The Quick and Easy Way to Cook Acorn Squash

Did you know that acorn squash is full of nutrition, tastes fabulous, and can be prepared in 2 minutes and cooked in 10 minutes? Two super-easy, healthy Fall recipes are included below.

When we think of Fall foods, we think of pumpkin and other squash such as acorn squash. And of all the healthy Fall recipes, acorn squash may be one of the easiest to prepare and among the most nutritious of all squash, according to Nutrition Data, who gives acorn squash a 5-star rating (out of 5 possible) for optimum health value. Further, Nutrition Data estimates acorn squash to have a glycemic load of 8, which means that it actually helps to prevent diabetes when eaten in place of refined carbohydrates.

Recipe
1/2 acorn squash (seeds removed-save for toasting, instructions below)
1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
(optional) 1 teaspoon olive oil
(optional) Salt & pepper to taste

Quick cooking (microwave) Instructions for acorn squash
Place sugar and other optional ingredients into the "bowl" area of the squash. Put 1/4 cup water into a glass or ceramic bowl that can be covered with a lid or flat dish. Place the squash into the bowl of water, being careful to not allow the ingredients to spill. Cover with a dish or lid and microwave for 10 minutes in a 1300-watt oven. If the wattage of your microwave is less, cook longer. Use a fork to test for doneness. Tender when done.

Conventional oven cooking instructions for acorn squash
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Assemble the acorn squash same as for the above quick cooking method, only place onto a flat baking pan instead of into a bowl (no water). Several acorn squash halves can be cooked at the same time using the conventional oven method. Bake for approximately one hour until acorn squash is tender.

Remove from heat and enjoy. The skin is edible, but most people do not eat it.

Nutrition facts
Acorn squash is an excellent Fall food. Many healthy Fall recipes include acorn squash. Surprisingly, one serving of the above recipe (1/2 acorn squash excluding the optional ingredients) provides the following nutrition. (Nutritional facts provided by the nutrition calculator at http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp):

Calories 103
Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 8 mg
Potassium 763 mg
Carbohydrate 27 g
Dietary Fiber 3 g (10 grams if eating the skin)
Sugars 0 g
Protein 2 g

*VITAMIN & MINERAL CONTENT:
Vitamin A 15%
Vitamin B-6 17%
Vitamin C 40%
Calcium 8%
Copper 8%
Folate 9%
Iron 9%
Magnesium 18%
Manganese 19%
Niacin 8%
Pantothenic Acid 9%
Phosphorus 8%
Riboflavin 1%
Selenium 2%
Thiamin 20%
Zinc 2%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

What should I do with the seeds?:
Another superb Fall food is acorn squash seeds, which make a wonderful snack when toasted like pumpkin seeds. The pumpkin seeds used in many healthy Fall recipes may be substituted with acorn squash seeds. To toast the acorn squash seeds, simply remove all the pulp with your fingers, and spread them out onto a cookie sheet and dry them overnight.

Toasting acorn squash seeds
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Spread the acorn squash seeds onto a greased (or sprayed) cookie sheet. Lightly coat the top side of the seeds with more cooking spray, then lightly salt them. Pepper and garlic powder may also be applied, if desired. Bake for 30 minutes then flip them over with a thin spatula, and bake for another 30 minutes. Allow seeds to cool completely before eating.