg, onion,and parsley.

My favorite recipe for butternut squash involves roasting and mashing. It's ideal and easy enough for someone like myself to make, especially since I don't have the time or interest in fussing with a lot of different ingredients or want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, and yet I still want to eat food that tastes delicious and is healthy for me. Here are the ingredients and instructions:

Ingredients: butternut squash, olive oil, salt, butter or butter substitute, nutmeg, cinnamon.

The particularar size of the squash and how many are needed will depend on such factors as how many individuals will be eating it and how large their servings will be. Obviously, a small squash might be just fine for an individual or couple whereas one or more larger ones will be needed for several or more people.

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Carefully cut the butternut squash lengthwise in half.

3) Lay both halves on a baking sheet, with the cut side up.

4) Drizzle some olive oil over the halves.

5) Sprinkle some salt over the surface. (Take care not to overdo.)

6) Place the squash in the preheated oven and let it roast until it is soft. (Time in oven can be from 25 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of the squash.)

7) Carefully remove squash from oven. It should be able to be easily taken out of the skin with a spoon.

8) Mash squash in a way similar to mashed potatoes, with a hand masher or mixer to the consistency desired.

9) Add some salt, butter or butter substitute, a little nutmeg, and a little cinnamon to taste. Mix thoroughly.

10) Place in a microwave safe baking dish with cover and, if desired, reheat a little before serving.

On days when I am very busy, I boil instead of roast my butternut squash. On such days, I also tend to use frozen, cubed squash and cook until tender. Then I take it out and mash it. Although I often use the above ingredients because I enjoy them, I also try different herbs and spices for variety.

In serving butternut squash, its color, taste, and versatility go well with many different recipes and ingredients. Be as creative and adventurous as you want, and you'll exerience the great taste you want and eat healthier as well.