What to do with Butternut Squash

[Le Taz Hot]

So I had this idea about periodically posting a "What to do with ________" and I pitched it to Lucinda who thought it was a good idea. The foodstuffs can be anything from the ordinary to the exotic and, of course, anyone can start a thread. From there our DU cooks can chime in and add their favorite recipes.

I'm lucky enough to live in a farming area and we have a lot of Southeast Asian farmers who have lots of strange and intriguing fruits and veggies of which I don't have the first idea what to do with so this might just be the perfect opportunity.

So . . . to start it off, I wanted to post one on Butternut Squash since I, up until now, had very limited experience cooking with it. Here are two recipes that I tried and absolutely LOVE.

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:
1 (2 to 3 pounds) butternut squash, peeled and seeded
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped
6 cups chicken stock*
Nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Cut squash into 1-inch chunks. In large pot melt butter. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add squash and stock. (*I didn't thaw out enough chicken stock so I substituted 2 cups of veggie stock and it worked fine.) Bring to a simmer and cook until squash is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove squash chunks with slotted spoon and place in blender and puree (you may have to had some liquid from the stock to get the blender blades moving). Return blended squash to pot. Stir and season with nutmeg and cook on a simmer for about 30 minutes.


Butternut Squash Pie

Ingredients:
1 9-inch pie shell
2 cups cooked butternut squash
2 eggs, separated
3/4 cup firmly-packed light brown sugar
1-1/2 cups evaporated milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat egg yolks with sugar until light in color. Add squash, milk and seasonings. Beat egg white until stiff and fold into squash mixture. Pour into pie shell and bake for about 30 - 35 minutes. Let cool at least 2 hours to ensure contents solidify.


Anyone have any butternut squash recipes they'd like to contribute?

LTH

[Arkansas Granny]

1. My kids used to love butternut and other winter squash when I baked

it this way:

Cut squash in half and rmove seeds. Put the squash cut side down in a shallow baking dish with just a little water. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes or until just tender. Turn the squash over, brush with melted butter, sprinkle with salt and a little brown sugar and continue to bake until the sugar and butter form a thin "crust". If you like, you can use maple syrup instead of brown sugar. A little sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg is a tasty addition.

[Phentex]

2. I like to roast it, too...

it's too hot for that right now but it is delicious.

[Denninmi]

3. Oh, me too.

I just peel it (which is kind of difficult, I admit), and then either cut into small cubes or slices about 1/2 inch thick, depending upon the mood. Then I drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with an herb seasoning blend (once again, there are options, I like to use an Italian seasoning at times, other times I'll do something like ginger, garlic, and lemon for an Asian influence, or even throw in basil for Thai).

Roast in a hot oven, about 400 degrees, for 20-30 minutes, stirring or turning gently a couple of times to brown all sides.

Yummy, and also one of my dog's favorite things, he loves squash and sweet potatoes.

[Phentex]

4. Stop it!

Now I want some!

[Warpy]

5. Having grown up with the idea that it had to be cooked and mashed

and mixed with sugar and spice until it was like candy and served with or without marshmallows, a nauseating proposition to a kid who did find some stuff too sweet and hated the texture, I came up with this one:

Peel and cube butternut squash. Throw into a pot with just a little water and cook until fork tender. Throw in some butter and chopped fresh parsley. Add a little salt and pepper and serve.

It's gorgeous and squash haters like myself like it. It's got "bite" and you can taste the squash instead of a lot of sweet stuff.

[livetohike]

6. Too many decades ago we worked on an Old Order Amish farm for room and board

The mother (of eight children) would fry up butternut squash in the morning for breakfast. It was delicious! She peeled the squash and cut it into thin slices - maybe 1/8" thick and dredge it in flour, then saute it in melted butter. Of course, this was just part of the breakfast meal along with wheels of cheese, homemade jams and homemade bread. One reason I managed to gain 25 lbs despite working hard .

I make it that way sometimes with eggs and toast for breakfast.

[japple]

7. I have a friend who loves to make soup with butternut squash, onions, garlic,

cumin, jalapenos and chicken or veg. stock. I haven't tried it yet, but I think she dices it into chunks and sautees it with the chilis and cumin, onions and garlic, then adds chicken stock and simmers it until it "tastes right."

[GoCubsGo]

8. Arabian Squash Casserole

From the Moosewood Cookbook: http://www.molliekatzen.com/recipes/recipe.php?recipe=arabian_casserole

It's delicious. I like mine with lots of cayenne. I sometimes make a butternut squash soup version of it.

[TreasonousBastard]

9. My squash soups have no real recipe, and sometimes include chunks...

of squash. I start with something like the one above and add roasted red and green peppers for color, various amounts of cinnamon, adobo, cayenne, parsley, basil, curry powder, and dig around for anything else that may seem good at the time.

Roasted or stir-fried squash on the grill is good stuff.

Not so much butternut, but acorns and other small squashes get cut in half, cleaned out, the hole filled with some kind of stuffing and the whole thing roasted, maybe with a cheese sauce topping it. Nuking it works, too. If I'm lazy or in a hurry, I'll just cut it, clean it, shpritz it with olive oil and nuke it naked.

I love winter squash. Really, really, love it.

[Lucinda]

10. Wonderfully yummy recipes everyone! Thanks for the thread LTH!

These all sound great!