According to the surprisingly popular poll I put up on Facebook on Monday, butternut squash is the big time favorite – so it will be today’s feature! Let’s start with a “fun fact” – when you buy canned pumpkin… guess what it really is 9 times out of 10? That’s right – your old favorite, butternut squash! Most of the time when you say butternut squash people automatically think of butternut squash soup, which is wonderful and delicious – but don’t let that limit your thinking. The great thing about this slightly sweet, easy to work with and relatively quick cooking squash is its versatility. I originally re-discovered butternut squash a few years ago after finding a recipe for a baked “French fry alternative*” After that I started seeing the squash as a much more versatile ingredient – and quite frankly one of the best “hash brown” alternatives ever – as proved yet again this very morning.
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Since it was breakfast for one, I just used the top part of the butternut squash – trimming off the hard rind/skin whatever you want to call it, and then making tiny 1/8″ strips – they were then coated with about 1 tbsp melted coconut oil and placed into a medium hot cast iron skillet – cook until as Alton Brown says “they are GBD – golden brown and delicious.” As you can see they are great with eggs and a little bit of grass fed sirloin “breakfast steak.” Breakfast is serious business around here… did I mention that? I also regularly use butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes in the following recipes:
- Sweet Potato Home Fries (similar to this morning’s breakfast, but with actual measurements)
- Bison, Kale and Sweet Potato Skillet
- Skillet Eggs with Parsnips and Sweet PotatoesIf you are out of sweet potatoes and parsnips, feel free to make up the difference entirely with butternut squash. Also, the flavor of parsnips is VERY distinctive – using butternut squash will make this dish more accessible to people who like milder flavors.
Additionally you can also cut butternut squash in half, scoop out the seeds, rub the inside with coconut oil or grass fed organic butter – sprinkle on some sea salt and fresh cracked pepper – then bake in a 350 Degree F oven in a pan with about 1″ or less water added (place squash cut side up) for a great baked potato or baked sweet potato alternative. Bake for approx 1 hour – or until squash is completely soft and slightly browned. My friends at Winter Park Spice and Tea Exchange introduced me to their new Autumn Blend yesterday – which would be fantastic sprinked onto a butternut squash before baking (same with chicken, pork, acorn squash, etc.) Think of it as a sort of… seasonal seasoned salt? But way more seasoning than salting… Warning it does contain sugar and maple syrup granules, but I don’t expect that you’ll be spooning it directly from the bag to your mouth. If you do – there are bigger problems than just a little sugar.
Did you miss the first 2 days of Squash Week? Get caught up here:
1. Monday – Facebook Favorite Winter Squash Poll
2. Tuesday – Spaghetti Squash as Noodle Alternative – and how to bake it whole in the oven!
Extra Credit…. Halloween Faux Monkey Brains recipe!
*Butternut Squash French Fry Alternative
Preheat Oven to 425 Degrees F
2lb Butternut squash, sliced into 1/4″ sticks, I like to toss the sticks with sea salt and a good bit of melted coconut oil before spreading them on a cookie sheet in a single layer – don’t pile them up! Bake for 20 minutes then flip and cook for 20 more minutes. Sometimes I will cook them a little longer at a lower overall temperature to make them dry out some so that they get crispy!
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