Discover the wonders of Winter Squash

Discover the wonders of Winter Squash
(Sources: Prevention.com, Experience Life Magazine and Whole Living)
Winter is a perfect time to fill your home with the comforting aroma
of winter squashes and indulge your appetite with their rich, satisfying
flavors. You’ll also be treating your body to their nutritional goodness. Not only are they full of
antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, these nutritious powerhouses support cardiovascular
health, balance blood sugar and may even ward off cancer.
Roasted, steamed, baked or sautéed, these hearty vegetables can be used in most any type of dish.
Here’s a quick cheat sheet to the types of squash and what they are best used for:
BUTTERNUT: Excellent
steamed and in soups,
the sweet, nutty
butternut is a good
squash for beginners.
DELICATA: The creamy
delicata tastes like a cross
between sweet potatoes
and butternut squash and
is wonderful sautéed.
ACORN: Sweet, nutty
and peppery, baked
acorn squash is a
classic. Great for
stuffing, too!
KABOCHA: With sweet
flavors and dry, flaky flesh,
kabocha— the Japanese
word for squash—can
be baked, steamed or
sautéed.
CARNIVAL: This sweet,
mellow tasting squash is
similar to butternut squash.
It’s flexible in use—
working well roasted,
pureed or steamed.
HUBBARD: Less sweet than
many varieties, hubbard
squash has a grainy texture
and is best baked and
served mashed or puréed.
SPAGHETTI: A surprising and
nutty stand-in for pasta, the
flesh of this squash separates
into spaghetti-like strands
when cooked. Try in place
of pasta noodles with your
favorite tomato-based pasta
sauce added on top.
PUMPKIN: The dark
orange flesh of the
pumpkin is excellent
mashed and in pies.
Spaghetti Squash Marinara
Makes 4 servings (1-1/2 c. squash with ¼ c. of sauce)
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
READY IN: 50 minutes
COOK TIME: 30-40 minutes
What You Need
How to Make It
1 medium raw spaghetti squash,
(about 2-1/2 lb)
1.Preheat oven to 350˚F.
1 tsp olive oil
3.Place squash, cut sides down, in a large baking dish and prick skin all over with a fork.
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic clove, minced
14 1/2 oz of canned stewed tomatoes
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Nutritional Information Per Serving:
• Calories: 88.6
• Total Fat: 3.3 g
• Cholesterol: 4.7 mg
• Sodium: 401.1 mg
• Total Carbs: 12.4 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2.1 g
• Protein: 4.2 g
2.Halve squash lengthwise and scoop out seeds.
4.Bake until tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
5.Meanwhile, to make the sauce, heat oil in a
medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add
onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about
5 minutes.
6.Stir in tomatoes and Italian seasoning; bring
to a boil.
7.Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring
often, 5 minutes or until desired consistency.
To serve, carefully rake the stringy squash pulp
from the skin with a fork, separating it into strands
that look like spaghetti. Spoon sauce over squash
and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Yields about
1-1/2 cups of squash, 1/4 cup of sauce and
1 tablespoon of cheese per serving.
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5 Easy Steps for Peeling and Cutting Butternut Squash
STEP 1:PREP. Using a heavy sharpened knife, cut off
1/4-inch from the bottom to create a flat-bottom
surface that allows you to steady the squash while cutting. Then cut off 1/4-inch from the stem end.
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Tips for Storing Winter Squash
• Keep squash in dry, dark, well-ventilated and cool
place (50˚F-55˚F), such as a garage or unheated part
of the basement.
• Do not place in refrigerator. Temperatures under
50˚F c an damage the squash and change the taste,
as well a s shorten the storage lifespan.
• Stored properly, winter squash can last two to three months.
• Stored at room temperature, they can last two to
three weeks.
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(Source:Weight Watchers®)
STEP 2:PEEL. Stand the squash upright on a cutting
board. It shouldn’t wobble; you want the squash to be stable. (If it is wobbly, make another cut at the bottom to even it out.) Take a sharp
vegetable peeler and use downward strokes to remove the peel.
STEP 3:CUT. Keeping it upright, make one long cut,
downthe middle from the top to bottom, with
a heavy chef’s knife.
STEP 4:REMOVE SEEDS. Use a metal spoon/ice-cream scoop or melon baller to scrape out the seeds and the stringy pulp from the squash cavity.
STEP 5:SLICE/CUBE. Lay the squash halves, cut side
down, on the cutting board for stability. Cut the
squash into slices, lengthwise, the desired width
of your squash pieces. To cube, stack a few
slices together and make crosswise cuts.
To watch a demonstration visit:
http://video.about.com/homecooking/Butternut-Squash.htm